Goodbye, Sweet Kia

This past Sunday, our son and daughter-in-law said goodbye to the last of the Mini-Muffins, Kia. If you are a longtime follower of my blog, you might remember the Mini-Muffins, Muffy the Boxer’s only litter of puppies. As is tradition, I always create a card when a member of our pack passes. Sweet Kia, every day with you was a perfect day…

It’s Sunday and time to play with The Paper Players! It’s the fifth Sunday of the month, which means it’s time for a Tic- Tac-Toe challenge. The talented Joanne is our host, and what a fun grid she has prepared for us. I used several options off the grid: the Top Row, the Bottom Row, and both diagonals. I can’t wait to see what YOU create.  But before you head off to gather your stamps, papers and inks, please stop by and leave my incredible Design Teammates, who work so hard to inspire you weekly, some “Comment Love”. It brightens our day! 

Colors Of The Day

The Stampin’ Schach Design Tips

Today’s card features the Whimsy Stamps Rainbow Angel stamp set and the Whimsy Stamps Rainbow Bridge die set. All other products used are from Stampin’ Up! Kia was always a girly girl, much like her niece, Sixx. Her “mom”, Korin, would dress her in pinks and purples. That is why I selected Fresh Freesia polka-dot paper for the background and colored the angel with Bubble Bath pink ink and a blender pen. To add a lovely shimmer to the wings, I used a Barely Blush Shimmer Brush and clear Wink of Stella. In case you are wondering about the symbolism of the Fresh Freesia and Bubble Bath pink flowers on the cloud, two days before Kia’s passing, my son, Brady, bought her a beautiful bouquet so she could smell the flowers one more time before she had to leave. When she passed, she was sent off with a lavender and a pink colored blossom. Because she was a sparkly girl, rhinestones were added to their centers. Since Kia blessed Brady’s and Korin’s lives with perfect days, I could think of no better sentiment than “It was a perfect day because of you” from the retired Butterfly Wishes stamp set. To learn more about this brave girl, be sure to check out “Kia’s Story” below.

Need more inspiration? Be sure to check out our talented Design Team:

Jaydee

LeAnne Pugliese

Claire Broadwater

Joanne James

Anne Marie Hile – On Leave

Ann Schach

Jan Clothier

Stef Perry

Christy Stanford

Kia’s Story

The arrival of the mini-Muffins was not the smooth journey Kim and I anticipated.  After 24 hours of Stage 1 Labor and a call to the emergency vet, Muffy’s water broke at 4:32 AM Saturday morning, April 4, 2015. It was Easter Eve.  However, 30 minutes of active pushing did not produce a puppy.  The vet was called, and we met her at her office for a shot of oxytocin.  We thought everything was going to be fine when Muffy’s first puppy, a little fawn girl (Bunny) was born at 7:30 AM. She was followed by a boy at 8:17 (Cash), a boy at 9:18 (Chunkers) and another boy at 9:48 (Jackie). However, when no other pup had presented by noon, a call was put into the vet again.  We went back for a second oxytocin shot.  By 4:00, she had not gone into labor.  But wait…out of the blue she started contractions.  And she pushed and she pushed and she pushed, with no luck.  Muffy was exhausted.  Again, a call was placed to the vet and we rushed over to her office. I’ll never forget that day. Dr. Rita was grocery shopping at Hy-Vee, picking up some last-minute items for Sunday’s Easter lunch. She left her cart behind and raced away to the office. The puppies were in a box in the front seat with Kim, while I sat in the back with Muffy.  As we were pulling into the vet’s parking lot, Muffy gave one final push. Little Kia had made her entrance into the world, taking her own sweet time. 

Although she was stressed at birth, it didn’t take Kia long to catch up to the rest of the Mini-Muffins. She was born with the heart of a warrior princess. Muffy’s Milk Bar was one of her favorite places to be.

Kia knew she was special from the start, stealing the hearts of everyone she met. Two of those hearts she stole were those of my son, Brady, and his future wife, Korin. I agreed to keep Kia with me until Brady and Korin finished their Masters degrees. After all, what is one more Boxer when you already have a houseful? The three years she lived with us were filled with love and joy. Kia and her brother, Jackie, were the best of friends. The picture below is the last picture of them together. I will admit that when Brady and Korin moved to Washington state, it broke my heart to watch her go.

But letting her go was the best decision I ever made. Brady and Korin were able to give her the active life I would have never been able to give her. They took her everywhere. From hikes in the mountains to romps on the beach; from pumpkin patches to Pike’s Market; from dog friendly restaurants to dog friendly stores, she was always by their sides. When cancer reared its ugly head, they were able to seek out the best canine oncologists. Cancer didn’t stand a chance against the courageous Kia.

She was the flower girl at their wedding and had a place of honor at the reception. She was their best friend, privy to all of their hopes and dreams.

Sadly, their idyllic life took a turn. Kia was positive for Degenerative Myelopathy (DM), an inherited neurological disease similar to ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease). It is the same disease that her mother, Muffy, had. It typically affects older dogs and is not physically painful, however there is no cure. Nerves misfire and muscles atrophy in the hind limbs. Gradually their hind limbs become paralyzed and they are unable to walk. Kia was able to use a doggy wheelchair during this stage. In later stages, DM spreads to the forelimbs. Brady and Korin took her to physical therapy weekly to help slow the progression. However, Kia was in the later stages. She could no longer use her wheels, but she was still happy and had a good quality of life. Korin and Brady did not stop their “adventures” or her physical therapy. A wagon became a substitute for her wheels. As she weakened, however, she began losing her ability to sit upright. Brady and Korin knew they had to make the difficult decision to let her go.

Kia’s last days were filled with love. After saying goodbye to her physical therapy and oncology teams, she visited Puget Sound, smelling the sea air one final time.

She had one final “puppucinno”, filled to the brim with extra treats and bacon, thanks to the barista who became teary eyed upon hearing her story.

That night, all three cuddled in bed to watch a movie. She was thrilled to have her own bowl of popcorn. She got her first taste of cod that night, too.

The next day she went to her favorite park, where she had a party in her honor with the “park friends” she had met over the years.

Later, she got to see a baby. Boxers love babies. Brady held him close to her nose so she could nuzzle him.

That afternoon she feasted on a cheeseburger and spent time in her yard, listening to the birds, smelling the smells, and enjoying the feel of the breeze. I am sure she remembered the days when she could run and chase balls. Later Kim and I, as well as Nueve, Sixx, and GQ had a video call. For an hour and a half, we talked with her and reminisced about the old days. We told her what a beautiful girl she was and how proud of her we were. Although our hearts were breaking, we kept it light and cheery, until the screen went dark.

Kia left this world at 1:01 on May 24th. She was surrounded by love, with the blanket I had given her years ago at her head and the smell of flowers her Dad had bought her in the air.

I am so proud of Brady and Korin for the incredible strength they showed. The loving decision they made is also the most difficult one to make.

Although their hearts are breaking, life continues, as it does. As they learn to cope in a Kia-less world, they look for signs that she is near. The purple flower they have named “Kia’s Flower” is flourishing.

Kia loved birds and they, in return, loved her gentle soul. They would often come to visit her during yard time. In her memory, Brady and Korin hung three birdhouses. Just a few days ago he found a beautiful feather, which he believes is a sign that Kia approves.

Kia’s wheelchair and lifter have been donated to the Canine Physical Therapy department and were delivered along with lots of baked goodies and fruit for her team to enjoy. Dog treats have been delivered to one of the stores which Kia frequented. The owners always gave her treats when she would visit. It is Kia’s way of paying it forward.

Several years ago, I posted the following on Facebook. In light of Kia’s passing, it still feels relevant today: “I write this for all of my friends who have lost their beloved dogs. With each post I have read, tears have been shed. Tears for you, and tears for me as I thought about the dogs of my past. Sitting at my computer this morning, I found solace in writing. Hopefully my thoughts will provide us all with some comfort: It is better to have known the love of a dog, than to never have known that love at all. Love which is unconditional. Love that brings with it the wag of a tail, the prick of an ear, the tilt of a head. Love that feels your sorrow, feels your pain, feels your loneliness, and with one touch of a wet nose, makes all that disappear. Love that feels your joy and your happiness, and with one touch of a playful paw, magnifies those feelings tenfold. And even though it saddens us, grieves us to the point of despair when God decides it is time for them to leave our side and move onto another plain, in His wisdom He leaves us with memories that in time will warm our hearts and bring smiles back to our faces until we meet up with them again…memories of how much richer our lives are because we loved…and were loved by…a dog.

And so I await that time, when I can think of Kia and smile. I await that time when the tears that flow so freely now become tears of joy because I was blessed to have her in my life. And I await that time when she greets me again with all of her sassiness. Run free sweet angel! Because of you, it was a perfect day…

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Retired Sets for Sale

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As always, if you have any questions about the cards I create or the techniques I use, I am only an email away! And please, be sure to SHOP WITH ME! Until next time…

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Basic White 8-1/2″ X 11″ Cardstock – 166780

Price: $14.00

Basic White 8-1/2″ X 11″ Thick Cardstock – 159229

Price: $17.00

Fresh Freesia 8-1/2″ X 11″ Cardstock – 155613

Price: $14.00

Subtles Painted Patterns 12″ X 12″ (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper – 167758

Price: $19.00

Velveteen Assortment 12″ X 12″ (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Specialty Paper – 167915

Price: $12.00

Basic Black Hybrid Stampin’ Pad – 166648

Price: $12.00

Bubble Bath Classic Stampin’ Pad – 161664

Price: $11.00

Blender Pens – 102845

Price: $15.00

Barely Blush Shimmer Brush – 167664

Price: $10.00

Wink Of Stella Clear Glitter Brush – 141897

Price: $10.00

Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine – 149653

Price: $140.00

Delicate Whispers Dies – 167505

Price: $34.00

Fern & Flora Dies – 168991

Price: $35.00

Rhinestone Basic Jewels – 144220

Price: $7.00

Mini Glue Dots – 103683

Price: $8.00

Stampin’ Dimensionals – 104430

Price: $5.00

Stampin’ Seal – 152813

Price: $9.00

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