Hi all, I have no idea who remembers our journey as it’s been a while. I wanted to make a post on the second anniversary of Elvis’ passing but time likes to move in strange ways (more on that later). Lately it’s been going by too quickly.
The year he died was tough. I thought losing him would be the bottom of the barrel, but it turns out I had some personal issues to overcome as well. I got pretty sick, ended up having my gallbladder taken out, lost a lot of weight and dealt with several random medical events over the course of the year. During and after Elvis’ illness my husband and I had started trying for a second baby, and as it turned out that was one of many things that just did not go according to plan. So by the end of 2015, I was a wreck in all ways. That holiday season, I did my best to “give it to God” and work on healing myself so I could move forward with other life plans.
Then in March of last year, sometime around Elvis’ birthday, I got a positive pregnancy test. The pregnancy went well, and we welcomed a baby girl on November 10th. Her name is Loire (yes, like the Loire River in France) and she is thriving.
But before that, for my son Cadoc’s 7th birthday and when I was about 27 weeks along, we opened our hearts to a new furry family member. We adopted a 12-week-old puppy from our local shelter, christened him “Flash”, and he’s been with our family almost a year now! He isn’t a tripawd, but he is a lowrider and he’s full of bouncing puppy energy. Seeing that we’re a novice dog family, he’s been a joy even in spite of his stubborn streak.
Last but not least, Vesuvius and Bella (Elvis’ sister) are doing well. We have finally gotten Bella to lose a pretty significant amount of weight on a wet food only diet. She was veering dangerously close to diabetes territory as an overweight senior cat, but she looks fantastic now. V is now 14 years old and is a beautiful/wonderful guy in his golden years. I love him dearly and I’m trying not to let our newest additions steal all of his thunder. If our experiences with Elf in particular taught me, time is fleeting. All of these critters deserve all the love they get and more. I still have not shelved the desire to rescue a differently-abled animal one day, but right now, I’m soaking in the relative bliss of three healthy ones.
Soon after we got his cremains back, I sent some off to be infused in glass and the resulting pieces were mounted in bracelets. I wear mine often, and think of him just as much. His sweet “honk” of a meow, his unique eyes, his funny Roman nose… yeah, I miss him dearly. I’m grateful he is/was a part of our lives, and for second chances and new beginnings.
Wishing you all the best life has to offer,
Jo
(I put in some pictures below the cut, hope you enjoy.)
A pup and his boy…
He got so big in a few short months.
Baby girl, brand new.
Bella-boo.
Vesuvius and Bella partaking in some catnip…
Elvis’ bracelet
And finally, a tribute to the Elf himself.
Congratulations on your new daughter, and of course, the new puppy. Glad things have turned around for you – sounds like a rough year.
What a journey you have been on! I am glad your hearts have some new reasons for joy after a tough loss. Congrats on your expanded family!
Elvis is with you, too, in your hearts.
Loire is as beautiful as her name. And Cadoc and Flash look so happy together. What a lovely friendship.
And your Elf memorial bracelet – gorgeous.
Lisa
Thanks for the update. My first time reading your blog. Sounds like Elvis was a cool cat!
Oh my gosh I was so happy to see an update from you Jo. Thank you for sharing all your news, both difficult and joyous. It’s an honor to be remembered, especially when you have so much going on in your life. Congratulations with Baby Loire! What a beautiful human and furry family you have!
The Elf Lives on Furever in Tripawds Land. Thanks for the extra photo of your sweet angel.