Mellan was born on Christmas Eve, and if there was one birthday I got excited to celebrate, it was always his. It is hard to imagine a Christmas Eve that’ll go by in the future where it doesn’t end up being a day we reminisce about one of the greatest doggos to ever live. It’s almost a year since we lost him (January 12th, 2022 will mark one year, officially), and sometimes it’s heartbreaking to see just how easily life goes on without him. How could a dog so near and dear to my heart, so integral to my daily life, be gone and life just keeps going?

I don’t think there’s been a day where he hasn’t crossed my mind since we had to say goodbye. Some days are harder than others, sometimes I’ll go a week or two without tearing up (only remembering fondly), and other times, it feels like every thought of him causes at least a couple of tears to creep from my eyes. He was my first adult dog; the first dog that I was responsible for fully, from his daily care and needs to financially, and he saw me through dating, getting married, buying our first home, moving out of state, and so many moments of growing up and entering into adulthood.

He lives on in our hearts, and today, we’ll share our favorite memories of him, cry a little, and celebrate the 13 years we had with him. I had custom ornaments made for the year to mark Mellan’s passing and Winston’s first Christmas. Mellan is sitting in a bowl of spaghetti, because we used to call him by the nicknames “pasta” and “spaghetti” often enough that he came when we used them, and he has his signature bow-tie, spot on his year, and a crooked halo because he had a bit of a rebellious streak in him from time to time

We’ll hug Winston a little tighter today, and we’ll make sure that Winston has the best first Christmas a young pup could ask for, because I know Mellan would have wanted nothing less for his lil’ bro. Sending you all love and virtual hugs during the holiday season!

A photo collage of Mellan from past Christmases

Custom ornaments for Winnie and Mellan for Christmas

A photo collage of Mellan from past Christmases

Custom ornaments for Winnie and Mellan for Christmas