Rebel ~

I debated on whether or not to blog about this...but this was a big part of our lives and I want my children to remember it.  

This past Friday, our sweet Rebel got out of the fence and got ran over. 

It was hands down the saddest my children have ever had...and NOTHING breaks a mama's heart more than her baby's heart being broken...and I couldn't fix it.

Our sweet neighbor buried him for us so we never had to see him...I just want them to remember our wild, happy and fun Rebel.

He was the happiest dog...he LOVED my children...and they loved him.

Especially Jackson.

He really was his best friend. 

Jackson worked with him EVERYDAY on retrieving and he was just getting ready to go on his first hunt with them. 

He was a handful for sure ~ he lived up to his name and always found something to get in to....

Like the time he jumped on MD's poster, almost drowned in the lake, got green sharpie all over him, and ate his own vomit in a 30 minute time span! 

I took the kids to pick him last Spring Break ~ that was one the happiest days ever for Jackson. He was so proud of his dog. He took SUCH good care of him...never complained about cleaning the kennel or feeding him. Man, he loved that dog. 

We all loved Rebel...

I had Rebel tan lines on my legs...When I laid out, he laid with me. 

We NEVER swam without him! 

He LOVED the pool ~ he loved us. 

He was the best. 

He  not only brought my children so much joy, but taught them what it means to be repsonsible and unconditional love...It didn't matter what we did to or for Rebel ~ He ALWAYS loved us and was so excited to see us and play.

He was a part of our family for 8 months and we will always love that wild dog of ours. 

As sad as we are, we had so many people praying for our children and we felt the prayers for sure. We tried to explain to our kids that everything alive will die. They are fortunate to have never lost a person that they are close to yet, so for them...this was their first REAL experience of a loss. It was hard, but it is part of life. I pray we handled it the best way we could and that their hearts heal quick. 

I am so thankful that it didn't happen when we had to be at school, we didn't have to see him hurt, and that it didn't happen on Christmas Day. I am thankful for the time we had we had with him...

He was a good dog....the best.