08/24/2026
I've been waiting to get the strength to share..
On Saturday night, we had to very unexpectedly say goodbye to our sweet, sweet boy, Calvin. 💔
And honestly… it’s completely soul wrenching. Andrea here- and this is one of those vulnerable, real posts- that isn't always sunshine and rainbows. My heart is shattered.
One of the hardest parts of loving our animals so deeply is knowing that, sometimes, even when it's impossible to fathom, loving them means making the most painful decision imaginable.. and knowing that decision will stick with you. And you will always question; did I make the right decision? What if I would have noticed something sooner? What if I could have done something to save them? THE GUILT. It's something that never really goes away, even if you know it was for the best.
And when we've had to say goodbye to more animals than we ever thought we would, in our short 3 years here, you start to question.. literally everything.
Are we doing the right thing?
Why do we keep having to go through this?
Why does this keep happening? What lessons do we still have to learn?
Why us?
What are we doing wrong? Is this really our calling? Is it a sign?
How much more can our hearts take?
The last few years since starting our little ranch, have brought challenges we never could have anticipated. There have been so many beautiful moments, and so much to be so extremely grateful for..but on the other side, there have also been losses, heartbreak, uncertainty, insurmountable vet bills, hard decisions, financial hardships, moments where we’ve wondered if we would find the strength to keep going.. or just give up.
But then, you look into the eyes of the animals who are still here.
And they still need us.
They still need a safe place.
They still need someone to show up.
They still need love.
They still need patience.
They still need us to keep believing in what this place can become.
So we keep going. Somehow, you wake up.. and just keep going. Through the heartache, through the tears, through the pain.
Not because it’s easy.
Not because we always know what we’re doing.. because goodness, sometimes we don't. We're still learning as we go.
But because somewhere along the way, these animals became part of our hearts.. part of our family —and this dream became bigger than us.
We know and understand that these moments are inevitable.. but gosh, why does it have to be so hard? Fighting for the light and seeing our dream from the other side, is the one thing that keeps us going.
Thank you for letting me be vulnerable.. and creating a safe place to share things like this. For allowing SHR to be more than pretty pictures and happy moments. Beacause the truth is, it's not always easy. Sometimes, its ugly. And hard. Healing isn’t always beautiful. Sometimes it looks like grief. Sometimes it looks like questioning everything. Sometimes it looks like uncontrollable crying, feeling numb, questioning your whole life and existence.. and then getting up the next morning because there are still animals waiting for you, and a mission on our hearts.
And maybe that’s part of the healing, too. And what we need to experience and learn. If you've stayed this long, thank you. ❤️ Thank you for taking the time to read and being here. We're all human, and things aren't always perfect. But it's comforting knowing we have support and love- and those who understand the immense love we all have for our animals.
Calvin, thank you for being part of our story. We love you so much and we will miss you, every single day. I'll miss you always being the first one to greet me at the barn door in the morning with meows and jumping up and nuzzling your face in my leg.. and always wanting to cuddle and rolling over for belly rubs. He was definitely not your typical barn cat, he was my soul cat. My buddy. Who made the best biscuits. A purr that soothed your soul. Also that cat that made Tim like cats. They were best buddies and Calvin would always follow and lay at Tim's feet waiting to be picked up and loved on.
My heart is just completely broken and my soul just aches.. to say goodbye to my best friend so soon. Please send love and healing to his siblings- who dont understand why he was here one moment, and gone the next. My heart just breaks for them. The one thing that keeps me going is knowing my mom, Ollie and Daisy, were there to greet Calvin at Rainbow Bridge. We will carry him with us as we continue building this place with love. 🤍
Thank you for being here with us, through all of it.
