A Very Rainy Week

Hello All!  How was everyone's week!?  Ours was pretty boring. And very, very, very, VERY rainy!  I don't know about other places in the world but here in CT, it RAINS A TON!  Well, at least it did for the past 7 days.  Maybe even 8 days.  Today was the first time I saw the sun in what felt like ages.  It was rainy this morning but then after church it was gorgeous!  But yeah the past few days I seriously considered buying light box for Rich and I so that neither of us would develop seasonal depression.  There's also this kind of rain that I've never experienced before...it's like SUPER light....but is definitely a steady rain.  I'd call it "misting"...it feels like those really light misty sprinklers.

Although it was raining throughout the week, it is OK because....it gave me an excuse to make some DELICIOUS soups!  

Exibit A.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup.  My mom's recipe.  Which...as it turns out....isn't really a recipe.  My mom is an amazing cook and sometimes doesn't follow recipes and will just throw things together.  This is one of those!  The only thing that I actually followed the recipe for were the noodles - which actually are the BEST part!  They're homemade too...and they are SO CHEWY and yummy!!!!!!!  The rest of the soup was just chicken broth, some spices (lots of oregano), carrots, onions and green onions.  It was pretty delicious.  Rich even said it tasted just like my mom's!  

I also made some Bacon Cheeseburger Soup, which sounds funky...but it's actually delicious!  

This past week was my first week working full time.  It's basically a lot of what I've already been doing (set up interviews/calling nannies and families...etc....just admin stuff).  Believe it or not it has kept me very busy!  There's more to it than just that...but it's hard to put into words.  I actually hired a few people this week (as well as setting up interviews, I've been conducting them) who were really sweet!  I love meeting new people in a setting like that and some of these nannies (so I've been told) have been through some very crazy things and it's cool to see how they turn their lives around.  So if anyone is wondering how I feel about this job - I like my co-workers and I like the work I do, but it isn't teaching.  I have been so spoiled the past 4.5 years being a teacher...it really is the BEST job in the world, though it's hard work.  But...the pay at this job will be really nice and a huge blessing.  They have also been very sweet about Bilbo - I get to take an hour break every day to go home and take care of him and let him get a little exercise.

Speaking of Bilbo - we had a lot of fun with him this week!  One day after work, Rich and I took him to Cranbury Park (our favorite local dog park), there were several other dogs there playing (the rain had stopped after all day so lots of people took their dogs there to get out some wiggles before the sun went down).  Bilbo made a friend.

Or maybe an enemy.  Frenemies!  

The other dog was running around, showing off that beautiful stick to all the other dogs.  So naturally Biblo was envious.  They fought over and played with that stick for probably a good 10 minutes.  Bilbo LOVES sticks!!  They are like treasure to him.  Few things...nay, nothing is more fun to that dog than playing with other dogs and when a stick is involved...I'm sure he was in heaven.

We also did a little "fishing" with him on Saturday.  I say "fishing" with quotations because...we have yet to see any fish here in CT.  We saw a HUGE coy fish in the pond at Merwin Meadows, but that's not a real fish.  At least one that you can actually fish.  But we'd seen some other fishermen and so we thought...maybe there IS fish.

There's my 2 favorite boys!

Rich didn't have much luck catching fish....because I really don't think there are any.  But..Bilbo did!  I was pretending to toss his ball into the water and he jumped in, swam around frantically and then came back WITH a ball!  So we went fishing with 1 ball and came home with 2.  Smart dog.  He's a fisher of balls. (also...isn't he just such a HANDSOME BOY!?!?!)

A month a go or so I was given a "nanny bag" from College Nannies and Tutors after I completed orientation for being a nanny.  Typically the nannies will go into homes with the nanny bags, which have little toys and crafts in them.  There's these fun punch balls in them that are very hard to blow up, but make fun toys once they are blown up.  I remember playing with them when I was a kid and I thought they were so fun!  Turns out they aren't just for kids.

Shortly after this video...he deflated the punch ball.  #ruffandtumblepup

I took this picture of behind our apartment building.  You can see our cute little UT plated Honda Fit.

This is from behind.  The front of the building is white, but the back has that cute red brick.  This is right before we went "fishing" so you can see our camp chairs up against the car.  The apartment room that we are parked next to...pretty much that bottom floor before the entry door is being -remodeled-  It's been SUPER NOISY there the past few weeks.  The people who lived there before were really weird and were smoking constantly.  Apparently they'd lived there for a LONG time and now that they are moved out they are TOTALLY GUTTING it.  They've even removed and installed new flooring.  It's been very loud and annoying at times.

This week we booked our hotel for the Poconos for our anniversary.  We're going to stay at a place called Cove Haven or something....turns out they have awful reviews (stuck in the 80s...weird smell and everything!).  So now we're going to stay at a place called Mountain Top Lodge....and we're pretty much living for the fact that we're going there next month.  The weeks go by fast out here...but sometimes the days go SLOW.  Anyways...

Pfffff.....(long sigh).....that was our week.  It wasn't too exciting.  Bilbo is our lives pretty much and he is the center of our world.  Here's to a great week for everyone!! ;)