September update

While this month has still been very difficult we did have a lot of fun moments.

We started the month with Sophia in the in house horse show.  She did excellent in it.  She won first place for equation, first place for commands, fourth place for pleasure and third place for the trial ride.  She is quite the rider!

She was also in her first schooling series show.  She rode Mirage again.  She doesn't always cooperate and I think she does better when she has some space. Sophia got fifth place in equation walk, third place in equation trot and first place going over the poles.  The poles are done with only one horse in the ring at a time. The manager of the barn was watching and said Sophia was perfect going over the poles.  The best part was Sophia smiled the entire time!  Sophia took reserve grand champion for the show.  Not bad.

Sophia and I went to the farm and fed some animals.  Sophia always loves going here and we hadn't been all summer.

Sophia's big cousin Emma moved back into the area.  Sophia is thrilled.  She spent at day visiting with her, Grandma Beadle and Grandma Bev.

My brother and sister spent a weekend trying to get my mother's house ready to sell.  This was very hard.  It is hard to go through stuff and decide what to do with it.  It was fun to find some things like our old Christmas stockings and toys. Thankfully we had a boatload of cousins come help us which made Saturday very productive and a little easier.  It was comforting to hear stories and share memories.  I am thankful for such a close family.

Speaking of close families our furry family is doing well.  Mr. Twinkletoes is growing quickly.  He has been hassling Shadow a little less each day.  One day I even found them laying on the bed right next to each other.

Kaegogi LOVES Mr. Twinkletoes and whines to play with him.  Kaegogi got a little over zealous one day and decided to try to crawl under the bed to chase the cats.  Shadow made it known that he doesn't want any visitors under the bed.  Poor Kae. She has a huge scratch on her nose.

Boba is slowly being introduced to Mr. Twinkletoes.  Mr. Twinkletoes moves fast and Boba thinks it is a game.  It will take a while longer before we can have them together.

That's all for now.

August 2014- a low point

August started out bad and just got worse.  The month started with our thirteen year old cat, Noelle, not eating.   She had been diagnosed with diabetes in January and then on insulin.  She was doing GREAT.  She gained some weight back and suddenly became so playful.  She was like a kitten again. Then all of a sudden she didn't want to eat.  We had to closely monitor her because you can not give insulin to a cat who hasn't eaten.  Noelle, nicknamed No No was really Sophia's cat.   No No loved Sophia.  They slept together every night.  We brought her to the vet and they did some tests but nothing showed up.  They sent us home with some fluids and we gave them to her daily.  She started eating a little better and we were cautiously optimistic.  We kept her in Sophia's room so we knew how much she was (or was not eating)  She hid under the bed at times but came out when we came into room to get some loving.

On August 12th the rug was pulled out from under me.  My mother passed away suddenly.  I had spoken to her three times that day, the last time at 6:00 PM.  She had even gone shopping that day.  I tried calling her at nine on my way out to meet a friend for a quick drink and she didn't answer the phone.  I didn't think much of it, figuring she was in the bathroom.  But when I tried calling at 10:00 PM and didn't get an answer I knew something was wrong.  We talk every night, faithfully, at 10:00.  I was hoping she just feel asleep and the phone was off the hook but when I could not reach her after repeated tries I texted my brother to see if he had spoken to her.  He had not.  I called one of her friends to check on her and she was found on the kitchen floor, right next to the place where she sits.  The paramedics said it was likely something like a heart attack, something really sudden.  It pains me to think she was alone.  It pains me not to talk to her every day.  I miss her something fierce.  Days aren't the same when I can't talk to her or have her beat me at Words with Friends.

My mom

We went to her services and had a petsitter watch the animals.  The guy watching the dogs contacted us to let us know Boba ate the pills I laid out in plastic bags for Kae.  Thankfully Boba was fine.  The petsitter watching the cats let us know Noelle was not eating but didn't seem to be in pain.  Steve got home a day before Sophia and I did.  He said that Noelle did not look good.  When Sophia and I got home on Tuesday night we saw the change in her.  We put Noelle down the next day.  The vet feels that is was some type of intestinal cancer.

Sophia lost her grandmother and best friend in just eight days.  It was very difficult on all of us.  I am thankful for all the times Sophia and I visited my mother.  Steve would come up every Christmas but Sophia and I went up every fall, spring and summer.  Our most recent visit was less than a month before she passed.  Here are photos of the day we were leaving from our July trip.  Our last photos with her.

We had to turn things around.  A little over a week after we lost No No we let Sophia pick out a kitten.  We went to three stores that had rescue cats before she fell in love with a brown, four month old tabby.  She named him Mr. Twinkletoes.  He is bringing much laughter into our home.  Our resident cat, Shadow, isn't thrilled to have the bundle of energy running around but I am sure in time things will improve.  Our older dog, Kae, loves him.  She whimpers at the top of the steps wanting to play with him. Boba is too full of energy and we haven't introduced them yet.  We don't think Boba would hurt him on purpose but he is pretty rough.

Mr. Twinkletoes is filling in for No No

Sophia started 3rd grade.  She loves her teacher and is off to a good start.

Steve, Sophia and I went to the county fair at the beginning of the month.  Sophia and I joined her friend Katlyn at the state fair at the end of the month.  Sophia rode a mechanical bull for 28 seconds.  The record that day was 29.  Pretty impressive.

On August 14th we "celebrated" family day.  It was hard to celebrate just losing my mother but we went to the science museum and then had Chinese food for dinner and desert at the Melting Pot.  I can't believe have been a family for nine years.

My mother meeting Sophia in 2006

 Lets hope for a happier September.

July

Summer is in full swing and we are super busy.  Aiden came down and spent a week with us. Sophia always loves to have him around.  Steve also went up to Aiden's college orientation at Ithica with him.  Aiden is really looking forward to starting college.

The biggest event of the July was Sophia getting her braces off.  She was so excited and her teeth looked great.  She now has retainers and is being super responsible taking care of them.

Sophia kept us busy with her swim team practices and swim meets.  She enjoyed herself and improved her times at every meet.  She won two of her races in the novice meet.  This was a great way to end the season.

Sophia and I visited Grandma in July.  We were there one day and then she ended up getting sick (we did not infect her!)  She had pneumonia.  I am grateful I was there so I could get her to the doctors, pick up meds, help her with grocery shopping and around the house.  Sophia spent two days AND an overnight with her Aunt Linda and the kids.  This was her first sleep over and I feared my sister and I would have to be meeting up at midnight but she did EXCELLENT.  She didn't even call me in the morning.



























Sophia and I took a couple of walks on the beach while we were visiting my mother.  There was a full moon one night and it was beautiful.

Sophia and I also went to Maine for our "China Family Reunion."  Five of the six families that adopted together eight years ago were there.  The girls had a blast.  It amazes me to see how they all get along.  We went to the beach.  The kids and a couple of the fathers swam in the 64 degree water.

Sophia has been hanging out with Steve because they are both off all summer.  They are having fun at the pool, doing outings and even babysat for Steve's co-workers five month old baby for a week.

Shadow, who normally runs away from Sophia, let her cuddle with him one day.  Noelle has been sick and we are hoping she feels better soon.  She doesn't want to eat or play.  We hope it is a temporary set back but it has been four days so far.  Sigh.

Noelle was glad when we got home from Maine.  She had her sleeping buddy back.

Sophia and Shadow

July 1st through the years

On July 1st, 2006 we received our referral.  Every July 1st since I have taken a picture of Sophia holding her referral picture.  It is amazing to watch the growth from year to year.

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013 (a little grumpy)

2014

2014

In 2007 the top of Sophia's head barely reached the X in the door frame.  Now her shoulders are way about the X.  She is growing up too quickly.