Santa Train 2009

This year I finally was able to get tickets for the Santa Train. It's a short ride on the old railway from North Bend to Snoqualmie. You get cookies and hot chocolate and a visit with Santa.

Thanksgiving 2009

Regina's neice, Stephanie, flew in from the Denver area to join us for Thanksgiving this year. It had been several years since we'd spent any amount of time with her, so it was such a pleasure to reconnect. Stephanie - come back anytime!

For Thanksgiving dinner, we also brought Regina's Mom, Betty, home from Briarwood for the day to join us.

All Katie wanted to eat for Thanksgiving dinner was the turkey leg.

We "skyped" with family members so Betty could see and talk to her kids and grandkids.

We did a couple of tourist activities with Stephanie during her visit,
one of them being a Seattle-area cruise.

Stephanie and her Grandma.

Lucy's First Grooming

Well, it didn't take long for Lucy's hair/fur to get long, scraggly (is that a word?), and quite matted. She refused to let us brush her, so as soon as she had the required vaccinations, I took her in for a grooming appointment. Turned out that she had to be shaved, it was so bad! She came out of there looking like a completely different dog! Cute, of course, but very different.

Morning at Our House

Pictures of Max - Our New Puppy!

Oh, What's One More?!

We have two black cats (Hudson and Mater named by our five year old after two characters in the Cars movie) that are about two and a half years old. Katie has always wanted a dog, and a month or so ago, we decided to go get a cock-a-poo for her. When we got to the breeder, there was a Yorkiepoo ready to go home that both Katie and Suzie (me, too) fell in love with immediately. The idea of waiting for a dog (the cock-a-poo was about three weeks old then) as compared to one that moves and plays won out in the end. So, we added Lucy to the family.

She is the perfect lap dog, and Mom really likes her. But, Katie and Suzie wanted a buddy for Lucy. We decided that if we got another dog, it would be small, but not the same kind. Katie also wanted a dog big enough to eventually sleep with her and go on walks. After listening to their pleas, and then seeing that our original puppy was still available (and now ready to come home), we decided yesterday that training two is no different than one (faulty logic I am sure).

Max, as he will be called, is a small cock-a-poo buff in color. While Lucy is a little over 3 pounds and won't get more than four (the vet thinks), Max will be about 10 to 12 pounds. Still small, but Katie is excited to have one that should be able to walk with her! She wants a collar and lease experience with her dog! The cats are almost used to Lucy... they are going to really hate us tonight!

Suzie is in route to Portland right now and will be home by the time I get home with Katie from school. Oh, boy -- as my Mom would say... tonight will be fun.

Say Hello to Miss MacKenzie Lee!

Edy (Regina's sister) gave birth to her fourth child this morning!

Everyone is doing fine!

MacKenzie Lee arrived this morning at 10:03am!

6 lbs. 14 ozs. 19" long

Halloween 2009

Well, since Katie was dressing up as a Dalmation for Halloween, I just couldn't resist dressing up as Cruella de Ville! So, I ordered a wig online and made a cape with a big collar. Underneath the cape, I just wore all black. It came together nicely! Regina dressed up as Sponge Bob Square Pants and of course was very popular with the kids. She handed out candy while Katie and I did the neighborhood. There were tons of kids out. Lots more than last year and I thought it was crazy last year!

Halloween at Briarwood

We dressed up and visited Betty this afternoon to participate in the costume contest they were hosting. It was a small, informal event, but fun. We took Lucy along with us and she wore a Dalmation cape I made for her!

Getting Ready for Halloween

Here are some pictures of Katie in her Dalmation costume. She's totally into everything DOG right now, so this is the perfect costume for her. Notice the jack-o-lanterns Katie and Regina carved.

Pumpkin Shopping at Fall City Farms

Katie, Regina and I spent some time at Fall City Farms today looking for the perfect pumpkins for carving. The weather cooperated and we enjoyed exploring. Here are some pictures:

12-Week-Old Lucy

Katie is completely in love with her new puppy, Lucy. She's a Yorki-Poo, which is a Yorksire Terrier/Poodle mix. Here she is at 12 weeks old!

Betty's New Home (for now, anyway)

Regina's Mom, Betty, is currently residing at a rehab center near our home in the Seattle area where she is recovering from her June 2009 stroke. Here are some pictures of this beautiful facility. It is also a retirement community and I wouldn't mind retiring here at all!

Here is a nice big deck on the main floor of the retirement center.
The health center, where Betty is staying, is 2 floors above this.

Katie and her Grandma out on the deck.

Another shot of the girls.

This is the main area of the deck.
Behind it is the lobby and main entrance to the retirement center.

Main lobby area.

There is a full bar where residents can gather with friends for drinks.

They also have a restaurant for dinner.

And a cafe for lunch.

On the health center level where Betty's room is located,
they offer this private dining area where patients can enjoy a meal
with their family and/or friends.