Five Years Without You My Precious Boy

 

Thankful for our Dear Friend, Brian. Today and Always

 

Today is of course Thankful Thursday, and I thought it would be appropriate to show enormous gratitude for one special mancat, who I never thought would ever leave us......but he had to. That mancat is Brian of the superb Brian's Home blog.

Brian's blog was probably the first I followed. I began blogging sporadically in 2009, more frequently in 2010, and I remember stumbling upon Brian's blog. Being a tabby girl at heart, he won me over with his handsomeness, his sweetness and the PURE GOODNESS and fun of his blog.

I guess most of the credit goes to his pawesome Dad and Mom....but Brian was the heart and soul of his blog. Afterall, it was named after him!

The blog is magical, Brian was magical. Why of course he was! He was born on a Christmas Tree Farm after all, a place full of magic. It is only fitting that some of that magic would spill onto Brian.

This post is extremely difficult for me to write for a host of reasons. I have immense love for Brian and his entire family. I was blessed to see Brian's Dad at a number of blogging events and if you have never been blessed with meeting him in person, you truly are missing out. He is just as kind and funny in person as you would imagine.  Brian's Dad was there for me before and after my precious Cody passed and I will never forget it. With tears in my eyes, I think it's best if I just include a bit of an email I wrote to Brian's Dad when I heard the heartbreaking news. Hoping he doesn't mind.

"I honestly thought our beloved Brian would live forever. I truly did. He was the epitome of class, bravery, with a stoic personality, kind heart.......just like his Daddy who spoke for him.

How warmly he accepted sooooooo many kitties into his home......he was the glue of all of the kitties who came after. 

I am having so much trouble accepting this. I can only imagine the pain all of you are feeling. I so wish I could be there to offer hugs and comfort. This is the end of an era.  You designed a most meaningful blog after just one kitty.....Brian. Not just one kitty but a kitty that will forever be the heart and soul of our community.

Thank you for sharing him with all of us......thank you for allowing all of us to love him. Thank you for all that you do for cats every single day. May we all try and live more like you and Brian. Stoic, brave, kind, gentle and may we all proudly wear a fedora and be just as jaunty as we can be. Just like Brian........."

Hoping it's ok that I used this!

I WILL FOREVER AND EVER REMEMBER YOU,

I WILL FOREVER AND EVER LOVE YOU,

I WILL FOREVR AND EVER MISS YOU,

I WILL FOREVER AND EVER BE THANKFUL FOR YOU BRIAN.

It's 3 Years Since You Left Us Sweet Cody

 

(the above photo is before the blog was Cat Chat With Caren and Cody!)

 My precious Cody, (Codester, Codalicious, Jelly Belly), my precious boy. You left us two years ago today. A life ended much too soon.

 I miss your quirky mouth and oh so handsome face. I miss holding you, cuddling you

While life may have changed since you left us precious Cody, one thing is constant. My love for you is as deep (even deeper), than it ever was. I will never, ever stop loving you and I will never, ever stop missing you.

You can rest assured that you still have my heart, and you always will.

Love, Mom

Happy 16th Birthday in Heaven Precious Cody

 I wasn't going to post for Cody's birthday this year.....but then I noticed I did for Dakota's.....soooo....I am re-posting last years post and just changed the age to 16. Maybe one day I will no longer feel the need to post for his birthday, but I still miss my boy beyond belief, so please indulge me. After all, if it weren't for Cody, this blog would never have existed and I never would have had the joy of knowing all of YOU! xoxo

I see this face and the hurt begins all over again. My precious Cody today would have been your 16th birthday, three years ago I never would have ever imagined that you wouldn't be with us today. One day you were here, and like a blink of an eye you were gone. It's all a blur. A heartbreaking blur.

I miss you EVERY SINGLE DAY. I miss you sitting next to me on the armrest of the couch. I miss looking into your sea green eyes, I miss your quirky little mouth. I miss your cuddle bug ways. I miss yelling at you for trying to chew everything you could get your paws on. I miss sharing chicken with you. I miss your calm and easy-going nature.

From the day I adopted you in 2007 we shared an incredible bond. You crawled up my chest that day and you would NOT let go. The tears come all over again when I think about the day you left us. I beat myself up mentally constantly for feeling as if I let you down. That I didn't protect you enough, when I had promised you I would. Even now, nearly three years after you passed, I STILL cannot type without tears welling in my eyes.

I love you and miss you my "Codester", my "Jelly Belly", my "Codalicious", my "Cody Boy", my "Cuddlebug". I pray with all of my heart that you knew how deeply you were loved. I hope Angel Dakota is helping you celebrate your heavenly birthday my precious boy. My life will never, ever be the same without you here. I miss you more than you could ever imagine Cody. 

My Precious Cody, You've Been Gone Two Years

(the above photo is before the blog was Cat Chat With Caren and Cody!)

 My precious Cody, (Codester, Codalicious, Jelly Belly), my precious boy. You left us two years ago today. A life ended much too soon.

Though it's been two years, the pain is still as raw.

Life has changed in those two years; we have a new woofie named Levi and another kitty named Roary. I know you see Roary from your urn on the cat tree and probably are wondering what all of the ruckus is around you. While he loves the cat tree, he doesn't "live" in it as you did every day. You loved nothing more than relaxing in your most favorite tree.

As you see from your perch, Levi is much wilder than your beloved brother, Dakota. To think I thought you and Dakota were wild, I didn't have a clue what the future would bring.

Cody, we had a bond, a bond that was deep in our hearts from the day I first found you at Petsmart and you crawled up my chest and never let go.

You still haven't let go of my heart and I will never, ever let you go.

If I allow myself to relive the horrible day you left, my tears and pain are as raw as the day it happened. I am choosing to think of wonderful memories of you.

I miss how every night you sat on the armrest of the couch next to me. I miss how you begged for your beloved chicken.

 I miss your quirky mouth and oh so handsome face. I miss holding you, cuddling you, I miss you so much that now the tears are coming again.

While life may have changed since you left us precious Cody, one thing is constant. My love for you is as deep (even deeper), than it ever was. I will never, ever stop loving you and I will never, ever stop missing you.

You can rest assured that you still have my heart, and you always will.

Love, Mom

Happy 15th Birthday in Heaven Precious Cody

 

I see this face and the hurt begins all over again. My precious Cody today would have been your 15th birthday, two years ago I never would have ever imagined that you wouldn't be with us today. One day you were here, and like a blink of an eye you were gone. It's all a blur. A heartbreaking blur.

I miss you EVERY SINGLE DAY. I miss you sitting next to me on the armrest of the couch. I miss looking into your sea green eyes, I miss your quirky little mouth. I miss your cuddle bug ways. I miss yelling at you for trying to chew everything you could get your paws on. I miss sharing chicken with you. I miss your calm and easy-going nature.

From the day I adopted you in 2007 we shared an incredible bond. You crawled up my chest that day and you would NOT let go. The tears come all over again when I think about the day you left us. I beat myself up mentally constantly for feeling as if I let you down. That I didn't protect you enough, when I had promised you I would. Even now, nearly two years after you passed, I STILL cannot type without tears welling in my eyes.

I love you and miss you my "Codester", my "Jelly Belly", my "Codalicious", my "Cody Boy", my "Cuddlebug". I pray with all of my heart that you knew how deeply you were loved. I hope Angel Dakota is helping you celebrate your heavenly birthday my precious boy. My life will never, ever be the same without you here. I miss you more than you could ever imagine Cody. 

A Most Beautiful "Lion" Girl:Honoring "Sister Sascha" with Love and Sadness

Hoping Brian's Home doesn't mind that we used their photo

I have been offline the past few days for a host of reasons. One of them was that we had a death in our family last Wednesday. Our cousin passed after battling kidney cancer for five years. He would have been 62 on October 23rd.  We were with the family Friday night, and yesterday was the funeral and wake. I have not been reading blogs or checking email at all since Friday.

I began reading email/blogs this morning and found out the heartbreaking news that beloved "Sister Sascha" from Brian's Home has gotten her Angel wings and has gone to the Bridge. Our hearts are broken for Brian and his entire family. I am deeply saddened that she had to go to the bridge at all, and it makes it hurt even more that she left on my birthday.  I will forever think of her that day.

Sister Sascha as Brian said is "High atop the Diva Tower." We always loved when she would get her "Lion Cut" about once or so a year..........and the first song that came into our minds to honor her memory was this one:

AND ALSO THIS ONE:

We extend our deepest sympathy to Sister Sascha's entire family and wish we could be there to help comfort them all. You have probably visited them already, since we found out so late, but if not, you can click here

Sister Sascha thank you for sharing your life with us, to your family, we love you and thank you for giving this exquisite cat the best home she could have ever hoped for. We love you all and we are hurting with you.

Caren and Cody