Howl on, Nikita, howl on...

 Our family lost a dear friend today. 

Nikita, our blue eyed wolf, had a wonderful second home at my parent's house.

She came to the house daily, howling and begging for treats.

My parents basically became her day-parents. 

They loved her, fed her, groomed her and expected her to join us at every family function.

She was the perfect pet.

She was ridiculously persistent about getting her treats, 
and of course we obliged, 

every time.

She came to every family gathering and she reminded us that having a furry companion, even a borrowed one, is necessary and perfect.

Thank you, Nikita, for allowing us to spoil you rotten.

 Thank you for allowing us to love you like you loved us.

Thank you for being our dog. 

Howl on, Nikita, howl on.

We will miss you. 

Love that dog...and that cat...

My post- CABIN! summer days have been spent with these two crazies:

And it's been pure perfection.

There is something about companionship with pets that makes me so very happy.
I went on a hike with Baxter and man, we had fun.
He called shotgun, obvi.

He frolicked through fields,

and posed with me, his bff for the summer.

When I'm home, I have been enjoying our backyard with both pets!
Birney is an indoor cat, but we discovered this summer that he is able to be outside with us because he doesn't try to get out of the yard. 

 He walks the perimeter, rests, sniffs, rolls, eats grass, chases Baxter, and rests some more.

Love, love, love my boys!

 This weekend my parents watched Baxter for us and when they dropped him off I said

thanks for taking care of Baxter and my dad said,

Oh, he took care of us.

That's the truth of it.
My companions this summer have taken care of me and I know that they will continue to do so when the reality of life sets in {t-minus 7 days...}

Oh, B&B I love you so.

Random Wednesday Obsessions

I have become obsessed. 

I found out about the SigNote app for my iPhone here and I can't stop playing with my pics.

See!

Doesn't it look like the hearts are chalk on the sidewalk? So freaking cool. 

Oh Brian. You are trooper for letting me use this photo--but

really the intended focal point is the sketch of his brewery label--Skinny Fish Brewery

I do heart my B&B. 

It's sorta hard to see my sketch of a dog and cat, but it's pretty professional.

On other random Wednesday notes,

I can't get enough of these guys 

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes--Home

{I ADORE the lyrics to this!!!}

or these guys

Of Monsters and Men--Little Talks

and I am going to this concert Thursday at Red Rocks.

Bon Iver--Holocene

Hooray for random Wednesday obsessions. 

:) 

Sweet, sweet Ginger

Our "Life on Madison" started by living next door to some amazing people. Kendra and her daughter Phoebe are phenomenal. They are kind, real, resilient, fun, interesting souls whom we adore.

Though I could blog on and on about Kendra and Phoebe, this post is dedicated their dog, Ginger. I just found out that Ginger is in Dog Heaven and I am profoundly sad.

Kendra, Phoebe and Ginger moved a few years ago, but we still consider them our neighbors and I have a special place in my heart for Ginger. She was my "test dog". See, I wasn't always a dog person. I had grown up with cats and I didn't have a lot of experience with dogs. Living next door to Ginger allowed me to see the love and loyalty that is a dog. From walks with her, dog-sitting and just having her around, I learned that dogs are pretty much awesome.

Pets are miracles in our lives. They give us a bit of comfort in this crazy world and I am so grateful for them. I am especially grateful for Ginger and all that she gave me.

Love to you sweet, sweet Ginger.

You will be missed. 

 xoxo  

Belmont "Bella Boo" Jacobsen-Laniel

This is my sweet Bella Boo.

I got Bella shortly after I moved to Denver and she lived with me, my friend Nancy and Birney in our awesome apartment called the Belmont-Buckingham. We named her Belmont after the apartment's name and it fit her perfectly. She was quirky, sweet and we'll call it "unpredictable" at times. 

Our sweet little Bella was truly little. She weighed only about 6 pounds in her prime and all she did was sleep, purr and beg for treats. She had a meow that sounded a bit like an old lady who smoked her whole life--gravelly and loud--it was one of a kind. Bella was definitely my cat. She really only responded to me and she didn't hide that other people sorta pissed her off. :)

 She got me, and I got her.

Unfortunately, our little Bella wasn't healthy. She was in a lot of pain due to a messed up digestive system.  Last November, Brian and I had to make the ridiculously difficult decision to have her finish her life in Cat Heaven.This decision wrecked me. I'm not sure I have cried such deep, bitter tears in my life. This sort of decision is truly, truly devastating and one that I don't wish upon my worst enemy. But like "they" all say, it was the only decision we could make for her.

 

My brother gave me a book called Cat Heaven by Cynthia Rylant and there is a page in the book that fits my image of where Bella is right now. She is at top of God's bed, right by his pillow, purring her perfect smokers purr, and sleeping peacefully. And I hope in that sleep she feels my love for her and she knows that she'll always, always be my Bella Boo.

 

Xoxo my sweet Bella Boo, I'll love you forever. 

July 1, 2005-November 1, 2011

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gosh, I love my dog.

It feels like it's been a while since I put into writing how much I love my dog.

Oh Baxter.

You're swell.

No matter what my day is like, you are consistently full of love and loyalty.

Man, that's great.

xoxo Mr. Baxter "Superdog" Laniel, xoxo

Birney, the perfect cat

"Catnap" is truly captured here...

Birney has been saving my life for 8 years now. If you haven't met Birney, your life is not quite complete, sorry. Even the "non cat-people" agree that Birney is one cool cat. (I mean, he smiles! Come on!)

He came into my life randomly, yet really it was an ordained by a higher power sort of way. He was a stray kitten that was brought to me the morning of the funeral for Matt. (Click on this blog post for further backstory.)This is very tragic, I know...I feel a bit naked writing this, but it's how I got him. He was wandering around Sheridan, WY and a friend of Matt's brought him to me. It was illogical and quite ridiculous to bring a pet into my life when I didn't even know what day it was or how I was going to take my next breath.

But there he was. Ready to love me unconditionally and make my life bearable. He moved with me to Denver and I reinvented my life with Birney in it. (BTW, Birney is the name of a small town in MT that has significance for me...and it's such a cute name!)

This summer, as my life with Baxter (our dog), is progressing and I am more and more a 'dog-person' I can't help but see the amazing miracle that Birney is in my life. He lumps his 18.5-pound body on me every day and purrs like a John Deere. He is always present and has put up with 55 pounds of puppy like a champ.

The irritation is unmistakable...what a trooper Birney is for sharing this 

coveted space with a silly dog!

He is a true cat-cat...playful, sleepy, funny and comforting. And, if you have been to any of our parties, Birney is a party cat. He doesn't sleep until we do!

Oh, Birney. Thanks for saving me. Cheers to many more years together.

The 7 Day Experiment

DAY SIX
It's amazing that life continues to bring heaps of firsts into our lives. Many of my friends have had (or are waiting to have!) their first child this year. A few friends are in their first serious relationship. Some are experiencing firsts of new houses, new jobs or new travel adventures.

It's been a while since I have had my fair share of firsts. So, why not reflect on the miracle of firsts through a 16 pound black and white fluff ball. I have never owned a dog. Growing up my parents chose not to have dogs around because they had lost so many in their own youth and they didn't want us kids to deal with that. I never really wished I had a dog...I was happy being a cat person. :)

That is quickly changing. Don't get me wrong, I will always have a soft purring spot in my heart for my cats. I love how cats have an amazing ability to be independent, yet so needy...it's a fun combination.

Birney and Bella

Baxter is no cat :) andI have so enjoyed all the firsts with this sweet boy. Our first family walk, I looked down and was in awe that I, Kari the Cat Person, has a dog!

I feel like Baxter and I have a lot of firsts to celebrate:

Our first

walk

fetch session

kisses

crazy excited greeting to me when I had been gone

barking uncontrollably at Birney... :(

(This one is a bit traumatic for me...but time is on my side...right?)

successful kennel time

panic attack that he swallowed the squeaker from his newly destroyed toy...

(he didn't!)

meeting of all my friends and family

and soon, our first road trip! (yikes!)

This is my first great, big, furry, happy family. :)

Celebrate your firsts! Whether it be parenthood, travelling to a new place, or the joy of a new puppy, celebrate and cherish

Firsts:

The miracle in the mundane.

The 7 Day Experiment

DAY THREE

Today has been a culmination of miracles and dreams coming true...chaos, nerves, relief and pure joy. We are puppy parents! Baxter is here and we couldn't be more proud.

After a long 3 weeks we finally have him. We were orginally going to adopt a border collie mix from a rescue place, but another family ended up getting the one we had our eye on first. So we went through Colorado Puppy Rescue and attended their puppy adoption event this morning.

It is a first come first serve deal, and we were very nervous that we wouldn't get the dog we had seen on the website. So, as any nervous parents would do, we got to the place at 5:30 this morning! All of our anxiety, waiting and worry about not getting him were unfounded because we arrived home around 12:30 with Baxter...yup seven hours later!

Baxter is an Australian Shepherd mix and about 10 weeks old (and already pretty big!)

Baxter is amazing, and he is a miracle--hardly mundane!!! :)

So, my miracle in the mundane is actually not that mundane but I guess it is quite simple. In the midst of the chaos of the adoption event, there were people everywhere, tons of dogs, we weren't sure if Baxter was going to be our dog yet and there it was:

Brian's hand in mine.

It was a moment that reminded me that it was all going to be okay and that we were in this together. It feels like a miracle...he loves me for me, no matter what. His hand belongs in my hand.

It's amazing--and miraculous.

Brian's hand in mine

The miracle in the mundane.

What makes you happy today?