One with nature

Over the weekend we camped in Strawberry, Arizona...only about 2 hours north (Lynn's stomach was very appreciative of the short drive!) You have to love Arizona (yes we're a little biased, but hear me out for a sec). You can drive 2 hours North from Phoenix and drop 20 degrees. Seriously, it was beautify during the day (65degrees) and a little freezing during the night!
My sister and her family came up with us; we had so much fun! Emily (4yrs) had her first s'more and we collected lots of acorns and wild flowers...even leaves that were changing colors!!! We even cooked a meal over the fire, like we were "roughin' it." Everything tastes yummy when you're camping!
Emily (above, 4rys) and Ally (below, 15mo) were so adorable. Emily was so excited about s'mores her eyes lit up when we told her we were going to have some hot chocolate around the campfire to warm up from the cold night. She immediately added, "then we're gonna have s'mores!?!" Her excitement was priceless! Ally accidently fell into the mud, but loved every minute of it! She didn't let anything phase her. She just walked around staring at all the cool stuff! She'd fall every once in a while, then dust herself off and go walking somewhere new.
This was the second trip with our camper and it worked out really well! Despite our heater running out in the early morning (causing us to snuggle up for survival...which is the best part of camping...who needs those silly heaters!)
I forgot a sharp knife for cutting the potatoes so we used a really tiny (1") knife that Scott, Angel's husband, happened to have in the car as part of those all-in-one Swiss army style gadgets. Thank goodness for that! Then we found this campfire rack nearby that some previous campers had left behind. It was cool to be able to cook like they did in the old days!

D-Backs playoff fun!

We went to Game 1 of the NL Championship Series and cheered on our D-Backs! While Chad sported the the traditional "rally cap," Lynn kept score during a great game! Yes the D-Backs lost, however it was great just to be there enjoying a night of baseball!

We even contributed our fair share of booing at the interfence call during the seventh innning. Although we didn't participate in the throwing of garbage on the field, it was entertaining to see all the security guards scatter around!

Gymnastics Bloopers!

So I was surfing the net and came across a video on you tube. Some of them I laughed at because they are typical gymnastics bloopers and others are truly unique. Either way, be prepared to wince as you watch some of the clips!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjNre1yI668

Yummy Yummy Applesauce!

Oh my goodness....I've found a new dessert that comes in a very close second to dark chocolate! You're probably thinking..."she's not going to say applesauce is she?!" YEP! It's applesauce. Not just any applesauce, but rather... home-made applesauce served it warm with Cinnamon sprinkled on top! Seriously good. If you like the taste of hot apple pie filling, I can almost guarantee you'll be addicted like me! It's really easy to make too! Here are the directions:

1. Peel and cut apples into quarters
2. heat apples on stove until soft (I used a pressure cooker...but any old pot will be suffice)
3. Mash hot soft apples to desired consistency (I like it pureed like baby food!)
4. Add Cinnamon
5. Grab a spoon and enjoy!

Approximate prep time: 10 min

Approximate cook time: 6 min for 6 apples in pressure cooker(more time if cooked in a regular pot)

Demolition Time part 2

Phase 2: Renovate bathroom! This was so much easier to do than we thought it would be! Chad and I got our tools out, we hacked away at the cabinet, sink and mirror, then hualed it away! Of course, there were a few holes we had to patch up afterwards, but all in all, it went well! There was a perk to having wood floors in the bathroom...the paint (that we dripped in numerous places) just peeled right up! Sweet! Pictures to come!

Demolition Time

So it seems that we have the demolition/renovation itch! We are in the process of having new flooring installed and renovating our guest bathroom! We'll post some before and after pics for you to enjoy! In the meantime, the house is really dusty and unorganized! Literally, our couch is in our kitchen and den!

Phase 1: Rip up carpet, layout flooring in living room and hallway, run and slide across hallway like Tom Cruise in Risky Business, slide on our bellies on the floor (not as fun as you'd think!), watch cats loose traction and bump into walls (don't worry, no animals were injured in the installation of this floor.)

Chad's on TV!!!!

Chad's business was featured on ABC 15's Home Show. It will air on Friday at 7pm on channel 15. We're gonna try to put the 5 minute promo on the blogspot...but it may not work. We'll see.

We posted it on his company website. It might take a few minutes to load up. Let us know if you have any issues loading the 30 sec. commercial or the 5 minute video.

30 sec. Commercial
http://www.safeandsecurefence.com/media/Safe_and_Secure_Fence.wmv

5 minute Home Show Segment
http://www.safeandsecurefence.com/media/Movie.wmv

As exciting as it is to be on TV, the really emphasis is on what the Lord has provided! He has blessed us tremendously and we only hope to reflect as gracious servents of Him in all that we do.