Updates

So, as all of you may know I haven't updated in quite some time.  Here are some updates:

Running
I have officially completed my first 5K run, which was actually 4.2 miles in honor/memory of the late Pat Tillman (42 was his ASU football number). Here I am crossing over the finish line! My status were: Overall 6028/19,684; Gender 1767/9881; Division (Age) 561/2988; and I ran a 9:34 pace. Not bad for my first run! :-)

I am planning on completing a 10K by November and a half-marathon by January...maybe marathon if I feel I can do it. I am very excited that this is something that I have found that not only mentally gets me in shape but physically. I will say that I have never been this physically fit ever; not even when I was in high school. It is a good feeling! I also enjoy that Matt has joined me. It is nice that we have another activity that we can share together.

Hiking

Wow! Has this Spring been filled with AMAZING hikes!! We have done no less than 8 miles on any given day and the most we have done thus far is 13. We have seen great flowers, lots of water, a little bit of animal life, and learned a lot of interesting history. Matt sure has become a little Indiana Jones! If we don't have a trip that includes going and seeing some old mining camp (that only has some rusty old nails and tin cans left) or some other link to history, he isn't excited. However, he has taken me to some really cool places thus far. Here are two really cool pics. I will provide captions, so that you know what they are:

These are grinding holes in Garden Valley (Superstition Mountains) that are at the ruins that date back to prehistoric times. They were first reported in the Arizona Daily Gazette in 1893.

The Spanish Hieroglyphics are thought to be the key to one of the 18 Peralta gold mines in the Superstition Mountains. The Sunburst indicates it was a very rich mine, the word “ORO” tells us what it is all about—GOLD (you can only see the O in this picture - straight down from my left elbow). Then there is the map sketched on the rocks below. Could it be the Lost Dutchman’s Gold Mine?

If you can believe it or not, these are the mountains right by our house. The early Spring showers brought the mountains alive with greens, yellows, and purples. It was absolutely breathtaking! Most of the hills around us have now started to dry up and turn brown, but the high elevation areas are still very much green.

The Brittlebush is still very much vibrant around Miner's Needle.

And the trees are still very much green around Weaver's Needle. By the way, this was where we at lunch yesterday...pretty nice view, huh? :-)

Family
Well, we are all doing well. I guess that somewhat sums it up. We spoke to the kids on Skype last night, and we are ready to head to Michigan in a few weeks to see them. we miss them A LOT!!
Tyler is done with basketball now, and has started baseball (player pitch). It looks as though he may be the pick for the team's pitcher. We couldn't really tell if that excited him or not...but that is Tyler! Melissa is still playing soccer and enjoying her time on the field.
We had a little surprise for them, and we can now share with everyone :-) We have decided to add an additional member to the Whipple family! It is a little black fur baby, and we have decided to name her Lily. Now, we just need to work on middle names! Here is a picture of her.

Seems that she is a pup from a litter-mate of Baxter, so that makes her his niece. Isn't that crazy?! Last Thursday I was just playing around online and googled "Nubbybutts" which is the name of Baxter's breeder. I came across Jen's blog which mentioned that she had babies that she needed to find homes for. Well, we have a home! Lily comes home with us the weekend that we visit in May. Melissa is all excited that she gets to pick up her new little sister...and also by the way, Melissa was the one that gave the deciding vote that it was Lily!

Well, I think that is all for now.

Learn from a Donkey!

Another cute one sent to me today...

Mistakes are a part of being human. Appreciate your mistakes for what they are, precious life lessons that can only be learned the hard way. Read the following story:

One day a farmer's donkey fell down a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do.

Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; It just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey.

He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement he quieted down.

A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up. As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up.

Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off!

Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds

of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well

is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of

our troubles is a stepping stone. We can get out

of the deepest wells just by not stopping,

never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up.

Remember the five simple rules to be happy:

Free your heart from hatred - Forgive.

Free your mind from worries - Most never happen.

Live simply and appreciate what you have.

Give more.

Expect less!

NOW........Enough of that crap! The donkey later came back, and bit the farmer who had tried to bury him. The gash from the bite got infected and the farmer eventually died in agony from septic shock.

MORAL FROM TODAY'S LESSON:

When you do something wrong, and try to cover your ass, it always comes back to bite you.

Good Stuff Today!

I think that someone is trying to talk to me today :-)

I did some reading during my lunch break (too cold to run, haha), found some good thoughts. This is from this month's Health magazine, interview with Kristen Bell:

"What philosophy or phrase would you say guides you in life the most?"

her answer:

"Eleanor Roosevelt once said something amazing that I took to heart: the three requirements for happiness are knowing you're honest with yourself and to others, knowing you've done the best job you could in your personal life and in your work life, and your ability to love others."

Sounds like she has a really good philosophy!

Concentrate on this Sentence...

A close friend shared this with me today. Thought I would share:

'To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did.' When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to receive something better...

Concentrate on this sentence... 'The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you.' Something good will happen to you today; something that you have been waiting to hear.

There comes a point in your life when you realize:
Who matters,
Who never did,
Who won't anymore...
And who always will.

So, don't worry about people from your past,there's a reason why they didn't make it to your future.

The Greatest Dignity of All

Read this in my daily devotion today, and I wanted to share this thought with everyone...

"God gave us the greatest treasure in all creation: a heart. You could not live or love or laugh or cry had God not given you a heart. And with that heart comes something that staggers me. God gives us the freedom to reject him. He gives to each of us a will of our own.

Good grief, why? He knows what free-willed creatures can do. He has already suffered one massive betrayal in the rebellion of the angels. He knows how we will use our freedom, what misery and suffering, what hell will be unleashed on earth because of our choices. Why? Is He out of his mind?

The answer is as simple and staggering as this: if you want a world where love is REAL, you must allow each person the freedom to choose."

Powerful thought, isn't it?

My Sole Mate

Well, we are back from the northern cold. Besides having a delayed flight back into Phoenix for a few hours, everything went great! We had a wonderful weekend with the kids that included another great basketball game in which Tyler contributed with 6 baskets, watching Melissa grow at her soccer practices, and a trip to the local police station with Tyler's Boy Scout Troop - and that was just the icing!

Thought you might like this highlight picture:

He made this one.

After Tyler's game on Saturday morning, we headed up to Ludington to spend time with Dean, Cinda, the boys and Kami. We had A LOT of fun!!! The girls put on singing performances for us, the boys (and me) went skiing at Caberfae and we finished off the visit with pizza on Sunday night - the boys' favorite!

Monday, early afternoon, we were back on the road headed to Tyler's Boy Scout field trip and Melissa's practice. Both were done early enough for us to head on over to the Wilson's home for some fun. The kids enjoyed each other's company for a few hours and then it was sleep over time! :-) Tuesday before we had to head back to the airport, the kids were able to have breakfast and lunch together and went and played at the Bounce House in Utica. Everyone got along really well. It was a great visit.

We are always so appreciative of our family and friends that let us stay with them while we are in Michigan. Due to the ice shutting down the ferry, it made it impossible to stay with Mom and Dad on the island. Thanks Wilson family for helping us out this season with the inclement weather.

There are a lot of great pictures (and video too!) of all the fun we had this past weekend, and I will post as soon as I can. :-)

Today, it was back to the old grind...but it was actually a really easy day back. Work was quiet, and I was able to get caught up by mid-day. I was able to go and pick Baxter up at lunch AND make it home at the regular time.

Matt surprised me and decided he was going to run with me this evening. Thank goodness he did! Did you see my time posted to the left?!? I am almost at a 10 minute mile with him!!!! I put in all the calculations...and retyped them because I thought for sure SOMETHING must be mistyped. Nope, my honey pushed me my hardest today...and I am SO GLAD that he did. He is my "sole" mate. My forever friend. I love you baby!

Today's run definitely upped the ante for the rest of the week, but I know that if I can do it once I can do it again. Two more months before Pat's run, and I know that I can make my goals. My knees are a little sore tonight, but I took my "old people's medicine" as Matt calls it and some pain meds before lounging for the night. I will feel good as new for tomorrow...or at least good enough to run the best that I can tomorrow!

Goodnight all...sleep well! xoxo

Owning My Days

So the past week has been a little difficult for me to get back on track after Mom and Dad left. It hasn't helped that I have been working SO MANY hours at work...and after work, and on the weekends...I think you get the point. I have allowed other people to dictate how my days were going to be orchestrated. Well, not any more. I know how I feel when I exercise every day, and I miss that so much.

So, today was my first day back. I ran at work during lunch through the fields by the HSO. Gosh, did it feel GREAT! I have decided that dailymile.com is the easiest application to use to track my progress, so I will continue to use that from now on. I really like the fact that you can change the map from street mode, satellite and hybrid. It is pretty cool. I have also placed a widget on my blog page...to see my progress, but much more to keep me accountable.

My eating is again back on track too. I drank my breakfast (three cups of skim milk - lots of protein and packs in a lot of calories to keep me full until lunch), had oatmeal for lunch and dinner consisted of a 3 ounce pork chop and a cup of whole grain brown rice. My only snack today was dehydrated apple chips on my way home from work. I even drank my 12 glasses of water! The only thing I have to give up (again) is my coffee. I had switched officially to only loose leaf tea (my favorite - teavana) the week before Christmas, but with all of this working overtime, I had switched back. I will probably try next Monday. I am really weird like that...must start something new at the beginning of the week :-)

We are heading up to Michigan for an extra long weekend to ski with Matt's brother and his family. We are super excited to see Melissa and Tyler! There has been a lot of stuff going on lately, so it will be nice for Matt and I to have some one-on-one time with the kids, and to also have some fun with our family.

I must get to bed. I hope everyone is having a great week!

Forgiveness...

I need this today...thought a few of you may also. It comes from: http://www.christian-books-for-women.com/forgiveness-prayer.html. Let me share the thoughts...

The Word is really clear about the need to forgive. It's required in order to receive answers to prayer, as part of a relationship with God where you actually expect to hear from Him.

There is a lot of bad stuff that happens when you don't forgive. Bitterness, anger, and hurt...just to name a few. But the odd thing is that it all happens to you, not to the person who hurt you. You're the one who has to walk around with all that stuff inside you, eating you up.

The bottom line is that forgiveness is mostly for you...your health...your peace of mind...and mostly, your relationship with God.

But just because you realize you need to forgive doesn't mean you've suddenly inherited a magic forgiveness prayer, or even the desire to do it. In fact, it's hard. It's really hard. Here are some steps that have helped me:

Make the decision to forgive, regardless of your feelings. They will eventually catch up with the whole forgiveness concept, but maybe not today.

Pray that God will give you His Grace to do it. God's grace is simply His power to do something with ease that you would struggle with if you try to do it on your own.

Pray for the person who hurt you. Ouch. This is probably the hardest part of the whole concept. But when you pray for that person, God can reach into the situation and work.

LEAVE the situation and person alone. Don't try to avenge yourself. Ugh. Yeah right...it would be so much easier if you could just do some awful thing to make them look bad or feel bad or something! Don't do anything. Let God do what He's going to do and you focus on moving forward, doing whatever God tells you to do.

There's something about acknowledging forgiveness that seems to strengthen the concept somehow. In my new book, A Change of Heart, I show you just how forgiving opens the door for God to work. There are many barriers that can stand in your way when you want to make life changes. Unforgiveness is one of the biggies. Here's a "Print and Pray" forgiveness prayer that may help:

Lord, I'm coming to You because I need to forgive (insert name). I don't have anything to bring except all this pain and anger about what's happened. Lord, I don't know what to do with it all, so I'm bringing it to you and laying it at Your feet. Your Word says I have to forgive (insert name), so I'm making the decision to do it. PLEASE heal me on the inside so I can let go of this.

I pray for (insert name), please deal with them in the way You know is best. Heal them and bless them Lord. Make them into one of your followers.

Thank you Lord, for taking all this from me. Thank you for healing me. And thank you for helping (insert name). I ask this in Jesus name.

AMEN!

The Heart is Central

Tonight was such an interesting night...very insightful to say the least. I talked with someone that knows my family, but not well enough to understand the dynamics...but knows one member very well. It is amazing to hear how we have all suffered through the years. It makes me think...

...What would life have been like if we were raised as children and young adults to believe we could be good enough?

...To learn from a very young age to love - love beyond all else? Love unconditionally?

...To forgive?

...What would life have been like if we learned from infancy that the Lord sacrificed his life for the sins of the world? That with a crown of thorns and nail-driven hands and feet OUR sins are washed away...yes, each and every one of us.

I am thankful...so very thankful...that the Lord showed me the way. That I did seek, and I did find. And that I have a personal relationship with him, my heavenly Father. He knows my name, he knows my weaknesses, and he knows when I hurt. He knows when I am lonely...and reassures me that I am not alone. We are never alone. He knows my heart...he is the only one.

"I have found the paradox that if I love until it hurts, then there is no hurt, but only more love." Mother Teresa

I will love until it hurts...because the hurt is disapating...and there is nothing but love.

Good night everyone!

Rough Week

This has definitely been a rough week getting back onto the work out wagon!

We had a great weekend with the kids. We watched Tyler play basketball, Melissa play soccer, we attended a birthday party, a regular party, we went to Dave & Busters, and had a few really nice meals together. We played and we laughed...besides a little drama (that is always expected when entering into the MI border), it was a really pleasant trip. We really enjoyed our visit! I even ran while in Michigan. However, since I have been back home it has rained everyday and everyone knows...I hate going to the gym! With the beautiful weather here, there is just no ambition to get my butt in a car and drive to the gym :-) However, I talked with Amanda this evening on my way home from work (she wanted to make sure I was able to get home - I will get to that), and she said that she will help me during this yucky weather (she needs a little help too!). Thank goodness I am at least eating really good!!

Over the weekend, I was talking with a few friends in MI about our running progress. It is sort of cool that a few of us started together and we have continued to be great encouragement for one another. Anyway, they recommended this really awesome website that tracks your runs. It is called mapmyrun.com. A few of the guys at work also recommended dailymile.com. I will try both of them and figure out which one works best for me...but I promise, I will be running tomorrow!!!!! (Although it will be at the gym.)

Many of you have asked how we are doing through this storm. We are making it...it has been very scary. At 5 pm today, the state was declared in a state of emergency. I have never been in such bad weather without a basement to hide in, and Baxter is giving me anxiety. He runs to the closet and crys. I want to hide with him! We did bring in all of our potted plants and the patio furniture is inside also, so there really is nothing to get thrown around this time, like the last. At this point, it is just a waiting game...for all of you that are with me in Arizona...hold on!!!!! Mom and Dad fly in tomorrow. I really hope that Sky Harbor will be open; the airport cancelled all arrivals today.

I wanted to give a loving shout out to Tiffany. Hey girl - you are doing great! I will be with you every step of the way!! Thanks for the invite to your new blog. Envision what you want your body to be. You will be there before you know it. Keep up the great work - love ya!!!

Also, a second shout out to Tammie. Thanks for the referral at LifeTime. I am going to use the money to get a personal yoga training session. It was very nice of you to think of me. Love you!! Sorry I couldn't see you over the weekend. Skype soon...k?

I am going to try and get some sleep now...if Baxter will let me :-) Liv XOXO

A New Approach

So, I wanted to post a few pictures of me at the beginning of the year, so that I have a good visual "line in the sand." :-) I have started a new approach to working out and getting in shape and I think it is going to work better than anything I have done thus far. Don't get me wrong, I am in the best shape I have ever been in. I have been pretty consistent with working out at least 5 times a week since my move out to AZ and I am now up to running 6 miles a day. However, I have some goals that I really want to obtain, both short and long term. I hope to look at these pictures in one year and say, "Wow! That is what I looked like?" I am more determined and passionate about this now than ever. I think I can do this...I know I can!

January started the fourth quarter in our fiscal year which came a lot of added work and stress with my job. That is what has pushed the new change. I love my new job, so I want to give my all there, but with living in Phoenix it is so hard to want to stay at the office...or at least stay motivated as everyone else walks out the door at 4:00 p.m. and the sun is shining and it is 72 degrees - in January! Last week left me disappointed at myself because I only got to run once because my job kept me to the late hours of the night. So, I came up with a compromise to myself starting this week! I cut up my workouts throughout the day. If some unforseen occurrence happens that keeps me late at the office, I have at least ran for 30 minutes (a little more than 2 miles) at lunch. That will be my minimum - some people's max for the day! I won't feel let down that I didn't get to work out which in turn won't ruin my mood for the rest of the day. Today, not only did I run 30 minutes at lunch, but then ran with Baxter (yes, my little guy runs and he doesn't poop out!) for 43 minutes AFTER work - about 5.5 miles today total - and it was easy peasy!! I finished my run, made dinner, and then welcomed Matt home as he returned from the gym himself. We ate dinner, enjoyed a glass of vino and then got prepared for tomorrow - very relaxed and refreshed. I like this new schedule.

My first short term goal is Pat's Run on April 17th - Matt's birthday. It is in honor of Pat Tillman, football player, who died while fighting for our freedom. It is 4.2 miles, which won't be difficult, but I am now training for time. I have only timed myself once...which was about a month ago. I will time myself again at the end of the month.

My second goal is to learn beginners yoga. I have ALWAYS said I wanted to learn, but this time I am going to do it!!! I may take a class or two, but first short short term goal is to buy one DVD - recommendations please! - and start with that in my home. I know that I have asked before...will someone help me remember which ones you said were good? :-)

My long term goal - The PF Chang Marathon in January of 2011 - right before our cruise in March. I am hoping that by that time I won't even recognize my own body. Gosh, I would LOVE that!!!!!

I am going to start logging my progress, so that everyone can help cheer me on. You have always been a really good cheering squad - it is always appreciated :-)

Now I must give myself the love of a good night's rest. Night!

A Fresh New Year!

Well, we just got home this evening from being in Vegas. I would love to fill everyone in on how the two week shut down went and update you on how the kids enjoyed their time here at their AZ home, but I just don't have that much time (or energy) to put it all into words...but I don't think I need to; the pictures tell the story. And for those of you that HAVE asked...yes, my very first trip to Vegas was awesome; I LOVE that place! The fact that it is a beautiful 5 hour drive through the desert and mountains (and the Hoover Dam), and rates are so silly cheap, we are so there again soon!

I am not making any New Year's resolutions, so thanks to everyone that hasn't asked. I just think they are silly. If you are true to yourself and what you stand for, your actions will supercede any promise you make to yourself on January 1st...or any other day for that matter.

I will end, though, tonight with some thoughts that I just read from FlyLady. If you do not know how she is, you need to. She (actually they) is a God-Send! If you do decide to make a New Year's resolution, hopefully it will include love and forgivenes:

"Have you been wearing your heart on your sleeve? Do you perceive that you have been wronged in some way by others? Are you wearing all the wrongs like a cloak of armor? Have these wrongs been the foundation for your whining? Are they what have kept you from FLYing? Armor is heavy stuff! When we blame others we need to look closely at our own actions. This is why we tell you that this is a NO WHINING ZONE!

Tribes used to sacrifice a poor innocent goat for their sins. They would heap all their sins on the scapegoat and send it out into the wilderness. Have all the wrongs been heaped upon you! Do you feel like the scapegoat? Are you acting like a martyr?

Have you been hoarding these wrongs? This is just like we do with clutter, we hold on to things past their usefulness. When we get our feelings hurt it is best to discuss it as soon as possible. The longer it festers the worse it is on you! Are you hearing this? The person who has wronged you may not even know they have done anything to hurt your feelings or they may not even care. If you don't talk about it and clear the air; you will be the only one suffering. Discussing the wrong will let you know two things; they are mean and need to be prayed for, or they didn't know they had hurt your feelings and they apologize. Either way you have released the wrong and it is no longer being hoarded.

Some of you are going to argue that it is not easy to forgive and forget. If you notice, I didn't say forget! When a snake shows its fangs this is a warning! If you pick that snake up and put it in your pocket; whose fault is it when you get bitten. Forgiveness is the gift, you give yourself.

You get what you give! But if you give in order to get, you will always be left wanting! At the start of this New Year let's symbolically take off that armor of wrongs! Put each wrong on a Post-It Note. Imagine that you peel each wrong off your sleeve and put it in an old pie pan. Then take it outside or put it in your fire place and put a match to them. As you watch your wrongs (the ones you have been hoarding) go up in smoke send a prayer of gratitude up with it! Be thankful that you no longer have to hold on to this and thankful that now you know!"


I hope you enjoyed that thought as much as I did. For all us Christians, the Lord's prayer puts us straight:

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy Kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen

with that...goodnight! xoxo

My Husband Made Me Coffee!

It has been a really great two weeks since I last posted. Halloween was a lot of fun (well, not as much fun as it could have been with the kids, but none-the-less) and we actually had a few treaters - I only had a few pieces of candy left! That made me much happier. We started out the weekend with a carving party at Bryan and Becky's. They have absolutely the cutest daughter, Abbie. She has such great manners and is a pleasure to be around...but Becky and Bryan are really great people, so it isn't a surprise. Saturday we were invited to Fred and Barb's for dinner and then we handed out candy. We ended the night at Nicole and Paul's with a bon fire and some spirits and we got to meet a few of our neighbors...good finale. Amanda was able to join us also which just put the frosting on the cake. I was glad that we got to spend the evening together. She is such a great friend :-)

Last weekend we also received our 5 roses from Ryan. They are being nursed back to health after the traumatic move, but I think they will survive. They are very pretty. We placed 3 by the hot tub and 2 by the dining room porch. It was very kind of Ryan to give them to us. We are very appreciative.

Kristy and I continue to hike almost every weekend on South Mountain. The weather has gotten cooler which contributes to a pleasant trek - not to mention the company is great!! The girls and I are still walking/running at lunch too! I am really proud of Julie. She continues to push herself and says she loves the way she is feeling - go Julie! I continue to run every evening either on Telegraph Pass or Desert Classic...the latter is a little easier on the joints, so I have been doing that more frequently. I am now up to 55 minutes non-stop...more than I have ever done in the past. It makes me feel really good that I can do it. I sorta feel like I can accomplish anything now...I am eager to push myself to the next level. I welcome the challenge.

Thursday was Rock Bottom's Harvest Brewer's Dinner. It was a fabulous evening! The food (5 course meal) was spectacular and the beer selection was great. We met a few new people too that were a lot of fun. We exchanged phone numbers, and hopefully we will all get to hang out again soon.

This past Saturday Matt, Murph, Amanda and I took a day trip to Jerome. We sampled some of the local fair (The Haunted Hamburger) and shopped in all the small boutiques around the town. It was a very fun day. I recommend to anyone that is looking for a great day trip to check out Jerome - the galleries/talent is just as good as Sedona at half the hype/price. You can find something unique for everyone on your Christmas list. We finished our day at a local Phoenix sushi restaurant...what a great day.

Today has been a catch up day...and it started with Matt making me coffee - first time ever! Woke up and was posting all of the pictures, when I smelled something. Then it hit me. Matt was on the back porch, and asked him if he had made me coffee, and he said yes! I was so surprised. It was very thoughtful of him.

Matt and I got all of our chores done, including the complete clean-out of the garbage compactor...disgusting...and then got ready for our Skype call with the kids. Then, all of a sudden Matt starts getting sick. He has been asleep ever since. Soooo, it has been a quiet remainder of the night. I will finish with packing my lunch and laying out my clothes...Flylady would be proud. Speaking of which, check out the Phoenix newspaper this weekend. There is a write up on her and how great her system is...and you ladies tease me! :-)

I LOVE Fall!

Since coming back from Michigan, things have been very nice. Here's some updates:

House - Matt is still working on the tree in the front yard and the hot tub. The tree is finally starting to look good. He has all of the decorations out, and has impressed some of our neighbors. Matt thinks he has FINALLY figured out the hot tub - a valve is not working correctly. However, I think that he has agreed to call in an expert (thank goodness!). We finally got our dryer, and the washer doesn't look so lonely in the laundry room. Sorry Mom, forgot to tell you last night. I will take pictures tonight and update the left side - look for at "Updates to House." I am learning that the only thing I really do not like about AZ is the dust. Man, what is up with it. I wash my floors constantly and my floors are still filmy. I have been talking with a few of the ladies here and they have given me their advice. I think that I will need to get an interim sweeper/duster for the floors in between washes. Rubber Made makes a pretty good one (Kelly - our cleaning lady at work swears by it, so does Julie). I guess I can purchase it at Home Depot. The advantage that one has is that you can put your own cleaner in it. It is worth a try - anything is at this point! :-)

Friends - We are starting to meet new people and get invited to different activities which helps with the home sickness of not having our friends. We had a really nice evening last Saturday with our next-door-neighbors Bryan and Becky and their adorable daughter Abbie (I hope I am spelling that right). We hung out a little and chit-chatted at their house, and then headed to Arriba for dinner. It was really great to get to know them better...and the food was great! We hope to hang with them again soon. While outside today, Paul from down the street came and introduced himself. He is the father of the little boy I teased over the fence a couple of weeks ago, Preston. They are originally from Chicago (go figure; no one is ACTUALLY from AZ). It just so happens they have a daughter named Olivia also. He invited us down to their home on Halloween. He told us to bring a bottle...told you we were going to fit in well here! LOL. He said everyone pretty much congregates there, brings their candy, the kids run around (it is not like any of them could really get lost in such a small gated community), and then finish the night there. I sort of feel a little embarrassed...I was SO WORRIED about Halloween being lame this year because of being in a small community. I guess I had nothing to worry about.

Hiking - Wow, what an amazing hike we had yesterday. I hope you check out the pictures. The Fall colors were ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!! Who says you can't have color here like you do in Michigan? Not me! We hiked for a little over 4 hours up the Mogollon Rim near Payson. If you are looking for color in AZ, don't look any further. I am not sure where we will head next weekend, but I hope it is as good as Saturday. We had such an enjoyable time!

I have been running every day at lunch with the girls, and running up Telegraph Pass to Dobbins Peak and then back down every night. It is a great workout and I burn major calories!!! I think I finally found my workout regime that I have always been looking for. I am starting to feel so powerful...my legs are turning rock hard, my thighs are starting to slim down, and teaching my body to breath more steadily has really pushed me to the next level. I am registering for the Pat Tillman next year, but everyone thinks that I need to do something else. We shall see...I just want to work on my timing up and down the mountain right now and my heart rate. My goal is 40 minutes without my heart rate going over 150. Right now, I am at 50 minutes and 154 BPM. I know I can push myself to get to that goal. If I have learned anything from the past month is that I can do it!

Tomorrow is another Monday...not looking forward to it, but it is another day towards seeing the kids...Thanksgiving is just around the corner now. I welcome Fall with open loving arms!

Liv

Arizona Normalcy

blank spot

So life has pretty much settled down...we are moved in, unpacked, and getting used to living in an actual home - no more apartment living!

Our home is beautiful; I just love it! I couldn't ask for a more gorgeous house to come home to. I have started to focus on decorating now, and slowly but surely getting colors, styles, and textures together. It has been fun to shop and bargain hunt; I have really done a good job money wise with what I have bought thus far (Bed Bath and Beyond Clearance Center is the best!) Down here, house stuff is really inexpensive; it is very easy to decorate on a dime. You just have to be patient and hunt a little. I have the kids bath and the downstairs bath done now and have started on the kitchen. The extra wall space has been an intimidation to me (I have always been scared to put pictures up; don't feel I am very good at it), but I have promised myself that the walls will be colorful and the house will look lived in. Mom just bought us our wall clock to go up over the fireplace and it looks fabulous! (Look at "Updates to House" pictures on the left side) I do have all the time in the world, so I am in no hurry...plus, I am having too much fun making this place our own.

Matt's hot tub project is still his little project...every Saturday he spends the entire morning cleaning and getting it ready for the weekend...I just laugh. He spends WAY too much time on it, LOL. I have told him that he should get someone out here to look at it, and show him how to keep it up, but he really doesn't have anything else to work on around the house and he enjoys the challenge, so I guess it isn't my place to care.

The weather has started to cool down now which means longer day hikes can start back up with Matt. I have been hiking early in the morning with my new friend Kristy on South Mountain. We hike for approximately 3 hours and burn about 1,350 calories. These workouts have really built up my stamina. I could tell yesterday that I was stronger than normal in comparison to where I was at the beginning of the year. It made me feel good. Matt didn't have to continue to look back this time - I actually led on the way up!!

We have been doing this project for Tyler that has had us laughing all week! We have had to take this "little guy" - a colored, cut-out picture of a little boy named Flat Stanley with us everywhere. You will have to check out the pictures. We hope that Tyler likes what we did. We have had a really fun time with it.

Today will be a normal Sunday for us - football, grocery shopping and getting ready for the next week of work. We head back to Michigan on Friday for Tyler's birthday. We are very excited to see the kids. We really miss them!!

Hope everyone is doing good. Miss you all!
Olivia

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.