Dog Nap

The boy and the dog take a little cat nap. (Not pictured: cat.)

We're Melting

Was I just complaining earlier about it being too hot? Man, what a wimp I was.  You see, our air conditioner is no longer working. I think our a/c has technically not been working since Wednesday, but we were in denial that it had gone out. It's been very humid since it's monsoon season so we just figured our a/c was struggling to keep up with the heat and the humidity. (Unfortunately, this lack of a/c coincided with my first week of being a stay-at-home mom, so that was a lot of fun.) But we had to face facts that it is not normal for a house to be 90 degrees at all hours of the day, or to have it actually be cooler outside than inside the house... in August... in Arizona.

We have an a/c guy coming early Monday morning and until then we are spending as much time away from the house as possible. We also decided a slumber party was in order in the room that seemed to be the coolest. That part is kind of fun. Lemons into lemonade, right?

Carrot Monster

One of our favorite parts of eating more healthy is that Owen has jumped on the wagon.  He asks me if I eat chicken and I tell him that it hurts my tummy.  He chimes in with it hurts his tummy too (yet he proceeds to pop down chicken nuggets).  But what I really like is that he is A-Okay with eating fruits and veggies.  We have fun with him.  

Carrie was grating some carrots for salad when the Carrot Monster came and terrorized salad town. 

Pretty scary Carrot Monster.

 Oh, Carrot Monster only wanted carrots. (Makes sense when you use the Cookie Monster model of monsters.)

Ahh, Carrot Monster isn't so bad once he has some carrots in his tummy.

The Trip - Part 2 - Grand Canyon

As mentioned in the earlier post, the majority of the photos taken at the Grand Canyon were deleted. This is slightly okay since this was one of the rougher stops of the trip. It was probably a combination of the heat (100 degrees); lack of ways to get out of the heat; novelty of camping wearing off; and a giant hole that could not have rocks thrown into it that made Owen a bit of a terror.

One cool thing about the trip was the annual Grand Canyon Star Party was happening while we were there. Dozens of amateur astronomers brought their own telescopes and set them up in the visitor's center parking lot. We were able to view the stars and Saturn through some incredible telescopes.

It's funny, we posted this picture on Facebook and received many warm comments regarding the photo (bonding with your son, incredible experience, etc.) This is a great photo and we are happy to have it, but the truth behind the photo is far from warm. This was an instance when Owen was hitting his peak of terror-dom. Ed was holding him tightly because Owen kept trying to climb down. We were getting some dirty looks from people trying to enjoy the scenery, and understandably so. We left shortly after this photo was taken. Ahhh, family vacations.

By the second day at the Grand Canyon, Owen had calmed down a bit so we attempted to see the Canyon again.  It was still very hot so our sighting seeing was short lived and we mostly explored the surrounding area trying to find shade.

All the photos of our camp site were deleted except for this cute one of the boys having their morning cup of coffee/cocoa. Overall, the campsite was nice and quiet. The sites were small, but the campgrounds were clean. And the view of the stars and night was amazing. Ed and I were able to enjoy them, when Owen finally went to sleep, over a glass of wine and a cigar.

The Trip - Part I - Departure and Sedona

We've been home from our road trip for a couple of weeks and, coincidentally, it takes a couple of weeks to get situated after a huge trip like that.  This is especially true when you get a puppy in the interim.  That being said, we are ready to start the series of posts chronicling our experience.  We don't know how many parts there are going to be and I'm sure they will be interwoven with current posts, but we're looking forward to getting a narrative put together.

It wouldn't represent our departure if I didn't say that at 1:30AM the evening before we left, my Dad called me to tell me my Grandmother had unexpectedly been taken to the hospital and would not make a recovery.  This news transformed the enthusiasm we were feeling into uncertainty.  We departed with heavy hearts, kept afloat by the encouragement of our family that this trip was still the right thing to do.  Upon reflection, I believe it was, but the decisions were not easy and I am grateful for the support of Carrie, my Dad, and all of our loved ones who helped me get through the grieving process from afar.

Once our decision had been made to embark, focusing on the tasks involved in camping and traveling was helpful.  Long stretches of interstate are ideal for slow, thoughtful conversations.  Setting up camp is ideal for punctuating those conversations. 

This is the first live run setting up the tent.  We had practiced in the back yard a couple of times, but this was the real thing.  It worked our beautifully.  We set up camp in Oak Creek, just outside of Sedona.  This was the only site on the way up to Montana we had scheduled for only one evening.  I am happy for that because setting up in the afternoon and breaking camp the next morning is not fun.

This is the Chapel of the Holy Cross in Sedona.  I happened to be in Sedona a number of years ago when I heard the news that my Great Uncle Paul (my Grandmother's brother) had passed away.  This church has vigil candles lining the walls, so I lit one for Paul.  I knew when we were traveling through Sedona, I would light a candle for my Grandmother.  When we got into the church, I thought about lighting a candle for my Grandmother and felt that somehow a solemn candle didn't feel right and realized I should light another candle for my Great Aunt Thelma who passed away in 2008 with whom my Grandmother had a special bond.  I lit two candles close to the window overlooking a beautiful red-rock valley. When I told my Uncle Dave this, he told me that he and his cousin Lori had lit a vigil candle in the same church in 1986 for my Great Grandmother (Paul, Thelma and my Grandmother's Mother) when she passed away. Wow.

The red rocks of Sedona. They are beautiful and spiritual and awe-inspiring.  I am so happy this was our first stop.

And our campsite.  I accidentally erased some of our pictures from Sedona and the Grand Canyon.  Boo Ed. Luckily of the 3000 pictures or so we took, 99% of them survived.  Yeah! (Plus, Owen was being a butt at the Grand Canyon, so if some had to go...).

Baby It's Hot in Here

We want to get our trips photos up. We really do. Unfortunately, there are just a few things working against us at this time:

• We have a 4-year old.
• We have a puppy that, unless constantly supervised, pees wherever and chews whatever.
• It is regularly 110-115 degrees. Right now, at 8:30 p.m., it is 110 degrees outside and 86 degrees inside our house. 
• We cannot take the puppy on walks because his paws would get burnt on the sidewalk. Potty breaks for the dog consist of running out to our sadly burnt grass, peeing quickly, and running back inside.
• School starts back up on Monday.

To top it off, there are crickets in our air vents. It could be one, it could be ten, but what I do know is that those suckers are loud. 

Have we ever mentioned August is our least favorite month in Arizona? Followed by September.

Just a photo reminder that a little over a month ago we were very cold and huddled around a fire. (Photo taken at Yellowstone.) Ah well. Time to give the cat and dog some ice cubes to lick, pour a cold glass of beer, and lay in front of a fan.

Welcome Roland, aka Rolly-Polly the Puppy

We are officially back in town from our six week road trip. We have thousands of pictures to sort through and hope to post the best on the blog. But until then, let us introduce the newest member of our family we adopted yesterday, Roland** the puppy.

Roland is around 6 months old and weighs 22 pounds. He and his siblings were found in the street when they were two months old and were taken to the pound. They were going to be euthanized when a wonderful rescue group swooped in, got them out of there, and placed the puppies into foster homes until a permanent home could be found.

It is believed he is part Australian Shepard, part Rottweiler, with a little something else mixed in. He was the smallest of his litter. We were originally looking at small to medium dogs and then adopted a dog that is part Rottweiler. Still not sure how that happened.


















Actually, I do know how it happened. He is the sweetest dog, very even-tempered, great with kids and other dogs. Just a chill little guy with normal puppy tendencies, like chewing stuffed animals. (He got a hold of Owen's Ducky, so now Owen keeps his door permanently closed.) We all immediately fell in love with him and feel he is a great addition to the family. Nala possibly disagrees, but I think he'll win her over.

** Well, his name is Roland for now, but I think the name is going to stick. You see, Owen was dead-set on calling him Iron Man. We tried to compromise and name him Rhodey, who is Iron Man's best friend. This greatly upset Owen because Rhodey, aka War Machine, got his robot arm ripped off at some point and was beaten up. Owen didn't want his dog named after a robot that had been beaten. Other names Owen suggested were: Burrito, Bailey (like Tejas' dog), Oscar (after his favorite cartoon character), and Puppy the Puppy. We finally all agreed on Roland, which happens to be the name of the lead character in Ed's favorite Stephen King series, and Owen decided could have a good nickname of Rolly-Polly the Puppy. Complicated thing, naming a dog.

Out of the Desert and into the Sun

We leave tomorrow for our big adventure. We couldn't be more excited about this trip for a number of reasons. 

First, we've been doing a lot for a while that has been good, but has come at the expense of family time. Before we become stuck looking back and lamenting time spent progressing as time we should have been spending together, we're going to spend some real quality time together as a family.

Then there's missing out on the summer heat. Granted, we're not going to be coming back to cool weather, but I'll take all the summer away from Arizona I can get.

And finally, this is the first time in a long time that we've had the opportunity to reconnect with our families. Being able to see the folks in Montana for a respectable amount of time then doing the same in Seattle is like a dream come true. This is especially true when time is working against loved ones. 

If you have an opportunity, think of us every once in a while and send some positive thoughts our way.  I know we're going to be doing the same for all of our loved ones.

One of my favorite bands was a Phoenix band called The Format.  One of my favorite lines of theirs is, "It's time to get out of the desert and into the sun."

Indeed.

Pool Parties

There are definite signs you know it is summer in Arizona, like when you can't walk outside with bare feet; you have to be extra careful getting into the car to avoid being scalded with a seat belt; and all activities revolve around a pool. Owen has been invited to four birthday parties, all of which are pool parties.

We went to Miles' birthday party this morning. The party started at 8:30 a.m. It was genius, really, and I may steal the idea for Owen's birthday next year. The weather isn't too hot and all you have to serve is fruit, bagels, coffee, and juice. Brilliant!

Niah and Miles racing down the good 'ol slip-n-slide.

The center of the festivities. When Kristi realized about 20 kids were coming to the pool party, she hired a lifeguard to watch over the pool. The kid took his job very seriously. He never cracked a smile or took his eyes off the pool. 

 Note to self: give kids water guns at the end of the party so that parents are not dodging water the entire party.

 The birthday boy and his father as everyone sings Happy Birthday. 

Owen had a great time at the party, then came home and promptly feel asleep.

Next BMW Art Car Designer?

I'll let the "unbiased" grandparents and frequenters of this blog make the call, but I say we're raising a future BMW Art Car designer.

No Safety Net

Jumping off the diving board minus the life jacket. He's getting this swimming thing down which makes pool time a whole lotta fun.

Summer Time 2012

It's officially summer time in Arizona. School is out, the pool is 80 degrees, and the sun is always shining.

It wouldn't be summer time without going to Mighty Mud Mania with the old daycare gang.

Pool time is a lot of fun now that the kids know how to swim. Miles can do a pretty mean belly flop. 

  Owen laughing at Miles' belly flop.

  Wrapping up the afternoon with popcorn and a movie. Just how summer time days should be.

That Thumb Is Getting Greener

Carrie proudly shows off the zucchini picked fresh today from our garden.

The Fun Never Stops

As I'm wrapping up school, I'm experiencing this odd phenomenon: free time. More specifically, guilt-free free time.  It's similar to procrastination, but with less to do afterwards. Family time is probably the biggest beneficiary of this extra time and we're starting to have more fun in general. The past couple of years has been hard work and the next couple are going to come with challenges as well, but hopefully we're going to be able to enjoy being a family more fully.  Here is some of the fun we had this weekend.

As you can see, the weekend fun started out strong. There are a few different points of interest here, but my favorite is the hat.

Gardens love sunshine.  Gardens frown on 110 + degree days.  We're happily in the middle now and even barbecuing some of our own zucchini and using some of our cayenne peppers in our meals.  It's fun!  

Speaking of fun (notice the theme?), it's all fun and games with the "stegosaurus" hair until your mohawked son gets mad at you for turning down a NIN song that comes on the radio, demanding you turn it up because he LOVES that song. Now, I'm partially torn because I love NIN too, but four is a little early to be exploring the industrial rock genre. Wait a decade and we'll talk. 

Ed Camera Phone Upload - Part 2