Happy Friday, y’all! I hope you had a great week. Ours? Well, it pretty much sucked. Tuesday evening, everyone’s favorite cat, Gus, died suddenly and completely unexpectedly.

He’d been acting completely normal all day. He’d been in the house for napping and being loved on. Just an hour or so before he died, he was wandering around outside while Brian washed his car.

Brian left for a ballgame and Josh was at a Bible study with some friends, so it was just Megan and me at home. I thought I heard a cat meowing, so I checked to see if one of them had gotten trapped in the garage, but it was empty.

I didn’t think much of it and went outside to take out the trash. I don’t know if I’d have even noticed Gus if Belle hadn’t approached him. He yowled – if you’ve ever tried to give a cat a bath, you probably know the sound I’m talking about.

I immediately knew that something was wrong because Gus never makes that sound. He’s probably the most laid-back cat in the history of the world. Okay, wait. He did make that sound every time I took him to the vet, but, you know. The vet.

I went to check on him and he was panting and drooling profusely. His pupils were dilated and it was clear that he was in distress. My first thought was rabies, but he’d just had his shots. My second thought was poisoning.

I picked him up as gently as I could and took him to his water bowl to try to get him to drink something, but he was so weak he couldn’t stand and he couldn’t quit panting.

I yelled for Megan and ran for a towel to wrap him in. I was in a complete panic, but I managed to find my keys and my phone and we took off to the emergency vet clinic.

Gus clawed his way out of Megan’s arms and climbed into the back floorboard. That was pretty much the last time he moved. I had Megan google the emergency vet clinic because I wasn’t even sure it still existed. When she did, we realized that there was another vet that was closer and still open. (It was after 6, so our regular vet was closed.)

I called and let them know we were on our way and what was going on with him. They were fabulous. They had someone waiting for us and they took him as soon as we walked in.

I’m pretty sure he was already gone, though. He seemed to be. They had two vets waiting and they tried CPR and some type of injections, but there was nothing they could do for him.

One of the worst things I’ve ever done in my life was walk out of that clinic with everybody’s favorite cat in a pet body bag, tears streaming down my face, and my sobbing 16-year-old walking beside us. It was horrible.

The vet said it could have been poisoning, but it was more likely heart failure. I think she was right because he’d been around the house all day and there was nothing he could get into.

We brought Gus home, took him out of the bag, and spent an hour or so loving on him one last time. Then, when Brian got home, we buried him under the tree where he loved to torment the squirrels. (He didn’t chase them. He just annoyed them with his presence.)

He was the cat who found us after the original Gus disappeared. We called him Not Gus for a long time because, although he looked like Gus, we didn’t think anyone could live up Gus the Original.

Gus the Second did. Everybody loved him. Including two sets of neighbors who told us that they didn’t like cats, but they liked Gus.

I’m so thankful that Gus chose us. I’m thankful for the 5 years we had with him. And, as horrible as Tuesday night was, I’m thankful that we were with him when he died – that he didn’t have to be alone, that I didn’t find him dead in the yard, and that he didn’t do like most cats and go off to die leaving us wondering what happened to him.

I’m pretty old and Gus was, hands-down, the best cat I’ve ever owned – if one ever really owns a cat. He will be forever missed.

Brianna’s wedding is next weekend (I can’t even believe it!) so there won’t be a Weekly Wrap-Up. On Friday, May 4, I’ll come back and tell you all about the wedding and prom (which is today) and school stuff, but this Weekly Wrap-Up is all for Gus. Our home won’t be the same without him.

Our home won’t be the same without him.

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Happy Friday, y’all! So, it’s official. The wedding stress has hit. It’s two weeks from tomorrow, y’all. {gasp} How can you be so ready for something to be over and yet not at all ready for it at the same time?

We’re to the point of taking care of all the little details. That’s what I find stressful. I can do the big stuff all day long. Buy the dress? Check. Hire a photographer? Got it.

Deciding what color tulle to use on the archway or what decorations to use in the sanctuary? Ugh!

Okay, that’s enough wedding talk. I can feel my blood pressure going up. {grin}

Last week, I mentioned that the beautiful weather we had (at the beginning of the week because it was pretty stinking cold by the end of the week) got me all excited about next school year for some crazy reason, and I started ordering curriculum.

Well, this week was “happy mail day” time. Such fun!

It would have been all one big happy mail day, but this package decided it wanted to tour Memphis for an extra day.

That’s okay, though. That way I got to spread the excitement out over two days.

It looks like it’s going to be a pretty fun year.

Brianna came by on Tuesday and brought my new grand-furbaby to visit. He’s super-cute in person because he has a sweet little personality. A ferret is something I have never wanted to own, but they’re cute and fun so I’m happy to have one who can visit from time to time.

Now, I think I’m going to go enjoy the last low-key weekend I’ll have for a couple of weeks. Prom is next Friday and the wedding is the following weekend. I hope I survive the rest of the month! {grin}

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Happy Friday, y’all! Have you had a wonderful Easter and a super-fantastic week? If so, yay, you! If not, I hope next week is better!

I’ve had a pretty awesome week. The first couple of days were a little busy, but I’ve managed to be a hermit since Wednesday. Y’all know how much I love being a hermit, right?

It’s spring break for the local schools. Since my niece’s preschool follows the school schedule, she’s been on spring break, which means I haven’t kept her this week. I love her so much and enjoy keeping her, but she’s 4, so it’s understandable that I get so much done when she’s not here. (I’m guessing her mom feels the same way.)

My beautiful babies – including the new one – on Easter

The last couple of days have been so productive and I’m incredibly thankful for that because my goal is to get as much of my online work completed in the first two weeks of the month as I can so that I can spend the rest of the month focusing on wedding stuff.

Yes, wedding stuff. I cannot believe that it’s here already and my firstborn baby will be getting married in just a few short weeks. This is how I feel every time I think of it:

{sigh} I can’t believe how quickly life goes by. I can still remember Brian and I planning our wedding.

Megan and I went to dinner Wednesday night and I saw this young couple come in with their baby. I had a flashback to when Brian and I were that young couple with our first baby and her whole life ahead of us.

This photo doesn’t look noteworthy, but I couldn’t even tell you the last time Megan ate a hamburger. She doesn’t particularly like them, but she was in the mood for one and scarfed it down in record time.

The saying, “The days are long, but the years are short” is oh-so-true.

We had some beautiful, spring-like weather at the beginning of the week. Something about having the windows open with the breeze blowing in inspired me to get excited about next year. (Because, seriously, next year is always so much more exciting than this year.)

I wound up ordering a Picture Study Profile (Van Gogh) and Music Study with the Masters (Beethoven) from Simply Charlotte Mason and the Lightning Lit (Early American) student book from a friend.

Then I went to our local used bookstore and picked up all the books (except Moby Dick, which they didn’t have)  that I’ll need for both American Lit and the British Lit (early-mid-19th) century since we’ll do it next if we like the first one and you might as well snatch up good books at a great price while you can.

I also contacted my friends at Geography Matters to talk them about reviewing their World Geography High School bundle.

I’m telling y’all, my brand of spring fever is weird. But, what else would you expect?

Next year, I’ll only be homeschooling Megan and I think it’s going to be an exciting year!

Now, I’m off to enjoy what should be a relatively low-key weekend. It may be one of the last ones I’ll get for awhile.

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Happy Friday, y’all! I hope you have all had a fantastic week. Mine has been good, but yesterday got crazy. Hence the tardiness of the Weekly Wrap-Up. I usually get most of it together on Thursday, but that so did not happen yesterday.

Yesterday, I met Brianna for lunch. She’s basically been moved out for the last few weeks because she’s been staying with a friend during the week, getting wedding stuff ready, and going to her new hometown (where Andrew lives) on the weekends.

My niece’s preschool had an adorable little one-week-old visitor yesterday.

However, Wednesday was her last day at her job here. She’s heading to her new town today. {cue waterworks}

We always remember the firsts. Baby’s first steps. The first words. We often miss the lasts. They sneak up on us and we just don’t realize they’re happening. I grab hold of them and savor them when I can.

When Josh was about 8, he asked me if I’d rock him. He was about as tall as me and I wasn’t sure we were both going to be able to squeeze into the rocking chair, but you better believe I jumped all over that. I recognized a last and I savored it.

Last night, all three kids were home. I knew it would very well be the last meal we had together as a family of five. I savored it. The conversation, the chaos, and the mess of Brianna’s favorite meal.

It was the close of a chapter of my life that started nearly 23 years ago. I’m excited for Brianna in this new chapter, and I’m curious about what it’s going to be like for the rest of us, but I’m still sad to finish that one.

It went by way too quickly.

For all you Friends fans out there, you might say it’s the end of an era. {grin}

Okay, on to less sniffly stuff.

Prom is coming up. You know, that thing that homeschoolers are supposed to miss out on. Megan found her dress this week. It’s really cute and she got it for a very reasonable price, which is always nice (for me). Prom is the weekend before the wedding. {gasp}

I’m going to be kind of glad when April is over, y’all. I hope I survive.

One of the best things about picking up my niece at preschool is that I’ve become the recipient of wildflower bouquets. I so miss those days!

In very exciting news, Teaching Textbooks has just released their 3.0 version – it’s online! I got access to it this week, but it’s been so crazy that I haven’t had a chance to check it out yet. I’m looking forward to it! I can’t say the same about Megan. {evil grin}

Getting that set up and checking it out is on today’s to do list…along with about a million other things that didn’t get done yesterday. But that’s okay. The time with family was well worth playing catch up today.

I hope you all have a safe and happy Easter and a wonderful weekend with your families!

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Happy Friday, y’all! Have you had a great week? Mine has been a steady kind of busy but not as chaotic as I thought it might be so I’m thankful for that.

Brianna has been slowly packing away and moving things that she’s not going to need over the next few weeks and taking them to Andrew’s apartment. {sniff} Josh has been chomping at the bit to move into her room. Because he works third and Brianna’s room is in the basement, I understand his impatience. It’s a lot quieter down there during the day.

My niece and my little old lady dog were really enjoying each other’s company.

So, last Friday, he moved the rest of her stuff out of the room. The plan was to move his stuff in, then put her stuff in his room. It will be our guest room when Brianna and Andrew come to visit.

Unfortunately, he only got most of his stuff moved in before he ran out of time in his crazy schedule.

So, on Sunday, Brian and I finished moving Josh’s stuff out of his room and got it ready to move Brianna’s stuff in. By the time she came home Sunday night, she had a nice, comfy place to sleep. I told her to just not open the closet. {grin}

Tuesday, my mom, sister, and I got together to nail down reception food details. Since we’re just doing finger foods and my mom, sister, and aunt, along with Brian’s mom, volunteered to help, we decided to do the food ourselves.

Have I mentioned how much I’m looking forward to April 29?

She just wanted someone to play with her. Plllleeeeaaassseee.

I was really dreading Thursday. I had a lot on my to-do list and I wasn’t sure how long a couple of the errands would take. It was a pleasant surprise when the whole day went more smoothly than expected.

I had a health risk screening for our health insurance at 9:45. It was about 25 minutes away from the house. I was back home sometime between 10:30 and 10:45. See? Pleasant surprise.

Then, I had to round up 3 of the 5 cats to take them for their rabies shots. Two of them were in the house. I coaxed the outside kitty with treats. They were not liking me too much.

I wound up chatting with a sweet older lady while I waited at the vet’s office. I should have known something was up when I saw she had her sunglasses on inside. She was there to have to her 16-year-old cat euthanized because her health had declined quickly to the point that the cat couldn’t even stand up anymore.

Oh, y’all. My heart just broke for this lady and I was so glad I hadn’t pulled out my phone as soon as I sat down. She needed someone to talk to. {sniff} She was having such a hard time saying goodbye to her fur-baby.

This one forgave me pretty quickly for the whole vet incident.

I’ve had to wait 45 minutes or longer just for rabies shots (no office visit) before, so I had my second pleasant surprise when I only spent about 20 minutes at the vet’s office. That gave me time to go home, eat lunch, and jot down a grocery list before picking up my niece and heading to the grocery store.

Then, it was back home to put away the groceries and fix dessert to take to my mom’s for dinner. See? Busy day, but, thankfully, not chaotic.

Today, I think I will once again endeavor to be a hermit. That worked out quite well last Friday. {grin}

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