some more pics & stories of my beloved doggie...

I've really had a hard time the last few days dealing with loosing Murphy, so please forgive me as I take some more time to reminisce and share some of pics from our time with her.

I'll never forget 13 short years ago when my dad took me over to his friends house to look at a litter of chocolate lab puppies. I was still in disbelief that my mom was actually allowing my dad to pick one out to eventually bring home!!! (she's going to KILL me for putting up this "dated" picture of her, but honestly, we were SHOCKED that she said yes!!) Most labs are pretty rambunctious, but Murphy was on the "chillaxed" side. That is not to say we didn't have issues with her (can anyone else say that their dog ATE A CD??) =) She fit right in with our family from the start.

Here is pup with her best friend Gus -Angus- (who was the first one in a long line to greet her as she made her way to heaven, I'm sure!) They loved splashing and running around at Lancaster Co. Park together, so thats how we like to think of them now in heaven!

One of Murphy's (and my dads) favorite things to do: hunting birds! Here she sits proudly with the guys (my pop-pop, daddy & brother-in-law Todd). In her early years, she'd spend the entire day flushing birds in the brush, so much so that her belly would be rubbed raw from the brush. Daddy would practically have to lift her back into the truck because she was SO tired!

You can't even see Natalie's dog, Molly, but they are "on point" since dad is either cutting up a big roast turkey or watermelon! Murphy was known to attempt for any little morsel she could grub up... I think she secretly LOVED having Brayden come over so she could snarf up everything he threw over the high chair tray!

What a perty pup! You can see her treasured "ralphie" to the left on the floor. The first round of ralphies didn't last long as she enjoyed ripping the squeaky plastic piece out ASAP! But Murphy always knew she'd get a new one for christmas. Even in her "more mature" years, she'd pounce on Ralphie just like a puppy would. I personally think she's pumped in this pic because of the sneakers sitting beside her... she knew the words "WALK" & "TREAT" whether they were said, or spelled, forwards OR backwards!

hmmm... i wonder what she got for christmas???

Murphy meets her new friend Abby (Gus's little sister)... I think she's thinking, "I'm too old for this little thing!" We weren't allowed to tell her that she was getting old or even speak of it around her, haha, so we used to say that her muzzle was just getting "blonde."

We probably have tons of prom, homecoming and other special occasions when Murphy would step into the picture. Here Cole takes a moment with her before he leaves for the prom a few years ago.

Its really amazing how animals touch our lives. Murphy shared 13 long and happy years with our family and will be severely missed. We all have heavy hearts today, but as someone once said "it's better to have loved and lost, than not to have loved at all."