Saying goodbye to my sweet Faith

Faith Engel // June 30, 2000 - March 7, 2016

It is with the most heaviest of hearts, I write this blog. Faith, my sweet pug, passed away peacefully sometime yesterday. Faith has been a part of my life for nearly 16 years (June 30). My parents surprised me with her on my 18th birthday. I remember so clearly opening up a birthday gift of dog toys and being so confused until I walked outside to see her tiny, sweet face hiding in a dog kennel. From that day on, she was my best friend and part of every big moment in my life. I honestly can't imagine coming home and not seeing her face. She was spunky, sassy, loved peanut butter, and surprising me with random items she would bring in from outside..a few times it was a snake. She was a little bit of a klepto (stealing anything she could get her hands on), obsessed with sunbathing, a snorter, a hoarder, and loved to swim. She has terrified me twice...once when she ate my entire Christmas stocking of kisses and my sister (a vet tech) had to walk me through how to pump her stomach over the phone (hydrogen peroxide does the trick). And second time was when she escaped through the fence in my backyard. It was the worst 24 hours of my life searching for her. I stayed up all night making signs and scanning the neighborhood. Luckily a kind woman found her and brought her home.

My wonderful husband had to break the news to me, but has been so kind. He has been extremely helpful taking care of the final details, because I can't handle even talking about it. We told Sawyer and he was also very comforting, kids sure know how to make things better. He wiped my tears and said, "God has lots of dog toys for her in heaven." Bowie was shaking and crying when John found her, he is taking it pretty rough too. I know he will miss his buddy, they lived together for six years.

I honestly knew this was coming sooner than later at her age, but I never imagined I would be this heartbroken. It was equally as hard to tell my parents, as they have raised her almost as long as I have. They cared for her while I was in college or when I was gone traveling. Faith loved my dad so much, would sense him as soon as he would walk in the door. He came over last night and helped me say good bye and was even kind enough to help us get her to Friends of the Family, where she will be cremated and returned to us in a cedar box. 

My mom sent me the sweetest note that really touched me:
"I find it is sort of poetic justice that Dad was the one to driver her there this morning.  He was the one who found her at the breeder in Billings. He took Rachel and I to meet her for the first time and then we went to pick her up when she was old enough so that we could surprise you with her for your birthday"

Just this past Christmas, I had decided to surprise John with custom watercolors of both Faith and Bowie for our home. Now this painting means even more to me than I could have imagined. As a way to remember her, I went through and found some of my favorite photos of her that I have included below. 

Faith, I love you so much and already miss you! Thank you for being my sidekick for more than 15 years, my grandpa Jim and Grandma Marilyn will love having you around heaven keeping them entertained!

our custom watercolors for our Fur babies. 

she always had the sweetest face.

wearing her birthday dress

Our engagement photos

That time her and Bowie were in 417 Magazine

My fur baby meeting my new baby

best buds 

the itch dance

First swim in my parents pool

meeting her sisters Olive & Grace

snuggling was their favorite!

her new backyard in 2014

Birthday Peanut Butter

can hardly see her hidden in there 

welcoming John when he moved in with us

snake presents for me, EWW!

sunbathing

very resourceful!