Trip to Seattle

Corey and I made a trip up to Seattle this weekend to officially meet our new nephew Zander Edward. We each worked a half day Friday and just barely made it to Seattle before rush hour traffic. We picked up some groceries to help make Friday and Valentine day dinner for the new family of three (five if you count the cats). Corey is truly enjoining being an uncle to Zander. I think the pictures speak for themselves. He even changed his first diaper, I couldn't resist a picture. Zander is a great baby still working out his sleep/eating schedule but getting better each day. We both enjoyed snuggling with him. Corey and I also got the chance to play with Kinsey's and Mike's Wii. I lost every single game except boxing. I am proud to say I kicked Corey's butt. I don't think we would ever get a Wii for ourselves but it is fun to play. We also sucked more people into the Settlers of Catan world. It is a board game our friends Reba and Damien got us hooked on. Now we ask everyone we know to play with us. Watch out you might be next. It was a very relaxing weekend. We won't see Zander until end of March where he will be 2 months and will most likely impress us all with what he can do.

Celebrating 7 years together!

You would think with working part-time this blog would be updated daily. Since the last post Corey and I celebrated our 7th anniversary together. We have been together for 7 years and married for almost 3 1/2years. As some of you know Corey and I meet at OSU living in the co-ops together. How we got together was a long trip in a snow storm back from the annual co-op Sunriver trip over Martin Lutheran King weekend. On returning to Corvallis I tried to give Corey money for gas but he refused. In return I made him an Emergency car kit. It had spicy Doritos (only food we had in the car), skittles, large snow scraper for car (he had a pocket size one) and maybe other things but can't remember. After I dropped it off Corey came over to Azalea house, I was in the kitchen hanging out. We started talking and before we knew it it was midnight I apologize for keeping him from saying hello to Audra (his friend at Azalea). But Corey said he came over to see me, he asked me out in the Azalea kitchen for Friday January 25th. And I guess they would say the rest is history. We spent our anniversary making fondue together for first time. We had steak in oil/butter sauce, cheese fondue with veggies and bread and a yummy chocolate caramel sauce for fruit and angel food cake. Finishing the night off looking back out relationship. I have a box Corey gave me filled with little mementos from our time together. During our pre-marriage counseling we were encouraged to talk about how we got together and favorite memories to help slow life down and remember the important things, love. Hope we all take the time out to remind our loved ones just how special they are to us. I know I don't do it as much as I would like. Happy Belated Valentines day everyone!

Aunt and Uncle Again!

Today at 4:40pm we became an aunt and uncle again to Corey's sisters new baby boy Zander Edward Frick. He weighed in at 9lbs and was 20.5 inches long. We can't wait to see pictures and hold him. Congrats to the new parents Kinsey and Mike and enjoy your new love.

Farewell to Margo

Sad news on the cat front our families beloved cat Margo passed away last night. Here is the email my mother sent out about her.


As many of you know about 6 months ago we took over being the parents of Kit Kat (Margo), after Carol & Corey where forced to give her up as Mel wanted to remain an only child. We found her to be a sweet and loving cat, that both Ted and I have grown to care for these past few months.


Unfortunately it turned out that she had contracted the Feline Infectious Peritonitis Virus, which is a mutation of the corona virus, which many cats get (it is shed in feces and passed on to other cats, especially when there are many cats coming together such as in a shelter) The majority of the cats in the world come into contact with the cornona virus, and usually they fight it off or just become carriers of the corona virus with no side affects. Only 1 in 5,000 cats end up having the corona virus mutant into FIP. It appears from study that those cats that do get it may have a weaken system or a genetic trait for the mutation (just like certain humans get certain cancers and others do not). Since Mel is a strong healthy cat he like the majority of the cats in the world -probably will not get this disease.


There are two types, with Kat Kat it appears getting the dry type. With dry FIP cats show ocular or neurological signs- we did not realize that the large pupils that she displaced, the running eyes and the sneezes that she had for a short time(about three months ago ) was the advent of the disease. It was only on Monday that she started displaying the neurological signs, and started having trouble walking. I took her to the vet yesterday, and he told me that she either had just pulled the muscle in her legs, and was perhaps showing signs of a genetic defect(her rear legs were always a little strange) or she could have this FIP. (Which she could have gotten at birth or anytime during the three times she was in a shelter and for some reason -probably because just as some humans get cancer and others do not it flared into the FIP). There is nothing one can do for the FIP, but hope that the pet does not have pain. I got some pain pills and bought her home. She had a little special food and I laid her on a blanket on the bed- where she has been sleeping between Ted and I. I went to start dinner and when I came back into the room a short time later- she was all stretched out- I realized that she had passed away.


Corey, Carol and I will be burying her in the back yard. And we will remember Kit Kat (Margo/Brinta- she had several past names) with love.

In other news

In other news next Friday will be my first day volunteering with the Oregon Environmental Council. One of the things I hoped to do by going part-time was gaining first hand experience in environmental health. Over the past year I have found that environmental health is the direction I want my career to go in. I applied for a handful of jobs in the area but with no direct environmental experience and the job market being so competitive I didn't stand a chance. Best way to get my hands dirty in environmental health is to volunteer. I will start with 4hrs a week and add time if needed or desired. The Oregon Environmental Council has three main focuses, stop global warming, healthy kids, and clean water. I will be working on the healthy kids campaign that wishes to make the environment safer for kids. They work with childcare, schools, parents, health professionals and the legislators to bring about change. I am nervous, I don't want to disappoint them and I want to be useful. I am excited to be involved with OEC they have been around for 40 years. If you would like to learn more about OEC and what they do please visit www.oeconlie.org

Congratulations Corey!

If you remember three months ago in October Corey was studying hard for his Professional Engineer exam. It was an 8hr test that only 60% of 1st timers past. He got his letter in the mail yesterday and it came with his PE card. He is now officially a professional engineer and is able to sign off on blue prints. I am so proud of him and think it is a true test of how talented and dedicated he is. Congrats Corey!!!!

Melvin the Meany Head

Today I caught part of an educational program on house cats on OBP and Melvin had a melt down. I think he thought we were bringing in another cat for him. He jumped off my lap when he heard the tv cats crying and got up close to the tv. When the cat went off the screen he looked under the tv stand and around the corner. Even after the show was over he was still glued to the tv waiting for the cat to come back. The program mentioned that cats are territorial but I think we already knew that. The score at our house is other animals 0 and Melvin 2, poor Blake (greyhound) and Margo (cat my parents took).