August was a typical busy summer month for the Koltz family!! It started out on a very sad note, but ended on a very happy one….
Haillie 1994-2008
The very first day of the month was a horrible time for me! I had to put my cat Haillie to sleep, and it was by far one of the hardest things I have ever faced. She was 14, and had problems for years with constipation, and as she got older, it just keep getting worse, and reached a point that would require surgery, but there was no guarantee it would work, and she wouldn’t continue to suffer. She was the first pet I ever really had, and she had been with me through so many sad & happy times of my life. Leaving her at the vet, knowing it was the last time I would see her, was a horrible experience, and I will never forget that feeling! She was such a beautiful cat, and such a “Mumma’s girl”. She may not have been very friendly to others, but she loved me, and that was so comforting through some very challenging times over our 14 yrs together!!
When I left the vet, I called my girlfriend Brenda, because she is such a comfort to me, and she had gone through this before, so I knew she would get me back to sanity, so I could drive home, and as always, she was a huge support, but I have to say, her three yr old daughter Abby, or “peanut” as I like to call her (She is my little peanut!!) was actually the girl with the words of wisdom that day. Brenda answered the phone, and it took her a few trys to understand me through my blubbering state, but once she figured out what happened, she was equally as sad as I was, and of course our peanut doesn’t miss a thing! I heard her in the back ground asking her mommy what was wrong, and Brenda explained that Haillie got sick, and she was now in heaven, & without missing a beat, and the voice of a sweet angel, Abby replied “But Mommy, heaven is a happy place, so why are you sad?”… Three yr olds, they sure do know how to put you in your place… It was so sweet, and cute!! Kind of like DUHH Mommy & Aunt Carrie it will be fine now, don’t be sad. She is such a sweet heart, and it amazes me how much I love her & her sweetness more & more as she grows into this little amazing soul!!!
Haillie’s final resting place…
Pat is such a wonderful husband… He is not a big fan of my cats, but he was very good about letting me figure this out, and get through it however I needed to. I called my parents, and asked them if I could bring her up to their home, and find a place to bury her. They were also very supportive, and immediately said yes. Pat, Sophia, & I loaded up the car with Haille, and headed up to Mom & Dad’s, to try to put some closer on this crappy chapter in my life. My Dad picked out a beautiful spot to put her, right in the middle of one of their beautiful flower gardens. She is buried in the very center of all there beautiful flowers, a very fitting place for such a beautiful pet! I miss her every day, but know I did the best thing for her, and she is much happier now!!
As we moved on through August, the month got soooo much better!! My parents both turn 60 this year, and will also celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary. WOW, three huge accomplishments!!! I am very proud of them, 40 yrs, that is just something that unfortunately is not the norm in our world anymore. I am sure it was not an easy road, but they stuck it out, and it is apparent, love each other more & more as the years go on!! They are an excellent example for all of us!! They decided to share their celebration with all their family & friends, and threw a great party on August 9th.
The party was a BLAST!!! My parents have so many great friends & such wonderful supportive family members! It was wonderful seeing them all come to show their love & support to my parents as they celebrate their 40 yrs together.
My CRAZY Uncle, and BEAUTIFUL cuzin’s having fun with Pat…
I’m not sure who had more fun, the adults, or the kids. Sophia had soooo much fun playing with Abby, and all my cuzins, she was in all her glory!!
Playing in the water with Abby & Resting in Grandma & Puppa’s bed for the party…
The next weekend, the 16th, Sophia & I went back up to my parents to hang out while Pat went to Brooklyn to go to the NASCAR race @ MIS. Mom, Dad, & I took Sophia to the Midland County Fair. It was fun, as a kid, I looked forward to the fair every year. We would always go, and have “Fair Food” night, and just eat crap, and ride rides.. I LOVE IT!!!!! I couldn’t wait to include Sophia in our fun family tradition!!! First we went through the animal barns. Sophia LOVES animals, so who knew this would turn into a BAD, BAD thing… J …. We hit the sheep barn first, it started off ok, but then a few of them started to “BAAAA” soooo loud, it freaked Sophia out… She started to scream, and was saying “No Sheep”… “I don’t want to Sheep”… I felt so bad… We found the exit FAST, and it took her a few minutes to calm down, and stop crying… WEIRD!!! After we calmed her down, we cautiously moved on to the next barn.. We decided to skip the sheep, and find the cute little bunnies!! She LOVED the bunnies!!!
“HI BUNNY!!!”She even enjoyed the junk food… She is her mommy’s little girl!!!
“Fench Fies” & Lemonade….
While we were a Mom & Dad’s, we did a few other fun things, I thought I would just show them to you in pictures…. Enjoy!
We dug out Aunt Te-Te’s old stuffed toys from the basement!
I cleaned out the car, and Sophia called China…. After the fair, we moved on to the 23rd, which was the Bobby Crim Race in Flint. My Dad ran the 5K, and Sophia & I meet him & Mom there to cheer him on! What an inspiration he his!! Always the health conscious guy!!!
The last week of the month, I had to go to Albuquerque, New Mexico for a work meeting from Monday to Friday. Due to Pat’s schedule, we asked his Mom & Dad if they could watch Sophia for the week, of course they JUMPED at the chance to have her all to themselves for a whole week!!! She of course had a BLAST!!!! Below are some pics his Mom took, and sent to me, so I could see how much fun she was having each day…..
Busy at work!!!
Helping Grandma cut coupons…
