Back In The Saddle

I've been going through the old blog today, mainly looking for pictures of Java, but I was amazed at how much I had forgotten.  I really should keep this up. It was so much fun to look back and see how much the kids have grown and how far they've come.  It's like a family diary and I remembered so many good times with these two boys.  They'll have a blast looking at some of these as they get older.
Today is Java's last day.  It's been so hard to know that after today, I'll never see him again. He's been with us through a lot of good times.  I've had him since February 2001.  He is now 15 years old and is in a lot of pain with his hips and a stubborn ear infection that he can't seem to shake.  He was with us when we got married, got Manny, made a big move and he welcomed both boys and was kind and patient with both of them.  We'll be missing a big part of our family after today and my heart is breaking at the thought of saying good-bye.