Bob the Cat- the day he died

The day Bob died ( the first time)

They say cats have seven lives right?  Well yesterday our cat BOB died…and came back to life…( no not literally…keep reading) 

Elijiahs piano teacher is a friend, but also the mother of our neighbor Genevieve….and as such Naveve the piano teacher comes to our home, knows our cats, is a cat lover herself etc… 

Well on her way out of our neighborhood she called Gen( our neighbor) and said…you might want to call Amber and ask if Bobs in the house….I think it’s a possibility however that if not, Bob has been run over…it looks like Bob that has just been hit on the road….Gen immediately called me and asked if Bob was around and I said nope, put him outside this am, why? And so she told me.  Well as you can imagine I was very worried – Elijiah and I got in the car and went over to where the cat was hit and was killed.  We knew it was bob.  It was him.  100% sure.  However my first thought was where was his collar?  Then I dismissed it as it could have easily fallen off when he was struck….Elijiah was completely distraught as Bob was “his” cat.  Always favored by him and Bob took to him specifically as well…..anyway Im on the side of the road not exactly sure what to do- so I call Jonathan at work and he decided to leave work and come get him from the side of the road and we could have a proper burial later that night.  Genevieve called me at the same time told me to go home and she was coming to do the grisly deed of picking him up so Elijiah didn’t need to be waiting anymore etc. 

So the day begins…. 

Jonathan arrives home a few minutes after Gen delivers “Bob” in a cardboard box to our house and Jonathan inspects him as well and determines yes its Bob but likewise wonders about the collar….So he spent the next 30 minutes constructing a coffin for our precious cat wraps him and seals the box and we decide to bury “Bob” in the backyard later that night.  He had to get back to work and while I was trying to work from home yesterday- the events, Elijiahs continued sadness and crying were a bit of a distraction so I was fairly unproductive for a while…. 

Anyway about an hour later Jonathan emails me….saying something along the lines that as he was at the scene of the crime…he looked extensively around for Bobs collar….Elijiah really wanted it and we thought that we could frame it for him and it would be a good memory piece…so he says that while he couldn’t find it he had a doubt that perhaps it wasn’t Bob” even though he had handled the cat himself…he wasn’t sure now.  I immediately pushed him off saying to myself “ HELLO how many cats look EXACTLY like him in the neighborhood and of course its Bob! 

But then I felt the same….maybe it was a twinner and we didn’t know there was another cat just like him!  Jonathan decided that when he returned home he would open the casket…check the cat for front claws( we had Bob declawed).  So in the mean time…we had been searching through old photos for memories, ones that we could frame in the house of Bob and the kids…and talking about if we should get another cat…..Gen had come over with Dinner for us- and she and I were swapping funny and sad cat stories….

Jonathan came home with Tristan ( which Tristan was super funny…marching up to the neighbors to announce that Bob had died) and so the yucky task of looking over the mangled dead cat became Jonathans…. 

He discovered claws….so immediately Jonathan told us….um….this isn’t Bob!  Elijiah lit up!  Tristan said “What? Bobs not dead?” and all the grieving and crying of the day was replaced by….we almost buried someone elses cat in our yard!  And since its not Bob whos is it?  Well Sherrell- Gens daughter told us that her friends cat that looked like Bob disappeared about a month ago and it could be theirs… 

Well long story short after Jonathan retrieved the cat yet again for another families inspection, comparing photographs it was determined it was indeed their cat.  So we provided them the ready made casket( albeit we turned some of the panels the opposite direction so they didn’t see our RIP BOB with dates and loving inscriptions…we handed “Bob” over to them to take home. 

Jonathan was a little sick to his stomach given the handling of the dead cat so many times during the day and wouldn’t you know…not an hour later…BOB comes sauntering up to the backyard fine as can be of course….which made us all a little more happy to see him and appreciate the silly thing.  After the days events Jonathan did a very indepth inspection of Bob and did say that honestly the markings and specific size and everything were identical…it was really the collar/claws that made the difference to us knowing it wasn’t our cat. 

So Elijiah is happy….we are happy, but likewise it was a very odd and emotional day in which Bob came back from the dead.

Not the best pictures as they are screenshots from a cellphone video I took for liability reasons. More to show how BAD the retaining walls were, specifically the crap rock the original contractors put in. These were from before OUR guy touched anything

Backyard pics

Okay hopefully these pics will make sense...Jonathan was on our roof looking down at the one side of our yard...

This is a picture taken just off the back of our house

This is the view looking from one end of the yard to the other 

Same view but at the top level of the yard ( 3 tiers) 

Again same view looking south but viewing upward at the rock wall...

Bottom level of the house looking towards the street....

Now what I want to point out is our entire plan for the backyard has been changed several times during the week...and infact the above pictures were taken yesterday and I came home today and it looks- AGAIN entirely different and it was discussed all the work that has been completed today will be ripped out and re-done yet another time.

Why you may ask is this the case?We started with a 15 ft high semi circle rock wall along the back side of the house( which you can see part of it in one of the photos above) and sloping non functional hill around it.  We were also dealing with a grading issue around our house with runoff and flooding into our window wells.  We needed to scrape at least a foot down around the house - fun times!  In trying to figure out the best layout for our yard( we hired a landscape designer) it was decided that we would level out the top part with several flat areas...one would serve as an in ground tramp, a grass level, then finally a fire pit and zero scape with fruit trees.  Leaving as much of the existing retaining wall intact to add a deck of sorts, garden plots, and a lawn.  We would fill in around the yard with additional trees, shrubs, flowers and plants.  

However in working with the existing rocks on the property, it was determined that the wall wasnt structurally sound( not sure how it passed engineering) and the rocks were deteriorating and falling apart.  No amount of support or adding additional rock would stop the erosion from happening and potential safety issues with a crumbling retaining wall.  So as one plan changed, it evolved into another - into another and hopefully we are at the final point where no additional changes will happen and we can proceed.  We have the fence to install and then sprinklers, and grass, firepit then tramp.  We will hold off doing any of the planting and finish work till next year.  So far this is what the progress looks like....and hopefully by the end of the summer I can post before and after pics of the entire process.  Crossing my fingers it will all turn out in the end! :)

SOLD!!

Sold!  Its official.  It took 2 months to close....several delays and extensions on the part of the seller...a few mishaps at the last second...but its done.  I thought I would feel a bit sad, but in all honesty Jonathan and I are not the Landlord types.  We have so much going on in our own lives the liability in having a second house to worry about was always on our mind...its a real blessing to us to have it sold.

On the home front news...with the sale of the house it allowed us some cash to work on a project.  We discussed finishing the basement, however the landscaping was such an eyesore, we felt that we should probably tackle it. 

Just wait...the pictures will astound you.  Or maybe it just astounds me...I dunno.  Stay tuned....

Noellie

This is a picture that Jonathan worked on...that really says what we feel about Noel.  Jonathans Dad, Carl, took the photo on our front lawn and it was a cute snapshot.  Jonathan then has turned it in to something else all together :)

In reflecting on this past trip with her and why it was so special for us all...she changes our home for the better.  The boys are still boys...but her presence is such a gift to each of us.  We know how lucky we are that her parents are willing to share her...what a blessing.  But likewise here is my husband who will not have a little girl.  Something hes dreamed of his whole life.  In marrying me...he gets to be a part of her life in a way that is hard to discribe.  While we arent her parents there is certainly something along those lines that we feel.  She and Jonathan have forged a special bond that even surprises me sometimes.  Seeing how Jonathan has taken to both Noel and Elijiah-is really hard to explain.  How he loves those two...and then how he is with Tristan......

I am lucky.

Noel is growing up, dealing with her concerns and issues regarding adoption, fears she has over the future all things that are normal regarding teenage years, but as we listen to her and try to help in ways that we can, its a testiment to me just how unique our situation is and how hard it is to let her go.  Jonathan is feeling a bit of what I have for the past 17 years.  And now the boys too.  The saddness the reaches us with her departure lasts a few days...and I kinda laughed when he mentioned the house is empty without her.  Welcome to my world honey...ive been saying hello and goodbye more times than I can count....the great thing is we will be saying hello again before long.  She wants to come out again at Christmas, spend time with us but also with her new brother.  (YES we are having another boy.  :)  in case you hadnt caught that earlier)

....So this picture is meaningful in more ways than one...shes an angel to us. 



Summer with Noel part 1

Per my sister Whitney's request to update the blog...here is part one of the photos...had a great time with Noel...and life is a bit sad when she leaves...