Don't pinch me if I'm dreaming

Waterskiing!!!

2009-08-17T09:06:00.003-07:00

I went waterskiing on Lake Pleasant yesterday with some friends from church. What a rush! So much fun, but so much work too. A full body workout! :)

A Merry Birthday Week

2009-07-23T13:32:00.003-07:00

This past week has been full of birthday-related activities. On the 14th, I got my birthday card from David, Cindi, Joe & Levi. It was so perfect! I had just experienced an exceptionally difficult day at work and it was so special to read the card and the loving words it contained. Thank you. Keturah and I are planning a Girls Night Out to include dinner (sorry, SUPPER, ha ha) at Applebees where we'll use the giftcard I received from David & Cindi.

Wednesday, my boss took me out to PF Chang for lunch. So delicious!

While at work, I received a note from Keturah informing me that my birthday present was being held hostage. I was given a location and time to arrive in order to "ransom" my gift. (They gave me Harkins tickets and a coupon for 1lb of Sees Chocolates!) I showed up that evening and discovered a surprise party Keturah organized with friends from church. Such fun!

On Thursday, the celebration continued when part 1 (of 2) of my gift from Debbie arrived. Such beautiful earrings! I also received my new AAA membership card from Mom for the next year.

Friday evening resulted in more celebration when I went to babysit for Ben & Claire. The had made cupcakes and bought me a beautiful bouquet of flowers. The kids sang Happy Birthday (so precious) and we played the game of MY choice (a rarity, to be sure!) before bedtime.

On Saturday, our household enjoyed a fabulous dinner (sorry again, supper!) at Fogo de Chao, a Brazilian steakhouse. This was my gift from Dad & Grandma. It was such a lovely experience. Aaron & Keturah spent several years in Brazil, so they had lots of interesting cultural information to share while we ate.

On Sunday, I watched My Fair Lady (an annual tradition since my 13th birthday) and just relaxed at home.

Monday continued with birthday wishes from the residents of the Goldensun program. We have supper together every week as a community. We rotate which household hosts and which brings the dessert. It's really wonderful.

Tuesday marked the arrival of part 2 (of 2) of my gift from Debbie. She bought me a gorgeous little black dress for a night out. It fits perfectly! I can't wait to wear it.

Yesterday I received my gift from Travis, a giftcard to Williams-Sonoma. I can't wait to spend it. I'm buying a double-boiler so I can make Hot Chocolate Fondant. I'll be stopping by the store tonight. Whee!!

New job

2009-06-08T22:49:00.002-07:00

Well, I'm into Week 2 at my new job as staff accountant at Lindal North America. Lindal
It's going really well. I'm learning a lot about the company and I have great hopes for a long partnership at this company. I anticipate advancing professionally within the company structure. I also intend to resume my languages training from my college days. We have facilities in many different countries and I am intrigued by the possibilities.

The best vacation a girl could want!

2009-05-06T12:46:00.001-07:00

April 29, 2009
I didn't sleep all night. No big surprise. I'm always too wired and my brain spinning too fast to get any rest the night before a big trip/move.

April 30, 2009
I finally gave up the fight (after waking at 30-minute intervals from midnight to 5am) and took a shower. I then made breakfast for the road while Levi got ready. Aunt Cindi stopped by at 5:45am to wish us well and give us a batch of cookies for the trip. We pulled out of the drive at 5:52am and so began our trans-continental journey! Our first day of travel was rather uneventful and mostly familiar as we retraced our previously traveled route. NY, PA, OH, IN, IL all went by without a hitch. I had downloaded some audiobooks to my iPod so we were entertained by Dean Koontz when conversation topics were scarce. We arrived in Moline, IL after 14 hours of driving and checked into our hotel. I had been craving Outback for several weeks previous, so I Googled the nearest restaurant and we headed out. Our room was on the 2nd floor and the staircase was straight. It had a very nice wide banister that I wanted to slide down. Levi ended up going down first and boy was it a quick ride! Here, it gets fuzzy. Levi recalls saying "You shouldn't do it." because it was difficult to stop at the bottom, but I either didn't hear him, or my subconscious chose to ignore him. :-/ I enjoyed the ride down, but I botched the landing. I rolled my right ankle a bit, but caught myself from falling too far forward... or so I thought. It tingled a bit, but then didn't hurt at all, so we went ahead and had supper at Outback. As the meal was ending, my foot suddenly "exploded" and swelled up quite a bit! OUCH! We returned to the hotel and Levi quickly got me some ice and pillows. He fashioned an icepack out of a washcloth and I propped it up on several pillows. Then we went to sleep. It had been a LONG day!

May 1, 2009
By the next morning, the swelling had reduced significantly and it only felt a little sore. It didn't hurt at all to hold my foot in the position to drive, so off we went! Cruise control is a beautiful thing! Whenever we switched places, I propped my foot up on the dash to help relieve the swelling. We crossed IA, NE and into CO that day. I don't remember much of significance in IA or NE... it all started to blur together. Lots and lots of flatness with nothing to keep my interest. CO should have been gorgeous, but it was raining and overcast so visibility was awful. It was a real bummer after another long day of driving. After we checked in to our hotel, we started looking for someplace local for supper. We both were in the mood for pasta, so we picked Biaggi's Ristorante Italiano and savored a delicious meal and excellent conversation. Levi had Ziti al Forno and I had Tilapia Florentine on a bed of angel hair. We shared Bruschetta Classico for an appetizer and Tiramisu for dessert. YUM, YUM, YUMMY! We returned to the hotel, iced my ankle again and went to bed praying that the rain and clouds would go away so we could see Pikes Peak.

May 2, 2009
"Weather conditions: Fog advisory. Visibility less than 1/4 mile." BOOO! I was not happy to open the drapes and be greeted by gray. We went to breakfast (which was a fabulous hot buffet!) and debated whether to wait out the fog so we could drive up Pikes Peak or hit the road and improvise our travels to incorporate a scenic trip through CO. After being assured by the concierge that it would be a waste of time to attempt Pikes Peak, we got out the atlas and planned a new route. My Rand McNally had red ribbon routes that the editors deemed the best, most scenic routes in the state and we decided to take SR50 to SR550 to SR160 through the Four Corners Monument and on into Arizona ending in Flagstaff. What a trip! I'm so glad we chose to leave the interstate for a more interesting drive! We really enjoyed seeing so much diversity in the CO countryside and soon found ourselves in Ouray. At this time, Levi was driving, but it was time to switch. I didn't speak up in time to stop in town, but we pulled onto a scenic overlook on one of the several switchbacks leading south out of town and took the opportunity for photos. I got behind the wheel, pulled onto the highway, rounded a curve and found the biggest surprise! The road was rather narrow, had NO shoulder, had fallen rocks and snow littering the road, and it dropped off quite steeply on the passenger's side. I was SO GLAD we had switched places because I would have been freaking out in Levi's place. He assured me it was quite all right to hug the center line and drive slowly and carefully! :) What a trooper! It had been raining lightly all morning, so the road was also quite wet. WHEE!!!! It took us 3 hours to ascend and descend 5 summits. We ran into some snow on 2 of the summits (one was elevation 10,990 ft) but I managed to keep the car on the road and avoided any road hazards or accidents. Several times I pulled off to let the crazy locals go barreling by us. I was a bit strung out at the end, but what an adrenaline rush! We would have never seen so much of the mountains had we simply ascended Pikes Peak and taken the interstate to Flagstaff. We got a lot of amazing photos, whenever Levi was brave enough to take his eyes off the road! :) Levi took over in Durango and we headed onward to Four Corners. We almost didn't stop. The published closing time on the website was 5pm and we arrived at 6:12pm, so Levi just drove on past. I happened to glance at the sign as we went by and promptly yelled "STOP!" The hours listed there were 8am-7pm, so we turned around and went in. We took a few minutes for a photo op, decided to forgo the multitude of vendors selling souveniers, and got back on the road to Flagstaff. We arrived later than planned (9:30pm PST) so decided to adjust our plans for the next day to allow for more sleeping time.

May 3, 2009
Grand Canyon Day!! Whoo Hoo!!! I was quite excited to begin our day. Having already been to the Canyon twice, I was more excited for Levi to experience it than to see it myself. I was still blown away, though. Each time at the Canyon is like seeing it for the first time. It always takes my breath away. So powerful and majestic! It was invigorating to worship in God's sanctuary this Sunday morning. We went west on I-40 to 64 and arrived in the park just before 9am. We stopped at Mather first and Levi got his first look. The Bugger wouldn't close his eyes and let me lead him to the railing to maximize the impact of his first look, but was duly impressed nonetheless. :-p We spent some time taking photos before moving on to the next overlook. We continued on to the Village and then headed back to South Kaibab trailhead for a hike down into the Canyon. My ankle had recovered quite nicely although I didn't yet have full mobility. Armed with water, snacks, and Advil (for me) we started the descent into the Canyon. It was AWESOME! Levi was in the lead and I followed at a careful pace so as not to aggravate my injury. I felt guilty for slowing him down and eventually cutting the hike short, but he was very gracious. We went in for approximately a mile to a place where the trail rounded a point and exposed so much more of the Canyon to our line of sight. We took lots of pictures and rested a bit before beginning to climb back up the trail to the rim. We met quite a few people on the trail and had fun guessing where they came from and what languages they were speaking. We walked back to the car and left the park. As we headed south, we decided to save Sedona and 89 for another time and headed down I-17 to Surprise. We arrived at Heather & Kristen's in time for supper and enjoyed great fun and fellowship. After supper, we went for a walk around the Stadium and then wound down the evening with conversation before heading to bed.

May 4, 2009
We were greeting in the morning to a breakfast of Heather’s famous baked oatmeal. YUM! After seeing Heather and Kristen off to work, Levi & I packed up the car again and headed out for San Diego via Joshua Tree National Park. The unrelenting miles of desert west of Phoenix were a bit much for Levi, so he caught a nap while I drove. J We switched places in Blythe, CA and pushed on toward JTNP. We chose the route that bisected the park and started driving. There wasn’t much to see in the first half of the park, but we finally came upon something of interest in the form of a Cholla cactus garden. There was a walking path through the garden and a brochure with points of interest, so we got out of the car and started exploring. I was rather preoccupied checking the shadows for snakes while also avoiding close proximity to the cacti, but I still enjoyed the venture. We got back in the car and continued our search for Joshua trees. At another spot, we pulled over again to take a look around. As I was driving toward the pull off, Levi spotted something that looked like a snake, but we went by too quickly to confirm. On our way back out, there was a long “stick” across the road. As I drove by, it moved and I couldn’t avoid running over it. Immediately I heard a familiar sound. It was a rattlesnake!!! I put the car in reverse so we could get a better look. He was under a shrub on the side of the road by that time, so Levi had a hard time getting a good photo. We didn’t have any trouble hearing him, though. He was rattling quite vigorously! At this point, Levi decided to keep his arm inside the car instead of out the window and we continued on through the park. We made several more stops for photos of the Joshua trees and then exited the park and resumed our journey to San Diego. Once again we decided to skip the more scenic (and therefore LONGER) routes and took the interstate down to SD. After checking into the hotel, we went in search of a beach and the Pacific Ocean! We headed toward Imperial Beach, but found Silver Strand State Beach first, so we stopped and walked down to the water. Levi went in first so I could get a photo of his first time in the Pacific, then we both went in to play in the surf. It was cold, but not unbearably. After 10 minutes or so, we were both chilled and decided to get out, dry off, and take a walk while watching the sunset. After the sun went down, we got even colder, so we went back to the hotel to clean up and thaw out before supper. It was a very fun and satisfying day and before bed we had a discussion about the next day’s activities. We decided to wait until morning to make a final decision and hit the sack.

May 5, 2009
We decided to head to Coronado Beach for a few hours before heading to the airport. It was a very relaxing morning under the sunshine. We built a sand castle (more like a Tudor Mansion) and then went for a walk on the beach. By the time we returned to the car, it was time to leave for the airport so Levi could catch his plane home. I dropped him off at arrivals, said goodbye, and headed back to Phoenix by myself. Levi’s flight took off as scheduled and he arrived safely home after midnight. I drove on I-8 to Phoenix and arrived home at 5:30pm, thus concluding the move. Thanks for the memories, Levi!

Forgiveness

2009-02-19T07:56:00.002-08:00

Last Thursday, as I was shoveling wet, heavy snow because Grandpa didn't plow the driveway, I found myself getting so angry and frustrated! In my head, I started running through his whole list of offenses over the past year. God spoke His truth to me in the middle of my internal rant and told me I need to forgive AND forget. It's not for me to hold Grandpa accountable for his actions (or lack thereof) and this anger I was feeling was a barrier in my relationship with God. Matthew 6:15 says "But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." I had been telling myself all this time that God wanted me to develop patience and show kindness, but I was withholding forgiveness. I was keeping SCORE! I justified my attitude and behavior based on my scorekeeping and let that bitterness and resentment build up inside until it overflowed and poisoned all my other relationships. I had become a person that no one wanted to be around! By God's grace and mercy, I let go of it all and was liberated by His forgiveness. I feel happy, positive, optimistic, refreshed, cleansed, relieved! The burden has been lifted and I'm FREE!!!

It isn't always easy, and I sometimes fall back into the old thought pattern, but with His help, I'm learning to embrace the freedom that comes with receiving God's forgiveness and passing that forgiveness along to those who hurt me. I'm trying to live out Matthew 6:14 and 7:1-2 on a daily basis, all for the Glory of God.

Ladies Tea Party

2009-02-07T15:40:00.003-08:00

Michelle hosted the loveliest Ladies Valentines Tea Party today. We had a slumber party last night: ate Garlic Ginger Chicken Stir Fry, watched a chick flick, and prepped food stuffs for the party. This morning we continued prep work and had so much fun bonding in the kitchen. It reminded me a lot of the parties Heather and I hosted. The finished products were amazing (Michelle is such a fabulous master planner/cook) and we had a great time chatting and eating the delicious food!

Raspberry-filled scones with a rose-water glaze

Ham, asparagus, & Gruyère quiche

Smoked Salmon tea sandwiches

(I had fun with the cookie cutters!)

See the photo album for the full menu and presentation. It was quite fabulously wonderful.

25 Random Things About Moi

2009-01-22T11:50:00.003-08:00

This is something that is going around on Facebook and I thought I'd share it with my non-Facebook friends. I don't want you to feel neglected! (P.S. JOIN FACEBOOK Y'ALL!!)

1. Every time I hear the song "Higher" by Creed, I am taken back to Sunday afternoons spent in the closet in my dorm at BJU, where I talked on the phone with Levi, getting the encouragement I needed to survive the following week. Yeah, the room was that small. Yeah, I had 3 roommates. Yeah, privacy was THAT hard to find. They probably heard more than I wanted or hoped.
2. My favorite place to take a nap is on the trampoline in the front yard.
3. I vividly remember every moment of my first solo horseback ride.
4. I love to grill… even in the winter!
5. I can recite every single line from Disney’s Aladdin.
6. While we were in the Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire airport, a man tried to convince my mission’s team leader to accept nine goats in exchange for me and two other girls on our team.
7. I want to interrupt the regular programming of my life so I can go live in a villa in Tuscany for a year…or 10.
8. I think the barn smells sweet, not stinky.
9. I believe there are many Christian, honorable men my age.
10. I believe I am related to all the aforementioned men.
11. I ran away from home when I was 14. I came back…obviously.
12. My guardian angel gets hazard pay. :-)
13. I had to overcome an unhealthy addiction to Facebook.
14. I love to experiment with recipes.
15. I cheated on a test even though I knew the material, just to see if I could get away with it. Then I felt so guilty, I confessed, but the teacher let me retake a new set of questions instead of getting a 0.
16. I am an eternal optimist who still believes in happily ever after, despite evidence to the contrary.
17. I can literally be lost inside a book for 5-6 hours at a time, completely oblivious to the world.
18. I remember all of my dreams. Some of them are re-runs.
19. I can replay past conversations in my head, even years after they occurred.
20. My favorite actor is also my least favorite: Jim Carrey
21. My iPod has 2,457 songs on it.
22. I like to send text messages, even when people don’t reply.
23. I left my heart in Arizona.
24. I sleep in a queen-size bed so I don’t fall out.
25. I LOVE riding roller coasters even though they terrify me.

White Christmas

2008-12-09T17:44:00.005-08:00

If our current weather pattern is any indication, we will definitely be having a white Christmas in Boylston. We have had a lot of snow fall in the past few weeks!

We have 42"accumulated in our front yard.

Here is a tree God decorated for us.

So pretty!

Here is a tree I decorated in our living room. :)

Adventures in Pumpkin Pie Making

2008-11-06T05:38:00.003-08:00

So... I had the brilliant inspiration (from Uncle David) to make a pumpkin pie... completely from scratch. The crust? Piece of cake... ummm, pie? No problems there. I've got that one down pat. The pumpkin... hmm, not so easy. It was a "small" pumpkin (2-3 lbs) but I didn't have a cutting utensil big enough to go through it. What resulted was a comedy routine worthy of the Apollo. I was tempted to borrow Grandpa's chain saw, but eventually prevailed with a butcher's knife.

All you need for a single pie is 2 cups of cooked pumpkin, but as I was cutting it up, I discovered my "little" pumpkin yielded WAY more than I needed. Dilemma: What to do with all the extra? 1) Cut up the whole thing and make more pies, 2) Cut it up and freeze it raw, 3) Cut it up and freeze it cooked, or 4) Leave it uncut and freeze the whole pieces. After a few unsuccessful phone calls to my mom & siser for advice, I decided to go ahead and make more pies. Whoops. Didn't really think that one through. AFTER making the filling, I discovered I had enough for 4 pies... BUT only 3 pie plates! Oh dear. What to do? What to do? Being a firm believer in Improvisation, I dug out my creme brulee rammekins and made a bunch of mini-pies. They're really cute!

Start to finish, this pie-making adventure lasted 3.75 hours! I had a lot of fun but now have a new dilemma: What am I to do with all these pies???? I can probably count on Levi to eat 1 by himself (one of his favorites) but what about the rest?? Anyone want a pie... or two? :-)

Talcott Falls

2008-10-06T18:04:00.003-07:00

Ok, wow, I have no idea how I got from mid-July to the beginning of October without a single post. Time sure flies.

Today I had the opportunity to enjoy a local waterfall on my drive home. Talcott Falls is on Route 11, just north of Adams Center. It was absolutely gorgeous with the sun shining (even though the ambient temperature was NOT in the least bit warm) and the water flow was substantial due to recent rains. It was a wonderful chance to take a deep cleansing breath and let go of the worry and anxiety of life.

Click here to see the rest of the photos in the album.

Happy Birthday to me! :)

2008-07-16T05:40:00.006-07:00

I had a phenomenal start to this next year of my life. It was a busy, busy day and I wouldn't have changed a single thing.

Here's a timeline of my day yesterday:
~5:30am - Got ready for work and sat down to THE BEST breakfast ever: Mom's biscuits and sausage gravy. YUM!
~6:45am - Was continually entertained on the drive to work. (It amazes me sometimes how well we get along.) Received the perfect birthday card and a fantastic present: Six Collector's Edition Thimbles, each one representing the History of the John Deere Trademarks.
~12:00pm - Treated myself to a birthday lunch at Panera. I love the strawberry poppyseed salad with a half chicken caesar sandwich. I then crossed the parking lot to Target and used my birthday money from Grandma Wilson to buy a lime-green jersey dress and matching earrings.
~2:30pm - Was serenaded by a slightly off-key rendition of "Happy Birthday" by my coworkers and enjoyed a piece of marble cake. I was a little surprised when the customers at the counter joined in the singing, but I rolled with it. Spent the rest of the day at work in a sugar-induced coma. That was SOME CAKE!
~4:45pm - Dragged Levi away from his office and enjoyed being chauffered home via the scenic route instead of boring old I-81.
~6:30pm - Played softball on the Union Church team, but had to cut out during the 6th inning because I didn't want to be late for SUPPER!
~8:00pm - Savored every last bite of the birthday supper that Aunt Cindi prepared for me which I was privileged to share with my fabulous family. The menu: Pork chops cooked in the crockpot in a creamy onion/mushroom marinade, white rice with gravy from the pork chop marinade, and mixed veggies with Catalina dressing. Dessert was a decadent strawberry shortcake and Chrissy's famous fruit pizza. YUM, YUM, and YUMMY!
~9:30pm - Opened presents! Debbie bought me a bobblehead turtle statue for my garden... SO CUTE! Aunt Cindi & Uncle David gave me matching earrings, a necklace, and bracelets to go with my favorite LBD. Chrissy & Joe gave me a specatular pair of earrings purchased from Ten Thousand Villages. Joel gave me a collection of items from Grand Turks: a conch, a basket of mixed shells, and a bobble dolphin (the tail and flippers are on springs). Mom gave me another year's membership to AAA which is greatly appreciated. I have had to use it at least once every year and it's such a comfort whenever I'm on the road to know I have that resource.
~10:45pm - Fell into bed, pleasantly exhausted from the day's activities, and dreamed about the year to come. See Photos.

I'm looking forward to what God has in store for my life. I'm so blessed! Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who helped make my day so special. I LOVE YOU!!

Politics

2008-06-06T09:10:00.003-07:00

Hmm...how on earth are we to truly know how a politician will serve once elected? Does history repeat itself so that by knowing their past decisions we can predict their future decisions? Makes you wonder.

http://www.votesmart.org/ - Good research source

Below is an article about Obama. Interesting.

Ken Blackwell - Columnist for the New York Sun
It's an amazing time to be alive in America. We're in a year of firsts in this presidential election: the first viable woman candidate; the first viable African-American candidate; and, a candidate who is the first frontrunning freedom fighter over 70. The next president of America will be a first.
We won't truly be in an election of firsts, however, until we judge every candidate by where they stand. We won't arrive where we should be until we no longer talk about skin color or gender.
Now that Barack Obama steps to the front of the Democratic field, we need to stop talking about his race, and start talking about his policies and his politics.
The reality is this: Though the Democrats will not have a nominee until August, unless Hillary Clinton drops out, Mr. Obama is now the frontrunner, and its time America takes a closer and deeper look at him.
Some pundits are calling him the next John F. Kennedy. He's not. He's the next George McGovern. And it's time people learned the facts.Because the truth is that Mr. Obama is the single most liberal senator in the entire U.S. Senate. He is more liberal than Ted Kennedy, Bernie Sanders, or Mrs. Clinton.
Never in my life have I seen a presidential frontrunner whose rhetoric is so far removed from his record. Walter Mondale promised to raise our taxes, and he lost. George McGovern promised military weakness, and he lost. Michael Dukakis promised a liberal domestic agenda, and he lost.Yet Mr. Obama is promising all those things, and he's not behind in the polls. Why? Because the press has dealt with him as if he were in a beauty pageant.Mr. Obama talks about getting past party, getting past red and blue, to lead the United States of America. But let's look at the more defined strokes of who he is underneath this superficial 'beauty.'
Start with national security, since the president's most important duties are as commander-in-chief. Over the summer, Mr. Obama talked about invading Pakistan, a nation armed with nuclear weapons; meeting without preconditions with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who vows to destroy Israel and create another Holocaust; and Kim Jong II, who is murdering and starving his people, but emphasized that the nuclear option was off the table against terrorists - something no president has ever taken off the table since we created nuclear weapons in the 1940s. Even Democrats who have worked in national security condemned all of those remarks. Mr. Obama is a foreign-policy novice who would put our national security at risk.
Next, consider economic policy. For all its faults, our health care system is the strongest in the world. And free trade agreements, created by Bill Clinton as well as President Bush, have made more goods more affordable so that even people of modest means can live a life that no one imagined a generation ago. Yet Mr. Obama promises to raise taxes on 'the rich.' How to fix Social Security? Raise taxes. How to fix Medicare? Raise taxes. Prescription drugs? Raise taxes. Free college? Raise taxes. Socialize medicine? Raise taxes. His solution to everything is to have government take it over. Big Brother on steroids, funded by your paycheck.
Finally, look at the social issues. Mr. Obama had the audacity to open a stadium rally by saying, 'All praise and glory to God!' but says that Christian leaders speaking for life and marriage have 'hijacked' - hijacked - Christianity. He is pro-partial birth abortion, and pr omises to appoint Supreme Court justices who will rule any restriction on it unconstitutional. He espouses the abortion views of Margaret Sanger, one of the early advocates of racial cleansing. His spiritual leaders endorse homosexual marriage, and he is moving in that direction. In Illinois, he refused to vote against a statewide ban - ban - on all handguns in the state. These are radical left, Hollywood, and San Francisco values, not Middle America values.
The real Mr. Obama is an easy target for the general election. Mrs. Clinton is a far tougher opponent. But Mr. Obama could win if people don't start looking behind his veneer and flowery speeches. His vision of 'bringing America together' means saying that those who disagree with his agenda for America are hijackers or warmongers. Uniting the country means adopting his liberal agenda and abandon ing any conflicting beliefs.
But right now everyone is talking about how eloquent of a speaker he is and - yes - they're talking about his race. Those should never be the factors on which we base our choice for president. Mr. Obama's radical agenda sets him far outside the American mainstream, to the left of Mrs. Clinton.It's time to talk about the real Barack Obama. In an election of firsts, let's first make sure we elect the person who is qualified to be our president in a nuclear age during a global civilizational war.

Different opinion

2008-05-22T11:54:00.000-07:00

This was striking enough to catch my attention and I wonder at the validity. Anyone have an opinion?

http://www.slate.com/id/2191491/?GT1=38001

Experiment

2008-05-20T09:51:00.004-07:00

So, I decided to conduct an experiment to see if redheads have more fun. So far, it's been a positive experience, but I'm only 4 days into to project. Much more research will have to be conducted before a conclusion can be drawn. ;)

Whee!!!

Only in L.A.

2008-05-16T12:04:00.001-07:00

This is just too funny! I had to share it with everyone.

Only in Los Angeles!

1 Thessalonians 5:18

2008-05-12T04:38:00.001-07:00

Well, it has been some time since I last posted. I wish I could say that in the resulting 7 weeks, we have made significant progress in the cleanup and recovery process. Alas, I cannot. Instead, God has been teaching me what He meant in 1 Thess 5:18 when He (through Paul) said "In everything, give thanks." Four simple words with so much power and authority. In the midst of my frustration and pain of dealing with the fire, I find myself challenged. I have never struggled to give God thanks for all the good things in my life. Something wonderful happens and I say "Thank you, Lord, for this blessing. Thank you for loving me and giving me these good things." God has been showing me that this is only half of the effort required. I focus on the word "EVERYTHING" and am convicted to give thanks for all the bad things as well. "Thank you, God, for allowing these bad, unpleasant things to happen so that I can become more and more dependent on You and Your strength. Thank you for pushing me to grow in love and patience and understanding, both for You and for others in my life."

I have not yet mastered this great command. I may never "arrive" in this lifetime. That's ok. The important thing is that I TRY and God has richly blessed me in the process. I have been given opportunities to do so many things for His glory and to find joy in places that I wouldn't have even looked if I hadn't been seeking the strength to give praise and listening to God's gentle guidance. He truly knows what is best for me and I CELEBRATE in that knowledge. It is SO freeing to accept that I don't have to have it all under control or figured out. I am learning (over and over again) to LET GO AND LET GOD. There are times when I get impatient and wrench control back from God, as if I could somehow do better. :/ How marvelous that He doesn't give up and leave me to my own devices!

Ooops!

2008-03-25T11:20:00.000-07:00

So, I've had an interesting weekend. First, some background info. Grandpa left on Wednesday to visit John & Tonya in KY which meant I had to remember to keep the fire going in the boiler so the house would stay heated. I did that just fine until Friday night when I forgot to add more wood before going to bed. I woke up around 2am Saturday absolutely FREEZING because the fire had gone out and the house temp had dropped to 58F. I went out and couldn't find any embers whatsoever so I laid down kindling to start the fire from scratch. I tried lighting it with matches but it wouldn't stay lit so I thought it would help to put in a little kerosene. I went back into the garage from the woodshed to get the can labeled "kerosene" and poured a little bit on the wood. It proceded to explode into flames which knocked me off balance and caused me to drop the fuel can. The can also caught on fire and the wall of the woodshed and subsequently the gloves I was wearing. I was able to throw off the gloves but the fire was spreading FAST and I couldn't get past it to the door leading back into the garage. The flames and smoke forced me to use the the 10' sliding door as my exit point. I struggled a bit with the latch, but I knew I had to get it open or I would die in the woodshed. I finally managed to get the latch loose and simply pushed it out from the wall so I could slip out. I ran around to the front door and called 911. The dispatcher told me to get a cordless phone and GET OUT OF THE HOUSE!! I scooped up my purse so I would have my cell phone and since the cat, Charlie, was at my feet, I grabbed him too. I ran out to the yard and stood by the old truck while I spoke to the dispatcher. I threw Charlie in the cab of the truck and promptly forgot all about him for several hours. I left the cockatiel and fish to fend for themselves. I didn't try to save anything at all. After the trouble I had getting out of the woodshed, I wasn't taking any chances of getting trapped again. I called Mom on my cell while I had the dispatcher on the cordless and told her what was happening. The fire trucks arrived pretty quickly (it only FELT like it took them 200 years) and they immediately started working to keep the fire from spreading to the house. I called Phil Rombach and Mom called George & Trina and all 3 came to stay with me while the firefighters did their thing. My car was in the garage and Grandpa's tractor was in the woodshed, so they were completely destroyed. The garage is no more but the firefighters did a phenomenal job saving the house. The fire did get under the eaves of the house on the SE corner which meant they had to rip out the ceiling in the loft in order to put out the fire in the rafters. The east half of the loft was soaked, but it could have been a lot worse. I gave my statement to the county fire investigator around 4:45am and then went down to Lottie's house to get some sleep. Mom left IN around 4am and arrived here Saturday afternoon. She's been a tremendous help to me with the recovery process. It's going to be a long road to restore things back to normal but I am thankful to be alive and well. It's a miracle I escaped from the woodshed (Jamie Martin borrowed the tractor on Thursday night which meant we had to get the sliding door unstuck after the freezing rain from Thursday morning) and yet another that I wasn't burned. God is good. He must still have plans for my life! :)

P.S. I apologize if anyone is offended by my warped sense of humor. It has been an extremely traumatic 48 hours and I'm tired of crying, so I'm looking to laughter as a release for the emotional backlash.

SNOWMOBILING

2008-02-24T06:00:00.003-08:00

I have found an outdoor winter activity that I actually enjoy! SNOWMOBILING!! What a rush! Levi took me out for a ride last night and I had a blast. I didn't even care that I had lost all feeling in my nose. I had on boots, Carhart overalls, scarf, gloves, and helmet, but the visor on the helmet is stuck so I had the wind in my face. And the snow spray. And tree branches. Good thing Levi was driving. He proved to be an excellent human shield. :) It was really cool (no pun intended) to ride under the bright moonlight. What a thrilling way to experience God's creation.

"Love is...

2008-02-20T23:13:00.000-08:00

patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." (1 Cor. 13:4-8a)

There are days when I struggle with my humanity and forget the WHY of what I am doing here. Today is one of those days. Today was depressing, disappointing, and disillusioning. Today felt like "Pick on Becky Day" and I failed at every endeavor undertaken throughout the course of the day (according to my critics). By 8pm, I threw in the towel, gave up on the day, and retreated to my room. My mother always taught me that if I couldn't say something nice, I shouldn't say anything at all. My self-control had been taxed to the limit and I decided isolation was my only recourse.

I spent a nice quiet few hours reading and then emerged to check out the lunar eclipse. (Way cool, BTW) God impressed His love on me through His creation and I started to pull myself out of my negatively focused thoughts. I rest on His promises and unfailing love. I need to focus on what is important. These earthly things are insignificant when compared to eternity. "Great is Thy faithfulness, O God, My Father. There is no shadow of turning with Thee. Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not. As Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be."

6 weeks ago...

2008-02-17T17:17:00.003-08:00

...I waved goodbye to Phoenix and began the journey east. So much and yet so little has happened since that day. Grandpa and I have settled into a routine of sorts. I cook and clean, he pays the bills, and we both put wood in the boiler. :) I am still actively seeking employment but without much luck. The economy/job market here in North Central NY is not necessarily "hostile" but not so "friendly" either. I am trusting God to show me His path. I look to Philippians 4:19 for encouragement when I start to worry about car payments and student loans. I know He will provide all my needs.

Let it SNOW!

2008-01-15T05:48:00.000-08:00

After a strange winter "hiatus" that brought 62 degrees and sunshine, the snow has returned as a reminder that it is indeed still January. The natural order of the seasons has been restored and all is well with the world once again.

It has been snowing steadily since yesterday morning. We aren't yet approaching the 48 inches for which Levi continually prays, but it's enough to require boots and to cause road hazards.

Winter Fun

2007-12-18T05:26:00.000-08:00

I had a busy, fun-filled weekend! On Saturday morning, Heather, Nathan & I went to see "Fred Claus" (good movie!) and had lunch at Claim Jumpers. We then came home for a few hours and I put a dent in the packing/sorting/shipping tasks. For dinner we headed to PF Changs for a farewell dinner with our landlords, Steven & Christie and their friend Ann Margaret. Great food, great conversation, great people! Sunday morning I attended my last service at Trinity and said my goodbyes to my church family. For lunch we went to Applebee's for another farewell meal with the young adults then headed to Polar Ice for some winter fun!

I wrapped up the day at Ben & Claire's for a last time with the kids.

Christmas Cookies

2007-11-24T22:24:00.001-08:00

The kids and I made Christmas-shaped sugar cookies and had a blast decorating them.

I was compared to Scrooge when I would let them eat only one cookie before bedtime, but I think they've forgiven me by now! :)

O Christmas Tree

2007-11-24T13:16:00.001-08:00

Heather and I put up the Christmas tree today.

Thanks, Mom, for the gorgeous tree skirt. It's so pretty!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! I'll be putting up the lights outside tomorrow.

Thanksgiving Day 2007

2007-11-22T22:53:00.000-08:00

Steve and Darla were so kind to open their home and host the "Orphan Dinner." There are quite a few of us young adults who don't have any immediate family near by and were unable to travel back east to spend the holiday with family, so we made our own "family." We all contributed to the menu and had WAY more food than could be consumed. After a delicious meal of glazed ham, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, cran-apple sweet potatoes, bread, and jello, we all crashed in the living room to facilitate the digestive process. After a few hours of rest and relaxation, we broke out the apple crisp, ice cream, and pumpkin mousse pie. YUMMY!!! We then went for a lovely walk through the park. When we got back, Josh and Alisha were waiting with MORE pie! Cherry delight... mmmm delicious! It was a great time of fun and fellowship.

See photo album for more pictures.

Fire Station #5

2007-11-18T08:48:00.000-08:00

They have completed construction on our new fire station! It is just down the block from our house so it's been an adjustment for us to be hearing the sirens at all times of the day.

It's fun to see all the shiny red trucks and the cute firemen are a nice bonus! :)

Ziggy

2007-11-14T16:42:00.000-08:00

Nov 9-14th, I had the pleasure of dogsitting Ziggy. Her parents were out of town so I stayed at their house while they were gone and took care of her.

We took long walks after work and played fetch with her squeaky toy in the backyard. She's extremely affectionate and has deep soulful brown eyes.

I love her coloring and she's SO soft. She loves belly rubs and also likes to cuddle.

Halloween at the Office

2007-11-01T12:38:00.000-07:00

April and Julissa were the only brave ones to wear "costumes" to work on Halloween.

Picnic

2007-10-29T17:33:00.000-07:00

I spent Saturday with the kids and we had a lovely picnic in the backyard. Now that Charlie is walking all the time, it's too hard to keep him contained in the park. I couldn't even keep him sitting still long enough to eat his lunch!
Such a cute smile!

Pumpkins & Ice Cream

2007-10-28T08:26:00.000-07:00

Friday night we had a pumpking carving / homemade ice cream making party at Marlin & Dell's house. Fun times!! We all brought our favorite toppings for the ice cream and had a blast designing our pumpkins.

So very delicious!!!

Baby Shower

2007-10-01T17:56:00.000-07:00

Eric & Rachel are going through the process of becoming licensed foster parents so we had a baby shower at church on Saturday in anticipation of their first placement. It was so great to see everyone come to support Rachel & Eric. I think the kids outnumbered the adults! :) See photo album for pics.

My Angels

2007-09-29T08:38:00.000-07:00

I babysat again last night. It's so much fun to spend time with these kids!

Aren't they adorable?

Retreat

2007-09-27T05:35:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderful time at retreat. There were many opportunities to fellowship with the Trinity family and sessions of reflection, prayer, and restoration. Click on "Photo Album" for pics.

Church Retreat

2007-09-20T22:44:00.000-07:00

I'll be at church retreat (Emmanuel Pines Camp in Prescott) from Friday night to Sunday afternoon. I'm really looking forward to this time of relaxation and revitalization. See you on the other side!

"Baby Fix"

2007-09-16T00:12:00.000-07:00

I got a "baby fix" tonight! I spent the evening babysitting for Ben & Claire. I love those kids to pieces! We always have so much fun. Charlie is walking now but only if you applaud his efforts every time. He stands, claps his hands, then takes a few steps toward his destination and claps again. So cute!!

Lazy days

2007-09-03T19:53:00.000-07:00

Aaah... I love lazy days. No obligations. No plans. Just endless hours of rest and relaxation. A welcome rest from the hectic schedule at work and the perfect prelude to yet another intense week of training! ;)

A week in review

2007-08-25T20:24:00.000-07:00

So... life has been really great since graduating... busy, busy, busy, but wonderfully so. I finally have a day without plans or obligations, so it's time to catch up on my blogging. :) Here's the last week in review:

Saturday, August 18th:
Hosted an Open House for all my Arizona friends and family.
Had a GREAT time celebrating my liberation from classes and my transition from "Student" to "Graduate." I'm looking forward to this new chapter of my life. 20 years of formal study is quite enough! After most of the guests left, Heather, Wendy, Nathan and I went to the Surprise Recreational Campus and played a few games of tennis. I'm slowly but surely converting all my friends into tennis partners! :D

Sunday, August 19th:
Signed up with Heather to co-teach K-1st grade Sunday School for September-November. I love spending time with kids and being able to serve in this venue. Went to lunch at Chino Bandido (a Chinese/Mexican restaurant) with folks from church then came home for a nap before catching a matinee of Becoming Jane with Kerry and Heather and then had dinner at Cheesecake Factory.

Monday, August 20th:
Arrived at work to find a scorpion on my desk!!! It was hiding in the leaves of my plant.

It's pretty cool what artists can do with a little bit of copper wire! :D
I also received a promotion at work and started some intense training on my new responsibilities. My brain was pretty fried by the end of the day. We are projecting complete training and transition of responsibilities by the end of September so work is going to be rather demanding for a while. I know it will be hard work, but I'm SUPER-excited about this opportunity! Monday evening I spent quality time with the Goldensun bookkeeping records and read a short novel just for fun!

Tuesday, August 21st:
Purchased Diamondback tickets from the Goldensun Thrift Store fundraiser and enjoyed the game even though we lost to the Milwaukee Brewers 7-2. Our seats were in the bleachers directly behind right field. It was a lot of fun watching the fans interact and cheer their respective teams. I believe all 18 Brewer fans in attendance were sitting in our section so the evening was very spirited! :)

Wednesday, August 22nd:
This was supposed to be my night off to relax at home but instead I attended another Diamondbacks game. Henry, the owner of Southwest Metals, has 4 season tickets and couldn't use them so he gave them to me and Natalie. I invited Nathan to attend and we had fun cheering the D-backs to a 3-2 victory! The seats are directly behind home plate, Row H. We were closer to home plate than the pitcher! It was a much different experience from the night before. No Brewers fans in our section... instead we had all the diehard, intense D-backs fans who owned season tickets! It was also fun to see the players' faces and watch them interact with the other team, the crowd, and the umpire.

Thursday, August 23rd:
Went to ASU Gammage Theater with several Trinity young adults to see the MAMMA MIA! musical. It was fantastic! Excellent choreography, vocals, and acting. You really can't go wrong with ABBA songs. We had dinner at Pita Jungle before the show. They have excellent food!

Friday, August 24th:
Wrapped up my first week of training at work and felt mentally DRAINED! My brain is spinning! I headed straight to Ben & Claire's after work to babysit while they went out to celebrate their anniversary. Six years and still going strong! I was sound asleep 2.5 minutes after putting the kids to bed and spent the night in the guest room.

Saturday, August 25th:
Accomplished absolutely NOTHING essential. I had a few giftcards to spend, so I went shopping at Bed, Bath, & Beyond and then to Target. I bought a Quesadilla maker at Target and made chicken & cheese quesadillas for supper. YUM!! I took a 2-hour nap and am now wide awake! I have learned that while the absence of classes has opened up hours and hours of free time, I don't actually HAVE to fill those hours up with other activities. I need to take an occasional break and enjoy a little "me" time. I have no regrets for all the events I participated in, but I think I'm ready to slow down and pace myself a little better. :p Hopefully I won't be too busy to blog! This one is quite the epic! I also finally loaded all the pictures from graduation into my photo album. Check it out!

YEAH BABY!!

2007-08-15T22:17:00.000-07:00

It's official. Signed, sealed, and delivered. Check it out!

MY DIPLOMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WHOO HOO!!!!!!!

Tennis

2007-08-06T06:41:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm no Venus or Serena, but I sure had fun playing tennis last night. Heather and I hit the courts after sunset and we played several matches. We ended up playing doubles with two guys since there was a long wait for an open court. It was a blast!

Aftermarket rims

2007-08-05T22:47:00.000-07:00

Anyone want to buy some aftermarket rims? See my Craig's List posting.

http://phoenix.craigslist.org/pts/364840462.html

Goldensun Bookkeeper

2007-08-04T23:16:00.000-07:00

Beginning today, I am officially the new bookkeeper for Goldensun. It is a volunteer position and I'm excited to serve in this ministry.

Polar Ice

2007-08-01T23:03:00.000-07:00

We had a great time skating Sunday afternoon at Polar Ice in Peoria. I didn't check the batteries on my camera and discovered they were dead when we got to the rink, so the only photos I have are from my phone. They're a bit blurry, but better than nothing! It was so great to get on the ice. It's been quite a while since I've skated and it was a fun way to stay cool on a hot summer afternoon. It was a lot of fun spending time with friends.

You can hardly tell that it was Phillip's first time on iceskates! He has an amazing sense of balance and started off without even using the wall for support. Very impressive.

Social Life

2007-07-28T23:08:00.000-07:00

One of the awesome benefits of being done with college is the return of my social life!! :) YAY! I'm able to say "yes" to invitations instead of saying "Sorry, I have homework" every time. Last night we celebrated the time we had Alicia in our lives and wished her well as she moves back home to Nebraska. I'm sure she'll visit occasionally, but we will all miss her bright and sunny smile. She was a wonderful addition to the Trinity family.

Tonight I was able to participate in the volleyball game between the Trinity and Sunnyslope young adult groups. (we had a few recruits from other churches on both teams as well) Both sides lost and won several games and EVERYONE had lots of fun. My arms are rather sore now, but that will fade quickly enough.

Tomorrow I look forward to iceskating at Polar Ice after church. (12:30-3:30pm for those who didn't get the email) It will be so much fun and it's a great way to stay cool in the warm summer days.

Now if I could just round up a few tennis players, I'd be happier than a bug in a rug. Heather is willing to learn the sport and I'm sure I can find other willing participants for a doubles match. Mom & Dad: y'all want to come play on Aug 5th?? :D It's not THAT long of a commute... just a short 37 hours!

We had so much fun playing tonight that I completely forgot to take out my camera and capture visual aids. I guess you'll have to use your imagination this time.

DONE, DONE, DONE, DONE!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-07-25T06:42:00.000-07:00

I'm done, done, done, done with college!!!! My Bachelor's degree in Accounting is complete!!! WHOO HOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Camping July 20-22

2007-07-23T22:35:00.000-07:00

Wow... what an awesome camping trip! So much to tell! From the beginning:

We decided to go camping in Oak Creek Canyon this past weekend... and so did 90% of the population of Arizona. Ben & Dierdre arrived first at Cave Springs campground Friday evening and could not find any open sites there or at any other forest service campground. Heather, Diane, & I arrived about an hour later and added our efforts to the search. Unfortunately, cell service in the canyon is spotty, so we weren't able to coordinate our search. Ben & Dierdre ended up at a campground Southeast of Flagstaff on Friday night while Diane, Heather and I pitched camp at an unmaintained campground 10 miles north of Slide Rock on SR89. Luckily, both vehicles were self-reliant (we each had tents, food, gear, etc) so we spent Friday night in our respective camp sites. Saturday morning Ben borrowed the camp host's cell phone and was able to call me and get our location. They packed up camp and joined us in time for breakfast. Nathan and Phillip drove up Saturday morning as planned and with a little effort were able to locate our site as well. After breakfast we discussed options for the day and Diane decided to join Amanda (her housemate who happened to be in Flagstaff) and drive up to the Grand Canyon. The remaining 6 of us were preparing to take a hike when the storm clouds rolled in. We had just enough time to secure the tents and gear before the rain started to fall. The guys decided to wait out the storm in Becky's Castle and we girls took shelter in our tents. See Video The rain didn't last very long and soon we were on our way to the West Fork Oak Creek trail for a beautiful afternoon hike. There were some ruins of an old lodge near the beginning of the trail and we had fun exploring those before continuing. Phillip had lots of fun sliding on the mossy rocks in the creek about 1/2 way into the hike. We returned to camp for dinner, then roasted marshmallows and made S'mores. It started to sprinkle again soon after, so we decided to turn in for the night. Sunday morning dawned bright and early and we enjoyed omelets-in-a-bag for breakfast before packing up camp and heading to Midgely Bridge and Wilson Canyon Trail. We enjoyed that hike then returned to the picnic ramada at the bridge for lunch. After lunch Ben, Dierdre, & Nathan headed back to Phoenix while Heather, Diane, Phillip, and I crossed to the south side of the bridge and hiked down the canyon to Oak Creek. I operated the cameras while the other 3 went sliding down the creek. The combination of red rock and algae makes a great natural waterslide in the creekbed. See Video After we had all the fun we could fit in before another storm front rolled in, we climbed back up the canyon (I have the aching leg muscles to prove it!) and headed back to Phoenix. I enjoyed every minute of this trip and definitely will be planning return trips.

See Photo Album for visual aids! :D

TICK TOCK TICK TOCK

2007-07-23T22:31:00.000-07:00

The countdown continues... only 2 days of class left until I finish my Bachelor's of Science in Accounting degree!!

Oak Creek Canyon

2007-07-20T06:37:00.001-07:00

We're going camping this weekend at Cave Springs Campground in Oak Creek Canyon. We'll leave after work and come home Sunday afternoon. I'm so excited!! See ya on the other side.
:)

El Encanto

2007-07-15T14:55:00.001-07:00

Heather took me to El Encanto in Cave Creek for a birthday lunch. The food was even better than I remembered! Part of my birthday present was this framed photo of our horseback riding trip in January (my Christmas present from Heather!) in Wickenburg.

The day started with Heather making me my favorite breakfast: Baked Oatmeal. Also waiting for me were these absolutely gorgeous flowers! I'm so lucky to have such a thoughtful housemate!!

It's been a really great day! I'm off to bed for a nap... my tummy is full of good food and I'm so sleepy. :)

Birthday Shoutout

2007-07-08T08:45:00.001-07:00

Happy 25th Birthday to my older and much wiser (as he persisted to tell me whenever our 7-day age difference was the topic of conversation) cousin, Matthew Rudd!! Have an awesome birthday, Cuz. Love ya!

Happy Birthday USA

2007-07-04T22:10:00.000-07:00

231 years old never looked so good! Happy Independence Day everyone!

God Bless America!

See photo album for more pics.

Johnny's Uptown

2007-07-01T14:18:00.001-07:00

A bunch of us went to Johnny's Uptown last night for dinner and live jazz music. We had a lot of fun conversation and the music was wonderful.

Here's a short video clip I recorded on my Kodak EasyShare C533 (shameless advertising plug, I know, but I love my camera!) of a sax solo.

Johnny's Uptown sample

Turn up the volume... audio is the only thing you'll get. The lighting was too dim to capture any kind of picture.

Swimming Pools

2007-06-24T21:34:00.000-07:00

I think it's fantastic to have friends with pools. I can't imagine anything more enjoyable on a hot Sunday afternoon than to relax in a pool and enjoy cool relief from the heat. :) Perhaps we shall talk Steven & Christie into sacrificing the backyard for a pool! Or maybe not...

Fun Project

2007-06-21T21:35:00.000-07:00

One of the assignments in my current (and also LAST!!!) class is to create a sample company and record all accounting activity for a fictitious month in order to complete the steps of the Accounting Cycle. I'm really excited about this project because it allows me to explore the reality of owning my own business ( a dream I hope to realize within the next 10 years) using actual accounting software, Peachtree. It is an educational version of the software, but the usage is practically the same as the actual software. I'm really looking forward to this project! It's going to be so much fun!! Today I had to create the business name, address, type, and description. WHEE!!!

Happy Birthday Heather!

2007-06-13T21:16:00.000-07:00

Happy, Happy 26th Birthday to my housemate, Heather!! It was so much fun celebrating last night! I can't wait for the next game of ultimate frisbee and next year's music video.

Heather

Diane, Kerry, & Bryan

Heather w/Frisbee

Rachel & Christie

Erin & Rachel

I'm so glad we're roomies and I look forward to another AWESOME year!

Camping

2007-06-10T20:44:00.000-07:00

So, summer has officially started with the year's first camping trip. Dierdre and Darla are out of school and to celebrate the occasion, a bunch of us young adults went camping near Prescott. Our original choice was Lynx Lake campground, but it was full, so we ended up a few miles away at White Spar campground. We found two sites right next to each other and set up camp.

Becky & Heather's tent (a birthday present to me from me last year)

Patrick, Alicia, & Phil's tent

Ben & Dierdre's tent in front, Steve & Darla's tent in back

Joe's te... umm, sleeping setup?? Joe chose not to pitch a tent but rather to sleep under the stars in the bed of his truck. :) Brings back memories of camping at Chena Lake in the back of the big blue van.

The guys brought the sailboat and took it out on Lynx Lake Saturday afternoon. We all went along to watch and read books on the shore. Poor Patrick and Joe were caught by a gust of wind that tipped the boat over. They had a fun (??) time righting it in the middle of the lake. We were cheering for them from afar. It was tough to see them struggle and not be able to assist.

Joe & Pat returning to shore after the tipping escapade.

Much more fun stuff happened, but it's bedtime. Check out the photo album for more pics.

Agricultural observations

2007-06-06T19:34:00.000-07:00

I pass these fields every day on my way to work. I thought it interesting to compare agriculture here in the desert to the agriculture in upstate New York.
Differences:
1) Irrigation, of course! It doesn't rain much here, so the fields are set up to maximize absorption. Observe the periodic "buffers" in the field to prevent run-off.

2) Baling process: It is cut, raked, and baled within 24 hours. The bales are dropped in the field and then picked up and loaded onto a wagon by an unidentifiable contraption (shown on the far side of the field in 3rd pic). No muscle usage required!

Similarities:
1) There are mountains in the background in both states! :)
2) If you crop a picture just right, you can't tell which state the field is in!

3) The corn still grows tall and proud. Only the growing season varies. "Knee high by July" doesn't apply here!!

The Graduate

2007-06-05T22:07:00.000-07:00

I'm so proud of my baby brother! He is now a high school graduate and, thanks to an advanced course, he's also a college freshman!! He's relieved to be done with high school, but will dearly miss his friends and classmates. It's a bittersweet occasion. He has chosen to attend Hobe Sound Bible College in Florida (HSBC) and I wish him all the best!

WHOO HOO!!! GO JOEL!!!

Hiking the White Tank Mtns

2007-05-30T21:24:00.000-07:00

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

2007-05-24T21:53:00.000-07:00

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!

2007-05-18T20:53:00.000-07:00

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

2007-05-07T21:00:00.000-07:00

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!!

2007-05-01T19:44:00.000-07:00

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. :)

Lazy Saturday mornings

2007-04-28T07:17:00.000-07:00

This morning I was gently roused from slumber at 7am by the sweet, peaceful sound of...

...Workers constructing these bounce houses!!!!! AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!

It appears to be a birthday party and I'm happy the kids are having so much fun, but does it have to be at 7-freaking-AM on a Saturday??? :( So much for sleeping in.

I guess it's time for breakfast. Maybe food will improve my mood!

Single "Parenting"

2007-04-24T16:05:00.000-07:00

I am yet again amazed and impressed by all those who are single parents. This past Saturday and Sunday I got to keep all 4 of Ben & Claire's children while they went to Vegas for the weekend. We had a great time! I took my camera to capture the precious moments, but never had a free hand! It was an all-consuming event. I'm such a paranoid sleeper that I woke every time Charlie's breathing pattern changed!! :p Gotta love the baby monitor!

We had a picnic lunch Sunday afternoon. It was great to get out of the house, but it's quite the production packing lunches, toys, blankets, and all the baby paraphernalia.

I look forward to future engagements, but I definitely know my limitations. I think 48 hours will be the max before calling in reinforcements! :)

OUCH!!

2007-04-18T20:29:00.000-07:00

I went to the dentist to have a root canal completed... OUCH, OUCH, OUCH!! It hurts worse now than it did before the procedure. I have prescription painkillers, but they aren't working. They just make me loopy and nauseous. I sound like a commercial, but I'm all about the Advil! The liquid-gel are the BEST! It doesn't make the pain go away completely, but it subsides enough that I can ignore it and get some sleep at night. Chewing on ice chips has also helped to reduce the swelling.

Joys of unemployment

2007-04-17T20:24:00.000-07:00

A nice side benefit to being unemployed: lots of free time to babysit and help Claire out with the kids. I loaded some pics into my photo albums (link on the left, Spring Days album) of Olivia and Sam in the park. Claire took Charlie to the doctor's office and I kept them for a few hours. My favorite one is where they discover a spider making a web on the corner of the table. :)

I will be contributing regularly to the Spring Days photo album throughout the season, so check back occasionally for new pics.

North Mountain

2007-04-05T06:55:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday I joined other Trinity members and went hiking on North Mountain. The view of the city is spectacular!

The moon wasn't full until Monday, but it looked pretty awesome anyway.

I love the way the city blushes at sunset.

More about Luke Days

2007-03-27T06:51:00.000-07:00

Here are a few stories about the air show.

1) During the Thunderbird show, four of the six planes were performing a trick and the entire crowd was looking to the right. Everyone's attention was focused on the four planes.

From the left, seemingly out of nowhere (they do fly at 500 mph), one of the other two planes buzzed the crowd. There were a lot of startled people, myself included! I managed to get most of the plane in the corner of the photo. Who would have thought that a fighter jet could sneak up on people like that!

2) Another mind-boggling stunt by the Thunderbirds was when four planes flew at each other from four different directions. There is no margin for error here!

3) The Golden Knights parachute team did a stunt called the "bi-plane" where one jumper stands on another's shoulders and their chutes align so that they look like the wings of a bi-plane. About 15 feet from the ground, they break apart and land separately. Pretty cool trick!

4) One of the performances was a reenactment of the attack on Pearl Harbor. There were a lot of planes in the air at the same time. Once again, I was absolutely amazed at the precision required to keep from crashing all together. The pyrotechnics were pretty awesome too. Great big balls of fire and black smoke everywhere!

WOW!! WOW!! WOW!! WOW!!

2007-03-25T01:04:00.000-07:00

I LOVE AIR SHOWS AT LUKE AIR FORCE BASE! This was one of the coolest events I've ever attended. I have loaded all the photos I took (200+) into the photo album. Follow the "My Photo Albums" link on the left and then select "Luke Days."

My favorite performance was the Thunderbirds, but I'm amazed at the manueverability of the F-15E Strike Eagle. I think part of the attraction was the corresponding pyrotechnics! :)

It was also pretty impressive that they flew the B-2 Stealth Bomber all the way from Whiteman Air Force Base (in Missouri) for the show.

Some words of advice for future attendees: 1) GET THERE EARLY! With the traffic restrictions, security checkpoints (just like the airport!), and the sheer number of spectators, you'll miss the majority of the show while waiting to get in. 2) Another good idea is earplugs. They strongly recommend them for the younger kids, but I was glad I took some for myself. When those afterburners kick in, it gets LOUD! I could feel the vibrations from head to toe. 3) Frequently re-apply sunscreen. The cloud cover was deceptive. I lathered on suncreen before I left home, but then checked the forecast and decided I didn't need to take any with me. BIG MISTAKE. I have THE STRANGEST sunburn pattern on my arms, hands, and face. When you spend all day looking up and holding a camera, you get weird sunburn. :( 4) Absolutely must buy a bag of Busy Bee's Kettle Korn from Corvallis, MT. Watch closely and time your purchase so that you get it warm and fresh from the kettle. Best tasting kettle corn I've ever had. (www.busybeeskettlekorn.com)

That's all for now folks. I'm worn out from a day in the sun and a night of games. I'll post more details later.

Luke Days

2007-03-16T22:33:00.000-07:00

Luke Air Force Base is hosting Luke Days on March 24-25. They have a whole bunch of air and ground shows scheduled. It's a full day of non-stop action. I can't wait!
http://www.luke.af.mil/ashowofforce2007/index.asp

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

8:30 a.m. - Gates Open
9:30 a.m. - Air Force Honor Guard Drill Team performance
10:00 a.m. - Opening ceremonies
U.S. Air Force Academy Wings of Blue parachute team U.S. Flag Jump as the National Anthem is played
Air Force Reserve bilplane (Pitts Special) flown by Ed Hamil flies while the U.S. Air Force Academy Wings of Blue perform
Brig. Gen. Tom Jones, Commander, 56th Fighter Wing, Welcome Remarks
10:15 a.m. - F-86 Demonstration
10:30 a.m. - Tim Weber and Greg Poe Duel Aerial Demonstration
10:40 a.m. - Viper vs. Viper race
11:00 a.m. - F-18 Hornet Aerial Demonstration
11:30 a.m. - Tuskegee Airman AT-6 Demonstration by Steve Cowell
11:40 a.m. - A-10 Thunderbolt II "Warthog" Demonstration
12:20 p.m. - Tora Tora Tora Demonstration
12:35 p.m. - Greg Poe MX2 Aerial Demonstration
12:50 p.m. - U. S. Army's Golden Knights Streamer Drop
1:20 p.m. - U.S. Air Force Reserve Pitts Special Bi-Plane by Ed Hamill
Air Force Honor Guard Drill Team Ground Demonstration
1:30 p.m. - Team Red Bull (MiG 17, helicopter, parachute team, Kirby Chambliss)
2:00 p.m. - F-15E Strike Eagle Demonstration and Heritage Flight
2:27 p.m. - Tim Weber's GEICO Extra 300 Performance
2:45 p.m. - U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds Ground Show
3:15 p.m. - U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds Air Show
4:15 p.m. - End of U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds Show
5:00 p.m. - End of show

I love that they're so very precise! :)
I can't wait to go! I bought extra batteries for my camera. LOTS of pictures to come!

Tips for Valley Commuters

2007-03-07T20:49:00.000-08:00

HOW TO DRIVE IN PHOENIX :
1. You must first learn to pronounce the city name. It is "FEE-NICKS."

2. The morning rush hour is from 5:00 a.m. to noon. The evening rush hour is from noon to 8:00 p.m. Friday's rush hour starts on Thursday morning.

3. The minimum acceptable speed on most freeways is 85 mph. On Loop 101, your speed is expected to match the highway number. Anything less is considered "Wussy."

4. Forget the traffic rules you learned elsewhere. Phoenix has its own version of traffic rules. For example, cars/trucks with the loudest muffler go first at a four-way stop; the trucks with the biggest tires go second. However, East-Valley-SUV-driving-cell-phone-talking moms will ALWAYS have the right of way.

5. If you actually stop at a yellow light, you will be rear ended, cussed out, and possibly shot.

6. Never honk at anyone. Never. Seriously, it's another offense that can get you shot.

7. Road construction is permanent and continuous in Phoenix. Detour barrels are moved around during the middle of the night for your entertainment and to make the next day's driving a bit more exciting.

8. Watch carefully for road hazards such as drunks, skunks, dogs, barrels, cones, cows, horses, cats, mattresses, shredded tires, squirrels, rabbits, crows, vultures, javelinas, roadrunners... and the coyotes feeding on any of these items.

9. Maricopa Freeway, Papago Freeway and "the 10" are all the same road. SR202 is the same road as The Red Mountain Freeway. Dunlap and Olive are the same street too. Jefferson becomes Washington, but they are not the same street. I-17 is also called The Black Canyon Freeway as well as The Veterans Memorial Highway. And if all that isn't enough to remember, SR 51 has recently been renamed the Piestewa Freeway because Squaw Peak Parkway was too easy to pronounce. SR 101 is also the Pima Freeway except west of I-17, which (you will remember) is also The Black Canyon Freeway, and The Veterans Memorial Highway. Lastly, Thunderbird Road becomes Cactus Road but Cactus Road doesn't become Thunderbird Road because it dead ends at a mountain.

10. If someone actually has his turn signal on, wave him to the shoulder immediately to let him know it has been "accidentally activated."

11. If you are in the left lane and only driving 70 in a 55 mph zone, you are considered a road hazard and will be "flipped off" accordingly. If you return the flip, you'll be shot.

12. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, EVER try to outmaneuver BMW drivers. They go to a special school. They WILL always win.

Birthday Extravaganza

2007-03-04T20:53:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to Janeen & Remie!

Remie

Janeen

We had a great time celebrating both birthdays at Bada Boom Pasta Room in Ahwatukee. Can't go wrong with Italian food!

Check out the MONSTER pepper mill!

Black tops & blue jeans were the preferred outfits for the evening.

Great minds all think alike. :)

Lalibela Cafe

2007-02-23T21:28:00.000-08:00

Alicia just introduced us to the BEST Ethiopian restaurant in the Valley. (See link) It's absolutely fabulous food with a great atmosphere. We had SO much fun! Dan and Alicia (the experts) gave me, Heather, & Natalie (the novices) a lesson on Ethiopian etiquette and it was fun learning new things about another culture. We had wonderful conversations about the different cultures we've all been exposed to in the course of our lives. Definitely goes on the List of Things to do AGAIN!

iPod Nation

2007-02-16T23:30:00.000-08:00

I have arrived! My one frivolous purchase with my tax refund is an iPod. The rest will go into savings, but I wanted to buy myself one special, non-essential item. I will be having lots of fun downloading my music collection! Any recomendations for "must have" songs to download?

SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONS!!!!!

2007-02-04T19:03:00.000-08:00

WHOO HOO!!! COLTS WIN THE SUPERBOWL!!!!! GO COLTS!!!!!!!!

GO COLTS!!!

2007-01-28T21:29:00.000-08:00

Ok, so this post is either late (playoffs were a week ago) or early (Super Bowl is next Sunday) but either way, I feel compelled to give a shout out to the Indianapolis Colts.

GO COLTS!!!

This is a monumental occasion for the city I used to call home and I will be watching the game on Sunday.

Lousy patient

2007-01-23T20:12:00.000-08:00

I am a terrible patient! I developed viral bronchitis on Saturday and I'm still feeling like I was hit by a Mac truck... twice. :( Boo hoo. Poor me. Good news is the fever broke, the headache has subsided to a dull pulse behind my eyes, and my back no longer hurts. Still lingering is the chest pain, cough, and difficulty sleeping. At least I'm no longer contagious. :l The hardest part has been keeping up with class. My eyes ache from looking at the screen. Did I mention I'm a lousy patient? Pity, party of 1, your table is ready! Here's to better days and happy thoughts.

Phoenix Symphony

2007-01-18T21:43:00.000-08:00

I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to all my family members who have visited me. I unwittingly committed a great disservice to you in my failure to take you to a Phoenix Symphony performance.

Heather and I attended a performance tonight that was awesome, phenomenal, inspiring, breathtaking, magnificent, majestic, stunning, wonderful, superb, brilliant... I could go on and on. The impetus for our attendance was a requirement for the Music Appreciation class I am taking, but it certainly won't require another homework assignment to persuade me to return.

The program was as follows:
Conducted by James Judd -
ELGAR
Froissart Overture
RACHMANINOFF - piano played by Stephen Hough
Piano Concerto No. 1
HOLST
The Planets

My enjoyment was diminished only slightly by the amorous highschoolers in front of us. They were a bit distracting, but I just closed my eyes and let my ears do all the work.

A New Year "Resolution"

2007-01-04T21:32:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I'm not a believer in New Year Resolutions. It is my opinion that we set ourselves up for failure when we save all 17 habits we want to start or break until January 1st. There are 12 months in every year, use them! One bad habit broken per month, one good habit formed per month. You have much greater odds of success when you're not trying to make a 180 degree turn from life as you now know it.

All this to say: I'm making a resolution this year. I know!! I just finished saying I don't believe in them. And that hasn't really changed. Maybe "resolution" isn't the right word. Heather used the phrase "be intentional about doing" instead and I like it better.

The past few weeks, as the weather has decidedly dropped, the number of homeless people in the Phoenix area has become more evident. The man on the corner wearing every single article of clothing in his possession, the woman at the bus stop wrapped up in a tattered old sleeping bag, the man pretending to be grocery shopping just to escape the cold nights... God has been opening my eyes to the needs of others who are suffering more than I am and have greater needs than those that are troubling me. Lately I've been hyper-focused on Planet Becky and I have passed them all without a single glance.

So, here's my "resolution" for the year: I want to be intentional about sharing Jesus' love to any and all the homeless people who cross my path. I will say a prayer of blessing for each one. I will NOT turn my head and pretend I don't see them because they make me uncomfortable. I will give a dollar or 50 cents or 2 dollars when asked because it doesn't mean all that much to my budget and it may mean the whole world to someone else.

I'm not sharing this decision in order to receive kudos for my great "spirituality." That's not what I'm looking for or need to hear. I'm taking this opportunity to ask that you pray that I will have the strength of character and the willpower to step outside (WAY, WAY OUTSIDE) of my comfort zone and pay forward just a fraction of what God has given me.

Christmas in Arizona

2007-01-01T15:09:00.000-08:00

I've finally uploaded the photos from Christmas weekend. Christmas Eve was spent at the Grand Canyon and Christmas day in Surprise. We had a full house: Dennis, Sharon, Heather, Wendy, Barb, Joel, Becky, John, Gwen, Daniel, Beth, & Andrew. We had brunch, exchanged gifts and stockings, played games, went on a hike in the White Tank Mountains, had Christmas dinner and ended the day with a movie. It was so great to spend the day with family and friends! I decided to add a link to my photo albums in the "Links" toolbar instead of adding a separate link for each album. Go crazy, folks!

A Merry Admin Christmas

2006-12-20T21:54:00.000-08:00

The Admin team went out to dinner at Chevy's tonight and we had our Secret Santa gift exchange. We had a lot of fun guessing who had drawn which person's name. Jenny was my Santa and she bought me a BEAUTIFUL 3-layer candle (peach blossom, peach cobbler, & ginger peach), a set of day-of-the-week magnets, miniature KitKat bars, and a Borders giftcard. What a great time we had!

More photos of the house

2006-12-17T22:15:00.000-08:00

I've taken more photos of the house. We've added furniture since July as well as Christmas decorations. Click post title to be linked to the photo album.

Winter Wonderland

2006-12-17T20:54:00.000-08:00

Wow... it's been a while since I posted last. As Kermit likes to say "Time's fun when you're having flies."

So, I received confirmation last week about my relocation to Arizona. I flew to Syracuse to visit Grandpa and landed in the middle of a snowstorm. Gotta love lake-effect snow... OR NOT!

Immediately after deplaning, I resigned myself to feeling cold for the duration of the visit. It was 16 degrees and dropping!!! The visibility was so bad that we had to hang out at Denny's for a few hours until it stopped snowing and the plows cleared the roads. We didn't get home until 2:30am.

The AZ heat has thinned my blood considerably. Toward the end of the trip, the weather improved and was pushing 40 degrees, but I continued to shiver and pile on the layers, so we had lots of fun indoors. We put up the Christmas tree and hung lights on the house.

I'm so glad I was able to visit and catch up with family and friends!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

2006-11-25T21:26:00.000-08:00

I put up my Christmas tree. :)

Lots of space for presents underneath! ;)

See what I mean??

Keeps going and going and going...

2006-11-12T11:52:00.000-08:00

My usually monotonous commute was interrupted one morning by an unusual sight. Check it out:

It's a hot air balloon! How fun is that?

Simply Spectacular

2006-11-05T21:49:00.000-08:00

God gave me a present today. I returned home from a long day and found this in my back yard. Isn't it breathtaking? It was such a blessing to just sit on the patio and enjoy.

Holloween Costume Winners

2006-11-03T06:39:00.000-08:00

Third Place

Second Place

First Place

The winners of RHI's Halloween Costume contest!

New Career

2006-10-15T18:15:00.000-07:00

I was thinking maybe I should quit my job and pursue a career in pet-sitting. :) It would be a whole lot less stressful. I could spend my days playing with animals instead of worrying about deadlines, personality conflicts, and commuting! It sounds perfect, right? This weekend I dog-sat Penny Lane for Marion & Judy. Isn't she a cute dog?

This is normally Heather's gig, but she was gone with the same group, hiking the Grand Canyon from the South Rim to the North Rim and back in 3 days. It takes one day to hike across, one day to recover, and one day to hike back. Some opted to drive home after the return hike and others decided to stay another day to recover. Any activity that requires recovery will not find its way on to MY to do list. Visit the Grand Canyon? Absolutely. Voluntarily spend 96 hours hiking and recovering? NOT A CHANCE! Blackmail or bribery would have to be a factor. :)

Sun Bowl

2006-10-08T22:11:00.000-07:00

Tonight I went with Duane & Betty to a concert at the Sun Bowl. It was fantastic! This week's performance was by the Arizona Winds, a popular 65-member band under the direction of John Thrasher. They played traditional band music, pop, jazz, show tunes, and marches. They are fabulously talented musicians. It brought back fond memories of accompanying Mom to practice at UAF when she was in the Fairbanks Community Band.

The Sun Bowl is an outdoor amphitheatre with the lawn sculptured into steps. They provide weekly performances during the fall & spring seasons. Each week is a different group. Next week is a steel drum group, the following week is the US Navy Band (7 vocalists) singing all types of country music, Oct. 29 is Music and Dance of Scotland... it all sounds very interesting.

Presidential Skies

2006-10-07T12:12:00.000-07:00

This is the effect the President's visit had on the skies. All the F-16 jet patrols left a really cool pattern.

It must have been a busy day at Luke AFB.

Bye Bye Jeannette

2006-10-07T11:52:00.000-07:00

One of my coworkers, Jeannette, has left us to pursue a better opportunity closer to home. A bunch of the Sales Support team went out to Salty Senorita in Scottsdale to celebrate her new position.

Jeannette & me

Lee & Remie

Remie, Janeen, Nikki & Stephanie

Jenny, Remie & Karla

Katie & Janeeen

Laura, Jenny & Lee

SERIOUSLY?

2006-10-05T12:39:00.000-07:00

So, I was driving to work this morning and I passed a bus shelter that was being cleaned by ShelterClean. The gentleman was working away at sweeping up trash. As he finishes, he drops his cigarette butt on the ground, steps on it to put it out... AND WALKS AWAY. With broom and dustpan in hand, he LEFT the butt on the floor of the shelter, got in his truck, and moved on to the next bus shelter. SERIOUSLY??? How sad is it that cigarette butts are no longer considered litter?

Thumper

2006-10-01T16:55:00.000-07:00

I had another positive encounter with the wildlife. This little guy was hanging out at the end of the driveway yesterday.

Here's hoping he doesn't get an unwanted introduction to the coyotes I spotted previously. He's very photogenic. He sat very still throughout the entire photo shoot. I'm sure his lack of motion was due to his love of the spotlight and not paralyzing fear!

Sadie-sitting

2006-10-01T16:42:00.000-07:00

This weekend I was the substitute parent for Al & Mary Snyder's dog, Sadie.

Poor thing was cut on her jaw during her last visit to the groomers and wouldn't stop scratching at it, so she has to wear the cone collar until it heals.

She has an interesting adversion to having her feet touched. It's amazing to hear such fierce sounds from such an itty bitty little thing. :D The pictures are a bit deceptive as to her size. She's all leg. I doubt she weighs more than 3-4 pounds.

My new old car

2006-09-30T16:28:00.000-07:00

I bought a new car in July. My Cavalier served me well and it died with dignity. :) These are some photos of the new ride.

2001 Nissan Sentra - 43,000 miles (when I bought it). It took me 2 months to get accustomed to it, but I've finally stopped looking for the Cavalier in the parking lot!

Coyotes

2006-09-22T07:08:00.000-07:00

I was driving to work yesterday morning and spotted three young coyotes playing in an empty lot. They looked like they were having a lot of fun. I was too slow turning on my camera, so I missed the shot before they ran off. This was a more pleasant "encounter" with the local wildlife. Maybe next time I'll be ready to take photos.

UGH!

2006-09-16T23:29:00.000-07:00

I had my first encounter with a scorpion tonight. Yeah... not so fun. We were having dinner on the patio at Jay & Marilyn's when Heather leans over and says very intently "Becky, move your feet." The look in her eyes and her tone was chilling. Very slowly I pick up my feet as everyone takes a look. Crawling toward my heel (I was wearing flip flops) was a scorpion. As it skittered away from my chair, Ben (a.k.a. MY HERO) squished it with his shoe. I'm still getting cold chills 4 hours later. Me, the girl who has no problem with spiders, snakes, etc, has found an insect that is now on the top of my CANNOT STAND list. I spent the rest of the evening with my feet up under me on the chair. Quite disturbing. My biggest shock was its appearance. It was not 4-6 inches long and black and easily identifiable as seen in old western movies. No, this one was about an inch long and a reddish brown that blended quite nicely with the scenery. Had I come across it by myself in a different setting, I may not have recognized it for what it was.

Joe immediately fetched his laptop to determine what kind of scorpion our departed friend was and I learned many things about scorpions tonight. The biggest revelation was my absolute, complete, unquestionable REVULSION to them. I now understand how Debbie felt with the fish in the Bahamas. I have repented for my participation in her torment as I now know what she endured. I hope to conquer this fear and cease to experience the crawling sensation on my feet when there are no insects present. Sweet dreams for me tonight, I'm sure! :(

Potluck

2006-09-10T14:47:00.000-07:00

We had a potluck today at church. So much delicious food! I was chided for not packing the biggest plates we own! :) I took disposable plates and they just don't hold enough. The really smart folks brought cafeteria-style trays! My pesto pasta salad went over well. There wasn't any left by the time the second shift went through the line.

WATERSKIING!!!

2006-08-28T21:55:00.000-07:00

I had my first waterskiing lesson Sunday afternoon on Lake Pleasant. To sum it up in one word: WOW! It's amazing how much effort it requires (I ache in places I didn't know I had muscles!) but the experience is INCREDIBLE! I actually managed to get up out of the water twice. I only lasted 3-4 seconds before I lost my balance, but it was so much fun!

The second time I fell (see 3rd photo), I went in face first and had the air knocked out of me on impact. The upside was that I didn't swallow any lake water! :) I'm looking forward to the next trip and a chance to improve. Maybe next time I'll stay up for at least 6 seconds!!!

See all photos here: View Waterskiing

Home Sweet Arizona

2006-08-28T21:38:00.000-07:00

Have I mentioned how much I LOVE living in Arizona? I keep experiencing new things that remind me of how much I enjoy AZ. The magnificent sunsets I witness make the commute home worthwhile.

Aren't these views phenomenal??

For the first time in my life, I feel like I'm well and truly HOME. This doesn't feel temporary to me. I can see myself living the rest of my life here. It's pretty intense, scary, and wonderful all at once.