Firefighter of the Year

Jason was chosen to be Dixon Fire Department's Firefighter of the Year. The award was bestowed upon him at a dinner at Dixon Fire last week. This week there was another dinner for all of Solano County's Firefighters of the year. He received a plaque from Dixon Fire, a trophy from Solano County, and several certificates of recognition from the California State Assembly, the California State Senate, the County of Solano, and the United States House of Representatives. It was very cool. I am very proud of my husband.

Jason accepting the award at the Dixon Fire Department's Awards Night.

At the Solano County Dinner in Fairfield.

Winter Break

I pretty much shut down during the Winter Break. I did nothing related to school (until this weekend). I spent time with the kids and became a computer and video game addict. My latest "drug of choice" has been Animal Crossing, City Folk on the Wii. I also managed to get Jacob and Mark addicted.

I went to a couple movies, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Bedtime Stories. Both were great movies. I wanted to see Marley and Me, but never got back to the movie theater.

The boys, Jason, my parents and myself spent a day in San Francisco. We met Mark and Ari there and Mark showed us the "Full House" house. You know the row of Victorians during the opening credits.

Ari, Mark, and Jacob

To keep a promise to Jacob, we headed over the Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum near Fisherman's Wharf. It was interesting, but not really my cup of tea. Definitely interesting to a 12 year old boy, however.

My Mom and Jacob

We headed over to one of my favorite restaurants The Cliff House for lunch. The food is great and there is such history surrounding the site. I always have a crab sandwich called the Ben Butler Sandwich. Then we wandered around taking in the view. I would have loved to have been there years ago when the amusement park was just down the road.

Jason and I in front of the Cliff House.

Jacob checking out the pelicans on the rocks.

My Parents near the Camera Obscura (picture by Jacob)

After lunch we went down the road (Highway 1) to Golden Gate Park. I had been dying to go to the Academy of Sciences that just reopened in September. It holds the Steinhart Aquarium, a Rain Forest Biosphere, and Planetarium. We missed the Planetarium show but we really didn't have time since there was so much else to see. It was really an all day trip squeezed into half a day. I need to go back this summer!

Jacob checking out the T-rex skeleton

Mark and Ari checking out the starfish at the tide pool.

Jacob in the Rain Forest exhibit.

Nana and Popie check out the roof of the California Academy of Sciences building.

The roof is a living roof...all 2.5 acres.

Well, that is about it! I will keep you posted and share how school is going!

Cards for the Troops

Take a few minutes and say thank you to the men and women who are putting their lives on the line for our freedom.

Another year has passed...

I am 41 today. This year has gone so fast. I have almost finished my first year of nursing school. Jason has done a wonderful job of keeping the house together while I study my heart out. Mark is completing his first semester of college. I have discovered that I will be a grandmother by the summer. Amanda and Aaron are expecting. I worry that they are not ready, but ready or not....

I reflect on all of the things I want to get done but haven't. I still haven't lost weight. I still haven't done things around the house. We haven't taken those vacations. The yard is falling apart. I keep saying that I will work on these things when I am done with school, but then I think about all the things I have said in the past....after the kids get older, after this football season, after we make more money. Slowly, these chances are slipping away. The kids are growing up and away. My grandfather always told me "if not now, when?". He is always good for an appropriate saying!

So anyway, I guess that is my goal for the next year. What I can fit in between school work and the kids...I will make things happen!

Jacob's School Project

Jacob had to perform a community service project for one of his classes at school and document the progress. Jacob decided to collect recyclables and use the money to donate food to the local food closet for the holidays.

Bagging up the goods.

At the recycling center.

Money earned...

Mission Accomplished...

Fulla Bologna

Here is Jacob in his Halloween costume. I didn't have my camera due to leaving the house in a hurry for a family emergency. It soon resolved thank goodness, but all I have is my cell phone image. I still think it is worth a post though!

Notice to All Employees As of November 5, 2008, IF President Obama is officially elected into office, our company will instill a few new policies which are in keeping with his new,inspiring issues of change and fairness:
1. All salespeople will be pooling their sales commissions into a common pool that will be divided equally between all of you. This will serve to give those of you who are underachieving a fair shake.
2. All hourly employees will be pooling their wages, including overtime, into a common pool, dividing it equally amongst yourselves. This will help those who are too busy for overtime to reap the rewards from those who have more spare time and can work extra hours.
3. All top management will now be referred to as the government. We will not participate in this pooling experience because the law doesn't apply to us.
4. The government will give eloquent speeches to all employees every week, encouraging its workers to continue to work hard for the good of all.
5. The employees will be thrilled with these new policies because it's good to spread the wealth. Those of you who have underachieved will finally get an opportunity; those of you who have worked hard and had success will feel more patriotic.
6. The last few people who were hired should clean out their desks. Don't feel bad though, because President Obama will give you free healthcare, free handouts, free oil for heating your home, free food stamps, and he'll let you stay in your home for as long as you want even if you can't pay your mortgage. If you appeal directly to our democratic congress, you might even get a free flat screen TV and a coupon for free haircuts (shouldn't all Americans be entitled to nice looking hair?) !!!
If for any reason you are not happy with the new policies, you may want to rethink your vote on November 4th.