Farmer in training

Living so close to the fairgrounds has its perks. Friday night, we spontaneously checked out the Got to Be NC Ag Festival. It was a mini fair really, except free, so a lot more awesome than the regular fair. There were old tractors on display, a petting zoo, mini pig races, rides, fair food and carnies galore. It was kind of like heaven for a certain little guy.

North attracted quite a crowd when this photo was shot. Dave was crouched down at the side of the tractor and I was behind him holding the back of his pants by their belt loops so he didn't fall off the high seat of the tractor. In other words, passersby couldn't see the parents of said baby. All they could see was this tiny cute person perched on the tractor pretending to drive it and they began snapping pictures too.

I love this one. It looks like he's surveying his fields considering how much plowing he has to get done before nightfall. A two foot farmer's work is never done.

Jake

Jake, our dog, passed suddenly on Monday night. The rain and cold weather have reflected the somber mood in our house ever since.

I find myself missing him at different moments throughout the day. I'm sure we all have our unique moments we shared with him. But mine mostly revolve around the kitchen and food. That was our special time; the only moment he would allow Dave to leave his sight, in fact. When Jake was home and I was cooking, he was a fixture laying in the middle of the kitchen looking up at me with his most pitiful puppy dog eyes. He pegged me for a sucker and guilted the carrots to jump right off my chopping board and into his mouth. We happily munched away, while Luna, our cat, glared at us from the sidelines. He was the best kitchen assistant I've ever worked with.

There is a missing energy in the house now. I suppose you take those energies for granted after awhile. It is almost too quiet.

I know we will be reminded of him for years to come, especially when finding little Jake furballs here and there. Bits of velcro white fur make me smile now.

1 Year 1 Month

Dear North,

The past month has been filled with a whirlwind of activity in our house. We've staged two garage sales, had family in town, installed new kitchen appliances and are currently in the middle of a garage and drainage construction project. All this and your father and I have both gone back to work full time.

But no matter what activity we are involved in, there you are right along side us. Some times watching, at other times busy playing with whatever object is nearby. Your happy baby babble is our soundtrack while we work. That is one of the last baby things you still do.

Overall, I see your transition happening right now from baby to toddler. You can sort of run. I mean, you can run, but I don't think you're going to get in the Olympics any time soon with that bad running form. You climb up and down stairs and if the front door is unlocked, you have figured out how to turn the handle to open it. You also have started to push chairs around and climb on them to get at items that were previously unreachable. Pretty soon, the only place left for me to store breakables will be the ceiling. But I'm sure the moment I move everything to the ceiling, there you would be rapelling off the fan or something.

Lately, your favorite activity is chasing our dog, Jake, around the house while holding his leash. You charge at him holding the connector part of the leash to take him for a walk. Meanwhile, Jake scampers around and around looking for an escape from your maniacal giggles and ear piercing squeals. I think he finds the whole thing terrifying.

Sadly, I imagine you will only remember him from pictures. Our poor Jake is not doing so good these days and his time left with us is likely to be limited. From what the x-rays show, the vet thinks his lungs are filled with tumors. All we can do is make him as comfortable and happy as possible. This translates to extra treats, like on Sunday when Dave made him his own blueberry pancake. It also means we are taking a camping trip while Jake still seems to feel pretty good. Even with all the medication he's on, he's still the same smiling Jake he's always been. He's had a good fourteen years for sure.

It's hard to let go of someone that has been such an integral part of the family for so long. I am thankful that we have time left with him to say goodbye and let our furry friend know how much we all love him.

Amazing things can happen to us when we are caring for a sick loved one with little time left. We put ourselves aside and they become our focus. Everything revolves around how we can make them happy, even if just for a moment. It's a good lesson to try harder to live that way for all people in your life every day.