The Most Popular Posts Part Four!

Good morning, friends. We're continuing today with our big countdown of the fifty most popular IBKC posts!  Today, we're cracking the top twenty!

#20  Two Thumbs Up! 
I think this is the earliest post to make the top fifty list, and probably the IBKC image that has been shared more than any other.  It was featured on Cute Overload, which really put us on the map.  Prior to the CO feature,  we got got maybe a hundred visitors a day, but on the day this was posted, we had 13,000 visitors.  It's the reason why many of you found our way to us.



#19 My Apologies Charlene
I'm sure she hates this post as much as I love it, but dang, Charlene, you know I had to share it. And now, I'm sharing it again, because so many of you loved this, too.  Sorry, Bean.



#18 Kitten Clown Car
Those Von Tussles just keep on coming!





#17 Four Years! Really?

When we celebrated our 4th blogiversary, we took a look back.



#16 Such a Tolerant Bean
Poor Bean! This one has been shared a squillion times. It landed on Love Meow, Cute Overload, and I Can Has Cheezburger, too.




#15 I'm Their Mother, She's My Sister, He's My Brother
It was a very exciting day when we broke this news!



#14 Better
This one one of the most challenging times in our fostering history. Wylla and Audrey's brother had passed from a virus, and we were so worried about the well-being of the girls. Fortunately, things began looking up for the girls, and we all breathed a sigh of relief.

 

#13 Pantalones De Loco x Four
They look so innocent here, but click on the link and watch the video. CRAZY PANTS!



#12 Stepping Out With Wylla Stout - Sweater Shopping!
When Wylla was wee, the poor girl got cold so easy, she wore sweaters when she stepped out. Here she is on a sweater shopping excursion.



 #11 The Saddest Day

We've been very fortunate that in these 9 years of fostering, we've only lost a few kittens.  These sad posts always come with many sweet, thoughtful, comforting words from all of you.  

 

Tomorrow will visit our top ten posts. What do you think will be number one?  Share your guesses, won't you?

Giving Thanks

If you've been hanging out around the IBKC for a while, you know this photo. That adorable paw belongs to adorable Willamena Bouvier, who we had the pleasure of fostering many, many years ago.

We've made it a tradition to share this photo each Thanksgiving.

I'll be taking a break tomorrow to celebrate the day, so I'll give my "thanks" today.

I am so thankful for this community of ours and the positive place that it is. Thank you for only contributing kindness.  I'm thankful for the many ways you support us and what we do. Your actions remind me daily that there is much good and great compassion in the world.    I'm so thankful every single one of you.

I'm thankful that our little Lumpkins are safe and recovering in their new home. I'm thankful for all who helped facilitate their move, and for their new foster mama, who's taken over their care. I'm thankful that the situation wasn't worse, because it easily could have been.  I'm thankful for the good work our shelter does each day, and the giving, huge-hearted folks that work and volunteer there.


I hope you are all feeling loved and connected. I hope you are happy and healthy. I hope you have more reasons to be thankful for than you can count,  but if you feel like you only have a few in this moment, I hope you can focus on those.   I hope you are surrounded at your Thanksgiving table by those who you love most.

Have a wonderful holiday, dear friends.

We love you.

Our Itty Bitty Tradition

Many, actually most of you, have seen this image before.  I post it every year - it's our little Thanksgiving tradition.  That dear paw belongs to Willamena Bouvier, a wee kitten we fostered many years ago.  

This picture made it to the pages of Cute Overload, and it's the reason why many of our earliest followers found their way to us.  For this, we are thankful.

And we're thankful for every single one of you in this sweet community of ours today.   I know I've said it before, and you know I'll say it again,  but you are a special bunch.  I appreciate all the support you show, and the kindness you give us each day - especially during this challenging year that we've had. I appreciate that you still come visit us every single day even though we've been kitten-less - don't worry, we'll have kittens again, just not QUITE yet. I am grateful for all the love and good wishes you've sent Wylla while we've worked to get her condition to a manageable place and her little body to grow.   I am touched by your giving ways during our fundraising season and year round too.

Honestly friends, in all the interwebs, there is other community as lovely as you. You are a huge blessing in our lives, and I am thankful for your presence.

We hope you all have a wonderful thanksgiving.  We hope you share a table with those you care about the most.  We hope you are happy, healthy, and feeling loved.

We'll be taking a couple of days off to enjoy the holiday with loved ones, and will return again on Monday.

Until then, please take good care, my friends.

And have a very happy Thanksgiving day.

With much, much love,

Laurie, Craig, Charlene and Wylla

Early Whisperer and Young Bean

I went back through the IBKC archives to see if there were any photos of a wee Bean with the folks, and I believe this would of have been their very first visit after we adopted Charlene.

She would have been about 18 months when this photo was taken.  Her coat is so much lighter then! And my dad's was so much darker!  

Look closely, and you'll see little Willamena Bouvier perching there too.

On occasion, Charlene will occupy the back of her favorite pink chair when a house guest sits there, but usually when people are around, she'll walk into the room, make the rounds, brush up against every pair of legs, then will sit in the center of the living room rug and observe her surroundings.   She likes to see what's going on and feel in control of the situation. In the middle, she can do just that.

When she feels she can let her guard down, she will flop and lay belly-up.  She is NOT soliciting belly scratches - she's just signaling that she's relaxed, ready to play, or in need of some cooling down.

I've seen my dad do the same on the living room rug.  But you can scratch his belly.

Feeling Thankful

Keeping with our little IBKC tradition, here's wee little Wilamena Bouvier is here to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving!

You all mean the world to us, and we're so thankful you're a part of our lives.

We wish you all the best, and hope everyone is happy, healthy, feeling loved, and eating well today!!

Much, much, much love,

Laurie, Craig, Charlene, Clive, Ralphie, Cyrus, and Graham

Our Little Tradition

As many of you know, since the very beginning of this blog, it has been a tradition to share this picture in my Thanksgiving post.  For those of you new to the IBKC, this is Willamena Bouvier.  She was part of one of the very first litters we fostered.




This picture kind of put us on the map.  It was posted by our friend Meg over at Cute Overload and was the reason why many of our early followers found their way to us.     I'm so thankful for that.

I am thankful for so many things this year.

First,  I'm thankful for all the kittens we've had the pleasure of knowing and the amazing families that adopted them.

I'm thankful they've been (mostly)  healthy kittens,  and thankful for  the vet staff at the HS that helps us keep them that way.

I'm thankful that Wee Willard has a round belly.

I'm thankful for all the dedicated staff and volunteers at the shelter (at all shelters, actually)  that work so hard and give so much to help homeless animals.

I am thankful that I live a life that allows me to foster.  I can't imagine our home without our little charges in it.

I am thankful for the generosity of this community and appreciate SO MUCH all that you gave during our fundraiser.

I am thankful for our devoted followers and friends who visit us every day.  I hope you know how amazing you are and how much we appreciate your support and kind words.    You are a blessing, and you enrich our lives.

We wish a very Happy Thanksgiving.

Take care friends, we love you.

xoxo

Laurie, Craig, Trimbles, and Charlene



 

Happy Father's Day

I know,, I know... every year I post the same picture on Father's Day. I'm sorry, I can't help it. It's just a great illustration of how sweet my dad is.

For those of you new to the blog, this is my Dad, Dave. As you can clearly see in this picture , he's awesome.




Happy Father's Day, Dad. I love you tons.


And Happy Father's Day to all the fabulous Dads out there in the world.

xoxo

Laurie

Traditions

I know, I know,,, many of you have seen this picture before, but not all of you have, so I'm posting it again. I think I'm going to make this a Thanksgiving tradition. Sweet potatoes, stuffing, and Willamena Bouvier. Yum.

Halloweens of Yesteryear

Here are a few links to Halloween posts from the past...

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlene Butterbean
Little Miss Bean and her first Halloween.

Albert Allen Poe
He perched, and sat, and nothing more...

The BOOviers
Sweet little pumpkins...

Happy Hallow-Bean and Candy Corny
Anxiously await the trick-or-treaters...

More spider wranglin'...
With Albert and Davy

Happy Thanksgiving, Folks!!

For those of you who have been following this blog for awhile,, you've seen this picture before. It's our former foster, dear little Willamena Bouvier. (she's the little tabby holding the telephone on the sidebar)

Anyway,, I tried to photograph the kittens in their pilgrim costumes, but they wouldn't cooperate. They kept chewing on the shoe buckles and apron strings, so I had to re post this Thanksgiving picture instead.

I'm taking a few days off for the Thanksgiving holiday, but I'll be back Monday, hopefully with news of kitten adoptions.

Have a glorious Thanksgiving, everyone.

XO

Laurie

PS Charlene Butterball says Happy Thanksgiving too.

A Little More Lottie

Here's another bit of the recently discovered lost kitty footage. Little Lottie was such a tiny thing. I think she would of been around five or six weeks old here.


And here's a photo from the session. Miss Willamena wanted in on the action too !

Teeny Tiny Tongues and Teeth

Charlene Butterbean

Morty

Pierre

Reva

Wendell

Pierre

Lottie

Ramona

Cornelius

Willamena

2007 Kitty Review

Pierre

Penny

Cassius

Vinny

Wendell Jefferson Hopps

Mitzy Jean Hopps

Rex Von Trout

Reva Von Trout

Lottie Bouvier

Cornelius Bouvier

Maddie Bouvier

Willamena Bouvier

It was really fun going through all the pictures from the year and selecting one of each kitten for today's post. I enjoyed reflecting on each of our babies during this process.

What a wonderful year it's been. I feel so lucky having all of these lovely kittens as a part of our lives. Each one was so precious and fabulous in their own special way. It was an amazing experience watching them grow and seeing their personalities develop. They made us laugh many, many times. We were touched by their sweetness. They enriched our lives so much.

It's been a pleasure getting to know all of you as well. We appreciate you always being there and loving these babies from afar. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

I want to wish you all the best for 2008. I hope your year is bright and filled with lots of love, happiness, and good health.

Happy New Year IBKC Friends!
Happy New Year Kitties !
Happy New Year Kitty Parents and Families!
Happy New Year Everyone!

All the Babies

Here's a group shot taken shortly before the kitties left for their new homes.

Goodbye Kitties

Willamena and Lottie spent their last five days together, happy, playful, and side by side. They seemed unfazed by the earlier departure of their siblings, Maddie and Cornelius. Both girls recovered nicely from their surgery, and were looking quite healthy. They packed on the ounces this past week. Willamena's tiny-hiney finally caught up with her round belly. Lottie filled out, and her legs grew a little longer.

We scheduled their departure ( along with Ramona from the original six pack of cats) for Friday, so they would have the weekend and holiday to get comfortable with their new homes, parents and siblings.

Lottie was first. Her wonderful new mama, Marni, arrived that afternoon. While the appropriate paperwork was filled out, Willamena and Lottie wrestled and romped and Charlene supervised. They were all very curious about the kitty carrier Marni had brought. They took turns smelling it, chewing on it, or climbing in or on top of it . We talked while the kitties played, then we said our good-byes. Marni left and loaded little Lottie into the car. Big-eared, big-eyed Willamena climbed up into the window and watched the whole scene. Anyone sitting in the room then, if they hadn't already , started tearing up at that moment. . It was heart wrenching to witness Willamena watching her sister leave.

Lottie will be living in a condo in North Seattle, with her new big brother, Stoli. She'll be a strictly in-door kitty ( hooray). Stoli lost his older brother in November. He's been hoping for a new companion ever since. I'm sure they'll do fine together. Lottie is used to being around other kitties and cats and he is ready for a playmate. Sounds like a perfect match.


Ramona was adopted later that evening. Patrick and Sarah are the lucky ones who got to bring her home. She too will have a big brother. And when I say big, I mean 16 pounds ! Before leaving, Ramona got a few pearls of wisdom from Charlene on the subject of "how handle a cat that is larger, and hairier than you".


We were just finishing up with Ramona, when Willamena's new parents arrived. A third round of adoption papers were filled out. Willamena was passed around for kisses and good-byes, then she was gone too.

Willamena is a very lucky girl. She now has two daddies ! One works for a modeling agency, the other is a child therapist and works with foster children. Can you imagine a more perfect combo for our super-model kitty? One dad to manage her career, the other to help her cope with trials and tribulations of being a child star. Like Lottie, she too will be living in Seattle in a condo. She'll have two new brothers and a new name. "Yubi" which is japanese for "thumbs" will be her first name and Willamena will be her middle name.

What a day! After all the adoptions were complete, and everyone left, we mixed cocktails . We toasted to the kitties and their bright futures. They all have such wonderful homes. They will all be adored. Mission accomplished!

The Last Day with the Girly-Girls

Yesterday was our last day with Lottie and Willamena. I'll tell you the whole story in days to come. We're all a little drained after saying goodbye so many times this week. I don't think I have the energy to tell the tale right this second. For now, I'll share with you some pictures of their last day. I love how girly they look on the pink bedspread. ( which was a gift from Sue. Thanks again Sue!)

Willamena and Lottie really seemed to be savoring the last moments they had together. They stayed very close to each other all day long.