Joy, the kitten

Meet Joy! She came in with 8 siblings! Two did not make it, but the rest are all growing and thriving, while she eats constantly but is not putting on weight. She has been dewormed multiple times. I don't like feeling those tiny bones, so we may be headed to the vet. But she is a delight! She loves to snuggle and she will attack ANY food you happen to have. She's got a fun personality and brings us lots of joy! I love her so much!

Momma Bella

These sweet babies came in with momma cat, Bella. They had 6 more siblings who were already given away before I could get them. And they had 3 more who were too tiny to survive. 13 babies in one litter. Bella is a super mom! These guys are just 6 weeks old. They are healthy and beautiful! Bella is a real angel. She is still very young and previous to her last home, lived with people who fought dogs, who left her behind when they moved. As you can see from her photo,  she lost her foot to a dog attack and it will need some medical care. We are getting medical lined up for her. She does okay getting around though. We love her and her babies so much!

Absolutely true

 

Beautiful Music

Got to watch Annalina play in her last Madison Christmas Concert tonight. The band played, the choirs sang, then they all joined the orchestra for a final song. It was pretty impressive, but bittersweet. She's been playing the violin for 8 years! I don't want her to grow up. But she did anyway.

Birthday Fun

 Oh yeah, this mom's still got it! New cat shoes for Annalina's birthday! And she loves them!!

Meaningful to me

 

Birthday Tradition

We always go to Sushi Time for the All You Can Eat Sushi Feast on birthdays.  Thanks for being born Annalina, so we could go every December!   

Abandoned Cats

This is awful. I wish I could say this is the first time we have experienced this. Sometimes it's a box of kittens, sometimes left overnight, sometimes they don't make it because we find them too late. We are not funded by the government.  This is not a paid gig. We accept donations and we spend way more of our own money than is logical. Because we love these kitties, each one. We do have to set limits and it kills us to not be able to accept them all. What would be so wonderful? A community who loves and supports these guys too.

Trying To Inspire Myself

 You are looking at the only clean spot in the whole house. If I face this corner I can imagine that I'm an organized, clean person! You know when you drop the dawn liquid soap into greasy water and the grease rushes away? I'm waiting for that effect to happen to the rest of my kitchen. I'll let you know how it goes.

Safe place

Annalina, in her happy place! It's fun to watch the instant bond she creates with each cat she is around!

Being Grandma

LOVE being a grandma!

Cowabunga

Our home for the afternoon. We decided to try Cowabunga Bay since it is right next to our hotel. Joseph has conquered his dislike of water slides. I love the relationship my kids have with each other. A relaxing way to spend some time together!

True Inspiration

My daughter posted this on Facebook and I feel very strongly that I need to add it to our family blog. Adrienne is an inspiration to me. She is wise beyond her years.  

"I'm proud of this picture. Let me tell you why.

A few weeks ago I was contacted by a local real estate company. They wanted me to do freelance work for them by taking photos all over the Boise area. I sent them a few sample photos, met them in person, and negotiated a price per photo. They seemed very excited. I was too.

After taking some employee head shots for them I was given my first assignment. they wanted creative photos of a specific landmark in Boise. Ok. Great. I go out, take some shots, edit them, and send them a few to see if the photos I had taken were what they were looking for. Note that these were not the final ones. I told them I was planning on going out again during a different time of day to re-shoot, I just wanted to make sure my photos were in the style they wanted.

Apparently not.

I received an email saying that landscape and architecture photography takes a certain kind of skill, a skill that I did not currently have. They pretty much told me they did not want to use me as a photographer anymore. Ouch. At first I was very angry because I did not even get to finish my first assignment for them. They didn't seem to give me a chance. Even though we talked before hand and were each very happy to work with one another. It didn't seem fair.

But after thinking about things more, my perspective has changed. Maybe I am not incredible at landscapes, but I could be. I now have this burning desire to push myself and get better at what I love doing. I want to show them that they missed a great opportunity to work with a photographer who wants to continue to learn and grow. Maybe one day they will look back and think, "hm, maybe we should have given her another chance".

So I am proud of this picture. I stayed up until almost midnight to get this shot. I took multiple photos, only to have a few turn out. Its not a perfect picture. I see the flaws, but I pushed passed my anxiety and went out in the middle of nowhere to get this shot. I feel like this is an accomplishment.

Don't let anyone tell you that you are not good enough. You are. And if you want to get better at something, you get out there and show the world what you are capable of. You got this."

Camp Kita, Until Next Time

The kids absolutely loved Camp Kita. I am forever grateful for the amazing experience they had. They had time alone with their own groups and some time together too. But they both found healing and acceptance among others who just understoo

d.

Camp Kita

 Here's my camping kiddos! Soooooo glad they are posting pics. I can be "that" mom from the privacy of my own rental!

Atlantic Ocean

 My feet in the Atlantic! Oceans are my happy place!

Girls Road Trip

 Adrienne and Melanie were going to Seattle, so they invited Annalina to join them. They camped and played and had such a good time. Adrienne was so kind as to share pics with me. A mom treasures these things, for sure!