Sweet Sara Bear

Sweet Sara Bear

Shortly after Kelley and I started dating, she invited me to her house. As soon as I got in the door this pretty little dog started waving at me with her two front paws. I sat down and started petting her. I fell in love that day. I guess it was about a week or two later that I fell in love with her mommy too.

The little dog's name was Sara Lynn. She was a mix between a Poodle and a Pomeranian. We called her a Poodle-pom.

My wife adopted Sara when she was just a puppy 4 years before I came into the picture. Sara had a brother who was adopted at the same time by Kelley's dad and step-mother. His name was Jack and since we lived just a few miles from her parent's, the canine siblings were able to visit each other often.

Sara took to me right off and she was very good with Lyssa, my 4 year old daughter from my previous marriage. Kelley has always said that Sara was the reason that she decided that I was the one for her and I believe it. Sara was always a good judge of character.

She was a great little watch dog, too. She always let us know when someone was at the door and kept people at a safe distance if she thought that they were getting too close to her family. On two occasions, she tried to save us from skunks and both times she was sprayed. The first time it was just her and it wasn't too bad. The second time, the skunk sprayed into our house and got Sara right in the face. Our whole family smelled like skunk for a week or two that time.

I remember as we got to know each other and I spent more and more time at Kelley's house, I would let Sara stay in bed and watch TV with us. It wasn't long before she was sleeping between us every night, when before, she slept in the kitchen. Kel said I spoiled her but I know she liked having her there, too.

Hilton Head Island Beach where Sara played

One summer after we were married,  we took a trip to Hilton Head Island, SC to visit Kelley's aunt. We took Sara along and she took her first swim in the Atlantic Ocean. She went to the beach a few times with her on that trip and she seemed to enjoy it very much.

On another family vacation, Sara went with us to Chicago and on to Indiana to visit relatives. on the way there, we stayed at a hotel where no dogs were allowed. We snuck her up to the room in a book bag through a back door. We were laughing and giggling as we made our way to our room but Sara didn't make a sound at all. She might have barked a few times while were were at that hotel, but no one ever said anything to us. It was quite an adventure and we will remember it always.

Sara was there throughout Kelley and I's courtship, our marriage, and the birth of our youngest daughter, Hannah. She enjoyed a very happy and healthy life but the last year or two she became frail.

We made the heart-wrenching decision to put her down this year. She was the queen in our house for 19 short years and we miss her every day.

We miss you Sara Lynn Hoffman !!