Houston "Huey" Gibson

Well, I know you all expected to see what Crawford is up to these days...and I'll do another update in a few days, but right now I need to tell you about Huey. Huey was my little angel. I have always said he was the first love of my life. I had to put him down on September 8th due to a long battle with kidney failure.

My mom and I picked Huey out, at what I now think was a puppy mill, when I was a senior in high school. We didn't know what a puppy mill was back then; we just saw his living conditions and knew we couldn't leave him there. Our family dog (Skeeter) had just passed away and my mom really needed a diversion to help ease the pain. Skeeter was her Huey. Little did we know that diversion would be my companion for the next 18 years.

We passed a street sign that said "Houston" along the way home so Mom suggested we name him "Huey"... short for Houston. I thought it was a great idea. We took little Huey home and expected the well-behaved dog that we had in Skeeter. We were in for quite a challenge. He was in a new place with all kinds of new things and he wanted to eat them all. He especially loved shoes. A guest once accused Huey of unzipping a large suitcase just to get to some new shoes inside. I always made excuses for Huey and promised my parents it would get better.

He went through the different phases of puppydom - eating poop, tinkling in the house, playing tirelessly with his ball (barking at you if you didn't play along), etc. He also loved to run away. He would always trick my mom into thinking he was going to stay in the yard...as soon as she turned her head he would take off running down the street. She got to the point where she would come inside and tell me my dog just ran off. I always hated those days because I worried all day at school that we would never get him back. Luckily, a neighbor always called asking us to come get Huey. Who knows, maybe he chewed on their shoe, either way, I'm glad they called.

When I went to A&M, my parents kept Huey for me. At the end of my last year, they were threatening to get rid of him (it was a LONG puppy phase). I, in turn, threatened to not come home any more. I meant it too. I looked forward to my visits home to see little Huey.

I eventually graduated and Huey officially became my dog. It was my first attempt at being a caretaker. I didn't always put Huey first in the beginning, but it didn't take long for me to see what a great companion he was. Lucky for me he was out of his puppy stage and mellowed on the chewing. Regardless, we became buddies.

As I moved from Dallas to Pennsylvania, Tennessee and back to Dallas, Huey was my only constant. He was my friend in strange towns, traveled with me on business trips, "sniffed out" new people in my life. He was my solace when I was lonely and I was his. He always knew my mood and understood just what I needed to cheer me up. Whether lying by my side, giving me kisses, throwing his ball into the air, running in circles through the house, waiting patiently for a bone, or eventually, riding around on the Vespa, Huey and I liked hanging out together. He was even the ring bearer in my wedding. It wasn't even an option to consider anyone else. No one meant more to me than Huey and Greer was marrying both of us. I really think Greer fell in love with him too. It was slow at first, but he understood what Huey meant to me in the end.

I always told people I would not have a baby until Huey passed away because I didn't have enough love for both. Well, Huey lived a long time and I wasn't getting any younger. I think Huey understood what was happening when I got pregnant. He no longer slept on my pillow, he scooted down to my belly. When I was six months along, Huey changed. I put a roast in the crock-pot and then took Huey to the vet. When I called the vet he said it was probably a stroke and there wasn't anything he could do. I wasn't ready to let Huey go. I asked Huey to wait until we had our little baby. He hadn't eaten in days. While I was crying in bed that night I had a thought...give Huey some roast. We always believed dogs should get dog food. What was the harm in trying? Huey LOVED the roast. I told Greer it was off limits. Huey ate the entire roast over the next few days. We also discovered his love for chicken tenders over the next year. Huey didn't relax a lot after his stroke, but he was always calm when I held him. He would fall right to sleep. I had to find a new way to put him on my belly as it grew, but Huey always found comfort in my arms. The feeling was mutual. Huey didn't just hold on until Crawford was born, he almost made it until Crawford was eight months old. That's a lot of chicken tenders.

It is so hard to imagine my life without that little dog. A good friend of mine told me that Huey saw me through some of the darkest times of my life. He was always there for me. He is able to let go because he knows there are only good things in my future. That statement was such a gift to me.

While I love Crawford dearly, dogs bring a different type of love and joy to your life. I could not have asked for a better friend than Huey. I am glad he had the chance to meet our new little boy...Crawford. I miss him every morning when I turn to say "Momma will be home later, be a good boy."

I guess I can still say that. I just hope he doesn't chew on the wrong person's shoes.

I'll bring your ball with me Huey. Be patient...I have quite a few things I need to finish down here first.