Christmas Greetings 2011

Merry Christmas Everyone!

We have had a full year here in the Mooney household.  Never a dull moment with two teens and a tot!
Hope you enjoy our highlights of 2011:

Kids decorating Christmas tree this year

Phil and Denise

PHIL
Phil started his own business this year by becoming an LLC.  His company of one is Embedded Innovations and he contracts himself out to different companies doing embedded software development.  Currently he is enjoying working on digital cable set-top boxes with Comcast Cable.  He has a long commute and takes advantage of his driving time to catch up on his "reading"...audio books! Phil is an Elder at our church, teaches our young adult Sunday school, and helps out with the sound system as well as the church website.

We enjoyed a couple of trips to Ohio to visit Phil's folks.  Over the summer for Father's Day and most recently for Thanksgiving.  On our latest visit we were able to join friends in Ohio to celebrate with Phil's college buddy, Hans, as he became a Colonel in the United States Air Force!  This whirlwind Thanksgiving tour culminated in returning to PA just in time for Denise's 25th high school reunion.

Thanksgiving Day at Cracker Barrel

DENISE
I now introduce myself as a non-stay-at-home-mom, because I am never home!  I enjoy volunteering at Plumstead Christian School whenever I can.  Last year I was one of the lunch ladies and got a real kick out of all the high school boys who enjoyed flirting with Clara who sat in her stroller, smiling and waving at all the students!

This year I haven't been able to be at PCS on a regular basis because of all the other responsibilities that have filled my schedule.  I continue to enjoy co-teaching the Ladies' Bible Study and Senior High Girls' Bible Study.  Clara and I started attending a Kindermusik class at the piano studio and she absolutely loves it!  Our church started a MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) program and much of my time as Coordinator has been working with several of the young moms in our congregation to get that up and running in a matter of months!  It has been a blessing to see God's hand at work opening the doors to allow this ministry and I'm so thankful that Clara and I can continue to be active in MOPS.

Phil and I also work with the young adults at our church, which involves Sunday school, dinners at our house, movie nights, game nights, sports nights and 1/2 price appetizers at Applebee's after 9 p.m.  Let's just say they keep us feelin' young!

In addition to all this, I play Mom too.  This means, driving, driving and more driving - to school, to church, to play practice, to piano lessons, to music class, to basketball practice, etc.  The games, cheers, recitals, performances, applause, awards, hugs and kisses (these are usually from Clara!) are worth every mile in the car!

Target portrait for Mother's Day

When I get the chance to sit and relax I try to work on my blogs, My Mid Life Motherhood (www.MyMidLifeMotherhood.com) and Denitra's Den (www.denitrasden.blogspot.com).  I have had a lot of fun opportunities and trips as a result of my blogging and am looking forward to doing more in the future.  You can keep up to date with our family throughout the year at each of those websites.

THE KIDS

DARLA

Winter Ball 2011

Darla will be 16 in a few weeks!  She is anxiously anticipating her Sweet Sixteen and is already looking forward to learning how to drive.  Darla is a very active young lady in school, church and community. She continues to grow musically playing piano, saxophone and hand bells. Last Spring she was awarded "Most Improved Musician" in the high school band. After only playing for a few weeks, she found herself performing with the band last November for Sarah Palin!

Darla enjoys being part of the youth group at church.  This summer the group went to West Virginia on a missions trip where they did construction work for needy families.  Currently the youth are working on some service projects for this Spring and Darla is very excited about the opportunity to help organize a fundraiser.

TEEN WATCH

Darla & Micah in a friend's Quinceanera

This was quite an eventful summer for Darla and Micah.  MomMom and PopPop McNulty took all their grand kids, minus Clara, to Florida!  They visited family, Universal Studios with the new Harry Potter amusement park, and of course, Disney World - it was truly a trip of a lifetime for them all!

Disney World with the cousins

Darla and Micah also participated with Theatre and Kids Summer Camps, Micah as a camper and Darla as an apprentice.  Darla had great opportunities to learn, perform and tour NYC.  Micah had a lot of fun, especially enjoying learning to juggle - which he has not stopped doing every day since - it's his goal - juggle something every day!  This fall both of them were involved in the T & K performance of Jane Eyre.  Darla landed the role of Jane and performed beautifully!

Jane Eyre and St. John

MICAH

Micah is 13 and has been having a great year in 8th grade.  This fall he was elected as President of Junior High!  He has been enjoying this new role in addition to his academics, band, choir, hand bells, and basketball.  Micah continues to grow musically as well, continuing piano and playing percussion.  He too was awarded the "Most Improved Musician" for the Junior High Band last Spring and was thrilled to perform for Sarah Palin.

As Court Juggler for Madrigals

Micah started playing basketball and tennis at school last year.  He is looking forward to continuing in those athletic endeavors.  He had fun doing a juggling act at school as a jester in their annual Madrigal dinner. He has a new love for debate (could be the teen years kicking in?!) and is interested in joining the debate club when he gets to high school.

CLARA

Clara wearing one of Darla's ballet recital costumes

Clara turned 2 in August and we celebrated with a big birthday bash for her and PopPop who celebrated his 70th that same month.  It is hard to believe that last summer she was just beginning to walk and say a few words, because now it's hard to get her to stop running or talking!  She is a typical active toddler who loves to dance, climb, chase the cats, and play peek-a-boo.  Clara loves to read and watch Mickey Mouse Club House, which Mommy appreciates for much needed breaks to do laundry or dishes!  Clara especially loves going to music class weekly and cries when Darla and Micah go for their lessons, because it's not her turn!  Her favorite thing is dressing up as a princess.  Everyday she asks to put on her "pincess dess!"- of which we have many. Clara fills our day with lots of hugs, kisses and cuddles which is the perfect antidote to any teenage drama that may occur!

Well, those are just a few of the highlights of our year (like I said, we are a busy family!)  We hope that each of you have a wonderful Christmas and, despite the hustle and bustle of the season, can rest in the joy of salvation we celebrate through the birth of Jesus Christ!

Love,

Phil, Denise, Darla, Micah and Clara Mooney

Dusting Off Denitra's Den

It has been so long since I posted over here at Denitra's Den that I felt it was necessary to dust it off and keep you all up to date on our life (especially since my Christmas Card post never made it to cyber space...until today!)

I've been very busy trying to focus on My Mid-Life Motherhood, so unfortunately have neglected this blog, the laundry, dishes, and various sundry housework.  As I attempt to get things a little more balanced, I hope to touch base here a bit more often, otherwise Cupcake will go from tot to teen in a matter of posts.

I had started updating this blog, but didn't quite finish. I thought I would at least post what I did, so you could see a glimpse of Clara before she started running and speaking in sentences. Check back this week for the update on the rest of us over the past year. Yes, there is more to our life than our cute little Cupcake...although she's the sweetest part! Enjoy!

Looking at the previous post from Clara's birthday, I can't believe how little she looks! Check her out this past Spring:

My Little Bunny at her first Easter Egg Hunt!

Me & My Mini Me on Easter Sunday!

At this point, she was 20 1/2 months (or 1 1/2 years for those of us who have stopped counting our age in months and have moved on to decades instead!)  She is quite tall, although not as tall as Darla & Micah were, so she's actually the shortest one of the three.  Measuring 33" at 18 months, if doubled that puts her at 5'6" when she's grown!  Possible with Daddy's height, although we can't forget that my lack of height might hinder our kids just a bit.  I'm not sure Darla's headed for the predicted 5'8" either (at least she's surpassed me by about a 1/4 of an inch, currently standing tall shortly at 5' 2 1/4"!).  When we doubled Micah's height at 2 years old it came to 6' 4"... so we'll see if he lives up to that and passes Dad's 6' 2" stature (he should be passing me soon!)

Clara is just on the verge of the toddler talking explosion as she jibber jabbers away and attempts to mimic what you say.  I imagine she'll be speaking in sentences shortly!  Some of her favorite words that are quite clear are hi, by, and no (of course!).  Below are some of her other favorites that require a bit of translation:

boooon:  translation - baloon
baaaal: translation - ball (must be squealed with delight for accurate pronunciation!)
boo pee: translation - peek a boo
eetta: translation - eat
mmmm: translation - monkey (gestures with angry fists when she says this one!)
mow: translation for- meow (used to just say "ow" but has since added the m.)
dyeee: translation - Daddy (Finally started saying "MaMa" just the other week.  When I would say, "Mama", she would say, "DaDa", with an impish grin...I think I have a little comedian on my hands!)
I...u: translation - I love you!  (This is my favorite, followed by a big kiss!)

Clara is quite an active toddler! She is very friendly and sociable, which was quite obvious when her first word was "Hi!", accompanied with a very enthusiastic wave that has since morphed into a cute princess wave.  She loves toting her baby doll around, giving her hugs and kisses (when she gives kisses she makes a ma sound.)  She is an avid "reader" - she just loves to sit and look at books. Her stubborn streak comes out when we actually try to read the books to her, she likes to be in control of the pages!

Overall, Clara has really been an easygoing baby. She is content in her crib, highchair, carseat, and play yard and, if not, she calms down easily with the magic CD (Sounds Like Fun from Discovery Toys...worked for all the kids!). She goes down easily for naps and bedtime and usually doesn't mind being dropped off at the nursery for church or MOPS.   I'm enjoying immensely reliving toddlerhood with Clara and reminding Darla & Micah that they used to be just as cute.  As you'll see below, they are growing up!

Happy Birthday Cupcake!

It has been an amazing year watching Clara grow and develop into this little person on the verge of walking! She is pretty much in full control of her walker as she zooms around the house, making course corrections as needed to turn corners and avoid furniture. Her favorite activity is taking laps pushing her walker or holding tightly to one finger as someone strolls with her. When confined to her play yard, she holds on with her left hand as she walks the perimeter, climbing over the toys she has strewn on the floor like a little obstacle course.

Her personality is so sweet and adorable too! She's gone from those accidental smiles that amuse us to belly laughs of delight when we amuse her. She is gaining in confidence as she tries out new things with this body of hers: attempting to stand up without pulling up on anything, shaking her head to make her self dizzy, or trying to look through her legs without tumbling over! She is curious about herself and the world around her: discovering her belly button and then watching her belly move in and out, picking up my shirt to see what's underneath (as well as any unsuspecting person with a loose T-shirt that sits her on their lap!), or pulling at her ears and wondering why there isn't anything in them when she looks at her hands!

Naturally, Clara seemed to thoroughly enjoy her birthday. She just loved the attention throughout the day. She even got to go swimming in her birthday suit...how appropriate! It was her first time in our pool and, though she seemed a bit hesitant at first, after donning her cute swimsuit and sitting in her ladybug raft with a sun canopy, she seemed to enjoy the water.

Tradition in our family is to go out to dinner on one's birthday, so we took Clara to Applebee's on our way down to the shore. Clara is a real meat and potatoes kinda girl, so she really enjoyed some of my grilled chicken and veggies. At present time, she delighted in peeking in the gift bags, tearing up the tissue paper and pulling out her toys! She was not sure why all the strangers gathered around her to sing, but she gave them a little smile when they were done. We let her try a few tastes of dessert for her birthday. After she got a fist full of whip cream, she examined it before giving her fingers a lick and delicately putting her pointer finger back in the sundae for more. She was a bit shocked at first when she got a taste of the cold ice cream, but she must have enjoyed all the new tastes and sensations since she cried when it was all done!

Our little cupcake is no longer a baby, but a toddler full of personality, adventure, independence and curiosity. We look forward to another year of growth and development as she learns and discovers new things each day!

**********UPDATE**********

On Saturday, the day after her birthday, while playing with all the cousins, she decided it was time to officially start walking. Within minutes, she went from taking a couple of steps to toddling clear across the room! Her siblings and cousins enjoyed tiring her out by seeing who she would walk to, how many steps she would take and having her toddle to each of them to give a cuddle! Later, she enjoyed her first taste of fish (yum!) and birthday cake (double yum!) This time 'round she throughly enjoyed our rendition of Happy Birthday!

Clara's One Year Portrait

Today we went to Target to have Clara's one year portrait done. For each child's 1st birthday we have gotten a special picture of them sitting in my Grandmother's antique rocker. My Great-Great-Grandfather made the rocker when he worked at Van Sciver's Furniture Co. in Camden, NJ in the late 1800's. In the mid 1900's Grandmom re-covered it with her needlepoint. Below are some of our favoites from todays sitting. Enjoy!

Star Wars Movie Party

This past Saturday our family got decked out in our Star Wars regalia to attend Micah's 12th birthday party! We had rented an old, 1924, beautifully refurbished theater about 20 minutes away. The Grand Theater was the perfect spot to have a gathering of many Jedi, Sith, Padme, Clones, Darth Vader, Captain Rex, Han Solo, Princess Leahs and even an ear muff coiffed MomMom!
With light saber in hand Micah greeted his guests dressed in his tan Snuggie, which should of won an Oscar for its portrayal of a Jedi robe. I must say he looked the part and lived up to his Star Wars Jedi name, Moomi. One of the other mothers thought her son had spelled Mooney wrong when he corrected her by informing his mom that Moomi was Micah's Jedi name!

Goes to show ya that this was the perfect year to pull off a party like this. I was skeptical that 11, 12 and 13 year old boys would be interested in coming in costume, but they proved me wrong as they paraded around the theater, some in full costume and face paint!

The theater was quite accommodating to a party of nutty Star Wars fans, a frazzled mom and baby Clara who refused to nap because she was so intent on watching the movie! If you live in the area I would highly recommend such an event. We hardly filled a few rows, so it would be a great venue for a fundraiser or bigger showing. Check out The Grand Theater for your next party! The prices are so much nicer than the huge complexes. When's the last time you paid $2.75 for a reasonably sized bucket of popcorn?! Their regular showings, which are usually a bit behind the complexes, run $3 for matinees and $5 for the evening shows! I do believe we will be returning in the future:)

As many of you may know, every year I attempt some sort of themed birthday cake. Last year we had a Star Wars: The Clone Wars game party, so I combined two of Micah's loves for the cake: Star Wars & Monopoly. I made a cake that looked like a pair of dice and set it in the middle of our Star Wars Monopoly game board.

This year, Micah requested the Millennium Falcon. Uh, I don't think so! I knew that, with the baby, my fingers and back would not hold up to that task. When I mentioned that the Millennium Falcon might be out of my league this year, Micah readily offered his next idea: crossed light sabers. Now we're talkin' - that I could do! Apparently, so could he as you can see Micah's handiwork on the birthday cupcakes below.

Naturally, things couldn't go that easily! When big sis heard that I was only making cupcakes, she was shocked that I wasn't making a cake for her brother's 12th birthday. Feeling slightly guilty for not living up to traditional birthday expectations, I attempted to determine where Micah stood on the issue. He tried to make me feel okay with the cupcake decision (what a sweet boy!), but I could tell he would have rather had a more special dessert.

Having purchased everything I needed to do the cupcakes and running out of time before the event to come up with a replacement cake, I decided to be a little adventurous with what I had. Micah helped create the light sabers, while I worked on R2-D2!

This little guy was worth the effort when Micah gave me a huge hug and exclaimed how cool R2 looked. He was so excited about the outcome, that I was thrilled I had taken a little more time to make something for which he was so proud and thankful. Hey, I'm no Cake Boss, and given more time and the correct supplies, I could have done a much better job, but I sure felt like I had created the ultimate masterpiece for Micah!

Micah was so excited about R2 that he wanted to save him for a special treat after the party. He was quite downhearted when I had to break the news to him that R2-D2 had survived many battles in Star Wars, but he had not survived the trek home from the party.

Poor R2

Micah was a good sport and enjoyed eating R2 just the same!

(What a good actor - he really looks sad!)

Although the loss of R2-D2 was hard to . . . swallow, this ranks as one of our family's favorite birthday events!

Micah's 12th Birthday

Today was Micah's 12th birthday! It is hard to believe that he is almost a teenager. Each year we let the kids pick where they want to go to dinner on their birthday. Every year Micah has chosen Chuck E. Cheeses. This is a truly monumental birthday as we celebrated the event at Olive Garden this evening. He really is growing up . . . sniff . . . sniff.

Micah enjoying his birthday shake.

Cuddling with Clara:)

She's not getting big bro's instructions for Mario Cart!

Sportin' a bib plus a silly grin for Micah.

So proud of each other!

Clara's Baptism

Clara Faye Mooney was baptized on Sunday, November 29, 2009

She did very well during the service. She was looking around at everyone wondering what was going on. No tears, just smiles:) She also behaved very nicely at her luncheon...she slept the whole time while the rest of us enjoyed the Chinese buffet! We had her baptized the Sunday after Thanksgiving so all of her Grandparents could be present for the sacrament and festivities!

Enjoying her post Baptism photo shoot sans bonnet.

Awwwww!

The Girls

The McNulty Clan

The Mooney Clan

Life Between Nursing has been busy. Clara is now 6 months old and if I can figure out how to use my camera with the new laptop, then I'll be able to post some current pictures. Oh well, such is life. I'll have to wait to Mr. Computer-Geek-Hubby is home to show me how:) Clara is calling for me...

The Triumph of Chocolate Chip Ice Cream!

Since the end of June I have had to restrict my caffeine intake dramatically. I know, I know I'm not supposed to have any during pregnancy at all, but that is more difficult than you can imagine.

One of the first questions on my mind at my first ob visit was, "How much caffeine can I have a day?" Pathetic, I know. It isn't like I drink a pot of regular coffee everyday. In fact, I might only have one cup in the morning (and hubby makes half-calf anyway) and if I need a pick me up sometime during the day I might stop by Starbucks for my favorite, "grande, non-fat latte please!"

The midwives told me that I could have 1 cup of regular coffee a day if I desired. Whohoo! So for most of the pregnancy I either had a cup of hubby's half-calf in the morning followed by a decaf Starbucks later in the day or splurged with a tall latte as my one treat for the day. This seemed to keep my desire for coffee satisfied and I apparently forgot to consider the caffeine I was ingesting in the form of iced tea and the occasional chocolate treat.

At the end of June I headed to the gym to work out one day. When I arrived I felt my heart just racing and I hadn't even worked out yet! It was running at about 130 beats per minute. They immediately sent me home and told me to call the doctor. After several weeks of visits to the midwife, primary and even a cardiologist for a monitor and echo cardiogram - I was diagnosed with pregnancy tachycardia. All it means is that my heart likes to race occasionally and add a few beats just to make things interesting!

What it meant for me was that I needed to stop exercising for the remainder of the pregnancy, rest when my heart raced and, you guessed it, stay away from caffeine even more. Naturally, that last one was the hardest! It's pretty difficult to give up coffee, iced tea and chocolate when you're headed to Virginia Beach for vacation. Nevertheless, I managed.

Eventually, after several chiropractic visits, my heart rate decided to calm down. (Apparently my twisted rib cage was aggravating the symptoms and the chiropractor was able to help reduce them with a few simple adjustments!) As a result, I have found that I do not have to rest as much these days since my heart does not usually go up beyond 120 bpm anymore. Also, the doctors said that I could have some decaf and small bits of chocolate too...how wonderful!

So in an effort to satisfy my cravings for coffee and chocolate I have been on the hunt for some chocolate chip ice cream to go along with my "grande, decaf, non-fat, light ice latte, please!" To my dismay, however, it seemed that good old chocolate chip ice cream has become obsolete in the shadows of such superstars as Moose Tracks, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Cookies and Cream, and it's more preferred cousin, Mint Chocolate Chip.

I was beginning to become convinced of the demise of Chocolate Chip ice cream after checking out what seemed to be every frozen food isle and ice cream parlor from here to the Jersey Shore. In fact, I had just given in to mourning that old comfort food, when I spotted a sale on Breyer's ice cream today at the grocery store. There it was in all it's simplistic glory: Old Fashioned Chocolate Chip Ice Cream!

What a yummy triumph!

My Mid-Life Motherhood

Check out my new blog over at My Mid-Life Motherhood. I'm just getting started over there and hope to have the opportunity to share with other moms the adventure of having another baby at 40!

Tribute to Grandmom

Back in May I traveled by overnight train to Florida to attend my Grandmother's funeral. Before the baby arrives (in a matter of days!), I wanted to be sure to post the tribute I wrote to baby on the way to the funeral.

During the family memories part of the ceremony my Dad read my journal entry, my Mom read a poem she had written for Grandmom years earlier, and I read a poem about Great Grandma's teddy bears that my daughter had written six years earlier at Grandmom's 90th. I broke down at the end, so it's a good thing my Dad read the journal entry - I wouldn't have been able to do it at all (even writing this post brings me to tears again.)

So before time passes by any further here is what I had chosen to pass on to my unborn baby about the Great Grandmother she missed meeting.

Wednesday, April 27, 2009

Dear Little One,

Right now you and I are headed down to Florida via the train. I haven't felt you kicking too much, so I think all this motion is rocking you to sleep.

At 24 weeks you weigh about a pound and a half and measure roughly 8 1/2 inches from "crown to rump." Basically the size of a small baby doll...and that you are - a doll baby!!

The reason we are headed to Florida is to attend my Grandmom's funeral. It is sad that you will never have the opportunity to meet Great Grandmom McNulty, but I'm sure her legacy will live on so that you will come to know who she was.

Mabel Emily Seifert McNulty went to be with the Lord on Monday, April 27, 2009 around 2 p.m. She had just turned 96 years old the previous Sunday, April 19th!

Here's a few things about her:

Marvelous Mother
Amazingly Artistic
Beautiful Bears
Entertaining Storyteller
Loved the Lord

Another way to read MABEL is: Mother's Always Bring Extra Love!

Grandmom always made me feel so loved - even though she lived so far away and I only got to see her every few years. She was very caring and motherly to me. I learned most of my crafting ability from her. She was truly an artist with her sewing and crocheting skills. Our Christmas tree is full of ornaments that Grandmom made over the years. Her most favorite craft was making teddy bears. I used to get one almost every year! I think I have a doll or bear to mark every milestone in my life!! Before Grandmom died she set aside one of her bears especially for you. So you already have your very first teddy bear from Great Grandmom!

Grandmom was always eager to tell a good story from our family tree. I enjoyed immensely the fascinating tales of our ancestors and stories of Grandmom's childhood. Your name - Clara - is in honor of Grandmom's family tree. Somewhere, somehow she was - and so are you - related to Clara Barton, Founder of the American Red Cross. Naming you Clara is our way of honoring Grandmom and her enthusiasm for passing on all she learned of our family tree.

Lastly, Grandmom loved the Lord! From my earliest recollections I can recall Grandmom talking to me about Jesus. The stories of her life and the way she lived were a testament to her faith in Christ. I can only hope to have been such a testimony to others as she was to me and those around her.

From Grandmom, as well as those before her, to my father's generation to mine and now to you, Darla and Micah - a living legacy of faith has been passed.

May you too come to know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and join us in Grandmom's legacy!!

Love,
Mom

Ode to a Nut

A year ago this week we lost our favorite nut: Peanut, our cat. He was the best cat EVER and I still miss him dearly. I figured it was high time to write a proper tribute about my favorite pumpkin sized feline, recording some of the antics and highlights of his years with our family.

Prior to bringing Peanut into our home, we had already had two kitties. A brother-sister duo named, ironically, Peanut and Parfait (in honor of the peanut buster parfait at DQ!) While I was very pregnant with my son, Peanut got sick and died suddenly. Naturally, I didn't handle that well. Cried for days. Original Peanut was an adorable fluffy peanut colored kitty. He was very smart and could even speak and fetch with his favorite toy: a rolled up napkin ball!

Nearly a year after Peanut passed away, friends of ours were looking for a home for their kitty, named - you guessed it - Peanut! My immediate response was to fill that Peanut shaped hole in my heart, so we took in the little nut. He adjusted fairly well, considering the strange environment with another feline in the house. He and Parfait pretty much kept their distance from each other and he attempted to escape on a daily basis. I have never seen a cat so intent on getting outside. If you put your foot in the doorway to stop him, he'd just wrestle it down, flip over and make a run for it. Despite living on a very busy street, I finally gave up and let him become an indoor/outdoor cat. He was extremely well suited to the task and seemed to really enjoy the freedom.

About a year after we adopted Peanut we moved to a more country suburban home with a big yard backing up to some woods. This was heaven for Peanut! He roamed the neighborhood, hung out in the woods, kept many wild animals away from our house and everytime I would look out the window when the kids were on the playground - there he would be standing guard. Anytime we headed out back to play we could just call his name and he would come bounding out of the bushes to greet us. Considering he had grown immensely over the years, to a whopping 22 pounds at one point, his "bounding" was quite humorous! Peanut was the quintessential fat cat. He was basically Garfield in real life. When I saw those movies I couldn't help but laugh extra loudly at the fat cat maneuvers and falls which was art imitating the life of my cat!

Peanut became a household name in our neighborhood - everybody knew and loved him. For awhile there he would come home in the summers smelling like perfume! We never did figure out with whom he was having a regular rendezvous. One time I opened the front door to let him out, I heard laughter coming from our neighbor's yard and then "Hey Peanut, come on over!" Yup, our cat had just been invited to the party!

The neighbors on our other side loved Peanut like their own cat. They had a little bed for him in their garage and sometimes he'd have sleepovers at their house. They would even let him inside their house to hang out. When Peanut passed away they came over to the grave to pay their respects and we all shared our favorite stories about our shared pet!Some of Peanut's favorite things were:

FOOD

BEGGING FOR FOODLOUNGING NEAR HIS FOODPAPER BAGS

BOXES

LOUNGING IN GENERAL

Over a year later and I still pull into the driveway missing how the big nut would run to greet me as I got out of the car. I miss his addiction to feet - he had quite a foot fetish and loved to rub his face all over anyone's feet if they'd let him. If you didn't allow him to do so, you risked getting nipped in the ankle! In general we all greatly miss the cool cat whom we lovingly remember as being a "really good dog!"