Ben, you are an angel that blessed the world for a short time.

Every day you showed us your awesome personality.

Somehow, we depended on you just as much as you did on us.

Seeing things through your eyes showed us a new perspective on life.

Your intense appreciation for our presence as we walked through the door each day

has shown us how we ought to appreciate each other.

Your simple acts of unconditional love and dependence have also revealed

the basic requirements of our lives.

It is these things that we will always be thankful for in you and ourselves.

We'll always remember the excitement you had for every person that came into your sight.

We thank-you for all of these things:

Thank-you for the very first time that we laid eyes on you and you hurriedly stumbled

over your baby sister to get our attention. Thank-you for standing on your Dad's chest

in order to get the full attention you needed. Thank-you for resting your little chin on us

during naps. Thank-you for sneezing every time you had to work up a tough little bark.

Your perseverance during trips to the vet was worth every day that was added to your life.

You are the joy that began early in your Mom and Dad's new life together.

As such, we will always benefit from the additional joy that changed our lives forever.

We look forward to seeing you again and have no doubt

that you will continue to be a blessing wherever you may be.

Thank-you Ben, for all that you are!