Our sweet cat Blaze (April 2002-December 26, 2011)

These are some old pictures of the girls with our half Siamese cat, Blaze.

I got Blaze from school, Bryant Elementary, in late April of 2002. I named him Blaze because we were the "Bryant Blazers".

He was a beautiful cat! He was really light when we first got him, but his coat really darkened as he got older. He had beautiful blue eyes! He was about 4 or 5 months old when I rescued him. He bothered Holly like a little annoying brother! He followed her around & got on her nerves!

He hated the vacuum & always swatted at the broom! He didn't talk as much as Holly did, I guess he was a "typical guy" in that aspect.

Blaze always had a sensitive stomach, but he was really FAT!! He loved to eat!

Over the last year, Scott didn't like that Blaze was having bowel problems & sometimes had a dirty behind, so he & Holly were banished to the laundry room. Holly is the kind of cat that didn't mind it (She started peeing in the corner of the dining room & got moved to the laundry room) Holly liked being left alone. Blaze was more social, but he was ok being in there with Holly, but we could tell he was depressed.

Scott changed their food to a light formula & they went on a "hunger strike" for about a week & a half. We changed them back to regular food & they ate like they never ate before.

But we noticed that Blaze was losing A LOT of weight. He was over-weight, but he didn't look healthy. We also noticed that he wasn't eating or drinking much.

This morning, December 26, Scott found Blaze laying on the floor & he wouldn't stand up or left his head. He came & told me he thought Blaze was dying.

I went & brushed him & tried to get him to eat, but he wouldn't & when he talked, his voice was weak too. He never really looked at me & his usual blue eyes were black.

I called the vet about 10am & told them I thought my 9 year old cat was dying. They said I could bring him in at 2.

I wrapped him in a towel & we held him, petted him, told him we loved him & Lydia wanted to read to him.

Finally it was time to go, & Lydia said she wanted to go with me.

I laid him in the front seat in the car. He started moving his front legs over & over. I knew something was happening, but I couldn't do anything. We were only about a 5 minute drive to the vet.

As I got out of the car to get Blaze, I looked at him & his eyes were fixed open & they were blue again, but glazed. I told Lydia that he may have already died.

I took him inside & told the dr, "I think my cat died in the car on the way over here."

Then Blaze started switching & gasping for air. It was so sad & scary to watch! The Dr. said he had a very weak pulse & his temp was very low.

We decided the best thing to do was to put him out of his misery. She gave Lydia & me a few minutes with Blaze to say goodbye. I petted him & told him we loved him & kissed his head. Lydia didn't want to pet him, but she cried.

We decided to take him home to bury him.

As we drove him home, Lydia was very upset. Lydia didn't want to bury Blaze in the backyard because she was afraid Maggie would dig him up (& she probably would).

When we got home, Scott had been crying. He was very upset too. We just couldn't figure out what happened.

Scott buried him on the side of the house. Lydia wanted to see him one more time. We uncovered the towel so she could see him. I'm glad they closed his eyes. It sure is sad to carry a limp, dead cat when you know how he was, so lively & silly. Scott said he had to check his heartbeat before he put him in the ground to bury him.

Blaze was a part of our family for almost 10 years & we are really going to miss him! He was my baby before I had my babies!

No cat could ever replace this beautiful, silly half Saimese cat who we loved & got on our nerves all at the same time.

Scott decided to bathe Holly, wash her blankets, make her an egg for a treat. He was feeling guilty that he hasn't been a good "kitty dad" to Blaze.

We looked at old scrapbook pictures of Blaze & remembered how funny he was. He HATED baths, had the thickest hair & bad dandruff! He had a very loud purr & loved to cuddle & lick my toes. He liked to be right next to you.

I was glad we didn't go to Woodward yesterday, because we would have come home to find Blaze dead today & not gotten to say goodbye.

I was once told that animals don't have souls, so they just die. I like to think that Blaze is running in kitty heaven & eating until his heart is content & that his blue eyes are shining again!

We love you, Mr. Blazy Blaze!

Christmas morning 2011

Even though Lydia was sick last night, she & Caraline were up at 6:30 AM on Christmas morning! We sang happy birthday to Jesus, opened presents & had blueberry muffins for breakfast.

About 10, we got to Skype with mom, dad, Tori & Russ. That was really neat! I go to see their house in Jacksonville Florida!!

It was a fairly nice day, so the girls rode their bikes in the driveway. Maggie wanted to be part of the fun so she dug out of the gate & ran around the corner to see us! I told Scott I would go get the leash. Scott thought that Maggie would stay by us, but I disagreed. Within minutes, Maggie was across the street & running full speed down the sidewalk! Before Scott could get her, she was about 5 houses away! The girls were CRYING!! Lydia was SO upset!!! She thought Maggie would never come back. Scott was just walking & Lydia wasn't happy about that (I wasn't either!) Thank goodness some people were walking their dog on our street & Maggie ran up to them & rolled over! They were able to keep her there long enough for Scott to get to her & carry her back home!

Then we decided that Maggie needed to go to the dog park. So we took her to the dog park & she had the time of her life!! She ran super fast, played & sniffed other dogs & loved every minute of it!!

I just we will be taking her there again soon!

So although Christmas was different this year, we are blessed by overall good health & a loving family.

Happy Birthday Jesus & Merry Christmas to all our family & friends!

The Christmas stomach bug of 2011!

What a holiday!!!

Many things were different this Christmas. With my sister in Florida this year, my parents went to see them in Jasksonville. So we had our Christmas with mom & dad a week early. We had noticed that Caraline hadn't been eating much the last few days (really about a week) & at mom's she said her stomach hurt & didn't want to eat dinner.

Caraline ate nothing but a cookie on Monday at her winter party & by Monday night, she threw up! (She likes to be sick in the middle of the night)

Tuesday, I was down for the count! Scott came home because I slept all day & was throwing up! The girls both went to school on Tuesday, but by Tuesday night, Lydia was throwing up too! (all night long!)

Wednesday we watched TV ALL day long (from 8am to 8pm) but Scott was soon home from work about 1pm & went straight to bed!!

No one was hungry so we had a lot of cereal & saltine crackers for lunch & dinner that week. We would feel ok, but by 3 or 4 in the afternoon, we would all start feeling tired & run down.

Thursday came & I needed to go to Walmart for the weekly grocery shopping. We ran errands, went to the library & were feeling ok.

Friday, Scott took the girls to the Omniplex & I stayed home not feeling good again.

Saturday, Christmas Eve, we thought we would all be over this nasty bug. But poor Lydia wasn't feeling good as we pulled into the church parking lot for Christmas Eve services. Scott decided to stay with Lydia in the gathering while Caraline & I went into the worship center. Lydia was really gassy all evening long.

Then about 9pm, we heard a window rattling burp & she threw up everywhere! It was so smelly, I was gagging!

So we didn't go to Woodward to see Mimi on Christmas like we had hoped. Lydia was feeling just fine today, but we were afraid of a repeat of last night.

So it was just the four of us for Christmas at home........

Santa Run 5K

My friend Lisa & I ran the Sandridge Santa Run 5K on December 10th in downtown Oklahoma City.

It was COLD!! The race started about 9am & it was about 21 degrees!! The nice thing was Scott & the girls got to sit in Leadership Square & have snack & drink hot chocolate while Lisa & I ran!

I ran one day the week before the race & didn't think I was going to do very well. But, all I really wanted to do was beat my last time (34.31 in September) & I did!! Lisa & I ran 3.2 miles in 33.59!! I was happy with that time! This was my third 5K, it was Lisa's first.

Then the girls were excited that they got to do the kids dash. They liked running, but Caraline thought it was too short. She wants to do a mile run next!

Pictures to accompany the previous post.....

Thanksgiving 2011 at Grandpa & Grandma's
Lydia is SEVEN!!
Saying goodbye to Tori & Russ & Sadie as they leave for Flordia
Halloween: Lydia: a bride, Caraline: an ice skater
Storybook Forest with friends

Christmas happenings....

This year we got our own version of "Elf on the shelf". His name is Sandy Joy & the girls LOVE him. He's not as onry as some, but it is fun to see where he is very morning.

I sent out 100 Christmas cards this year!! ONE HUNDRED!!! I spent about $100 on them! (card & postage) So next year, many people are getting a card via email or facebook!

Buying Christmas gifts for the girls has been a little challenging this year. They really don't want or need ANYTHING!! One day I asked Lydia what she wanted for Christmas & she said, "Mom, just wrap up some toys I haven't seen in a while. That's fine with me!".....a few weeks later, I asked the same question & she said "I don't know, I don't need anything." She is SO right!!

I think next year we are going with a new motto for Christmas: "Something you want, something you need, something to wear, something to read" It sure would simplify Christmas & we wouldn't just be buying stuff to open & put in the closet to never play with again!

2 month later....

YIKES!!! I have been such a terrible blogger!!! I'm better with the photography blag than the family blog!

Let me try to play catch up:

October 24- Storybook Forest with our friends Ryley & Mary & their families

October 28th- Tori, Russ & Sadie left for Jacksonville Florida.

October 29th- OSU Homecoming

October 31st- Halloween at a special "peanut free" church event! Lydia was very happy!

November 3rd- Lydia's 7th birthday! On that Thursday, we went to see OC's production of "Beauty & the Beast" She LOVED it!

November 5th-Lydia's "come as you are" pajama party! I had 17 first grade girls (+ the Rosacker boys). I thought "I can handle this, I taught first grade with 22 before!" I didn't take in account the amount of SCREAMING!! But she had a GREAT time!

All of November- Katy was busy with pictures

November 24th- Thanksgiving at Grandma & Grandpa's in Pawnee. It was a smaller group with year without Tori & many cousins were at their in-laws.

November 25 & 26th-To Woodward to see Mimi & Papaw & Sarah & John

December 3rd- OSU beat OU in Bedlam game!!

December 10th- Katy ran her third 5k with Lisa Churchwell. We ran the Sandridge Santa Run. It was 25 degrees at 9am, but we were sweating at the end! We ran 3.2 miles in 33.59 minutes!! I came in 462!! There were A LOT of people there!

Pictures to follow:

WOW!! This year is getting away from me!!

On my goodness!! I realized my last post on the family blog was late August....I'm better at keeping up my my photography blog then the family one!! (www.lifecapturedbykaty.blogspot.com)

Between school, Daisy troop, playdates, birthday parties, & my photography hobby, I can't remember to blog about all the fun, I'm too busy DOING it!:)

Well, I will hit the highlights:

Sadie's birthday was in August 25th.

For the 16th celebration in Perry, Tori & I ran our 2nd 5K of the year. The Cherokee Strip 5K. We only trained for a few days, but we beat our time from the first 5k!! 33 minutes! We came in together!

We are playing outside more lately ever since we got Tori & Russ' playset!! They said we could have it & the girls have played outside more than they ever have!!

I found some roller skates at a garage sale for a $1 each!! The girls had a blast!!

Mom's birthday, I made her a picture with a map of Edmond, OK & Jacksonville, FL.

We had a get together at mom's house with the extended family to say good-bye to Tori, Sadie & Lana.

We went to the Braum's family farm again with the Daisy troop.

We had a great time with Ryley & Mary's families at the Storybook Forest this year!

As I type this, Tori & Russ are getting ready to leaving for Florida in 2 days!

I'll have more to share in the next coming days: Tori & Russ leaving, OSU homecoming, Halloween, Lydia's birthday, Beauty & the Beast play, the pajama party.....can you see how the blog is the last thing I think about?:)

Spelling words!

My Lydia is a natural worry-er! She is always wondering how things are going to go or what to expect.

So the first week of school, we were talking about homework. I said that the homework calendar said that spelling words would start next week.

She asked me, "What kind of words?"

I said "Words like 'cat,' 'dog', easy ones, ya know,"

She replied "I hope it's words like 'cat', because I can spell that, but not words like 'international.'"

I assured her that I didn't think the word "international" was going to be a spelling word for next week!:)

Lost another tooth!

Lydia's second loose tooth was hanging on by a thread! I knew on Monday morning that it was just going to fall out any second!

When I went to pick her up on Monday afternoon (August 22), she says, "MOM, I lost my tooth, but I can't find it!" She had tripped on the playground in the mulch & it fell out & she didn't even know it!:)

She had to draw the Tooth Fairy a map for the Chisholm playground so she could find it!

First Day of School 2011-2012 year

This year, the girls are at the same school, Chisholm Elementary. Lydia is in first grade in Mrs. Crutchfield's class. Caraline is in Pre-K & in Mrs. Scott's PM class. They both had a very good day!

Knee-slapping funny kids!

My girls are pretty funny!!!

Today we had a "teach-able moment" with Lydia. We have been reading a first grade basal reader this summer for reading practice. We were on the 4th basal, which would have been a book a first grade class would read in December or January sometime. She was doing really well.

She has some maps in the play room & she was asking questions about the maps. I remember that in that 4th basal, I had seen a story called "Me on the Map" (which I remember from teaching at Bryant). I said, "I have the perfect story we can read!" She was excited, but really didn't want to read it herself, but she did read most of it. She did a pretty good job!

After she read it, I told her "That was a first grade story that they don't read until after Christmas time & you are reading it now!" She laughed & hugged me & I told her she should be proud of herself.

I started reading the comprehension questions at the end of the story. The first questions was "What have you learned by reading this story?" Lydia answered, " I learned I can read better than I thought I could!" I laughed so hard!! That is SO true!!!

Ava Jayne

My youngest cousin, Lindsay, had her third daughter, Ava Jayne, on July 27th, 2011. We went to meet Ava in Pawnee at Grandma & Grandpa's house.

Red River, New Mexico 2011

We went to our favorite vacation spot this year: Red River, New Mexico. It was everything that we remembered it was from 2009! We stayed in a motel that was across the street from the Community House. It was perfect, we could just walk over to the events. We learned to play drums, built boats & raced them in the river, played games on the lawn, listened to some Music in the Mountains, took a nature hike, hung out with family & fished.

Caraline caught her first fish & ate it too! She thought it was yummy!

We really enjoyed the cooler temps!! We always have a wonderful time!

More funny things that my girls say....

Caraline was biting into an apple & she said, "Look, mom! I can see the nuts!" Me: "Caraline, those aren't nuts, those are the seeds." We had a good laugh over that one!

Caraline has worn dresses for at least 2 years now. On our vacation in Red River this year, I told her she needed to wear capris or pants because it was chilly. We made a big deal about how grown up she looked so she would wear the capris. When we got ho,e, she said, "Mom, I want to wear jeans with pockets,"....She doesn't own a pair of jeans, but we found some denim capris & she was excited! She has a closet FULL & I mean F-U-L-L for dresses & NOW she wants to wear capris?!?!?! I guess I better go school clothes shopping!

things the girls said that I don't want to forget!

Caraline, on a cloudy day: "I think the sun ran out of batteries!"

Caraline, age 2, about a friend's dog named 'Baker': "What is Dawson's dog name? Cooker?"

Me: "Wow! Very close, but it's 'Baker'".

Caraline: "Oh sorry, I got a little carried away."

Caraline stole some candy at Walmart. I made her return it & she was mad that I didn't tell her she could have it. "You should have said yes!" she yells! I said, "Did you hear that little voice that said 'Don't do that?'" She nodded. I said "I know you knew it was wrong, because you were hiding it. You didn't listen to God." Caraline: "Like Jonah? He said no to God, ran away, said 'throw me in the ocean', then he saw a whale...the whale swallowed him & he prayed!" Me: "Yes, like Jonah."

Very interesting connection!

Caraline, who has trouble saying her /s/ sound, was telling a scary story says: " One time there was a 'pooky' house...." Me, trying not to laugh: "What kind of a house?!" Caraline: "A 'pooky' house!" We started laughing & she was NOT happy!

Lydia, with tears in her eyes: "Mom, for my next birthday, I want you to hold me forever!" That brought a tear to my eye! That next birthday would be her 7th!!

Lydia, about Judas: "Is Judas dead?" Me: "Yes." Lydia: "I bet his sins can see his bones!" I'm not sure what that means, but I guess that means he died with his sins deep in his bones, rotting his bones!

Both my girls always talk about God & I LOVE that!!

I'm sure that there are MANY more things that they have said that I can't remember & thought I would never forget....I need to be better about recording those things!

Blazing Sun 5K run

July 9th, Tori & I signed up to do our first 5K. I found out about it from my friend Shannon, who's husband is in the army. Tori bought me a month's membership at her gym so we could "train" together. We trained on the treadmill.

The day before, the girls made signs for us with Nana!! They were so excited to hold their signs at the race!

On the day of the 5K, Paige Redwine, Tori, & I ran together. Shannon was going to run, but she had broken her toe a few days before & decided to sit it out.

Tori, Paige & I ran the whole time! We didn't run fast, but we stayed together & it was like motivation! Tori & I ran in together! We finished the 3.2 miles in 37 minutes & 20 seconds!! We came in 94th & 95th! We were pretty proud of ourselves!

July 4th 2011

Scott was sick this 4th of July. The girls & I went to the parade with the Willis family, Nana, dad & Sadie.

We went with the Rosackers to St Mark to eat dinner, bounce on the moonbounce & watch the fire works with the Willis', Rosacker's & Hill's families.