Sam - "Can you give me a dream?" - Time machine

Titanic Rescue

Grabbing the mail like we do every morning, you didn't expect a letter with your name on it. The letter simply had The Justice League emblem and a handwritten: "You have the decision to make."
Once at the park, you waited until I was enjoying my book and slipped away. Remembering how just a few months ago you were asked to join the League, you once again found the secret door. All members of the Justice League were sitting around the big round table. Everyone's attention was on a big box in the center of the room.
Superman spoke up. "Sam we created a time machine, but we could not agree on where or when to try it out." "The decision we need you to make... What point in history do you want to go back to to save people?"
Superman flew up trying to get the captain's attention, the iceberg was approaching at lightning speed. Flash tried treading water to slow the ship. Green Lantern blasted a beam of light at the solid iceberg but it was too late the ship crashed right into it. The sound of metal ripping deafened us all.
Superman tried over and over, diving down to the large gash in an attempt to fix it. You Sam, tried calming all the people on board, telling them the League was there to save them. But the ship was quickly sinking and all of their efforts were in vain... the ocean was just too powerful. Fear for everyone on board started to sink into your gut.
The ship broke in half and began to sink, history was not bending to their will. The Justice League tried their hardest to save as many people as they could. You looked over and saw the time machine slide off the deck and splash into the water. Bobbing up and down, you knew it would soon begin to sink.
Once again you had to make a tough decision. Stay and save just a few and be stuck here forever, or go back to the present and save many. You called out to the Justice League to get into the time machine before it was too late. Superman, Hulk, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Flash, Batman, there is no time to waste we have to GO!
Once home Superman spoke up...
"There is no way to change the past." "We have to focus on the here and now!" When we focus our efforts on the past we take away ourselves from the present."

Sisters!

MEH

All month long have felt.. MEH! Muddle my way through the holidays, buying presents, decorating, all the while sick. Looking forward to longer days and warmer weather!

Ham Bone Soup Yum!

Paired with cornbread. YUM!!

We'll miss you!

Words can't describe how much we will miss this guy. He was an amazing cat who brought so much joy to all of us. I have never known a more affectionate cat than he.

Dane bought this cat last year for Maddy who needed some joy in her life. It took a while for her warm up to a kitten who was very rambunctious, and was not content to just sit and cuddle. But eventually like everyone else captured her heart with his loving nature. He was a lover who craved affection and could not be ignored.

Me - Tripped over him often with him purring at my feet. Placed him many a times in Emma's lap to cheer her up or keep her occupied. Was not ragdoll, but acted as such. I often marveled at how he'd put up with Emma carrying him, brushing, applying make up, ect.

Dane - Like I said he bought this cat to cheer up Maddy. He enjoys and takes pride in making us happy. With his humor, with his love, and with his gifts. This is not his first time making us fall in love with a cat. As a teen he bought me my first cat (Sebastian) from someone giving cats away at a convenient store. Ditch dived to save a stray (Mittens) in the middle of the night on a back country road.  Outbid his sister in a school charity auction to win his daughters heart with a kitten (Dollar, such a fitting name).

Sam - Loved "playing" hide and seek (aka chase the cat).

Christian - His room was the cat's refuge. He would often sleep on his bed or in his chair as this was the only place to keep the littles at bay.

Maddy - Complained (but got a kick out of it) that he would climb in the cubbies behind her bed, walk across her keyboard, and meow for her to feed him every night.

Emma - She was by far the hardest for us to tell the bad news, even though we knew she would not fully understand and would not dwell on the loss. Blacky (her name for him) was her cat. She spent more time and bonded with him than anyone else. Every morning she would feed and cuddle him. Every time we came home she'd announce to him we were home. Every time she was sad he would cheer her up. Every time he crossed her path she would scoop him up and LOVE him. And it broke our heart knowing those were now memories left in the past.

He is now buried at Wenzel Mountain next to my great love Daneo. His tombstone has yet to be written. What was his name?

No name (because Maddy could not / would not think of one)
Blacky
Grey beard
Chocolate Chip
Shadow

All names we considered for him this last year, but maybe we'll just settle on Kitty. We will all miss him terribly, as he was a member of our family!