Hiking the White Tank Mtns

Memorial Day weekend started at 9:00am Saturday. Heather and I decided to go hiking in the White Tanks. It was absolutely gorgeous! There was a lovely breeze to keep us comfortable as we climbed and we had wonderful conversation. We reached this point at around 11:45am... (Isn't the view spectacular? Have you ever seen a sky such a fabulous shade of blue?)

...when we began discussing how much further we wanted to go before turning back. We chose to continue on and Heather was in the lead as we were chatting away. Not even 10 minutes had passed when Heather decided rather suddenly that it was time to turn back. This is what inspired her:



Yes, Ladies and Gentlemen, that IS a rattlesnake curled up on the trail about 10 feet in front of where Heather stopped short. If it weren't for zoom lenses, this story would have been told without illustration. No way on earth was I getting any closer. He didn't move an inch the entire time and we certainly gave him no incentive to interrupt his nap in the shade!!!

That was all the excitement I cared to experience for the day and I spent the remainder reading a great Harlan Coben novel.

Come Sunday morning we had a jam-packed schedule. We arrived at church early so that Heather could go through the order of service. She transferred her membership from her home church in Ohio to Trinity and was welcomed by the congregation during the service. After church, the Young Adults headed over to Jon & Gretchen's house for a pool party. Jon fired up the grill and we spent hours in the pool. The water was a perfect 82 degrees and a welcome relief from the rising temperatures. Upon leaving the pool party, Heather and I had 45 minutes to kill before heading to Lucas' farewell party. He moved to Ohio to attend Bluffton. We will miss him dearly, but I'm sure he'll visit! You can take the man out of the Valley, but you can't take the Valley out of the man! :)

Monday morning also began bright and early. I was out of the house by 8am on my way to Tempe to help Jarod and Megan load their Uhaul trailer. They are moving back to Kansas tomorrow and Megan's parents drove down to help with the move. Many hands made quick work of the task and soon we were inside enjoying pizza one last time with the Waltners. The next few hours were spent in the waiting room at Sears while I had a shredded tire replaced. Many thanks to Ben Shetler for observing its poor condition and warning me so that I didn't have a blowout on the interstate when I returned home. My car came with custom rims and low-profile tires when I purchased it and they require special treatment! I'm not to fond of them right now. They are specially designed for racing and driving at high speeds and are quite bothersome to someone who merely needs to commute to work and church. Anyone want to trade?? :)

Well, I should go now. I need to finish packing for my trip to Indy! I leave directly from work and need to be ready to load the car before I go to bed.

See photo album for more shots of the hike!

Olfactory memories

I came home tonight wearing the perfume that is a unique blend of baby wipes, squash puree, and formula. I love spending quality time with Charlie! It's so sweet when he falls asleep on my shoulder. I'm a little bummed though, because these olfactory memories will have to last 6 weeks! Claire is taking the kids to Europe to visit her family and they won't be back until the beginning of July! :( I get to babysit one more time tomorrow before they leave. The kids will have grown and developed so much by the time they return. I'm going to miss them!

Countdown!

Only 13 more days to go until I fly to Indy for Joel's graduation and a few days of family camping. I can't believe it's been a year since I left. Time sure flies by when you're having fun! I'm so looking forward to seeing my family and friends in Indiana.

Having experienced the full 12-month cycle of Phoenix life, I can say with absolute certainty: Honey, I'm home!! Life here is absolutely amazing. The weather is wonderful. No snow, not much rain, no tornadoes... it's great. There is something fun and exciting happening every day (even if I can't participate each day!!) and boredom is a rarity. We have athletic events, musical venues, ministry opportunities, artistic programs, mountains for hiking and/or climbing, lakes for aquatic activities... the list goes on and on. And let's not forget the most important thing: friends with whom to enjoy all these things. I am so blessed and I just wanted to share my heart. Thank you to everyone I have met since I moved. Thank you for making me a part of your lives. I am so thrilled to know you. You have made my life richer by being in it.

A Psalm 118:24 kind of day

Yesterday was such a wonderful day! The weather was absolutely beautiful. Not too hot, not too cold, not too high an allergen content... just fantastic. We young adults of Trinity had our last monthly picnic in the park before the 100 days of 100 degrees arrive. It was so lovely. We had a great time together eating lunch, playing frisbee, and catching up on the happenings in our lives. It was fabulous to enjoy the day without deadlines, agendas, schedules, worries, or obligations. As I was sitting on the picnic bench, I was reminded of Psalm 118:24 "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." When I get overwhelmed and caught up by all the human things of this world, it's a welcome respite to strip those things away and re-focus on my Savior and His creation.

NEW JOB!!

I have a new job! I am a member of the accounting team at Southwest Metals/Copper Consulting Inc. (SWM & CCI) The facility is located in Glendale, so the commute is much, much shorter and the hours are 7:30-4:00, so I can get more involved in mid-week activities at church. I'm very excited about it.

Today was my first day and it was really great! I had forgotten how much I love accounting work. Classes have been driving me up a wall and I lost sight of the pleasure of applying the concepts. Last, but not least, the dress code is business casual, so I can wear jeans!!! WHOO HOO! Those suits are going in the back of the closet!

Here is a picture of me on my way out the door this morning.

I'm looking forward to many more days, months, and years with this great company. My coworkers are fun, energetic, and personable, so I have much to anticipate every morning. :)