Look What We Got!

If any of you read a previous post, you'll know that our little rat Havarti passed away a little over a month ago. We were so sad to see her go that soon. Ever since her cage was empty, we were looking forward to some new rats. About a week after she passed away, we found two little girls from a litter that had just been born. Since they were so new, we had to wait 5 weeks to get them so they could spend the right amount of time with their mom and be fully weened. This last Thursday we finally got to bring them home! We were very excited. The 5 week wait seemed much longer than we anticipated. It is nice to have them so young. When we got Havarti she was already a few months old and she took a lot of working with to get her better socialized. Since these two girls are from a breeder, they've pretty much been handled since birth and are very used to human hands and people around them. They are so soft to pet and so tiny! Their fur feels like velvet. It's only been a couple days but we are already having so much fun with them and can really see their different personalities.

This is Roxy

She is such a crazy, energetic girl. She's a little daredevil. She runs all over the place and jumps off things and climbs on everything. She loves to play "tag" with your hand and she likes it when Matt flips her over and tickles her belly. She has a lot of Havarti personality.

This is Lyla

She is our shy girl. She's much more calm than her sister and a little hesitant of new things. Unlike Roxy, Lyla is a little more content to just sit in your hands or walk around on your lap. Sometimes she gets jumped on or run over by her sister, but I don't think she minds too much.

Thanksgiving is officially over...

So bring on the Christmas cheer!

Usually I don't get all that excited for Christmas. Generally I just feel like it ruins my birthday :P But this year I was ready for Christmas well before usual. I started listening to Christmas music about a week and half before Thanksgiving. Awful I know, but it cheered me up on one of those days where I was a little down, so I kept it up. Now that Thanksgiving is over, I'm free to flaunt my Christmas listening self. So please enjoy the current playlist of holiday songs I have now added to the blog.

I have also changed the normal pictures in my frames around the apartment to Christmas ones, and Matt put up some lights on our balcony and he also put our wreath on the door. Now all we have left is to buy and decorate our Christmas tree. I was also able to hang my most recent craft on the wall the other day.

I'm so crafty

Last week I made a present for an engagement party we attended recently. I liked how it turned out, so I'm dedicating a short blog about it. I started with a wooden plaque I found at a craft store. I then bought some black paint, mod podge, scrapbook paper, and some ribbon to match. Since my mom had a silhouette machine that she let me use, I was able to (with the help of Matt) create my own vinyl lettering. This made for a fun little craft and I think it turned out pretty spiffy. I mean, I'd use it in my apartment anyway. I think I'll definitely make others and play with more colors and sayings.

You can't see it very well in the picture, but the tan background actually has a light pattern to it. I think it added some nice texture and dimension. I completed the gift with a yummy spice candle.

Havarti in Heaven

Ok I realize this is pretty strange and borderline weird...but I'm blogging about it anyway because its been on my mind.

On Monday a little before midnight, our little pet rat Havarti passed away.

Yes, we had a pet rat. And no, we didn't catch her in our apartment and just decide to keep her, we actually wanted a rat and went to a pet store to buy her.

Havarti did not get to live her full age due to an inoperable brain tumor. Her first symptoms began during the summer and she gradually declined from there. She started spending much more time sleeping, not being able to climb and jump on things, and eventually had a hard time eating and walking. We had been giving her medicine to slow the process but after some time, it stopped working. Last Friday we realized that she was really having a hard time and debated taking her in to the vet to have her put to sleep. We decided to wait, hoping a higher dose of the medicine would help her get better. Unfortunately it didn't, but we're glad that she passed on her own rather than having to take her to the vet. Hopefully she died in as much comfort as possible. I sat with her bundled in a small towel and snuggled her on my lap for a couple hours until she went.

Now every time I walk down the hallway and pass the room with her cage in it, I have to fight the habit of peeking in to check on her or see if she's waiting for us to come greet her.

We buried her today.

Havarti Kaefer
June 2008-October 2009

p.s. my nerdiness as a crazy animal lover and pet owner is now over...for the time being.

A few things autumn

rain

delicious soups

cozy sweaters

pumpkin spice lattes


colorful leaves

bunny slippers

pumpkin pie

start of hockey season


thanksgiving dinner

season premieres of all the good shows