Visitors

With all of the hulla-balu about Simon, we haven't written about the great visitors we have been hosting the last couple weeks.

The weekend after our trip to Seattle, Emily came to visit! It was so fun to have her out here a second time. Mainly we sat around, drank too much and had a fun time catching up. We were able to celebrate our anniversary with her at the local rock climbing gym. Emily also got to be there when we met Simon for the first time!

Here's us enjoying a pancake breakfast by candlelight.
One night, we played Scrabble. But we changed the rules a bit -- all the words had to be poorly spelled slang (i.e. "boyz"), proper names or sounds. We ended up with a lot of sentences that had to read by the player in order to be properly understood. Just so you know, this was the most enjoyable game of Scrabble EVER.

Okay, I'll help you out a little...

• GY = Gee, why?
• CDEMPOPO = See dem po-po (See the police)
• RRRELY = Reeeeealy
• CUNDAR = See you in there

Last weekend, Mom Thompson came out for a quick over-night stay. She got to meet Simon (yeah, everything is going to be related to the dog) and go on a long walk along the Wissahickon with us. While Joshua was at work on Monday, we got a mani-pedi, drove around in a convertible Mini Cooper and visited Bridgette and Baby Flickr Francis, who is getting big and even cuter! It was nice Mom set aside some time to visit with us.

This upcoming weekend we will host Heather, who just returned from a chunk of time in Thailand where we studied abroad together. Should be fun!

Simon

Simon is doing super well. He is such a great dog -- so happy and loving. We keep remarking to one another about how trainable he seems and what an amazing job his foster folks did with him.

Photo: Foster folks = Heather, Jason and their huge fenced backyard (Sorry to adopt you and take you away from that awesome situation, Simon!)

It's make such a big difference that he already knows some basic commands and really wants to please. Already he is getting the idea of heeling while walking on the leash and he always sits before food or treats (even when we forget to ask him). We have even been jogging with him and he seems like he will keep a perfect pace for running in the city!

Both Saturday and Sunday we were able to take him to the Wissahickon for a few hours of hiking and swimming. Needless to say, he loved it! He especially loved swimming, so we got him a harness that allows him to swim with more freedom. It was great to watch his joy. And the four hours of outdoor time each day really had him tuckered out in the evening.



Video: A taste of the first day of swimming when he was on a short(ish) least and spent most of the time hopping in circles around Joshua. It was pretty funny stuff.

Shanti and Simon are getting along well. Two days with her in the basement (the cat door is a blessing) before she decided to reclaim her house. She would stand her ground (where ever Joshua and I were hanging out) and hiss at him if he came too close. He was happy to respect her space, if not give her a wide berth. But now, just five days into it, they are hanging out a little. Right now, they are both taking naps in the living room where I am sitting. Too cute although I'm sure it is going to be a constant process.
Yesterday morning we took them both to the vet who said that they are in good shape. Shanti has doubled in size since we got her (6 lbs -> 12lbs!) but the vet said that it is an okay weight for an indoor cat. Simon came in around 41 lbs. He should fill in a bit more with some muscle but not much more height.

One funny thing: Everyone keeps telling us what type of dog Simon is. From herding to snow, retrievers to terriers, shepherds to labs, rots to pits... we have already heard every type of dog possible. He seems to be a true mutt! That's just fine with us, but we cannot stop laughing about how everyone is so sure of their own genealogical reading of him. The vet took a few stabs at naming his ancestry, but then admitted that he just seemed like a nice dog and that is all that matters.

Expanding the Family

Happy Second Anniversary to Us!

It's neat to think of the progression of our relationship as follows:
9 months of dating

Photo: At Alki Beach in Seattle after a long walk and one month of dating.
9 months of engagement The story behind the photo: The morning Joshua proposed, he came over to The Pink Palace, where I was living, very early in the morning. While I was just starting to wake up, he told me that he had made me a shirt to wear. It said Mrs. Fantastic to match his much-loved Mr. Fantastic shirt. He asked if I would wear this shirt for the rest of my life. I responded something like, "AWESOME." To which, he explained that he was proposing. Then took some silly photos and started our day full of all the activities Joshua had planned for us/all of my favorite things: parades, a soccer match with friends, good food, seeing family, dancing and being with Joshua! It was, in fact, awesome.
9 months of marriage (before we purchased a house)
Photo: At a Philly park after one month of marriage.
One year of home ownership (so far)
Photo: Mid-rehab of our house.
And now after 9 months of begging....
We have a dog!!! Simon is a medium-sized, energetic, 8-month, lab retriever/terrier mix. He was found on the streets of Camden and has been staying with a wonderful family who fosters pound pups. We couldn't be more excited to add another member to the family! (We are hopeful that Shanti feels the same way!) I'm sure lots of photos and stories of Simon will be coming in the future of this blog.

Summer Vacation: Seattle!

This past week, we have been enjoying the wonderful family, friends and weather of Seattle. We arrived Saturday night and then our week was as follows:

Sunday - Mass and brunch with the Fujimotos and ... the Cavaliers! Amanda and Lou, New Jersey folks, were on their way to an Alaskan cruise and we were fortunate enough to meet up with them. Mental note: Visit friends who live on the east coast.

Monday - Amy, Hayden, Joshua and I drive to Leavenworth and see Jenelle, my former boss and owner of Mapel Boutique, and set up camp at the Johnny Creek Campground next to the river. It was so nice to see Jenelle -- even though just for a short "hello" visit -- and to see how awesome her store is!

Tuesday - Rock climbing along Icicle Creek. While Joshua and Amy were doing a route, Hayden and I played bulldozers in the dirt and then beauty salon. Hayden's final look was stunning.

Wednesday - Hiking around Leavenworth and then driving back to Seattle. Gosh, what a beautiful place!

Thursday - While Joshua had groomsmen duty (golfing, bbqing, baseball-watching, drinking), Amy, Hayden and I went to the Seattle Sculpture Garden. With a great view of the sound and some neat pieces, it made for a fun day!

That night I got to play soccer and go out to eat with the PuddleJumpers. I miss playing with that team so much. What a great group of folks.

Friday - Sailing on Lake Union with Scott, Joshua, Amy and Hayden and then the wedding rehearsal and dinner.

Saturday - Patrick and Ann's wedding = Fun!

Sunday - Big pancake breakfast at the Fujimotos followed by a walk around Fremont, Dad Watson's and a nap along the canal/in front of Google. Joshua and I got on our plane going back to Philly around 8pm and didn't get into Philly around 10am due to flight delays. Joshua went straight to work because today was the first day of work for a new employee at CCOP.

Overall, a super fun week. Best vacation ever!