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Ellie & Rosie

@elliegrowsup

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PNW💛AKC Golden Girls
Ellie 🎂 5-6-2020 🏡 7-3-2020 🌈 3/28/26 AKC CGC, TKN
Rosie 🎂3-25-2021 🏡 5-22-2021 AKC CGCA, CGCU, TKN
Winnie 🎂4-28-26 🏡 6-24-26

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Ellie, you are my greatest adventure.

On 3/28/26 at 11:41 PM, Ellie lost her battle with kidney disease and passed away peacefully at home surrounded by so much love (and her beach ball).

Ellie’s short life was so full of love and adventure. She changed how I see and operate in the world. Named after the movie, Up, Ellie lived up to the quote, “Adventure is out there!” Ellie filled her adventure book to the brim, the memories sticking out like postcards.

On her last day, she got to dip her toe beans in the sand one more time, sit and smell the ocean, and bask in the sun of her front yard. Her sister stayed quietly by her side all day and she had a rotating door of family that came to say goodbye to her.

Our lives will never be the same. Ellie’s disease was unfair, but I would do everything over again to have even one more day.

Ellie, run free sweet girl. Your friends are at the 🌈 bridge ready to greet you.

“Thanks for the adventure, now go have a new one.” - Ellie, from Up. by @elliegrowsup

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7 months ago

Ok, the post I’ve been putting off … an Ellie update.

Last Thursday, Ellie went in for a scheduled checkup with her specialist. We were feeling good. After her devastating lab results in November, we finally felt like we had figured everything out. New meds schedule. Food. And her numbers stabilized in December. Ellie was happy and energetic, everything had seemed to be looking up, even though Ellie was in the final stage of her disease.

Sitting in the patient room, waiting for Ellie, I was checking my emails, completely unaware of what was going to happen in just a few moments. Ellie had been taken back for her lab and I was waiting to talk to her specialist.

After several minutes, Ellie’s specialist came in and commented on how she was happy that Ellie had gained weight, her gums look really good, etc. Then the bomb dropped. She told me about how they use an ultrasound to get Ellie’s sterile sample. She decided to take a look at one of her kidneys (it was smaller as we knew, theoretically the same as before), but she happened to come across her spleen. It was this moment when I went numb.

Multiple masses. Hemangiosarcoma. Abdomen will fill with fluid.

Time actually stopped. Like, I truly think it stopped.

Additionally, Ellie’s labs showed that her kidney values skyrocketed again. We are at a total loss.

Having a conversation about end of life care is the last thing that we expected. But here we are.

What’s our plan? Continue her kidney maintenance and make Ellie happy. We are prioritizing her weekends and making sure she’s doing what she loves. Playing with her sister and going to the beach.

New motto: beach every weekend for Ellie!

I am devastated and haven’t cried this much in years, but I am trying to stay strong to enjoy all our moments together. by @elliegrowsup

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9 months ago

“So … I have this crazy idea …”

Last spring, I was talking to @lindsaybaca after our session in the Gorge and presented her with this wild and ridiculous idea to bring inflatable beachballs to a session at the beach. I really had no vision beyond beachballs bouncing on the sand, except, inflatable beachballs don’t bounce 😂 It really was, a half-baked, silly idea.

Well, fast forward to this spring when Lindsay came out to our “secret spot” along the Oregon Coast for our yearly session. We stayed here for a couple days before our session and halfway to our destination I realized I forgot the beachballs I had previously ordered off Amazon. I was sad but didn’t dwell too much. Then, when we were finalizing plans (aka deciding if the weather would cooperate), Lindsay asked me if I remembered the beach balls. I told her that I had forgotten them, was so sad about it, but had Ellie’s actual beachball if we wanted to use it. Thanks to overnight shipping, Lindsay saved the day and was able to get 8 giant beachballs delivered before she left to meet us the next morning!

About halfway through the session we let the girls run around while the three of us attempted to blow up these beachballs (I think we all probably looked really silly and got lightheaded in the process). After that, hilarious chaos ensued. I think I probably was laughing so hard at one point that I was crying. Beachballs were flying, beachballs were popping, and it looked like the girls were playing soccer trying to catch them on the sand.

I cannot thank @lindsaybaca enough for humoring my wild and crazy idea, the entire thing is solidified as one of my favorite experiences ever ❤️

A big thank you also goes out to @ferryfancy for bringing my vision to life in this custom beachball bandana for Ellie so long ago. This work was the beginning of my inspiration of beachballs on the beach.

📸: @lindsaybaca by @elliegrowsup

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a year ago

Patiently waiting for fall weather to hit. We have a little taste and are hoping the higher temps are officially gone so we can really enjoy all things fall!

Winnie and Rosie are enjoying their first fall together. You have never seen a happier puppy at the pumpkin patch, even though her face in the first photo doesn’t seem like it 😂 We can’t wait to continue getting Winnie out for all the fun fall activities in our area.

Wearing: @butfirstwest by @elliegrowsup

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3 days ago

Over the past 6 years, I’ve learned how Instagram has the ability to bring people together. People you have never met, and may never will, and connections that you also get to forge in reality. Starting Ellie’s account was simply to share photos about her life and document our journey as first time dog owners. It became so much more than that.

Two weeks ago, we received the most beautiful memorial gift from the Instagram community. This beautiful, wooden portrait, arrived exactly 6 months after Ellie passed. We were moved to tears and I’m still trying to find the words to properly convey what this gift means to our family.

After Ellie’s passing, we have been wrapped in so much love and support. From the flowers we received in the first days to the beautiful chimes that hang in our yard, Ellie’s spirt is very much alive in our home.

Six years ago, I never could have imagined that Ellie’s life would touch so many wonderful souls from all over and brought me so many incredible friendships. She is our feisty, loving, independent girl. A girl who was dealt an unfair deck of cards but fought until the very end and showed us what it really means to truly live.

To all of you who contributed to this gift, thank you. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you. I want to thank all of you individually, it just may take a little time ❤️ by @elliegrowsup

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6 days ago

Sitting pretty amongst the pumpkins, just like her big sister used to 🧡

Swipe to see Ellie’s photo from last year. They are almost copy and paste. 🥹 by @elliegrowsup

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14 days ago

6 months. You’ve been gone 6 months. A half a year. We’ve seen two seasons leave us and two begin. I experienced the ending and beginning of a school year.

It’s hard to believe it’s been this long, although it feels like an eternity. I wish I could stare into your face like I always used to, memorizing all the features of your eyes, nose, and expressive eyebrows. I can see you when I close my eyes, so I know you’re still close.

Last weekend a white butterfly visited me on your favorite farm so I knew you were there.

I miss you forever. I love you my girl. Kisso secret. by @elliegrowsup

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17 days ago

Celebrating Winnie’s first fall with @thefoggydog !

What better way to welcome fall than with flannel, pumpkins, and your big sister!

We had a great time exploring Winnie’s first pumpkin patch! Winnie got lots of pets and maybe even snagged a bite of a pumpkin stem or two!

These beautiful flannels from @thefoggydog were cozy and definitely helped us get into the fall spirit!

#gifted by @elliegrowsup

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19 days ago

A moment for the beachball that went everywhere with us, the beachball that now stays tucked under the covers beside me every night, and travels with us as a family.

This beachball was soothing for Ellie, providing her calm and comfort, and now it does the same for us.

Yesterday I got two vaccines and they knocked me off my feet at about 6:45pm. I got into bed with Rosie (Winnie was with Dog Dad) and found myself snuggling Ellie’s beachball harder than I had in a long time, at one point it was in the crook of my neck, arms wrapped around it.

Ellie has almost been gone 6 months. It feels surreal and I hate even thinking that it’s been half a year, but I know she is still with us, especially when we really need her, like last night. 🌈 by @elliegrowsup

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21 days ago

Fall is officially falling here in the PNW and no one is more excited than a puppy who gets to explore her first pumpkin patch with her big sister.

Wearing: @thesouthernpup.co by @elliegrowsup

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23 days ago

Happy new week, everyone!

Even though fall is on the horizon, my mind is still stuck in summer and these beautiful sunflower fields. We’ll be dreaming about them until next summer!

Wearing: @butfirstwest by @elliegrowsup

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24 days ago

Code orange! Pumpkin season has arrived and Rosie is really showing Winnie how to pick the perfect pumpkin!

Can’t wait to spend more time at the 🎃 patch with these two!

Wearing: @ferryfancy by @elliegrowsup

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a month ago