Goodbye, Gina Marie.

You were part of our family for nearly 19 years, but today, it was time for you to leave us.

I remember the first day we brought you and your sister home...I'd only wanted one kitten and insisted she be a calico.  I finally found your sister at the SPCA and she was so darn attached to you, that I couldn't split the two of you up.  They warned me you were sickly and might not live long...they didn't even charge for you.  You looked kind of rough, but you came home with us, too.

It took 2 weeks to get your eye cleared up and opened and another 6 weeks to get you over a bad intestinal infection. That was such fun for us all...only not. But your sister loved you and obviously, so did your new daddy.  This is how the 3 of you slept all night, that first night. I was glad your sister was happy.

As time passed, we realized you were going to live and that whole free cat thing?  Yeah, not so much, nearly $1000 in vet bills later. But it was okay...you were part of the family by then, and your sister loved you.

Although I was always your favorite person, you would worry when Jake was sick and stick right by him until he was better.  Then you'd resume your attempts to smother me in my sleep so I could be yours forever and ever. Even today, when I held you, you wanted to lay on my face and lick me.  Everyone called you Velcro Gina because of how you'd launch yourself onto me and cling...you were an annoying thing but I secretly liked it.

You and your sister helped to homeschool Jake when I had to work.  I never told you how much I appreciated the help, but I did.

You turned out to be my adventurous, fearless baby, much to my surprise...no place was too high, too scary, too far for you to explore and make your own. You learned how to get up there when the others couldn't and you were the one who learned to push the screens out of the windows so you could go hang in the backyard with the dog.  You had no fear of a gigantic Rottweiler, but he?  Was your slave, mostly because you scared him with your braveness. 

And for all my bitching and moaning about you and your whiny, weird, velcro ways, I love you very much and I'll miss you.  You were part of my life for nearly half of it and Jake doesn't remember a time without you in his.  

But today, you were just so tired and your poor little stinky ears hurt so badly, we knew we had to stop putting it off and do the right thing for you.  So, goodbye, my sweet little Gina Lemon Verbena and thank you for being ours. *sighs* Your sister misses you tonight and is trying to find you. Take care of her, okay? 

Love always, Mama