Yer ridin' the crap outta that horse!

Wow! Much has happened since the arrival of the Merchant/DeVries/Risher party. They arrived on Tuesday and we've been busy ever since. We did some hiking and saw many wonderful sights like the Phoenix Zoo, Frank Lloyd Wright's Tallesin West, Cabella's, and we finished it off with some horseback riding in the mountains. Jenna's horse, Luna, had a little gas problem and when our guide, Preston, heard about this he responded with the line that I thought was so funny, I made it the title of this post! It was a lot of fun and very exhausting. We also scored some excellent dinners while they were in town. We finally made it to Macayo's and The Streets of New York...we tried to eat at Oregano's but there was an hour wait so we ended up at Jerry Tucci's. The in-laws left for Michigan this morning (and hopefully took their Michigan weather with them!). Now we're just waiting for the ball to drop...Happy New Year to you all!

Christmas Card outtakes...

Merry Christmas everyone...we miss you!

Wacky Weather

Well...for those of you who don't check the Weather Channel often...it's cold here! Colder than it has been in Michigan lately from what I here. And it rained today! So weird! I was working in my room (with no windows) and thought I heard someone turn a faucet on...then 45 minutes later, that faucet was still on! I soon realized there was a door to the outside nearby and checked to see that it was in fact raining. Very strange...usually there is blue sky all day long...no, I'm not bragging, it's just very easy to get used to! The big day is upon us, and I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Settling in

Well, each week we're feeling more and more settled. One of my new routines is having Sundays off...which is awesome! I wake up, get ready, and take the doggies for a nice walk. We work on being good doggies during this time...this is not always a success. I come home, make some coffee and call up my mom and dad in Michigan for a chat. Then I make some lunch and watch some football, I also usually have some schoolwork to do. It's really nice.

Yesterday we found a great dog park and took the dogs. They did surprisingly well considering their lack of training and we'd like to go back often. It doesn't really feel like Christmas, but I'm doing my best. I've put up our Christmas wreath outside our front door and sprinkled the living room with Christmas scented candles. That helps! Hope all is well in Michigan!

Christmas-time in Phoenix

Well, there's no snow, but it can still be very beautiful! Friday afternoon one of my co-teachers came in and offered me two tickets to Las Noches de las Luminarias at the Desert Botanical Garden. When we went last Friday it was beautiful and I couldn't imagine it at night. Unfortunately the pictures didn't really turn out...they wouldn't do the real thing justice anyway. We bundled up (33 degrees is parka weather for the desert-folk) and bought some hot apple cider and enjoyed some live entertainment under the stars in the desert surrounded by thousands of luminarias! It was spectacular and made it feel more like Christmas-time. Hope all you midwesterners are enjoying your snow!

Desert Life

Well, after an unusual but decidedly restful Thanksgiving day spent with friends, Dave and I finally got to get out and do some exploring. I received two free passes to the Desert Botanical Gardens located in Phoenix from a co-worker and Dave and I decided to use them Friday. What an amazing place! We saw all kinds of different cactus plants, wildflowers, trees, and even a desert oasis. This is a highly recommended outing if you are ever in Phoenix. After the gardens, we made a stop at Papago Park and took a few more neat pictures. It was near the Phoenix Zoo and I'd really like to make a trip there sometime, but we were both tired so we headed back home. Here are some of my favorite pictures:

A pathway on the main trail set up for Las Noches de las Luminarias.

The desert oasis.

A very tall saguaro cactus.

The Teddy Bear Cholla is not very cuddly!

A cool looking Prickly Pear Cactus

Dave is trying not to knock this boulder over!

A nice view of Hole-in-the-Rock at Papago Park

The long-awaited apartment pictures

Our porch...freshly painted.

Our front door...on the right behind the steps and the tree.

Our kitchen...washer and dryer are in the pantry-like spot between the fridge and the cupboards.

Living room setup...surround sound of course!

The master bedroom/bath...has a slider to the porch.

And finally, one of my favorite things...a picture taken while standing inside the closet.