{The Easter Bunny & The Egg}

We took Parker to see the Easter Bunny this past weekend. I was worried. After all, usually those Easter Bunny costumes are usually pretty freaky looking. Our Easter bunny was no exception. We were standing in line when he came back from his Bunny Break and I looked at Michael and said "That is one of the most frightening things I've ever seen!" I was exaggerating, but I was trying to think about it from a small child's point of view. I don't know if I would have walked up to him as a small child!

My son however, from his stroller in line, started cheerily waving at the giant white and pink monster! What a brave boy! His fearless attitude didn't waver when it was his turn to sit on the bunny's lap either! (The much older child in front of him had refused when it was his turn to take his picture with the fluffy, non-blinking rabbit.) In fact, he sat there and happily posed for several pictures taken by myself and the "professional" photographer. (My pictures were better by far, and I am beginning to wonder if these holiday photographers are trained to take the picture only after the child has decided to stop smiling.)

 The Easter Bunny seemed unusually eager to give our son back, despite his cheery behavior. I thought it odd that he was so impatient to get back to the angry, screaming children...until I retrieved my son and found that he had leaked through his pants and was quite damp.

Poor, poor Mr. Bunny. Whatever they pay him, I am sure it is not enough.

Daddy had picked out Parker's Easter outfit, which I thought looked quite dapper! Apparently we missed the memo that little boys can't wear purple though, because everywhere we went my son became "she" or "her". When I (politely...even the 100th time) pointed out that "she" was a HE, I was told over and over "Oh, but he's in purple!" Really? I don't think my son, even in such a feminine color as purple, looks even a teeny bit like a girl. He has always amazed me with how boyish he looks, even as a newborn. I was shocked at how annoying I found it by the 5th or 6th time. Ah well.

We had a great day. "Uncle" Ivy and Mimi had come along, and after the Bunny visit we went out to dinner at the Meat Bar. (Which is not the places real name, but anyone who had ever been there would know what I meant.) Everyone was very full and sleepy by the time we got home, which was Ivy's house. We got busy bringing things inside and letting the dogs out and figuring out what we were going to do with our evening...and we had all just sat down for a moment's rest when we heard a frightening thunk followed by Parker's screams. 

The thunk had come from the area of the stairs, which caused the immediate stampede of four adults racing in that direction. By the time we arrived (which might have taken 2 thousandths of a second at the rate we were moving) Parker's forehead was already turning purple and sporting an impressive goose egg and a nasty looking gash.

In all of our hustle and bustle getting inside, every last one of us had forgotten to put up the baby gate at the bottom of the stairs. Ivy's son, Trenton, is almost 3 and so the gates aren't usually up in their house. They get them out special for Parker. We don't have stairs at our house, and he is far too curious about theirs for comfort. He had taken this opportunity in the lack of security to make his way up, which he has done with supervision before. He is a very good climber, until he decided to look behind him to see who is watching. When someone is with him they can just reach out and steady his back until he starts climbing again, but this time there was no one to steady his fall, resulting in a very painful and frightening tumble.

I went immediately into Mommy Mode, which is something I think only other mothers, fathers and teachers can understand. It's like a dense fog or calm surrounds your mind, allowing you to only concentrate on what needs to get done and not on the rampaging panic that you know is waiting, just outside the foggy calm. I gathered up an ice pack and towel while Ivy and Michael checked him over and made the decision to go to the UCC. (The base's Urgent Care Center. We don't have an actual ER.) 

Parker had stopped crying before we even got there, which is less than a 3 minute drive. He's a tough boy. (Apparently they couldn't tell at the UCC though...since they told me at the waiting desk to try to keep the ice pack on "her" head...really?!!!) He doesn't like stethoscopes, so screamed bloody murder while he was being checked over, but he was all smiles again by the time we were back in the waiting room. 

He had vomited a little bit shortly after we got there, so they wanted us to wait around for about 2 hours to make sure he didn't get sick again or show any other signs of a more serious head injury. He was his old self, grinning and laughing and pushing around the chairs in the waiting room and making Ivy, Michael and I run around after him! 

God bless Ivy, he stayed with us the whole time. I apologized to him for taking up his Saturday night at the UCC, and he told us that nothing else he had planned was as important...in his words "family comes first"...which made me cry. (He then told me that if I didn't stop crying he was going to make me walk home, which sounded much more like my Ivy.) 

After almost 2 hours the doctor came out to check on my now sleepy son and gave me an internet print out on head injuries before sending us home. (All of what we did there I could have done at home...Yay Government Health Care! I hope you're ready America!) While it looked that night like Parker might even get a black eye out of his little adventure, several days later he barely has a bruise and it doesn't look anywhere near as bad as it looked like it was going to get. 

Big old gash and still all smiles! That's my boy! 

So all in one day he got to meet the Easter Bunny and got a big old goose egg on his head! So much excitement! 

Much later, when Parker was asleep and Michael and I were getting ready to go to bed (we woke up Parker every couple of hours that night, just in case), I finally got to break down when my foggy calm lifted. I cried and cried thinking of how much worse it could have been, and Michael held me close and told me just to thank God that it hadn't been, which I did, over and over again. After all, he could have broken an arm or a leg or worse...and he managed to scrape by with a few bumps and bruises. I am so thankful and blessed that he didn't get hurt worse. 

A lady in the waiting room, who was there getting x-rays for her own son, assured me that it had happened to every parent, and that there was much more to come. *sigh* So much to look forward to.

Thank you for reading.

Getting Ready For Easter

We've taken a break in all the party planning to prepare for the Easter holidays coming up. (Well, I haven't really taken a break in party planning...I've more just taken on some extra planning for Easter on top of the party planning for his Idaho and Ohio birthdays...)

 

It will be Parker's first Easter. He missed Easter last year by exactly 5 hours and 31 minutes, though he did make sure that I had an enjoyable Easter evening in the hospital, deciding that it would be a perfect time to send Mommy into labor. I had a basket and outfit and everything all set up, just in case my Bunny Boo decided to arrive in time for the holiday, but he was just a little late, so will be celebrating his first Easter on April, 4, 2010.

He will also be having his first chocolate on Easter, since it seemed like a good time to me to experience that particular milestone. Most people think I'm nuts that my almost one year old has yet to taste chocolate. My response is that he will have what he needs in his own time, despite what anyone else thinks. He has also never had cake, and his first will be his birthday cake the day he turns one.

I've been busily putting together a basket for him as well as my nieces. I will have to get theirs in the mail this week so that they will have it in time for the holiday. I miss them, and wish they were here to celebrate Easter with us! I think organizing an egg hunt with all the kids would be wonderful. Maybe next year we can try to be in Ohio around the holiday and Parker's birthday.

Parker's basket will be full of fun things! Cookies and candy, Easter eggs filled with goodies and some money, (I will be getting him a piggy bank for his birthday to start keeping his money in as he gets it) a little chick that hops across the floor, sunglasses, books, a stuffed goat and bunny, a chocolate bunny (of course) coloring pages and some art supplies...and that is just what I have so far! I think that some of it will have to sit around his basket and not so much inside. He was going to get a stuffed Peter Rabbit, but showed no interest in the toy at the store, and I wasn't going to spend $20 on something he doesn't like. Maybe next year.

One of the books he is getting was one of my favorites over 20 years ago! Marshmallow by Clare Turlay Newberry was written in 1943, is the winner of the Caldecott Honor, and is still a classic! 

I talked about it in this weeks edition of Mama Bear's Book Nook if you would like to go and check it out! I could probably easily write another whole blog about it. :0)

I am looking forward to Easter more this year than I have probably any year since I decided I was too old to join the little kids on the yearly Easter Egg hunt. (My mother cried for days, and then cried the entire time I helped them hide eggs...I thought she was crazy, but now think I'll probably do the same when Parker decides he is too old for such "childish things".) Parker is just old enough that I think he will have fun helping Mommy and Daddy search for eggs, and I should get some amazing pictures if the weather cooperates. He's also old enough to enjoy some of a special Easter dinner and desserts! I think it is going to be an amazing day, and would only be better if our family and friends back home could be here too.

We have never yet had Parker's pictures professionally taken. I can think of so many better things to spend our money on! (Like our trip home this Summer!) So, while I did play with the idea of having his pictures taken with live bunnies for Easter, I decided against it and did his pictures myself again. We will be taking him to the mall to get his picture taken with the giant Easter bunny there...it will be interesting to see how that goes...

Thank you for reading!

{Week In Review}

It's been a busy week. I didn't even have time to write this weeks Book Nook post. It's a shame too, because I had a great St. Patrick's Day book to write about...Maybe next week.

Parker had his first St. Patrick's Day! It was beautiful out! Sunny and warm...the perfect excuse to go outside and take some pictures! Not to brag, but I have a beautiful son! Such a great subject to photograph!

When Daddy got home we went outside again, and even ended up at the park! What a great day! 

It was also my oldest's birthday! Shamrock Elizabeth turned 16! (Bet you can't guess why I named her Shamrock!) I can not believe that she's 16 years old. Shamrock has been with me since I was 10 and through so much in my life...I am so lucky to have such a good girl as my sweetie! 

We (and by we I mean Michael and Ivy) spent yesterday cleaning out Ivy's garage. (Finishing the garage actually. This has been a 3 weekend project.) Ivy is letting us use his garage for Parker's First Birthday party, and now it actually looks like a place we could throw a party! We're still figuring out the table and chairs and a few other details, but I think it's going to be great! 

I hope people RSVP. You see, I am not going to make up goodie bags until people RSVP. I will feel terrible if we have a bunch of kids with no goodie bags, but there are so many kids who are invited that I am not going to spend the money making up all these bags to have 5 people show up! I thought about having some done up as Just In Case bags, but we have kids of so many different ages coming that the bags are going to be a little different depending on who it's for. So...No RSVP = No Bag, and I'll just let the parents explain to their children how their being rude results in their kids getting shorted. OK, so that sounds mean, and I really will try to come up with a solution, but I really think it is rude when people don't take he 5 seconds it takes to RSVP to something. It's not their money, so I guess they don't care, but I am trying to plan a party here.

On another topic, someone has kidnapped my happy baby and replaced him with a grouch. Parker has been so moody the last few days that I am sure I have a stunted teenager in my house. I don't know what is wrong with him, but it's making me sad. It's not helping that I'm starting to wean him too, so he cries, I leak and cry...it's a vicious cycle, but I hope it will be over soon. I'm running out of patience...and breast pads.

Thanks for Reading

A Death In The "Family"

It's hard to explain unless you've lived it. It's hard to make someone understand why reading a blog of a woman I've never met could make me lay my head down at the computer and sob. I don't know her, her daughter or her husband. They aren't even a part of the same military branch as we are...but if you are in the military you are part of a family. You are part of a group of people who all share the same fears, hardships, hopes, trials...and sometimes losses.

This week, a 23 year old mother and marine wife lost her husband in Afghanistan. There is a baby girl who will never meet a father who loved her. I, who am never at a loss for words, can think of nothing to say...because I know, in the same situation, nothing of use could be said to me. 

My love and prayers and tears go out to their family! God bless the wives and children and families who give up their mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, daughters, sons, etc. God bless the Marines and Airmen and Soldiers and Sailors who give up so much, and sometimes everything so that people in this country can live the way they do...and sometimes show no appreciation for it at all.

God Bless the Porto Family, and keep them strong in their greatest time of need.

Thank you for reading.

2,000 Miles Too Far

Home usually seems very far away to me. All our friends and family in Ohio seem so far away sometimes. But, this is part of our life in the military, and the internet has made keeping in touch amazingly easy...but it's still hard. Especially when it comes down to my relationship with my family! We are all very close knit, and that has been strained the last few years since we left, most specially the relationship with my brother and sister! We have always been very close, but distance has made it harder for us to relate and share like we used to. I don't know what is going on in their lives the same way I used to, and that makes me very, very sad.

Today I got to talk to my brother and found out that he and his girlfriend of over 3 years have decided to break up. I was touched, because, like days of old, I was the first person he told. He talked to his big sister the way he used to, opening up to me more than he has in the 2 years since we left Ohio. I was touched...but so very sad. She wasn't his first girlfriend, but she was certain;y his first serious relationship. They had talked about marriage and a future...I was not a fan. I didn't think she was good for him at all, and I got to watch the hopes and dreams my brother had take a back seat to her wants and needs...but I still feel heartbroken at what I know he's going through right now. Worse, I am his sister. I should be there to take him out for a drink or hold him while he cries...but I am not. I am out here, 2,000 miles away! 

Adding to the good news of the day, my mother has some health concerns going on. She is not the most healthy person anyways, but recently she has started having some spots and splotches on her face and head that were of some concern. When tested they are pre-squamous cell cancer...Not melanoma, but it is a kind of cancer that tends to like to travel to other soft tissue in your body. She has another appointment on Monday...So I have to wait out the weekend to see what the doctors think. So, we wait, and I'm here. Could I do anything differently if I were in Ohio? No. But my mother and I have always been very, very close, and to be out here while she is going through this makes me feel so helpless. 

To make it even crappier, we are planning a trip home this Summer...but Michael tests for rank this Spring and they won't give him a date! So, we can't buy our tickets yet, and every day they get more and more expensive. Just a few weeks ago we were going to be able to fly home for just over $600, now it is just over $1000. Yes, you can buy the tickets that are refundable, but then if we had to refund them the cost would still only cover part of the tickets, since the price is still going to keep going up! I don't know what to do. We need this vacation home, but it seems like everything is stacking up against us at once.

2,000 miles is just too far today! 

I'm sending tons of prayers my families way today. Even more than usual. For my Mother's physical health and my brother's emotional health. If anyone wants to add their prayers too, you are more than welcome.

Thank you for reading.

His Little Hands Stole My Heart...Now His Little Feet Have Ran Off With It!

I can't even believe it...it seems to be happening so fast! As of last week, March, 4th, 2010, our baby is a toddler!!! 

He's been getting braver and braver as the weeks have gone on with his cruising! Sometimes even venturing to let go of the table, chair or person he was holding onto and just standing there for several seconds looking accomplished. I had a feeling it wouldn't be long before our little man took his first steps. Still, it came as a surprise when it happened!

Michael and I, like so many generations of parents before us, had started sitting apart from each other and encouraging Parker to try to make it to one or the other of us. Usually he would stand there for a few seconds and then lunge towards us with nothing but his arms out and faith that he would be caught. If we were far enough apart that he didn't even want to attempt the lunge, he would simply drop down to his hands and knees and crawl our way. 

Last Thursday though, to our immense shock and pleasure, he didn't lunge or drop down to crawl. Instead he took 3 or 4 toddling, wobbily little steps before toppling into waiting arms! Of course, after recovering from our surprise, there was much kissing and hugging and clapping and cheering!!! (And, in my case, crying. After all, I am Mommy and this is my little baby who is now walking!) Again and again he would take several steps from Mommy to Daddy or Daddy to Mommy and then grin so big as we clapped and cheered! (And cried.) He even reached out to brush a few tears off of Mommy's cheeks...which just made me cry harder, but I made sure to smile and clap for him so he would know I was alright. 

Of course, in the excitement, neither of us first time parents thought about grabbing the camera, but we got a few tired steps on video later that night. It has all happened so fast! It hasn't even been a week since those first toddles and already he is happily striding across the length of full rooms to get to something he wants, (though if he wants to get there fast he will still drop down and crawl) and he is carrying toys around as little companions on his adventures. 

I can not believe that we have a toddler! It seems that only yesterday I was pregnant...only last night I was bringing home a beautiful little newborn...and just this morning I was cheering over his new found ability to roll over!!! Now I am watching him let go of his toy table and walk over to me to give me kisses! Not to mention brushing his teeth, (after I get done doing them he takes the brush himself and spends several minutes brushing himself!) talking to us non stop, and trying every single kind of food he can get his hands on! I am spending evenings after he goes to bed planning his first birthday parties (he's getting one in Idaho and one in Ohio when we go home for our visit this Summer) and baby proofing things I never even thought of! 

We are so very blessed!!! I could never thank God enough for our son! I just wish time wasn't going by quite so fast...

Thank you for reading!

A Few of My Favorite Things

Parker, Daddy, and "O Boy"

I love having Michael on Day shift. Since he joined the USAF he has been on Swings, which didn't leave much "Us" time...or even Parker & Us time...so Day Shift is a wonderful change for us! Of course, just having him home is a wonderful change too. 

Him being on day shift also provides us with the opportunity to take unplanned trips to Boise in the evenings if we so choose, which we did yesterday. Michael and Parker both had unused gift cards from Christmas (I had used most of my Barnes & Noble card, though I still have a little money left on it) and they both ended up using those cards. Michael's was from Best Buy, of course, and he got a new router. Please don't ask me anything else about it, because I would be unable to tell you much more than its color and how many lights are on the front. (Seven, in case you were wondering...and they are blue.) 

Parker's was from Build a Bear, which is also Mommy's favorite store! We were there for Parker though, and I patiently held up each and every animal until he picked which one he wanted, a black and white Portuguese Water Dog that Parker named "O Boy". (Daddy & Mommy: "What's his name Parker? What's the dog's name?" Parker: "Dog. Dog. Oh Boy!" Daddy & Mommy: "Yes, 'Dog'. What is his name?" Parker: "Oh Boy! Oh Boy!") So, O Boy is now a part of our family...the easiest pet we have to care for.

The ladies at Build-a-Bear remember me from when I was pregnant, so they always show Parker a good time when we go in there with him. He got to step on the peddle to stuff his dog and the lady spent a long time talking and playing with him, despite the people waiting behind us. It's a fun place...even if Michael calls it Satan's Playground. He is not a Build-a-Bear fan.

On the way home, with Parker asleep in the back, O Boy in one arm and Tiger in the other, Michael and I got to talk. I love it when we talk in the car. We're not watching TV, or trying to feed Parker dinner or clean the house...We just get to drive and talk. We talk about politics, (which can actually be enjoyable when you're not talking to idiots) God, (which is something I love talking about with my husband!) Parker, (one of our favorite subjects) our future plans, including children, (Yes, we are already discussing more children, but because we want them to be as planned as possible, and with some of my health problems that can take a lot of advanced planning...we are not TTC yet!) what we might do and where we might go after the military...It's just some of my favorite conversation time with him! 

So, between a trip to BAB, dinner with my amazing husband and wonderful son, and the great conversation on the way home (we have decided that we must try to give Parker a little sister, not right away, but eventually), it was a very good evening with several of my favorite things in it.

Thanks for reading!

I Love It When He Calls Me "Mama"

In six weeks, my baby boy will turn a year old. A year ago I was huge and pregnant. I was at the point where I wanted to see my baby, but knew that our little Bunny Boo needed to be in a little longer. I wanted to know if I was having a boy or a girl. I wanted to see their face and count their fingers and stroke their hair. I wanted to breath again! 

It feels like it was yesterday.

I never knew I could love someone so very much! I love it when he reaches his little arms out for me to hold him! It makes me feel just great!

I love it when he is sleepy so he snuggles his little face into my neck and then rests his head on my chest. He so rarely snuggles anymore, there is far too much to do in his day, so it is a rare treat.

I love it when he grins up at me, showing off his beautiful little teeth! I remember when his little grins were all gummy. I miss those grins, but I love these too.

I love it when his Daddy comes home and his little head whips around and he just beams to see his favorite person walking in! His little arms fly out and he babbles excitedly, telling Daddy all about his day, with the occasional "DaDa!" thrown in when he wants to emphasize something very important!

I love it when he learns something new. His little eyes light up and his little smile gets wider and he frantically gets the attention of the whole room to show off his new accomplishment!

I love his bath time! He loves his baths and we spend lots of time playing and splashing and washing. Then we get to snuggle all up in a towel and wave and give kisses to Mirror Baby. 

I love how he talks to his toys in the morning. I can lay in bed and listen to him babble away. Occasionally he giggles or squeals or hollers a little. Then, when he is ready to be up, he will stand up and call for one of us to come and get him to start his day.

I love how he reads to me! When he gets out his books and crawls in my lap and I read to him, he will then often grab the book back and flip through the pages, reading to me in his little baby babbles! I love that!

I love how he gives kisses to everything. His toys, Mirror Baby, the pages in his books, people he loves...everything gets kisses!

I love his toes! Love them!!!

I love how he will reach up and stroke my face sometimes, like he just wants to feel it. 

I love how gentle he is. He doesn't hit or throw things often. If he does reach out quickly towards one of the animals or something all you have to say is "gentle hands" and he instantly pets softly and giggles! 

I love how sweet he is! We truly were blessed with one of the sweetest, kindest, mellow, gentle little boys I have ever met! I am so happy and so blessed and so in love with that!

I love so many things about our son! I love everything about our son! He is the greatest blessing I ever could imagine being given, and I thank God every day for him! I have not done anything in my life to ever deserve such a blessing, but I will spend the rest of my life trying to be worthy of this greatest gift!

Oh yes...

I love it when he calls me "Mama"!!!

Thank you for reading.

Our Furbabies

Our furbabies, what most people call "pets", are a very important part of our lives. I know some people might think we're crazy, but if you hear us talking about "The Kids", we're talking about those members of our family with four legs.

Shamrock is our oldest. I can hardly believe that she'll is 16! As her name might have tipped some off, she was born on March 17th, or St. Patrick's Day. I have had her since she was weaned from her mother at 8 weeks old. I was ten then, and we have been together ever since. Shamrock has been in my life even longer than my younger sister.

She has been with me through the worst years after my parent's divorce, through deaths in the family, through all those adolescent fears that plague most teens, (and through some that I am not sure many other people have gone through) and through terrible boyfriends. We joke that, if Shamrock had not approved, I wouldn't have married my husband. He is the first man that Shamrock ever approved of, and some days I think she just might love him more than me. At the least, he is an equal to her, which no one else has ever been. I love her dearly, and one of my biggest fears is losing her.

Jake is our next oldest, though we have had him for the least amount of time. We adopted Jake from a kill shelter back in January of 2007 and he is 7 years old now. He caught both f our hearts in that shelter. While all the other dogs were barking and yipping and going nuts he just stared up at us with his big blue eyes in a kind of desperate plead. He barked only once, as we turned away, and we knew then that he was ours. 

Counting that one bark at the shelter, Jake has probably barked a total of 10 times since we got him. He just doesn't bark at all. Once we got him it became obvious that he had been badly abused. We spent many months turning a trembling, frightened dog into the happy companion we have now. He was constantly at my side when Michael left for BMT, and he is so much a part of our family that I can't imagine us without him. He's our little coward, and we joke that Shamrock would be more likely to attack an intruder, but he is loyal and loving and we are blessed to have found him!

Quintessa, or Tessa, will is 6. Like Shamrock, we have had her since she was weaned. She is "our" cat, but in reality is more Michael's than mine, though she also seems fond of our son to my incredible shock. We got her back in 2004 to keep our then 10 year old Shamrock company while we were gone during the day. We had left for school and work one morning only to come back and find Shamrock crying and crying and we decided that she needed a little friend. Some days they are as close as sisters, and some days they fight like...well, like cats. It is a matter of deep shame if we happen to catch them cuddling or grooming each other, so we usually pretend it doesn't happen.

Though Tessa comes from a long line of "Yellowsprings" cats, who are famous for being HUGE, she is rather petite and delicate. Added to her horrific voice, we assume that there is Siamese in her lineage somewhere. She fancies herself a singer too, which makes it all the worse. She is a true black cat, dark as night even on her nose and her paw pads. Even her whiskers have a dark hue. As much as we call her a pesky little witch, we love her dearly, and she is a wonderful addition to our family.

Douce and Souci are our beautiful little angels. Shortly after we got engaged we found them for sale online. When we got to the place I was nauseated at the conditions in which they were kept. I have never seen such neglected, mistreated animals in my life. It was a disgusting case of abuse, made even more obvious by the fact that Souci attacked any hand that came near her or her sister, while Douce just trembled and licked empty food bowls pitifully. 

Needless to say, we took them home, bathed them, fed them (it had been so long since they had eaten than Douce choked when she tried and we had to manually feed her softened food for awhile) and loved them. Before long we had two beautiful, happy, amazing ferrets on our hands. They came almost everywhere with us, riding happily on our shoulders, in our pockets or, if we were wearing a hoodie, in our hoods. They adored walks on their leashes and were the most playful, happy little animals you could ever hope to meet. 

In the Fall of 2004 Douce, our sweet girl, was diagnosed with cancer. It grew in her mouth and caused her to go blind in one eye. She never complained, never seemed to be in pain...She stayed with us for a few more weeks before we knew it was her time. The day we took her to the vet was beautiful and sunny and she loved on and snuggled us both as if she knew what we were doing and why and was so very thankful. It was a hard day, and I miss our sweet little girl.

They say ferrets shouldn't be alone, but Souci would never accept another little friend, attacking other ferrets when we tried to set up play dates. She was never quite the same again. She still loved us, (and occasionally nipped) but she didn't play anymore. It could have been that she was older, but I will always be convinced that she missed her sister. She had happy years ahead of her though before she too passed, her of old age, in the Fall of 2007. Michael was away in Tech School, and telling him was so hard, but I had some nice final days by her side, loving her and snuggling her and assuring her that I loved her even though she was my feisty little one.

Like I said, I am sure many people would think we were nuts, but our furbabies are family. We aren't so crazy as to think they are equal to our children or anything, but they are "Our Kids", and complete our family as a whole. I know there are people out there who understand what I mean.

Thank you for reading.