Prefonduane

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2012-01-18T13:07:00.000-08:00

Lucy's favorite place--the park

Enjoying the crazy weather

Lucy thinks that when it snows, the ground is her snack bar. She keeps saying, "Mmmm, tastes like water".

She loves swinging "like a big girl".

At the park with her peeps, Audrey and Vanessa
Here's the belly. I think we are officially ready for this kiddo to show his cute little mug.

This might be the first thing our son will see when he comes into this world. Thank goodness I am a counselor...

October

2011-11-01T13:31:00.001-07:00

First ferris wheel at Jantzen Beach

We went to a few elementary school cross country meets (for Duane's school), and Lucy has been all about "jogging" lately. Here she is, on the beach in Harrison, practicing her new skill.

All that jogging can sometimes lead to a faceplant.

Pumpkins!

Watch out for these two...

Cutest lion on the block

Here's Lucy with her cousins Audrey and Vanessa (Auntie Jenn is in the purple witch costume pulling the wagon). I look like I am dressed up as a bum for Halloween, but--sigh--it's just your typical Monday.

The lion and the bum

This hearse pulled up to our street right as all the kids were starting to arrive--it was pretty festive and awesome!!

Although she didn't enjoy the trick-or-treating, she absolutely loved waiting for kids to come up to our door! She handed out candy, and only tried to steal one bag of chips from some kid's bag. I would call her a bully, but I think she just really loves chips.

First tootsie pop (with Uncle Bob--that's his foot)

After tootsie pop. Happy Halloween!!

September

2011-10-28T13:43:00.001-07:00

What can I say? We live in the Pacific Northwest...

First pigtails

She loved sitting and watching the walkers/joggers

Breakfast with Teddy

First boots

Check out the little ponytail! :)

August

2011-10-28T13:29:00.001-07:00

First sprinkler fun

First corn on the cob

First "bear ears"....my favorite!

Bellingham Bay

Using Daddy's nose to leverage a kiss

Bad picture, but good picture

July

2011-10-28T12:53:00.001-07:00

Fireworks from our deck

Hot springs

Serious business with the boys

Lucy meeting her new cousin

Chilliwack Lake

Dresses

2011-06-12T21:21:00.000-07:00

I was noticing the other day (and perhaps a few months ago) that Lucy doesn't have a lot of dresses. She has a few, but in most of her pics she's in play-clothes and they are definitely rough and tumble play-clothes. I thought it would be nice to showcase the few dresses she does own, and the fact that they are all from other people.

This little tie-die number is from Auntie Della (Duane added the bracelets and sunglasses for effect).

This is from her Auntie Gail, and comes with a cute little hat (said hat was pulled off her little head right after I put it on).

If I knew any German, I would insert it here.....but this dress is an authentic German dress from our friend Tracy. It is so dang cute.

Auntie Melita got this for Lucy's birthday.

Okay, now I'm reaching a bit. We've run out of dresses, so I am supplementing with swimwear. I think she looks beach-ready, and Duane put extra sunscreen on her nose for the "lifeguard look".

Here's a skirt. Sigh.

FYI: we bought a dress for her this weekend. It will make an appearance in the near future...

Lately

2011-05-15T18:45:00.000-07:00

The weather up here is still a bit soggy, but we get outside all the time since it seems to be all that Lucy needs for pure happiness. Her excitement is catchy because we end up having a great time too!

Kicking the beach ball in Grammie and Grandpa's backyard.

She would kick the ball around and then plop down on the grass and giggle/look at the sky. It was pretty hilarious.

Contemplating life on the lawn. One can never start too soon...

Quick snuggle from Grammie. So nice!

Can someone please get me a latte? Seriously, I think I asked about 5 minutes ago.

Watching Dada throw some rocks (her fav-o-rite thing)

Either by sheer number or by their fun honking, the geese have won Lucy's affection. Now that the little baby ones are here, well, its a whole new level of cool.

Her peeps at Hicks Lake

Does pine cone beat rock?

This is a little park on "the main drag" in Harrison Hot Springs. For us locals, it's pretty quiet during the week so we take full advantage.

Lucy's First Easter

2011-04-26T20:38:00.001-07:00

We woke Lucy up at the crack of dawn so that she could enjoy every moment of her first Easter. Yeah right--we would never wake her up early! Did you really believe me??

We filled her eggs with Lucky Charms, and it only took her a second to figure out that the colorful ones were delicious! After that discovery, she sat in a semi-zombie state, picking through her eggs until all of the marshmallows were gone.

It was kinda cute, and then it was kinda scary as the sugar high set in...

LL Crazy P

If she could talk, she would have shouted that Weebles are the bomb!!

We decided to go for a walk to diffuse some of the marshmallow crazies. It was a beautiful day! I put the exclamation because we have been wearing parkas and hats/gloves lately, not shorts. It felt great--like spring should.

Later on, Lucy got her party clothes on for dinner at Uncle Darrel and Aunt Jenn's house. Doesn't she clean up nice??

We had a delicious meal and a very fun day!

Birthday Partay!

2011-04-17T14:41:00.000-07:00

After a year of fun and adventure, Lucy got to celebrate like crazy for her first birthday. She seemed to feel quite comfortable mingling and entertaining the guests. Here's a slice of our little sweet P's big day...

Showing Auntie Melita and cousin Vanessa how to drive. What a good hostess!

The Partay peeps

The Happy Birthday Song moment (aka: soaking up the attention). She's wearing a t-shirt from Grammie Penner--it was so cute we had to put it on STAT

Grammie, Duane and Lulu

We had to go outside and play in the rocks--her favorite new thing

I had to get a pic of the cake as I made it from scratch and put a little ladybug on top made of strawberries and olives. Don't call me Martha, but it was a proud culinary moment...

Present time! If you would, please look to the left and notice that cousin Audrey has Houdini-ed herself into the gift bag. Lucy cannot get enough of her hilarious cousin!!

Alright people, it's been fun but I need you to go home now so I can have my new loot to myself!

Smiles

2011-02-17T12:46:00.001-08:00

It seems that most babies love to smile, and Lucy is no exception. Inspired by Shar and Kevin's blog (with Siena's smiles), here are a few gems from Lucy:

The early smile (9 weeks)

The scrunchy-face smile

The playful smile

The "I've got my pal with me" smile

The "I seriously love seagulls" smile

The "I've been promised a small crumb of this" smile

The first tooth smile (10 months!)

Reading with Lucy

2011-01-30T12:11:00.000-08:00

Just like her Mama, Lucy loves to read books. Here's what it usually looks like...

Please read with me Mama! See the look on my face??

This is my favorite part--the monkey!

Ha ha--that monkey gets me every time.

I'm so sassy!

All of this reading has made me hungry! Anyone for tofu?

Just cuz'

2011-01-09T16:55:00.000-08:00

Lucy got to see her cousins Dylan and Cody over the holidays; here were some of the captured moments:

Dylan, Lulu and Cody (right after we arrived in Vancouver)

Cody, giving Lucy a little welcome kiss (she was probably trying to bite him

as she was teething at the time)

He he he

I couldn't tell if Cody was in search of more presents...

...or if he was just trying to see if it would fit. :)

Lucy is wondering where Cody went so suddenly.

Cody was a great helper when it was time to feed Lucy. He especially liked the puffed cereal because he could give one to Lucy, and two for Cody, one to Lucy, five for Cody, one to Lucy, 6 for Cody...we had to relinquish his duties after a few rounds.

Dylan, Lucy and Duane

Who gave me this lid? Its just great!

Happy Start to the Holidays!

2010-11-25T19:42:00.001-08:00

Since Canada already had their Thanksgiving, things were just not as festive up here (or so it felt), but I tried to recreate some of the magic that is Thanksgiving in the good ol' U.S.A.:

Watching the Thanksgiving Day parade on the tube

Hangin' with the family pet

Having fun and laughing!! :)

Enjoying the outdoors, complete with some festive snow!

Spending time with parents, even though they are a bit dorky

Eating (well, I actually forgot to snap any Turkey day shots, as we ate a very simple but delish meal of turkey sandwiches with cranberry/cream cheese/lettuce and Lucy ate some mushy peas and carrots)

Let the festivities begin!!!

New digs: Harrison Hot Springs

2010-11-10T14:33:00.001-08:00

Since we absolutely love moving, and love making a habit out of it, here are a few pics from our newest move to Harrison Hot Springs (BC). Lucy seems to really like her new digs. :)

View from our deck (Harrison Lake and Lagoon)

Lucy loves the carpet (we had hardwood at our other place) so I disperse toys around the room and she squirms/rolls/inches her way to them. I think crawling is in the near future...

Lucy loves sleeping in her pack'n'play--ahh, the life of the moving baby! If we stand her up, she can hold herself up and chew on the side. This could spell disaster for her crib!

We like to go walking along the lake to the hot springs--with a coffee of course. :)

The driving age in Canada is, strangely, 7 months. Lucy took full advantage.

Food!

2010-10-13T08:52:00.000-07:00

For the past month or two, Lucy has been giving us the evil eye when we eat or drink in front of her. Finally, six months is here and we introduced Lucy to the new adventure that is food and eating. We love it, and we're pretty sure she does too. You be the judge...

Just before the first meal

Ready to go with her awesome bib from the Terrills! :) We don't have a high chair yet so we improvised. This obviously won't work much longer.

She was so ready to eat that she wanted to do it herself. I think her blatent cockiness comes from her Daddy. :)

So good!

We both got to feed her, and Chewy lurked the entire time, looking for opportunities. I think this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship between baby and dog...

I love Lucy, and Lucy loves...

2010-09-26T08:53:00.001-07:00

...Boise State Football!

...going on walks with her favorite chewy toy "Squeaks"

...touring around Bellingham WA

...grabbing for Mommy's food/coffee/anything

...chewing on her favorite blankie

...and being naked before bed. She loves acting crazy and rolling around. :)

Bridal Falls, Bellingham and a storm

2010-09-10T09:36:00.000-07:00

We went for a short hike up to Bridal Falls, which is a beautiful waterfall close to where we live. I was trying to get Lucy and Duane in the pic and in doing so I didn't really get a good shot of the falls. Or a good shot of Lucy and Duane. It was a beautiful day though...

We also took a quick jaunt to Bellingham WA to run some errands, and we trekked around the downtown area with Lucy. She loves walking around!

Crazy family pic

When we got back from Bellingham there was a big storm with thunder, lightening, and lots of hail. Lucy had a great time watching; she kept looking outside, and then looking back at us and smiling/giggling. It was very cute.

Go Broncos!

2010-09-07T10:50:00.001-07:00

Lucy got dressed up yesterday for the big game vs. Va Tech. Whoohoo! Broncos rock!! She didn't wear that crazy outfit in vain... :)

Land of Milk and Honey

2010-08-31T17:08:00.001-07:00

We've been taking Lucy out more and more lately; here are some of our adventures:

Contemplating life at Cultus Lake

Hangin' with Dad up at Chilliwack Lake

First visit with Vanessa, Lucy's new cousin!

Chillin' out with Vanessa before a dip in the pool--she looks so big!!

Tennessee Pride

2010-08-12T14:53:00.000-07:00

Lucy has been eyeing our hats lately, and what she really wants is to put them in her mouth but today she settled for wearing it. A little big, but Tennessee Orange always matches... :)

Bumbo time! She loves her seat from Auntie Amy!

Lucy's Long Days of Summer

2010-08-05T19:40:00.000-07:00

Lucy brought Grandma and Grandpa Penner a cheesecake for their 36th wedding anniversary

(you might also notice that she color coordinated with the dessert). She looks a bit sour, and I think its because she couldn't have any...

About to put that thumb in her mouth

She loves to watch the wind blow the leaves on the trees...very exciting!

Workin' out

2010-08-01T15:35:00.000-07:00

Physical fitness is a serious matter in the Penner house, so here are some recent pics of Lucy's new workout routine:

Abs

Swimming

Pushups

Strategy games

And, of course, rest is crucial to proper muscle development.

US Citizen!

2010-05-27T15:25:00.001-07:00

Duane received his U.S. citizenship today! He took the oath along with 47 other people from 17 different countries.

Right before the oath

During the oath

Lucy got to experience the whole thing, and did a great job until the last few minutes (her stomach was grumbling...)

Duane's pal Boomer came to watch and support--here they are right after the ceremony with Duane's certificate and flag!

Meet the Grandparents (and Auntie Amy)

2010-05-06T08:35:00.000-07:00

We've had some visitors recently, probably because of our daughter but it might also be due to the fact that we are awesome and people just can't stay away... (ha!)

Grandpa and Grandma Pothier!

Grandma and Grandpa Penner!

Auntie Amy!
Duane's mom brought his old baby blanket so that Lucy can use it--hopefully he doesn't try to take it back. He appears to be very excited about the reunion...

LL Sweet Pea

Time with Daddy

Lucy, Day 5

2010-04-19T20:09:00.000-07:00

Here's a pic of Lucy from her fifth day here; she was watching Dancing with the Stars and got annoyed at the dancers. Both of us think it is quite cheesy....I had to turn her around and she was much more content.

I Love Lucy!

2010-04-16T17:38:00.000-07:00

She's here! At 11:31 on Wed. morning, April 14th, Lucy Louise Penner was born (or "cracked out" as my nephew Dylan would say). She weighed 6 lbs, 15 oz, 19 1/2 inches long and showed up in a super fast fashion. I'm taking it as a good sign for her athletic future! :) Here are some pics of the great adventure...

Arriving at the hospital at 5:30 a.m.--you can tell that I had not a clue what I was in for...although a girl came in about 1 minute later who was about to deliver and gave me a verbal and visual taste of what was to come. At the time, I felt relieved that I hadn't arrived in that state, but I was also freaking out that I would eventually be there...

She's here!

This was the first pic once we got out of labor/delivery. Both are cutie pies. I think I have a right to be a bit cheesy...

My pal Kelly and her daughter Zoey stopped by the hospital to see us! :)

Boomer and Jen came by the house yesterday so that Noah could meet his new girlfriend.

Our little Lucy Louise, relaxin' on the couch.

37.5 weeks

2010-03-31T21:48:00.000-07:00

Amy and Ross came into town last weekend and we had a great time hanging out! Aimzer took some silly shots of us...

Chewy's fav resting spot

We've been really into the NCAA b-ball tourney; Duane was palming my belly for good luck (although it didn't work b/c Tennessee lost...)

Shower!

2010-03-22T21:23:00.001-07:00

The cake was so good (aka I had a lot), I made myself go on a hike the next day!

Pregnant Pause

2010-03-15T20:42:00.001-07:00

Alright, here are some pics that have been long overdue!

Half asleep, this morning

At lunch with Kelly and Zoey a couple of weeks ago

Crazy lady, a few weeks ago

Early February

Merry Christmas Everyone (a Chewy post)!

2008-12-25T19:34:00.000-08:00

During this season of giving and family, lets all take a moment to appreciate our pets. We are faithful, loving, and when the weather is bad, there is not an indoor bathroom option. We see the full spectrum of weather coming while we're going.

A few extra treats and tummy rubs go a long way. Merry Christmas!

Christmas Run

2008-12-22T22:05:00.001-08:00

Here are a few pics from the Christmas Run on Saturday. It was superly cold. I helped my friend (and fellow counselor) Tamra train for it and we had a great time. Below we are posing with her daughter Bella, one of the coolest girls I know.

In case you were wondering, I'm not wearing a cape; it's just a poorly arranged scarf.

I love this woman for having the courage to put a troll/elf in a portable little backpack. And then run a road race. I was laughing and running and trying to capture the shot so it's a bit of a Christmas miracle that I even got it. I kept wondering if she stole it from a neighbor's yard as a tricky little joke, or if she thought she could pass it off as one of Santa's little helpers, or if it was her quirky water bottle. Doesn't matter; it was great.

The final stretch to the finish...Bella won the race against her mom, but Tamra kicked butt--this was her first road race ever and I was very very proud of her!!!

Shooting the bull

2008-11-29T20:51:00.000-08:00

Chewy and I went for a walk this evening and discovered that it is definitely Christmas season. We saw an elk hanging out with the cows, which was pretty cool. I told Chewy that it was a reindeer--and I know that's a lie--but she thought it was superb and got really pumped up with Christmas cheer.

We also spotted a very beautiful rainbow. It was a full rainbow, and at one end was our house (you can see it to the right) and at the other end, Chewy!

Prefonduane will not be stopped

2008-10-12T20:09:00.000-07:00

Yes, he's back! Prefonduane came out in full force last weekend and ran the Boise City of Trees Half Marathon. He had a great race...until 3 miles to go. That's when the shenanigans began...

The start!

Here's Prefonduane about halfway through the 13 mile race--the three guys in the pic stayed together for pretty much the whole race. They would later be referred to as "The Lost Boys" (okay, just by me, but that is still notable).

4.5 miles to go--he was rockin'!!

Okay, so this pic is important for a couple of reasons. First, his fans were out in full force --Jim, his boss, who as you can see came straight from the airport (but not before picking up the infamous Magic and Mugsy), and my friend Tracy. Second, right after he came down the hill, all three of the guys (from the last picture) were accidentally directed past the 1/2 marathon turn and were sent on the marathon route. Yeah, I think the volunteers must have gone for a coffee or something. Or someone was really trying to stop Prefonduane. And it kinda worked, because he didn't come in until he had ran about 16--17 miles! A cop had to chase them down and help them find the right way. It was pretty sucky, but Prefonduane has already regrouped and has a new goal and a new race to work towards. And he also has a race story! By the way, Duane doesn't refer to himself as Prefonduane all the time; I just think its funny. :)

Post-race (I'm very proud of him)

Flower Update

2008-09-18T18:41:00.000-07:00

I realize that there was some concern surrounding my "special flowers" so I thought I would show you how they are fairing. As you can see, they have recovered quite nicely. It helped that Duane's brother Bob was out visiting for about 3 weeks and watered the plants every day. Thanks Bob!

I know what you're thinking--they are still kinda funky looking--but I think they have tried to strike a balance between funky and healthy/vibrant. Win Win!

The Gods Must Be Crazy

2008-08-31T18:29:00.000-07:00

Duane got baptized today at Discovery Park in Boise. Normally a baptism in August is not an extreme sport, but today the weather decided to shift dramatically and the high was 68 degrees. And there was wind. Holy cow is an understatement.

Pre-dunk

I would give this a 8.5 (for the splash)

Victory for Duane, although the pastor can no longer feel anything from the waist down.

I would like you to observe that Duane wore his Tennessee shirt for his baptism (purposefully) and also my Merrill river shoes that Mo and Geri labeled "German Tourist Shoes". Quite the ensemble. I think he looks cute.

I had to dig out my fleece for today and I was still cold. Seriously, it's not even September!

Duane's parents were traveling through Canada and made their way down for the weekend. They added a bit of international flair to the event. :) Since I was baptized as a wee lass (in the Catholic church), today was a big learning experience. It was quite moving to be a part of it and to see all the people who came to support those who were getting "dunked". And someone even made a three layered cake! I was, of course, very happy about that!

You be the judge

2008-08-17T20:35:00.000-07:00

Okay, here's what I think happened: Some lady (hopefully not a guy) came into this Hairmasters haircut place and requested a wax, but not of the facial variety. I think the employees probably freaked out and explained the limitations to their waxing, and then immediately (after the disappointed customer left) grabbed a Sharpie and fixed the sign to prevent any future mental trauma. I've noticed the sign for a couple of years now, and it always makes me chuckle. I could just be a weirdo, but I really think something like that happened. Ha! P.S. : I do not get my hair cut here...

Retro Insanity!

2008-07-23T11:47:00.000-07:00

Two summers ago I visited Mo and Geri and I found some pictures that show exactly what Geri has to put up with when I come out to visit. He is a patient man, but it is very apparent that even the strongest of men have their limits (see exhibit A). I think we were making him pose for pictures and making him take pictures. As you will see, we were a little off task...

Exhibit A

Crazy 1

Crazy 2

Crazy Squared

????????

Penner Time

2008-07-21T10:55:00.000-07:00

That's right~it's that time of year! The Penner family invaded Idaho for about a week--we had lots of fun and ate a lot of food! Here are just a couple of pictures (b/c that's all I usually take).

Melita (sis in law) and Chewy were the best of friends during her visit.

I tried to get a picture of Jim riding away into the sunset via bike. He liked to do this--we called it his contemplative bike time. I thought about downloading some Yanni onto my Ipod for him, but common sense and common taste stopped me--he would have probably rather listened to Johnny Cash anyway...

Duane took Matt and Melita down the Boise River. There were no crazy incidents and no one fell out of the boat. Unheard of!!!

Here are my beautiful flowers. Some people choose to make fun of them, but I grew them from seeds and they have mad character. Duane calls them my "special flowers". Whatever.

The Great White North

2008-07-02T17:35:00.000-07:00

We went up to Canada this weekend for a retirement party and a baby shower. I actually brought the camera (miracle), and I had batteries with power(another miracle), so I got a few pics.

Chewy got to ride on the plane--she would give a little yelp during takeoff every time--we think her ears were popping, but that's just a guess. Maybe Duane was pinching her.

Aww, Audrey was so darn cute! My sis-in-law Jen has been doing a great job and for some weird reason is a bit tired...

Duane crashed the baby shower party and demanded to hold the baby.

Canadians like to reduce/reuse!

Everywhere I go, people seem to know that I am a big freak for sweets! My mother-in-law put a sign on the Nanaimo bars; she knows what's up! :)

I didn't get any pics of the retirement party-woops! Picture a backyard party with a great view of the mountains, loads of cold drinks, lots of family and gallons of mosquito spray. Jim has been a teacher in Agassiz, B.C. for 33 years and has probably taught most of the town. He's a stud!

The other Portland

2008-04-26T21:13:00.000-07:00

Duane was Lucky McSpoiled last week and traveled to Portland, Maine to help out the station out there. I sent him with the camera, and this is what he captured...

Duane's very to-the-point--he ate a lot of lobster and worked his butt off. No need for fluff, right?? (I think the second picture is of the Detroit Airport, where he was working one day, but this was a view from his hotel room--kinda weird!)

While he was gone, I was hanging in Boise and NOT riding my new bike that I got for my B-day b/c it was super cold. Here she is:

Sweet!

Thurdy!

2008-04-07T18:41:00.000-07:00

Today I say hello to my 30's, and to help me forge ahead I have a new pair of socks matched with a new pair of flip flops! That's okay, right? Sure, it feels a bit unnatural, like meatloaf and strawberries, but I think I can get used to it. Thanks Mo and Geri for making this flattering ensemble possible --you two are rebels!

Yea, Mon!

2008-03-29T11:31:00.000-07:00

We're back in Idaho, but I think my brain is still in Jamaica! Here are some pics from our trip--we thought we lost ALL of them, but thanks to some rockin' software, we were able to recover most of them!

Easter Sunday in Jamaica. By the way, every time Duane wore his Tennessee football shirt, about 5 to 10 people would come up to us and say something like "Go Vols" or "Did you go there?" or "Nice shirt, man!". Pretty cool. If you are every lonely and need a friend, just put on your Tennessee shirt and they will come...

Mmmm, Jamaican martini

Duane, smokin' a Cuban on the dock

It's a Red Stripe in a plastic cup! The way Jamaicans intended...

Duane's first pedicure

I just really like this pic. The room service fellas rode around delivering stuff with these cool bikes.

Someone we know asked us to take a picture of a topless European woman--here ya go, pervert.

Duane, on the rocks.

Duane, neat.

This looks kinda weird, but it was a jellyfish (or some similar creature) that came on shore. After we finished oogling at it, the lifeguards picked it up and then put the red flag out to prohibit swimming--eek!

A flower and a fruit.

We had a great time!

P.S.--Dylan is crazy!

2008-03-15T10:11:00.000-07:00

The night before the Mitchell's left Boise, Ross and Dylan thought it would be fun to hang from our walls. The first picture was after the fact, but the second one catches the crazy. Please notice Dylan's shirt in the second photo!

Mitchell Madness

2008-03-08T18:27:00.000-08:00

Dylan and his parents :) came out to visit us in Boise this weekend; here are some of the adventures:

Running to Lucky 13 for pizza and brews--it's every man for himself!

Chillin' downtown before breakfast

It's hard to tell if Dylan is jealous that his Dad has a yummy margarita, or disappointed that he's drinking something with so much sugar--he's a dentist for goodness sakes!

The Mitchell's at the candy store--Amy's pretty excited about the choices.

This gummy snake disappeared freakishly fast

Veggie Tales--Part I

2008-01-20T08:30:00.000-08:00

Well, we needed a good excuse to stay indoors and watch football today (go Brett!!) and we definitely got it--Chewy woke us up this morning and alerted us to the snow. What a good dog!

"Tis the season to be Mary" "Well, that's my name!"

2007-12-26T14:14:00.000-08:00

We traveled up to Canada on the 23rd/24th to have a great Christmas dinner and hang out with the Penners, and then spent Christmas day back in Boise. Here are a few pics!

Chewy hanging out, waiting to tear open her gifts.

My sis Kristy and her hubby Joe sent some of the delicious vino from Paige Springs Cellars in Sedona--that always makes for a merry Christmas!

Duane and Chewy are trying to figure out what the present is...

Rock on! It's a remote control helicoptor--everyone needs one of those! Somehow I'm thinking that my Dad had a lot to do with this one. :)

Hallowthankmas!

2007-12-15T19:19:00.000-08:00

I thought that I would mesh all of the fall/early Christmas festivities into one post. Very innovative, and not at all lazy like you might have thought initially. First, here are a few Halloween pics for your viewing pleasure. This spider showed up right underneath our patio door, 4 days before Halloween. It was like the the Great Pumpkin, only in spider form and pretty nasty. Both Duane and I were afraid to capture it, so we just monitored it and waited until it passed away. It did, two days after Halloween. Crazy huh??

Duane and I had a carving competition with pumpkins--it didn't start out that way, but after several critical glances back and forth, things got a bit tense and competitive. Mine is on the right and Duane's is on the left. I think Duane's got the edge in this picture with the lights, but mine happened to be a crowd pleaser with the trick-or-treaters.

Moving along, below are a couple of snippets from Thanksgiving. Duane and I went to Vancouver, WA to be with family for Turkey day. I was also supposed to run the Seattle Marathon, but ended up getting really sicko on Thanksgiving night and many nights after. The picture below was taken with my niece Ronnie about 6 hours before I started my barfing extravaganza. Look how clueless I am...and how cute her shoes are!!

Someone stole my camera (Amy) and took a video of Nina and also of Dylan and Andrew playing around (below). Nina is Ross's mom, and Andrew is my cousin. Pretty silly...

Finally, to start off the Christmas party season, Duane and I were invited by one of Duane's coworkers to a Philipino/American Christmas party at her church. Here's Duane posing in front of the main course, a pig. It looks as though he's protecting the identity of the pig. But then he ate some...I'm confused!

Okay, I had to document this part of the party. The hosts wanted to show the audience some traditional fighting "moves" from the Philipines, and what better way to show that then to bring in a bunch of native Boiseans in muscle pants?? I kept thinking that someone was going to pop out from behind the stage and tell us that we were part of some kind of prank, but alas it was no joke. Those men were intense! They stayed after the performance to party it up--they even changed out of their muscle pants. Overall, the party was really fun and everyone was so nice. There were several traditional performances that were more appropriate (see below) and definitely beautiful and entertaining. I can say with confidence that I've never been to a party like that before!!!

Scary Movie IV--Uncut!

2007-10-22T19:08:00.000-07:00

Before we get to the movie, here is a picture that is back by popular demand: it's Duane, Chewy and a corndog! As you can see, this was taken a few years ago when Chewy was a pup and Duane was a little crazy. Some things have changed (and some really really have not)...

Okay, here it is: I should have had some great pictures from when we went to Vancouver last weekend, but alas all I could capture was this heartbreaking scene (all 6 seconds of it) with my little nephew Dylan as he was helping his mom wash the car. My sis told me to try out the video option on my camera, and as I hit play (my plan was to "interview" Dylan while he worked) this is what happened (this film is rated PG for some slight cussing and violence):

My sister has cat-like reflexes!! As bad luck would have it, he got his hand pinched in the car door handle the second I started recording--what are the odds?? It may appear that I was a dead-beat aunt, but I was actually looking at my camera and didn't realize he was in peril until I started cussing. Woops! (okay, I think I might be a little bit of a dead-beat aunt) Dylan was okay--he had a very quick recovery and kept on washing the car. He stayed away from the doorhandles though; those things can bite ya!

Post accident, feeling groovy

My Own Private Tennessee

2007-10-09T18:48:00.000-07:00

Here's a couple pics from around the neighborhood. It's been so nice, but all the poopy weatherpeople are predicting cold from here on out...

Megs sent us some awesome Tennessee gear--Duane and Chewy were gracious enough to model the fall line for you. If you zoom into the picture below, you will see that Duane was so excited to wear his shirt that he didn't even stop to take of the "large" sticker. Hee hee hee

At first, Chewy was very shy in front of the camera, but after a few takes she was quite the ham.

She wanted to capture the versatility of her new coat, so she had me take the following pics:

The jacket comes off for a pic-o-nic .....or you can reverse it for a fashionable nap!

The Blue Turf

2007-10-08T20:23:00.000-07:00

I went to the Boise State/New Mexico State game on Sunday. It was very entertaining, but we won 58-0 so it wasn't exactly a thriller.

Desiree, me and Ashley--right before kickoff

We sat in the student section, but at the top to avoid the "crazies" :)

Speaking of crazy youngsters, here's a pic of them in action.

One Wedding and a Pizza Place

2007-10-03T21:25:00.000-07:00

Duane and I went to a wedding this past weekend for my friend Tracy and her (now) hubby TJ. I took some great shots of the bride and her dad. Here's my most artistic shot (ie: I swear I did that on purpose). I think she might want to frame this:

Duane and I hung out up on the balcony, sipping beer and people watching--it was great! On the right is a picture of the bride making the rounds and saying hi to all the guests. The little girl in the picture (my friend's niece) is apparently mad at the bride for not having the right type of punch-- That'll teach her!!

Here's me with my pals Ashley and Tracy! For some reason, I still feel the need to squat down and pretend to be 5'2" when my friends are shorter than me. I'm not sure why I do that, but they certainly made fun of me for it!

Also this past weekend, the pizza joint Lucky 13 opened up (it's right across the way from our house). Duane and I certainly had to check out the eats and the beer selection. It was mighty good! I think I had some sweet timing with the camera, don'tcha think?

Chewy's Update

2007-09-29T09:09:00.000-07:00

Chewy here, just wanted to give the ol' blog a quick update. Some people are having trouble keeping up so I'm here to pick up the slack!

This first pic was taken a month or two ago when Bob came out to visit. He's my summertime boyfriend--I pretty much have a man for every season!

Next, we have a picture of me with the Penner clan. I decided to give a profile pose in this shot, as it makes me look quite stoic. Can't argue with beauty!

And here is a really great shot of Duane and I playing around outside with one of my many squish toys. You can't really tell from the picture, but there was a huge storm coming in and it was super duper dusty and windy. I heard Angie talking about me blowing away or getting taken out by a tumbleweed, but Duane and I prevailed and got to play. Small victory!

I know this picture (below) is a little blurry, but I was very excited about the green monster that came to visit us one day. It was on the screen door and I couldn't take my eyes off of it! Part of me wanted to befriend it, and part of me wanted to take a bite to see what would happen. Both options were squashed (again, Angie is a freak and thought it would try to attack me) but I did get a few good pics!

John Candy? Are you back? No, this is just Jim, one of my pals and owner of the infamous Magic. We were spending the day at Lucky Peak, and I think Jim got confused and thought we said "week", as he brought too much crap. The other picture is of Duane and Jen cooling off in the lake, and I'm trying to entice them out (the lake wreaks havoc on my hair!). It's kinda hard to see me, but my shadow looks great.

I hope that you have enjoyed this posting. Really, I don't think you understand how hard it is to type with paws!! If you want to show your appreciation, might I suggest some Pupperoni's or Milk Bone treats???

Uh Oh, It's Magic...

2007-08-18T15:28:00.000-07:00

We've had quite a few visitors this summer at the Penner casa, but the newest one is certainly the most "intriguing". His name is Magic, and we're dog-sitting him this weekend. Magic was adopted by our friends Jim and Jen 3 weeks ago from the pound, so we don't really know his history. All we do know is that when he first met Chewy, he liked her in a not-just-friends kind of way. Chewy's no hussy, so she has bobbed and weaved her way to safety on numerous occasions.

Just in case you are worried about Chewy, I should mention that he has toned it down a bit, and I will make sure to debrief and process with Chewy when Magic leaves as she might have some PTSD.

More than anything, I'm just wondering what the protocol is for when one of those huge eyeballs pops out?? Can it be shoved back in? Is it supposed to fall out? When you look into his eyes, all you can think of is how the heck they haven't fallen out already. I'll guess I'll have to keep you posted! ****If you love pugs, I'm sorry if this post is offensive, but I just don't understand the "magic".****

Views From the Penner Casa

2007-08-04T20:41:00.000-07:00

My sis was asking for some random pics of our house, so here are a few to enjoy:

Here's a pic of our side yard and also a shot of Chewy. I was trying to make it less boring by adding the dog-in-action...kind of a two-for-one huh?

Per my sister Amy's request, this is the view from our front porch. I apologize for not having Chewy in the picture-- I could have placed her in the street, but I figured it wasn't worth the risk (Duane would have called me deadbeat mom)!

From our patio, you can see they are building something, and that something is Lucky 13, a sweetly awesome pizza joint. Alas, I may never ever learn to cook anything but Crunchy Chews...

I had to add this picture b/c this is one of the three hawks that seem to stalk Chewy. They are about the same size, but they have some serious hamhocks--I'm sure they do squats and romanian deadlifts...anyway, they happen to be our neighbors so there's nothing we can do about it (unless we were to cut down their tree--hmm)

The Mariners are playin' hardball...

2007-08-01T12:21:00.000-07:00

So Duane and I met his brothers and his dad in Seattle for a Mariners game on Monday night. Everything was perfecto--good food, good weather, great game. Too bad I forgot to take pics once we got to the stadium!! I got so excited about where our seats were (24 rows up behind the enemy's dugout) that my brains fell out and I was just drooling and watching the game (I might have had a beer as well). Anyway, I did take a few pics before we got to the game:

Are those two twins? A lot of people were asking us that--it actually got quite annoying--but no, that's just my pa-in-law Jim. We both got these sweet t-shirts in the gift shop.

Here's a pic of the Penner clan; Bob's in the back b/c he's kinda shy (or maybe, more accurately, he was being a poohead and doing it on purpose)!! You may want to observe the way that Duane and his dad are standing--they look exactly the same! And rumor has it, Jim can still beat Duane in a foot race (a very short one, but still). Oh yeah!!!

The restaurant where we ate supper was very good, but they did not serve their Stella in the proper glasses, which is ALWAYS a party foul. This picture (below) was taken before the wrongful Stella serving glass debacle, so as you can see, we were very cheery and unaware. Ignorance is bliss!

Oh man, in this picture (below)we were looking right at the stadium, but for some stupid reason I thought the picture of the city was more important right then. Sheesh. Anyway, this is the last picture for the night. There were a lot of things I probably could have taken pictures of: the foul ball that was caught 5 seats away from us, the crazy peanut vendor that I wouldn't have bought anything from no matter what, the Mariner's star player Ichiro Suzuki at bat (he is a fantastic player but his batting stance is hilarious--it looks like he has to "go" really bad), the cute little kid that squirmed for three hours straight on his mom's lap (she was a patient lady), or the huge Starbucks coffee I got for like 20 bucks when it started getting chilly (of course they sell Starbucks--it's Seattle!).

Before we left, Duane and I had to stop off at our favorite pizza joint that we always try to visit when we go to Seattle. You gotta love Seattle pizza!!

Hee haw hee haw hee!!!

Impress your friends...

2007-07-23T22:53:00.000-07:00

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First post?

2007-07-23T22:13:00.000-07:00

Here is our very first posting--very exciting! People all around the world are holding their collective breaths in anticipation. I know, I know, the pressure is immense but I'm quite used to it! Above is a sweet pic of Mo and Geri, post race. Geri rocked the Boise Twilight Criterium, and there was much fun to be had before, during and after (after pics below). Estan listos? Empesamos...