Bailey boy

Our little Bailey boy turned 15 years old on New Year's Eve.  His health has definitely been declining lately, and I've been reminiscing about his younger days.  He has seen a lot of things in his lifetime!  Let's look at a brief history of his life over the years:

December 31, 1996 Born in Illinois

May 1997 Moved to Terre Haute, IN (lived in two different apartments there)

May 1999 Moved to Indianapolis, IN

August 2000 Moved to San Antonio, TX (Del Rio on the weekends)

January 2002 Back to Illinois to stay with my mom and dad for three months while we went to Scott AFB

March 2002 Moved to Germany (he also visited Luxembourg, Holland, Belgium, Switzerland, and France during this time)

September 2003 Back to Illinois with my folks for a couple of months again

December 2003 Moved to Olympia, Washington (drove halfway across the country)

December 2007 Moved to Altus, OK (drove back across the country)

May 2010 Moved to Columbus, NJ (drove the rest of the way across the country)

July 2011 Moved to Virginia/DC

 He has lived in 7 US states and one foreign country.  He's called 12 different places "home".  He's seen 6 foreign countries (and peed in each of 'em!) and has been through more US states than I care to count.  How many dogs can say that?

OK, he can't really say it either, but he's lived it. 

When we started out, our little family was just me and Bailey.  Then we added Phil.  Then we gradually added three kiddos!  Now Claire gives Bailey much of his well-deserved petting and attention.  Maddie and Colin feed him every night.  He doesn't play anymore, but the kiddos love him.

He's not the adventurous dog of his youth, though.  Lately Phil and I have been trying to decide if Bailey is miserable or if he's just slowed WAY down.  We think he may have some dementia .  He doesn't see much and he can't hear much, either.  And I admit he doesn't smell too great.  He often has accidents in the house (Shhh!  Don't tell our landlords!  I clean it up right away and he always does it on the solid-surface floors.).

We're all a little hesitant to let him go, but it's going to be his time soon.  Please keep him (and us) in your thoughts and prayers as we guide him through his final chapters in life.  It's tough to say goodbye to an old friend.