Arizona

Splashing in the pool with dad

Berkeley donned her 'triangles' and went for a swim!

Swimming is exhausting!
Chris practiced putting in the back yard
Here is Laura 'schooling' us in pool!
Laura and I are no longer GTO "virgins"

We ran into a Hollywood starlet while taking a walk!
Chris & Laura spent 6 hours on his dream bike!
My goofball sister!!! She cracks me up!
Getting ready to leave


Berkeley fit perfectly in the saddlebag
Jerry and his cuddle bug

We pigged out on s'mores and enjoyed the fire every night

We took our first official vacation since Berkeley was born. She did great on the plane ride there, but not so hot on the way back. I think she had too much sugar before we got on the plane and just couldn't settle down. I made the mistake of letting her munch on a short bread cookie that a wealthy old man insisted on giving to her (it was sealed in a package) and it wired her. Thomas & Jerry were laughing at us from across the airport because she already has rich old men buying her things. She is a charmer, that little Berkeley.

It was so much fun having Chris & Laura with us. Usually I am stuck back at the hotel or condo reading a book or laying by the pool by myself while Jerry & Thomas golf all day, but this time I got to spend time with Laura and that is always a pleasure. The boys did their share of golf and we did our share of driving around Scottsdale and shopping. One of the cars we rented was an Impala and she drove it like she owned it. Let me tell you, she really maneuvered her way around Scottsdale. Let me also say that if anyone wants to work on their abs, but doesn't want to do sit ups, hang out with us. We cracked each other up so much that my stomach muscles were sore. We are hilarious!!!

The house we stayed at had a beautiful brand new pool and hot tub. We sat around the incredible gas fire pit every night. Jerry is the love of Berkeley's life and she cuddled with him every night by the fire. The boys were sore each time they returned from their 7 hour golf extravanzas. The hot tub welcomed them with open arms every night to soothe their weary bones and aching muscles. The house also had a pool table which provided endless hours of entertainment and a putting green for when the boys began experiencing golf withdrawals.

Chris rented his dream bike for a day...a Harley Davidson Road King. Laura, being the darling that she is, road with him on it for 6 hours on Friday. Now that is one good woman. I think Chris had a permanent smile on his face.

Curtis, the owner of the house we stayed in, has started collecting classic cars. His most recent purchase was a 1967 GTO and he insisted we take it for a spin. Laura and I slowly took it around the block and I must say it was very liberating. Acutally, I'm lying, old cars really don't do much for either one of us, but at least now we can say we drove a 1967 GTO.

Thomas got the flu on Friday while Chris & Laura were out galavanting around town so I had two babies to take care of. Laura and I came to the conclusion that it is a darn good thing men don't have to bear children because the human race would become extinct. Every time I asked him if I could get him anything his response was "Just a bullet and a gun." He really thought he was dying a slow and painful death. Fortunately, he survived, and has lived to tell of this harrowing near death experience. It is a truly awe-inspiring and miraculous story of survival:)

Anyway it is always good to come home. This week has been beautiful. I love seeing the sunshine every day even though it's cold outside. It's always a treat! Washington is still the most beautiful place to live (after Hawaii) in my opinion. The cactus and rocks are pretty for a temporary change in scenery, but the mountains, lakes, ocean and trees that we have are far superior. Sorry if that sounds snotty, but it's true!!!

We Have a New Baby in the Family!

I am excited to announce that Andy & Andrea had their first born!!! Well, actually they 'purchased' her on New Year's Eve and she is absolutely delightful! Her name is Sophie Andrew and she weighed 20 lbs. when they brought her home. I'm not sure how much she weighed when she was born, but that's not important right now. What's important is we have a sweet new puppy to love and adore. The reason her middle name is Andrew is because Andy has declared both of my dogs' middle names to be Andrew even though they are both girls. So it's only natural for Sophie's middle name to be Andrew as well. If any of you have a dog out there with no middle name I'm sure he'd be tickled if you used Andrew.

Sophie is a smart little cookie. She has been a breeze to potty train and is already responding to sit and come. She loves to play and when she chases a ball she often trips over her huge paws. It's hilarious...she is almost as klutzy as I am!!! She also smells heavenly. If any of you have ever smelled a puppy or "puppy breath" you know what I'm talking about. It's intoxicating. I found myself sitting there inhaling the soft fur on her head. I got a little light headed and forced myself to stop. I know I sound like a freak, but they really do smell so good. I've never done drugs, but who needs them when there are puppies to sniff??? In my personal opinion, puppies are absolute perfection!

Sterling doesn't quite know what to think of her. I think she is a bit confused because Sophie is a miniature version of Payton. I think this will continue to perplex Sterling until Sophie gets bigger. And big she will be. Her paws are enormous and her (biological) parents are pretty large labs too. I think my favorite little piece of trivia is that Sophie and Sterling share the same birthday, October 27th! Isn't that great? Amelia, I'm afraid to admit we'll probably be having a double birthday party for the girls come fall! You're more than welcome to come if you'd like to experience your first dog birthday party :) We'll send you an invite :)