30 Days of Thanks: November 15, 2011

Today I am very thankful for our kitty, Orbit. We have had him for about six years now and is very much a member of the family. Every night, he sleeps in his bed at my feet and he always wants to be in the same room with us. When I was in labor with LittleBear, he spent every second by my side while I was at home. He greets us every time we walk in the door and cuddles with us when we are sick. I am so glad we have him in our family!

Today, LittleBear was supposed to color a picture of a squirrel with a huge pile of acorns, but he refused multiple times to do it...Oh well.

Christmas 2010 (in pictures)

So we were a little slow in sharing these pictures from Christmas... But hey, better late than never, right? And besides -- it's still January (for another day or so)...

Anyway, here they are -- the much-awaited photos from our first Christmas in Waco. We're so glad Grandma, Aunt Sue and Uncle Vic could be here to share the fun with us (especially LittleBear)!

From 2010-12-25 Christmas in Waco

And in case you missed it, here are the videos we posted back on Christmas Day.

The Simple Woman's Daybook: October 19th

FOR TODAY...October 19th Daybook

Outside my window... bright, sunny and 74 degrees outside. The Monarch butterflies have stopped over on their migration down south- they're beautiful!!!

I am thinking... how much my perspective on the world around me is changing since welcoming BabyBear into our family

I am thankful for... the previous owners of this house, that they planted to attract butterflies- I'm so glad they did!!!

I am wearing... jeans, black tank top and green hooded (Baylor) sweatshirt

I am remembering... the colors of fall living on Apple Drive in Exton, PA...those trees are hands down the most beautiful and colorful trees I have ever seen in the fall.

I am reading... still working on Twelve Extraordinary Women of the Bible by John MacArthur

I am hoping... to get the house cleaned (REALLY cleaned) before my parents get here

From the learning rooms... I'm learning how to sew baby clothes :)

Noticing that... we really need to get a bird feeder since our last one broke. I walked by the bedroom window yesterday and this gorgeous cardinal looked up at me as if to say, "Are you still going to feed us?"

Pondering these words... "He is no fool who gives up that which he can not keep to gain that which he can not lose." - Jim Elliot

From the kitchen... I've been trying a lot of new recipes lately in an effort to serve my family healthier, but tasty foods. This week, I've got a chicken & veggie pasta that sounds like it will be really tasty...we'll see.

Around the house... A friend is coming over for dinner tonight, then Lifegroup tomorrow night, then Mom and Dad are coming to visit Wednesday and staying through the weekend. It will be busy, but so fun!!

One of my favorite things... The scent of an apple cinnamon candle (we get the cheapy Glade kind) burning in the house during the fall season...MMMMMMM

From my picture journal... (last year- yes, it's a crab hat...definitely worth the $1 I spent)
If you would like to take part in The Simple Woman's Daybook, please consult Peggy at http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/ for details.

The BabyBear Show! July 3, 2009

Today's episode of The BabyBear Show! is brought to you by MLB Network. MLB Network -- the best channel ever for dads who are up at all hours with a little baby. Get MLB Network today!

Have you met my sidekick?

Ever since December or so, Orbit has spent much of his days following me around and making sure everything is ok. When Jeff gets home, Orbit thinks his "job" is over and he either plays with Jeff or Orbit goes off and naps or something. It's been very cute.

In our office, we have a window seat that is covered in sun about this time of day. He was there for a while and then decided that he would rather flop down immediately next to my chair.


It seems like he's been more attentive today than usual...maybe he knows something I don't? :)

it really IS all inside!!

We had the privilege of having Auntie Diane visit this past week from Hawaii and during her time here, she played a bit with Orbit in this plastic bag (both parties, I think, enjoyed themselves). Orbit has been spending quite a bit of time in that bag since and I just thought this was a really funny and cute picture...

Have a great day!

A surprise e-mail

So I had just finished an interview at work today for my next feature and was checking my e-mail when I was surprised to find this in my inbox:

From: Orbit Brown
Date: Tue, Apr 14, 2009 at 12:32 PM
Subject: Wishing you a day full of special things...
To: Jeff
Meow-lo!!!

Meow just wanted to say hi and tell you how much meow loves you. Meow have been keeping Bethany company and am breaking for lunch right now. The birds and squirrels are out and meow am enjoying watching them. Meow hope that you have a good view of birds and squirrels from your window.

Meow am so happy to have you as meow's favorite person. Meow love to wrestle, chase and curl up in your lap and meow wanted you to know you are very special to meow. Meow love it when you come home each day and meow love spending time with you. Meow know you are working way harder than meow today, so meow just wanted to say meow proud of you and meow love you very much!!

Love,
Orbit

And of course, he attached a photo of his day:


I bet YOUR cat doesn't send you e-mails!!

Happy 4th from the Browns

Happy Fourth of July!!!!!

We hope wherever you are, that you have a good day and are able to celebrate the freedom we have been blessed with. A special thank you to all the men and women in our Armed Forces for all they have done!!!!

I have learned it is a tradition in Texas for families to take pictures in patches of bluebonnets. Since it is a tradition...





Happy Fourth of July!! Enjoy your own traditions!!!!

Disaster Movie of the Week: Not Worth Reviewing!

So, the Disaster Movie of the Week was Python, which was so awful that I actually threw the DVD away. I really can't think of anything good to say about it, so I'll just talk about something else instead while on my lunch break from work...

Orbit! He's a great topic of conversation in our house, and while he is a valued member of the family, he does make certain other members of the family sneeze because of allergy issues. He sheds a lot too... and since shaving him isn't an option, I decided to tackle the fur issue with a Christmas gift I got called the FURminator. It's this fancy brush that I've heard from lots of people helps cats and dogs not to shed as much (the box claims to reduce 90% of shedding). We also found this cat allergy reducing shampoo that we figured was worth a try.

So, last night we decided to tackle the cat and not only FURminate him, but also take a chance with the allergy shampoo. To my amazement, he really liked the FURminator. I started brushing him and he rolled over and started purring! It did seem to do a good job at getting loose hair off, and he seemed to enjoy it. He was good about the shampoo part too, but definitely was not purring by the end. Still, Jeff and I were impressed!

We'll see how it goes with the allergies...the real test will be when my dad comes to visit in April (he's really allergic to cats, but in the past hasn't had too much trouble with Orbit). Anyway, just thought I'd share...

Sorry for the letdown on the Disaster Movie of the Week, hopefully next week's will be better!!

Orbit does tricks!

We recorded this video several weeks ago, but hadn't gotten around to posting it 'til now. Bethany just put it on her iPod for her trip to Pennsylvania, and I thought I'd post it here for everyone else.



Yes, we taught our cat to stand up and do "Sic 'em, Bears!". He also plays fetch (sort of), follows us from room to room, and will meet me at the door when I come home from work. The most dog-like cat ever.

Lilies & Kitties...end in sight

Orbit came home tonight around 5:45 and is still very woozie. He had an IV in his paw and it took him all of about five minutes into the car ride on the way home to get the bandage off. The vet says he should be fine, but wants to see him again in two weeks to make sure his kidneys are still working. Ironically enough, Jeff and I ran across a show tonight on TV about animals and the things they swallow. I have definitely learned my lesson. It's good to have our kitty home again.

Lillies & Kitties

FYI...Lilies of any sort are extremely toxic to cats.

I didn't know how toxic until today and sadly Orbit is in the kitty hospital on an IV. The vet said we caught it early enough that he should be fine, but apparently any sort of lily flower is extremely toxic to cats and causes Renal failure and death. We've decided it's time for me to find a new favorite flower...maybe a cactus.


Here are some websites we found... after taking Orbit to the vet:

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/04/02/Northpinellas/Nibbling_on_lovely_li.shtml

http://www.showcatsonline.com/x/lethal_lilies.htm

http://www.aspca.org/site/DocServer/vettech_0402.pdf?docID=354

Latest Furniture Additions (from Orbit)

Meow, Meow wanted to post about some new pieces of furniture that have recently arrived into Meow's home. Jeff brought back a very sentimental bookcase from Houston that he and his dad painted together when he was 4, which went into his den. Today, Meow acquired two swiveling club chairs from a sale at a house down the street, which go great in the Family Room (aka the Baylor Room).

Here are some pictures:

Jeff's Bookcase:


Meow making use of said Bookcase:



New chairs in Family Room:


Meow making use of the Chair:

Orbit, Then and Now

Bethany got a new toy - it's a little digital video camera, a lot like the "disposable" video cameras you can get at CVS, except that this will record up to five hours with a memory card.

Here's a sample video she took this weekend as we took Orbit for a car ride to the 7-11 in West Chester to get a Slurpee (the Slurpee was for me, not him). We figured he should start getting used to riding in the car.



Just for kicks, and for reference, here's a video we took with our old digital camera when we first got Orbit.