San Francisco Trip

We are having a great time in the Bay Area! It is so nice to visit with Nancy and TJ again! Here's an update on our trip so far..

Friday: I dragged Nancy to Richmond, CA with me to meet this sweet 86 year old NP Ranger named Betty Reid Soskin. Betty was a major help in the history day project I coached this year, and while we spoke to her on the phone many times, we never got to meet her. I wanted to chance to meet her and bring her a copy of the girl's performance. Here's a picture of her. Isn't she adorable?
In the afternoon,we went sightseeing in Sausaltio where we saw this guy stacking rocks- I don't know why I didn't get a picture- it was really neat! Yesterday, we went into the city in thte afternnon. We spent the whole afternoon shopping at Union Square! It was so much fun! We went into Tiffany's, Neiman Marcus- the restrooms in there were wonderful, and a bunch of other stores. For dinner, the guys met us there and we ate at the Cheescake Factory which is located on the top floor of Macy's! How cool is that? Here are some pictures of Union Square from the top of Macy's.

Tiffany's is in the back- behind the statue.
They were having an old movie in the square last night, so when we got done hundreds of people had their blankets spread out and were watching a movie. It was so cute! Just like in "The Wedding Planner"!

I don't know why I waited until it was dark to take my pictures.. We are heading into the city again today, so I let you know what we do. I love the feel of San Francisco. I think I am going to make a point of coming here at Christmas time this year- I can't imagine how beautiful it will be??

The only negative thing is that like the whole state of California is burning! So while we're not in danger, the smoke from all the fires is hoovering over us. It just stays there- I haven't seen the sun in at least a week. It gets depressing. I need my sunshine! The other problem with the smoke is that it traps the fog in so it's been hazy the whole time we've been here. And soooo cold! I'm freezing all the time! I had to buy more jeans because I only bought one pair! I should have learned by now that it's always chilly here, but I still didn't expect it in the summer! I guess it's better than 100 degrees back at home.

Conquering the Preschoolers!

5 adults, 1 teenager helper vs. 12 rowdy preschoolers. You'd think with a 2:1 ratio, we would be able to handle these kids, but it's still not easy. Things have gotten better though- or maybe I've gotten used to these kids. Three days of VBS down, and I only have one more day to go! What a glorious idea! This week seems to be lasting forever!

Last night we had my 5 year old niece, Hannah, spend the night. We thought after VBS, she'd be worn out. Boy were we wrong! She was so excited to be spending the night at Auntie's house, she was wired! She didn't go to sleep until after 10PM, and was awake by 6:15AM! How does she do it? She wore me out!

Aaron and I are leaving Thursday to head to San Francisco. Aaron is taking a seminary class at the Golden Gate campus. We are meeting Nancy and TJ Messer up there. Nancy and I will hang out while the guys sit in class all day. What will we do? Shop maybe?? While we are looking forward to it, I feel like we just returned from Tahoe! (I guess we did just a week ago). We'll keep you updated as to our trip. ( the picture is Hannah, my 5 year old niece)

"Preschoolers Invade"... and it's NOT pretty

Okay, I don't know what I was thinking after last year's VBS- it must have been the year in between where I forgot how terrible it was- but I agreed to be the Preschool Director for VBS. The planning, decorating, running around to get ready was a piece of cake. I loved it- and my room looks awesome- well it did until the preschoolers came in. I think I remember agreeing to do VBS under 2 conditions: 1. that my sister (who has preschooler experience) help me and 2. that there only be worker's kids in attendance as to limit the number of kids- this isn't free babysitting here! Well, my sister conviently got rear ended yesterday and has had to bail on me, and there are 13 kids enrolled- not all of whom have parents working.

Tonight was the first night, and I feel defeated. Those kids were wild, and bad! I guess not all of them were bad, but the ones that were- were enough! Don't get me wrong, I like kids, and I even like preschoolers; I just like them individually and not collectively. My heart is really with teenagers, you know. Their attention span is longer than 5 seconds- you think I'm exaggerating? Seventh graders listen to me, that understand my authority; preschoolers- see me as fresh meat to devour!

Totals for tonight:
preschoolers in attendance: 3 rowdy boys; 1 calm boy; 4 precious girls- oh thank GOD for girls!
# of time-outs: three!
# of preschoolers I made cry tonight: two!

Well see what tomorrow holds... pray for me.. I need strength!

Wilderness Boy and the City Girl

That's the wilderness boy...

Here's the city girl...

Okay don't get me wrong, I love the outdoors, a good hike, the sunshine... But I've discovered something about myself on this trip. Maybe it's just the difference between men and women.. I don't know. I don't think I'm very adventurous! I like things the way they are in my normal life- even on vacation. Aaron was laughing at me when we arrived here because I started organizing our food and checking out our kitchen area. It was like I was setting up house, as he stated. I just couldn't stand the idea of everything not being in it's place.

Then this morning we went on a hike. We got off to a really late start and were only about to go about 3 miles. Anyway, after walking around for a mile looking for the start of the trail, we finally found it. The trail was not marked very well, except by blue spray paint every so often. And sometimes, it was a "Y" which meant you could take one of two trails. That decision was just WAY too much for me! Having an option of which trail to take? Which one was the RIGHT one? The easier one? Aaron on the other hand, didn't even want to stick to the trails- he wanted to make his own trails! That is until I told him that's how people get eaten by bears! I was freaking out! Not follow the trail? Are you crazy? His complaint: Too many people on the marked trail. What's wrong with that? That way we KNOW we're on the right trail; safety in numbers, right?

Well, as much as I moaned and whined about his directions, I have to give it to him, we made it out the same way we came in, and in the same amount of time. Why is it Aaron's sense of direction is impeccable in the wilderness, and mine is not? Yet, give me a city, a map, and I can sense the direction to the mall!?? It must be the difference between men and women...

Vacation Update #2

We are almost finished with our first trip of the summer with only one full day left. We've had a great time and got a lot of activities packed in. Yesterday, we ran in the morning and then went to the lake in the afternoon- where I (jennifer) got sunburned. When am I going to learn? Actually my sunburn began Sunday while riding bikes, but it got worse Monday. After the lake, we went back to the room and relaxed. Then we found a nice patio restaurant for dinner in Tahoe City. Here we are at dinner...

This morning we went for a hike up a mountain. We hiked for about 2 hours, then came back and got ready. I actualy got more sunburned on the hike- it was morning-I didn't think about getting burned this morning. We grabbed lunch at the quaint deli in Tahoe City. It was attached to a nurcery/tree farm. They had the BEST homemade bread and HUGE sandwhiches! Then we drove about an hour to the South Shore. Here are some pictures from our trip.

This is Emerald Bay- one of the most photographed places in the world! It was absolutely gorgeous! The water is so clear!

This is at Eagle's Falls. We are at the top of the waterfall- which you can't see in this picture.

There are the waterfalls. It's huge right now!

Well, tomorrow we are going to hike somemore- maybe 8 miles this time. Then we are going to go into Reno, NV and explore some more.

Update from Tahoe

Today was our first full day in Tahoe. It is beautiful here. We are loving it. The weather is perfect! We are staying in the mountains not too far from Reno, NV. We are in a valley/meadow place. There is still snow on the mountains around us. Today we ran in the morning, relaxed, drove to the lake and rode our bikes around the cutest town- Tahoe City, came back and relaxed, went to Truckee to shop at the little outlet mall, came back to the resort, ate at an Irish Pud, and are relaxing again! Here are some pictures from our trip thus far...

This is the village that where we are staying. There are cute shops and restaurants all over- including a Starbucks, Ben and Jerry's, and Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory- what more could one want?

This is the ski lift at Squaw valley. Back in the 1960's during the Olympics, this was all that was here.

Last night we were looking for a grocery store and place to eat dinner. We were told that Truckee has a lot more than anywhere else. So, we were expecting a large town. Well, after driving through the town and ending up in Nevada, we realized the town wasn't as big as we thought. We found this hole-in-the-wall Mexican food restaurant for dinner. We were told it was "authentic"- what does that mean? I've heard that several times, and every time I want to ask the person- how do you KNOW it's "authentic"? Anyway, the food was not bad. The salsa was not good. Aaron rates Mexican food restaurants based on their salsa- he's a salsa connoisseur.

Tomorrow, we are going to hang out at the lake! It's in the high 70's here, perfect Lake weather. Who knows, maybe we'll even go on the water?! We'll keep you informed.

Vacation #1

Well, we are leaving soon for our first of many trips this summer. I've spent two weeks of my summer break so far doing absolutely nothing. You think I'm exaggerating, but no- I've done nothing! Well, I've done nothing productive. So now that it is on the eve of our trip, I am running around trying to get things done and packed before we leave. Trip #1 is a speical one. This is our "thank you government for the stimulus check- now we can take a real vacation" trip. We are going to the North Shore of Lake Tahoe. The exciting thing is that this is the first trip since our honeymoon, 6 years ago, that we are taking just the two of us. We are not going to visit friends or family, or stay with anyone we know, just the two of us. I think it's even longer than our honeymoon was!

While in Tahoe, we plan to do hiking, and biking, and sightseeing, and relaxing! We will send updates and pics as we go along. I've realized I've become a little bit of a computer-a-holic since summer started. I can't imagine going a week without checking my facebook, email, or favorite blogs. So, after I booked our resort, I had to double check that they had internet access. Thankfully they do! Whew, what a relief. Aaron just rolled his eyes. (Like he's not addicted to his car hobby sites too!) Catch up with you soon!

My Best Friend

My friend Michelle is leaving me to move across the country for some guy... (okay so she has a ring on her finger, and he's awesome, that's beside the point), so I'm on the search for a new friend. Who will I call when I need justification for buying a Coach bag? Who will I go shopping with when I feel the urge to spend money?? Who will spend more than me and make me feel better about my purchases? Well, I've found my person...

My 3 year old niece Emily says we can be best friends. Here's why: she likes grapes; I like grapes. She likes naps (as you can see in the picture) I like naps. She likes books; I like books. She can't stay awake for more than 30 minutes in a car ride; I can't either. She likes shopping... well we'll have to see about that one- something tells me she's not on my level yet! Grapes, books, napping... What more could you need out of a best friend, right? She may be my best friend ,but she said she wouldn't take me to the doctor when I get too old to take myself. Maybe her older sister will...

This was in the car today. I was watching Emily while her parents worked. We went to the church to get ready for Preschool VBS (what was I thinking signing up for that?) when Emily decided that she needed to "barrow" the Clifford dog and sunglasses from the recource room. How could I say no?? She didn't make it 10 minutes in the car on the way back to my house before she was out! Isn't she adorable?

BUSTED!

Dinner time at our house is very interesting. When we got Molly we had to limit her food intake because she liked it a little too much. So we only put food out twice a day. Molly is our little princess- and she is a dainty eater. She takes her time eating, savoring every bite- dare I say even a little picky. It was fine when we only had Molly because we could just leave her food bowl out for her to eat as she wanted.

Then we got Charley, and he had a strict diet with special food. We could no longer just set their food out and leave because when Charley eats his food, he scarfs it down- like a human vacuum. It takes maybe one minute for him to eat! I mean he acts like he hasn't eaten in days! When he finishes his food, if he's not watched carefully, if will go for Molly's food next. Since Molly is finicky and won't eat her food much- and especially not in one sitting, he will usually finish it before we can stop him. We thought we had broken him of it. But.. then I got this picture this afternoon!

Yep! That's Charley eating out of Molly's bowl! He's been sneaking her food! He will also grab some food from the bowl, drop it on the ground, and then eat it off the ground, because he knows that any food on the ground if fair play! Such a cleaver dog. By the time I finished the picture, he'd finished her dinner.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Today, we took Charley in to the vet to get more thyroid meds and because he has been limping periodically on his front leg. We were actually relieved that it was his front leg and not his back leg because we knew hip dysplacia was common in goldens- especially with his weight. Until we got to the vet that is...

The good: Charley got weighed and he has lost a total of (drum roll please) over51 pounds! He nows weighs 117lbs! Woohoo! Only 17 more lbs. to go! He is so much more active, looks great, and is FULL of life! I asked Aaron why he didn't help me lose 51 lbs. He said he would, but he would have to cut my food back to 2 cups a day as well... I declined.

The bad: While we were relieved Charley didn't have hip dysplacia, we were saddened to find out he has elbow dysplacia. Who knew dogs had elbows!!?? Apparently Aaron did. The vet took an xray of his elbow, and it showed that the elbow joint never connected the way it was supposed to. Given his young age, 6 years, the vet said it was just the way he was born, and that his large size probably just added to the problem. Now that he's much more active, it is flaring up because he's using his legs more. So in addition to the twice daily thyroid pills, he will take a twice daily anti-inflamatory drug to help the swelling go down. The free dog now costs more than a purebred puppy with its papers. Irony... Isn't that how it always is?

The Ugly: Charley's condition is treatable only to help him cope with it, but it will worsen and can not be cured. He will have to have surgery in the future. Of course it is with an orthopedic surgeon in LA! I can't imagine how much that will cost- and it will only make the situation tolerable for Charley, not fix it permantly. While right now, he will periodically limp and feel pain, it will continue to worsen, and eventually he will limp all the time.

I went home and cried. I know we've only had Charley since February, and we have Molly too, but Charley is the dog that you always wanted. He's the "man's best friend" dog. He's a great dog! I know he's not dying tomorrow, and that all dogs are mortal, but this makes it a little too soon for me to deal with.

To top it off, while we were waiting for Charley to have his xray, this man came in with his poodle. They sat side by side, very stoic- even the dog. He signed a paper, and they took the dog from him to be put down. I cried right then and there for that poor man. He looked terrible, but he was brave and didn't cry. It was just too much- too real.

No one told me when we got our pets that one day they would die!

Running

About a year ago, I (Jennifer) ran my first race. It was three miles, and I thought I would never make it! When I crossed the finish line (and saw Aaron there cheering me on) I was hooked! I haven't stopped running since! I signed up and joined a training group who meet twice a week to run. Turns out, I love it! I think, for me, I need a social aspect to running- that's why the running group has been so great! I don't enjoy running just to run. I enjoy running with people, the feeling of competing against and with people.

Since last September, I've entered several other races ranging from 3 miles to 9 miles. I've ran on the beautiful cliffs of the California shore line, on the streets of our state capitol, and in desertous ( I don't even think it's a word) Bakersfield. Today, Aaron and I ran a 10K together (well I say together, but he was about 3 minutes ahead of me the whole time). It was a difficult run. There weren't many people running, and I wondered many times if I was the last one running- if I was the ONLY one running. It's funny, it doesn't seem to matter HOW many times I run, I get emotional EVERYTIME I run a race. It happened again today!

While I'm running the last little bit, my mind starts to reflect on the fact that I am doing something that I never thought I would do. Then I start to think about how far I've come (from laying on the couch night after night, to running weekly), and I start to get teary eyed. Let me say, crying and running- not a good combination! My throat gets all closed up, and I start to have trouble breathing. Which is about the point I have to refocus my thoughts, tell myself that I can't cry until I finish the race, and keep running!

I'm so grateful for Southwest Health Center for the training and workouts over the last year, for pushing me beyond my limits, and not letting me give up when I was discouraged. I'm so grateful for Leah and the Total Woman Running group. Without them welcoming me into thier group, I never would have ran half of what I have. I'm so grateful for the friends I've made through this group! I'm grateful for Aaron supporting and encouraging me- sometimes even when I didn't WANT it. And I'm grateful for David Crowder, who- if it wasn't for his praise songs, I wouldn't make it through any race! Rock on DCB!!

Okay enough sentimental-ness- on a side note- do you know how happy I will be to get out of my 20s? Seriously! When you run you compete with people in you age group- 10 years. Do you seriously think a 28 year old has a chance against a 21 year old? Give me a break! These girls (and they are just girls) haven't reached that age of 25 yet where their metabolism has suddenly taken a long vacation! Just wait till I get in the 30-39 year range! I try to put myself in the 70-79 age range everytime, but they don't seem to believe me ever! Maybe there, I'd have a chance of placing in the top three! Okay, I'm done now, I'm ready for some Mexican Food!

Happy running!

The biggest loser!

Here's the new and improved Charley (with a new buzz cut- long story...) He's lost at least 30 pounds so far and is looking great. This is Charley chewing on his favorite toy and resting on his pillow. He didn't even feel comfortable on the pillow a few months ago. He was too big to be on anything unstable. We couldn't even get him on his back- now his favorite thing to do is put his toy under him and roll on his back using the toy to scratch his back. He's got such personality! The best part of all....










Charley can fit in his dog house now!! It's only taken 4 months, but he can now fit! He loves it in there. He is spending most of his day in there now.

And not to be upstaged... here's our princess, Molly.

Molly is a very unique dog. We had her for almost 2 years before we got Charley. Molly has graduated from Dog training school (just barely). She has so much energy. Everyone told us she'd calm down after we got her fixed, at two years, then at three years, but now we have accepted it as her personality. Boy do we have a case for the Dog Whisperer! The most embarrassing thing is when we go to the dog park, and there are other dogs around. Molly starts darting like a runaway train around the park running into and knocking down ANYTHING in her way (children, elderly, other dogs)! People just stare in disbelief, then run and grab their dogs in fear. We pretty much clear out the park every time we go. We've tried a shock collar, keeping her on her leash for a while, running her first to tire her out; nothing works! It's seriously embarrassing!

We've come to the conclusion that Molly is ADHD! She has to be.

The Backstory

In Feburary, we decided that Molly (our three year old Golden) needed a friend. So we started the search for another dog. We found Charley on Craig's list. He was a purebred Golden for FREE, and he was only an hour away! We were so excited because he was already 4 years old! We picked him up and couldn't believe what we got! He was the smelliest, fattest dog we'd ever seen! He had lived on a chain his whole life- had never been taken for walks, played with other dogs, and had a bath and brush! He'd also only been fed human food all his life, which explains why he was so big! The pictures really don't do him justice!

Charley couldn't walk across the yard without taking a break! He was miserable. This looked like a challenge for Aaron- he started immediately putting him on a strict diet and walking him. It was amazing how little he was capable of doing! When we got him in February, he weighed 168+ pounds! Double what Molly weighed!

Now, he is a happy dog. We really feel like we saved his life! His spirit was broken when we got him; he wasn't happy. He can run now and play. He is the most affectionate dog ever! His personality is coming out more and more every day. He even has a touch of his father's OCD (no one better touch his toy!) I'll post more pictures of Charley later. He's lost 30+ pounds so far!