Oreo

As some of you know, we have been blessed with a large family. From the time I was a little girl, all I wanted to be was a mother and have many children. Of course, my idea of a large family was not the same as the Lord's idea for my large family. Not that I am complaining...because, believe me, it took me YEARS to come to terms with the idea of not having a "traditional" family. Nonetheless, I feel that I have been richly blessed. I am thankful that the Lord was mindful of my need to be a mother and made it possible for me to have mothering experiences.

Our family presently consists of four cats and a dog...Bullseye, Kit Kat, Snickers, and Oreo are our cats. Our dog is named Lad. I will start with Oreo, our youngest and the only other female in the house. As you can see from her picture, she is cute. One might even think you could pet her and make her purr...I will tell you that it has taken months for us to be able to do this. She was rescued from the wild and is the only cat we have ever had that didn't meow while riding in the carrier on the way home from Indiana where we got her. She was just too mad to make any noise!

She is about a year old now and is still quite skittish, but we love her anyway. She definately owns our hearts. I must admit that I am thankful she came to live with us. She has taught me patience as I have worked with her to gain her trust. In my heart I know she appreciates the treats I sneak her from my dinner plate! She has taught me also to hope for the future--that someday she will love and trust us just as much as we do her.

To all my friends with children...Oh, how I admire you and appreciate the sacrifices you make as you raise them. It is my hope that you understand that my intent is not to diminish the traditional family. Only to give thanks to the Lord for being mindful of my needs as I fulfill the work He had planned for me, which at this point in time does not include children of my own.