A visit from Great Aunts Kathy and Bonnie
I’ve been staying at my daughters again watching my grandson LJ while his mommy and daddy are working and I’m not pet sitting. It’s been so much fun spending time with my sweet little boy.
We’ve had fun bundling up and taking walks around the neighborhood.
He loves looking at himself in his “Jungle Gym” now that he can sit up like a big boy!
He turned 6 months old this week and had his picture taken with Steve the bear.
He LOVES playing his piano (he’s so talented) 
He’s really starting to enjoy tummy time. It won’t be long until he’s crawling all over the place.
He had his first carrots this week and couldn’t eat them fast enough. Mommy is making his baby food with organic vegetables. I’m so proud of her for taking the time to start LJ out with such good food in such busy times.
Ava and Jackson keep a close eye on things while laying by the fire.
And this week-end we had a really special treat. Great Aunts Kathy and Bonnie came to visit.
They oohed and aahed over him all day and he loved to listen to all of us visiting. He gave them lots of smiles and talked back in his sweet little baby voice. It was such a great week-end. It’s alway so nice to see my sisters. It seems like I’m in Wenatchee less and less so I cherish the times we have together.
My time here is quickly coming to an end and I’ll be back to pet sitting so I’m enjoying every day I get to share with my daughter, her husband and their sweet little boy.
Stella & Ringo
Stella & Ringo
I got back to the west side of the mountains just before Stevens pass closed. I’ve been pretty lucky getting back and forth between Wenatchee and the Seattle area. We’ve had some heavy storms and then with the weather warming up, the avalanches and the passes closing. There are still tall walls of snow along the highway but other than rain and some mixed snow and rain on the top it was smooth sailing.
Anyway, I’m now in Bothell watching energetic miss Stella and handsome Ringo. It’s been a year since I’ve been here. Stella was just a little puppy then and now she’s turned into a beautiful young lady. Ringo is such a sweet old soul and gentle as ever. It’s good to see them again!
Back in Wenatchee
Wow, it seems like it’s been a long time since I’ve been in Wenatchee. I’m here pet sitting three adorable and lovable dogs.
Daisy, Bentley & Bella
Besides enjoying walking around Birch Mountain with the pups, I’m able to spend some much needed time with my family and friends before heading back over the pass to the west side again.
Las Vegas!!!
After our wonderful week in Mexico it was time to head to Las Vegas to complete Susie’s 12 day 60th Birthday celebration. As a gift to ourselves, Susie & I decided to fly first class, a first for both of us! It was a wonderful experience!
Susie was so generous. She paid for our entire trip to Las Vegas. We stayed at the Paris,
We went to Cirque du soleil and Menapause.
We sat on the terrace of the Paris and had dinner while watching the beautiful fountains of the Bellagio.
We had a wonderful champagne breakfast at the Rio
And then headed down to Fremont
Wild and crazy girls heading for Fremont
And Susie ran into a girl celebrating her 21st birthday!
This was the ending of a perfect celebration! We were all totally exhausted by the time we went home. After all, we’re not as young as we used to be but I think we still know how to have one heck of a birthday bash!
How Pet Insurance Can Save You Money
Here is a guest post written by my daughter, Heather Kalinowski. As the mom of a five-month-old baby boy and two dogs, she is always looking for ways to be thrifty. She works for Trupanion pet insurance and truly believes in the benefits – both financial and emotional – a pet insurance policy can provide.
In today’s economy everyone is looking for ways to save money. For pet owners, saving money requires evaluating even more things, including pet food, grooming costs, boarding or pet sitting expenses, and veterinary care.
Unfortunately, for many pet owners, veterinary care is the biggest thing that digs into the family budget. While expected expenses such as yearly exams, vaccinations, monthly flea medications, and dental care can be easily factored into the budget, the unexpected expenses like major injuries and illnesses can cause a huge amount of financial strain and can lead to heart-breaking decisions.
Pet insurance is one way pet owners can help protect their finances in these difficult situations. When a major medical condition develops in their pet, pet owners with insurance can easily and immediately opt for the best medical treatment available without worry of cost.
When you are trying to be thrifty, it can seem counter-intuitive to pay an insurance company a premium every month on the chance that it will pay off in the end. However, pet owners who cherish their pets as part of the family and who may not be independently wealthy need the financial reassurance that if something catastrophic does happen with their pet, they will be covered.
It makes a lot of sense when you consider how veterinary treatment has advanced in recent years and the increase in expense that comes with those advances. Medical conditions that were once thought to be fatal in pets like cancer and diabetes are now curable with veterinary care that rivals that available to humans.
But if you don’t have the funds to pay for these advanced services, you only have two choices – max out as many credit cards as possible, plunging yourself into debt, or make the heart-wrenching decision to leave your pet untreated. With pet insurance, you don’t have to worry about making this decision – you are financially covered and in the end, you end up saving up to thousands of dollars.
Zihuatanejo, Mexico!!!
I am lucky enough to be able to go to this wonderful little town of Zihuatanejo again this year. My good friend and traveling partner Susie has joined me to meet up with my sister Bonnie and her husband Gary along with some other good friends. This year Susie turns 60 so this is her Suzapalooza. A week and a half of celebrating and having fun up until her birthday on the 6th of February when we will be returning to Seattle.
Let the celebration begin!
We are once again staying at La Cas Que Ve Del Mar. A beautiful complex on the hill up from La Ropa beach.
View from our room
Our favorite thing to do while we’re here is to head to La Ropa beach in the morning and spend the entire day at a friendly restaurant called Elviras. We spend the day laying on lounges, walking along the beach and playing in the water.
A walk along the beach
The water's perfect!
Another beautiful day!
Enjoying the sun
Cervesa on ice, muy bien!
In the evenings we usually head out to one the the great restaurants for dinner.
On our way to catch the bus to Bandidos for drinks, dinner & dancing
We had dinner at El Suspiro’s one night. It has great food and a wonderful view of Zihuatanejo and La Ropa beach.
Dinner at El Suspiro's
Enjoying the beautiful sunset from El Suspiro restaurant
View from El Suspiro
We spent one day in Ixtapa. What a contrast from the little fishing town of Zihuatanejo. Ixtapa is a big tourist town with huge all inclusive resorts with hundreds of people crowded around the pools. We had lunch at one of these resorts called Barcelo’s while overlooking the white sand beach.
Lunch at Barcelo resort in Ixtapa
And of course our trip would not be complete without going to the Sunset bar at least once during our stay.
Three Amigas on the way to the Sunset Bar
View of La Ropa beach looking down from the Sunset Bar
Our time here in paradise has almost come to an end. It’s just never long enough. The good news is that the next stop is Las Vegas where we will continue celebrating Susies birthday!
Petsitting on Lake Chelan
Not only do I have the pleasure of watching two animals that I love; Halle a fun standard poodle who loves playing in the snow, having her ears rubbed and snuggling with me in bed
and Jack a big cuddly cat who adores laying next to me to make sure he gets lots and lots of loving
but I get to do this on beautiful Lake Chelan where the sunrises have been spectacular!
I’ll be leaving for Mexico next Friday and I’m SO looking forward to the sun and warmth, but if there’s any place I’d rather be until then, it’s here watching the snow fall and enjoying these precious animals!
Babysitting my sweet little Grandson
Since I had a few days here and there between pet-sitting I get to watch my grandson LJ on my free days. We’ve been having so much fun! He likes playing with his toys now and is getting so strong.
He’s trying to go after his toys. I’m sure it won’t be long before he’ll be crawling.
His favorite toys are his “Jungle Gym” and his little Fish Merry Go round. He’s sitting in his little chair playing with both here.
He’s such a big boy! I’m not sure I can stand this much fun! I’m such a lucky, lucky Grandma!
New Years Eve 2011
I spent New Year’s Eve with Luna and Reilly again this year. It’s becoming a tradition. This is my third year that I’ve come down to Portland to ring in the New Year with these sweet little Iggy’s. It’s a tradition that I like a lot. I guess I’m past needing to ring in the New Year out partying and celebrating. I’ve had lots of those years. These days I enjoy reflecting on the years past and looking forward to what’s ahead. There are many New Years Eve’s that I will never forget, here are just a few.
When I was a young adult, several friends and family would gather up the kids and head to a place we called “the flats”. It was a big field close to our house that had the perfect sledding hill. Someone would build a huge bonfire and we would all go sledding, roasting hot dogs and marshmallows, drinking hot chocolate and giving rides on the four-wheelers until wee hours of the night. What fun!
I will never forget the last time my dad “rang the bell” as the clock struck 12. Dad had gone back to Minnesota years before and got the bell from his old school house. He put it on the roof of his shop and every year we would all go out so he could literally ring in the New Year. Dad had Alzheimer’s at the end so that last year was really special. My son Ben now has the bell. I know he remembers his Grandpa ringing that bell and hopefully he will give it a ring every now and then.
And how can I forget the year my daughter Heather and I went to New York City to welcome the New Year in Times Square. Wow, was that an experience I’ll never forget! We were corralled in the fenced in areas for hours with thousands of other people from all over the world waiting for the ball to drop. It was an experience of a lifetime!
It’s nice to look back on all the years that I’ve had with friends and family. And I’m looking forward to another wonderful year of adventure. Who knows what is in store for me in 2012. Bring it on!!!
Christmas 2011
I have to say that this Christmas has got to be labeled as one of my favorites, if not my very favorite in a long time! This year was shared with my entire family, all 28 of them!
For the first time in nine years my nephew and his family were here. After several years of living in California he transferred back to Washington State. We are SO happy to have them back so close!
My nephew Brad with L J
My daughter along with her husband and new son LJ joined us for the first time in several years. They were living on the East Coast for several years and although they had moved back to Washington State last Christmas they spent the holidays with Joe’s family. This year was L J’s first Christmas so needless to say I was ecstatic that we got to share it with him.
L J, Heather & Joe
L J with Grandma Willa
My cousin Bruce and wife Grace
L J meeting his new cousin Oliver
Happy mommy at "The Wok"
"Can't wait until I can eat that!"
Then off to my niece Christi’s house to celebrate Christmas Eve with snacks and a Chinese gift exchange. What a fun night!
Christi with her little doggie Bogey, my grandson Christian and Becca
Having fun with the gift exchange
Oh Christmas tree
The next morning Heather, Joe, L J, Heathers dad, pups Jackson and Ava and I opened Christmas gifts before heading over to my son’s house. Heather & Joe got me a photo book of Willapalooza, my 60th birthday bash! What a special gift!
You have your own gift Ava!
Oh a fun toy!
Jackson likes his toy!
This is also the first year in many that I’ve spent Christmas morning with both of my children. What a special time!
L J's excited to go to Uncle Ben and Aunt Wendys!
Me with my kids, grandkids and great grandson
I hope all of you had a Christmas that made you as happy as mine made me!
Merry Christmas to all of you!!!
