This is a little belated but it was my dad's birthday this past Sunday (the 27th) and I just wanted to say how great he is. When it comes to my dad I really could not have been more blessed. He is someone who has been a part of shaping me into the person I am today through his unconditional love that he has for me. He has shown me what it looks like to live your live for God and how his love for Jesus shines through him like a light. He is someone who has shown me faith, love, kindness, patience, loyalty, perseverance, humility, care, humor, generosity, leadership, and the list could go on on and on. My dad is amazing and I love him so much. I am truly blessed to be able to call him my father.
At the Bears game with Cam
At the driving range with the family on a Sunday afternoon

Mariachi band anyone??

Cicadas....they are so gross they deserve 2 posts before they have even emerged! Any day now, any day now.

So in honor May 22 (the predicted doom day) Stacy, Annie and I had a "coming out" welcome party. Let's be honest, life is just not as much fun if you can't be silly once in a while.

Cicadas seem to be a very hot topic these days especially with their arrival day looming in the near future. I, for one, am extremely NOT excited for the cicadas to come. Here are some pictures that I found to just help us get into the mindset of when they come, which is supposedly May 22, next Tuesday!

I heard on the radio that there is 1.5 million cicadas per acre! That seems to be a ridiculously huge amount for such a small area. We'll see if that really is the case. I hope not.

My mom told me a story of the last time they were here when I was 8. We were going into town together and I happened to be holding a cicada in my open palm. She asked me what I was doing with it and I told her I was taking it for a walk. I highly doubt I am going to be taking cicadas on a stroll this time around. I am pretty sure I will just be freaking out because flying insects scare me. I have joked about tying a piece of string around the leg of one and having it fly over my head in circles but that seems a bit cruel and I would have to hold it. Yuck! Clearly, I'm am not excited. Can you tell? Just thought I would share.

Anyone have any stories that they can remember of the last time they were here 17 years ago?

More sad news...this past weekend Tomte died. That is 3 cats in 2 weeks! Unlike the other cats, I was ready for this one. We have been watching him dramatically lose weight for the past couple months so we figured this was coming. He died in his favorite place, on my mom's lap. If you ask me that's kind of gross but sweet at the same time. Way to be a trooper mom! So here are some pictures I shot of him several weeks ago. And then there was one...but stay tuned because my mom believes in having cats in two's!

To my surprise, my parents got last minute tickets to the Cubs game last night. It was a fun game to go to and we won! The score was 1-0. Of course, since it was last minute we missed their only scoring run in the first inning because we got there late. Oh well. It was a fun game spent with great people and nice weather. You can't ask for anything more.

You won't be seeing many posts from me about my family pets unless there is news to share. Unfortunately, what I am about to tell you is not good but sorrowful. You will also probably not find a post like this on Linnea's blog because she never cared much about our cats so I stand alone in the blog world posting this tribute to 2 of our cats, Mia and Pojke.

This past Sunday I learned that 2 of our beloved cats were missing. Mia, our part Siamese, too good for the other cats and owners besides my mom, has been missing for over a week. While Mia was a very beautiful cat, I can't say that I am terribly upset about her disappearance. While she will be missed, she has always only been affectionate with my mom so I have never had much of a connection with her. We have had her since I was a Junior in High school.

The other cat that is missing is Pojke. He has been gone for the last several days. He is the sweetest cat that loved to curl up in your lap during the day or snuggle with you at night. I can still remember the day I came home from school when I was in 5th grade and the first time I saw him. He was underneath the shelf where our microwave sits trying to hide in the dark corner. It was difficult to see him since he was all black but I remember pulling him out and holding him for the first time. Pojke has been in my life for a long time and is one of those pets that I will truly miss seeing every time I am home.

While I would not be surprised if Mia just took off and never returned, it is a missing Pojke that makes me think that we are never going to be seeing them again. He is too old to be wondering off and just not coming back. That's just not like him. Not to mention, my mom said that she head noises that could have been coming from a cat that was being attacked the other night.

So this is my tribute to Mia and Pojke (2), may they rest in peace. I will post some pictures if I can find some in the near future. I hope they have a great time in kitty heaven and say hi to Elsie, Tily, Flicka 1, Flicka 2, Flicka 3 and Pojke 1.

Side note: If you are worried about my parents being lonely in their house without Mia and Pojke you don't have to worry. Tompte and Bjorn are still there to keep them company but don't be too surprised if you read another post soon regarding Tompte. He's not doing so well. Long live Bjorn!