Ode to Bella

Four and a half years ago, Chris and I had just been dating a few months when we drove out to a farm near Spring Hill to see if we wanted a take home, for free, a puppy. A family had a large litter of half Great Pyranees/half Lab puppies. Even though he said we were just going to look, Chris knew that we’d end up falling in love with one and taking it home. This sweet, little black and white bundle of fur scampered up to Chris and plopped down on his feet as if declaring, “Here I am. I’m yours; take me home.” It was over; our hearts were won, and we left with her.

(This is Bella with her brothers and sisters before we took her home. She's the black & white one stretched across the middle.)

What a dog she turned out to be! Massively large at over a 100 pounds, slobbery, endless energy, mighty booming bark, so loving and affectionate… we miss our beast of a dog, but she’s happily residing with Ronnie and Donitta, Chris’s parents, and keeping their Huskie, Tasha, in good company. They’re just a couple of girlfriends hanging out in the yard.

Willow Grace’s favorite word to say is “Be-wah.” She loves that crazy dog just as much as Chris and I. Even that startling thunderous bark draws giggles from her every time. There’s just something about that sweet Bella that causes Willow Grace to repeat her name about 100 times a day all week long. Every Wednesday, Donitta keeps Willow Grace for me while I work, and so she gets to visit with Bella a few times on those days. Not only does her Gran-Gran taker her out but Ronnie, Willow Grace’s Pop, always comes home for lunch and makes sure to take her outside to visit with the dogs and to see the birds gathered around the different feeders.

For our part, Chris and I miss Bella patrolling our home to check on us when we’re in different rooms, running back and forth under our legs when we’re laying across the bed with our feet hanging off one side, sleeping in a patch of sunshine coming through the window with one paw over her eyes, going for walks with us, making us laugh when she would pass gas and then stretching back to confusedly look at her backside like she just couldn’t understand what just happened, and keeping us company when one or the other of us was away from home.

(This was taken in our old apartment when Bella still lived with us. She's big, huh?)

Yes, we miss that sweet girl, but we are so glad that she is safe and happy and where she needs to be. It’s a blessing that Willow Grace still gets the joy of knowing and experiencing Bella and that we can see her whenever we want.

We love our Bella!