new critters

We now have new critters to add to our exciting back yard. It seems that a mother fox and her five babies are trying to find a shelter. When we first moved in we had a huge patch of bamboo back there and behind it was an old pony shed. Both were ugly, so Fred ripped out the bamboo and a contractor helped clean that up as well as knock down the old shed. We have not had a chance to remove the debris, so it is still a pile in the back. Its only saving grace is that it is now housing cute foxes!

As I tried to take blurry pictures I think two babies were nursing briefly as the mom was trying to hide from today's rain. The five little babies play and bounce around the shelter. Mom is more down to business and probably searching for food!

We are not worried about the foxes as our cat, Phoebe, stays indoors. Also, we don't send the kids out to play when there is any wildlife: deer, turkeys etc. I shoo them away before we head out. For now we sit in our sun room and enjoy the show. It is really cool!

Five Happy Years

Fred and I just celebrated five years of marriage on April17th. We are both in very happy places together and in our own lives. We love our new house and town. He really enjoys his work and I love the friends I have made and the activities I share with the kids. This happiness made our five year anniversary really special. At this point we can reflect on the journey that got us here and also get excited about the future ahead. We are especially excited about welcoming our third baby!

In the evening he gave me red roses and chocolates. We had our neighbor babysit and went to a delicious and beautiful restaurant called Rat's. We started at the bar with some Prosecco (I had a sip to celebrate). Also, the food was really amazing. I enjoyed the best scallops I have ever had. Some people have asked about the name and here is a quote from the web site:

The Name

Why the name Rat`s? In Kenneth Grahame's classic, The Wind In The Willows, one of J. Seward Johnson, Jr.'s favorite books, the character Ratty represented everything a host should be. As founder of Rat's and Grounds For Sculpture, Johnson likens himself to Ratty who threw the best parties with the best wine. Likewise, the two share delightful imaginations and far-reaching dreams.

A wonderful dinner and date with my best friend. I look forward to many more years together.

Spring is sweet

It is Spring in New Jersey...finally! The longer Winter has definitely made this Spring more special to us. Each day there are new buds and flowers. We even saw the groundhog waddling around our yard this morning. Hooray! Check out our pictures!

Boston

We owe my friend, Jenny, a big thank you for showing us around Boston. She and I went to high school and UC Davis together. She has been living in Boston for 3 years and returns to California in May. We saw her just in time!

We drove up despite terrible, rainy weather. Our five hour trip turned into eight, but it was neat to travel through several states and see new landscape (when we could see out our windows!). In Fishkill, NY we found a diner to have lunch at and we got to Boston just in time for dinner. Jenny picked Picco, a pizza place near her house, that had delicious wood-grilled pizzas. It was great to catch up with her busy life!

Our hotel was outside the city which worked out well for us. We love the "suites" where the girls share a sofa bed and we have our own room. The kitchenette also works well with little ones. We slept okay and started the next adventure of walking around town.

Jenny took us from her place in the South End through the Commons over to the tourist area for lunch. We ate at Ye Olde Union Oyster House for lunch. Fred got his clam chowder and we enjoyed a great lunch in the oldest running restaurant in the country. John Kerry even has a seat there!

We quickly headed back through town (another couple of miles walking) to get kids to the car and out of the cold wind. It was nap time. We returned to the South End for a quick, but good Venezuelan dinner right near Jenny's apartment.

The next day we drove to Plymouth and again avoided the cold wind by staying in the car! We also drove through Providence, Rhode Island searching for lunch. Even with our GPS we were not successful. So, we headed home back through CT, NY and finally home...NJ! It was really wonderful to come back home. It is Spring in New Jersey, unlike up North where the trees, flowers and grass have not quite caught up.

We wish Jenny a smooth move back to California! She is expecting a baby boy in June and her husband starts his residency at the same time. They have big things ahead! We hope to see them again on the West Coast.