“Tae, why don’t you go upstairs and get the kittens set up in our room,” Daddy said. “I’ll bring the rest of our stuff in.”
“Okay Daddy.”
I loved the set-up of our cabin. Our bedroom and bathroom were upstairs, then downstairs there were two more that shared a bathroom, plus the kitchen and living room. Just off the kitchen was a mud room and laundry room combo with a door to the outside. Daddy said that’s where we need to come in and out of after playing in the snow, so we can leave all our wet stuff in there to dry.
“Oreo, Twinkle, Simba, you can come out and play.” We’d set up there climby tree thing in our room a couple visits back, and Daddy found the perfect spot in our bathroom for their cat box. He said once they get bigger, we could let them run around the house, but for now they require more supervision.
Our room was pretty big, so Daddy installed a small wood-burning fireplace in it to keep us warm. My babies already had their beds and food dishes here and Daddy and I had clothes in the closet too, so there wasn’t much to get unpacked. Just my kitties, really.
Well, and all the online stuff we just bought.
Daddy came in and Oreo ran right up to him. It was funny to see my big Daddy holding a tiny kitten. Oreo fit right in his palm. “Sweetheart, let’s hang the stockings on the fireplace.”
“Yay!” The kitties were off chasing their ball around and were entertained for the time being.
Daddy put up the hooks, and I placed the stockings we made for everyone, including my kitties, on them. “Daddy, Tae, Momma, Oscar, Trey, Samian and my kitties. That’s everyone, Daddy.”
He kissed the top of my head. “Yes, my thoughtful boy, you remembered them all.”
“What’s for dinner?” Momma announced as she came inside, and Daddy laughed.
“Ah, looks like the neighbor is here, Tae.”
Momma glanced around. “Wow, this is something else, Chuck. I wish your Dad could see it.”
“I can feel him, Momma, and I believe he has.” Daddy hugged Momma, then gave her a tour of our home away from home.
The fireplace that Daddy built to match the one in the cabin we had rented was so big it nearly took up an entire wall. I grabbed my toys off the shelf and sat at the pretty kitchen table Oscar made and started coloring. We’d been bringing stuff up here every time we visited. While Daddy helped with the cabins, I worked on the art. In our cabin we had the before and after pictures I painted. Old cabin and the new one, plus the one I made of my kitties when they were babies.
In Momma’s cabin we hung one I’d made of the cute deer that visited early one morning. It was foggy outside that day, but they came right up to the porch and ate out of the feeder Daddy helped me make for them.
“Tae, Chuck told me you painted that beautiful picture of the deer in my cabin?” Momma made a cup of coffee and joined me at the table.
“I did. I have a couple more drawn up that I want to paint for you too.” They had pretty flowers and her cabin on it. It was too cold to plant them now, but I knew come spring that Momma and I would make lots of hanging flowerpots.
“You have no idea how much that means to me. I’ve always preferred gifts made from the heart, and you did just that. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, Momma. I’m glad you like it.” Daddy was right, I did enjoy painting on canvas as much as on walls.
Oscar, Trey and Samian came in a while later. Trey and Samian sat at the table and colored with me while Momma, Daddy and Oscar made dinner. This was our first family vacation, and it couldn’t be more perfect.
“Daddy, can we get this tree?” It was the biggest, prettiest one on the lot. “We have super high ceilings, so it’ll fit.”
“Will it now?” Daddy questioned. “And who’s putting the star on the top?”
“You can pick me up and put me on your shoulders then I’ll stretch all the way up and do it. It’ll be teamwork.” Daddy liked teamwork, and people working together, so it was a win-win, as he’d call it.
Daddy walked around the tree, then shook it to see if any needles fell off, which wasn’t many. “Alright, let me get the lot attendant.”
We’d dropped Momma and my brothers off in town since they had more shopping to do. Daddy and I brought the lights and ornaments up with us since we had ordered them online and they came to our other house.
After we paid for the tree, and loaded it up, we met the others at the diner in town and ran into Judy there.
“Judy!” I shouted and ran over to hug her. “Come meet my whole family.” She laughed and joined us. “This is Judy, the cat lady who took care of my babies.” I introduced her to everyone, and she took a seat beside Momma. It was so nice, everyone was chatting. Oscar and Trey talked to Judy about adopting a cat and so did Momma.
Momma invited Judy over for Christmas dinner just before we loaded up in Oscar and Daddy’s trucks and headed back to the cabins. Daddy and Oscar brought the tree in and put it in the stand, then strung the lights around it.
“Alright boys, have at it,” Daddy told us. Trey, Samian and I got to work hanging the shiny bulbs all over it. Someone put Christmas carols on, and we sang and danced while we made the cabin all Christmassy.
