Good Morning!

What's up with all this SNOW?!! It's been snowing off and on for the last three days. Temps yesterday never rose above 36! I'm not sure anymore if we're still in California. Isn't it supposed to be warm here? At least that's what they told me.

All this snowing brings to mind a fun vacation that Derek and Sara just took that we're not talking about. While we're not talking about it, how bout next time you come the extra bit to Paradise? I can no longer promise that we won't be snowed in, but at least our guest house isn't out of some horror film (oops, that slipped out).

Hope everyone is toasty warm this morning. We'll attempt to get to Chico for meeting, but we may have to move in with someone down there if we can't get back up the ridge.

Bye! ;)

Selina got this yogurt from the fridge when I wasn't looking, and decided to "cook" with it (all over the dining room). Looks like Peyton thought it was shampoo.

Winter wonderland!

**SNOW!**
It started snowing this morning, and continued steadily while I was at the club. By 1:00 when I left the club, we had 4 inches, and some roads weren't passable! It was so much fun! Everyone was getting all excited, the schools sent all of the kids home, and the gym was empty. It was just my trainer, me and one other person working out in the whole club by the time I left. Amazing how snow just stops all life here! :) You Minnesotans will appreciate that. It's a grand excuse to go home from work early, and not do anything all day long. Photos following!

The new big girl pose. Selina does this for all of her pictures now. Isn't she fierce! :)

Look at all this great wet cold white stuff!

Driving home from the club today

snow snow snow!

Trees by the club, laden with new snow

The snow at the house didn't stick around very long. In fact just one hour later skies were blue and the ground was bare except for a few snowy patches.

My health club, all snowy.

The door to Selina's classroom. Selina goes to school on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Wahoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Heading out the door to her FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!!!

Here's that big pre-schooler pose again! After her first day, on our way to get ice cream!

Eliseo and Natalie left this morning at 2 am. Hopefully their train ride isn't too harrowing! On the way down, the train was delayed for 7 hours!! Can you imagine!? They had to sit and wait at every track crossing for other trains to go by. So we were expecting them at 4:00 am, and they didn't arrive until 11:00.

It was fun to have them here. We had a good time in Chico, just sauntering around and enjoying the weather. When they got here on Friday, it was 36 degrees and snowing! But it warmed up fast, and now it's in the low 60's again. Sheesh, our weather. (rolling eyes)

Lots to do today, ciao!

After filling our bellies with California Pasta (didn't quite pass muster with Eliseo)

Here are Natalie and Eliseo!!!

Hi everyone!

Now for a more recent post! When we got home from Minnesota, we enjoyed the WARMEST week ever here. It was in the mid-70's all week long (one day even reaching 80), there were people sun-bathing in bikinis by the pool at the club! In February! So amazing to come home to from the 12 degree days we were having at Dad and Mom's.

Our weather is back to normal now...since yesterday it's been in the 50's. Still sunny, tho, which is really nice.

I'm so excited, my friend Natalie and her boyfriend Eliseo (from Italy!) are coming in tonight on the train. They will get here really late (or early in the morning), so will have to take a taxi here and we'll meet Eliseo in the morning. They'll be here until Monday night... they'll probably take day trips around Northern Ca. throughout their stay.

So I have lots to do before they get here! I'll let this be all for now..... Hope all is well with everyone!

Minnesota!

I finally found the CD with all of our trip pictures on it! (I know you've been checking, Jenny!)
I have posted our first couple of days in Minnesota at Lee's little sister Jenny's house. She has a big, roomy new house with lots of kid space.
Jenny wasn't expecting us, so it was lots of fun to suprise her. I called her on my cell from her driveway, pretending we were in Chico going shopping. I rang the doorbell and she answered while still talking to me on the phone. She was so shocked, she couldn't breath or speak for awhile. She kept saying, "But you're in Chico! This isn't real!"

Random photo of our roof-top..this is what we left at home. It was 65 degrees and go-geous.

We're on our way! We fell in love with the great new feature of TV at every seat. What a quiet, calm plane trip it was!

This is us suprising John after showing up un-anounced in Minnesota. We had already suprised Jenny, which was a lot of fun!! Jenny went into shock and couldn't quite get her breath for a few minutes. It was great.

Snow is apparently only good for one thing, eating. No matter how dirty it is. :)

The dork, going out for a run in the ice and snow!

Cousin love. Awww! Rebecca, Joel, and Selina.

I'm caking your picture, too! And a photographer is born.

Lee and his beautiful sis, Jenny

I know, bad photographing. Selina is on the far left, at her new ballet class at the gym. These little girls were all around 3 years old, and so precocious. Here they were supposed to be standing in a row doing pliea's (I don't know how to spell that). Watching this class, I couldn't stop laughing at how cute the girls were and how hard it was for the teacher to keep their attention.

One of our long hoofs around Dad and Mom's neighborhood. It was so coooold, but we had lots of sweet things to work off! L to R, Jaina, Lee, Brett, and Leann.

I like this picture of Dad, he looks so snuggable! We were enjoying raspberry chocolate truffles.

Lee and I the day before we left

Going bananas again...

Lee and his special Mama.

A rare smile from Peyton... he was sick the first half of the trip and very grumpy.

A big Lorin smile!!!

Brrr! Snow at Lorin's in Wisconsin.

While visiting Uncle Lorin, we stopped by to see Aunt Debbie. Isn't she beautiful!

Ready for cross country skiing at Aunt Sharie's.

This is the most charming room at Aunt Sharie's.... I soaked in this tub after cross country skiing. Mmm!

Someday Peyton will not thank me for this, but isn't it a cute picture! Look at my baby! I like to start at around 1 1/2 getting him used to the potty... when he starts to recognize the urge, it won't be an unfamiliar transition.

This is supposedly the way that Snow White smiles. Selina really takes on the persona and quirks of the character.

Daddy and Peyton in the hot tub

My "look at me!" boy, he is constantly doing things to show off.

Kitchen

I've posted some new pics of the kitchen. I'm almost done with the tile counters, then all we have left to do is hang a pot rack on the right side, and a ceiling hung cabinet on the left, then finish out the top wall with trim and paint. Next will be tearing out the wall on the other side by the den, and turning the den into a formal dining room. I'll keep you updated!

As you can see, we still have some finishing to do on the tile. Lee will be getting our tile saw from his cousin this weekend so we can finish. Lee did such an amazing job on the cabinetry, both sides he extended further out to make lots of pantry space on the right, and dishwasher space on the left. I love it!

The dishwasher is finally built in! YAAAY!

That's my sissy!

smooch

blehhh! Wiping the kiss off

Kitchen remodeling (again!)

Well, Lee looked at me the moment Dad and Grandma pulled out of the driveway the day after Christmas and said, "What do you think, should we tear out these walls?" Oh YAH! So much fun. I will post a more recent photo soon... we've got the countertops extended and tiled, and Lee installed the dishwasher (YAY!), so no more big rolley dishwasher out in the middle of the room.
To see a "before" picture of the dining room walls that were torn out, scroll down to the Thanksgiving photos. There are two looking towards the kitchen that give you a good idea of what we did.

I know it's kind of a mess, but we tore out the walls seperating the kitchen and dining area.