Our Babies

On Saturday, we adopted two sweet little furball babies! I have been wanting to get a pet for almost the whole time we've been married, but it just didn't make sense to get one while we were renting apartments and moving so much. Now that we're "somewhat settled" in our house, we decided (well, mostly I did) that the time was right to expand our family. Travis is not a huge cat lover, but he knew that if he wanted to get a dog at some point, we'd have to have a cat to appease me! Our original plan was to get a kitten and puppy at the same time so that they could grow up together and be friends. But, then we decided that the cat and dog probably wouldn't have much interaction together so it really didn't matter if we got them at the same time or not. When we get a dog, it will be an outside dog, and our kittens are going to be completely inside cats. I just don't think it's a good idea to let cats outside; plus, we have two really big, scary dogs living next door!

So, I had been looking on Craigslist and Petfinder for weeks/months trying to find the perfect pet for us. I went to Governors Choice Animal Hospital (not too far from where I work) to look at their kittens last week. They had 3 cuties!! Travis went to see them with me on Friday and he liked one of them pretty well, but we didn't want to get her on a spur of the moment decision. So, Saturday morning we went to Pet Depot in Madison where MARF does their weekly adoptions every Saturday. Basically, all of their pets are in "foster" homes, and the foster parents bring their pets to Pet Depot every Saturday hoping that some will be adopted. When we got there on Saturday, I immediately fell in love with a beautiful calico named Mary Ann. She was about 9 months old, and she was so sweet and pretty. She had a rough life before she was rescued, and it just broke my heart to hear about what she'd been through. The picture doesn't do her justice...she is so pretty! But, Travis really wanted to get a kitten "if we had to get a cat", so we kept looking. Eventually, a lady brought in a whole bunch of gray kittens that had just recently been found behind the library in Madison. They'd been to the vet to get fixed and get their shots, and she'd only had them for 2 days. Travis immediately took to a couple of them, and after holding them for a while and trying to decide, we ended up taking two of them home!! We weren't planning to come home with more than one, but we decided that it would be good for them to have a friend to play with when we're not around.

Without further ado, meet Felix and Gabby!!!

Gabby (left) and Felix (right), after we brought them home Saturday!

Felix likes to cuddle up in this beach towel!

Travis loved Felix from the start!

Travis and Gabby

Gabby and me

Felix and me

 We have made our guest bathroom their "home" while they are getting adjusted to living with us, and they have already taken over that room! It wasn't long before they were in the tub, on the counter, on the toilet...pretty much everywhere! We tried to kitten proof the room, but apparently we should have taken the towel off of the towel rack because yesterday morning I came in to find that they had pulled it down into their litter box! I didn't think they could reach it, but I guess I was wrong!

Gabby is definitely the leader of the two of them. She is the more adventurous one, and Felix follows behind. We have started letting them out into other rooms in the house, and Gabby is always to first one to come out. Whenever she leaves Felix behind, he will start to meow louder and louder until he finds her or she comes back to get him. It is so cute! Gabby is also the more friendly kitten toward us. She will sit in our laps without us having to hold her, and she will stay for as long as we'll let her. She immediately starts purring when we pet her, and this morning she even started purring when I came into the room! Felix is friendly to us most of the time, but I don't think he's going to be a lap cat. He will let us hold him but not for long! Every once in a while he will hiss at us when we come into the bathroom. I'm not sure if it's because we startle him when we come in or because we've "invaded his territory". Either way, he's not doing it as much anymore, and he definitely likes us because he lets us pet him and he usually starts purring.

They are doing great with using their litter box so far! They've only had one accident so far, so I think that's doing pretty good. They are eating really well too. They are very skinny, so we're trying to fatten them up a little. I think they're already gaining a little weight! They eat dry food in the mornings usually, and wet food at night. They love chicken and gravy and salmon/tuna, but they didn't really like the turkey we tried for some reason. They usually eat almost the whole can in one sitting between the two of them!

They love to play with each other, and they already seem like best buddies. They like to chase each other around, wrestle, and play tug of war with their toys. They also like to cuddle together at night. They are just so much fun!! I've spent a lot of time this week just sitting in the bathroom watching them playing and petting them. Travis is enjoying them too, but I know he'll been even more excited to get a boxer pup one of these days!

It is funny how much I feel like a "parent" already, and these are just pets! We got up 3 times the first night we brought them home to check on them when they were meowing or making noise. Travis said if this is how it's going to be when we have an actual baby, he's not going to do very well. He doesn't function well on little sleep! We also got up once Monday night when we heard a loud crash...still not sure what that was! They are totally dependent on us for food and cleaning out their litter box. And I have to get on to them when they start jumping on the couches. We are trying to train them to stay off the furniture...we'll see how well this goes. It's going to be hard because they LOVE to climb. It's just funny how much I already love those kittens...I'm definitely attached :)

Felix trying to decide if he's going to come out!

Miss Gabby

They love the entertainment center....much to Travis's dismay!

Felix following the leader...

Exploring the foyer

Felix hanging out last night

Gabby again

Felix playing with one of their toys

He loves that thing!

King Felix

Gabby chowing down

Felix found himself in the mirror!

They love to watch the faucet drip!

Gabby trying to catch the water drops!

We love wet food!

I am just so excited to finally have pets!!! They are so entertaining and fun!!!

The Challenge Begins

Well, I've been pretty busy since last week. Last weekend, Travis and I came to Trussville to celebrate Dad's birthday a little late. Jenn came on Saturday, so we had a birthday dinner that night before we left. Dad got a couple of new hats to wear to football games this fall. Hopefully he won't wear the wrong one in the wrong stadium...haha :)

Dad modeling his gifts :)

I also snapped a few pictures of Callie hanging out in her new favorite cardboard box on the kitchen table...

Also, check out how many cards Mom has gotten so far! They have pretty much covered the entire mantle, and that doesn't even include the ones she's gotten in the past few days...

I worked Monday and Tuesday of this week before coming back to Trussville yesterday to be Mom's personal nurse for a couple of days! She started chemo Monday and was feeling pretty good until about mid-day yesterday. Her stomach started really hurting about that time, although she never got sick. She said it felt like she'd been punched in the stomach. It's been a little bit better today thankfully. She's been sleeping a lot since yesterday afternoon...partially because of the chemo and partially from the nausea meds I think. She hasn't had much of an appetite for anything but Ginger Ale occasionally and Activia yogurt. Hopefully that will get better over the rest of today and tomorrow. I've been staying busy doing some cleaning around the house, ironing, and going to the grocery store, but I'll be leaving to head back home later this afternoon since I have to work tomorrow. Jenn is coming home tomorrow afternoon and staying til sometime Saturday, so she can take over the nursing duties I guess!

At least Mom has one treatment under her belt now, so we'll know what to expect better for next time. Next chemo is scheduled for the day after Labor Day (September 5th). Please pray that she'll start feeling better soon so she can have several good days before her next treatment.

If you haven't watched this video for one of Martina McBride's newest songs, you should! It's very touching, and it expresses very well what we're trying to do for Mom...

Hope you are having a great week and counting your blessings.

Lots of updates...

First off, happy birthday to my wonderful Dad!! He is 64 today, but he certainly doesn't look it! I'm very lucky to have such a great dad :)

Way back when :)

Dad and me on Father's Day this year

Travis and I are planning to head to Trussville this weekend to celebrate my dad's birthday a little late!

Mom update: Mom had her port put in yesterday, and she's doing pretty good. She said this surgery has been more painful than the last one (which was kind of surprising), but apparently they had a difficult time getting the port in place. Hopefully the pain will start going away pretty soon. She also had an echo-cardiogram done today. Her first chemo treatment is this coming Monday, so this time next week, she'll have 1 out of 8 behind her!

House update: We actually stayed at home the past THREE weekends, which I'm gonna say is definitely a record. It's amazing how much more we get done when we actually spend a little time here! A few weeks ago on a Wednesday night, we had a pretty good storm come through with a lot of wind and lightning. The next day, we looked outside in our backyard and saw this:

Uh oh!

Now, a lot of the other sections of our fence had been leaning since the April storms, but this was the first piece to actually fall completely apart. So we spent several hours one Saturday screwing the fence back together in all of the loose places. It looks much better now! 

Last weekend, we hung pictures in our bathroom and some in the guest bedroom. This was the first time we'd hung any pictures since the end of May, and I'd forgotten how much "fun" we always have! Needless to say, it's not a quick task, but it always looks good in the end! 

The only things still missing are blinds and curtains!

Pictures!

Other side of the vanity

 

I love this picture above the bed!

Cute picture frame hanging in the guest bedroom

I went to Nadeau over on Whitesburg Drive for the first time today, and it is the neatest store! I was looking for some furniture for the guest bedroom since the only thing in there is the bed and a small bookshelf. I found a nightstand that I really liked that would match the picture above the bed really well. I may go back and get it later this week or next week. Hopefully it will still be there.

Love it!

One room still in need of major work is the study/guest bedroom #2. Before the lingerie shower, I stuffed everything in the closet to make it look better, but we pulled everything back out this weekend to try to get it organized. There's still a long way to go. Once we can actually walk in there again, we'll hang pictures up too. Those Daniel Moore prints have spent too long in the closet!

Yikes!

Double yikes!

 
Probably about the time we decide it's time to move, we'll have everything in its place! Isn't that the way it usually goes? :)

Well, that's all for now. Please keep praying for Mom, especially that she'll do well during her first round of chemo. Thanks for your prayers so far!!!!

Sickness and My Attitude

"When Jesus heard that, He said, 'This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it." ~ John 11:4

The sermon on Sunday morning was about the story of Mary and Martha's brother Lazarus who got sick and died, and how Jesus raised him from the dead. The above verse really made me think about how I view sickness and death. Physical sickness, whether it's cancer or anything else, is just part of life. There are things I can do to try to be "healthy" physically, but I can't change my genes. I could do everything right from a health standpoint and still get breast cancer. Or some other disease. What I'm realizing is that getting sick just happens sometimes. The important thing is how I view it. 

Lately, I've been wondering why Mom had to get breast cancer. Why her? Why right now? I can't answer any of that unfortunately, and I guess the answers aren't that important anyway. It's here, and we will deal with it. I'm trying really hard to keep the right attitude about it, and some days I do better than others. I am trying to look at this as an opportunity instead of a difficulty. It's an opportunity for my family to grow closer. It's an opportunity for us to set a good example for other people going through similar situations. And, ultimately it's an opportunity for God to be glorified if we handle this the right way. 

"Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die." ~ John 11:25-26

If we live and believe in Christ, we will never spiritually die. And that is the most important thing. Physical sickness and death shouldn't be something to fear. 

I'm not saying that I've given up hope that Mom will beat this. In fact, she has gotten a really good prognosis for having such an aggressive type of breast cancer. It seems like they caught it pretty early, and I'm really thankful for that. It's hard to be a by-stander throughout the whole process though. I'm not her doctor. I'm not even living in the same town anymore.  I wish I could be there to go with her to her appointments and just to be there every day in person. But, I can't just pack up and move home for the rest of the year (Travis would starve..haha!). I guess I'm really not even a by-stander when I pray. I know a lot of people have been praying for Mom, and God hears us. We'll just have to wait for the answer.

Mom met with her oncologist on Monday and found out the tentative schedule for her chemo treatments. She is getting a port put in next Monday the 15th, and chemo starts the following Monday (August 22nd). She will have chemo every other week for 8 weeks (4 treatments), and then every 3 weeks for 12 weeks (4 treatments). So, it is 8 total treatments. If it stays on schedule, she will be finished just before Christmas...yay! Then, she will have about 5-7 weeks of radiation (which will be every day Monday through Friday). Hopefully, she will be completely finished and cancer free by about March of next year! We will have to have a big celebration when she's finished! :)

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." ~ 2 Corinthians 4:16-17

We can do it! Please keep your prayers coming! 

Back to the "routine"

Here are some things I've enjoyed doing the past week that I haven't done most of the summer:

1. Work my normal 24 hours on my normal days (Monday, Tuesday, and Friday).

2. Cook supper at home and sit down with Travis at the table to eat it!

3. Clean the house! (I'm not going to tell you when the last time it got cleaned was, or you'll start thinking we're trying to imitate college-aged boys...)

4. Work out at the gym (3 times this week already)!

5.  Work on a project around the house (more about that to come...)



I guess you could call me a "creature of habit" (right, Mom?), but I've missed my normal routine. Now don't get me wrong, I've really enjoyed all of the fun stuff we've done this summer, but it's also nice to spend a weekend at home and a normal week at work. Travis is working his first (gasp) 5 day work week in who knows how long. Lately it's been 2 or 3 day work weeks since we've been gone so much. Luckily, he's got a lot of vacation time stored up!


I don't think I've ever mentioned how many wildlife friends we have that come visit us at our house. Mostly rabbits and birds, but also some squirrels. The rabbits haven't been coming around as often lately since it's been so HOT, but this weekend we saw at least two. We aren't usually able to get too close to them, but we've gotten close enough to notice that one of the rabbits only has one ear! Who knows what happened to the other ear; it doesn't even look like it was ever there!

Our one-eared friend!

You can see it better in this picture...poor rabbit :(

One Ear with one of his friends in our backyard

When we weren't snapping photos of our furry friends last weekend, we were working on getting our garage organized! When we first moved into our house back in April, the garage became the home for all the stuff we weren't sure what to do with (like most people's garages I guess). We never organized any of it, and for a while it didn't matter because our garage door opener was fried anyway. Well, we finally replaced the garage door opener back in June, but then life got CRAZY and we settled for just parking one car inside and one car in the driveway. But, our plan all along had been to park both cars inside...that's one of the things we were most looking forward to about having a house! So, last weekend we finally got around to cleaning it out. We took a whole car load full of JUNK to a nearby dumpster, and we took boxes, suitcases, Christmas decorations, and other stuff up to the attic to be stored. I also took the time to organize my toiletry, medicine, and cleaning supply stockpile in our laundry room! It only took 3 or 4 hours, and it was well worth it!

This was some of the stuff in the garage that is now neatly organized in our laundry room! Thanks to couponing, most of this stuff was very cheap or free!

Laundry stuff and cleaning supplies

We moved everything into the driveway, so we could figure out where to put it all back

Empty except for paint cans!

Travis "swiffering" the garage floor...haha (it actually does look a lot better now!)

Yay! The end result :)

 There's not much to report about Mom other than she's still doing good! She and my dad helped Jenn move back into the dorm at Auburn yesterday (hopefully Mom wasn't doing any of the lifting!). Mom is meeting with her oncologist Monday afternoon, so we're all anxious to find out more about her upcoming chemo schedule. 

Hope you all are having a wonderful week! Please keep my mom in your prayers :)
 

 "Faith is believing that the outcome will be what it should be, no matter what it is."
  ~Colette Baron-Reid