Wow - Lots Has Happened!

So, I don't even know where to fill everyone in at this point :-) The past few weeks have just been a total blur...

As most of you know, we are now in our home in Ahwatukee. It is absolutely beautiful and everything I could ever have imagined our home to be. Matt is letting me take the reins and decorating to my liking...but it has a ways to go. Melissa's bedroom linens have been bought, but the decals need to be taken down from around the ceiling. Her ceiling fan also needs to be hooked up with the lights we bought her. However, all-in-all, her room is pretty much done. Which is what I promised her, so I am glad that we were able to get it done before we headed back to Michigan. Tyler's room is still up in the air. He is not sure what he wants to do, but he thinks that he wants his room to be centered around the lizard we are buying him at Christmas time. Yes, I know...Tyler is only at his home in Arizona so often, who will be taking care of this pet, you might ask...well, me of course :-) I actually don't mind. I have always wanted a lizard if the truth be known. I think Matt likes the idea too! We have been shopping around for ideas and showing him pictures online...now, he just has to pick.

Mom was able to stay until three days before we headed back to Michigan. We are there for the last week before school gets back in (for the kids). She was so helpful in getting things where they needed to be, and getting the house at least livable until I can figure out where everything needs to go. I am actually glad that things worked out the way they did because I can organize our home the way it should be...organized, LOL. Matt had such a bachelor pad before we got married and I had still not gotten the opportunity to go through everything. This way, I can look through every box and pitch what I want pitched and organize things if they need to be kept. It is sort of cool getting to go through everything...some things I didn't even realize we had...others, I thought I had thrown away already (like my first wedding album, LOL, wow) Matt and I have had a good laugh...but we will also have a nice bon fire!

We were able to sight-see a little more before we left Arizona including the Phoenix Zoo and Goldfield Ghost Town. We were also able to hit one of the water parks and have the children make their own pizzas (with Miss Amanda's help)at Rock to celebrate our new home. I think the kids had a good time. Matt and I are looking forward to them coming back home in December to celebrate Christmas. It should be a great time (plus, we won't be spending time moving into a new home). We already have a little list of places we would like to take them since the weather will be much milder. I think they are looking forward to it also.

As I mentioned, we are back in Michigan until September 7th. The weather has been a little chilly, but we packed accordingly. We have had fun fishing, bike riding up to town to get hand dipped ice cream, playing board games and the kids even got the chance to attend a special children's night at Mom and Dad's church. We were able to see Melissa at soccer practice on Tuesday night and will take her tomorrow night as well. Matt and I were even able to see some friends last weekend when we flew in. It was so nice to catch up with everyone and hang out. This weekend will be fun-filled with all of their cousins coming in tomorrow (We are very excited...Turkey Shoot on Harsen's Island!!!) and a little get-together at a friends' house on Friday. We will also be heading to the farm on Friday during the day to see Uncle Marvin. I really miss him and would love for him to see the kids. He thoroughly enjoys our visits.

The children found out who their teachers will be this year, so they are very excited about that as well. They are very happy now it is official...their names are on class rosters in Troy. We are very happy too! It is nice to know that they will be going to school with some children (and parents) that we already know. Plus, the principal was with us at the end of last year through the move, so she is aware of the changes in the kids' lives.

I have started to updated the pictures, but am not completely there yet. It is still hard for me to load the pictures with a Sony camera and my new laptop with Windows Vista that isn't compatible...plus, Mom has taken a billion pictures too, so I need to go through those.

I love each and every one of you so much, and thank you so much for your encouragement and love through this big change in our lives. There were many days that I called on a few of you for some advice and encouragement...and your love and support overflowed. I couldn't ask for better friends and family. Matt and I will never forget how supportive you have all been through this difficult time. With amazing people like yourselves in our lives we know we shall never be alone.

With love always...Liv

Not Homeowners Yet / Trip to California

It has been a week since I last wrote, and only a few updates.

Last Friday the four of us travelled to California. We spent Saturday at Disneyland and California Adventures and Sunday in Huntington Beach. We had a really nice weekend family getaway. It was nice to relax and enjoy each other. With all the stress of moving and selling houses and buying houses, it was great to focus on nothing but the kids and having fun.

After spending time at Disneyworld in Florida, Disneyland was much less dramatic and much smaller, but definitely easier to navigate and a really good destination for a day trip. We were able to visit all the attractions that are similar to the ones we love at Disneyworld, and a few that are unique to California's park. We had a very packed day filled with lots of great memories!

We all took turns riding with each other on different rides and there was only one ride that Tyler wanted to do that Melissa did not. Matt and I took turns riding with Tyler while the other parent rode with Melissa on one of her favorite rides. Everyone was happy with everything they rode. Melissa and I have visited Cinderella's castle in Florida, and now we have visited Sleeping Beauty's castle in Califoria! It was very appropriate - she is our princess! :-)

Sunday, we all slept in and then drove over to Huntington Beach. Surf City USA!!!!! That is the coolest place! Matt and I had never been anywhere like that (and never to the Pacific Ocean), so it was nice that we could have that first experience with Tyler and Melissa. We all enjoyed ourselves. Matt and Tyler took their boogie boards and tried out the waves in the PO, LOL. Tyler did just as good as Daddy! :-) I was really proud of him. We also took a walk on the pier to check out the sights. There were lots of fishermen, lots of people selling things, and one really cute picky Seal! He would only eat shellfish!! Make sure you check out the pictures on the left. He was a funny little creature.

On the way home from California, we picked up Mom at the airport. We are very glad that she is here. She has already started to pack up most of our kitchen stuff...she is ready to help us move!!! We love her very much, and appreciate all her help. We hope she enjoys herself while she is here :-)

Melissa and Tyler were able to spend some time with their Nana Kathleen and Nolan on Wednesday and Thursday while they were here visiting from Oregon. The kids really enjoyed visiting with them and the rest of their family that lives here in Arizona. Come to find out, the kids have family all over the greater Pheonix area!! The kids were very excited to tell us all about their past two days that included visiting the Phoenix Science Museum and going tubing with some of their cousins. They had a really really good time. Melissa and Tyler are so blessed to have so many people that love them.

The update on the house is that we will not be closing tomorrow; hopefully Monday. There was additional information that was required late this afternoon which made it impossible to close on Friday. The tentative plan is we sign all the paperwork tomorrow and then we will take possession on Monday. We are praying. The walk-through was today, and that went well.

Since we are not closing this weekend, we will not be moving. Therefore, this weekend we have some special plans for the kids. We hope they will enjoy them. I am sure they will. You will have to stay tuned to learn what they are :-)

Love you all!! Good night!!!

The Kids Got Into Barnard!!!!

I just wanted to share this really cute picture tonight and inform everyone that the kids have been accepted into Troy. Isn't that wonderful?!?! After a few phone calls and emails, and an email from Matt's CFO to Warren Consolidated School District, Matt and the children's mother were able to successfully make it happen. The kids are very happy that they can be with their friends now. We celebrated this evening with Dairy Queen at the corner of our street. We ate indoors because even at 8:00 pm it was till 107!

The picture I included is after Carnival Day at LifeTime. Melissa had not even seen her face until we got into my car this afternoon. I think they did a really good job. She said her and another girl matched.

The kids are adjusting well. They are still very tired in the evening, but we expected that it would take some time adjusting to the time difference. We try not to push too much at them right now because we know they run all day at the center. Once Mom gets here on Sunday it will be more relaxed for them. They can spend the entire day at the pool if they would like.

Only two more days until Disney...we are very excited!!!!!

Living It Up In Paradise

Well, it has been a few days now, and we are all having a really good time. Matt and I still have to pinch ourselves to remind us that we are truly not dreaming...the kids are really here with us!

Before we headed back to the airport on Saturday, we made a surprise visit to the island. The entire Whipple grandkid clan was there! Isn't everyone getting big?

We were able to spend a few hours there before getting back into the car for the drive over to Detroit Metro. We made sure that we left in enough time to eat lunch, get snacks, and get settled over to our gate. They had things flipped around this time and had the Phoenix gate over at A10; we are usually at 75...needless to say we did a little walking (and a ride on the tram) to go and get lunch; the kids wanted Taco Bell.

Our plane

We landed in Arizona around 4 o'clock on Saturday, and the sun was shining; there was not a cloud in the sky! The three of us were quite happy to land. Me especially since I had been on a plane since 10:00 pm the prior evening. Matt was waiting in the cell phone lot for us when we got there. He was a sight for sore eyes!

Tyler (and Melissa too) had asked for spaghetti for their first dinner, so that is what we had accompanied with Texas toast and homemade chocolate pie for dessert. We asked "Miss Amanda" if she would like to join us and be our dinner guest. Of which she happily accepted :-) I was really glad that she got to meet the kids so soon.

After dinner, we invited "Mr. Murph" to come over and we all went swimming. It was a really fun evening. We called it an evening around 10 so that we could all get a good night's sleep (plus, technically, that was 1 am for the kids still mentally on Michigan time and that is way past their bedtimes).

Sunday, we packed lunches, water bottles, and our Camelbacks and headed to Sedona for the kids first hike with us (Tyler has done a hike with Nana Kathleen). The kids did spectacular. We were really proud of them. I was really bummed because we had forgotten my camera on the desk in the apartment, but at least I was able to get a disposable one (and the kids said they would probably like to go back :-) ) We did the 1.8 round trip hike to Devil's Bridge and back. It was absolutely beautiful.

Matt and the kids on the bridge

I was very pleased with the fact that the kids were just as mesmerized by how amazing the view was as we were. We were glad that the trip was as excited for them as we had hoped.

Monday, the kids were off to LifeTime Fitness for their week-long day camp. The kids seem to be enjoying themselves. Melissa is able to do most activities and where she can't, they let her draw...and she LOVES that alternative of course! The week is centered around carnivals, and from what we can gather there will be a little carnival on Friday. That should be entertaining for them.

Monday was also special in the fact that we took the kids over to the house in the evening. They were very excited to see their new rooms and bathroom. They said it was much better seeing it in person, than pictures. I have started to take Melissa bedroom shopping to pick out her new stuff. I am not sure what colors she is going to choose, but I am positive it will involve painting walls...of which Amanda and I can do in an afternoon with some gourmet pizza and some good red wine! :-)

The week is not even half over yet, and I am slightly tired. I definitely didn't catch up on my sleep from all the plane rides and the heat at work really wears me out. If it wasn't for the kids, I would fall asleep at 7 on the couch! My LiveWell program is going great; I feel stronger and stronger as each day goes by - I walked 14,000 steps today!!!! One 4 mile walk in the evening (with my average heart hate at 147, so that was an awesome walk) and then all the walking I do at work...it was a really good day for exercise!

Make sure you check out all the updated pictures. I have posted all the new ones!

Love everyone!! Goodnight!!!

Only a Few More Days Left!

So, the kids will be here in a few days, and Matt and I have been busy preparing. We are both very excited that we only have a few more days to wait!

Some quick updates:

House
So the closing date, we believe, has been changed. It was August 19th, but we believe it has now been moved up to the 12th. We won't truly know until we get closer to the date, but we are ready. We have already given the apartment management notice that we will be out by September 13th and Matt has already lined up the storage bin to provide us a few more days until we can get into the house. Now, we just have to coordinate getting everything out of the bin first and then the apartment since we have a month longer there. Through everything, Matt and I have truly shined as a team, and have proven to ourselves we can handle anything and push through the largest of obstacles. I look back at the things that were thrown at us as a newly married couple back in Michigan and while there were still moments (ohhhh there were moments, LOL), nothing really stacks up to a new state, a new job, a new house, and moving clear across the nation. I love Matt with all my heart; he is such a great partner.

Last week, Amanda and Murph accompanied me to view the home and get their impressions. Amanda and I agreed that the shower curtain in the kids' bathroom was just way too cute to not inquire about it. I asked Dave if he could discuss with Faye (the seller's agent) if I could have it, or even purchase it from them. She not only gave me the curtain but also gave me the rug that is in the bathroom also! Gotta love Dave!! I don't know exactly how he does it, but he does. In fact, he even got the agent to agree to clean the home before closing...outstanding!!! Now, I don't have to spend any time major cleaning the house before we can get in. We can just get the necessities in and then have fun :-)


Kids Visit
Matt and I can not even express how excited we are to have the kids here in Arizona. We have so much planned! We have spent hours researching and surfing the web to find the perfect little getaways and places to visit while they are here. The weather has been extremely hot, so most of it will revolve around water, LOL, but it should be fun. We have scheduled for the kids to be at LifeTime for the first week until Mom gets here, and then Mom will take over after that. After Melissa broke her arm, we were a little worried that we would have to change those plans, but the camp coordinator told us that a boy this week has a broken leg, and they just figured out alternative activities for him. We are also coordinating with the children's grandmother on their mother's side to spend some time with them while she is here visiting. It just so happens that most of them are from Globe. The children will really like that.

Speaking of Melissa's arm, we have finally found a doctor down here that will take her as a patient and that is part of her insurance network. Are we happy that is done! Phew!! I will admit, though, it will be quite interesting to see what her cast looks like when I pick her up on Saturday...maybe we won't even need to take her; maybe it will already have fallen off! LOL When we spoke to her on Sunday, her entire thumb area had already started to disintegrate. It is waterproof, but you can tell that it hasn't been dried properly when it does get wet, so it has started to fall apart. LMBO, sorry, it is so funny! We asked her about it on Sunday, and she just laughed. She is so cute. Gosh, I can't wait to see her. Amanda and I have some special girly things we are going to do with her that I think she will really like...just for her!

Tyler, wow, I don't even know where to begin! I miss him so much too!!! Every time I see him, he has grown a little older, has a lot more personality, and he reminds me so much more every day of his daddy. :-) I can't wait to show him all the boy stuff that Arizona has to offer. Everything around here centers around cowboys and Indians, crazy desert animals, and we are only 5 hours away from Disney!!! :-) Guess where we are headed the first full weekend they are here? We have already made our reservations and got our tickets. We are all set!


Work Outs and Health in General
My Living Well program is going great! I really like the fact that I am back tracking my progress and watching myself succeed every week. Since moving out to Arizona and becoming so physically active, it was an adjustment to eat and drink as much as required to stay healthy. It amazes me that the first few weeks that I was here I cringed when everyone told me I had to drink AT LEAST double if not triple what I was drinking in water. It made me nauseous. Now, I can't get enough. And I am not this little tiny shell anymore that yearns to be that size 2, but I am finding much more satisfaction in my size 6 biking shorts kicking the pants off my husband going up a hill now on foot or by bike (literally, I did this past weekend - we had to stop at the top of a hill because I thought I was going to have to call 911 for him). I am stronger (you should see my leg muscles!), more confident, and happier than I have ever been. I used to go on my hikes to clear my head...too much noise up there (in my head that is). Now, I go on my little adventures to think about ideas and things I want to do next. Hobbies I want to take up. Tiff - when you read this, I am buying the yoga cd's that you recommended this weekend. I have wanted to learn yoga for many years - what better time to start than now!

I believe that this move to Arizona was a turning point for me...in many ways. One major way was that I got away from the noise...completely worthless noise that got in the way of what was truly important to me and that robbed me of my happiness. I hope that each of you reading this have found your happiness or are searching for it...because it is out there.

With that thought, I am going to bed. It is 9:30 and waaaayyyy past my bed time. I love each and every one of you.

Goodnight.

Forced to Get in Shape

So, it just happens that all the Nissan employees received an email yesterday that we would all be required to participate in certain activities from now until the end of November if we want to obtain 100% of our monetary health savings incentives. What???? Seriously????

Well, we were all taken back by it, but after sitting down and looking over the web site last night and today, I am actually excited. Some people pay to get an online fitness or weight loss program like this. I got to work tonight and wrote down my menus for the next few days, headed to the grocery store, and got to work! The meals seem VERY good, easy, and VERY nutritious. The site also helps you track certain things if you are interested like BMI and activity level (miles, calories, etc), but with my new scale that tracks everything from body fat weight, body fat percent, body water and bone mass in addition to my Polar heart rate monitor that Matt bought me for Mother's Day, I really don't need to track anything. I will track my weight loss on the site, because it is automatic (I have to weigh in each week with the program I am doing), but that is about it.

Matt is now gone for the next few days golfing with the boys. I have taken advantage of his absence by getting the house ready for the kids and Mom. If all works out as planned, and we close on the 5th of August, the kids and Mom may only need to stay here in the apartment a couple of days. I am happy of that because of the space. I am very excited that only 15 more days and they will be here!!!!! I have already started a "calendar of activities" for the kids and it is filling in quickly...and actually, we will not be able to get through half of what I would like them to see and do because of the time, but I will make sure they see and do the most fun for now. Plus, Mom will be able to take them places during the day while she is here, so that is good. They can go and explore while we are at work :-)

No new house news :-( but I have been told at this point, no news is good news. We are still waiting on the appraisal, but Alissa didn't want to request that until we were positive that we were happy with the inspections...which we were. Hopefully, that will be done real soon.

Well, it is late, and 4 comes very quickly. Baxter and I have a walking date tomorrow before the sun comes up. It is only supposed to be 92 degrees at 4 am. Once the sun rises, it gets hot in a jiffy...and you can't walk him in that sort of heat, even with a water bottle.

Happy Friday everyone!!!

Recent News and Bad Fortune

I know this is majorly quick to be updating the blog...especially with my track record lately with remembering to do this, but I just had to send a quick update because I think this is so cute.

Melissa had some bad fortune come her way this past week. The poor thing broke her arm!!! She is going to be okay, and thankfully she got a waterproof cast, so she will be able to go in the pool and the shower while she is here (their week at LifeTime may be an issue, but we shall see). Her mother sent us a picture of the cookie bouquet we ordered and sent to cheer her up. Isn't the pic cute? Is anyone surprised her cast is orange? :-) She is such a doll! I am so excited for them to be down here. Only 20 more days!!!

The weekend has been great so far, but certainly not over. Matt and I did all of our chores on Friday night, so that we could have our "pool party" with Murph and Amanda. Saturday we had a very enjoyable day with them. We ended it at Rock Bottom because Amanda had to work.

Today, I have had to do some Nissan work to get myself caught up, and now I am headed to the pool for a while (you seriously can get a tan from about 30 minutes in the sun here). We have to wash the cars and then we Skype with the kids tonight before we head out to meet Murph's friend Kelly; she is in from Denver. I think we are going to Scottsdale, but not sure.

We have driven by the house about a dozen times this weekend, and the excitement is finally starting to build. It looks as though we are all set with the exception of the appraisal from our lender. Once that is done, we are on cruise control until August 5th.

If I hear anything more, I will let everyone know.

Oh, quick note - I am thinking about making my blog password protected because I have some people that are showing up on my tracker that I don't know or are coming up as unknown. I don't know which of you have a google account or not, but want to make sure that if you are a viewer you can still get to it. Mom and Dad Haight - I will walk you through setting up an account, it is easy. Mom Whipple - I believe you have an account because you view the kids' blogs, but am not certain, let me know if you don't and need help. I believe the rest of you have accounts. If not, let me know. I know some people think that blogs are silly, but it is a really great way to keep everyone up-to-date on what is going on, especially now that we are here in AZ. I call most of you on a regular basis, so if you don't want to be added, no big deal. It truly doesn't matter to me. :-)

Okay, Some Major Updates

So, we didn't get the house we originally placed an offer on...in fact, we have placed a total of 5 offers now and the 5th finally took :-) Well, we hope. We really like the house, and hope that all will fall into place so that we can be in by August. The inspections occurred today and the appraisal will be on Monday. They would like to close by August 5th, so if everything goes well, that may be our closing date.

We really lost our shirts in the Troy sale (actually, I think we were naked, LOL), but we thankfully got a really great deal on this home to made up for the earlier loss. Tyler and Melissa have HUGE bedrooms which was one of our priorities because their rooms were so small on Lakewood, and we got the Jack-and-Jill bathroom so that when they come and visit they have their very own bathroom. I think they will be happy. A few coats of paint and they will be their own.

Everything else is going really well. The job is finally smoothing out, and things are just becoming "all in a days work". I really enjoy the people I work with, and feel at home.

This weekend is going to focus on R&R. I need to catch up on my sleep. I also need to go to the gym since the weather is a little too hot to run outside (today it was 115). Amanda and Murph are coming over tomorrow and we are going to hang out by the pool. It should be a lot of fun! :-)

Hope everyone has a great weekend!!

Future Residents of Ahwatukee?

Well, it is official. We have placed an offer on a home. We are trying not to get our hopes up too much because it is a short sale, but we are excited to have placed our first offer.

The home is a ranch in the Ahwatukee Foothills. It isn't really big, but it isn't small either; it is just perfect. It has a beautiful kitchen with granite countertops and the entire home has Travertine floors. Melissa and Tyler's rooms are spacious; they will be able to fit all of their stuff and then some! It has the perfect size pool that the kids will love; even big enough for me to do smaller laps in the morning if I would like.

We are really happy that the kids were able to see some preliminary pictures of it on Sunday. I will be bringing my flash drive to Michigan on Thursday, so that I can show them the pictures in person.

It is the perfect home for our family. Now, it is just a wait and see game. The home is not lived in currently, so our Realtor is having some preliminary inspections done on the home. The pool guy is coming on Thursday and we are trying to line up the floor guy. The nice thing about a short sale is that we can back out at any time. And once the bank accepts our offer (which could be tomorrow...or it could be 5 months from now), we have 10 days from that point to back out. Therefore, this is pretty low risk. The only difficult thing right now is that all but one home in Ahwatukee in our price range is a conventional sale. They are all going through the banks. The one nice thing is that Matt and I are pre-approved, the money is there, and we are ready to go when the bank says, "Go!"

Pretty exciting! I will keep everyone posted...I could have good news soon, but definitely later! :-)

Found A Home...Well, Two Actually

This has been a really great weekend :-)

Saturday we celebrated the end of the boxes! Yes, the apartment is finally put together. The boxes are gone, the bed is made, and the laundry is done. I can finally sit down, relaxed, knowing we accomplished A LOT in the past week. We finished the night at Rock Bottom, of course! Father's Day dinner was celebrated with Amanda and Murph over a few great micro-brewed beers...and lots and lots of food!

Today was a milestone. We found two houses that we really like. The first one is AWESOME! It has Travertine tile throughout the entire house! I love it; Matt loves it. Now, we go to the next step. The lender will submit all the paperwork tomorrow, so that we can verify that we have been preapproved (most short-sale homes are like that I was told). Then, it is offer time. We are trying to stay realistic because it is a short-sale home, but we really can't help but be a little excited. Now, if this deal falls through, we do have the other home we saw today that we also really really liked. It is not a short sale home, and is priced to sell. So, either way, we know that we could be looking at being in a home very soon! We are SOOO excited about that!!!!! We showed the kids a few pictures today because we want them to be part of the decision. It just would not feel right saying to them, "This is the house we bought," without them having some foreknowledge. I should be able to give everyone an update tomorrow. :-)

In less than 5 days I will be in Michigan. It will be nice to have a vacation, and of course spend it with my two favorite kids! They seemed very excited that they would be up at the island with Grandma and Grandpa and the rest of their family. Mom told us tonight that Dad is putting the boat in the water tomorrow - awesome! It will be so nice to do a little fishing, have a few bonfires, and hold Melissa and Tyler for 10 days straight! I told Melissa today that I would go and buy her a new bathing suit to get her through the 4th at the island - I know the one she has been eyeing up at Target. After going through their clothes here in the apartment, we realized that we will need to buy them a few more things, LOL, okay, maybe more than a few things. They are just growing so quickly. I took Matt shopping today for Father's Day (and of course had to buy some tea at Teavana for myself), and we found a few t-shirts for Tyler, but he will need more. Melissa and I enjoy shopping together, so we didnt pick her up anything. I will take her the first week they are here, and she can buy what she wants. We will make a "Girls' Day" out of it...it will be so much fun!

Well, looking forward to a short week. Tiff, I went and bought The Undomestic Goddess today. I was going to buy the next book in the Shopoholic series (which would have been With Sister), but Matt said he thought I should try something different. I have already started it, and it makes me laugh. Same humor as the shop series, true Kinsella writing, but just a different story line; seems like it will be a great read - and perfect for my ten days at the island!

There is one thing I am really going to miss while in Michigan (well, besides my husband for the first few days before he gets there), and that is my new girlfriend Amanda. Amanda, I don't know if you have started to read my blog yet (We have only caught each other online with FB), but if you have, I want to say that I have really enjoyed the past few weeks of hanging out with you and Murph (well, mostly you - Matt can have Murph - oh, j/k, LOL). You are such a kindred spirit, and we have so much in common. When you asked me Saturday night if I was really leaving you for 10 days, that made me feel happy because I know we are really starting to become good friends. I am really going to miss you while I am gone. I swear, you are coming with me next time! You would love meeting all my best girlfriends back home. They would LOVE you! :-)

Okay, I must get some sleep. Hope everyone has a good week. If anything changes tomorrow (ie, an offer placed), I will let everyone know (most of you will get a phone call first, LOL)

Good night everyone! Love you!!

I Found The Teapot!

This has been a great week.

Last weekend, I travelled back to Michigan for Jen's baby shower and to spend some time with Mom, Dad and Uncle Marvin. Jen's shower was very nice and relaxing. It was great to see the girls. Sunday, Dad and I got up early and took the ride to Stockbridge. The drive was enjoyable and allowed Dad and I to catch up. We got to the farm late morning and spent the entire day with Uncle Marvin. The fields are filled with green and the air is crisp. I was so happy that Uncle Marvin was able to walk to the back of the property with me and back to the front. He even climbed up into one of the tractors and started it up! :-) I have some great pictures that I would LOVE to share with everyone. I will take them tomorrow after our hike and then post them later. I think you will get a kick out of some of them!!

Monday was moving day here for us in Arizona. Matt and I took personal days and coordinated the delivery to both the storage bin and the apartment. It was a VERY long day! The trucks did not leave until about 4:30 in the afternoon (and they started at 7:30). However, I must not complain because we have all of our stuff - even my teapot Mom! After going through a few of the boxes tonight, and being persistent, Matt found it for me. He has been such an amazing, supportive, friend through all of this. This has been a very hard week for me. Seeing my home get packed without me being there, having Mom go to the closing for us, and then watch our stuff be delivered here, was somewhat difficult; the closure had come. However, I think that the storm has past. Tonight has been fun. Matt and I have popped popcorn, watched all the Matrix movies (I know, cheesy, but Matt loves them), and made drinks from some of the leftover alcohol that was sent to the house. We laughed because we know that once I get on the trails tomorrow, I will be just fine :-) It is amazing how theraputic our hikes are for me. It is hard to explain...just being out there, on top of a mountian, looking down at civilization below (well, sometimes mattering on where we go), you feel so close to God and the heavens...such an amazing calming affect. :-) Anyway, tomorrow will be fun!

I am not exactly sure what the rest of the weekend will bring, but I will update everyone on Sunday (with pictures too!). Sunday will be our weekly visit with the kids; we are really looking forward to it. Unfortunate that it will only be virtual, but we will be with them in less than a week...and then from there it is only a couple of weeks and they will be here! :-)

Okay, I must get some sleep. Four o'clock comes early, and I need my strength for 16 miles :-) Good night!!

It is Finally Over!

Well, I am finally getting around to sitting down and writing. It has been an amazing couple of weeks. God has really shown his magnificence! I was going to write on Wednesday to announce the closing, but well, I have to admit, the closing of the house did a number on me. It has been a very emotional few days. Let me give you a recap:

Matt left on Thursday, June 4th, for Chicago. He golfed with all the Sig Pi’s at their annual outing. He had a really great time. I spent the weekend relaxing and bonding with Baxter.

Friday night Baxter and I set out for a 4 mile walk. I think I wore the poor guy out! However, he doesn’t stay down too long, so really it just helped me get through Friday evening J Matt has agreed that once we get a house we can get a little girlfriend for him. With the backyards all being fenced in, I would like to get a doggy door for them so that they can go in and out as they feel free. I am still working on that. Cosmetically, Matt thinks it looks bad, but most people here in AZ do have doggy doors. Maybe we can talk a little more about it once we find a house we are ready to put an offer on.

Saturday, I did a 3 hour hike on South Mountain all by myself. It was a pleasant, reflective 10 miles that I was able to contemplate and meditate. With everything that has been going on lately, it was very nice to take a few steps back.

After my hike, I met up with my new girlfriend Amanda and we went shopping! We had such a great time!! She is so much like me. We laughed and giggled, bought a few great bargains, stopped and had a snack, and got to know each other better. She is an elementary school teacher looking for a full time gig. She is originally from Illinois (everyone out here is usually from somewhere else), and has been contemplating going back home to find a job. I just like her so much, and would hate to see her go, but everyone has to sustain themselves. I hope our friendship blossoms more. I really enjoy spending time with her and can see us being friends forever!

After our day of shopping, we met up with Murph (our other new friend from AZ – through Amanda) and went to Old Chicago. Old Chicago is a restaurant that is owned by the same company as Rock Bottom (the brewery we go to on Thursdays). It was a pretty cool place and the food was good. They are known for all their beers on tap and their huge selection of beers available by bottle. We stayed for a few hours to unwind and then headed home…Matt actually told me he was a little jealous that we were all together. I think he is fitting in here as well as me. We are enjoying our new friends and the good times they have shown us so far!

Sunday was a very quiet day. Baxter and I took another 4 mile walk and I enjoyed laying out by the pool for a few hours – very nice! J

This past week has been one thing after another. Monday and Tuesday, Corrigan packed and moved us. It was a huge undertaking from what Mom and Dad told us. Of course, they were there to manage it all! We are so grateful to have them. Everything was perfect – including a spotless home when they were done emptying. The new owners did their walk-through before the closing and couldn’t believe how spotless the house was.

The closing was Wednesday afternoon. Mom acted on behalf of Matt and me for all of the necessary signatures. We were told the buyers were very excited. They are an engaged couple from Macomb Township. Their happiness makes it somewhat easier to say goodbye, but it has still been difficult. I didn’t think that I would take the closing as hard as I did…maybe because it was the final closure. Not sure. All I know is that I balled my eyes out for two straight days. Matt has been a trooper! He even took me out to dinner and drinks at Rock Bottom to lift my spirits. Murph and Amanda came too! It was nice to have our new friends celebrating with us on the day that we officially closed; sort of an official way to start out now here. J

Matt and I have been spending the past week also enjoying the outdoors before monsoon season hits and looking for houses. We have had abnormally cooler temps for this time of year, so we have really been taking advantage of it. The heart rate monitor is still my favorite tech toy – yes, more so than my BlackBerry and iPod – and I use it all the time. I have started to give myself goals and targets each week, and so far, I have made all of them. I like the fact that I can compare certain activities that I do each week and see how I am progressing. I am enjoying my workouts more, and I am pushing myself a little harder. I recommend one for everyone that is looking to get an edge on their physical fitness.

I will continue to keep the blog updated with news on the house hunting, adventures we take hiking and sight-seeing, and of course trips we take to spend time with the kids.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!!

Great Start to June

The past few weeks have been great, but very busy. Matt and I are finally getting settled in, the jobs are going great, and the house ordeal in Michigan may be soon over. We can finally start to relax. Tiff - you will be happy to know I finally finished my book and will be starting the next. I can finally send you this darn book to read! :-)

We spent Memorial Day weekend up in MI with the kids. We went to Cedar Point for two of the days and then spent the rest of the weekend at the island. Melissa's birthday was celebrated on Friday and Cade and Callista were able to come and hang out. Melissa and Tyler were very happy to get the chance to see their friends that they haven't seen in a while.

We always have such a good time with the kids. There was lots of laughing, playing and enjoying each other's company. It was sad to see the weekend come to an end. We are already counting down until we see them again. Make sure you check out the pictures on the left.

The house (knock on wood) should be closing on the 10th of June...just 9 more days!!! We have tentatively scheduled for our stuff to get packed by the movers on the 8th and moved on the 9th. We couldn't have done any of it without Mom and Dad. We could never repay you for all that you have done. If it was not for you two, I don't know what we would have done besides had to come back to Michigan for a week or so to get everything squared away. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We love you so much. <3

Matt and I golfed our first 18 holes on Saturday with the Nissan crew. It was beautiful!!!! The course is called Southern Dunes Golf Course and it is 7th in the state. The Silver Tees play at 6,329 yards, the Gold Tees play at 6,851 yards, the Black Tees play at 7,337 yards, and the Tips are 7,494 yards - Yes, you read that right. It was a very challenging course. The bunkers alone made the course, as Jim put it, look like Normandy. It used to be a men's only course, but the recession (and women's lib) has taken its toll. That was the view from most of the fairways:

I had never golfed anything like it ever. Absolutely amazing. Of course, my golf game is nothing like my husband's (most of the men hit around 110; Matt hit an 82! Mind you, par is 72, and Matt hasn't golfed in a year!!) He was very patient with me and gave me some great pointers. I actually felt my game get slightly better in the 5 hours we were there. He has promised to take me every Wednesday night to hit balls and we are going to attempt to hit a course twice a month. I used to golf a lot before Matt and I started dating. I was even on a league. All that changed when I started dating Matt. It was nice to get back out on a course.

We finished off our weekend with a drive up to Wickenburg and Yarnell to see if we could find the Honeyman...no luck - wrong time of the year we were told. It didn't really matter; it was a great relaxing drive up in the mountains. I'll have pictures this weekend (can't download my pictures at this time; must go to Walgreens).

I got the coolest present from my husband today - a Polar heart rate monitor watch. I really love it. I have already got it all programmed and ready to go. I used it this evening and it seems pretty intuitive. I can't wait to see what it shows for my hike on Saturday. Matt and I have a poll of how many calories you burn going up Telegraph Pass. It will be interesting to see wich one of us is closest.

Well, as I said, things have slowed down, so I should be able to stay on top of this a little better. Hope everyone had a good Monday. Miss you all!!

It's Spring - And It Is 104 Degrees!

I am really sorry that I have not posted. Call me superstitious, but I have been scared to post because I don't want anything to happen with the house :-) I know, stupid. Okay, let me catch everyone up.

The house is officially sold, but not sold, LOL. We have signed all the paperwork and we are just waiting for the closing now. It is scheduled for June 10th. I am very excited and a little anxious. I know that things will be okay; they have thus far. God, just take us through these last little steps. We have started to contact movers and just need to pin it down to one.

We have started to house hunt officially. We have an agent out here, Dave, and he comes highly recommended by all the guys that I work with. We have been weeding out the houses we like and those that can be put on an alternate list. I am figuring that this process might take a while; there are just so many to pick from...well, maybe it isn't so much that we have a lot to pick from as much as it is that we have a picture of what we want our first house to look like. We have chosen an area. Let me see if I can find a picture:

This is South Mountain. We would like to find a home to the south and maybe a little west in the the Ahwatukee Foothills. Thus far, we have picked out 7 homes that we would like to see. The area is very pretty and the mountains surround you. Matt and I have really fallen in love with hiking and want to be as close as possible (we have barely scratched the surface of the trails). This is a great family area also, which will be great when the kids come out and visit. Of course, if there is a house that we specifically like above the rest, we would like to review it with the kids. Even though they will not be here full-time, we want this to be a family decision - it is their home also. I'll keep everyone up-to-date on the shopping. I believe we will be seeing a few this weekend.

Since the last time I posted, our little girl turned 7. I still can't believe it. When I came into her life she was just three years old - such a little cutie! She had long pigtails and little dimples. Now, she is such a beautiful young lady who wanted to go to Bahama Breeze for her birthday dinner...only she would pick there; she always does! (The last place I took the kids before I left for AZ - they chose) Our Missa - soccer player, singer, artist...we are so proud of her. We love her and miss her (and Tyler) so much.

Mother's Day came and went as well this weekend. I hope that I got a chance to call each of you Mommies, and if I didn't - Happy Mother's Day! I hope your families took good care of you yesterday. My hubby made the whole weekend about me; it was great! Then I got to spend 30 wonderful minutes on the webcams with the kids...you just can't get a better day than that!!!

In the past two weeks, Matt and I have hiked some amazing places. Saturday, May 2nd, took us to Peralta and Cave Trails. It was so beautiful. Here is one of my favorite pictures:

This past weekend we went to Sedona and hiked 15 miles of the Secret Canyon. I would love to share the pictures, but I am still trying to figure out how. We had to buy a new laptop this past week, and it is not compatible with my memory card...still trying to figure it all out. Once I get it working, I will upload, so that you can see.

Many of you have heard about the a/c problems that we have had this past week. Well, they are finally fixed. After a week long of temperatures above 100 and the complex promising to fix the problem, I had had enough. So yesterday, Matt and I went into the Management Office and told them that it was completely unacceptable that nothing had been done. Well, okay, maybe it wasn't as nice as that...but can you blame me? It has been 104 all week long! I love the hot, but you need a break. I gave Baxter two cold baths yesterday just to cool him off...poor baby. But anyway, everything is good and we will be sleeping great tonight!

Well, I think that is enough updates. :-) I will try and stay on top of this better from now on. Love and miss you all.

Offer Signed!

We have officially signed the offer and it is heading back to Michigan. They have the inspector coming on Friday. It is now just a waiting game now.

To top off all of God's graciousness, Matt found out today that Robertson will be picking up the moving expenses prior to the move, instead of reimbursement that they had initially agreed to. That is an AMAZING blessing. I never realized how much a move across country would cost, and I have really been praying that God would provide us an answer on how we would put up that sort of expense up front...well, he answered my prayer. He continues to pour down on us.

The little bit of anxiety that I have I am keeping down by running 2.5 miles a night...can you believe that? Me, running! My sister was my inspiration. Thanks Les!! My body is starting to feel very strong. Matt even commented this evening on how my body is starting to look different; more toned. That made me feel really good.

I spent a little time this evening planning our next hike for this weekend. I think we will either do Camelback or Peralta. I promised Matt, though, that we could go and see a lender on Saturday morning. We may have to put off the hike until Sunday. We are also throwing around the idea of driving down to Tombstone...would LOVE to visit!!

The one thing definitely on our plan is heading over to REI for their annual sale...hiking boots and camelbacks! :-)

Big Update!

Well, I am going to make you wait for the big news until the end...unless you want to scroll. I really want to share with everyone what a great weekend we had!

Friday we flew into Detroit Metro to spend the weekend with the kids. Matt wasn't kidding when he said the first weekend back to Michigan would be a hard weekend sleep wise. I did get the opportunity to take a nap for the four hours we were off the ground, and I am really glad that I did. I don't really know how I would have made it without.

Mom and Dad picked the kids up from school on Friday and had taken them back to the island for a fun Grandma and Grandpa evening. Tyler and Melissa said that they had a lot of fun. Melissa had her first soccer game on Saturday, so after we landed and picked up our rental car, we headed over to the Niles center where we met up with everyone. She played really well!

Running the ball down the field (blue)

She plays goalie quite well

And she is always smiling!!

After the game we headed over to Buddy's Pizza so the twins (Matt and his brother Jeff) could celebrate their birthdays. We never get sick of Buddy's pizza. It was very nice to see everyone and spend a few hours catching up.

Tyler didn't want his picture taken - but I sort of got him

Daddy's two girls!

After Buddy's pizza, we headed home and had a nice evening with part of "the group" :-). It is so nice to see everyone is hanging in during these difficult economic and health issue times. Jen is more than half way through her pregnancy and looks great, Kathy has a great new shorter haircut that I just love and Pam was able to stay for a while and visit with us girls - it was everything I hoped an evening back home with my friends would be. Thanks to all that stopped by and spent some time with us (sorry I kept falling asleep on the couch). I love all of you so much, and any little bit of time that I can spend with you means so much to me.

Sunday we spend most of the day getting the house cleaned up and ready for the next month away from the house...or maybe sooner, not sure. The kids were so helpful and really worked with me to ensure their areas and stuff were picked up. I am so blessed to have two children that listen so well and are so willing to help me. I sure will miss them this next month.

After the house was ready to go, we headed out to Algonac to spend a couple of hours with my dad. We took him to lunch and gave him a few presents that I had bought for him. A t shirt from the HD store in Chandler and a web cam. We got it all set up for him, but now today he says he is having problems. I will have to call him tomorrow and figure out what is wrong. I worked late tonight, so with the time difference I wasn't able to call. I am hoping that whatever the issue, we can get resolved quickly, so we can talk online.

By 4:30, we had dropped the kids off at their mom's and were off to the airport. Just like that our weekend was over. As quick as it started, it had ended. We are sad, but are looking forward to the next visit in May. We will be there for four days...a little more time to spend with the kids.

Work is going good, but really busy. I am putting in a few more hours than I normally do, but I feel that to get ahead there must be sacrafices. As long as I can continue to run my 2.5 miles at night I am happy...and thankfully our apartment community has a fitness center. I don't have to drive.

Okay...so I think that is all the updates! Are you ready for the grand finale? LOL, we have a pending offer on the house!! We have counter-offered and they have accepted. Now, we will just await the official paperwork. Matt and I are trying not to get our expectations high just in case something happens...but feel we are in a much better position than are most. 48 days and we have an offer.

I do apologize if this seems really jumpy. I really wanted to get an update on the computer before i went to bed. However, it is WAY past my bed time. I will keep everyone posted as we hear more news.

New Friends & Another Trail!

We had such a great weekend! It was needed after the week that I had had :-)

Saturday, Baxter had his first groom in Arizona at his new daycare/groomer/puppy resort, Malinda's Pampered Pets. He looks so cute! Here is an updated picture:

I can't believe my baby is 2!

We had the opportunity to meet Malinda, get a tour of the facility, sit with Heidi his new groomer, and get him all set up for next weekend when we will be travelling to Michigan. Everyone in the facility is very professional, very loving to the puppies, and considerate of Baxter's individual needs (Heidi noticed and was very careful of the paw he favors - the one that had gotten hurt last year). His cut is actually better than the one he received back home (not as shaved looking), and price was very comparable to Troy.

While Baxter was getting groomed, Matt and I looked at houses. We found a few more to place on the radar. We also heard from Diane. We are not hearing about all the showings any longer because of the time difference (and we have given her approval to just show without calling), but she said that there is still a lot of activity. The one woman that saw our home a few weeks ago is still interested, but no offer yet. We just continue to pray.


Saturday evening we headed over to Scottsdale to the Culinary Arts Festival. One of Matt's faternity brothers lives in Scottsdale, and he invited us to join him and his friends to the festivities. We had such a great time! We met everyone at his house and then rode our bikes down to Scottsdale proper where the festival was held. We sampled some really good (real) Mexican food, lots of home made beers, and ended the night with a treat from The Melting Pot. Everyone made us feel so welcome and part of the group. We look forward to hanging out with them again soon.

Sunday we took a drive through the Apache Trail. The Apache Trail was originally a stagecoach trail that ran through the Superstition Mountains. It was named the Apache Trail after the Apache Indians who originally used this trail to move through the mountains. Here is a little history (for you, Dad - cause I know you love this stuff like me!):

The State of Arizona, under the leadership of Governor George P. Hunt in 1919, decided to build a transportation link between Phoenix and the cities of Globe and Miami. Governor Hunt wanted to open the Globe and Miami copper industry to the Phoenix market. The only road in 1919 linking these two important economic centers was the Mesa-Roosevelt Road (Apache Trail) or the long rail route through Tucson, Bowie and Safford. The Apache Trail was not an efficient roadway for moving goods from place to place. The roadway originally was built as a haul and service road for the construction and maintenance of Roosevelt Dam.

For the most part the Apache Trail was a single lane road with occasional pull outs; however the roadway fascinated tourists who visited the area.

In 1919, there were several stations along the Apache Trail that serviced the tourist making the long journey by way of motorcar. There was Government Well, Mormon Flat, Tortilla Flat, Fish Creek Lodge and Snell's Station between Mesa and Roosevelt Dam. The completion of the Phoenix-Globe Highway through Superior in May of 1922 completed the famous Circle Route that allowed drivers of automobiles to circumnavigate the entire Superstition Wilderness Area, an almost road-less region.

Our tour ended with a trip up to the indian ruins of the Salado people. With erosion carving out recesses in a layer of siltstone partially exposed on the hillside, the floors of these alcoves were littered with debris from the ceiling. Bonding rocks with mud, the Salado constructed apartment-style dwellings adequate for sleeping, storage, cooking, and protection. The pueblo now called the Lower Cliff Dwelling consisted of 16 ground floor rooms, three of which had a second story.
It was an amazing 5 hour drive! Make sure you check out the photos to the left. The trip took our breath away. With every turn in the road, you saw different colors, different shadows, different rock formations and different bodies of water. It was just so pretty...God's hands at work to remind us how much he eternally loves each and every one of us!

We finished our weekend with a nice chat with the kids and a dip in the hot tub. Another great weekend!! We are really looking forward to heading back to Michigan this week to see the kids, and spend some time with the family.

Today was my first (quite long) day of work without the person I replaced. I have A LOT of work, and a big learning curve, but it was nice to be on my own. I got a phone call today that my car had come in, but it is getting serviced, so I will probably not receive it until next week...which is good because the Murano is quite dusty from our trek off road :-) They installed my tinted windows today (legal in AZ because of the sun), so I am sure it looks really nice.

It is 10:15 p.m. right now and it is still 85 degrees. Tomorrow it is forecasted to be 101!!!! It's starting to get Arizona summer hot :-) I love it!

Miss everyone...can't wait to see most of you this weekend. Only 5 more days!!

Work, Work, and More Work!

I have not written in a while because since starting work on Tuesday I have been absolutely swamped...they say, "Be careful what you wish for!" Well, sort of how I feel.

Monday, which was still holiday for me was really relaxing. It was Baxter's birthday, so he and I just chilled out together. We walked a total of 8 miles throughout the day, and played a lot. We did have a showing back in Michigan, but I have had a difficult time finding enough time to sit down and call Diane right now. If we received an offer, she would leave a message. Thus, I am not too too worried that I haven't heard from her.

Tuesday was my first day of work, and it has been nonstop since I got here! My official title is Business Analyst, Arizona Proving Ground Operations. My main responsibilities are Asset Management and Capital Expenditures, Purchase Procurement through BPOs, Cafeteria Management, and the Fitness Center. I must say that I feel VERY overwhelmed and a little stressed out. I have come in to replace an involuntary separation, and he is a little bitter. However, his feelings are very justified. He has done an awesome job, 6 months ago they promised to make him direct, and now they separate him from the company. That would ruffle anyone's feathers...and to top it off, they bring me in to cross-train with him. Imagine how wonderfully uncomfortable it is, and times it by 10 :-( I am eager to see him gone, so as to eliminate the uncomfortableness, but then he is gone and all the expertise is gone because they made the job for him a year ago. It is truly a terrible situation. However, I am very confident that I can do this. God answers all prayers, right? He brought me out here for a reason, and I am going to allow him to continue to steer this vessel for me. And everyone that I have talked with says that I am really going to need to give this position a few months to really get comfortable. I did have a one-on-one with the Executive Director who is over Test and oversees this facility on Friday, and he has assured me that they are not looking for me to understand everything in one day. He expects this to take time...and he did not expect me to get very far with the individual that I am replacing simply because of the situation.

The people here are great and they are very helpful. The parking (of which I have a loaded Murano until my Maxima gets here) is unbelievable. I am literally 20 feet from the door. And the drive is so simple. I am 35 minutes from work and I am surrounded by mountains on all sides. I have tried to take some pictures with my phone, but the pictures are not that good. I will bring my camera this week. The only drawback is the smell. We are surrounded by cattle farms which give off a smell that you can't really imagine, LOL, but that is only for about 5 minutes, so you can bear it.

My new boss is absolutely amazing. Her name is Anita. She runs the Proving Ground. She is the most organized, professional, personable supervisor that I have ever had. She is very empowering. We had a one-on-one last night (yes, night - 6:30 p.m, long day) and she really put my mind at ease about my job and her expectations and how things are going to be great! She even said that we would have to go out and get to know each other. I am very much so looking forward to working for her.

Matt's birthday was yesterday. We went to his favorite sushi restaurant out here in Northern Scottsdale. It was called Blue Wasabi, but has since changed hands a month ago and is now Banzai Cowboy...yeah, it was a trip! We sat in this little coved booth, drinking martinis/Kirin, eating the most amazing sushi (that had this southwest flair to it - really good), and listening to country music. What more could you ask for? :-) The owners, both brothers, are about in their 40s and very hip. The one that runs the kitchen came and introduced himself, Greg, and really made us feel at home. Matt was sung Happy Birthday in English, Italian (the owners nationality) and then Polish (one of their friends) and they brought over a piece of chocolate mouse/coffee flavored cheesecake (yummy) with a candle on the top. It was a memorable evening. Happy birthday, honey!

Happy Easter!

Our day didn't go as planned, but it was an AWESOME day! A great ending to a wonderful first weekend in Arizona with my husband and Baxter.

We started out our Easter Sunday with church services at 8:50. We had planned on attending the 7:30, but I think that the time change is finally catching up with me. Matt had also wanted to see what their traditional services are like (because that is what he prefers), but the 8:50 service was contemporary. However, there were still many traditional aspects to the service. All-in-all, it was very nice. I say it that way because I think that personally, this will be the hardest change besides not seeing the children. I really love our church home at Faith. However, as Matt reminded me, these churches out here are so new. They do not have the following yet like a well established church like Faith. Plus, we just don't have the population of people here like in Troy. Rison Savior Lutheran is the largest church in the area with the exception of driving into Phoenix proper. There are approximately 300 in attendance at each service (there are 4 services on Sunday), and there is Children's Church at two of the services which is great. This is what it looks like:

It is very pretty!! We do want to visit again this coming week, and we do want to visit their traditional services next. There are 4 more churches, though, that we want to visit in the area, so we believe it may be a while before we make a decision on a church home.

We came home, ate a snack, made our sack lunches, and then headed over to our second hike for the weekend. LOL, if we only knew our leisure hike was going to turn into mountain climbing! Matt just kept saying, "Let's just go a little further...Let's just go a little further." Once we knew that we had the endurance to make it to the top of Superstition's Flat Iron, the highest peak, we just couldn't say no. Our hike lasted 6 hours! Getting to the top was the most empowering thing I have ever done! It made me stop and realize that anything I am determined to do, I can probably do. And look at my reward:

The most beautiful view you could imagine! And unfortunately, the pictures just do not do it justice. You really have to be there to believe it. It was so funny because after our hike/climb we met this older couple (we believe late 60s) and they asked if we had enjoyed our hike and where our day had taken us. We told them that we had just hiked/climbed Flatiron for the first time, and the man said, "Well, I'll be...I'd like to shake your hand!" And he did! He told us that it had been about 3 years since he had did it because he wasn't in that sort of shape any longer...but let me tell you, he looked in great shape! I must admit, it blew up our egos a little :-)

It was the most remarkable day! It was such a great Easter gift from God. I thank him for giving us such amazing places like The Flatiron to deeply understand the love that he has for this beautiful universe...and for us!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter with their family and friends.

Shopping and Biking

Today was another great day with the exeption of the weather...and even that wasn't so bad.

We started out the day with an awesome visit with Melissa and Tyler in the morning on the web cams. They are doing great! It sounds as though they have had a really nice Spring break with their mother and step father. We were able to sit with them and visit for a little over an hour and then they had to go. We were very happy to see how excited they were to talk with us. Just two more weeks and we will see them. We understand from their mom that both the kids have games on the Saturday we are in town. We are both very excited to take them and watch them play.

After that, we were off to the Chandler Fashion Square Mall. All I have to say is that I really do not need to go into Scottsdale...okay, well, for the exception of getting my obsession for expensive tea filled at Teavana (Em - you know all about that); closest place to get it. So anyway, CFSM has everything anyone would need...Williams Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Banana Republic, and tons of West Coast beachwear stores (Hurley, Pac Sun, Buckle, Stash, Tillies...you name it!) I got a really cute new pair of brown Kenneth Cole heals and another pair of black Madden heals for a steal (Robin and Em - you would be so proud!) I considered it a very productive day with my shopping buddy - truth be told, he picked out the Madden's!

After the mall, Mom and Dad called on the web cams too (gosh, I love the web cams). We are very excited to see them also in two weeks when we come in. We miss them very much.

After our little break, we were off for a bike ride...15 miles! It started to rain the last 6 miles, but with the uphill climbs that we were doing the rain didn't feel so bad. Plus, after it stopped, the most beautiful rainbow appeared that started at South Mountain and ended in the valley. We were at the perfect elevation to view both ends. Yeah, I know, where was my camera? I always have that darn camera every other time...just not at the right time! I hadn't brought it because I don't have a bike bag and I wore my biking shorts, of which do not have pockets. I think now Matt and I can justify one :-)

We made sure our bike ride was productive, and we scoped out a few more communities. We found another home to place on our radar, and it sure is pretty. I still hope there is a chance with Desert Broom Way (our favorite), but I am thankful to see that as houses fall off the radar screen they are soon replaced with another remarkable home. I do believe, though, that we have settled on staying in the Ahwatukee area. Matt has been sold for about a month now, but I wasn't. It is obvious to me now that it's because I wasn't down here living. The other areas that were on the list (Chandler and Gilbert) are nice, but they don't have the outdoor recreation like the Ahwatukee area provides. I mean, you don't have to drive anywhere - the mountain is right here! Now, there are a few more mountainous areas more south, and we are going to check them out; we are keeping an open mind. However, Matt is only 6 miles from work. I would like to keep him close because of owning the Commander now. I will have a company lease car, so it doesn't really matter. We had another showing today, and have another one scheduled for Monday. Matt and you, Tammie, are pretty certain that the house will sell by a certain date. However, I am not even saying when so as to not jinx us :-) We are in hopes to be looking for a home to put an offer on real soon.

Tonight will be an early evening, for tomorrow we will rise early to visit Risen Savior Lutheran Church. It is one of the LCMS churches in our area (thanks Mom for helping me find some!). The morning traditional service starts at 7:50; Matt picked :-) Then we will hike Picacho Peak! More to come on that tomorrow!!