Well this past Thursday, Friday and Saturday was Tulip Time 2013 in Pella and it was cold, rainy, windy and snowy!!! There were actually school closings Friday in Iowa due to snow, yowza. I had planned to go to TT with my bestie from 7th grade Lori - and to see Dad. I called Lori early Thursday morning to see if she was still game to go - I was going no matter what to see Dad at least. Lori said "yes" to I picked her up and off we drove, in horrid weather and then all-of-a-sudden we drove out of the snow.
We visited with Dad a little and then off to West Market Park to check out the vendors, uptown for Dutch Letters and my annual Bismark plus a plate of poffenjes (sp). We looked at the few old cars and then walked through Scholte Garden - we were the only people in the garden :) I took two pictures of tulips but somehow Blogger can't find them on my computer to post in this blog.
One thing I hoped to have to show Dad was my digital scrapbook of my vacation in 2011 with my sis-in-law Marcia and niece Chrissy when we went to my two bedroom timeshare in Branson. I finally finished it last Sunday and saw that it would take 5-7 days for regular shipping after the book was printed. I prayed, "God you know I'd really like to have this book to show Dad on Thursday, it would be awesome if the book could arrive by Wednesday at the latest. But if it doesn't, it's my own fault for taking so long to finish and order it." Guess what was waiting for me Wednesday on my enclosed porch when I got home from work - my Branson book! I was so excited and thankful that God answered that prayer.
After spending a little more time with Dad, Lori and I headed back to DSM. And we drove back into falling snow around SE Polk school. I dropped Lori off and headed home spending the rest of the snowy, cold day in my sweats reading a book and then falling asleep for a short nap.
I've been praying different times if I should get a cat or two so while I was running errands yesterday something prompted me to go to the Animal Rescue League (ARL). I said, "God I'll head out there and either the two cats you want for me will be there or they won't." I first found Mike's and my brick in the walkway into the building and took a picture of it. I walked through the cat area and found two girls that were really pretty but they looked too much alike. I went around the corner and found them. Hansel and Gretel, who are brother and sister. They are 14 weeks old/4 months. They are not declawed and I'm debating if I will declaw them or not. I spent a little time in a hug room and it was a no brainer these were my cats.
I have changed their names. Gretel is Sadie. I've always wanted to have a dog named Sadie. And Hansel is Rowdy. I named the boy Rowdy after Dad's horse he sold to go to Bible school. I would have named Cruz Rowdy but I liked Cruz' name. So I'm in the lobby while they are doing my paperwork and thought I'd call Dad to tell him he was a grandpa again. This is how the conversation kind of went:
Me: Dad, you're a grandpa again.
Dad: What?
Me: You're a grandpa again.
Can't remember some of the conversation but Dad finally says, "Scott?"
I'm thinking who in the world is Scott, there's no Scott in our family.
Me yelling: I am adopting two cats.
Dad: What?
Me yelling: Two kitty cats....cats.
Dad still didn't get it for a little bit.
Me: This is why I don't call you on the phone :)
Email is the best way for me to communicate with Dad :)
So enjoy the pix below.
Sadie
Rowdy - he's such a goober
I put them on their bed (it's a bed liner) I bought for them - they've yet to lay on it on their own.
On the bed last night laying next to Mom. The lower right corner is my grey sweatpant leg - they were laying next to me. At one time Rowdy was laying on Sadie licking her head, her ears, etc., and I told them to "get a room".
Last night was interesting - at times I was a evidently a cat highway as they ran over me after lights out. It was fun to see during the day and evening them getting closer to me. Now they follow me wherever I go and get on the bed a lot to sit next to me or on me.
And I have kitty litter ALL over my bathroom floor - I'm keeping their litter pan in my bathroom upstairs. Goobers.
This afternoon during nap time - can you even see poor Sadie? They are laying next to me.
So Rowdy should really be called Houdini. I bought two cardboard pet carriers to take them home from the ARL. The ARL is almost in Ankeny and before I got to the DSM River someone was poking his head out his box and then crossing the river he got out of his carrier. I'm like, "no no no". So Rowdy explored the car on the rest of the drive. I just didn't want him to get under my clutch - which Babe had done one time - because that would get interesting.
I was advised to instead of using a squirt bottle with water or a can with coins as discipline to keep them off the furniture to put aluminum foil on things I didn't want them to climb on. On my counters I have double sided sticky tape to deter them from getting on my kitchen counters. So far they like walking on the foil upstairs. I don't have any tape on my bathroom counter so Rowdy was on it helping me wash my face this morning.
The adventures begin......
