This is a fun picture because Jack was very rarely excited about toys and gifts – he mostly just liked a tennis ball to chase – but he got a kick out of this rope frisbee.

Jack may have been the only Labrador Retriever in the world that was afraid to swim, which was part of his charm. He liked to get in the water, but he'd always just lay on the top step. I guess he thought he was swimming, so that's what we called it.

This is my favorite picture of Jack, and probably the best picture I've ever taken of a family member. After a rough day of working in the yard in early spring, Mommy and Jack both needed a rest.