Gracie.

5 years old. That’s how old our precious Newfoundland was when we found out she had an aggressive bone cancer. A cancer that came out of nowhere + took over so quickly.

Our giant fluffy pup was such a beautiful gift to our family. She came as a surprise to our children. They had zero inkling we were even thinking of adding a puppy. As daddy brought in the unsuspecting box for the kids to open, they all jumped back in shock! The reactions were priceless! There were screams + tears. Just so much joy!

She was the cutest ever! She barked at threatening hairbrushes + chased kids around. She grew quickly! By 6 months she was almost normal adult dog size yet still a puppy. I got nervous as I took her to puppy training only to find out that she was the biggest 6 month puppy in the room! Felt like maybe we had acquired a “Clifford, the big red dog” except she was black with the cutest white paws. She was easy to train + caught on quickly. As winter came we quickly realized that this time of year was HER time of year. She was the most lively in winter. She would bound into the snow + jump around. Getting her back inside was a chore + a half. She would bark at us + beckon us to play with her… even when we weren’t in the mood. But it sure was fun to watch her! In the first two years of her puppy life she took much joy in pulling the kids behind in a sled! This was so much fun for them to have a dog they could yell “MUSH!” to! She had the most kind demeanor + loved to have fun.

Of course, those teen puppy years were just a whole other ball of wax. When she would sit there + bark in our faces or dig holes like a dog trying to break out of a backyard… except she was never trying to break out, just wanting to dig. But always when you’re frustrated in those moments of puppy crazy, when you look back you just wish they were still here.

She brought so much joy, friendship + comfort to our whole family without us realizing it at the time. She would sit as a quiet knowing companion when the kids would be sad + need someone to hug + share their thoughts with. She would be a ready snuggler anytime of the day, soaking up all the pets + love. She was a faithful + watchful guardian with Grandma while the rest of us would leave the house to go somewhere. She was so much that when it was time for her to go the reality of all she was to us hit harder than we expected.

I never grew up a lover of dogs. I never knew how much she would mean to me over time. I got her for our children, but I loved that girl + I will dearly miss her companionship or warm body on my feet. We knew what we were getting into when we got a Newfie. We knew the big dog risk of them only lasting about 10ish years. But 5? Time was cut in half + it was painful.