and just like that...

... she's gone :(

A week ago, Paz came into heat. We were able to keep her here with us this week, as today was her regularly scheduled pick up time for another training session at Lackland. On Tuesday, we learned that Paz would have to stay at the TSA puppy center for a few weeks, until she was out of heat. Because of the timing, and the logistics of driving the puppies back and forth from San Antonio, it was decided that Paz would not return to us. We were so sad, but not entirely surprised, by the news. Lately, Paz seemed so grown up and ready to go. Kate was particularly sad because she wouldn't be able to get home from college to tell Paz goodbye.

We've known from the very beginning that Paz was only "visiting" us until it was time for her to go to school, and then on to work protecting our country. She's been like a treasured friend, who moved in temporarily, so we could enjoy her company and spoil her a little bit. Still, we were expecting her to be hanging out with us til April; after all, we wanted her to be here to celebrate her 1st birthday!

So it was extra hard to get her ready for the drop off today. Packing ALL of her stuff up in a box, taking her crate apart, and loading it all in the car seemed so final- and it was. Even though Phil and I shed a few tears, Paz was excited to hop in the car and head off for another adventure! She seemed very happy to see the other puppies and TSA staff- in fact she was so excited it was hard to get her into the truck! Her tail was still wagging when we drove off, a good way for things to be.

We have so many great memories of the Paz over the last 9 months! Being a part of her growth and developent was such a treat! Even though she's gone, there are reminders of her all over the house: a few tooth marks on the remote, the towels she turned into tug-of-war ropes, frayed edges on a rug or two, my eyeglasses that have one earpiece that is shorter than the other... I know whenever I come across those things in the next few days and months, that they will make me smile. We are going to miss her terribly, but in a good way. She definitely left her paw prints all over our hearts.

Fun in the Snow!

It's snowing here today! Nothing outrageous, and it probably won't stick around for long, but Paz has been having a great time! She's chased snowballs I've been throwing all around the yard; when she found them she ate them. When I wasn't looking, she stole one of my gloves and ran all around the yard, shaking it to death. She was pretty proud of herself after that. Here are a few pictures of Paz enjoying the snow!

Happiness is...

We are blessed that Paz is such a sweet natured dog! I'm not sure how that will play into her future role as a bomb sniffer, but it has certainly made fostering her a joy! If your about my age, you might remember a Charles Schultz book called Happiness Is a Warm Puppy. Too true! Having Paz around has certainly made us happy!

Paz is just naturally happy. For her, life itself seems to be a wonderful adventure to be savored and enjoyed. Today was another awesome day full of new things that Paz seemed to love! In honor of that spirit, this post will be all about things that make Paz happy. So here goes: Happiness is...

A REALLY muddy culvert to be explored!

Winning Tug of War

with the towel

after playing in the

muddy, wet culvert!

Hanging out with Dad, Ding and Jed!

Plastic Bottles!

Going to School!

Paz really enjoys going up to the high school where I teach. She explores the hallways, climbs the stairs, and visits classes. Today, Paz attended Canine Science classes. The students were learning about the major muscle groups in dogs, and Paz became a living model! She happily allowed the students to tape the names of the muscles in the correct location all over her. At one point, she had 13 name cards on various parts of her body. Hats off to the teacher for developing such a great, hands on lesson!

It's pretty obvious that fostering Paz has brought our family lots of happiness!