Yesterday we said Goodbye to one of our best friends. For all who knew Coach they knew a tough mean little cat. But what I always tried to explain to people that he was a tester of people…. you here to stick it through no matter what??? Pass the test with no fear of him and he would have your back forever!To us he was so much more…. We wish that everyone could’ve seen or known the side of Coach that we fell in love with. Because once you got past that tough cat you had a true forever friend! To us Coach was:Our protector, sometimes Ted and I would joke that Lassie was trying to tell us something. No matter what we were doing even sleeping you would get me or wake me up then have me follow you to what you needed me to see. Including the leak in the kitchen on one rainy night, or the times where the kids were stirring upstairs and we were downstairs or if a kiddo needed me and I didn’t hear them call… Thank you for being our Lassie. He was the weeder of bad people. So I knew that Coach liked Ted because he didn’t bite his toes. Legit before I met Ted, Coach was my weeder of boyfriends. The test was always when they came over to watch tv. If Coached liked you he would be nice and deal with you, until you overstayed your welcome and he was tired and wanted to go to bed. Then he did everything he could to make you uncomfortable. If he didn’t like you, then you better watch your toes, because he would sneak up on you and nibble them then run away. He would keep that up for a few times as a warning, then he would give it one a nice little bite and jump up and sit between us. Then just meow till you left. At the time it was annoying but as I started realizing what he was doing it became our little joke. HAHA Our Keeper of Secrets- So Alexandria and I each loved having our special alone time with Coach because if anything was bothering us that we needed to talk through, he was always there to listen. So we called him the keeper of secrets…. lord knows the secrets he knows. Our CONSTANT- no matter what he was there every night, usually joined us for story time in Alexandria’s bed, slept with her till she was fast asleep, then he would move to our bed and be there when I came up. Last night was the first night in almost 22 years that you weren’t there by side or feet. God how I missed you! Alexandria couldn’t even make it to her bed last night.Our snuggler- that’s right peeps that mean cat that you all knew was the best snuggler. Right before he wanted to snuggle with you, he would come up and look at you waiting for a head bump. It was like his way of saying “tag you’re it, I am going to nap” Up until last year I was the only one he would head butt, Alexandria was next, he was starting with Jameson. Jameson wanted it to happen so badly… I am grateful that just this week Coach lifted up his head and let Jameson head bump him. It filled Jameson’s heart with Joy.To Zen you were her best friend, you were the only one she would come out for. You made her feel comfortable. I hope that she will start coming around and letting us pet her. To Pixie- you were the friend she always wanted…. even though you didn’t always want to be her friend. LOL She knew you were going and cried from her crate as I held you by your favorite window. Every night Pixie would bark as soon as we said “dinner time”. I always told Ted it was to let Coach know it was time to eat. Last night for the first time ever, we called dinner and you slowly walked in the kitchen and quietly sat by Ted waiting for your dinner. She still stares at the door after I come in, I swear she is waiting for him to come back home. But most importantly to us you were ours for an amazing 22 years! Thank you for creating so many happy memories with us, till we see you again in Heaven <3