Our sweet Lexi came to us with a tennis ball and left us with a ball. We first saw Lexi on the Human Society web page...when we weren't even looking for a new family member! She was described as a seven year old Golden who had always lived outside and had been relinquished by her family. When we went to visit her, we found a giant, nearly white polar bear like dog who seemed totally uninterested in people. We learned from staff that she had been owned by two prior families and that she had never been socialized...or loved.

When she came home with us, we thought she might be frightened of entering the house...but she ran right in and jumped on the couch. From that moment on, she was "at home" and became a wonderful and sweet part of our family. She and our 4 year old Golden immediately fell for each other and were the best of friends. Even the cats seemed to know this was a safe fur ball and Syd was never too far from Lexi's side. Of course, not having lived in a house, Lexi was not housebroken. Marla spent uncountable patient hours teaching our old dog new tricks, like going outside. When we took Lexi to be washed and groomed for the first time, the shop had to close its doors and the groomers stayed hours late detangling her matts and discovering a beautiful dog underneath the mass of fluff.

Lexi shared a little over three years of her life with us...and we are thankful for every minute of it. She never learned that storms were not going to hurt her and would hide in the bathtub...or the basement...or in bed with one of the kids...any time that thunder threatened. She would tell us hours before a storm would arise. She did learn though, how to be loved...and gave back so much more. She always wanted to be where people were, which led to many trips over her in the kitchen. She learned not to run away (or at least not far away)...after several early bolts out of the door. She learned to love Dairy Queen ice cream and belly scratches in front of the fireplace. She became our alarm clock with wake up whines at 5:45 every morning (she never did learn the idea of weekends or vacations). Lexi learned, we hope, that she was a wonderful being who deserved to be loved.

Late at night September 6th, Lexi rolled over for a belly rub and we saw something very wrong with her chest and abdomen. At the emergency vet, we were told it was internal bleeding under her skin. After ruling out that she had any access to rodent poisons, they told us she probably had cancer, but would need further testing to be sure. We took her home with us against Dr's orders as she was never happy away from her family. Marla sleot on the floor with her and we went through 2 days of tests and rule outs before she was finally diagnosed with a very aggresive cancer that affected her blood vessels.

We got to share a wonderful weekend with Lexi. She was not in apparent pain and never stopped eating treats. She got to have whatever she wanted! She had a beef sundae, her own pot roast, ribs, chicken, ham...and a favorite that we never knew until the last day-fortune cookies! She smiled when we gave her a tennis ball and seemed content to be the center of attention. When our vet arrived at the house, Lexi picked up her head in greeting and settled in for more pets. McKenzie (her Golden sister) hovered nearby and gave her licks before laying down a few feet away. Dr. Griffits gave Lex a sedative to help her relax and she slept peacefully for the first time in several days. Lexi was gone before the final injection was started...she told us it was time and went chasing off after Flounder, Kayla and Nekko...members of our family who she had never had a chance to meet, but that I am sure made it a safe and wonderful adventure for Lexi to find her star. We love and miss you all...

Frost, Marla, Brandon, Drew and Tyler

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