MTW - Mommy, Tummy, Wifey Mash Up

I had every intention of getting my blog back on track this week from where we had been on vacation . However, seeing as today is Wednesday, you can pretty much assume how well that went. In my defense, it has been quite a week of unexpected hiccups. Staying true to my OCD nature, I will now serve a nice mash up blog of Mommy Monday, Tummy Tuesday, and Wifey Wednesday which will hopefully put me back on track again and suffice my OCD.

Mommy Monday

We had wonderful Mother's Day celebration. Every year that I am able to celebrate Mother's Day with my mama is such a blessing. She has been my best friend for as long as I can remember while always remaining my mom first and foremost. She has taught me so much about how to be a woman, wife, mother, and most importantly follower of Jesus Christ. 

I have to say though that one of the most amazing things I have learned from my mom has been in past recent four years. The love that I see from her, for Sophie, is the most pure and unconditional love. It really is a beautiful thing to watch and I am once again learning so many things from her! I am learning how amazing that love and relationship can be between a grandparent and their grandchild. Being able to witness this relationship is teaching me new things every day about my mom, daughter, and even how to be a grandparent when that day comes for me.

And let me just tell you - Sophie pretty much thinks that her Gigi hung the moon and rightly so!!

The day that this little girl came into my our lives has been one of the very best days of my life. To be her mama and get to share on this journey of life with her is such an immense blessing from God. And to know that this is only a tiny glimpse of how much our heavenly Father loves us - WOW!

Making silly faces last summer at Bubba and Titi's wedding!

My girl with the beautiful dozen pink roses that she picked out for me. She loves picking flowers for us. Some of the gooodies from the goody bag her and Daddy put together for me.

Please disregard our orphaned child in the background who refused to join the picture.

Blessed beyond measure!

Tummy Tuesday

We made this Salsa Chicken right before we left for Disney World and it was great. Crock pot meal too so you know it doesn't get any better! It's a very filling meal which is nice because this means there is not really any need to worry with a side item which means - one less thing to worry with/cook/buy!

Wifey Wednesday

For my birthday in January of 2005 my soon to be husband surprised me with the most wonderful birthday present ever - a precious teeny tiny grey and white kitty cat. Little did I know, he had been searching high and low to find me just what I wanted which was a cute cuddly baby girl kitten that I could name Bella. Jeff has always said that as soon as he walked into the shelter, he made eye contact with Bella and she stood up on her hind legs pawing at the window. Its as though she knew her Daddy was there to bring her home.

Isbella "Bella" Ada Easterday entered our lives and we were in love. She was our unique, cuddly (but only for us), funny, anxiety driven four legged fur baby. For four years, it was just the three of us and I am not even kidding when I tell you that if that cat would have let me push her around in a stroller, I totally would have. I may or may not have bought her a leash at one point thinking maybe she would walk the neighborhood with me. No, I was not crazy, just totally in love.

When the day came to bring home our newest addition - Sophie, Bella was inititally not too thrilled. Once she realized nothing in her life would really change, she fell in love with Sophie. You could always find her keeping a safe distance but very watchful and protective eye over Sophie. As Sophie grew, so did their bond. Sissy Bellou, which is how Sophie referred to her, would love cuddling on the bed with us for the bedtime story or laying on the top of the chair in Sophie's bedroom guarding over her while she slept. I guess in the middle of the night once she felt as though she had distributed her time well enough, she would come to our room and pull my hair with her mouth. Yes, you read that right. She was requesting that I roll over so I could pull her under the covers with me and spoon her. This was our special time together and I loved hearing that sweet sound of her purring as we both fell asleep.

As I am sure you have already put together by now - we lost our precious baby early Tuesday morning around 4am. It all happened in the blink of any eye and before we knew it, we were at the Emergency Animal Hospital having to make the impossible decision to put her to sleep. She had suffered a blood clot due to an enlarged heart and had no use of her back legs. A bad situation which was only getting worse and as the doctor told us there was nothing we could do, our heart broke into a million little pieces. Such a blessing that we were able to be there with her and hold her as she peacefully fell asleep. We all three started our lives off together so it was only fitting that we all three closed this chapter together.

Yesterday evening, we sent our balloon off to heaven for Sissy Bella. We received this wonderful idea from a close friend. We wrote messages on it telling her how much we love her and how very much we will miss her.

As hard as this has been and will continue to be in the coming days, I feel blessed. I feel thankful and blessed that I have such a wonderful, sensitive, and caring husband to share this journey with - the good and the bad. I am also forever thankful to him for bringing Bella into our lives ten years ago to start this journey together - we would not have been complete without her!