Izzy-- July, 1999--November 10, 2014

With incredible sadness, I must share that our cat, Izzy, passed away just before 9 a.m. this morning. In his 15 1/2 years, he overcame partial amputation of his tail, battled back from a stroke, and fought valiantly against lymphoma. From the moment that Chelsea found him in a bush as she was going in for kindergarten shots at Dr. Gaskell's office, Izzy displayed his resilience, tenacity, and sense of humor on a daily basis. He loved his family and had a special fondness for... seafood. We will miss him so much, and we said good-bye late this afternoon with many tears yet incredible joy that we have so many precious memories, several because he made one miraculous recovery after another. We thank MedVet - Columbus and Kroner Animal Care for all of their help over the years, and we hope that Izzy enjoys reconnecting over the rainbow bridge with his older brothers, Pookie and Gizmo, and tolerates his often irritating older sister, Nellie, for eternity. Izzy, you will always be one of a kind, and we are so grateful that you will forever be part of our family and our hearts.

Izzy worked hard during rehab at Medvet, and his therapists were so impressed with his determination... February, 2013

February, 2013: We didn't know if Izzy was going to make it. He couldn't move when we got up to Medvet. Yet, he not only managed to move but also was ultimately able to jump on the couch, climb the stairs, and do nearly everything that he could before the stroke.

Coming home from the hospital... February, 2013...

After surviving the stroke and living well for several months, Izzy went off of his food for 15 days. Blessedly, Dr. Wallace at Medvet prescribed a steroid that shrunk the tumor, inspired him to eat, and ultimately gave us nearly two months more with him... September, 2014

State and County Fair competitions... August 12, 2014

Emmy had an AMAZING year!! County results included: Racing the Clock for Awesome Meals (1st), Pet Pals (1st), You and Your Dog (1st), Novice B (2nd), Pre-Novice (2nd), Intermediate Dog Showmanship (1st), Pro Showmanship (1st), Rally (2nd), Rabbit Senior Showmanship (3rd), Senior New Zealand Doe (1st), Grand Champion New Zealand, Grand Champion Class 6, Overall Grand Champion Best of Show Rabbit Show!!! State results included: Racing the Clock for Awesome Meals (Outstanding of Day AND Clock Trophy Award!!), You and Your Dog (3rd), Drill Team (2nd), Showmanship (14th), Freestyle A (4th), and Pet Pals (Gold Medal). She also won Outstanding Exhibitor (Intermediate Dog and Intermediate Rabbit) and Skillathon winner (Intermediate Dog and Intermediate Rabbit) as well as the County Achievement medal winner for Food and Nutrition.

Six years ago today... November 1, 2014

Hi everyone--

Just wanted to take a moment and celebrate precious memories from six years ago... Six years ago today, Roger and I drove up to Columbus and met with a doctor in the International Adoption Clinic. We had received a file on an adorable baby girl with beautiful brown eyes. The computer referred to her as "Kristin;" the file referred to her as "An Yu Fang."

Holding our breath, we asked about the heart condition. The doctor assured us that most children have a hole in their hearts until they are six months old. To be sure, he quickly consulted with a pediatric cardiologist. He returned quickly and assured us that it wouldn't be a problem.

We exhaled a bit but then asked about spinal bifida occulta. The doctor told us that she actually had the "good kind" of spinal bifida. We might have a few problems with potty training, and she might be self-conscious in a low-cut bikini, but, otherwise, no problem.

We barely dared to take a breath. We pressed on. What about her hip displacia in both legs? The doctor replied that we might be able to fix it with physical therapy but that it could require surgery in one or both legs. Okay, we asked. What was the likelihood that she would be able to walk? The doctor looked surprise as he answered, "Oh, 100%!"

We finally were able to breathe. At that moment, I realized just how much that I had fallen in love with that amazing little girl. I was so relieved. Roger and I looked at each other, and we hurriedly thanked the good doctor and pretty much ran to a pay phone to call the adoption agency.

Our hearts sank when the answering machine took our call. Anyone, anywhere in the entire world, could lock in on "our baby" before we could claim her as our own in the morning. I prayed so hard that our adoption agency would file the paperwork before anyone else, anywhere in the entire world.

Six years later, I cannot even imagine if that interaction had gone differently. Ellie-Kate is such a miracle. In so many ways-- physically, socially, spiritually, relationally. She is absolutely, completely OUR daughter. At times, I don't even remember the whole biology thing. She's just our's. I am absolutely convinced that God ordained her to be in our family as our child... the talented, sometimes sassy, always loving little sister. I have trouble even thinking back to our emotions as we drove back to Athens, not knowing for sure that we could ever refer to Ellie-Kate as "our child."

Praise God for allowing everything to work out exactly as it did... For our friends to encourage us to visit with the doctor... for the doctor to give such an amazing and comforting report... for the agency to claim her for us... and for Ellie-Kate to defy all odds by actually being (arguably) our most athletic child, to boot!

As always, thanks for caring about our family!

Christie