We're back!

A new year has begun, and I am going to make a new attempt at keeping up with our blog again!  :)

Here is a recap of 2017...

- Jimmy began a new job - not just any new job, but one that put an end to the 5.25 years commuting to Lafayette every day, and he is now working from home!  What a difference this has made in all of our lives, and in his energy level not having to be on the road an additional fifteen hours a week!  It has been such a blessing.  His new job is working for a Chilean company called Oxyion, which also has offices in Colombia, Mexico, and Spain, and he and one coworker are trying to get the North American business going.  He is no longer working on the fresh side of produce - Oxyion sells a technology similar to Ozone, but better - it treats the oxygen molecules in such a way that they latch on to dangerous bacteria such as listeria, salmonella, and e-coli, and renders them ineffective.  Pretty awesome technology, and it has applications for all sorts of things - fruit and veg, meat, floral, and much more.  We are excited to see him help grow this company as things get rolling.

- I am now an Independent Sales Consultant with Norwex, a Norwegian-based company that makes ah-mazing microfiber cleaning cloths, among many other things, that clean using just water.  I was loving these products so much, and found myself getting really excited when I shared about how well they work (yes, I was very excited about cleaning products - you really have to see them in action to understand!)  This opportunity came just as Jimmy was starting his new job, so in addition to some extra money for our family, this has been a fun chance to get out and meet lots of new people, and share about something that can help people save money and live healthier lives!   Here are a few short videos in case you're wondering what all the hype is about:

Raw Chicken Demo: https://youtu.be/9o_ngPZmUpg
Disinfecting wipes vs Norwex Envirocloth: https://youtu.be/Adk9LRdneRE
What's so special about this microfiber?: https://youtu.be/2FdxJwbTQu8

- Caleb and Landon went to the snow for their first time last January.  It was a beautiful sunny day with fresh powder.  They loved it!

 

- Caleb lost his first tooth (middle of 1st grade!)

- Jimmy came and took my class at Jazzercise!  It was hilarious how it all worked out - he was home from work that day for some reason, and Landon kept saying, Daddy are you coming to mommy's class today?  I had not suggested it or put him up to it at all, but he asked two or three times, and so Jimmy did.  I was excited, and proud of him for giving it a try!

- Papa Jack was honored for all his work to Save the Grape Bowl with a lovely dinner at Hutchins Street Square

 

- Caleb and his 1st Grade class performed songs and dances after learning all about Penguins

  

- During Spring Break we took a road trip and hit Monterey, Santa Cruz and the Mystery Spot, and Arroyo Grande, where the boys got their first chance at learning to swing their golf clubs

     

  

 

Homemade hovercraft adventures at the WOW Science Museum

 

- Landon played t-ball with Jimmy coaching and me as 'team mom' (a role that also morphed into assistant coach and dugout manager keeping all the four and five year olds from climbing the fence and playing with the bats and helmets.  Caleb played his first year of Minor B, which is machine pitch.  Both boys did great, and we are looking forward to them both playing on the same Minor B team together this year in Morada.

 

Yes, its THE Oscar Mayer Weinermobile!  Someone had a connection with the driver and they made a special stop so the boys and their cousins

- After baseball season, we signed the boys up for a summer golf session with the First Tee of San Joaquin.  It was great for teaching them some golf basics on Saturday mornings, and I think although they probably enjoyed it more than they'll admit, they aren't exactly jumping to do it again.  Still a good way to introduce them to a new sport and learn some useful life skills along the way.

 

- We learned all about recycling at the Recycling Center where my Uncle Jack works in Galt.  It was a very interesting tour!

- Captain Underpants is all the rage this summer, and Landon is all about it

- Caleb turned 7!  He wanted to go somewhere nice where he could 'dress up' - we took him to Pietros.  His original plan was to wear his dress shirt and tie but he took it down a notch when it came time.  He still very much loves dressing nice and having his hair combed perfectly most days. He likes riding his bike on the ramps at skate parks, and he is demonstrating to us more every day how much like his daddy he is.

  

- We spent a week at a beach house in Newport with my mom and dad and hanging out with David and Joey and their families.  Boys learned to boogie board, we did a day at Disneyland, and had lots of fun playtime on the beach with cousins, and did a Soul Cycle spin class together (Jenny's first!)

   

 

  

- At the end of July the boys started Kindergarten and 2nd Grade.  

  

- Landon lost his first tooth at a 49ers game.  It may still be somewhere inside of Levi Stadium.

 

More 49er game fun with Papa and daddy

...Meanwhile mom and I had a girls lunch at Wine and Roses, where we ran into 

Papa Jack and Nana Dee!

- Jimmy and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary!  We went to Palm Dessert for the weekend and even met the resort falcon.

Landon has some monkey-like climbing skills...

 

Guinea Pig sitting for Pancake during Fall Break, a wedding, and boy fun with old tires 

 

- The boys got to ride an ATV for the first time at the ranch of some of Jimmy's AGO friends.  They went exploring and found a cow skull and bones.  Caleb ran the little Jack Russells around the dirt yard, and Landon caught and played with frogs, one of which he named 'Jumpy'.

  

 

Fog Willow Farms field trip with Landon's class

 

- Landon turned 6!  He is in Kindergarten now, and reading like a champ.  He likes to read some of the Captain Underpants books, is amazing at sounding out long dinosaur names, and loves playing with his friends at school.

  

 

- We had fun spending time with all the Fiori cousins this month, between their separate visits.  The boys had so much fun making memories with them.

   

- Christmas Party fun and Vinewood's Pancakes with Santa

 

 

And of course family time!

 

 

 

 

  

- The boys left an array of artwork for Santa this year, which Santa loved!  

- These are the ONLY Legos they got for Christmas, thank goodness!  It was a cool Batman Penguin car that I knew they would actually play with and keep built.  Our Lego collection is huge, and the boys finally GOT IT when we re-configured their bedroom toy storage to accommodate our Lego collection - Caleb said "Wow mom you're right, we really don't need to buy more Legos for at least like a year!!"  THANK YOU CALEB!! Lol

- The boys are both currently without front teeth which is super cute!  Caleb lost his second front tooth just a couple of days after Christmas, along with Tess who lost both earlier in December.

 

-New Year's Eve!  Super fun evening, until I had to go home at 11:30 to treat Caleb's raging ear infection, poor guy! :(

 

Stay tuned... I'll be trying to keep with regular posts in 2018!