Dinner With Delaney

My niece Delaney and I hung out the other evening while her parents went out. She wanted mac and cheese with a hot dog and ketchup for dinner. She was very specific. These are a few pics of our dinner.

Rockin' Out

We don't get to see the Upland Gang as much as we would like to but we try to get together 2 or 3 times a year. (It's funny that we refer to them as the Upland Gang since none of them live in Upland anymore.) We met up at the Mitchums for dinner and games. But the games turned into Rockband on the Wii. It was very funny to watch the boys really get into it.

Cooper and Ashley hanging out.

Kevin on vocals and Dan on guitar.

Me and my blue eyed lover.

Rikki and Cooper.

Dan tried to get some studying in. I don't think he was very successful.

Here is the look when I ask the guys to smile.

I eventually got a good picture of the four.

Play Day in the Park

Today we went to the park. It's been a long time since the boys have played with other puppies and they had a great time.

I thought it was pretty cold today.

It was really muddy at the park.

But after a couple hours at the park, and a bath, the boys crashed . . . for most of the day.

Let It Snow

We got snow our last night at the condo in Tahoe. It started around noon and came down most of the evening. It was pretty dry, swirled in the wind, and was beautiful. Kevin and I took some pictures from the balcony outside our room. So cold. Lots of fun.

Emerald Bay

Kevin and I headed up to Sacramento last Saturday after stopping in Bakersfield to have lunch with my Aunt, Uncle, and Cousin. On Sunday we headed up to Lake Tahoe for the week with my parents and brother. There was snow on the ground but the sky was clear and the air was crisp.

We spent most of our time indoors as Mom still isn't allowed to put weight on her broken leg and we were on the fourth floor. But on Monday afternoon we headed out for a short drive. We looked at the beautiful cabins and ended up out by Emerald Bay. We helped Mom out of the car, careful not to slip on the ice, and took a few pictures. The sun was setting and it was probably around 40 in the sun. The view was gorgeous.

Temporarily Relocated

While our carpets in our regular office are being treated for mildew, I have been relocated to the James building. Just two doors down from where I started almost 7 years ago. I have had my own office for about a year and a half, and I got quite comfortable with it. So sharing an office space with my boss for the past two weeks has been an adventure. Unfortunately, we both talk to ourselves. It has been interesting.

Puppies and Their Daddy

Sunday night football. Charlie watching the fantasy points on the computer with Kevin.

Charlie got bored and fell asleep in Kevin's hand.

Three Years

For our anniversary we headed out to Benihana's. The food was okay, and the company was great. I think I am getting bored with chain restaurants. Or I was just spoiled with some really nice restaurants in Canada. The wait staff sang Happy Birthday at least half a dozen times while we were there. But I was excited to celebrate our three shorts years with the man of my dreams.

Here is the picture they took of us at the restaurant. It was so completely cheesy I had to share with you!

Delaney and the Puppies

Our niece Delaney has been quite fascinated with our dogs for quite a while. She often asks about them and always wants to see them when she comes over. But she has always remained a little fearful. They are, after all, almost as tall as she is, and over twice her weight. Last Friday night, we let them roam around while she was over. We cuddled up on the floor, Kevin and I each with a puppy, and let Delaney get comfortable with the boys.

She laughed and laughed when Kevin would bounce the ball and the boys would jump up to grab it.


After we sat for a while, Kevin and I went back to the kitchen to finish making dinner. It got really quiet. I peeked my head around the corner to see Delaney playing with Charlie. She is holding my cell phone up to Charlie's ear letting him know her Daddy was on the phone for him.

After a while, she pooped out and we cuddled up while watching Sponge Bob.

Break A Leg

Two weeks ago, my parents and littlest brother went up to Coloma for a picnic where my mother slipped and broke her leg. You can read the story here at my dad's blog. It wasn't pretty. The timing was great for my dad either. Mom came home from the hospital on the 13th and Dad left for Alabama on the 20th. My Dad's brother lives near Mobile and he had planned to escort my grandparents on their trip out there. When Mom fell he was going to cancel the trip but my sister and I offered to each take a week to come up. It would have been a breeze if my brother could drive, but being 15, needed help getting to and from school, church, piano lessons, saxophone lessons, and the occasional costume party.

I took the first shift which also happened to be the same time Kevin had to go out to Virginia for his Ottawa trip debriefing. So I packed my boys up in the Civic and we headed north. I haven't driven to Sacramento since college, and I have never been with two dogs in the car. But the boys were wonderful, and for the most part, slept the entire way. Unfortunately, the back seat is a little cramped for my two tiny 80 pound puppies.

On Thursday, I took Mom up to Placerville where she had the surgery so she could meet with the surgeon for her follow up appointment. First I have to ask, if you are a orthopedic surgeon and the office specializes in orthopedics, why does your office not have automatic doors? But the doctor and the nurse were very nice. They took off Mom's cast and removed the staples and the stitches from her four incisions. I ended up getting light headed and had to leave the room for fear of fainting. I didn't feel like I was going to vomit, but had the stars and ringing ears and knew I had to be careful.

Poor thing said each staple removed was like taking a shot in the knee. Even she got light headed at one point.But she got her new boot, and although she has to sleep with it on, she is able to remove it to shower.

Although not under the best of circumstances, the boys and I had a nice time hanging out with my mom and brothers.