RIP Duke

On Friday May 27, the Holm-Hansen family lost a member. Scott took Duke - his goofy dog and friendly companion for the past 14 years - to be put to sleep. Yellow labs generally have a 10-12 year life expectancy, so the fact that Duke lived to see 15 was pretty phenomenal. Over the past year, he developed some pretty bad arthritis in his legs, and he was having a hard time getting around. We didn't want him to suffer any longer. The kids are doing OK with it. Rylee just rolled with it in her usual way. We told Devon about a week ahead of time, and gave him time to think it through. He agreed that he didn't want Duke to feel sad or hurt, and thought we were making a good choice. He spent the week showering Duke with dog treats and hugs. He also thought that it would be a bit of a happy time, as Duke would be reunited with his good buddy Murphy the cat. He thought that they have probably been missing each other and would shower each other with kisses and hugs when they saw each other again.