More Flowers for the Yard

Lately, we've been spending quite a bit of time in the backyard. Actually, I guess this isn't all that new, but with all the cleaning up, composting, and other stuff, we figured it was time to add some new flowers and other plants to the backyard. Off to Lowe's we went.

I have been wanting an avocado tree. We were able to find a dwarf tree which is perfect for a whiskey barrel we have. Angie found some beautiful dahlia's, some other flowers, and we also added a couple strawberry plants. One of my favorite memories as a kid was picking strawberries out of our backyard, so I really wanted strawberries.

Angie and I spent a couple hours in the yard, getting our new additions into place, and doing some more cleanup. Howie and kitty came out in to the yard to help out, at least until kitty made a break for it and ended up in the neighbor's yard. I guess he won't be allowed out anymore.

Beach Day

With the long 4 day weekend over the 4th of July holiday, Angie and I decided we needed a beach day. Angie scoped out a beach that would be somewhat quiet and it had to be dog friendly. She found Pleasure Point which totally fit the bill.

We headed out in the morning after loading up blankets, chairs, and of course Howie. Once we arrived in Santa Cruz, we walked to the stairs leading to Pleasure Point beach and watched the surfers in the water. Apparently Pleasure Point is also popular with the surfers. At first, we were nearly the only people on this particular area of the beach so we were able to allow Howie to go off leash and enjoy the water. Howie had never been to the ocean, but he was so excited about the waves, running and jumping into the water. He was soaked and covered in sand, but had so much fun.

We left the beach for a late lunch, stopping at a taqueria in Capitola, and then headed home. Howie smelled like the ocean and was still covered in sand, so he got a tubby in the backyard. 

Can't wait for another beach day!

Settling in and catching up

We've been in California for just over a month now and are settling in quite nicely. We've spent our time learning our new surroundings and have already found a couple favorite things to do.

Frequently on Sunday's our routine has us off to breakfast in downtown Willow Glen. Willow Glen is a small area of San Jose where we live. It has a sweet small town feel in its little downtown area with cute little shops and restaurants. After breakfast we head over to Campbell, another nearby Bay Area town, for an amazing Farmer's Market where we've picked up some awesome local fruits, veggies, and even plants for our backyard.

Speaking of our backyard, we spend a lot of time in it. Angie enjoys taking care of all our rose bushes, cleaning out the flower beds, and arranging potted plants around. She has even started composting, which has significantly cut down on our weekly garbage. We've already had one nice batch to feed some of the flowers with.

Sidney has been back in Colorado for the past couple weeks spending time with her dad and friends. Before she left, she was a great helper in the yard and set up the deck outside her bedroom with a cute little bistro set.

Howie absolutely loves the dog door to the backyard since it lets him go outside whenever he wants. At least it did until Kitty figured out how to use it too. Now we need to figure out how to stop Kitty from using it so we can open it back up for Howie, although he still gets out as much as he wants to.

I've settled into my daily routine of riding my bike 3.5 miles to the shuttle stop and riding it in to work. Google has some amazing busses fully equipped with wireless internet which allows me to work during my commute and avoid driving in the California traffic. I am pretty sure I've ridden my bike more miles than I've driven my car since we've moved here.

Here are some pictures we've taken of the yard and stuff. I'll be sure to have another update soon.

The Journey - Day 3

Today was the final leg of the road trip. We drove 266 miles, so it was a short day.

Initially we were planning on hanging out in Reno for a little bit and stopping for a burger in Truckee, but we changed our plans on the fly and left in the morning so we could get to our new home by early afternoon. Besides it was raining in Reno, so there wasn't much for us to do outdoors. In fact, it rained the entire drive to San Jose. OK, nice joke, but we really would like our sun we were promised. Other than that the drive through the Sierras was gorgeous. I think Angie took some pictures so I'll get those together and post them in a future blog post.

We were treated to a nice surprise on the drive in. We got a call from the moving truck driver and he told us he would be able to get our stuff delivered on Sunday (the day after we arrive). It looks like we won't be living in an empty house for too long.

We got to the house around 1PM and looked around. I was pleasantly surprised as it is bigger than I remember it being when we looked at it. Sidney loved her room and was happy overall with our choice. I'm glad it meets her approval.

After we unloaded the minivan and got the animals settled, we decided to go out and get some lunch and get familiar with the area. We had our first CA meal at In N Out burger, per Sidney's request. We then did a little shopping and headed back home (it feels weird saying that considering we literally had nothing in the house at this point).

The Journey - Day 2

Today we drove 598 miles, stopping for the night in Reno, NV. Let me tell you (in case you don't already know) I-80 through Utah and Nevada are very boring. There are some pretty sites, but mostly it's just boring.

Today's highlights included Great Salt Lake and the Salt Flats. Angie claims she saw a huge hairy hippo in Utah, but we're not really sure what it was. Our plan was to stop in Salt Lake City for some Barbecue at a place that has been featured on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives, but we got to Salt Lake City a bit too early for lunch so we decided to pass.

We got to Reno around 4PM, settled into our room and are now getting ready to head to dinner at the Gold 'N Silver Inn (also featured on Triple D).

Tomorrow we'll see about hanging out in Reno for a little bit, get some breakfast at another Triple D joint and then head out on our way, probably stopping in Truckee for yet another Triple D stop and then finish our trip at our new home in San Jose.

The Journey - Day 1

Today was the first day of our journey to our new home in San Jose, CA.

We started the day by finishing up the house to get it ready for its new residents tomorrow. After which we said a final farewell to our good friends Danielle and DJ, had lunch, and were on our way. Of course, not everything could go perfectly smoothly so Kitty gave us a scare by hiding behind the washing machine. We were almost certain he got out the front door. Of course we couldn't leave without him, so we were glad when we found him.

Today we traveled 467 miles and made it to Evanston, WY for our first night, as planned. On our journey we traveled through some beautiful country in Wyoming and northern Colorado. We were all quite comfortable in the rented minivan, even Howie and Kitty. On day 1, we saw a beautiful eagle flying through the mountains, a large semi full of pigs that Sid thought were cute, and numerous other roadside sites.

You'll have to remind me to post a couple pictures and to catch up on a couple thing from the days leading up to the move. Signing off for the first night. Next stop, Reno!

AF Academy Prep School Graduation

Alex has spent the past year at the Air Force Academy Prep School with the ultimate goal of becoming part of the class of 2015 as an Air Force Falcon. We are very proud of all the hard work she has done and this weekend she received her reward, an appointment to the Academy.

There were several Prep School graduation events we were able to attend, including the graduation parade, an awards ceremony, and the actual graduation. Monday was the parade and awards ceremony. Following the evening event, we all went out to dinner at Biaggi's Italian Restaurant, the graduate's choice. It was nice to be able to have a nice dinner with everyone from both sides of the family.

Alex now has a few weeks off that she gets to enjoy before heading back at the end of June for basic training and the move up the hill to the Academy. She is very excited and we are obviously extremely proud.

End of the Season Volleyball Tournament

Sidney's volleyball team, the Panthers, finished the season up with the end of the year tournament. They played great, but ultimately were eliminated in their second match.

It was amazing to watch how much these girls have improved over the course of the season. Early season games it was a challenge for them to get it over the net and if they did, they usually scored because the other team struggled just as much. By the time this tournament rolled around, we were watching exciting rallies go back and forth. It was kind of funny to watch all the parents get stressed out watching the games, us included. 

Sidney really enjoyed playing volleyball this year and I hope it is something she continues with once we move to California. It's great for her to be involved and will be an amazing opportunity for her to meet new friends.

Mother's Day 2011

Mother's Day this year was an absolutely gorgeous Colorado day! It truly felt like summer with temps in the mid 80's.

We invited my parents and sister over for a Mother's Day brunch. Angie and I made a couple brunch dishes and of course had Marie Callender's pie's (Lemon Meringue is my Mom's favorite).

We were able to sit around a talk for a bit while the dishes were finishing cooking. It's been a long time since we've had the opportunity to do so.

We gave Mom a family picture with all the girl's included in a nice frame. Today we were also able to get a nice picture of my Mom, Dad, Nancy, and I all together. It might be the last time we get the chance to do so for a while. It turned out to be a great day.

Last Volleyball Game of the Season

Today was Sid's last volleyball game of the season and I got some pretty good pics so I figured I'd put them up.

The girls played AWESOME today, winning all 3 games for the first time this year. They have all improved so much over the course of a couple months. The first few games there weren't many rallies, but the last few have been nail biters. 

The regular season is over, but the girls do get to play in a tournament next week which should be fun!

Doing a little catching up

I figured I owe it to the blog to do some catching up and at least post some pictures of things we have done in the past few months.

Sidney took up volleyball this year and has really enjoyed it. It's awesome to see how much she has improved over the course of the season. The season will be wrapping up in the next couple weeks, just in time for us to move. Here are some pictures from earlier this season. Some of the pictures are a bit blurry, so I'll be sure to get a few more in the last couple games.

Angie and I have had a few outings with our good friends. We're truly going to miss them.

And this past weekend Alex came up from the Air Force Academy and joined us for a chilly night at Coors Field for a Rockies game.

From Rockies v. Pirates

Wow it's May already?

OK OK OK

Absolutely no excuses. OK I have excuses, but you may not buy them. Things are a bit crazy at the zoo. In fact I'm not so sure we can call it a zoo anymore. We're down to Howie and Kitty as our only pets.

In other news, the zoo is on the move. After being recruited for the past few years, we've finally agreed to take up our roots and move to Beverly...Hillbillies. Actually we're moving to San Jose, but everytime I think about it, I hear the Beverly Hillbillies theme.

We made our final decision at the beginning of the year and have been overwhelmed by move stuff since. We actually don't have much to do since Google gave us an amazing relocation package, but we still have lots to arrange. A few weeks back Angie and I spent the week in the Bay Area finding our new home. We found a great neighborhood in Willow Glen (San Jose) that is going to be perfect. It met all our requirements and even has a dog door to the backyard for Howie. He is going to love it!

Since our house hunting trip, we've been very active in move preparations. We're shipping both our cars, but are going to rent a minivan and drive out over a few days. I'll commit to blogging about our adventure.

In other amazing news, Alex will be graduating from the Air Force Academy Prep school in a couple weeks. She will be moving up the hill as a Freshman cadet this Fall! We're very excited. She gets a few weeks off after graduating for vacation before reporting back for basic training. Busy girl! We are so proud!

I'm not going to end this post with promises of regular updates, but I will definitely try. I already committed to blogging our move road trip adventure, hopefully from the road, so look for more news on the moving zoo in early June!

Happy January

Now that the holidays have passed it's time to catch back up with the blog. It feels like we've had so much going on over the past few months. Of course we had the holidays, which we kept pretty low key this year and just spent it at home together.

Angie has been very busy with work. As many of you know, she recently went to school to become an esthetician and she has been working for the past several months at a spa not far from home. She loves it! Earlier in January, she was able to take some time off to go back to Iron Mountain to attend Grandpa Marv's birthday celebration. I've included some pictures of the event courtesy of Roxann (Lady Jane).

While Angie was out of town, I got to play Mr. Mom to Sidney running her to school, her friend's, and everywhere else she needs to go. She is one busy girl! I think we both enjoyed being able to spend the time together.

Way too Long

So it's been waaaaay too long since my last update.  I can't even begin to recount all the events that have gone on during the past 6 months....really? It's been that long? Sigh.  Anyway, the good news is I am renewing my commitment to keep this blog up to date.  Maybe I need to work on a means to fine myself when I go too long without posting.  Maybe a token amount to our family fun fund?

 I blame Facebook...really I do.  But now I've even been neglecting posting there.  So back to the blog I come.

I won't go into details of all the goings on over the past 6 months, but suffice it to say we had a fabulous summer, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and everything else.  The zoo is very much looking forward to the holidays and while we aren't trekking away from home, each of you will be in our thoughts.

I promise to at least have a Christmas posting, if I don't provide one before that.

Emotional Day

Today we said goodbye to our great friend and family member, Titan. We have spoiled him the past few days. Last night he had steak for dinner and Frosty Paws ice cream for dessert. We spent this morning at the dog park and then bid our farewells. He went very peacefully, looking as if he was simply laying on the floor like he does at home.

After a day of grieving, laughing, and crying, we were treated to Titan smiling down over our home in the form of a beautiful rainbow. On a day that called for no rain, we had a few showers followed with an amazing double rainbow directly over our house. We know in our hearts it was a special request from our best boy ever. All our love. We miss you Titan.

Sweet Titan...

Many of you received an email from Angie earlier letting you know of our painful decision to let Titan move on to the next stage. I'm sure I can not express our true feelings any better than Angie already has, so I will just copy her email here:

Hello All,

As most of you know, our sweet Titan has developed a neurological issue since November of last year. We have decided to let God take over and leave it to his hands. Titan has lived a full, blissful, happy 11 years and it is time where we believe his life isn't quality enough to continue the battle. This decision has been hard not only because we are losing a best friend, but he is mentally fine. As a family, we will lead Titan into another world Saturday morning. He will be deeply missed but we are excited for his journey.

Titan sends his lasting love.

Since Angie's email, we've received a number of replies providing support. Thank everyone of you for you thoughts and prayers. While this has been a difficult decision, we know it is for the best. Titan is being spoiled for the next few days before he goes to his favorite dog park to play with all his new friends. One day we will all be together again.

The Travelling Man

Pictures from NYC

This quarter has been a busy travel one for me. I've been out of town 4 of the past 5 weeks, visiting Mountain View, CA, New York, and Dublin. Travel is one part of my job I really enjoy, but when it all comes at once, it can be overwhelming. Add that to starting the process of selling the house, Angie finishing up school, taking tests, and Alex graduating has proven to be very busy times for us.

Pictures from Dublin

The Graduate!

It's hard to believe Alex's graduation day has finally arrived. Eighteen short years have passed and she has reached that milestone we all remember looking forward to throughout our teenage years.

Debbie and Robert flew in from NC to attend the graduation and we all spent the night at a hotel in Greeley the night before the graduation since the ceremony was at 8AM. Taylor stayed with us at the hotel and we all enjoyed sitting by the pool after dinner. My sister Nancy and my mom stayed at a nearby hotel, so we all met up and headed to the high school the next morning.

It couldn't have been a more beautiful day for the ceremony. The sun was shining and the skies were blue. If anything it was a bit too warm considering there was no shelter from the sun. It could have been much worse if the graduation took place later in the day.

After the ceremony, Michelle and Troy held a graduation party at their home. They cooked most everything, including delicious BBQ. Alex was so excited to be finally done with high school, you could just see the glow on her face. All in all it was truly a great day and I have never been so proud.

Alex recently accepted an appointment to the Air Force Academy prep school and is awaiting to find out when she reports. This has been a long time goal for her and we are all very proud.

WAY TO GO ALEX!!!

Horse Show

Many of Taylor's favorite activities include anything that has anything do with horses. She has been active in 4H over the past few years, nearly always involved in a horse project. Fortunately she has 2 horses she gets to take care of and enjoy. Every time I see her around them, she truly shines and is completely responsible for them.

Today was one of her horse shows, so I went up to Kersey to spend the day attending the events. I didn't get to spend too much time with Taylor, as she was very busy tending to the horses and participating in various events. She did very well, winning several ribbons and even Reserve Grand Champion in one of them.

When the show took a break for lunch, Alex, Taylor and I went to Kersey Pizza and enjoyed lunch together. It was great to spend some time with the busy girls.

Volunteering for Salvation Army

Every once in a while I get an email form the volunteer coordinator at the Salvation Army. My original intent was to volunteer around the holidays, serving food or something like that. It turns out they have many other opportunities throughout the year.

This opportunity came up due to the Avs being in the playoffs. The Pepsi Center solicited the assistance of the Salvation Army to put pom poms on every seat in the house, literally. We took advantage of the opportunity by bringing Sid and her friend Rachael to the event. We spent a couple hours hiking up and down the steps at the Pepsi Center and carefully placing each pom pom on the back of the chairs.

As a special treat, we were also able to see the morning practices for both the Avs and the Sharks, up close and personal. Thanks to our help the Avs won this game. At least that is what I like to think. Unfortunately the luck did not hold up for the remainder of the series.