Remembering Our Spice Girl

This is a very difficult post to write but one that I want to share with all of you. There will be many tears shed during this writing so just bear with me.



As many of you know, in January 2013, we went from being the truckin' duo to the truckin' trio. Our sweet little Spice girl joined our trucking team. She loved to ride...in cars. This was a first for her and we weren't real sure how she would like it. It took her a little while to adjust but she quickly began enjoying the trips as much Carl and I. She was always the happiest little girl so it really didn't matter where or what she was doing as long as she was doing it with us. Spice girl was a south GA baby but she sure did love the snow. Carlos and I would get so tickled at her prissing and prancing around in that cold, wet white stuff.  She went from playing in the snow to trying to get a little taste of the salt from the salt flats in Bonneville, UT... to trying to jump in the water at the Jersey shore... and to hiking in the mountains of Northern CA while daddy worked on the truck and my oh my how that little girl loved to go for walks with me around the truck stop parking lots. She met friends from the east coast to the west coast. She quickly became a truckin' baby and loved it but when it started getting dark she was ready to stop. Her work day was over and she would aggravate the mess out of us until we stopped. Her philosophy was...work and ride during the day...stop, rest and sleep as soon as the sun started going down.

She always sat right here waiting and watching for us to return...even if it took 2 hours.

Playing in the snow. Not sure what she called herself doing but she
had nose all buried down in it.

I just love this picture of her running in the snow!

Checking out the salt flats in Utah.

This is what she would do when she was ready to stop.

Spice girl had the sweetest little face and a tail that was always...always wagging! She wasn't a lap baby but she was definitely a foot baby. She loved to be right under our feet. If I took 500 steps a day, she took 500 steps a day. If Carl took 500 steps a day, she did too.  If our feet hit the floor, hers did too. I believe she slept with one eye closed and one eye open. That way she could move if we moved. She loved to run and play outside and there was something about pine cones. She loved to run by and just reach down and grab one in her mouth. It seems like she was always carrying around a pine cone. How in the world her mouth didn't stay cut up and sore I'll never know. She also loved to go for daily rides when we were home and even if it just meant going around the block that's what we would do. She would get so excited when she saw us grab our keys and some how or another she could always tell if if was a trip that she could go on or not...without us even saying a word. She would start hopping, jumping, bouncing, walking sideways and turning every which way in pure excitement. The best part of the ride was when the window was down so she could feel the wind blowing in her face. If the wind was blowing while we were taking a walk, you might as well hang it up...she was not going to get in a hurry. Feeling the wind in her face was a glorious thing to her. She was always concerned about where Carl and I were. She liked for both of us to be in her sight at all times. Oh my goodness, if I had to get out of the truck for some reason she would worry herself to death looking for me. It didn't matter if we were home or in the truck she wanted us all together at all times. And if Timothy was home during the same time we were...that little girl had her paws full...keeping up with 3 people was a job...but she did it.

Enjoying the nice weather while waiting on me to finish up in the shop.

Enjoying the wind in her face.

She and I stayed home from Thanksgiving to the first of the year to enjoy all the family activities that we have during the holidays. On Wednesday, January 1 we packed up all our stuff and hit the road for Minden, LA. It was time to go trucking again. When we left home, she was feeling good...wagging her tail, following our every move, eating, drinking and prancing her little self around...and then...in the blink of an eye it all changed. Wednesday night she began having trouble walking...she would not eat or drink, began throwing up and became very lethargic. We made it to Minden during the early morning hours on Thursday and quickly found a vet. Our world as we had known it came crashing down. Our sweet little Spice girl was very sick...suffering from renal failure. When I asked the vet what we needed to do...now, I am expecting her to give us some meds and all would be good again. Oh no...she recommended that we tell her goodbye. "WHAT? She was fine yesterday and now you're telling me I need to say goodbye!" I just looked at Carl..."We can't leave her here! I'm NOT leaving her here!" Quickly, Carl left the room and called my parents and told them what was going on...without hesitation they jumped in their motor home and made the 10 hour trip (one way) to bring me and Spicy home. Spice was given something to help with her nausea and some sub Q fluids Thursday and again Friday morning. This was to help ease her discomfort for the ride home. When we left Carlos, he didn't think he would ever see his little "Cooter dog" again.

Before I go on, I just have to say that I have the best parents...EVER! No matter what the situation or the circumstance they never hesitate to be there when one of their girls needs them...even if they have to drive across country to get them. This by the way is the second time they have made a lengthy trip for me. The first was a 12 hour trip and then this 10 hour trip; one way both times. Love, love, love them!

As I said, Spice girl was a sick, sick baby. We headed home Friday morning and on Saturday morning we had an appointment with our vet. A visit I was not excited about but then...things began to change. On the way home I began to see a little glimmer of hope and improvement in our baby. She wanted to eat and she wanted chicken. Mama and Daddy had some boiled chicken in the frig for their little baby but I'm sorry to say...my little baby got that boiled chicken! She also had her own piece of grilled chicken from Wendy's. She was gobbling that stuff up faster than I could give it to her. She began drinking water and her walking began to improve. She was still a little wobbly and slow but when we stopped for restroom breaks you would have thought we were stopping for a little stroll in the woods. During the stops on the way home I never did put her leash on because she was moving slowly and was always right by my side...but Friday night...I had to threaten to put the thing on that little girl. She started having a little pep in her step and I was having a hard time keeping up with her. Daddy and I got so tickled at her walking off from me. I just knew in my heart that this was not the end.

We made it home late Friday night and off to the vet we went Saturday morning...for a second opinion and to see what could be done...NOT to say goodbye. I have to give a huge shout out to Spice's doctors because they are the BEST. Dr. Kidd agreed with the test results from the Louisiana vet but she recommended that Spice stay in the hospital for a couple of days and get some heavy doses of fluids. That my friends is exactly what we did. I went home and got her special pillow, her treats and some CHICKEN to help her stay be a little more comfortable.

Talking about lonely...oh my goodness...I was sooooo lonely those 4 1/2 days. I picked her up on Wednesday morning and brought my baby home. I must say, when I brought her home I just knew that I would be bringing my old Spice girl back home...but...I didn't. She was better but not the way I was hoping. Her walking was still slow and wobbly and now she decided she DID NOT like chicken. Let the fun begin. That little girl started getting her own special cooked foods...hamburgers, hot dogs, roast, Hamburger Helper...but not just any hamburger helper...it had to be the Three cheese lasagna Hamburger Helper and cube steak...which by the way...she didn't like at all. She quickly turned her nose up and walked away. I know...some of you are probably thinking I can't believe she is letting her eat table foods. We didn't up until now. She wouldn't eat any dog food, can or dry and she had lost so much weight that I was going to do whatever it took to get some weight on her. That was the most important thing...weight... not how she got it but that she got it.

We went back to the doctor on Monday to check her blood work again. Her numbers were still high and Dr. Kidd recommended that I start giving her sub Q fluids at home. Well of course I would. I could see so much improvement in her since that awful night on January 1st. Her tail was wagging again and she looked and acted happy. There was no way I was going to let her start going back down hill or even say goodbye when she had pep back in her step. So the fluid giving began 500ml twice a day for 3 weeks. We gradually moved up to 1500ml 3 times a week for about 5 weeks and then the last 2 weeks she was getting 2000ml every other day. The fluid is given under the skin and is absorbed into the blood stream to help with dehydration and to help flush the toxins through the kidneys. Oh, and it is not painful.We had the large bags, needles and iv tubes and for 10 weeks I was a pet nurse and would do it again if I needed to.  Just like us though she didn't like seeing that bag, tube or needle coming her way. It usually took her a few minutes before she would lay down on her pillow but once she did she was a perfect little patient. She laid still and waited patiently for it to be over. Again, some of you are probably thinking "That is just crazy!" "Lynne, why would you do that?" "Just go ahead and say goodbye all you are doing is prolonging her life!" My answer to that is...YES, it did prolong her life but she lived those last ten weeks abundantly and full of joy. She was just like her old self again. When we are sick, don't we take any measure possible to help us get well or to at least feel better? Then why shouldn't Carl and I offer that same advantage to our baby girl. We could and we did!

Now, back to the eating. Talking about a challenge...now that was a challenge! I said she reminded me of my niece...one day she likes it and the next day "I not wike it!" Thank goodness Carl was able to come home during some of this time. He was home for several weeks and between the two of us someone was always in the kitchen eating...which meant Spice girl was in the kitchen snacking and trying new things. Nilla wafers, town house crackers, chips, pound cake, the crust from an egg custard pie, bread...but only the crust, steak, pork chops, sausage...not the meat just the skin, spaghetti and Vienna sausages and vegetable soup...of all things can you believe she liked the vegetable soup...vegetables, meat, juice and all. CRAZY, CRAZY little girl. Oh, and get this, one night she ate french fries and tater tots but wouldn't eat them the next night and then Carl remembered...salt. He forgot to put the salt on them...she wanted her food seasoned...she didn't want that old bland mess and she didn't want leftovers or want it cold. It had to be freshly cooked and she wanted to make sure we could and would eat it also. Can you say "SPOILED!" But that's ok because she was eating and she was gaining weight. Each trip to the vet received a positive report. They always asked about her eating and got tickled at the eating stories I had each time. The vets told me that as long as I was willing to keep trekking along so were they. They wouldn't stop until I told them to. One of the vets told me that we had ourselves our own homemade remedy for dialysis with the fluids. I said as long as it worked I would keep doing it but the day it quit working is the day I would stop.

She had her a little smorgasbord almost every night.

Loving her some vegetable soup!

This was her Valentine's Day meal! The steak was a huge hit!

Loving her Valentine's Supper!

On March 15 that day came. It was a day that I hoped would never come but knew it would. I won't go into any details because I want to remember her the way she was and I want you to have the picture of her tail wagging, her sweet, big brown eyes and her little ears all perked up...not the way she was the last day and a half. The vets always told us that we would know when it was time. And on a cloudy bittersweet Sunday morning of March 16, 2014 we said goodbye to a sweet reddish blonde, brown eyed, fluffy tailed Springer Spaniel named Spice who had blessed mine, Carl and Timothy's lives for 16 wonderful years. She was a loving, devoted, loyal, friendly, prissy and even sometimes a bit hardheaded companion. We always told Timothy he had a sister and her name was Spice. 

Isn't that the sweetest little face!

During those ten weeks, we prayed for Spice and we had friends and family that were praying for her. I believe that I will one day see my Spice girl again. The things that we love and enjoy on earth will also be waiting on us in heaven. The beauty of the trees, the sparkling of the waters, the singing of the birds, the love of family, the fellowship with friends and the companionship of our beloved four legged babies. Only in heaven, it will be in a perfected manner. C. S. Lewis wrote, "All the things that have ever deeply possessed your soul have been but hints of [heaven]—tantalizing glimpses, promises never quite fulfilled, echoes that died away just as they caught your ear. . . ." The real thing is heaven.  Job 12:10 says "In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind." So you see our little Spice girl is in the hands of Christ. I can just see her now with her ears perked up and wagging her tail as she is prancing herself around on the streets of gold and as Timothy said she's probably telling Ginger and Cheyenne about all the rides and home cooked meals that she had.

Thank you LORD for bringing that little bundle of joy into our lives 16 years ago on a cold December night. We love you and will miss you dearly but look forward to seeing that precious face again one day.



"And EVERY creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and ALL that are in them, hear I saying, "Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the lamb forever and ever."  Revelations 5:13

White As Snow

Brigham City, UT

Idaho

Last winter while in the freezing northwestern states, a friend told me to adjust...adapt...embrace and become one with the cold. Well, for five VERY LONG days we adjusted...adapted...embraced and became one with the bone chilling, frigid, icy, raw, arctic winds, blizzardous and numbing weather of Idaho. I hope you get the picture....it was COLD!!!!! I'm not sure who was happier to get out of the snow Carl and me...or Spice. We were so excited to say good-bye snowy Idaho and hello sunny California.

Not sure who's walking who?

The morning we unloaded in Idaho it was a whopping 7 degrees and it would be one of those tarped loads...not just one tarp but five. All winter Carl has been trying to get me to buy a pair of long johns but NOOOO I never would. "I'm not wasting money on those things, besides I probably won't even be able to get my jeans on over them." So, the night before we unloaded I wanted to go to Walmart and buy some....oh yeah...long johns. When I told Carl I wanted to stop at Walmart, he was like "What do you want to go to Walmart for?" With a smirky little grin and a very soft voice "to get some long johns for tomorrow." Oh, I wish you could have seen the look he gave me! Without saying a word I knew exactly what he was thinking and then ...it came. "I tried to get you to buy a pair just last week." "No, you did not." "Oh, yes I did. I said, look Lynne, they even have a pair of pink long johns for you. And you just kept right on walking." "No, I didn't. I don't even remember seeing any pink ones....WHATEVER!!" I did get me some long johns...just not from Walmart...from Carl's drawer. They were about 10 sizes too big (Carl strongely disagrees with the size. I wish you could have heard him when I read this to him.) I had those suckers rolled up every which a way but I wore them and yes, I was able to get my jeans on and yes...they kept my legs so, so, so warm! When I told Carlos how warm my legs were he was like, "YEAH...I've been trying to tell you and you wouldn't listen!" Well, I'm listening now.          

The warmth and sunshine of southern California was such a welcomed sight. The fact that I could wear a short sleeve shirt made me a very happy girl. We didn't even mind the fact that our load had to be tarped.  As we were tarping Carl said, "We are getting really good at this...we are tarping professionals." "Yeah, we should start giving tarping classes." From the warm sunny days of southern California off to the warm sunny days of south east Texas. I quickly polished up my little toes one morning and drug out my flip flops. Yes, my feet are as white as white can be but they were glowing with excitement of being free...free of socks...free of boots...free, free, free at last.. for two whole days! Oh yeah, when I say warm I don't mean 80 degrees I mean high 60's low 70's. But after dealing with single digit temperatures...that is warm. Unfortunately, I have had to pack the flip flops back up. We are now in Kentucky. Carl said, "Woman, we just left the cold and you sent us right back into it." Yes, me...I am the one that found the load which means that when I'm complaining about being cold, it will all be directed right back at...ME! Instead of smelling like money, it will be feeling like money!

Getting into a pickle seems to happen to us quite often, our Kentucky delivery was certainly no different. We had to deliver to a town that is built up in the mountains...not good. Traveling up skinny two-lane curvy roads in the dark in a big truck is always a stressful event...now...add getting lost on top of that! We called for directions but the guy had no idea where we were. He tried giving us some directions for where he thought we were and said,"If you go past the CVS Drugstore, you have gone too far." Well, just great we were right there at the drugstore and it's not like we could just whoop that truck around. So our reliable Tom-Tom...NOT..told us there was a fuel stop just ahead. That fuel stop ended up being a little gas station with a bridge that looked too low for us to get under...can you say OMG! There just happened to be a Pizza Hut right there. It didn't really have a drive, the parking lot just kind of opened up to the road, so Carl hooked it in there. Now, there we are...it's dark...we're taking up the whole parking lot and no where to go. Carl jumps out and goes inside to ask the Pizza Hut people if they could give us some directions. It was quite obvious by the look on Carlos' face that he was totally lost. So, in situations like this...you pay the delivery boy to escort you to the delivery sight. With the pizza delivery boy leading the way off we went. I bet you are wondering how in the world we got turned around. Would you believe there was an ally behind Pizza Hut, so we back up into it and were able to make a sharp enough turn to get turned around. Was the LORD watching over us or what! You may be thinking but you got lost...yes we did...but, in probably the only place in town that had room for us to get turned around...plus the pizza boy was there with no deliveries to make. So yes...God was there...He's always there...in EVERY situation!

Oh yeah...let me add in my experience with Spice at the delivery sight. She had been in the truck for a pretty long time and really needed to go for a walk. I got her out and off we went to what looked like grass...wrong! Splosh, splosh, splosh right in the mud and water and ice she went. She was going so fast that as soon as I hit the ice my feet started slipping and sliding. When she finally got finished walking ME, she was wet all over. Carl said,"What did you do? Let her lay down and play in the water!" "No, it's dark and I couldn't see the puddles until she starting splashing through them and had me splashing through them after her." Not a fun walk!!

As much as I dislike the cold weather, I do love the beauty of a snow covered mountain or field. Every time I see a field of snow I want to stop and make a snow angel, which I usually do. I love the look of it and even the feel. It has a way of bringing out the child in all of us. It has such a stillness and quietness to it. It has a remarkable way of turning the unsightly things into things of beauty.  Yards filled with junk, trash along the roads, brown dead grass and trees are all covered with the beauty of white fluffy snow. Even at night, as the moon is shining down, the snow just glows through the darkness. The unsightly, becomes a sight of beauty. That is exactly the way it is with us and God. As humans our lives are filled with sin, (the unsightly) but as Christians we can go to our LORD...pray and ask for forgiveness...turn away from our sins and our loving gracious Father washes our sins away until they are white as snow. He turns our unsightly to a sight of beauty. Sometimes we may still see the unsightly in our lives. It may be hard for us to forget about things we have done or said but what a blessing it is to have a forgiving Father. He not only forgives us when we confess our sins...He forgets about them..never to think of them again. Our unsightly, ugly, dirty sin is not just covered up it is completely washed away. It is white as snow.  "Come now, let us settle the matter," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson they shall be like wool." Isaiah 1:18 I love how the beauty and awesomeness of God makes me think of songs. I don't always remember all the words but just the fact that one phrase or verse sticks in my head helps to keep me focused on Jesus Christ. This time it was a hymn from church and I just kept singing "Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow." The name of the song is "Jesus Paid it All". I pray that if you have not turned to Christ and repented of your sins that you will do that now. Turn them over to Him and let Him wash you WHITE AS SNOW! May you see the beauty in yourself that He sees in you. What a glorious, glorious moment that will be!

My Snow Angel

Idaho

I have mentioned before how we always have people begging us for money or food but last week we even had a dog begging for some food. We had stopped in Shiprock, NM to do some grocery shopping. Now, this is a little town that just lets their dogs run free. Every time we stop the parking lot is full of dogs just roaming around. Well, on this day as we were putting up our groceries we heard a knock on the door. It was a man begging for a few dollars to get a hamburger and as soon as he walked off a dog walked up to the truck..sat down ..looked up at Carlos and started barking. It wasn't a mean vicious bark. It was an, "I want something to eat also" bark. Carl said, "Do you hear this dog barking at me? I guess he wants something to eat also." So Carl grabbed some dog food, got out and walked across the parking lot and poured three little piles of dog food. One pile for each dog that was standing there. I told him,"Not only do we help two legged beggers we also help the four legged ones. I must say though, Spice was not thrilled at all about us giving her food away.

Now for an update on Spice. She has adjusted very nicely to her new life as a trucking dog. The riding part anyway. The snow, the sand spurs, the stickers and lack of grass are still a work in progress. Oh, and being on a leash...she really dislikes that. We bought a retractable leash and when that thing tightens up on her she goes to bucking and a jerking like some kind of a wild animal.  She will see something, take off after it and the leash will run out before we can catch up with her, which results in her acting like a crazy dog. The other night I was out walking her and she kept getting closer and closer to a little ditch, which was filled with water, and then she saw something and off she went. I jerked on the leash...she jerked back and pulled my feet right out from under me...flat on my bottom I went. One night with Carl she got the leash wrapped around her tail and in the process of trying to get it off she got it wrapped around her nose. She was bucking and jerking trying to get it off but the more she jerked the tighter it got. She wouldn't be still long enough for Carl to get it off. She ended up pulling it so tight that she had herself pulled side ways. I always wipe her paws off before she gets back in the truck but the other night after walking her Carl said,"Better get the heavy artillery!" I looked down at her feet and they were just as muddy as they could be. It was dark, and she found herself a little mud-hole to walk through before her daddy realized it. For fourteen years she has eaten only dog food but in the last five weeks she has eaten everything under the sun. She has found more ham bones, chicken bones, and leg bones ever thought possible. When we take her out for a walk, she is on a mission, a mission to find a bone. We try really hard to watch her but she has a nose on her better than any hound dog. She can find those things and have them in her mouth before we even know what is going on. And oh my goodness, don't even try to take it away from her...talk about a dog going crazy. It is never a dull moment with her. Most of the time I feel like I am living an episode of "I love Lucy" and now we have us a "Lucy dog." She just cracks us up!!

Every night before going to bed she has to go back up front, check things out
and then she stands there looking back through the curtain at us.

Life is great!

Getting ready to bomb somebody!

Do you see his snowball?

Til We Meet Again!
Only By Grace!
    Lynne

From Truckin' Duo to Truckin' Trio

We have a new addition. We're no longer the truckin' duo. We're the truckin' trio!

I can't believe it but Carl finally agreed to let Spice (our 4-legged daughter) travel with us in the truck. Well, I don't know if it is fair to say agreed...more like threw in the towel, gave up and gave in. I think he just got tired of me begging.  "But Carl, she is so lonely at home. She is sad and missing us. I think she is depressed. She isn't eating like she should. Her sisters are gone;Timothy works all the time and now we're leaving her." "No, not having a dog in my truck! No, there's not enough room for a dog! NO, NO, NO!" Well, what's the saying "Never say never!"

We were able to go by the house for a short visit this past weekend. While we were there Carl just out of the blue says, "She can't go with us because we don't have a collar or a leash." "Oh, yes we do. There is a black leash in my car and a red collar....somewhere." That was it, nothing else was said. Then Sunday when we went to the grocery store he started looking at the dog treats...claiming we were almost out at the house. I was just about to explode inside because I knew what he was up to. But as time went on, and as we started talking about all the different items we had to buy for her, I could see his stress level rising. "Now, if this is going to stress you out, we will just leave her here with Timothy." With a stern voice and a very serious face, he said, "You are gonna take care of her!" And with that...the conversation was over and our shopping continued.

Spice was so excited when I said, "Come on lets go." She usually runs away from us when we are trying to tell her bye. But this time her tail was just a wagging and she had the biggest smile on her face. We loaded her up...took off...and bless her heart she didn't know what in the world to do. She stood between our seats for about 3 hours. Wouldn't sit, lay down or anything....just stood there staring straight ahead. She finally walked to the back, laid down on her pillow and like a hot potato was right back up. Then she decided to lie down between our seats and we thought good she is finally going to rest. Nope, five minutes was as long as she lasted. Up down, up down, up down...her little legs were worn out by the time we stopped for the night. She was as happy as a lark when we stopped and we ALL got in the back and sat down. I don't know who slept better, us or her.

She loves her daddy and watches his every move. When he gets out of the truck she jumps up in his seat and sits there watching and waiting for him to return. I am talking 30-40 minutes. I can pet her, call her, offer treats but she will not get down until he gets back in the truck. She is going to be sitting in that seat a mighty long time when we go to Walmart.

Waiting on her daddy!

It's been 4 days and I must say she has done really well. She loves when she is able to run and play without being on a leash. Carl says we won't be able to let her do that when we get to Arizona. One whiff of a prairie dog and I will be chasing her across the desert. The first night we stopped was at a little Mom n Pop truck stop in the middle of nowhere surrounded by fields. We...I decided to take her leash off and let her walk around freely. She caught the smell of something and off she went. Carl started after her...stopped...looked at me...smiled and said, "You better go get her. You're the one taking care of her." So, off I went. She didn't go far...she's not getting far from her daddy. This week she played in the snow, next week she'll be playing in the desert.

Oh, by the way, Carl has also adjusted very nicely. I knew he would...he just likes to talk big and bad. He loves that little girl just as much as I do!!

"But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you: or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this?  In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind." Job 12:7-10

Till We Meet Again,
   Lynne