Old Friends and a New Cat
A couple of weeks ago, the experience I had been waiting for all summer finally arrived - my best friend Amy and her kids Peyton (3) and Lola (1) came to visit. We had been planning their visit for months and when the day finally arrived for me to go pick them up at the airport, I was so excited! I know I've blogged about Amy and I's friendship before but the one thing that constantly amazes me is just how comfortable our friendship is. With her, I can completely take off my masks, let down all my walls, and be myself without having to hold anything back. We can go months without seeing each other and when we finally do, it's like we just saw each other yesterday. I was excited to see her kids and how much they had grown as I've only gotten to see each of them about once a year since they were born.
We had a great time with them here. It was pretty busy and unfortunately, that made the time fly by too fast. I was housesitting the first few days Amy and the kids were here but that worked out awesomely because we were able to stay in a bigger house than mine would have been. Amy cooked a favorite meal of mine, we had a picnic lunch at the part, and I got to introduce her to some of my friends here in Riverton during those first few days. Then we headed up to Dubois where, over the course of the next few days, we went to Yellowstone National Park, had a cook-out lunch in the mountains, went to a rodeo where Peyton rode a stick horse, and Amy even got to experience the friendliness of living in a small town when we went to breakfast and the owner brought out some aloe for Lola's little sunburned nose and cheeks.
My favorite memory of them being here was just watching Peyton grow to not fear animals, especially dogs, as much as he did when he first arrived. We stopped by my house right after I picked them up to grab a few things and as we walked in the door, Calli came wandering out of the bedroom to greet us. Peyton took one look at her and literally climbed up Amy as he let out this deafening scream! He was that afraid of my little calico cat! By the end of the week, however, he and Maggie were good friends and he even asked me to bring Maggie the next time I visit him in Dallas. He also got to pet a horse and even get my dad's dog to do a few tricks at his command. I loved being able to watch him grow during that week!
On a different subject, I got a new cat! When I think back over the years, I've realized that one way God speaks to me is in spur of the moment thoughts and ideas - whether they have good or bad outcomes. For example, I had been thinking about having Christopher, my old cat, put down for awhile but it wasn't until that Friday morning that I got this sudden urge to do it that day. Why? I may never know. It was very sad and difficult to let him go but inside, I also had this peace that it was the right thing. Fast forward to a couple of weeks later. Amy and her kiddos had left the day before and I was laying on my bed petting Calli when I got this sudden urge to look on the website of Riverton's animal shelter to see what cats they had available. Before I looked, I asked God to show me the cat He would have for me, if there even was one, because I would want to take each one I saw home. I already knew I wanted an older cat because they are usually in the pound much longer than kittens and I wanted it litterbox trained and spayed. So I clicked on the link and scrolled down when I saw THE ONE, a beautiful cat named Lola! Now the story behind the name Lola is a bit of a funny one. When Amy told me she was going to name her little girl Lola, I was very weary and I think I even tried to talk her out of it because all I could think about was Barry Manilow's song about Lola the showgirl (not dancer, Amy!!). But over Lola's first year of life, I have come to love the name and it seems to suit her well. So when I saw a cat named Lola who was an adult, litterbox trained, and spayed, I knew she was the one!
I took her home within the week and although we've had some rough moments with her, health wise, I think she's going to adjust well in our little family. She doesn't seem to mind Maggie and when she walked up to Calli the first morning at our house and whacked her on the head, I knew my little Calli had met her match! She's a beautiful cat, my vet said a Lilac Torti, and I am glad to have her!
We had a great time with them here. It was pretty busy and unfortunately, that made the time fly by too fast. I was housesitting the first few days Amy and the kids were here but that worked out awesomely because we were able to stay in a bigger house than mine would have been. Amy cooked a favorite meal of mine, we had a picnic lunch at the part, and I got to introduce her to some of my friends here in Riverton during those first few days. Then we headed up to Dubois where, over the course of the next few days, we went to Yellowstone National Park, had a cook-out lunch in the mountains, went to a rodeo where Peyton rode a stick horse, and Amy even got to experience the friendliness of living in a small town when we went to breakfast and the owner brought out some aloe for Lola's little sunburned nose and cheeks.
My favorite memory of them being here was just watching Peyton grow to not fear animals, especially dogs, as much as he did when he first arrived. We stopped by my house right after I picked them up to grab a few things and as we walked in the door, Calli came wandering out of the bedroom to greet us. Peyton took one look at her and literally climbed up Amy as he let out this deafening scream! He was that afraid of my little calico cat! By the end of the week, however, he and Maggie were good friends and he even asked me to bring Maggie the next time I visit him in Dallas. He also got to pet a horse and even get my dad's dog to do a few tricks at his command. I loved being able to watch him grow during that week!
On a different subject, I got a new cat! When I think back over the years, I've realized that one way God speaks to me is in spur of the moment thoughts and ideas - whether they have good or bad outcomes. For example, I had been thinking about having Christopher, my old cat, put down for awhile but it wasn't until that Friday morning that I got this sudden urge to do it that day. Why? I may never know. It was very sad and difficult to let him go but inside, I also had this peace that it was the right thing. Fast forward to a couple of weeks later. Amy and her kiddos had left the day before and I was laying on my bed petting Calli when I got this sudden urge to look on the website of Riverton's animal shelter to see what cats they had available. Before I looked, I asked God to show me the cat He would have for me, if there even was one, because I would want to take each one I saw home. I already knew I wanted an older cat because they are usually in the pound much longer than kittens and I wanted it litterbox trained and spayed. So I clicked on the link and scrolled down when I saw THE ONE, a beautiful cat named Lola! Now the story behind the name Lola is a bit of a funny one. When Amy told me she was going to name her little girl Lola, I was very weary and I think I even tried to talk her out of it because all I could think about was Barry Manilow's song about Lola the showgirl (not dancer, Amy!!). But over Lola's first year of life, I have come to love the name and it seems to suit her well. So when I saw a cat named Lola who was an adult, litterbox trained, and spayed, I knew she was the one!
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