Lady, the Lazy Fat Cat

Lady and her siblings were found in a ditch by my sister, Natalie.  She rescued the kittens and called me over to tempt me into taking one.  After seeing them I just had to take one home for Dresden.  He loved his stuffed animals so much that I knew he would love this kitty.  We gave Dresden the chance to name the kitty.  His choices were PamPam (which was his favorite word for things at the time) and Lady, because he was very much into Thomas the Train.  He ended up going with Lady.
Dresden and Lady instantly bonded.
You never had to guess where Lady was at night...

...snuggled in bed with Dresden.

I even found the two of them sleeping under the Christmas tree one year.

 

Lady was very social and always wanted to be where the boys were.  And when the boys weren't around, she would be near Larry.  She loved to curl up and sit on Larry's feet when he was at the computer.  When it was dinner time for the family she would eat her food as well.

When we got back from our NY and California trips a few weeks ago, Lady just wasn't the same.  We started to notice her getting sick when she would eat.  I have a feeling because of her social nature, while we were gone she was starving herself because she was waiting for us to get back so she could eat with us.  This was the longest we have left her and I think she probably thought we abandoned her, poor kitty.  We took her to the vet and they did an x-ray and blood work but couldn't find anything wrong.  Our once obedient cat was now jumping up on the counter and table trying to find food.  She was starving and wanted to eat but she couldn't keep anything down.  She was literally starving to death.  After waiting a bit longer to see if she
would get better we decided she was suffering too much.

Our Lazy Fat Cat was no longer the fat cat she once was.
Today she went to kitty heaven.  Our family is going to miss our Lady Cat.

First Crawl

I guess the title says it all.  Strider has been getting up on his hands and knees for a few weeks.  In fact, I thought for sure he would start crawling while we were in NYC.  He would get up on his hands and feet and stick his little bum into the air doing some sort of yoga move but it wasn't getting him anywhere.  We have helped him by moving his hands and knees back and forth but when it came time to go forward on his own, he would do the belly flop.  Today he was finally motivated enough to go after something.  I was looking at a Target magazine and he must have liked the colorful pages and wanted them so he made the effort and crawled after the magazine. So, now it's time to baby proof the house.  I guess I'll be going to the store tomorrow to buy all those little safety gadgets that a home with a baby needs.

I had to tempt Strider with banana puffs to get him crawling.

Each time he got to one end of the floor

I turned him around and sent him off crawling again.

Each time he made it to the end he received a little treat for his efforts.

We sure do love this little guy!

I heart NY

Larry and I have always wanted to take the boys to NYC.  Larry has loved the city ever since he was a missionary in NY.  I have grown to love NYC over the past few years while traveling there for work.  So, when Larry had the opportunity to go to NYC for NY Comic-Con, I jumped at the chance that the boys and I might be able to tag along.  Larry was going to be busy most days with the convention so the majority of the time it was me and my boys, hitting the streets and subways of NYC.

We took a red eye flight thinking we would get some sleep on the plane but sleep really never came.  The boys were good sports about the whole thing.  We got off the plane, dropped our luggage off at the hotel and went straight to Battery Park to pick up our Statue of Liberty tickets.  There was a whole lot of waiting around.  Waiting to get the tickets, waiting to go through security before waiting for the boat and then more waiting once we got on the island to go through more security to go inside the statue.  Once we got inside the statue the boys were pretty impressed and enjoyed themselves.  

This is where I would LOVE to show you the pictures from the Statue of Liberty but they somehow were deleted from the camera.  Just imagine the boys standing under the nose of a replica of the Lady Liberty's face.  Now imagine a nice shot of the boys standing with the water behind them and the NY skyline in the distance.  Great shot!  Now imagine Dresden having a melt down and standing on the lawn in front of the statue being grumpy.  Lastly, imagine dozens of birds on the grass in front of the statue and Logan running towards them making them all fly away.

After we waited in more lines to get back on the boat to head back to shore, we went to the 9/11 Memorial.  We watched a documentary on the building of the new World Trade 1 during the 10th anniversary so the boys were very excited to see the building in person.  I think they were pretty impressed with the water falls and how large the new building is.  For me, it was a feeling of awe knowing that I had once walked that plaza when the Twin Towers were standing and to now walk around the huge footprints of where these two massive towers once stood.  It is so hard to imagine what it must have been like on that day and the months that followed.  

Larry had time the next day to go to the Natural History Museum with us.  After seeing the movie, Night at the Museum, I think the boys were a little disappointed to not see anything coming to life.  In reality, they were so tired from not getting sleep the night before that they were pretty tired and not too interested in the museum.

Dresden, Larry, and Logan at the Natural History Museum

 Logan not having a melt down

 Logan having a melt down

 Dresden in front of a giant whale at the Natural History Museum

 

 FAO Schwartz and the Big Piano

 LEGO Statue of Liberty

Dresden is currently very interested in cars and was very impressed with all the nice cars he saw on the Upper East side.  As we were walking to the Metropolitan Museum we came across a wedding party that was waiting the bride and groom to get their pictures taken in Central Park.  Dresden saw this Rolls Royce and wanted his picture in front of it.  The driver was standing on the sidewalk so I asked him if I could take a picture of the boys in front of the car and he said, "I can do you one better.  They can sit in the car."  Dresden was in disbelief.  He told me it was his best day ever!  I bought him Ferrari shoes earlier in the day, he saw a Lamborghini, 3 Bentley's, 2 Rolls Royce's, 6 Porches, and he got to sit in a Rolls Royce.  The boys were on a total high and didn't seem to mind the walk to the Met.

 Dresden and Logan in the Rolls Royce

The boys standing in the doorway of an Egyptian Pyramid

After leaving the Met the boys really wanted to walk through Central Park.  They LOVED the park!  The loved running up and down hills, chasing after the squirrels, and all of the unique playgrounds they have.

 The boys sitting in front of the Conservatory Pond

 Logan and Mom

 Dresden and Mom

This slide was built into a hill.  You would slide down the slide on a piece of cardboard.  The boys had so much fun and thought this was the coolest slide ever.

The boys really enjoyed taking the subway and were really great about reading the signs and remembering what lines we needed to transfer to.  They also loved swiping their MetroCards to get through the turn styles.

 Mom checking subway app on her iTouch and Logan being silly

 Both boys loved to stand while on the subway.  Here is Dresden standing, trying not to wake up the "hobo", as the boys call them.

On our last day we woke up and went to the Empire State Building.  When I have been there before the lines were crazy long.  We got there early and didn't have to wait, only for the elevators.  Most of our stay in NY was overcast and rainy but this day was perfect!  We could see for miles.

The boys listening to the audio tour

 Looking out over the concrete Jungle

Before we left we had to go back to Times Square and make those last minute purchases.  The boys loved the M&M store and spent way too much money there.

 

Before we even got out of Manhattan, both boys fell asleep in the cab on the way to the airport.  The flight home was uneventful and all three of us were able to get some shut eye.

An old chapter ends, a new one begins..

A couple months ago we received word from the Deseret News that Larry would no longer be working for them.  They had to make room for upper management to cushion their pockets a little more.  That's my opinion, but I don't think it's too far off from reality.  So, after 16 years of work with the Deseret News, Larry is now looking elsewhere.  It is exciting and scary all at the same time.  I know Larry was getting tired off all the changes and lack of ethics and the fact that journalism was taking a back seat.  It was time for a change and the News helped give him that nudge he needed to find greatness and happiness with another company.  We are very grateful the News gave Larry a nice package to leave with.

Now the fun, anxiety for me, begins.  Larry is searching daily to find a new job.  Realistically, we will most likely be relocating, which has me stressed completely, but that is the reality of the situation.  I hate even typing that.  I have to be positive and supportive but I'd much rather be selfish and stubborn and demand him to look only in the SL Valley.  If I hadn't been laid off after having Strider, maybe I would have a little more pull at keeping us here.  I still have my fingers and toes crossed but I still want Larry to love what he does.

I am anxiously waiting to find out what is in store for our next chapter...

A Sunday Afternoon at the Salt Flats

Strider

Logan

 

Dresden

 

Family