The Day We Lost Gator

 The year started off as well as it could have.  We had spent Christmas at Hilton Head Island with Gran and her side of the family.  This picture was taken right before I took the boys to the dog sitter, as it happens it is the last picture of Gator looking at the camera.

We were very happy to see our boys when we got home, though they did find a way to immediately get into chocolate and earn a trip to the emergency vet.  Here they are recovering from the induced vomiting.

Monday went fine, we were enjoying The Greatest Showman soundtrack at the time.  But that evening we noticed Gator was being kind of puny, he was just laying at the top of the stairs with a sad look on his face.  As the one who always overreacts, I tried to not worry too much about him because, after all, he was still with us 13 years later!  I resolved to take him to the vet in the morning if he was back to acting like himself.  Unfortunately, I never got that opportunity.  Emily and I were woken in the night by Gator gasping for breath.  Before I could get my second pant leg on Emily told me to stop and come over, he was about to leave us.  And so he did....

I loved that dog.  There is plenty of evidence documented in this blog to testify to his greatness.  Loyal, sweet, tennis ball loving, he was all we could have asked for.  His loss was a blow, and turned out to be an omen for a rough year.

So we buried him in the backyard and planted a dogwood tree to mark his final resting spot.  How appropriate for him to be buried in the backyard where he spent so much time running and chasing tennis balls.

There were lots of tears, and not just from the girls.

After losing his companion of 13 years, Thatcher was a little down too.

A Difficult Day

We lost Gator early this morning.  Other than being a little peuny last night, we didn't have any reason to think that he was very sick.  We woke this morning to him gasping for breaths in our bedroom.  As I was trying to put my pants on to take him to the emergency vet, Emily was holding him.  In a moment of doctor's skill or motherly wisdom, she stopped me and called me over.  We held him as he left this place to travel the rainbow bridge.  We know he's with Tom in a better place.

We laid his body to rest in a coffin we built and decorated.  He is buried under a dogwood tree in the backyard he spent so many hours enjoying.

There are loads of pictures of him on this blog, but this one is from just a couple weeks ago.

Granny Campbell

Even though it has been a couple of years since Granny was really with us, this was the first Christmas for the family without her.  She was missed.  

One of the *many* amazing things about Granny was her ability to keep everything she ever received that related to her kids and grandkids.  It turns out that Granny knew way more about me than I could even remember!  Many of the letters, pictures and momentos I had sent to her over the years came back to me recently.  These treasures, combined with our new all in one printer, gave me the opportunity to do some scanning and posting!

You may not recognize this as Bridgeforth Stadium at JMU.

 Ahh....the woody, tailgating at the game.  The small propane grill seen here (circa 1995) was most recently used at a tailgate between VT and Wake Forest!  Good investment Papa!

Don Jeanes

I scanned and posted this picture to the blog a couple of years back. It features Gran and one of her Milligan choir colleagues, Don Jeanes. Don later became President of Milligan. During his very successful tenure, he set the College on a path of increasing enrollment and fiscal soundness (in addition to hiring me ;) Unfortunately, Don passed away unexpectedly last week. This was a shock to all of us....he will be missed.

TJO

I am comforted by how many times a day I think of my father.
I realize now that his voice will never leave me and that is a
treasure I rely on.

TJO

To live in the hearts you leave behind
Is not to die.
~Thomas Campbell

Now with two granddaughters he will never know...

They will know him.

Grandpa and Betty

I think I must be getting old. With the arrival of Caroline, I realized how many pictures we have taken over the years and simply dumped on our hard-drive at home. In trying to organize and back them up on Picasa, I have found a lot of really great pictures from times and events that I had completely forgotten until glancing at the photographic reminder. Here is a picture of the last time we saw my Grandpa alive. I can still remember his handshake which surprised me in its firmness despite my Grandpa's years.

5 years

To live in the hearts we leave behind is not to die. -Thomas Campbell

It was a clear sunny cold day, just like today, this day five years ago.
I'm choosing to take comfort in that. I take comfort in my father's memory
every day.

TJO

Those of you that knew Emily's Dad Tom will know that he was an absolute master of avoiding photographs (in fact, he was something of a role model for me). In any event, I am procrastinating on some lecture note review and have been scrolling through old pictures. I happened to come across a series of pictures from a Harkey family Christmas that are quite unusual in that Tom pops up in the background quite a bit. I just thought they were worth sharing.

This first picture shows him using the classic red dixie cup camouflage maneuver...



But even that classic maneuver was not enough to through this persistent photographer off the trail...



And finally enjoying a good laugh...

My Dad

It's been three years. Three years ago, today, my Dad passed away.

Everyday he enters my thoughts. Whether it's something I wish I could tell him, or remembering something he said, he is always with me.

He would probably not be surprised to know, however, that I still don't listen, as his 'measure twice, cut once' advice was lost upon me yesterday while making and then re-making kitchen curtains, due to my gross mis-measurement the first time around.

But it's all those little things, those seemingly small moments, that make his absence so great.

Mr. Curtis

Pictured above, from left to right, are my friend Ryan, my brother Chip, Mr. Curtis (Ryan and Connor's Dad), my friends Tom and Connor, and I'm on the end. This picture was taken at a high school graduation party for Ryan and Connor's sister Erin. Ryan and I have been friends since our days at Centreville High School; then Chip and Connor went through school together as well. Sadly, we learned that Mr. Curtis passed away this weekend. The Curtis family is in our thoughts and prayers, please keep them in yours as well.