Sam

Just in case you may have thought I got rid of my cats, don't worry all five of them are still here.  I realize that this blog was overtaken by Remy ever since we got him last year.  I hope to make up for that at least a little bit and share more about my felines.  First up is Sam.

Sam and his brother Fred kicked off my journey of independence.  I took them in as kittens, but unfortunately didn't include my parents in that decision.  It wouldn't have mattered so much if I wasn't living at my parents' house at the time.  I was politely informed that I would need to find them - or us - a new home.  Well, we did and it's been eight years since they became a permanent part of my four-legged family.

Sam is good-natured about pretty much everything and Remy's presence probably fazed him the least.  Sam certainly doesn't like Remy, but since Sam doesn't react to Remy's antics, Remy pretty much leaves him alone.  Sam's grateful for that I'm sure.

The best trait about Sam is that he is perfect.  Yes, that's right - perfect.  And here's why. Of all five cats, Sam could care less about food.  This is such a breath of fresh air when I'm dealing with 20 legs circling me the second I walk through the door.  Sam's simply waiting to say hello.

Sam truly misses me when I'm gone and is so happy when I've returned.  How do I know that?  Whenever I return from a trip, he patiently waits to say hello, but the second that I sit down or lay in bed, he wants to snuggle.  And he purrs and purrs and it's lovely.

Speaking of snuggling, Sam's a pro.  He loves to snuggle perfectly nestled under the covers, with his nose sticking out, curled up in my arms.  Love it.  Winter's the best time of year for snuggling and although I'm not happy that winter is lingering, it's nice to have Sam join my in bed most evenings.

One of Sam's unique traits is that he hates to be held.  The instant you pick him up, he wants to be down.  If you see him debating about whether or not he wants to jump on the sofa or bed and you pick him up to place him on that sofa or bed, he immediately jumps off.  If you know he wants to come in your lap and you pick him up and put him there, he's gone instantly.

I love my sweet Sam.  He's such a gentleman!  Can't believe he's eight years old already.  Time flies!

Playmates

Remy was gracious enough to share one of his favorite Christmas toys with Connor when we went to Mom and Dad's on Christmas day.  I love the part in the video when Remy offers the toy to Connor, only to yank it away.

Getting Ready

This past weekend was quite busy.  Leaving mid-day on Friday, Dad and I drove to Mel and Thom's house, joining Mom who arrived a day earlier.  As Baby Clark's anticipated arrival approaches, Mel and Thom are hastily preparing their home.  We all shared our talents to accomplish many things.  Here's an overview...

Mel and Mom worked Thursday to organize the remainder of Mel's office which is being relocated from the second to the third floor to clear the room for the nursery.  This was a major feat, most of which I only caught the tail end of, which is just fine by me! :)  The third floor required some strategic rearranging to accommodate work space for both Mel and Thom.  We made some great progress.  By Sunday, we had the entire nursery emptied and cleaned, ready for some fresh paint and a few cosmetic touch-ups.

The kitchen is getting an awesome remodel.  Dad has been working with Thom in the kitchen for about a month and this weekend their projects included wiring, installing recessed lighting and drywall.  They really seem to work well together and the results speak for themselves!

With the kitchen remodel underway, the dining area had accumulated many of the items that were temporarily relocated.  We cleaned and organized those items so that Mel and Thom could have some order among the chaos.  Added bonus was a cleared kitchen table and chairs to enjoy dinners together!

Our final project involved a trip to the fabric store!  JoMar has a great selection of discount fabrics and although our trip was quick, I still loved dreaming as I browsed the store!  We were able to add some color to Mel and Thom's room with new curtains, successfully completing 3 of the 4 panels needed.  Time wasn't on our side, so the final panel should be finished this weekend.  Next visit to Philly, we'll be able to hang them on rods.  I love the pattern Mel chose!  It really goes well with the green walls and dark wood furniture.

Gosh, looking at the pictures, we really did accomplish a lot!  As Dad said, "Many hands make light work,"  So true!  

Belated Birthday

We celebrated Hubby;s birthday with his parents slightly after the fact!  They came over earlier this month to share a wonderful dinner in honor of Hubby's January birthday.  I know, it's crazy, but that's just the way it rolls sometimes!  Thankfully it was so close to Dad's birthday that we were also able to send him some birthday wishes in person.

Hubby , of course, wowed us with a delicious dinner.  He selected a fairly simple recipe, but my was it tasty!  Maybe it was that much better since Mom and I labored in preparation by removing the pumpkins seeds from their shells!  Either way, it was great!

Happy officially belated birthday, my love!