Hunt Family Connection

Bike riding with Pa-Paw and Grandma Chery

Graham is loving his new bike and wants to ride often. The kids spent this past Saturday night and most of Sunday with Pa-Paw and Grandma Chery, and judging by the pictures I was sent, there was a lot of bike riding and tons of fun :)

I think this was Ellie's first time in the bike trailer :)

I'm told that Graham did very well on the bike trail, getting out to push when it got a little steep for him...

I think when it was all said and done it was a 2 1/2 mile bike ride for everyone. I'm so glad this is something that G enjoys and I hope we're able to do more of it as a family.

There were more great pictures from a trip to the park on Sunday. Graham's new trick is sliding down the pole....

And I guess this is Ellie's new trick?!

There was also some more bike riding - I'm told that this is "Ellie Power" helping G get going.....

They have so much FUN when they are with Pa-Paw and Grandma Chery - it makes me happy that they take pictures so I can see how happy they are and capture memories of this time together.

I leave you with a few more pictures of their adventures with Pa-Paw and Grandma Chery....

I love the way they are looking at each other in this one....and the way the path winds around - great picture Grandma Chery!

water break with Grandma Chery

wanting to be like big brother....and I love how G is helping :)

Ellie and Pa-Paw

Welcoming Baby Maya

This past weekend (Saturday), my friend Teresa and I hosted a gathering to welcome Maya to the world and to celebrate Kara and Brian. Maya slept through most of it, but that made for great baby-holding conditions :) Isn't she beautiful?!

There were baby gifts...

....there was some playing :)

As I mentioned there was baby-holding (Melissa and Maya)

More baby-holding (Teresa and Maya)....



...and there were cookies! I can't say enough good things about these cookies from Cookies Cookies. YUM!

The weather was quite lovely for a change and it was a lovely day to celebrate such special people.

Our Hazel Girl....

I am so sad to write this - I knew the day would come, but I just had a hard time believing that there would be a day when she wasn't with us anymore.

Our beautiful Hazel passed away early Thursday morning. Her health had just recently been declining, and they suspect she was suffering from a type of cancer.

Hazel has been with us for a long time - something like 10 years now I guess. I still very clearly remember the day that we adopted her at Greenhill. We first noticed her sister, Heidi, in one of the cages, and as we found ourselves attracted to and falling in love with Heidi, we pulled her out of the cage and found little, tiny Hazel hiding out and cuddled up behind her. Of course we couldn't separate them, so we ended up taking them both home.

We joked that Hazel was not the brightest of the two cats, but she sure was pretty. She also grew up to be a very big cat - I have always insisted that she is simply big boned and fluffy :) Unfortunately, her sister, Heidi was not with us for very long and died of cancer just before Wil and I were married. Hazel so obviously missed her and seemed lonely after Heidi was gone - we definitely noticed a change in her personality after that.

At some point she became a little wary of people that were not Wil or I, especially men....though she did seem to have a soft spot for our friend Craig. She was always sweet and loving with Wil and I though, and she became my constant companion when I was pregnant with Graham. I'm ashamed to say that I never really had as much time and patience for her once G was born, but she adjusted and did a great job of adjusting to having new little people in the house. She was never terribly fond of the kids, but she never lashed out or hurt them either.

We have lost cats before, but none of them had been with us as long as Hazel has been. She has been with us since almost of the beginning of our relationship. For me it has brought up many memories of that time together and all that we have been through as a family.

Hazel was living with Wil, and I know that this has been very difficult for him. Wil loved and cared for her unconditionally and with great dedication to her happiness. He definitely treated Hazel as the royalty she often seemed to think she was.

We will miss her terribly, but we will carry many great memories of our time with her. As I have told Wil with the passing of each of our cats....she has lived a very comfortable and wonderful life - spoiled and loved in a way that many cats can only even dream of. I choose to think she has been reunited with her sister Heidi, because I think that would make them both quite happy :)

It's Raining Again....

But I just ran across this artwork as I was browsing Pinterest while eating my lunch....

(by vol25 and for purchase HERE)

A very good reminder methinks - I have much to be grateful for, rain or shine :)

PS - I LOVE this artist's work and have another of her prints on my wishlist - Wherever We Are Together - just love the words and design....good stuff :)