The greatest pleasure of a dog is that you may make 

a fool of yourself with him, and not only will he not 

scold you, but he will make a fool of himself, too

Little did Chris and I know that a afternoon lunch run would result in nearly a decade of rascally puppy love. Neither did my parents (who eventually took care of Oliver) 

 Oliver, utilizing his special talent as an alarm clock

Staring contest/post nap stretch

Yesterday, Tuesday, May 15th, 2012, it was with heavy hearts that we said goodbye to our family dog, Oliver. Our story together began in October of 2004 in Moscow, Idaho. Chris and I had met at school and had been dating for nearly a year and had decided to head over Moscow for some lunch. As is customary for me, I asked pleaded with Chris to stop at my favorite place (purveyor of pets) to procrastinate, Pets Are People Too.

Whether you know me well, or barely at all, you know that my ADD leads me to all different types of distractions, the opportunity to ogle cute puppies, being one of these. So, Chris, knowing better than to deny me this simple pleasure, agreed. But let's be honest, clearly he is as much a softy as I am when it comes to buying pets unexpectedly (or cars for that matter, more on that later).

As we entered the pet store and made a beeline for the puppies, my heart started racing, as it always does. I spotted a liter of cute Jack Russell pups and immediately started waving my hands back and forth in front of the glass in the vain hopes of getting the puppies to play. (Note: this effort is futile when animals are sleeping) Eventually, one of the sleepy puppies woke up (Who was tapping on the glass? Definitely not me!) and I asked to hold him. Let's just say it was love at first nuzzle. Chris and I were smitten and decided that for $50, a little lover like Oliver was a steal. So, to make a long story short, we shared puppy duty for a few blissful sleep deprived months (definitely training camp for those without children, only 5 x easier) and then when my parents came for Moms Weekend, we revealed our little bundle. My mom, of who I am basically a little clone, was love struck instantly. And it's a good thing because shortly after, my roommates and I relocated to an apartment which wasn't canine friendly. 

So off to my parents he went, a new playmate for our older family dog, Luna. The rest is history, the two became fast friends and spent their days frolicking in the yard, getting into mischief and bringing an unimaginable amount of joy to the Roeter household. And that brings us to the present. Oliver became very ill the last month and lost 10lbs, nearly half his body weight. A trip to the veterinarian revealed his diabetic state as well as a liver disease that would ultimately prove to be degenerative. It was a hard decision to reach as a family, but a merciful one, sparing Oliver any pain and suffering. 

He will be missed every day. It was such a feeling of comfort to be standing in the kitchen and see a flash of brown and white fur bolt across the yard. He was spunky, at times, spoiled, but always loyal and happy to be with his family. He was my mother's little man. 

My own personal sorrow was tempered by the fact that I am now a parent and that puts everything into perspective. This is not to say that the loss of a pet is any less significant but when you have a child, the sun rises and sets with them. and a dog that was once your baby becomes your dog, separate from your actual baby. And I was relieved to get a free pass on the "Circle of life lesson" this time around. Lily is too young to really grasp the gravity that comes with the loss of a pet. Also, Oliver lived with Ama and Papa so he wasn't around Lily on a daily basis (but not far from it considering the amount of time we spend there). Someday perhaps we will have our own dog and Lily will get to learn the valuable life lessons that come with have a pet to take care of.

 I am so thankful for the time that we had with Oliver. He made our lives more fulfilled and enjoyed a pretty idyllic one himself. He was all snips and snails and a most lovable rascal. Goodbye, sweet boy. Thank you for bringing us so much joy and love.