Treasuring the Present: The Critters

I absolutely love our critters... when I say critters, I do not mean that we house mice, rats, raccoons or opossums... but we have a doggy and a kitty, and I just love them to bits!

I try to treasure our lovable four-legged family members as often as I can, but I have been REALLY treasuring them this Spring because as of Sunday our little Lexie is headed to Michigan for MONTHS.  She will literally be a Camp Sanden (her grandparents fun summer camp) from mid-May until late-August and I am going to miss her SOOO much.

Lloyd will still be around, but it is I who is leaving for June... July... and August, Lord Willing for graduate school and practicum placements.  The graduate school is for sure...  the practicum placements are KILLING ME in that they are not confirmed yet (I've only been working on them since JANUARY!)

That being said, I am working to cherish our critters before our happy little family splinters for the summer.

Lately, the animals have been so amusing.  Hubby and I will be laying in bed with Lloyd laying at our feet and Lexie will hop up and lay on my chest.  I will pet her and she will purr like a motorboat.  Lloyd immediately jumps off the bed and behaves like I am holding a ball or a stick... some toy that I am going to throw for him. (I promise, I've NEVER thrown Lexie to him as a toy...)  He prances and dances and sits and lays down, all the time with his ears perked in the "PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE GIVE ME THE TOY!" position.

Inevitably, in time, Lexie jumps off the bed, or finds a new place to relax and Lloyd immediately climbs up on the bed and takes Lexie's spot laying on my chest.  Then, he looks for her with a look on his face that says, "I can lay on Mom too!!!"

Another new game that Lexie has been playing is meowing to be let into and out of closed doors.  When a door in the house is closed, she will meow and meow and meow at the door until we open it and let her in.  Then we will close the door behind her.  Within 2 minutes, she will meow and meow and meow at the door to be let out.  So we let her out and close the door behind her.  Within 2 more minutes, she will meow and meow and meow at the door to be let in... this repeats itself until the door is left open.  This is a new thing with her, and it makes us laugh and growl at the same time as we can't figure out why this sudden interest in closed doors.

These critters are our world, our joy, our love-bugs, and the happiest most welcoming dependents to greet us every day when we come home.  We are so grateful God chose us to be their family.