me and you and a dog named Boo

Boo is our miniature pinscher.  We got Boo back in Texas in January of 2003.  She was itty bitty and a mess from the beginning, but we loved her like a baby.  She has always been a cuddly, snuggly dog who loved burrowing into blankets.  Boo has been around through the birth of Emma (Boo & baby Em below) and the birth of Darcy and she endured the move to Connecticut and all the snow (which she hates).  

However, we recently found out that she has cancer.  And probably won't live for too much longer.  She has something called an insulinoma which means she has a very small tumor on her pancreas that causes her to not regulate her insulin.  She ends up producing too much insulin.  She is living on lots of mediation right now and is okay today as I type this.  But she has been back and forth...having lots of stomach problems and even getting down to just 5 lbs at one point.  I honestly never considered something like this as a possibility. In my head, I guess I just imagined her getting old and grey and dying in her sleep one day.  I didn't expect to have to watch her go through cancer.  Naive, right?

Boo has definitely been a challenge over the years.  She can't be trusted outside without a leash, she is majorly barky, and she is constantly begging for table food.  All things that add up to me being annoyed with her quite a lot.  However, I hope to remember her as the loyal friend she has been through the years.  When Joey was in Iraq for a few months before we had kids, Boo was my constant companion.  She kept me company when there was no one else around and was always glad to see me and spend time with me.  She still loves me unconditionally even though I have often pushed her aside now that I have two children.  She has been great with the girls, snuggling them, and letting them hug and kiss her.  

I know dogs aren't people; believe me, I live with the craziest dog on the planet.  But Boo certainly has unconditional love down pat.  She may not have the best manners, but she loves all 4 of us - faults and all - day in and day out.  We haven't given up on her yet.  We are going to give her as much love and care as we can while she is still around.  Hopefully this will teach us to give everyone, each other, family, friends, and strangers as much consideration, love, and care as we can because quite honestly you never know what could happen tomorrow.