Dixie

R.I.P.  Dixie
October 22, 1999 - April 1, 2013
 

Mark and I got Dixie the Christmas after we were married when she was around 7 or 8 weeks old.  She was our first child.  I called in sick to work for two days when we got her because I couldn't bare to leave her all alone.  We loved her so much and spoiled her rotten.  She slept in the bed with us, even at 90 lbs, until Keaton was born.  We love telling the story about her eating a box of CheezIts and the time I came home from work and found the refrigerator opened.  She had helped herself all day apparently.  She could jump over the baby gates and would eat my potpourri.  But more than anything she loved to be outside.  She could catch any animal brave enough to enter our backyard.  Many birds, a few squirrels, a family of opossums, and a skunk all lost the battle to Dixie  (with some help from Lady) in our backyard.  And there was a cat that came close, but Mark intervened and I think we saved it. 

She loved water.  In the beginning we had a kiddie pool for her to play in all day.  While we were on vacation in Puerto Rico, she spent the week at Nana's.  She swam every day in their pool.  She would jump off the diving board, swim to the stairs, and then do it all over again. 

She was always gentle and loving with our kids.  She never met a stranger, but I knew she would protect me if I needed her to.  Her size and bark painted her to be a threat when all she really wanted to do was lick you and play. 

She was an awesome dog and lived a good long life.  We are going to miss her dearly.