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For the Love of Hanna
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November 2009-ANNOUNCEMENT
Read a "Hanna story" in the December/January Issue of Animal Wellness Magazine. Hanna & the
Claus is our story appearing in the "Passages" section. We are honored to be published in this publication!
November 1, 2008-Happy Birthday Squirt-you are so missed !Hanna's site has inspired a work-in-progress title (almost completed). Wish me luck when the time for submitting
to publishers arrives!
Read about Hanna, Trevar, Kearsey, & Darby in my latest children's book, The
Smith Family's New Puppy-Helping Children Cope w/ a New Family Member. (scroll down)
New Stories: Suddenly
Sick added 7/20/07, Pg. 4; The Overwhelming Silence of Dinner, added 8/2/07, Pg. 5; The Missing Piece,
added 8/9/07, Pg. 3; Reflections of Happy Birthdays, added Nov. 1, 2007, Pg2.; Happy Birthday Jesus-You
Took My Dog, added 12/21/07, Pg.5; Hard to Say, added 5/9/08, Pg.5
May 9, 2009 Two years ago today, our sweet Hanna departed this life.
It Never Goes Away, added 5/9/09, scroll down
On August 20, 2007, our beloved cat Kearsey joined Hanna. We lost her due to toxic pet food. Her story Pg,
5-Did I Poison My Cat?
A memorial tribute to a very special friend
11/1/94 - 5/9/07
| Hanna, our precious friend |

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| She would brighten any moment |
As you can see,
on the upper right corner, Hanna was a tiny little pup. Although small in size,
her personality was huge. From the first day I met her, at the kennel where she
was born, she always to seemed to ask, “Hey what about me?” This
little white fur ball looked up at me from her pen and eloquently but demonstratively insisted I notice her. Well…I
did. Thank you Hanna, for making me see you, and for enriching my life with your
presence!
Yes she was a tiny
little girl, but she had a natural born drive and curiosity that surpassed her small stature.
Curious, intelligent, quick to learn, a strong desire to learn and interact, and always bright, alert, and outwardly
affectionate-she was a bright spot in any day!
| One of the many expressions |

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| of Hanna (she loved the camera) |
For
My Owner
Walk
with me through the green grass,
Feel
the dew moisten our feet,
Climb
with me over the hills and rocks,
Making
our lives complete.
Run
with me through the trees and leaves,
Watch
as I playfully dodge and dart,
Warmly
call me back again,
See
me run into your arms and heart.
Sit
with me scratch my neck,
Feel
the warmth of my soul,
Hold
me snuggly beneath your arms,
Tend
to me as I grow old.
Sing
with me songs of life,
For
it is living I enjoyed the most,
Watch
me gallop with tail held high,
See
me smiling as I prance and you boast.
Lay
with me by your side,
Hold
me till I feel no pain,
Remember
the spark and twinkle of my eyes,
How
I taught you that life was a game.
See
my head turn as you speak,
With
wonder and curiosity,
Remember
how I looked at you,
And
how you smiled each time you saw me.
Keep
those memories in your heart,
Picture
them in your mind,
Whenever
you’re sad maybe missing me,
Remember
memories of a special kind.
Try
not to grieve too much for me,
I’ll
wait at a very special place,
You’ll
know when you have arrived there,
you’ll
see the spark of my little white face.
I’ll
be the one sitting in front,
Wagging
my tail to and fro’,
I’ll
be waiting with all the others,
To
share joy in knowing, we’re all home.
copyright D. Smith-Mansell
2006 (written for Hanna)
| Expressive Hanna (left) |

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| With camera shy Darby |
| This pup is way too cool! |

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I hope you will spend some time visiting and learning about our very
special friend. You will see in her photos and learn through her stories, all about her delightful outlook on life.
She rarely was down, and was always ready for a new adventure. Hanna was a loving companion and friend, and all who knew her,
saw her zest for living. Her passing has left a huge gap in our hearts and lives-we miss her every day and in every
way. She was and IS a blessing to our hearts. Hanna will always remain a part of all of us. With tears our
sweet friend...until we meet again.
| Little Hanna |

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| on the bottle |
It Never Goes Away
Today May
9, two years ago, we lost our precious Hanna. She fought the valiant fight against
poisons and kidney disease. Her vivacious spirit lives on in our hearts. We can watch her movies and catch the spark of her eyes in photos, but we can’t
hold her or play with her.
Even though two
years have passed there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think of her, mostly with smiles, at her antics,
her spunk, and her outward affection. But I still shed a tear and my heart becomes
heavy at times-she was such a great friend and it is hard not to have her here. When
I visit her site or read her stories my heart is filled with her spirit but is also empty from her loss. Death is a part of life, but when one’s life seems to be lost unjustly; it makes the grief more intense,
and perhaps making it linger a bit longer. I'm often filled with “what
ifs” yet knowing, that won’t help or bring her back. It is the nature
of love that makes us question, want, need, and hope. If we didn’t care,
nothing would matter and the world would be a cold place.
I am lucky…I
can feel the love of a dear friend and mourn the loss of that love and companionship. I can fill my heart (and her book) with
her stories, memories, and pictures. I’ll always have that, and her. No one can ever take away my Hanna from my heart.
Until we meet again…my little squirt!
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| Puppy Hanna |

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| ready to play |
My Blessings, My Dogs
Brown eyes sparkle with playful hearts,
Compact bodies so strong and smart.
Inquisitive always, curious at will,
Ready to play, or just be still.
Reaching my hand, I always find,
Nothing that compares, to humankind.
Faithful and loving, devoted friends,
Ready to play, eager to defend.
My dogs are with me no matter where,
In times of fun, or loss or despair.
A treasured gift from God above,
To show us all the meaning of love.
© D. Smith-Mansell 2005
| One of the Many Adorable Expressions of |

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| Hanna Banana |
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| Hanna |

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| Maddie |
Another
Birthday
Another
year gone by and a reminder is here once again…November 1st, a very special “Hanna day.” Today would have been her 15th birthday.
Secretly I always thought she’d make it this far, but whether at the hand of an uncaring pet food company or
through nature itself, she isn’t. It is a day filled with tears and smiles
as Hanna always loved her birthdays. She knew it was her day and she took ever
opportunity to let me know she was ready for the cake and presents at any time. She’d
follow me around (more than usual), and make attempts to gain my eye contact. If
I reminded her of the special day, she’d often spin into a 360 degree turn, and trot around me. She could barely wait for the presents.
Hanna was
so in tune with the world and celebrations, nothing passed her by! She truly
enjoyed every moment and demonstrated great anticipation at “things to come.”
It became
a bittersweet day for us in 2008 as this day, Hanna’s birthday, was the day we picked up Lil’ Maddie to join our
family. Not surprising, she seems to have a lot of Hanna’s traits. Some times I have to look twice, and many times, I have called Maddie, Hanna. But there are many differences, just as there are differences in humans, siblings,
and other pets. However, I do reserve the right to think and see my precious
Hanna in Maddie. I’d like to think that a piece of Hanna returned in Maddie,
just as a part of Fallon seemed to have returned in Rori. The circle of life
continues.
Whether
these feelings and thoughts are truths or concepts I want to believe, is of no great consequence, for I hold tight to the
knowledge that one day, we ALL will be together, forever. And we will see the
pureness of God in our all our relationships.
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AWARDED TO: Websites with quality information on small dogs.
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