I also feel lucky to have all of you in our lives. Thanks for sticking with us day after day,, even through the kitten-free times. I appreciate your support, the many notes you send and comments you leave. Thank you for sharing this blog with your friends and families. Because you've spread the word, many wonderful adopters found their way to us. You've also managed to bring together a lovely little community that lives in the comment section. Thank you for that.
Thank you to all the wonderful families who adopted our kittens. I can sincerely say, every single kitten felt like perfect match for their adopting families. It's just amazes me how it always works out. I am so grateful that all of our kittens are in places where are they are loved so much. It makes my heart swell.
I've got jury duty coming up,, and we're taking a trip at the end of the month, so I don't think it's wise to take in any kittens soon. When I visited the foster room last, there wasn't a single kitty in need of a foster home, so the timing is perfect for a break.
I'll continue to post lightly on the blog through January, and hopefully we'll have a new batch of babes as soon as we return from our trip. Thanks in advance for your patience.
I hope everyone has a glorious 2009. I can hardly wait to see what's to come.
And now,,, in no particular order,,, some of my favorite moments from 2008..
What a scroll down memory lane, such precious babies all! Seeing Jerry Lee & Bernadette again brought tears to my eyes.
ReplyDeleteI hope Miss Butterbean doesn't suffer too much baby withdrawal. Enjoy every moment of your well deserved r&r time (well, jury duty and "enjoy" might not be the correct word). Have a wonderful vacation.
We IBKC junkies will wander about the archive, visit the blogs of the adopted babies we all love, and keep busy fussing over our own itty and not so itty kitty families. But prepare for the explosion of "ooooooooooooooh have you ever seen such GORGEOUS babies!" when you start your '09 fostering. My new New Year's Resolution--patience awaiting that post.
I got a little teary-eyed. No surprise there.
ReplyDeleteThank you for reminding us of those sweet moments. What a treasure they have been.
Thank you for these photos!
ReplyDeleteI enjoy your posts all the time, but this one really hit me hard. One of my boys died recently, and I'm having a hard time getting ready to find another one (as a friend for the one left behind, who is So Lonely). Your photos reminded me that I will love the new guy, too, because I love cats, not just the one who's gone.
I especially love the three-heads-together shot, and the two-cats-make-a-heart. Wonderful!
Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteI've enjoyed the blog over the past year (I came in just before the Pettibones, if I recall) and it's a very welcome part of my week.
And thank you for all those lovely photos!
What a good year in kitties. Time flies. Maddie's first Boston anniversary is next week!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the giggles and the tears! Have you ever thought about publishing a calendar? I would love hanging these little darlings on my wall for all to see.
ReplyDeleteThese pictures are gorgeous! What absolute sweet kittens (and Charlene!). I think my head exploded from the cuteness.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! ~Mandy
ReplyDeleteAw, me and my daughters scrolled down twice, going "aw"..."aaaw". There needs to be a calendar to compliment the gorgeous notecards - I would get in line:)
ReplyDeleteSweet pictures, just sweet. While I too will miss your wonderful foster kitten pictures and Ms. Butterbean, I will remember to check your other blogs. Wander the IBKC graduates family blogs. And if they are checking--thank you all for keeping us posted on their progress. Pictures are wonderful but so is just a post now and again to let us know how things are going. (Virgil, Enid and Hester's "moms")
ReplyDeleteAnd I will be patient because you will be otherwise occupied for a few more weeks. (My time on jury duty was 3 weeks of attorneys that were trying to be annoying. Yours will be better.)
Agh. It makes me so sad every time I see poor little Jerry Lee.
ReplyDeletei have to say that my only regret is that I will never see Orson again... but... by gones...
ReplyDeletei do want to thank Laurie and her most patient husband for sharing a part of their lives with us. and their gorgeous photos of these wonderful kittens, and for opening their home and lives to all of us.
i love to see ms. butterbean ' in her element, with the babies in these photos, it is obvious that they adore and admire her so much, she is the best foster mama of all.
thank you so very much. i look forward to 2009 with great anticipation.
very best regards-
scooterpants 2008-9
Its impossible to choose a favourite from all these wonderful kitteh pics! Although I do love the three way kitteh face wedge. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the work you do with the little orphans. I've been reading along all year and their pictures have kept me entertained and smiling - even through some of the worst of times.
You really take the most lovely photos!
ReplyDeleteThank YOU so much for the great year, the wonderful photographs, and most of all, raising our little boy Fergus to be such a sweet and loving cat. You're right - our match just worked out and he was the perfect addition to our family. We cannot thank you enough. Looking forward to another year of great kitten photos and hopefully sending some more adopters your way.
ReplyDeleteAn awesome retrospective! I'm smilin' through (just a few) tears. Thank you, Laurie, Craig, Ms. Butterbean, and all the ibkc community for a wonderful year of sharing!
ReplyDeleteYou know what - I would love to see a grown up Twyla Pickett...
ReplyDeleteshe was one of my fave Picketts
Nice to see some of the other recent kitties too!!
Laurie, If it weren't for your wonderful photography and inspired namings, this blog wouldn't be nearly as fun. Take a little credit, dearie, you deserve it. Your blog brightens many a too-quiet day, even with my own two and the shelter cats. And a VERY happy New Year to you and your devoted Meow-makers!
ReplyDeleteLike many - seeing Jerry Lee (who is my fav IBK ever) and little Bernadette brought tears to my eyes. It was lovely to see everyone else - what wonderful pics and wonderful kitties! And Ms. Charlene, the Butterbean extraordinaire!
ReplyDeleteHope your jury duty isn't too intense! I'll be waiting not so patiently for the next group of IBKs! Happy New Year!
I am now officially dead because I fell over so hard and thunked my head from teh cute. They are just so special and precious and you do such a good thing for these animals and their people. Thank you for being there. If I lived on the West Coast I would have snapped one of them up so fast your head would have spun. :D
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this retrospective of all these wonderful little ones. Seeing Jerry Lee was bittersweet, but he had the best possible life you could give him, full of love and enjoyment, and he left without pain.
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you again for sharing your fostering life with us!
What wonderful news that there are no kittens in need of fostering!
Have a great vacation, tell Charlene Butterbean to be patient and not to torment dear Drewey too much, and Happy New Year to you, yours, and every one of the IBKC community (because that's what it is).
Laurie - Thank you so much for this New Year's gift of such beautiful memories. This blog has given me many smiles (and a few tears with sweet Jerry Lee & Bernadette). As with so many others, I check at least once a day to see what treasure you have posted. Enjoy your time away (and best wishes for an easy jury duty). Know we will all be here when you get back, looking forward to another year of very special kittens - and people.
ReplyDeleteFirst - Laurie & Craig (et al): I think you have a sense of our affection for you -- and by "our", I mean this true community of your admirers, the IBKCCommenters. I wish you -- and all of my fellow commenters, a year filled with delight, contentment and peace. This retrospective? Well, it oculd be a whole new set of cards, you know. Like my colleagues here, I teared up looking at our precious Jerry Lee - and then whispered "Thank you"....his few weeks were the best a kitty could have. He had a long and happy life, it just went by very quick. Enjoy your vacation, and yes--we'll content ourselves with looking at archival pictures.
ReplyDeleteWith love: dale-harriet, Evangline and Lilliane
What an amazing collection of pictures. I smiled and got a bit teary as well and I loved each and every one of them. Kittens are just so precious and you guys are doing an amazing job taking care of them and making sure they find their perfect forever-homes. Thank you for everything you do for these lovely babies, and enjoy your time off :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for saving all these kitties and making sure they got good homes.
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting pictures of the kitties after they were were adopted. As a furry foster father, I would want to know what happened to the bundle of energy I am currently caring for.
Thank you for making little Jerry Lee's life as good as it could possibly be. It was tragic that he was born that way but you made him happy.
Thank you for sharing this with us. I look forward to every picture of every litter.
Thank you for anything I might have missed. Double thanks to Butterbean who accepts all these new kitties in her home and makes them feel welcome.
Thank you for the kitty fix! They were all such beautiful babies, it was good to see them again. You are an amazing photographer!
ReplyDeleteWhat great way to look back over 2008 by posting pictures...
ReplyDeleteI can't stop scrolling up and down.
Best wishes for 2009!
Thanks for all these wonderful memories, Laurie. May jury duty bring you new and exciting experiences, may your upcoming vacation bring you even more (and better).
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks to Craig, Charlene, Drewey & Sue for sharing Laurie and her talents with us.
Until the next brood comes along...
>>sniff<< >>sigh<<
ReplyDeleteNo NEW kitties - but we got to visit the early days of many of my furry faves of '08.
I hope jury duty is not too onerous - That your trip is phenomenal and that you have a safe, relaxing & fun journey.
I look forward to your return!
Aw, the photos are precious. And it's so wonderful to know that all the kittens are in loving forever homes. Thank you for a wonderful year, Laurie, and here's to another one! *clinks internet glasses*
ReplyDeleteThis post melted my heart. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHi Laurie,
ReplyDeleteSuch mixed feeling seeing the pictures of Jerry Lee, it was the first time a website EVER mamde me cry, he only had a short life, but nobody could have given him a happier one.
Looking forward to when you do get new kitties, have a good breather in the meantime (hope jury duty goes OK)
That's the photo of Edward Loomis Davenport that convinced me he had to be mine! Your beautiful photos always capture hearts...thank you Laurie!
ReplyDeleteoh thanks soooo much.. 2008 has been so fun with you and all those adorable babies..it has made my year and looking back to all those pics made me cry of joy,happiness,contentment and a bit of sadness (jerry lee).
ReplyDeleteWish you and everybody and kitties in the world a woderfull year 2009... Jeanne
Thanks for posting these. What a great way to look back over the year. To see these kitties SO content in your care just proves you do wonderful work. I give you a lot of credit to raise those itty bitty babies just to hand them off to others.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to another year of cute kitty pictures and stories.
Like everyone else, seeing Jerry Lee made my screen go all blurry.
ReplyDeleteI think I need a new one...
And, like Martin said, I'd LOVE to see a grown up Twyla. She was my favorite, next to Jerry Lee.
Little Bernadette did so enjoy her after bath roll around. Jerry-Lee on his big day outside having so much fun...
ReplyDeleteWhat a year. What a wonderful job you do fostering these darlings.
Thank you.
So many goodies!
ReplyDeleteI miss Jerry Lee :( and I didn't even really know him.
Somehow I think I missed the one with all the kitties piled up on the window sill. I've saved it now though...and I'll never forget it.