Flashback Friday: Jazz

Growing up I had three sisters, a brother and a dog. She was more than just a dog, more than a family pet... She was like a sister, a friend, a true companion. We got Jazz (or Jasmine) when I was only four years old, and we grew up together. She spent many nights sleeping at the foot of my bed, or laying by my feet while we watched TV in the living room. I remember on cold winter nights we would all curl up around our fireplace to warm our feet, and Jazz would be right there with us. I can still picture Jazz galloping around in the snow in the winter, and chasing after us down the hill while we were sledding. In the summertime we would be swimming in the pool and we liked to play a prank on Jazz. We would swim down to the very bottom of the deep end and hold on to the drain and watch as Jazz started to freak out. She would eventually jump in to rescue us and we would all pop up from the water and crack up laughing! My parents didn't like this joke very much, but we thought it was great! She was incredibly smart as well. If we made a bark sign with our hand (kinda like a hand puppet opening and closing its mouth) she would bark. If you held your hand up above your head and said dance she would jump up on her back legs and jump around. You could put a treat on her nose and she would not eat it until you said she could. She was the sweetest and most gentle dog I have ever known. Even though she was a powerhouse breed she was amazingly kind and loyal. The neighbor kids called her "Jaws", but everyone knew her as a gentle giant. As I grew up she was right there with me, going on runs, bike rides and many hours at the park. She was a constant in my life... something that never changed in an ever changing environment. Then one day when I was fifteen years old my Dad picked me up from school and I knew immediately something was wrong. The day I found out that Jazz had died is still, to this day, one of the hardest days of my life. We took her up to our cabin that night and did a small burial for our beloved dog. I still miss her, and I don't think any dog could ever live up to how great she was.

Now that I am "grown up" and have a dog of my own I can't help but compare Desi to my good old Jazz. I can only hope that Desi will be as great of a friend and companion to our future children as Jazz was to me.

{the lady herself in all her glory}

{hayley playing with some of Jazz's puppies}

Sorry about all the dog posts... I can't help it!