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The Decorating is Complete!

Posted on November 30, 2008 by auburnchick

Soccer Chick and I attended church this morning.  One of the songs we sang was this:

The chorus moved me to tears today.  Well, okay…it always moves me to tears.  The thought that my King knows me, calls me by name and welcomes me with open arms…

How can you not be blown away by that kind of love?

After church, we went back home and buried Caddilac.  It was the third pet we’ve said goodbye to in a little less than a year.  In Mr. AuburnChick’s words, “I’m tired of burying pets.”

Me too!

Shortly after that, Soccer Chick and Mr. AuburnChick left for her soccer practice…held at a location two hours away.  Yeah, we’re nuts, but you do what you have to for your kids.  The team is getting ready for a tournament it will be playing in after Christmas, and Sundays are the only day the girls can practice together with high school season fully under way.

That left Rooster and me at home by ourselves.  He and I are such a pair!  He asked if we could set up my Christmas village.  It’s a lot of work, but I gave him the green light.  I don’t know what it is about my village, but he’s loved it ever since he was little.  As he’s grown older, I’ve allowed him to participate more actively in its setup.

Of course, being a teen, he quit halfway through, leaving me to finish.  Here are some pictures…

Christmas Valley Village

Christmas Valley Village

My in-laws gave me the starter box the second year that the Mr. and I were married.  Target originally sold the pieces, and each year I received gifts of more houses and accessories.  We used to buy them right before Christmas, when the store had marked them down.  Of course, Target quit selling the line a few years ago, leaving me with a train but no train station.  Enter in eBay!  I bought quite a few pieces a few years ago.  Mr. AuburnChick was not amused.  It has taken up my entire dining room table.

Here are close-ups of the pieces…

The Country

The "Country"

Residential Section is in the Back and Town is in the Front

Residential Section is in the Back and "Town" is in the Front

After setting up the village, I decided that it was time to finish putting ornaments on the tree.  Here’s a couple of pictures of the tree and village (I used the “Night Portrait” setting for the first picture):

So, the decorating is finished, and a home has been found for almost all of the “regular” house stuff that was displaced.

Let the holidays begin!

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: , , , | 3 Comments »

Another Pet Passes On

Posted on November 30, 2008 by auburnchick
Caddilac

Caddilac

The last couple of days have been rough…pet-wise.

Yesterday evening, when we got out Caddilac, Rooster’s rat, I noticed that he seemed “off.”  Normally he scampers around, chattering non-stop.  Well, he just stayed put, putting little effort into moving.  Rooster and I were concerned and spent the better part of the evening holding him.  His breathing was fine, he just seemed over-tired.  I stayed up with him about an hour later than my normal bedtime.  At that time, he started roaming around, so I put him back in his cage.  During the night, I could hear him making his usual night noises, so I thought he was fine.

We left him alone today because rats are nocturnal and sleep during the day.  It’s not unusual for him to stay in his igloo until late evening.

This evening rolled around, and I decided to see if I could coax him out.  He came to me immediately.  Good sign, I thought.

I carried him over to the couch and put him down.  He took two steps and sort of collapsed on his side.

Uh oh.  Something was definitely wrong.  Once again, he seemed lethargic.  I knew something was definitely wrong.  Rooster came out of the bedroom, and we took turns holding Caddilac.  He was cold to the touch but still breathing, although heavily.  We covered him with a hand towel.  I hated the thought of him suffering and tears flowed.  I wanted so desperately to be brave for Rooster, but I couldn’t contain my emotions.

Rooster was stoic.  Every once in a while, Caddilac would get a burst of energy, and he would try to change positions.  I think he was trying to help himself breathe.  As the night wore on, I knew he wouldn’t make it until the morning.  I planned on sitting up with him to the end.

His breathing grew more labored, and we tried to make him as comfortable as possible.  My tears continued to flow, quicker now.

And then it was over.  God answered my prayers that he would not have to suffer long.  The tears were on both mine and Rooster’s cheeks.  It’s only been a little over a month since we lost Chance, our other rat.  At least this time we were able to provide comfort during those last moments.  But we’re feeling the loss deeply.

I know that some people might question how we could love a rat, but he was a pet with personality.  Until you’ve owned one, you probably wouldn’t understand.  Rats are very affectionate animals.  When they like you, they groom you by licking you.  No, it’s not strange.  It’s actually quite the compliment.  Caddilac also had a ticklish spot.  When we scratched a certain place on his side, he would roll over on his back and curl up.  When Chance was alive, they would wrestle the nights away.  You could hear them fighting sometimes, much like siblings.  We used to let Caddilac run around Rooster’s room, and when you entered, he would hear you and come running as fast as he could to greet you.  You could put him on your shoulder, and he would chatter in your ear.  That memory alone is priceless.

Having rats as pets taught me that God has made every creature special.  Each creature gives back as it is given.  We gave much love to our littlest ones, and they gave us much joy in return.

We’ll miss you Caddilac.  When we bury you tomorrow, I’ll cry, as I’m doing now.  Thank you for the love you gave to me and my family.  We’ll never forget you, our wee little fur baby.

Filed under: Pets | Tagged: , | 2 Comments »