Becoming Parents . . . !

We could not publish this blog without paying tribute to our beloved pets. They have been our children throughout our 16+ years of marriage and we love them dearly. Leaving them for over a month is the hardest part of this journey (even harder than waiting for travel dates, and that was tough!) and we dream of the day our entire family will be reunited.

We adopted Casey over 14 years ago so our "first born", Murphy, would have a playmate. She's always been our special girl and it's hard to see her struggling with the ravages of old age. She has good days, and not so good days, and we'll be praying for her to hang in there for us while she awaits our return.

Casey passed away in October, 2005. It's too painful to think about.

Little Miss Penny is truly a blessing! Her first three years were rough, living in a bad situation breeding puppies for sale. She was lucky enough to be rescued, and we were thrilled to have the opportunity to adopt her. She came to us at the perfect time, helping us through our grief after Chester and Murphy left us too soon, and we sincerely don't know what Casey would do without her. Penny was with her while she grieved the loss of her lifelong companion, and she now acts as Casey's ears since she's become deaf. She just may be the cutest dog alive, and she makes us laugh each and every day.

In Memory of Murphy, 5/89 – 6/03. We adopted Murphy the day after our one-year wedding anniversary, September 17, 1989. She was the embodiment of pure, unconditional love, and we miss her every single day. She would have been so wonderful with the children, and it deeply saddens us that she isn’t here to meet them, but we know she will always be with us in spirit.

In Memory of Chester, 5/91 – 1/03. When Chris’s brother took in a pregnant stray cat, one tabby of the litter managed to adopt us. While life was always on “Chetman’s” terms, he couldn’t help being a little bit “doglike” as he took his cues from Murphy and Casey. Kidney disease took him too early and his loss was devastating to us all.