In remembrance of Spike...

Just about 18 and a half years ago, Jeff walked into an animal rescue center and came out with a spunky little guy who quickly took on the title of Spike. With a few types of breeds in him, no one could really figure out what exactly this lucky pup was, but most vets we have seen along the way say he had a feisty piece of Jack Russel Terrier in him.

I've only been graced with his presence for a little over 9 years now and I feel so lucky to have had that time to get to know him and his quirky ideas of fun. Spike loved to wander around in the yard, taking bites here and there from any long blades of grass that he walked past, or if he was feeling especially lazy, he enjoyed sprawling himself out to soak up the rays from the sun.

Even though he loved the sun, he had the best time in the snow - besides rolling around and getting completely soaked, you could always count on him to run up to a snow bank and take a big bite out of it.

One of the first things I noticed about him when he was romping around outside was that he wouldn't run like other dogs as his back legs seemed to work together and he would hop along like a bunny - so cute!

While Spike loved the outdoors, the time he had the most fun was when he and Jeff would curl up on the couch or bed and watch some TV or just take a little snooze.

Spike was the official pup tester of our many treats that we baked. Max did have a little input, but Spike being the older brother, he got first say on which treats were to be made again. Here are the boys before digging into one of their favorite goodies.

He was especially a fan of the Pupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting - we cut them into quarters and they would last quite awhile.

While we were living in Phoenix, Spike and Max loved licking up some homemade peanut butter frosty paws (basically yogurt blended with peanut butter and frozen) that we made - Max would often to try sneak and steal a bite, but Spike would have no part in it.

Speaking of Phoenix, Spike put up with many moves and very long car rides over the years. He got to see quite a lot of the United States as he went from Maryland to New Jersey, Jersey to Minneapolis, Minneapolis to Phoenix, Phoenix back to Maryland and finally back to Minneapolis. He never complained about the car rides, but would occasionally get tired of Miss Kitty meowing and put his head on her cage to calm her down.

Unfortunately, Spike had developed a mass in a gland below his ear and around his jaw area within the past few months. He seemed to be doing okay, but the past couple of days proved otherwise and after a very emotional morning, we had come to the decision that it was time for us to release our hold on him today and let him be at peace without going through any suffering.

We spent some time outside with him this morning, playing and letting him roam around in his playground one last time.

Here is Spike with his favorite blanket in his comfortable bed that he slept in every night. He spent many, many hours lounging around in bed as he felt safe and content there.

We will never forget how wonderful you made our lives and you will be in our thoughts forever. We love you buddy and hope you meet some new friends to play with on the other side.