Late last year, Ozzy got sick. He got down to 5.5 lbs, started losing his vision, and just didn’t seem right. Over the last few months, the vet has run all sorts of tests, and finally diagnosed him with FIP in January. FIP is a viral infection he’s probably had since birth, but only now has come out. It’s terminal and there’s really nothing that can be done except keep the cat as comfortable as possible. It’s been rather horrible watching him get sicker and sicker, and always wondering what would happen next and when he might die. And trying to feed him has been incredibly stressful because he neurologically just couldn’t seem to make his mouth work right half the time. It’s really been a difficult time for both of us.

So, after a few months of fighting it off, the disease seemed to catch up with him this week. His eye sight got significantly worse, his legs didn’t seem to be working right, and he just seemed sad. Every once in a while, he’d just look up at me and cry :( I was praying and praying that God would just take him and that I wouldn’t have to put him to sleep – but in the end, Ozzy needed me to do what was best for him. So, yesterday I took him to the vet, and we put him down :’( It was incredibly sad, but also a bit of a relief. I’m glad he’s not suffering anymore, and I’m glad I got to say goodbye and spend some time with him before he died, I’m glad he knew he was loved. But, I am really going to miss having him around. Ever since I started working from home full-time, Ozzy has been by my side every moment I’ve been home – which is a lot. I realized today that I’ve spent more time with him over the last few years than any other person. And now, he’s just not over on the other side of the room sleeping while I work. He’s gone. And for such a little guy, he’s left quite a vacuum…

previous 2 photos were taken by my friend Cynthia a couple weeks ago

I’m not the only one who’s going to miss Ozzy. Poor little Harriett has spent her whole life with him. She’s become more detached in the last few months as he got sick and a little grumpy, but they were still close. I tried to get her to say goodbye, but she didn’t really get what was going on. She seems to know something is wrong, but I don’t know if she realizes Ozzy is gone.

These were taken yesterday before our appointment.

and this is the last photo I’ll ever take of Ozzy. He slept under that blanket all day, and I just laid there and petted him. Poor little guy…

Ozzy, I love you buddy! I’ll miss you so so much! xoxo

I drove out to Western Mass for Tamara & Jason’s eSession because they really wanted their dogs to be part of their photos, since they won’t be able to make the trip to Buzzard’s Bay in September for the wedding. Like lots of couples without kids, these dogs are their babies. So, we took the babies over to their favorite park for some photos.

Here’s a family portrait :)

And since their dogs are just so cute and I couldn’t pick just one or two – I thought I’d give you a little montage of all my favs. That streak of black in the top right corner is a dog ;) He was so excited to hit the woods that he ran straight into a creek and ruined his fresh bath. Oh well, he was still cute! But, I must admit that it’s the little brown one that was my favorite! Cajun was abandoned after Hurricane Katrina and Tamara just had to rescue him. He’s such a little sweetie!

Now, on to the couple shots! This is my FAVORITE from the day, I think! And it was one of the first ones we shot. I couldn’t even put my logo on it – it would just ruin the gorgeousness :)

And a few more in the woods… We stirred up some serious mosquitoes, but it was totally worth it!

Eventually, we decided that the bugs were a bit too much for us, so we spent most of our time in the field next to the woods. The sunlight was perfectly yummy – I couldn’t get enough of it!

Are they cute, or what?

I love how dramatic this one looks!

Did I mention the sunlight???

What I loved best about this shoot was how great Tamara & Jason were in front of the camera! They were a little self-conscious before we started, telling me that they didn’t know what to do and needed direction, etc. I just told them to be themselves and to enjoy one another’s company and never mind me. Well, they were naturals! They seemed so at ease and even though we had a great time chatting the whole evening – they were still able to seem as if they were completely alone. It was really great and made my job so easy!

We did get a few where they were aware of the camera though :)

After a fun time at the park, we gathered up the pups and headed back to their house. They have a great backyard with this awesome hammock. I couldn’t resist…

Tamara & Jason – thank you guys for such a wonderful shoot, and such a fun time, not to mention a delicious dinner! It was great getting to know you both a bit better, and I absolutely can’t wait for the wedding!!! ]]> http://kristaphotoblog.com/2008/07/tamara-jason-esession/feed/ 8