HOW WE BECAME TWO GUYS, A GIRL AND A KITTY CAT
POST: MAY 2013
I met my husband, Scott, back in 1995. I had just moved to Tallahassee, Florida to attend Florida State University. It was my first night in town, and my roommate took me to a birthday party for her boyfriend. Scott just happened to be her boyfriend's next door neighbor. We enjoyed hanging out that night at the party, and 'officially' started dating just a few weeks later.
In 1996, Scott relocated to Pensacola, Florida to attend the University of West Florida. We managed to keep up a long-distance relationship, though phone calls were few and far between (yup, back in the old'n'days when we had to pay by the minute), neither of us had cellphones, and we took turns traveling the hundreds of miles back and forth on the weekend. In April 1997, I relocated to Orlando, Florida to attend the University of Central Florida. The distance made traveling to visit much harder to fit into our schedules, and the long-distance phone calls and bills were piling up. We started to realize that keeping up this long-distance relationship on a college-student budget was going to be impossible, so in July 1997, we decided to break-up.
Over the years, we lost touch. I relocated to Marietta, Georgia and then to Dahlonega, Georgia, to attend the Masters program in physical therapy at North Georgia College & State University. In May 2002, one of my dearest friends, Erin, flew to Atlanta to attend my graduation. I was excited to drive Erin back to Jacksonville and spend a few days with her before starting my vacation in Melbourne and Orlando. As we were packing, Erin was looking at pictures in my room. She noticed a picture of Scott and said that he looked so familiar, he looked like her next door neighbor. I brushed it off thinking that she had seen that collage of my college photos hundreds of times. As we made our way down I-75 towards Jacksonville, she just couldn't shake the resemblance. She started telling me about how her neighbor drove a beige Honda Accord with a Florida State tag. Though I remember Scott driving a beige Honda Accord and being an avid FSU fan, I shrugged off the thought because I know that Honda Accords are popular cars, and there are tons of FSU fans throughout Florida. She then talked about how she frequently saw a San Francisco 49ers towel drying on his back deck, and how his family would come visit and bring dachshunds. I remembered his love of the 49ers and when his dachshund, Scooter, came to visit in Tallahassee. I also remembered his sister, Kristen, having a dachshund, Hunter. So as we drove closer to Jacksonville, the thought became more and more a possibility. As we pulled into her driveway, I noticed a putter on his front porch, one of a set of golf clubs I had given him back in college.
When he pulled into his house that evening after work, Erin called him up to the deck and said, "I have someone I want you to meet". He comes up the steps and his jaw just drops open. We stayed up late that night, catching up on everything we missed in
each others lives, and reminiscing the fun times we had together in college. After that weekend, we kept in touch via e-mail, every few months. And, he was added to my annual Christmas card list. We both pursued our careers and other relationships. Occasionally, we would run into each other in Tallahassee for a FSU game.
each others lives, and reminiscing the fun times we had together in college. After that weekend, we kept in touch via e-mail, every few months. And, he was added to my annual Christmas card list. We both pursued our careers and other relationships. Occasionally, we would run into each other in Tallahassee for a FSU game.
In January 2006, I sent Scott a message, apologizing for not getting Christmas cards out. I had recently changed jobs, sold my home, moved, purchased a new home, started a new job, and my relationship had recently ended. He responded that he had also
recently ended his relationship. It was then that we started the nightly 2-3 hour phone calls, followed by our first time seeing each other in years. We decided to meet in Hilton Head Island, the weekend of Easter. Someone (ahem) had thought Hilton Head was 'half way'. But as he arrived there a mere 3 hours before me, I realized I had been duped. We had an amazing weekend, relaxing by
the pool, drinking, catching up on the beach, drinking some more, dinners and dates (something we didn't do too often 11 years prior because of our college-sized budgets), and just enjoyed being together again. This started what turned out to be a year-long, long-distance relationship. Remember that 'new house' I had mentioned in my Christmas card in 2006? Well, one Sunday afternoon in February 2008, I put a For Sale By-Owner sign in the front yard. I had warned him that if it didn't sell in 6-months, that he would need to start trying to find a job in the A-T-L. I received an offer for full asking price that Friday, if I was able to close in 7 days. He flew to Atlanta the following Thursday, we packed the kitties in the car and 'we loaded up the truck and moved to...' not Beverly Hills, but Jacksonville Beach, Florida.
recently ended his relationship. It was then that we started the nightly 2-3 hour phone calls, followed by our first time seeing each other in years. We decided to meet in Hilton Head Island, the weekend of Easter. Someone (ahem) had thought Hilton Head was 'half way'. But as he arrived there a mere 3 hours before me, I realized I had been duped. We had an amazing weekend, relaxing by
the pool, drinking, catching up on the beach, drinking some more, dinners and dates (something we didn't do too often 11 years prior because of our college-sized budgets), and just enjoyed being together again. This started what turned out to be a year-long, long-distance relationship. Remember that 'new house' I had mentioned in my Christmas card in 2006? Well, one Sunday afternoon in February 2008, I put a For Sale By-Owner sign in the front yard. I had warned him that if it didn't sell in 6-months, that he would need to start trying to find a job in the A-T-L. I received an offer for full asking price that Friday, if I was able to close in 7 days. He flew to Atlanta the following Thursday, we packed the kitties in the car and 'we loaded up the truck and moved to...' not Beverly Hills, but Jacksonville Beach, Florida.
On July 3, 2008, he proposed on the beach while we were sitting in a lifeguard chair. And just a few weeks later, July 25th, we were married on the beach in front of our family, by Reverend Johnson Haygood Pace, Jr, the Episcopal priest that married my parents, just over 42 years prior. We celebrated with our friends and family with a reception in November, followed by a relaxing honeymoon in St. Thomas.
Almost 5 years later, we have a precious little boy, Tyler, who turned 2-years-old in October 2012. He is our little miracle, and his sweet, caring heart and fun spirit makes him a joy to be around every second of every day. And though I moved from Atlanta with two kitties, Sienna Rhae and Sophia Rene, the battle between new spouse and oldest kitty was fought, and Sienna went to live with her Grandparents in Green Cove Springs, FL. I tried to send the spouse, but they wouldn't take him.
So, as the title of the blog suggests, this as my life as Two guys, a girl, and
a kitty cat...
So, as the title of the blog suggests, this as my life as Two guys, a girl, and
a kitty cat...
HOME SWEET HOME
POST: MAY 2013
After years of searching for the 'perfect' home in Jacksonville, we were so excited to purchase our first home together in April 2010. This house was not only going to be our first home, but the place we would bring our newborn son home from the hospital, and his first, childhood home.
Most girls dream of having a home with a white picket fence, but I had always dreamed of a home on the water. Okay, so it's not Ponte Vedra Boulevard and it's not the Atlantic Ocean...but it's our little waterfront home, and we love it!
Most girls dream of having a home with a white picket fence, but I had always dreamed of a home on the water. Okay, so it's not Ponte Vedra Boulevard and it's not the Atlantic Ocean...but it's our little waterfront home, and we love it!
What did we love about this house? Well, Scott loved the size. I think his theory was that a smaller home would keep me from buying stuff. Well, hate to tell you honey, but that backfired! I loved the safe, family-friendly neighborhood, it was close to the Beach, the open floorplan, it had the 4 bedrooms (well, 3 bedrooms and an office) that we were looking for, and the best part...it wasn't a fixer-upper! I fell in love with the screened-in back porch with paver-patio and could just picture dinners and entertaining and watching our children playing in the yard.
So, in my mind, all the items on my list were checked off. Unfortunately, I overlooked one, not minor...but major, important thing you MUST consider when purchasing a home...STORAGE!!! The home has small closets in the guest rooms, a medium-sized closet in the master bedroom, no closet in the office, an itty-bitty pantry in the kitchen, and two teeny-tiny closets in the hallway. One of the
hallway closets is monopolized by the vacuum and cleaning storage, and well, lets just say the other closet is monopolized by everything else one could possibly need to store.
The moving truck pulled out, and I immediately knew we were in trouble. Where on earth was all of our stuff going to go? I tried to take a deep breath, relax, and hope and pray that it just looked like so much more because of all of the boxes. So as we broke
down the last of the boxes, I realized the inevitable, we simply did not fit in this house. We were busting at the seams before we even moved in. Where were we going to find space to bring our son home, and even more, where were we going to
find space to keep all of the STUFF that comes with a baby?
Well...unfortunately, I ended up on bedrest, and the organization and making room was just not going to happen before Baby Tyler came home. And, life with Tyler crawling and running around left very little time for organizing and making room, and made it even harder because each 'stage' of development required additional toys and equipment, so the house just got more and more crammed. Fast forward a few years, and here I am today...my sole mission in life, to do whatever I can do to
FIT into this house and make this house FIT us! Now, my childhood dream of living on the water has transformed into a lifelong dream of a home with an empty cabinet or closet, not having to use underbed storage, or even being able to fit BOTH cars into a garage. A girl can dream...
So over the course of the next few weeks, months and years, I will share my great discoveries, bargain finds, Pinterest projects, gadgets, and personal creations that I have used to make my mission somewhat possible.
So, in my mind, all the items on my list were checked off. Unfortunately, I overlooked one, not minor...but major, important thing you MUST consider when purchasing a home...STORAGE!!! The home has small closets in the guest rooms, a medium-sized closet in the master bedroom, no closet in the office, an itty-bitty pantry in the kitchen, and two teeny-tiny closets in the hallway. One of the
hallway closets is monopolized by the vacuum and cleaning storage, and well, lets just say the other closet is monopolized by everything else one could possibly need to store.
The moving truck pulled out, and I immediately knew we were in trouble. Where on earth was all of our stuff going to go? I tried to take a deep breath, relax, and hope and pray that it just looked like so much more because of all of the boxes. So as we broke
down the last of the boxes, I realized the inevitable, we simply did not fit in this house. We were busting at the seams before we even moved in. Where were we going to find space to bring our son home, and even more, where were we going to
find space to keep all of the STUFF that comes with a baby?
Well...unfortunately, I ended up on bedrest, and the organization and making room was just not going to happen before Baby Tyler came home. And, life with Tyler crawling and running around left very little time for organizing and making room, and made it even harder because each 'stage' of development required additional toys and equipment, so the house just got more and more crammed. Fast forward a few years, and here I am today...my sole mission in life, to do whatever I can do to
FIT into this house and make this house FIT us! Now, my childhood dream of living on the water has transformed into a lifelong dream of a home with an empty cabinet or closet, not having to use underbed storage, or even being able to fit BOTH cars into a garage. A girl can dream...
So over the course of the next few weeks, months and years, I will share my great discoveries, bargain finds, Pinterest projects, gadgets, and personal creations that I have used to make my mission somewhat possible.
IF THE CAT AIN'T HAPPY...AIN'T NOBODY HAPPY
POST MAY 30, 2013- IN CELEBRATION OF SOPHIA RENE'S 8TH BIRTHDAY
After losing my Persian kitties in 2004, I started to learn more about Ragdolls and fell in love with their sweet temperaments, their floppiness and beauty. I adopted Sienna Rhae in August 2004. I felt guilty leaving her alone all day while I was at work and felt she needed a playmate. In September 2005, I found Sophia. I had visited with a breeder in Stone Mountain, Georgia. Sophia was not even from the litter of kittens I was there to visit, but I fell in love with how beautiful and 'floppy' she was. My heart broke for her when I learned that she was already 4-months of age and that the rest of her litter had been adopted. As I held her, I started to pick up that she wasn't in good health, and then took it upon myself to adopt her and provide her with a happy, healthy home. I left the breeder and immediately drove her to the vet. She was indeed in poor health. But after nursing her back to health a few weeks later,
she was the sweetest, most loving little kitty, almost as if she was showing me her appreciation.
she was the sweetest, most loving little kitty, almost as if she was showing me her appreciation.
Sophia is my miracle kitty. When she was just one, I took her for her yearly shots. Because I had just moved, I had not established a new vet yet, so I took Sienna and Sophia to the Petco where 'Luv My Pet' traveled to provide vaccinations at a discounted rate. On the way home, I noticed Sophia was getting sick. She started vomiting. When I arrived home, just 3-5 minutes later, she was lethargic. When I got her out of her pet carrier, she arched her back, pooped, and just collapsed on the floor. I didn't know what to
do. I called Petco as fast as I could, and they had me drive her back up there. They feared she was in anaphylactic shock, her body was reacting negatively to the vaccines. They had a 'code' team come out to the car to retrieve her and started to do CPR. They were able to revive her, but she was weak. They had me drive her to the pet emergency hospital, about 10 minutes away.
Meanwhile, I had a friend go to my home and check on Sienna. Sophia was hospitalized for about 3 weeks. From the beginning, the vet prepared me for the worse, not knowing if she was going to survive. She was on oxygen, had several transfusions and required 24-hour care. The vet would call me and say "Sophia really needs ...., but it is really expensive". I would immediately say, "Please
just do anything and everything you can to save her". Every day when I went to visit her, I could just tell she was fighting so hard to survive, so who was I to play God and deny her any procedure or medication that could ultimately save her life? Her vet bill was quite hefty in the end, close to around $8K, but she is worth every penny! And, despite being ready to refinance my house and take out loans to cover the expenses, Luv My Pet stepped forward and paid her hospital bill.
do. I called Petco as fast as I could, and they had me drive her back up there. They feared she was in anaphylactic shock, her body was reacting negatively to the vaccines. They had a 'code' team come out to the car to retrieve her and started to do CPR. They were able to revive her, but she was weak. They had me drive her to the pet emergency hospital, about 10 minutes away.
Meanwhile, I had a friend go to my home and check on Sienna. Sophia was hospitalized for about 3 weeks. From the beginning, the vet prepared me for the worse, not knowing if she was going to survive. She was on oxygen, had several transfusions and required 24-hour care. The vet would call me and say "Sophia really needs ...., but it is really expensive". I would immediately say, "Please
just do anything and everything you can to save her". Every day when I went to visit her, I could just tell she was fighting so hard to survive, so who was I to play God and deny her any procedure or medication that could ultimately save her life? Her vet bill was quite hefty in the end, close to around $8K, but she is worth every penny! And, despite being ready to refinance my house and take out loans to cover the expenses, Luv My Pet stepped forward and paid her hospital bill.
Seven years later and with a 2-year-old running around the house, Sophia is no longer the 'baby' in the family, but the 'middle
child'. For clarification, the oldest child, Sienna, moved out 2 years ago. But Scott, my husband and infamous kid-at-heart, took his place as the oldest child. Though I always told myself I was never going to let Sophia's needs get pushed aside, I'm guilty for rushing in the morning to get Tyler's breakfast on the table, with Sophia at my feet begging, whether it be for food, treats, to go
outside on the patio, or just for some attention and love. But, I'm reminded of all the ways she is pampered, whether it be with a comfy bed, her favorite treats, her expensive 'lion' haircuts and days at the salon, or even Mommy stepping in to rescue her from being chased around the house by one of her siblings...(Scott is just as guilty as Tyler)...she is loved and cherished.
child'. For clarification, the oldest child, Sienna, moved out 2 years ago. But Scott, my husband and infamous kid-at-heart, took his place as the oldest child. Though I always told myself I was never going to let Sophia's needs get pushed aside, I'm guilty for rushing in the morning to get Tyler's breakfast on the table, with Sophia at my feet begging, whether it be for food, treats, to go
outside on the patio, or just for some attention and love. But, I'm reminded of all the ways she is pampered, whether it be with a comfy bed, her favorite treats, her expensive 'lion' haircuts and days at the salon, or even Mommy stepping in to rescue her from being chased around the house by one of her siblings...(Scott is just as guilty as Tyler)...she is loved and cherished.
So if you have been reading the other posts on the blog, you know my mission is to have a clean, organized and happy home. With a kitty in the house, and a husband who is more of a dog-lover, I have to do what I can to eliminate the 'signs' of kitty. I'm going to share one way I have managed to do this. I can't take the credit for this--- I first saw this at a friend's house, but I have made it a point to in some way, incorporate this into each of my homes...a kitty-door/outdoor litter box. My first home in Alpharetta, Georgia, we put the kitty-door in the back of the downstairs powder room. Nobody ever knew it was there. My second home, I actually had an unused coat closet. As I write that, it's so hard for me to imagine, unused space? Well anyway, the coat closet was a perfect spot for the kitty-door and litter box. And, here in our home in Jacksonville, it was one of the first projects for the laundry room. It
required us to stack our front-load washer/dryer to allow enough space for her to fit through the kitty-door, so I took advantage of the opportunity to put in a 'folding' table. I'll be honest, it rarely gets used for folding...and rarely looks as clean as it does in the picture. So where does the kitty-door go? We then built a ClosetMaid cabinet, which was placed on the adjacent wall in the garage. The litter box sits nicely in the closet, and it provides me with some shelves to organize Sophia's things, as well as some household cleaners.
required us to stack our front-load washer/dryer to allow enough space for her to fit through the kitty-door, so I took advantage of the opportunity to put in a 'folding' table. I'll be honest, it rarely gets used for folding...and rarely looks as clean as it does in the picture. So where does the kitty-door go? We then built a ClosetMaid cabinet, which was placed on the adjacent wall in the garage. The litter box sits nicely in the closet, and it provides me with some shelves to organize Sophia's things, as well as some household cleaners.
We had a feline therapist encourage us to use a Rubbermaid container for a litter box. (The feline therapist is a story for another day). Using a dremel saw, we cut an opening that allows her easy access to enter and exit the litter box. The high sides of the Rubbermaid container actually keep the litter in the box. I use one of the sides to hang the scoop for convenience.
Though this is not the most glamorous of posts, this is just one of many ideas and projects that we have incorporated to make my
'Mission'...possible. Maybe someday?
Though this is not the most glamorous of posts, this is just one of many ideas and projects that we have incorporated to make my
'Mission'...possible. Maybe someday?