A week of great losses and new beginnings

It has been a very emotionally hard week for Don and I. Things have went so many different ways it has been hard to get a handle on our thoughts, emotions and feelings.
It has been a week of terrible losses.
Earlier this week we lost our good friend Bob. He was 92 years old. A great man and a good friend. We met him 3 years ago when he was avidly looking for a new horse to ride. Bob had ridden endurance rides all his life and has ridden the Tevis Cup 6 times, finishing 4 of the 6 times. He was one of the founding members of the AERC, and his dream was to run the Tevis Cup in his 90's. He came out several times and looked at our gelding Concho. Rode him, liked him and they made a great team. Of course being on SS and such Bob didn't have a lot of money to spend, but his heart was sure in the right place.
We were asking $3500 for Concho, remember he was a dead broke kids horse, registered spansh mustang with 2 years under his belt riding in parades and being in the public. We sold Concho to Bob for $1500. It was a match made in heaven.
People gave us a terrible time about it, saying why in the world would you sell a horse to a 89 year old man. Why because he needed Concho, he needed a reason to get up every day, he needed a purpose, and horses were his life.
It was the greatest decision we ever made and Bob had 3 happy years riding that horse they were a great team and we loved to watch them out and about.
Bob passed away to cancer this week, it is a great loss to us and the horse world as he was a great man with tons of logic.
We will miss him, but Concho will continue his life at a Theraputic Riding Center for handicapped kids.
Ride on Bob we will miss you.
Wed. evening our wonderful big black dog Sabbath passed away. We had him for 9 years, he was Dons traveling buddy and best friend. Never could convince all 120 lbs of him he was not a lap dog. He went on every long distance trip Don went on traveling all over the US with him. His big lovable nature and special personality is greatly missed and there has not been a day since we lost him either of us has not cried.
We will miss him on all of our horseback rides as he always went with. He loved exploring new country and being out and about and if we went 20 miles you know he went 40. He loved to run, loved to play, loved to visit Aunt Ruth the Chicken lady, you never know when she may lose a chicken and he would get it as a prize to bring home and bury. He loved the kids, always slept by our bed and was the biggest gentle soul I ever knew.
Good by Sabbath, you are greatly missed and there will never be another like you.
Thursday morning my cat Secret blessed us with 5 beautiful kittens. Two calico, a solid black, a gray with white feet and a black white. Mom and babies are doing great all kittens have already been spoken for and when the time is ready will go to their new homes.
The kids love the kittens and they love to sit at the kennel and watch them and momma.
We decided Thurs night after such a trying week we would all put our grief aside and have a celebration of life.
We brought out the grill, cooked hot dogs, pork loin, chicken, baked beans potatos and chips.
We laughed and remembered and had a good time. We watched the two mares who are ready to foal, Splash loved all the scratching and attention she got.
it was a good night, after dinner we started a fire and the kids roasted marshmallows.
At 11pm Splash blessed us with the most perfect and beautiful black and white appy filly we could have ever wished for. She has been named Starstruck and she truly fits her name.
The circle of life truly goes on.