So this is my dinner I made last night, and I thought it rocked! LOVED the butternut squash risotto! The kale chip left a bit of a bitter after taste, so I munched on those between bites of the other two things. All in all I was satisfied through the evening, and proud of myself for trying a new recipe!

I can't believe another year has come and gone!/ It truly escapes me how time can go by so quickly. My "baby" turned 18 on December 22, 2011 and it is a strange thing. He is an adult in many ways, but yet seems sooo young to me still. I remember being that age and thinking I knew it all. How wrong was I??! I'm still learning at the ripe age of 43. I'm trying fiercely to give him as much independence as I can, but man is it tough. I just want to hold on for dear life!

So with the new year comes new challenges, and I'm really determined to make this a great year all around. Wish me luck!!

Things always seem to be crazy around our house, as I'm positive for most people. One of the simple things to slow us down and gives us some humor are these two beautiful creatures. They have only been in ours lives a short time, but they are already family!!

Sully and Piper are Ragdoll kittens...Sully the orange flame and Piper is a sealpoint.

After losing our longtime cat Pepe (16 years), I really never believed I wanted another. As a couple months went by, we (I) realized it was very lonely without our little feline friend. So I went on the hunt for another. I had heard over the years about a breed called Ragamuffin and Ragdoll, but knew little. So with some research, I found they are a very people friendly breed.

The search began, and we went through a few months with finding one, losing one, finding two, and then losing them as well. I was heartbroken, but then met these two. We were skeptical, but soon they drove home with Shayna and I, and we haven't looked back. They each have a distinctive personality...and we love them just for that. They bring joy, laughter, and mischievousness into our every day. So today, I'm thankful for the furry four-leg friends in our family!