Added to the family...

So, we decided that our little urban farm needed a bit of whimsy.
(You know, cause a crazy beagle just wasn't enough)
I have to tell you that for 30 years our mantra has been

NEVER WILL WE GET A CAT!
My life's experiences, growing up with cats were not positive ones.
And when we discovered our 4th child is terribly allergic to cats, it sealed the deal.

What changed?
Not sure.
My friend posted photos of her beloved kittens.
All of my other friends shared about their darling cats.
My heart was melting a little.
Hubby is a mush when it comes to my love of beasts and children.
Oh... and I convinced him it would be great to have a "mouser" this fall ;)

Meet Ezekiel. (Zeke)

We found him at the local shelter.
We held him, annoyed him, touched every paw, his face, mouth, etc.
He never batted at us, hissed, clawed, or fussed. He let hubby cuddle him at length.
He has been neutered and has all of his shots.
And.... he's the exact perfect color/marking combination I so love.

It was hard to leave his brother behind. But we had to keep our heads.
We brought Ezekiel home, and he immediately bonded with the kids.
He is just the sweetest little fella ever. He even liked the dogs straight away!

We fell in love with him.

Day 2.
Meet Jeremiah.
LOL
Yes, Yes.... We failed to keep our heads.
Our hearts won.
We couldn't bare to think of Ezekiel's brother left behind at the pound.
The kids began talking about getting a second cat "someday".
Hubby knew we would regret not going back for Zeke's brother.
(Told you he was a mush!)

This is child #4, Caleb, holding Jeremiah, by the way.
We never wanted him to have to take his allergy meds daily,

but as it turns out, he has to anyway, so......
He loves the kittens!

 

Our girls are in love with them too!
Hannah was not happy at first. I believe she even proclaimed,
"I hate cats!!!"
She has hardly put one down since they came home.
And remarkably, Rebekah, our 8 year old, who has been 

terrified of dogs her entire life (including the miniature schnauzer

who lived here her entire life), is so enamored with these kittens!
She holds them, feeds them, carries them about, even cleans their box!
Seeing her enjoy hands on experience with a pet is priceless!

 

Then....
They discovered the birds.
For a few brief moments, I thought we had made a terrible mistake.
No.... not the cats. The birds.
LOL!
But after the initial frenzy, the kittens decided the birds

were not the most entertaining thing in the room.
They went on their merry way to discover other whimsies.

 

All in all, it was a magical first week with

our new furry family members. :)