Dear Lalo...

...what can I possibly say? Lalo, my sweet girl...I will miss you. Terribly. Painfully. Each and every day. You are such a wonderful dog. I have been blessed to have you in my life for the past year and few months. You make me smile, even when you're being a stinker. How could you not, with a big, goofy grin like this?!

I will never forget meeting you for the first time...seeing your sweet face through the cage bars at the shelter, having a 'meet and greet' with you, you being so shy...until we fed you hot dogs. You warmed to me immediately, and gave me little kisses. I knew you were meant to be with us. It just felt right. So we swept you off to Copperline Drive!

We had our rough patches together (August 2, 2009 comes to mind), but overwhelmingly the time we spent together was wonderful. And I wouldn't trade a minute of it for anything. Some of my favorite memories with you, my girl:

1. The day we brought you home from the shelter...June 12, 2009...I will never forget what a perfect day that was, and how lucky I felt to have you.

2. Mommy and me Halloween costumes...French maids, of course!

3. Seeing how much you loved the 4th of July celebrations! A grand day...aside from when you ran away from me and I had to chase you through 4 yards, screaming...

4. Watching you, through multiple beach trips, grow from being terrified of the ocean to hurling your body into the waves freely! Also, watching you try your first (and last) drink of ocean water. Your face was priceless.

5. Any time I picked you up and carried you around like a baby...I'm sorry...I know you really aren't a fan of that. I just can't help it...you're so cuddly and cute. Thank you for always being a good sport and putting up with it.

6. Giving you a bath. Any of the times I've done it. It's oh-so-fun fighting to keep you in the tub when you're soaking wet and willing to do ANYthing to jump out and run away. Drying you off is always fun too...it's like trying to wrangle a bucking bronco, for gosh sakes!

7. Snuggling in bed with you. Let's remember...you slept OUT of the bed your first and second nights after coming home...and never again after that...

8. You finding pantyhose for the first time...I'm not sure I've ever laughed harder than when I got to watch that spectacle. Un-tangling you was super fun afterward as well.

9. You standing up to get to the coffee table to eat an entire piece of pizza before we could catch you. I've never seen you look more smug, you little sneak!

10. Waking up with you in the mornings, and taking you out for early morning walks. What better way to start a day than to get to see how thrilled you were each time to get out there and run in the grass and sniff everything and prance around....I can't think of anything better.

I'm doing what I think is best for you, even though it means a lot of sadness for me. I can't believe I won't get to see you every day anymore...but don't think for even a minute that that means you won't be on my mind. I love you, Miss Lalo...you mean the world to me. Be a good girl, and I hope I get to see you sometime soon...