The Countdown has Begun

Only 369 more days until my brother gets married. Where will I be?
Not just standing up front but...
Standing beside my new sister! Tonight I went to dinner with Brandi and my brother and they asked me to be their maid of honor. I'm so, well, honored! I've never even been a bridesmaid before but I am so looking forward to this opportunity :) I'm soooo excited for them. It's going to be a fun filled, busy year for all of us.

I've also got some uber cute pictures for you so get ready :) First a little back story: My mom works at an animal hospital as a receptionist. To say she's got a soft spot is an understatement. I think it makes her perfect for her job. She rescued her cat L.C. from the woods beside the office one day. L.C. is lucky she has such an awesome momma because she's got some respiratory and kidney issues and a heart murmur but my mom takes care of her just like a child, because L.C. is family. Well, in the past year another cat, Siamese has taken up permanent residence on my parent's front porch. And just about 6 weeks ago a lady came into the animal hospital with one of her outdoor kitties. My mom knew this woman pretty well because she had been coming to the hospital for awhile. The lady was recently diagnosed with terminal cancer and was trying to find a home for all her pets. She wanted to find a home for her cat, Suede, but Suede was pregnant and no one would take a pregnant kitty. Well, you can spay a cat and abort the babies but my mom just didn't have the heart to do it. My mom took in Suede and put her up in a little room in her basement until the kittens were born. I think we're all glad that she did because these are quite possibly the most adorable kittens ever. The Cuteness Meter is off the charts:
We had them out on Saturday in my parent's bathroom playing with them. My dad named them after each of his kids:
T.J., named after my brother even though he's a she (we figure it stands for Tammy Jo)
Brandi (my future SIL)

And Melissa, my namesake. I just love the crazy look in her eyes in this picture.

My mom has been very fortunate in finding homes for all the kittens but she's still looking for a home for momma cat Suede who is one of the sweetest animals I've ever met. Seriously, she never stops purring. I think she'd make a nice pet for my parents :) but they said no more inside cats. Don't worry though, another outside cat has begun sleeping on top of the transformer box in my parent's front yard. She's black and white so we're thinking her name will be Moo Moo.

And for the dog lovers here's Luke:
He wanted to check out the kittens when they came up from the basement. He's only 9 months old and already outweighs most fully grown adults in his breed.