Go Caitlyn, Go Caitlyn, Go Caitlyn, Go!

Kristen's 10th Birthday

Kristen celebrated her 10th birthday right before our big move back to Hays.  We wanted her to enjoy some time with friends before saying goodbye.  The girls enjoyed the trip to KC visiting CoCo Key, tye-dying t-shirts, and dining out.  I'm not sure what was more fun... the activities or the drive back home with four crazy 10-year-olds!

LOVING the tye-dye birthday! 

Happy 7th Birthday, Ashton!

We celebrated Ashton's birthday this year with a trip to Kansas City. The kids had a great time visiting T-Rex Cafe and Schlitterbahn water resort!

Play Ball!

Juggling T-ball and softball games was no easy task this summer, but Ashton and Kristen loved every minute!

Ashton's first time at bat :)

Mud

I am not a mom who is afraid of a little mud! Dylan had a blast when baby pool swimming turned into mud pies!

Meet Callie

Our new kitty.. adopted April 2011

Happy 1st Birthday Dylan!

Wow, it's been one crazy year since Dylan arrived! It has been a privelage to watch this tiny baby grow into a little person. We are so proud of Dylan and his amazing personality. I can't believe how worried I was about this little guy gaining weight! He is definitely NOT a preemie anymore! Dylan, you bring smiles to our faces every day! Your brother loves you; your sisters adore you! We are lucky and blessed to have had you join our family! Happy Birthday Dylan!

Goodbye to Abby

We rescued Abby from our shelter in Hays when she was a lone little pot-bellied kitten. Kristen was our "only", at not even 2 years old, but she chose our new kitten's name, and Abby quickly became one of the family. Nearly 8 years later, several other pets have come and gone, we moved many times, and three more "owners" have arrived. Through it all, Abby has remained, steadfast, calm, content, ready to occupy our laps in a moments notice. We loved her silky fur, the way she took turns sleeping in our beds (sometimes in the middle of the night finding her way to our pillows), her quiet meow, her love of fleece blankets, the way she slapped the dog (with her declawed paw) when he got too close. Never a destroyed piece of furniture; never an accident in the house (despite our random litter box cleaning methods). Our perfect cat.

Sadly, our spring break was spent searching for our missing pet, as she escaped outside and did not return. One week later, we learned that Abby had been hit by a car, just at the end of our block, on the day she went missing. K-State Vet Clinic had made her comfortable and given her the best possibly care, but she did not recover. Our Abby was gone.

Our hearts are broken, many tears have been shed. We will never forget our beloved pet. But we will recover. We will miss her, but not so painfully. Each day we adjust, we remember that she was happy and loved and we gave her a wonderful life with us. That, while there will never be another Abby for us, there will be another perfect pet. In fact, that I know of, there has never been a well-loved house cat who wasn't "perfect".

As we begin to move on, this tribute will be our final goodbye. We love you, Abby.