RIP Ms. Miya May Mocha

We recently had to make the tough decision to put down our first 'baby', Ms. Miya May Mocha. It has been close to a month now, so I think I can spare you all of the emotional toll that it took on us. She would have been eleven years old in January, so she lived a long and happy life. She was such a sweet dog, with a wonderful temperament for our kids! She put up with a lot of my shenanigans - she (and Jinx) have been dressed up every Halloween until last year and have been in most of our Christmas pictures.
We brought her home within the first year of our marriage when she was only 8 weeks old. She was THE cutest puppy!!!

Her facial expression was always priceless - you could just tell she tolerated my silliness because she loved me!

All of our kids loved her, and she let them climb all over her! Easton definitely misses her the most. Miya would let him lay on her (usually cuddled up in the niche between her belly and front legs) while he drank his bottles. I wish I had a picture!

She went down hill fast. The vet did both an x-ray and blood work on the day we took her in. They found that Miya had a tumor wrapped around her heart and water around her lungs. Her blood work pointed towards cancer also. It was an easy - yet heart wrenching - decision. We knew she was hurting and putting her down was the best choice :(

We all miss her dearly, but it has been especially hard on our other dog Jinx. He wouldn't eat the first week. He always let her go outside first and eat first - so he has had difficulty 'relearning' how to do these things alone. When he does go out, he wanders the back yard as if he is looking for her. What a love/hate relationship they had! He is slowly getting back to his new normal, and we hope he sticks around for awhile (he turned eleven this past October)!

Thank you to everyone who sent us cards and emails expressing your sympathy - it is so nice to know that the world is full of dog people!!!