1st. Day of School for Butters!!

Butters made sure she had all her shots...got her hair cut...packed her back pack for school and...what school starts at 6:00!! ...Thought it was starting at 6:30...hurry grab the shot records...grab the snack, grab Jimmy and Pam...get in the car...have Pam drive like a crazy person...it is 6:15 already! Get to the class...what!! They canceled because the teacher had an emergency at home!!! The teacher's water pipes broke and she had to go home and cancel her class. So we will try again tonight...we are all prepared...got the time right and everything! So much for the 1st. day of school!

A Wild Time in Pattenville this week-end!

To continue the celebration of Jimmy's 21st. birthday Cory and Kristal and the kids came down for the week-end. They came down on Friday night so that we could go to the San Francisco zoo on Sat. morning. We had a great time at the zoo. They have fixed up a lot of the zoo and made a lot of new animal habitats. We especially had fun watching the monkeys...as usual. We had fun watching these one monkeys... they had a squirrel that had made it's way into their cage through a place where the cage had larger holes in it. One monkey...he looked like the leader of the others...when he saw the squirrel who had climbed up the side of the cage he quickly got over to it and grabbed it and threw it to the ground...probably about 20 feet or so. The poor squirrel survived and hid in the grass under a log for a few minutes then tried to make it's way back up the cage to get out. The monkey who was keeping an eye out saw it and swooped over and grabbed it again and threw it. We were all aghast! We started rooting for the squirrel to get out! The other monkeys in the cage started watching for the squirrel too and trying to get it. The poor little squirrel, every time he got out in the open he would get snagged and thrown. I don't know how he survived! Finally he was able to climb up the cage and out of the hole just a second before the monkey swooped down to get him. We were all cheering...or at least I was! Those monkeys were so fast! They would swing from tree to pole to the cage or whatever so quickly! Squirrels are pretty fast too but he was having a hard time. I think he might have been at the very least given a few bruises from all the throwing! They had a new grizzly bear enclosure that was pretty awesome. It is like the polar bear exhibit in San Diego where the water comes right up to the window. The grizzly bears could get into the water and come right up to the window and put their face against the glass. That was fun seeing them up close and personal with only a glass wall between us. The kids had fun at the petting zoo too. Adam was toddling around and a goat came right up to him, put his nose into Adam's back and pushed him down! Anyway here are some pics of the fun at the zoo!

Grandpa and Megan

Cory and Kristal and kids

Grandpa, Grandma, Jimmy, Megan and Ethan

Jimmy and Jonathan being prairie dogs!

Jonathan and Ethan watching the grizzly bears!

On Sunday we continued the celebration of Jim's 21st. birthday by having Pizza for dinner (Jim's choice) cake and ice-cream and games! We played Bingo and pin the nostrils on Jimmy! Megan made the picture of Jimmy and we put stickers on for the nostrils! We had prizes for all! On Monday Kristal wanted to go to the fabric store for some Halloween costume supplies. I took Megan, Jonny and Ethan to the park for some fun and a picnic. Kristal and Adam came to the park after their shopping trip to the fabric store. We had a lot of fun playing on the playground and wading in the creek. The weather was just perfect so we enjoyed the day. Cory had taken Bart into work in the morning and Kristal was going to drive the kids home in the afternoon. But things didn't work out that way. The old Van decided to give up the ghost. We think the transmission is toast! Since they had their 4 runner in Tracy, Cory took the Ace Train home from work, walked the mile home and got the 4 runner and drove back to Fremont. So today after lunch Kristal took Adam in the 4 runner and I took the other 3 kids in the Vue and we drove to Tracy. We are all sad to see the Van take its last trip. It has served us all well for 16 years!!!! Hard to believe. I guess we should have a service for it so that we can all pay it the respect it has earned! So now I am home and it is so quiet! It is always sad to have everyone go home. It is like vacation is over and we all have to get back to the every day grind. Tomorrow is a big day though, I have to help at the homeless shelter serving lunch, take Butters in to the groomers and then I will go with Butters to her first day of doggie school with Jimmy. We hope she is a good student and learns quickly!! I will keep everyone posted! ...So the sun set over a very quiet and subdued Pattenville tonight!

Here are some pictures from the Birthday celebration

The Pizza...homemade since it was Sunday!

The Bingo game...Jimmy winning!

Grandpa trying to put the nostrils on Jimmy!

Ohhh...a birthday hug by Megan!

We ordered a video game for Jimmy for his birthday and some some extra lenses for his camera. Since they hadn't come yet...they came today...I printed some pictures of them and Kristal helped me make puzzles out of them. Jimmy had to put the puzzles together to see what he was getting!

Then for the cake and ice-cream. Jonny asked Jimmy to help him put some whipped cream on his ice-cream. So Jimmy helped all right...take a look at Jonny's shirt! Evidently the spray can had a blockage! Whipped cream sprayed all over Jonny and a little got on Cory and Jimmy and the wall! We all had a laugh over that!

Adam at the park

Megan, Jonny and Ethan at the park.

Jonny and Megan enjoying the creek!

Ethan just chillin!

Happy 21st. Birthday Jimmy!!!

We went to Olive Garden ( Jimmy's favorite place) for Jimmy's birthday dinner. We didn't embarrass him and tell the waiters so they would sing to him! We gave him one present and his card to open when we got home. We are making him wait till Cory and his family get here to open his other presents and have cake and ice-cream. Cory and Kristal and the kids are coming over Sat. and we will go to the San Fran. Zoo and celebrate Jim's birthday on Sunday with the cake and ice-cream.

Wasn't he a cuttie! He was so tiny!

Congratulations to Jimmy and Butters...another gopher caught!

So Jimmy went out this morning and saw a new gopher hole. He put the hose down the hole and up came the gopher! Butters grabbed it and Jimmy had to get it from her. It was still alive so Jimmy put it in a planter and brought it in to show me. He wanted the $20.00 that I had offered for any gopher caught! I asked him what he was going to do with the gopher since it was still alive. He had to take it outside and hit it with a shovel...yuck!! It was the quickest and least painful way we could think of to kill it. I didn't watch! As much as I hate the gophers for digging up our yard it is hard to kill them. Much better if they would just walk into a trap or something where we don't have to do the dirty work.

Photos from Christy in Georgia...exciting baptisms!

Christy and her companion in front of the Atlanta Ga Temple She got to go through a session there last week. She was excited about that. She said it is a small temple but pretty.

We have been taking walks now and again on the Alameda Creek Trail. On this particular walk it got dark on us before we got home. Jimmy and Butters

Mike trying to get Butters to stand on a rock to get her picture taken. She wouldn't do it but Mike got his picture taken!