Spring in Pittsburgh

Winter has passed and Spring is here in Pittsburgh. It actually feels like summer, with temps in the mid-80s. The first third of 2009 has gone quite well for us. My intern year is nearly over, with just two months remaining. With each passing month in Pittsburgh, we find ourselves enjoying this city more and more. Ryan has one more week of his 2nd semester of teaching Intro to Illustrator, Graphic design for interior design majors, and screen printing. Things have gone well. We hope they'll offer him another contract for the fall.

Current highlights and recent happenings include:
Remodeling our bathroom from "band-aid" pink toilet and tub, hideous wall paper, and forgetable vanity to sleek, Euro-style with the help of IKEA fixtures, Ryan's color sense, and the handy-man help of our new friend, Bill Capcara.





Enjoying Sadie (14 mos, 57 pounds) and Mika (11 months, 30 pounds) - here are their "beauty" shots, taken while Ryan was taking an eBay picture.


Exploring Pittsburgh with Ryan's parents and celebrating our first Easter at our church, Jonah's Call. Ryan is enjoying playing with the worship band, and I like that it meets in the evenings, so I can make it most weeks. http://www.jonahscall.com/



Planning for our (garage) rooftop garden (the sunniest and safest place on our property) - this is the view from our upstairs window.

Mika Joins the Pack

We have a new pack member as of about two weeks ago. His name is Mika, and he is a true "Heinz 57" dog, as they say around here -- your guess is as good as ours as to what breeds he represents. He was abandoned at six weeks of age, and he is now 8 months old after spending a long time in a nice foster home.















He is getting along well with his big sister Sadie, and learning lots of obedience commands. He is not the social debutante that Sadie is, but once he gets to know you he will sit right on your lap and wait for some ear scratching. We like him!