Oh me - November has just been a month y'all. I don't know that I mean that in a bad way, there have just been a lot of things happening and some of them were pretty tough! However, as much as I feel like November has been pretty chaotic - there was plenty of good in the mix as well - so I try to focus on that and let the less than wonderful aspects fall away!
Ryan and I discovered the Yankauer Nature Preserve in nearby Martinsburg; while not a fancy location, it does have a system of trails through the woods and it runs alongside the Potomac River (with Maryland on the other side). We poked around there one Saturday afternoon when the weather was nice!
Ryan and I also made the decision to be baptized together at our new church. We loved that baptism fell the Sunday after our second anniversary and we just really felt like it was a call to (re)commit ourselves to the Lord - first and foremost - and also to one another. It was such a special moment and I love knowing that forever we have this beautiful memory of our dedication to Christ and to one another.
One of the less delightful things that happened mid-month is that we had to say goodbye to Loki. He was continuing to drop weight, barely eating and his breathing was still a struggle - so after a talk with our vet, we decided it was a kindness to let him go peacefully to Heaven. He is no longer in pain, healthy and running free. It's always the hardest decision to make - but I know we did the best for him, so that he can be without pain.
Spook definitely seemed a little lonely after the loss of Loki - he has had someone to play with and keep him company since the day he was born (since he & Loki were litter mates) and so suddenly being on his own made him a lot more clingy. He spent his time during the day helping to decorate the Christmas tree (as evidenced above - with a ball and catnip mouse) and climbing on the kitchen counter to investigate what might be in the sink. He's such a good little cat - he has come out of his shell and is truly so sweet, with a great little personality that keeps us laughing.
This past Saturday (November 23rd) we were able to attend the dedication of the Winchester and Western caboose that my Dad and the members of his VA Train Club (that's not the correct name) were able to restore and place in Old Town Winchester. The caboose has a history with the town and it's railroad, so being able to see it returned to the place where it once transported people to and fro - that was really cool! And it was cool to know that my Dad had a part in making that a reality!
Our other Saturday adventure was to go to the Warren County Humane Society to look at kittens - because we wanted to get Spook a friend and knew we didn't want to wait too long. Once our application was approved, we were ready to start the search! We knew we wanted to see a group of kittens called the "Winter" kittens - because the five of them were named for winter accessories: hat, gloves, scarf, stockings...
While we had initially thought we'd adopt a girl this time - once we met the three kittens from the litter that were remaining, the little kitten who had been named "Hat" immediately stole our hearts. He was outgoing, friendly (his intake form says "very friendly") and just acted like he owned the room, ha-ha! We were smitten with him and his chubby little belly from the start and so we decided he was the kitten to bring home. It doesn't hurt that he and his siblings look a lot like our little Loki did! We named our new addition Maverick - to stick with the aviation theme set in place by Spook (named for the F4 Phantom) - because Maverick seemed to own the room when we met him!
Spook was initially not sure what to think of this new addition - they had moments where they would hiss and slap at one another, but I am pleased to say that now with a few days together under their belts - they have become the best of friends. They chase each other through the house and even though their combined weight can't be more than 15 pounds - they sound like a herd of elephants when the go flying through the upstairs hallway!
We have joked that we should have named Maverick "Velcro" instead - he is the snuggliest little cat I've ever come in contact with! He loves to make sure we know he's right there and always available for pets and cuddles! And like Spook, he is also very talkative! I'm sure when we aren't around, they have all kinds of conversations that we can't even begin to imagine!
So - November has been a little nuts. I got a virus, we celebrated our second anniversary, we found out our kitten was deathly ill and then had to say goodbye, we got baptized at church, we welcomed a new kitten to the family... and that was all before Thanksgiving, and doesn't even take into account the motions of every day life, whoosh!
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