adam knits!

So this is a post I’ve been meaning to write for a while…it’s sad, and a bit long, but there’s definitely a happy ending. Continue on after the jump.

I started school on August 21, a day that marks what would be the 11th birthday of my wonderful dog Grace. You see, it was also this day that 4 years ago I started school down at NMT, at the very young age of 17. As you can imagine, my Mom was having a hard time see her son move away to Socorro, and at this point our family had only one Schnauzer, Liberty. (Named so because she was born on Sept. 12, 2001).

Liberty, Schnauzer #1

So on that morning 4 years ago, my Mom saw the Pet of the Week on Channel 4, who was a very ratty looking Miniature Schnauzer. My Mom looked at my Dad and said, “I need that dog.” So my parents went down to the animal shelter, where they were told that they’d received tons of phone calls already about this dog, and that there was no way they’d ever get her. And the visiting hours of the shelter hadn’t started yet, so they couldn’t adopt the dog then anyway. My Mom looked that person in the eye and told them, “I saw that dog on TV, and I knew that moment that God wanted me to adopt and care for her.” And a miracle occured. The lady took my Mom and Dad in the back and they adopted her on the spot. She wasn’t in great condition by any means, she had ticks and a number of her teeth were rotting. But my Mom took her in, fixed her up and gave her a good home. So it was through these circumstances that she was named Grace, as a picture of God’s grace to my Mom by giving her comfort and as a picture of God’s grace to fallible people when he adopts and cares for us.

Grace, Being Old and Wise

Grace quickly became a part of the family, and was truly a wonderful dog. She was sweet and loving, and was very thankful to my family for giving her a new life. As time went on, my Mom got another puppy, bringing the total count up to 3. However, tensions increased, as Liberty wanted to be the alpha-dog, and she consistently tried to dominate Grace. Grace was just old and wanted to be left in peace, but also didn’t like being pestered all the time, so a lot of dog fights ensued. The last straw happened when Liberty bit Grace’s ear really bad, and she had to get stitches. We knew they couldn’t live together anymore, but we couldn’t bear to give either of them up.

Daisy, The Ever Inquisitive Schnauzer

That’s when we figured out the perfect solution. I had a big house, a big backyard and had been wanting to get a dog for a while. So with tears in her eyes, my Mom sent Grace to live with me in Socorro. She adjusted to living with me very quickly, and became my closest companion. We went to the EE lab together, walked together, did homework together, etc. I never knew I could become so attached to a little dog, but she stole my heart. And she loved just being able to be with me, and not having to worry about being harassed by Liberty all the time. And after many weekends of wearing a muzzle, Liberty smarted up and realized that it was better for her to leave Grace alone when she visited.

Grace, during my attempt at a Christmas photo

So here’s the timeline so far…my family adopted Grace on August 21, 2002. The vet estimated her to be 7 years old at the time. She lived at my parent’s house for 2 years, and came to live with me in Socorro around August 21, 2004, her 9th birthday.

Then last summer, I went on vacation for a week in July and Grace stayed with my parents. I remember how much I missed having her with me while I was gone, and was looking forward to coming home. It was when my parents picked me up at the airport that I found out the awful news. Grace was killed by a coyote on July 15, 2005. My parents live in the mountains, and we’ve always had coyotes come around, especially at night. But this particular night, my parents were taking the dogs outside before bed, and a pack of coyotes managed to get Liberty and Daisy to chase them one direction, and my Mom went inside to grab a flashlight, and when she came back out, a coyote was dragging Grace off into the woods. She tried to chase them, but she didn’t know where they had gone. And the next morning, my Dad found her body in the woods.

My entire family was devastated. We loved Grace so much, and she had meant so much to me, that I couldn’t even believe she was gone. I mourned Grace and knew I could never replace her, but I also knew that I would want another dog, especially since school was going to start soon, and I was so used to having a canine companion down in Socorro. So almost a week later, I talked to a breeder from Southern NM. She told me about a 16 week old Miniature Schnauzer puppy she had, who was black and white. Her husband was coming through town and I agreed to meet him to have a look. And the second I held that puppy in my arms, I knew, just like my Mom did 4 years ago, that I was supposed to adopt that dog. She was just so sweet, and I instantly thought of what I imagined Grace to be like as a puppy. I adopted her, and named her Emma, the dog that you are all familiar with. It’s been just over a year now that I’ve had her, and she’s just as wonderful of a companion as Grace was.

Emma, doing what she does best, kissing.

So Grace continued to be a picture of God’s grace to me, in that He comforted me in my grief by bringing me Emma. Whose full name is actually Emma Grace. And while I do miss Grace, I’m just thankful that we got 4 years with her, and that my family was able to give her a loving home to live out the last few years of her life in.

And as the months went on, there were a few more additions to the family…needless to say, when I visit home, it’s a bit crazy to have 5 Schnauzers running around the house. But we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Cricket and Dallas, the Young-uns.