Saying Goodbye

The past several days have been a whirlwind.
I'm still trying to take it all in as I look at his sweet photo...
...it seems like a movie that I just watched or a dream I just had.

We lost our sweet Hunter last Wednesday evening.

He was a tiny puppy when he came to us...about 9 weeks old.
~

The week had been stressful enough...
...we were due to fly to Jim's sister's home in Destin, Florida the next day.

I had almost everything packed up, including all of the dog paraphernalia for the kennel.

Just as I was able to sit and catch my breath for a moment, Hunter became very listless
and suddenly began having what looked like a grand mal seizure.

He had never had a seizure before that I know of.

~
We were noticing more and more that he was beginning to show his age.

He would have turned thirteen in September...

...but even though he seemed to be failing a bit—having good days and bad,

it had been a good day for him...eating, playing, running, etc.
~

I could have never imagined how the evening would end.

 Around 9:00 PM I found him cowering in the hallway.

I picked him up and he immediately started flailing about and crying out.

As everything started to unfold, my mind began racing with thoughts,

knowing we had airline tickets and couldn't cancel our trip...

...but at the same time, where would we board a sick dog?
And how could we even leave him anywhere in good conscience?
~

I googled seizures in dogs and read that they can be quite common,

 and most of the time the dog will recover quickly as if nothing had happened.

This was my prayer and hope for Hunter.
But God had another plan.
~
Eleven o'clock would find me lying on the couch and cradling him,
wrapped up like a baby on my chest, watching him breathe his final breath.

As I write these words five day later, it is all just so surreal.
Hunter had lived his last day.

But God's timing is never wrong, in fact it is perfect.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.    Isaiah 55:8-9

This was Hunter's favorite thing.
~
With heavy hearts, we boarded our plane for Destin.
I'll share more about our trip later.
~
So since I haven't read a blog for nearly a week,
I must now try to get caught up!

Sharing at:
Mosaic Monday
Roses of Inspiration