A single tear rolls across my nose on to my pillow.

My stomach aches and my head hurts, as the fatigue of grief settles in. My eyes can’t hide the obvious exhaustion of the last few days.

Yesterday, our courageous Stormy, fell into her final sleep here on earth. She was ready and left us very peacefully. A piece of our hearts went with her, and we are very blessed to feel a piece of her remain with us.

Moon and Tula were the closest girls to Stormy. We allowed them to be with her, if they chose to, as Dr Keller helped her cross over to heaven.

Moon was stressed by this and chose to remain at the bottom of the stairs. Tula took a few laps around the room and laid down nearby, crossed her paws, and stayed with us.

Just a week ago Stormy spent an afternoon outside chasing the ball and playing fetch. It was her last day in the sun with everyone.

Joel has a tender heart for all our Labs like he does for all his trees. It has been a true labor of love to create a peaceful resting place for our dogs. There are apple trees planted all around and only the wind breaks the silence. The deer visit this secluded area when we aren’t looking. We like to believe they have a special bond with our animal’s spirit resting in this Silent Ground.

About 18 months ago Stormy became ill with kidney disease. We knew it was not congenital and she had not ingested anything toxic. The only logical explanation was an undetected infection that led to kidney damage. All we could do was begin a special diet and treatment. She responded very well to all therapy and we nearly forgot she was ill. It wasn’t until this week that she quickly began to fail.

Last night appropriately it stormed all night long.

Today we feel very broken but we will slowly heal and celebrate the special girl Stormy was to so many.