Tuesday, June 18, 2013

It's Hot!

I started dieting/exercising a couple of weeks ago.  I did great the first week.  I made homemade salads with all the fixins and fresh smoothies.  I swam in the pool M-W-F and did the bike T-TR.  Last week did not go as well.  I think I only swam once and maybe missed a day on the bike.  I just got so busy and the swimming really can only be done in the morning because of the heat.  Last week I started majorly cleaning our house.  Not only did I do some deep cleaning, but I starting recycling a lot of paperwork (catalogs, sales ads, coupon mailers, etc...).  I am so tired of the clutter, but it was really hard to get rid of these things.  They could be useful to me if I only had time to go through them.  I still have a long way to go and my progress is slowing down.

On 6/7 when I was swimming, Bella looked like she really wanted to get in the pool with me, but she seemed a little scared at the same time.  She finally got in and sat on the first step for a couple of minutes.  The next time I went swimming she got in and laid down on the first step for a couple of minutes.  I think her previous owners said she likes to swim...not so sure why she is nervous about getting in, though.

On 6/8, I went to the Desert Museum.  Afterward, I met Paul and Nathan at Oregano's for lunch.  They had made me a dough heart!

6/11, I took Nathan to Reid Park Zoo.  We got there early, but it was still hot!  We went to lunch with daddy at one of my favorite places, Pita Jungle.  I also picked up my pictures from another Jones Photo competition that I entered.  I won 2nd prize in their reflections contest with my monkey picture from Phoenix Zoo.

6/14 I saw a family of quail over by Mountain View High School after I picked Nathan up from school.  I followed them around trying to take pictures, but they kept running away from me!  Those babies are so cute and I love quail with the little feather on their head.

6/16 was Father's Day.  Paul did not get newest dad at church this year.  Actually somebody just had a baby a couple of days prior.  Paul wanted to go to Olive Garden for lunch, but they were too busy so we ended up at Grimaldi's.  That was good for me because I love Grimaldi's!  Earlier in the month I had helped Nathan make a couple of crafts for daddy and grandpa for Father's Day.  They each got cards with his handprint.  Grandpa got a frog where the feet are actually traced around Nathan's hands (thanks Pinterest!).  I took a picture of Nathan in a frog shirt holding his frog craft and then put that picture in a frog Father's Day card!.  I sent my dad a $50 southwest airlines gift card.  We also made a fingerpainting for daddy that says I love Daddy.  Then I bought Paul some shirts and ties from Kohls.  I also took a picture of Nathan in daddy's boots and put it in a picture frame with the saying, with each step, I try so hard to walk in your shoes (another Pinterest idea).  Nathan also made cool Mother's Day and Father's Day projects at school...Ms. Carrie is awesome!  I was hoping to take Paul to Pine, AZ for their strawberry fest going on Father's Day weekend, but he said he would rather go when we have a little more time to spend up there.

Tonight we have a second heating and cooling company coming out to give us an estimate on new a/c's and furnaces.  The first quote was like $12k.  This is going to be expensive and they probably need to be replaced every 10 years.  Sometimes home ownership is not so fun.  This is a newer home and we have only been living here for 4 years, yet we are already putting big bucks into the house.  We replaced our upstairs sliding door because it was leaking, we had the whole exterior of the house repainted, we resurfaced the flooring by the pool not to mention the new furniture we bought when we moved in (new sectional for the family room, new bedroom furniture for our bedroom, new washer/dryer, new dishwasher and then nursery furniture with all of the baby stuff).  We still need patio furniture, other new furniture for the house, both cars need to be replaced soon, etc...  It never ends!  I am just thankful that Paul still has a job given Aetna just bought them out and the deal went through not too long ago.  The sad part is that our house is not even worth as much as when we bought it just 4 years.      

Monday, June 3, 2013

June already?

We went up to Mt Lemmon on 5/26/13.  We ate at Iron Door Restaurant, went on the ski lift and stopped at the General Store.  It was actually cooler up there than anticipated.

Memorial Day was on 5/27.  Paul and Nathan took Tulla to get her nails cut.  Then Nathan played in his pool.  Tulla was happier than we have ever seen her.  We cooked out for dinner.

Nathan and I went to the Desert Museum on 5/28.  We wanted to see the new 5 month old mountain lion cub, but he was being shy.

I went to DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun on 5/29 to take pictures of their night blooming cacti.  Then I met Ann Alvir at North for lunch with a stop at Frost for dessert.

We went to Reid Park Zoo on 5/31 for their Friday Summer Safari Nights.  Got to see peacock babies and the new black necked swan.  They are working on adding lemurs and bears.