Jen's Travels

So at the end of March Jen got to travel to Connecticut to go to Emily Isko's Bat Mitsvah and see all the friends who are still in Connecticut. Emily did a wonderful job in her singing of the Torah - I was very proud and happy that I could make it. I just wish I had been smart enough to pull my camera out and take pictures of her. It was also lots of fun to stay with Todd and Anna and their family, as well as Channing and Pat and their family and to see Kelly and Oliver and their family as well as Blake and Mimi and their cute little one. It was interesting to note that the whole time I lived in the Connecticut area I had my directions all wrong (no mountains to tell me which way was north). Who knew that when I went to visit the Badurek family in Hebron it was south of West Hartford - I always thought it was north. Oh well, I guess I just blame it on the MS lesions on my brain. I also got to visit with my first nanny family - at least the parents. Somehow after 19 years the boys grew up. Seth had graduated from college and is married and Steve (I won't call him Stevie although that is very hard for me) is in college in Florida. Thanks to everyone for putting up with me. It was a great visit!

Ok, it is now April 15, the tulips were blooming, life was good (or at least as good as it gets right now) and we wake up to snow - lots of it. Now if Wes or I skiied, we would appreciate this snow more. But for now, it just makes the dogs paws wet and my tulips and daffodils sadly frozen.

Belle's Fortress of Solitude

So, now that Wes is selling Pampered Chef, we get boxes regulary, and with each delivery Belle creates her own Fortress of Solitude from which she covertly attacks Nacho, Chipotle and Jalapeno.

Nacho's surgery

So, after our Christmas in California, we got home and discovered that Nacho had a hematoma on his ear. He had surgery - poor guy. But he survived and is looking much better now.

Christmas 2008 in California

Christmas 2008 - yes I am just posting pictures from there - mostly because it snowed today (April 15) and it felt like Christmas all over again. So even though we were in California, we were in northern snowy California, not nice beach California. Here are some pics of us, the dogs and the family at Christmas.

Dad and the snowblower - sure glad we didn't have to shovel all the snow.

Here are the dogs playing in the snow - Chipotle had to wear his coat and sweater - and is very lucky he is not a girl or he would have all sorts of frilly clothes.

Here is Chipotle in his Army hoodie - you can tell how much he loves it.

The typical Christmas morning chaos.

There was also lots of sledding in the snow - wheeeeeeeeee

I even got this amazing picture on Mom and Dad's deck of their birdfeeder with a Blue Jay and a squirrel.

More late night goings on

So, I am continually discovering benefits of having insomnia (although the downsides are usually more significant). Tonights not sleeping benefit is watching the cat run willy nilly from room to room, under chairs, on top of the stair railing, under chairs. Now I am not sure the cause of the running tonight. Sometimes it is because of the cat nip (or kitty marijuana as we fondly call it), sometimes it is to completely annoy the dogs. Good times, but does not help me sleep as I giggle. And now that I have petted her, I will go take a benadryl so my eyes don't puff up.

From Boy Scouts to Pampered Chef

Well I (Wes typing) guess the day was about to come sooner than later.  After over five years working with the Varsity Scouts (14-15 year olds), I have been "fired".  Not really fired, but released from that position.  I am now the financial clerk for my church.

That leaves me with a little more time on my hands.  So have signed up (again) as a Pampered Chef Consultant.  I enjoy cooking and teaching people new recipes.  This will give me the opportunity to do just that and make some mula doing it.  So if you need consulting in the kitchen, let me know and I will square you away.