Baby Ducks, Baby Chicks, Baby Cats

Ok, everyone. I've got to keep it real. I'd love everyone to believe that I live an always happy, sinless, organized life with an adoring husband and clean obedient children. But you've read this blog before and you know that's not the whole truth. Life is not always very beautiful or exciting. And I have a confession.

Our cat, Buster, ran away.
Last January.
I didn't want to tell you because that's not very flattering.

Anyway, we have all been sad that Buster left that fateful Monday night, never to return. The kids have cried and cried and asked about him and prayed for him, but we never saw him again.

Tim told the children that if we ever heard of any other free kittens being born to friends from church that we could adopt another kitty. Well, the email came on April 5th (which happened to be our 8th wedding anniversary). Our friends who live in Elizabeth, CO, had a litter of 4 kittens, 1 female and 3 males. (Tim laid the ground rule that we'd have to get another boy cat~ I guess he doesn't want to start our own kitten factory.) Well, this past Sunday we were able to stop by our friends' house and claim a kitty.

It must truly be spring because they also had baby ducks and baby chicks, all ready to explore outside in the beautiful weather.

Once the box with the kittens was brought out, one by one, the baby cats began to emerge...

The first two were practically identical.

Then this guy popped his head out, and we knew there was something special about him.

Adam was more interested in studying the ducks and baby chicks.

We finally decided that kitty #3, with his beautiful blue eyes and tan coat with black stripes, was the one for us.

It was love at first sight.

We'd been tossing some cat names around for a few days and Dabney and Josh had their favorites (Josh was set on re-naming our new cat Buster) but as soon as we looked at that adorable fella, we knew one of them was perfect.

We've named him Shasta.

This midnight kitty was the sister. She was very shy.

This is the mama kitty. We weren't too popular with her and she did not pose for the camera.
Maybe because we keep talking about taking away one of her babies.