Boomer......our angel dog.

Jeremy told me that I was leaving Boomer out and that I was posting too many blogs on Brady. So here is one just for him!
For those who don't know, Boomer is almost 3 years old!! We got him from a breeder our here in the desert. Our good friends, Ben and Sally Adams, had brought a puppy golden home a couple of months before our wedding. They decided to name him Jake, and it was love at first sight for Jeremy and I. Jeremy had grown up with Golden Retrievers his entire life, so he was especially smitten for the little guy. Ben and Sally told us the breeders had one more left.....a boy.....and he was the largest in the litter of seven puppies. Jake was the runt. So the next night we went to the breeders and brought home our pup. He had the biggest paws I had ever seen. And he was so clumsy, he had no cordination what so ever. He is the sweetest, most gentle dog. Boomer is your typical golden....he loves belly rubs, chasing a tennis ball, swimming, loves all other dogs and people too.

T-R-O-U-B-L-E

Brady was in destruction mode yesterday. Jeremy came home to a big mess!!! First.....Brady decided to eat a bunch of soil out of one of my indoor plants. Which in turn caused him to throw up on our carpet.......and leave a number two for Jeremy as well! (Sorry, I know that is way tooooooo much information.) Then when I got home, I found that he chewed a hole in our couch as well as in one of our bedroom pillows. What a little booger! Here are some photos of the mess as well as Brady in "time out".

A New Bed!

We got our new bed delivered last Friday night!!! It is way bigger then it looked in the furniture store, but we love it! Jeremy and I have been shopping for a headboard, footboard and rails for the past year and a half to accomodate our Cal-King Mattress. Everything we found was really expensive, (or maybe I am just to cheap). So, we headed to Mathis Brothers Furniture store in Indio. We have had a lot of luck there finding discounted furniture in their "As Is" section in the warehouse. There is a lot of floor model furniture, returns or slightly damaged items for sale. We came across this bed and couldn't believe the price........regularly $2200 marked down to $300. I asked the sales girl why it was so cheap, thinking the wood was cracked somewhere that we couldn't see. It turns out that the inventory department was supposed to order only 2 of these beds to have in stock..........they accidently ordered 12 instead!!! They have 10 of these beds to get rid of!! We went home and made some measurements, went back to the store, and made the purchase!!!!!! And, I am personally proud of it because it is the first piece of bedroom furniture I have owned that hasn't been a hand me down since I was 14!

Only another 24 hours until...................

(I borrowed this pic from a friend and fellow blogger, Thanks Nina!!!)

WE CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!!

A Sweet, Sweet Gift

For my birthday this year, my family and hubby are sending me to a culinary school where I am going to be taking 10 weeks of pastry/baking/dessert classes. It is at a local venue called Cooking with Class. I am extrememly excited! I absolutely love to cook......especially desserts! I actually don't start until October, but I can't wait to post about what I have learned and pictures of my creations. The chef who is going to be my instructor was also the designer of my wedding cake!!

It's been a long time since I have participated in this hobby of mine outside of just cooking for my family, friends, neighbors and co-workers. Who knows......I just may have to apply to be on the next season of TOP CHEF!...........well that is taking this a little too far.......but I can dream can't I?

Seriously.....

they are the sweetest boys to come home too!

Nasty Flu Bug

Bad headache.....the chills....a cold sweat.....nauseous....and a sore throat.

Yep, I think I am finally catching what everyone in my office has had for the past two weeks.

Big Bear Birthday

There is nothing like the fresh air at 6000 ft. elevation!! The beautiful pine trees and the clear blue skies!! It is absolutely heaven to me!! We celebrated my birthday a little early this year with a trip to the cabin in Big Bear. My Dad, Cheryl, Lindsay, Garrett, Baby Mia, Jeremy, Boomer, Brady and I had a very relaxing and fun weekend. Friday afternoon we spent in the back yard enjoying the much cooler weather then we are used to out in the desert. Jeremy threw the tennis ball for Boomer and Brady until they couldn't run anymore!! Then we all headed out to The Village for dinner at my favorite Mexican resteraunt El Jacalito and ended the night with some dancing and classic rock at Chad's Place (the local biker bar.....there are some interesting characters there!). My Dad even danced a little when the band played the Rolling Stones. Saturday morning, we took the dogs for a nice long hike. We came across a beautiful valley and meadow where there were quite a few ranch style cabins with horses, sheep and goats. Did I mention how much I love it there? We then headed to the classic car show in The Village that had more the 500 cars. My Dad and Jeremy were in heaven when they came across a couple Convertible Cameros and a Shelby Mustang Convertible that was just gorgeous. I was in heaven because they had an old fashioned ice cream parlor where I spoiled myself with the best root beer float I have ever had in my life! The night ended with a delicious dinner at Cheryl's family's cabin and a concert in Fawnskin at the Discover Center. The Discover Center is an outdoor amphitheater and had such a wonderful turn out from the community. I really appreciated the sense of a "small town" atmosphere. The band was "The Answer" who played classic rock and some oldies as well. They were very entertaining and great for all ages to enjoy. We all danced the night away. Sunday morning we packed up and headed to the lake so that Boomer could go for a swim!! That dog just absoultely loves the water! He was diving under the water and trying to bite the waves. Our little prince Brady went in the water but only up to his mid-legs......which is better then I thought he would do because he hates his bath's at home. I didn't get any pictures of them swimming, but it was entertaining to say the least. It was such a great way to spend my birthday.

THE VACATION BLUES

Do you ever have one of those days, where you would rather be doing anything, then be at work? Yep, I am having one of those days. I think its because we just got back from a very relaxing vacation to my Dad's house in Bullhead City, AZ. We spent three days on Lake Mojave water skiing, wakeboarding, floating, and just hanging out with the family. I wish I was there right now instead of stuck behind a desk staring at my computer. And I miss my Dad and Lindsay!! I guess this is what you call the vacation blues.

JOB UPDATES

We have some great news!! Jeremy has been offered a position with the City of Indio as a Housing Rehabilitation Specialist! It is a new program that the city is starting. Low to moderate income families can apply for government grants or loans to help fix up their homes. Jeremy will be running this department, helping the homeowners get approved, and also helping them make sure their homes are up to safety and building codes. This involves everything from mold & asbestos removal, foundation or stucco repairs, plumbing, electrical, landscaping, etc. He was chosen out of 71 applicants and went through 2 months of intense interviews. I am sooooo proud of him! This is his second week on the job and he absolutely loves it!! We are so grateful that he is going to be working within our community and helping others who are less fortunate. Thank you to everyone who knew he was going through this long process. Thank you for your prayers and your support!! In an economy where so many people are losing there jobs, we are so thankful this opportunity!!