{ smile }

I love this photo of Annibelle taken only a few months ago. You can really see her smile. She was such a happy dog and loved chasing the tennis ball. I know that it hurt her to run with such bad hips but she couldn't resist the tennis ball. Out of all the dogs we have, she was THE ONLY one that would get the ball and bring it back...the other dogs didn't dare interfere. Also, she would only bring it back to Rob or I. The kids would have fun trying to get it from between her paws and she would nip at their hands and growl under her breath. She had the softest ears you ever touched and this beautiful snow white chest. I remember the night I brought her home, I laid on the couch with her on my chest. She was such a little puppy...10 weeks old. I laid there and thought of all sorts of different names...I finally ended with Belle because her eyes reminded me of Belle from Beauty and the Beast. Of course, being a 'pure bread' (even though poorly bread), I had to make it sound regal, so I lengthened it to Annibelle. She went by Anni, Belle, Bellzer, etc. You know how we Kleiners have our own Kleinspeak.



I remember that after having her only a few short months, she got out through our open garage (I wont say who left it open, but I will say I was so mad at him!). We posted up fliers all day on Saturday. On Sunday morning we went to church. Those were the days when Pastor Paul would ask the congregations if they had any prayer requests. To our great surprise, Barry Michael (as he was called back then) raised his hand and Paul called on him. He said in his small four year old voice, "My dog ran away because I didn't play with her." I think everyone in the congregation gasped at the sorrow of this small voice. I was horrified that he was taking the blame on himself. Pastor Paul graciously prayed for her return. After church, I remember Dan, Dan and Mic, in a circle talking about how God hears the prayers of little children. Grown men were heartbroken over the sincerity of my little boy.



She had been gone for Friday night, Saturday night and now it was Sunday. We had the Guess family over to celebrate Robbie's 2nd birthday and we all tried to focus. Edie kept saying that she thought she heard whimpering, but we never found anything. That night, I laid down on the floor by the front door and just cried. Thinking of how helpless she was and how little. I prayed that at the least, someone had found her and would take good care of her. I then thought of how painful it would be to lose a child, knowing that the grief I was feeling was already so devastating. I prayed for those who were missing their children. At last, I decided to take a sleeping pill because I hadn't slept for two days. And I knew it was time to move on.



Hours later, in the middle of the night, I was groggily awoken by Rob saying, "Look who's back!" Barry Michael and I sat up (he was sleeping with us because he was so sad). The joy! The smiles and laughter! Both Barry Michael and I hovered over Rob as he bathed her in the tub.



To think, it was only earlier that morning that a little pudgy hand had raised tentatively to ask for prayer.



In the years to come, she put us through more agony...turning out to be epileptic and going into seizures that would scare us, each time not knowing if she would make it through. The phenobarbital aged her more quickly and she became a little more grumpy in her old age. When Boston came home, she snubbed him. She had lived with us so long, she was certain she was human. But, after more and more dogs came along...she actually began to realize she was a dog and would act like it from time to time. We felt like we had our own pack and had fun observing how packs interact...



I'm probably boring you all by now, but it has been therapeutic for me to remember her. Remember her zurking through the house (especially after a bath); zurk up the couch, up the back of the couch and do a 180 turn back down the couch.



But, my fondest memory of all, is how she comforted me after Rob's dad died. At night, when I couldn't sleep and Rob laid beside me asleep. I would grieve and mourn for the pain of my husband, sons and myself. It was then, when no one was awake that I could feel my sorrow and cry quietly. I wanted to be held but did not want to disturb my hubby who needed his sweet hours of sleep when he could rest from grief. Those were the nights, that I pulled her up to my chest and buried my eyes. She curled up in a ball and let me hold her, she let me just cry quietly and she was just there for me...there for me, so that during the day, I could be there for everyone else. She rescued me in as much as I rescued her from that horrid puppy mill. And the last think she heard before she died was my voice...saying, "that's a good girl Annibelle, good girl." Robbie and Joey each with a hand on her back, tears flowing and my forehead on hers.

When the doctor said she was gone...we cried. Huddled in a corner of the room, we hugged each other and prayed. We thanked God for giving us dominion over the animals, we thanked God for allowing Adam to name each animal as he walked the garden and we thanked God for blessing us with such gifts of pleasure. Thanked God for loving us SO much that He created wonderful furry friends to teach us how to love His creation. With our Amen's we gave her one last pat on the head and closed the door behind us.