We, the feline-enthused

Woooooo.....lots to blog about. I'm currently working on a couple of home improvement projects, which I will post about later. But the newest news is that we have a cat! My sweetest cat Jesse ran away a couple of years ago when I had some friends keep her temporarily when I moved to Provo. I like to think that she was searching for me, although the thought does make me feel somewhat guilty. Anyway, it has been over two years since we've had a cat, and the thought of having another one was too overwhelming (until now) for a couple of reasons. 1: As overly sentimental as it sounds, I still miss Jesse, I still want her back, I still have dreams that she comes back and just falls asleep next to me at night. And 2: I have three children. A cat is another responsibility to add to my countless responsibilities. It seems, though, that we are meant to have cats. Three days ago, I went to the garage to warm up the car, and was surprised to find that Phill had accidentally left the garage door open in his haste to get to work. I pressed the button, and as the door began to close, a big, fluffy cat darted up to the door, stopped, and sat on its haunches, looking at me. Did I mention that it was absolutely frigid and windy outside, and the sky was the color of milk, and snow was falling? I couldn't turn the poor cat away. So I opened the door wide, and it came in. We gave it a little bit of chicken and milk, and it promptly fell asleep on the couch. It seemed equally comfortable inside as it had been outside--only, I imagine, a little warmer. It wasn't even a little bit phased by the kids. I emailed the Relief Society president and sent a picture to her, so that she could let the sisters know, just in case any of them were missing this fluffy kitty. Eventually, he seemed to want out, and the weather had improved. I let him out. He came back later that evening and sprawled out lazily on one entire couch cushion and slept, hardly moving a muscle, for over an hour (see above picture). That night we sent it out, but I put a box with a blanket inside (and a can of tuna) in the backyard, facing away from the wind. (I know, I know....such a softie.) The next morning, a woman from the ward called me and told me who the cat belongs to. Apparently "Freckles" is owned by a 14-year-old boy, and spends equal time inside and outside. Then she asked me, "Are you wanting a cat?" And I didn't know what to say. Yes, I want a cat. I love cats. No, I don't want a litter box. No, I don't want to have to worry about another living thing in my home. But she told me that her son had found a cat at Camp Carlisle, a Marine base, and this cat was living with her while her son is in school. This cat does not get along with her cat, although it gets along swimmingly with her Pomeranian. Anyway. Long story short, I agreed to have her bring this cat to us--just to see. I decided that unless I really liked him from the start, we wouldn't keep him. Well, we really liked him from the start. And now we love him. He is oddly mild-mannered for a cat, and hardly anything phases him! I'm finding that the maintenance isn't nearly as overwhelming as I thought it would be. Reed scoops the box, Jaxon pours the food. Oh, and his name is Carlisle. Jaxon says "Caw-lye-owe" and Reed mostly calls him "Carlos". (Hey! Carlisle is a tough name for a kid to say.) Savanna loves him and actually took a weird sort of step to him today. (Weird sort of step: Phill was holding her hand, and he let go for a second, after which she moved one foot forward. No holding. But she can't stand on her own yet, of course, and she's not too enthused about crawling.)

Jaxon yelled, "Kitty Carlisle!" and for some reason, it sounded familiar. I googled it. This is why it sounded familiar. So now, finally, some pictures of our newest celebrity: