Wilson

In early September we had to say goodbye to our amazing dog Wilson. We found out in July that he had a tumour in his spleen and surgery kept him with us for a few more weeks but he had a cancer that was in the blood and it spread quickly. Rather than dwelling on the end I thought I would highlight some of the great memories we had of him.

1) Picking him up from Salmon Arm and watching him experience grass for the first time at rest stops. During the ride home he rode on the arm rest of the car door.
2) His first hair cut where Kerry cut his bangs a bit crooked.
3) Chasing him around the dining room table at our town house whenever we needed to get him to do something. He was very fast and cornered great.
4) His fear of the saxophone playing Santa Clause. He hated every year that we brought that thing out.

5) His ability to destroy every toy we got him except for a baby pooh bear that he slept with for all his puppy days. (He eventually turned on him. Not sure what happened between the two of them.)
6) His poor looking self whenever he got a bath and his happiness afterwards as he ran around spraying everyone getting dry.
7) Our trip to Seattle to get Callie's crib where when Kerry accidentally got his nose caught in the automatic window on the passenger side.
8) His pink belly when he laid on his back and his terrible looking ID tattooed there.

9) The day of destruction when he pulled every shoe we owned out of the closet and tipped over our plants.
10) The time we didn't realize his puppy feet were not strong enough to walk on pavement during his first walk at Canada place. He hated the leash from that day forward.
11) His need to wear a cone whenever he had a cut or irritation because he would chew his own leg off without it.
12) His first snowfall and the huge balls of snow that would stick to him whenever he was in the snow.

13) His soft fir that was different from any other Bichon we knew.
14) The sound of his collar everywhere he went.
15) His warm body in between Kerry and I at bed time. He always moved to the end of the bed after about 10 minutes so he could get some rest without us crushing him.
16) His love of sitting in Callie's baby swing.
17) Uncle Corey and Uncle Ronnie having to use a golf club to get him out from under the bed before they left for work.
18) The time he chewed the bottom of our box spring and found a way to hide inside of it.
19) His love of chewing plastic water bottles.

20) Taking him on all of our local hikes.
21) The time he had a birthday party with his cousin's Captain, Hanna and Spencer and all of them wore birthday hats.
22) His love of giving Captain 'special hugs'... from on top of him... from the back...
23) His joy of sitting on top of the couch overtop of your head.
24) Whenever he would dig in the garden and come in with a black beard.
25) That time we rebuilt our deck and he was somehow able to walk on the joists.
26) His contentment when he slept in a warm hamper of clothes.

27) When Callie would dress him up in hats.
28) Holding him like a people with his arms wrapped around your neck.
29) His bed on the landing of the stairs.
30) His spot in the window behind the curtain in the living room.
31) The way he would race out the back door whenever we let him outside so that he could ensure the backyard was free from creatures.
32) Watching TV with him by my side.
33) When Captain taught him to bark.
34) When he would bark at the news paper carrier every time he came up the walk.

35) His blue Wilson blanket on the back of the couch.
36) The fact that he remains the name of our home WIFI network.
37) The way he licked the utensils in the dish washer.
38) His love of toilet paper rolls.
39) Always having to keep plates where he could not get them unless you wanted him to clean up your ice cream bowl.
40) The fact that he was always there.

Thanks Wilson.