Wow its been 4 years! Time flies by when you are married to someone great! These past 4 years have been wonderful and I am lucky to have someone so special and treats me so good!
As an early 5 year Anniv. present Tyler got me a new ring! My original one had a small diamond fall out and Tyler surprised me by getting a new one! I love it and the diamonds are set into the ring so they should never fall out! Thank you again Tyler!
I love you and look forward to many more years to come!
May 29, 2009
May 17, 2009
Zach and Anne's Wedding and trip to WA
What a whirl wind of a weekend! We went to WA for Zach and Anne Zimmermans wedding! Tyler was a handsome groomsman and it was a beautiful wedding! We had perfect weather and a wonderful time with family and friends. The Matneys came into town as well for the wedding so it was great to have both sets of parents at the same time. We enjoyed breakfast over looking Pike Place and then walked around the market. We also got a chance to see Bridget and her new baby boy with Alli as well!
May 8, 2009
More Updates on our home!
Well we had the house painted this week and we love the difference! Thanks Zach! Here is a before and after photo ... How many things can you find different?
Here is what we updated:
~ New exterior lights (bye bye 80's gold)
~ tan and green paint (no more 80's cream & brown)
~ 2 new Arizona native plants in front rocks
~ new solar sidewalk lights
~ kept the screens from the front windows off
~ took down a row of cabinets which totally opened up the kitchen
Here is what we updated:
~ New exterior lights (bye bye 80's gold)
~ tan and green paint (no more 80's cream & brown)
~ 2 new Arizona native plants in front rocks
~ new solar sidewalk lights
~ kept the screens from the front windows off
~ took down a row of cabinets which totally opened up the kitchen
Apr 7, 2009
Tessa and Michael Visit
Tessa and Michael came to visit while they had spring break. Tyler and them played a ton of disc golf at many different courses in the Phoenix area and we also took a long day drive to Sedona, Jerome, and back home. It was great to have them out here and hope they will come out again!
Mar 24, 2009
Mar 21, 2009
Hillard's came to town!
Cate and Wayne came for a 5 day visit before heading to So Cal to babysit for the Squires. Most of the time was busy trying to figure out how to go buy our new Mini Cooper but we did go to Phoenix Desert Botanical Gardens which had a great glass exhibit! Below the photos is more info on Chihuly...
Dale Chihuly has been influential within the Studio Glass movement. He continues to revolutionize the art of handblown glass. Working in a generally free-form and unorthodox manner, the results of his approach elicit widespread admiration from the full spectrum of viewers, with one art historian calling his work "liquid light."
Chihuly's work is included in more than 200 museum collections worldwide including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Among the many museums in which his work has been exhibited are the Louvre's Musée des Arts Décoratifs and the Victoria & Albert Museum, London. Some of the great botanical gardens have recently exhibited his work, such as the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, and the New York Botanical garden. His corporate installations include the famous ceiling sculpture at the Bellagio in Las Vegas.
Born in 1941 and raised in Tacoma, Washington, Chihuly studied interior design and architecture at the University of Washington in Seattle, earning his BA in 1965. In that same year, Chihuly blew his first glass bubble. He attended graduate school on scholarship at the University of Wisconsin, Madison where he studied glass under Harvey Littleton. That same year Chihuly received a Fulbright scholarship to study at the Venini glass factory in Venice. The following year Chihuly became part of the faculty of RISD and established a glass program there. In 1971, he cofounded the Pilchuck Glass School near Stanwood, Washington.
Through the 1970s Chihuly divided his time between RISD and Pilchuck and developed his team model of blowing glass that he had learned from Venini. During those years Chihuly also developed a core philosophy. "I am less concerned with being narrative or figurative. I am involved in the glass and the light that passes through it - the phenomenon of light being transmitted through colored glass."
Over the years Chihuly created a wide vocabulary of blown forms. Earlier series from the late 1970s through the 1990s, such as Baskets, Seaforms, Ikebana, Venetians, and Chandeliers have been augmented with the new Fiori-or flower- forms. "Over time I developed the most organic, natural way of working with glass, using the least amount of tools that I could. The glass looks as if it comes from nature." Some of these new flower forms are reminiscent of his early installations made at Pilchuck in the 1970s, so Chihuly has come full circle with his vocabulary of forms. In his garden installations, the artist juxtaposes his forms with those of nature establishing a direct and immediate dialog between nature, art, and light.
Major Installations
Chihuly Over Venice - 1995-96
Chihuly in the Light of Jerusalem - 2000
Chihuly in the Park: A Garden of Glass at Chicago's Garfield Park Conservatory - 2001-2002
The Chihuly Bridge of Glass, Tacoma - 2002
Mille Fiori at the Tacoma Art Museum - 2003
Chihuly at the de Young, San Francisco, CA - 2008
Garden Installations
Chicago's Garfield Park Conservatory - 2001
Atlanta Botanical Gardens - 2004
Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew - 2005
Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden, Coral Gables, Florida - 2006
Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis - 2006
New York Botanical Garden - 2006
Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, Pittsburg, Pennsylvania - 2007
Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix, Arizona - 2008
Mar 20, 2009
Our New MINI Cooper!
For my birthday, Tyler bought me a 2003 MINI Cooper! It is the car I have always wanted and always point out while driving. It is such a fun little sporty car to drive around!
Feb 18, 2009
Scheila and RubyJoy
Scheila and RubyJoy came to AZ on spring break and Tyler and I got to play with RubyJoy and her mountain board! RubyJoy and Claire also had some fun driving around the neighborhood in a golf cart!
Jan 30, 2009
More work on the house
This was Tyler's idea!
We have been needing to replace the carpet in our house for at least a year. Having 3 dogs and an active lifestyle is very tough on the flooring. Tyler has a friend who just did something some might consider extreme, pulling up all the carpet and staining the concrete slab.
We are doing it! Last night, Tyler yanked all the carpet and padding out of our living room, the office is next and the two bedrooms are still in question. We are going to leave the bare concrete floor exposed for a few weeks while we make sure that we like the feel of concrete.
The next step will be to rent a commercial sander and sand the paint and carpet glue off the slab. Then we have to get the floor VERY VERY clean, then it's just a matter of spraying the stain onto the floor and letting it dry. The last step is to spray a couple clear coats on it for shine and it's done.
The benefit is cleanliness. Our carpet was so gross, that I can't believe we were walking on it all day everyday. Carpet is carpet padding is nasty stuff after awhile. The downside is resale value which can be overcome with cheap carpeting at the time of sale, and the other is noise. It's very loud in here with no carpet.
We will keep this updated as we move forward. Here is the initial demolition!
We have been needing to replace the carpet in our house for at least a year. Having 3 dogs and an active lifestyle is very tough on the flooring. Tyler has a friend who just did something some might consider extreme, pulling up all the carpet and staining the concrete slab.
We are doing it! Last night, Tyler yanked all the carpet and padding out of our living room, the office is next and the two bedrooms are still in question. We are going to leave the bare concrete floor exposed for a few weeks while we make sure that we like the feel of concrete.
The next step will be to rent a commercial sander and sand the paint and carpet glue off the slab. Then we have to get the floor VERY VERY clean, then it's just a matter of spraying the stain onto the floor and letting it dry. The last step is to spray a couple clear coats on it for shine and it's done.
The benefit is cleanliness. Our carpet was so gross, that I can't believe we were walking on it all day everyday. Carpet is carpet padding is nasty stuff after awhile. The downside is resale value which can be overcome with cheap carpeting at the time of sale, and the other is noise. It's very loud in here with no carpet.
We will keep this updated as we move forward. Here is the initial demolition!
Jan 9, 2009
New home Upgrades!
On Christmas morning I was pleasantly surprised to see that Santa had left a new Chandelier and a new matching ceiling fan under the Christmas Tree!
Tonight, we had Mark and Dana (Dana works with Claire at Animal Kingdom) over for dinner and a fun filled evening of "ceiling fixture installation"! We replaced the fan and the Chandelier and it looks terrific!
The only out of pocket cost for install....was a nice steak dinner for Mark and Dana! Not a bad deal!!!!
Here are the new additions.
Tonight, we had Mark and Dana (Dana works with Claire at Animal Kingdom) over for dinner and a fun filled evening of "ceiling fixture installation"! We replaced the fan and the Chandelier and it looks terrific!
The only out of pocket cost for install....was a nice steak dinner for Mark and Dana! Not a bad deal!!!!
Here are the new additions.
Jan 5, 2009
From Topo's point of view... Tule TH to Tortilla Road (Hwy 88), AZ
WOW, if I had known what I was getting into, I would have stayed in my kennel and pretended to be sick...I can puke on command you know!
This all started when I notice my human doing some work on my back pack, and then he bought me a new jacket...buttering me up, I now realize.
I was waken up VERY early on Friday morning, I was having a good dream and just about to catch that stupid cat. I met a couple other hikers out in the driveway and then we loaded up and headed out. The car ride was nuts, Hwy 88...made me throw up and it wasn't on command. That's a very curvy road to be stuck in the back of an SUV for.
We got to the Tule trailhead and things were looking good, I got my gear all situated and my pack weight was light since there would be nice streams to drink out of all weekend.
Holy crap, that Tule trail was crazy, steep and rocky and we were lost for about 90% of the time...from the smell of things, there hadn't been anything but a cow on that trail in a few months! I was all but useless in helping locate the trail between Cairns. I got stuck on a tree branch at one point, and in an effort to get away snapped one of the straps on my new pack...my human seemed super excited about carrying the extra 8 or 9 lbs. for the last major hill climb and into camp...he said a few things to me that I didn't understand, I am sure they were nice though!
It was starting to get dark, when we finally found a camp site. I ended up spending the night in my new jacket...thank God the Human picked that thing up for me...I would for sure be a doggie-cicle if I hadn't had that. There was another dog on this trip too, Sawyer, kind of skidish but it was nice to have some K-9 companionship and someone to stay warm with all night. Him and I both had a nice time barking at Alex when he was trying to relive himself in the middle of the night.
Saturday morning we woke up to frost on everything. I had a little warm water on my food and felt better. My human fixed my pack...which kind of bummed me out, I would rather have worn the jacket all day and let him lug my gear around. We got into Reavis Ranch pretty early and enjoyed a quick lunch. Unfortunately Sawyer and his human Hayden, had to leave early so I was the only dog from here on out. After Reavis we ran into the other group of Hike Arizona folks there were hiking to Campaign trail for the night, I had met a few of them before but decided to bark at most of them. They don't realize that when I am on the trail, it's MY trail!
We finally made it to Angel Basin, pretty early and I got a little nap in on Andrew's lap before bed time. I also got lucky, and scored some left over tortellini for dinner! It's a good thing my human left enough room under his hammock for me, because it started to rain in the middle of the night, I slept good though under the hammock and it wasn't really that cold thankfully.
Sunday morning we got up and the rain had stopped, had breakfast and headed out for the next camp at Charlibois Springs. That's when the fun began....
I had my first major run-ins with catsclaw...which TORE ME UP! That stuff is crazy, I couldn't jump over it, or go around it, I just had to plow through...ouch! Rumor has it there might be a cleanup effort in March, I will be there doing whatever I can!
We finally made it up to Tortilla Pass, but not before it started to rain. I was soaked already from the wet brush we had to plow through, so it didn't matter much. Then the wind came...
We sat down for a quick lunch break and I mooched some beef jerky and pepperoni off the rest of the guys and laid down for a nap under a rock overhang. Next thing I know, they want to hike more...in the rain...in the wind...WHAT IN THE WORLD?!?!?!
So we headed out, and I got wind that we were cutting the trip short, thank goodness! We hiked into the Tortilla Trailhead and then hoofed it on the road to Hwy 88...which actually looked good, even though it had made me car sick. Some nice people picked up Ryan and Andrew to go get the cars at First Water, and I slept under the rain fly while my Human and Alex had some warm drinks. It was so nice to be able to lay down.
What a weekend.....
This all started when I notice my human doing some work on my back pack, and then he bought me a new jacket...buttering me up, I now realize.
I was waken up VERY early on Friday morning, I was having a good dream and just about to catch that stupid cat. I met a couple other hikers out in the driveway and then we loaded up and headed out. The car ride was nuts, Hwy 88...made me throw up and it wasn't on command. That's a very curvy road to be stuck in the back of an SUV for.
We got to the Tule trailhead and things were looking good, I got my gear all situated and my pack weight was light since there would be nice streams to drink out of all weekend.
Holy crap, that Tule trail was crazy, steep and rocky and we were lost for about 90% of the time...from the smell of things, there hadn't been anything but a cow on that trail in a few months! I was all but useless in helping locate the trail between Cairns. I got stuck on a tree branch at one point, and in an effort to get away snapped one of the straps on my new pack...my human seemed super excited about carrying the extra 8 or 9 lbs. for the last major hill climb and into camp...he said a few things to me that I didn't understand, I am sure they were nice though!
It was starting to get dark, when we finally found a camp site. I ended up spending the night in my new jacket...thank God the Human picked that thing up for me...I would for sure be a doggie-cicle if I hadn't had that. There was another dog on this trip too, Sawyer, kind of skidish but it was nice to have some K-9 companionship and someone to stay warm with all night. Him and I both had a nice time barking at Alex when he was trying to relive himself in the middle of the night.
Saturday morning we woke up to frost on everything. I had a little warm water on my food and felt better. My human fixed my pack...which kind of bummed me out, I would rather have worn the jacket all day and let him lug my gear around. We got into Reavis Ranch pretty early and enjoyed a quick lunch. Unfortunately Sawyer and his human Hayden, had to leave early so I was the only dog from here on out. After Reavis we ran into the other group of Hike Arizona folks there were hiking to Campaign trail for the night, I had met a few of them before but decided to bark at most of them. They don't realize that when I am on the trail, it's MY trail!
We finally made it to Angel Basin, pretty early and I got a little nap in on Andrew's lap before bed time. I also got lucky, and scored some left over tortellini for dinner! It's a good thing my human left enough room under his hammock for me, because it started to rain in the middle of the night, I slept good though under the hammock and it wasn't really that cold thankfully.
Sunday morning we got up and the rain had stopped, had breakfast and headed out for the next camp at Charlibois Springs. That's when the fun began....
I had my first major run-ins with catsclaw...which TORE ME UP! That stuff is crazy, I couldn't jump over it, or go around it, I just had to plow through...ouch! Rumor has it there might be a cleanup effort in March, I will be there doing whatever I can!
We finally made it up to Tortilla Pass, but not before it started to rain. I was soaked already from the wet brush we had to plow through, so it didn't matter much. Then the wind came...
We sat down for a quick lunch break and I mooched some beef jerky and pepperoni off the rest of the guys and laid down for a nap under a rock overhang. Next thing I know, they want to hike more...in the rain...in the wind...WHAT IN THE WORLD?!?!?!
So we headed out, and I got wind that we were cutting the trip short, thank goodness! We hiked into the Tortilla Trailhead and then hoofed it on the road to Hwy 88...which actually looked good, even though it had made me car sick. Some nice people picked up Ryan and Andrew to go get the cars at First Water, and I slept under the rain fly while my Human and Alex had some warm drinks. It was so nice to be able to lay down.
What a weekend.....
Dec 31, 2008
Big Bear Vacation
We had a wonderful week in Big Bear with Claire's extended family. We played games, shopped, laid around and caught up on the happenings of the last year.
One of the shops in Big Bear that we have become fond of over the past 3 visits is the Art Gallery of Timothy Wolcott. I was drawn to Tim's photographs the first time I stepped foot in his small gallery on the main street in Big Bear. The photos, upon first looks, seem to be "lit" from behind by a light source within the frame. But, it's just natural beauty caught at the perfect moment by Tim Wolcott.
This year, we couldn't leave without one. We decided on a newer piece that the gallery hasn't even put into full print yet. The copy we have is an Artist's Proof and is entitled "Forest Tranquility". The photo was taken by Tim in Sequoia National Forest in June of this year, 2008. This valley has a hidden abundance of Dogwoods that don't normally grow at this altitude, so it was a pleasant surprise and apparently photo worthy. The photo is actually 7 photos spliced flawlessly together to give you a 180 degree view and the detail is unlike anything I have ever seen. Tim is using a cutting edge technology to print these photos and his techniques will actually be showcased in a PBS TV special airing in November. We were so impressed with the quality of work and Tim's patience in helping us choose the perfect piece that we can't wait to go back next year to possibly pick out another piece.
We just got it hung up in our living room on the blank wall that we have been looking to fill for over a year. This photo doesn't do it justice, so we encourage you to come over for dinner and to have a closer look.
Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year.
www.TimothyWolcott.com
One of the shops in Big Bear that we have become fond of over the past 3 visits is the Art Gallery of Timothy Wolcott. I was drawn to Tim's photographs the first time I stepped foot in his small gallery on the main street in Big Bear. The photos, upon first looks, seem to be "lit" from behind by a light source within the frame. But, it's just natural beauty caught at the perfect moment by Tim Wolcott.
This year, we couldn't leave without one. We decided on a newer piece that the gallery hasn't even put into full print yet. The copy we have is an Artist's Proof and is entitled "Forest Tranquility". The photo was taken by Tim in Sequoia National Forest in June of this year, 2008. This valley has a hidden abundance of Dogwoods that don't normally grow at this altitude, so it was a pleasant surprise and apparently photo worthy. The photo is actually 7 photos spliced flawlessly together to give you a 180 degree view and the detail is unlike anything I have ever seen. Tim is using a cutting edge technology to print these photos and his techniques will actually be showcased in a PBS TV special airing in November. We were so impressed with the quality of work and Tim's patience in helping us choose the perfect piece that we can't wait to go back next year to possibly pick out another piece.
We just got it hung up in our living room on the blank wall that we have been looking to fill for over a year. This photo doesn't do it justice, so we encourage you to come over for dinner and to have a closer look.
Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year.
www.TimothyWolcott.com
Dec 17, 2008
30 !!
Unfortunately the Postal Store I carried my jewelry in changed owners and the new owners don't want any gift items anymore. SO I decided to add what I had in the store to my website for everyone to enjoy! I just added 30 more items and there are more to come!
| Etsy Buy Handmade SilverDapple |
Dec 8, 2008
Dec 5, 2008
Hale Centre Theatre
This past Valentines Day Tyler gave us season tickets to Hale Centre Theater! It has been so fun going to this small local theater! I dont think there is a bad seat in the house! Here is what we saw:
Singin' In the Rain (Mar 22)
Man with the Pointed Toes (May 10)
Dear Ruth (Jun 7)
The Music Man (Aug 2)
Wait Until Dark (Oct 4)
Camelot (Nov 8)
A Christmas Carol (Dec 5)
For more info: http://www.haletheatrearizona.com/
Singin' In the Rain (Mar 22)
Man with the Pointed Toes (May 10)
Dear Ruth (Jun 7)
The Music Man (Aug 2)
Wait Until Dark (Oct 4)
Camelot (Nov 8)
A Christmas Carol (Dec 5)
For more info: http://www.haletheatrearizona.com/
Oct 17, 2008
Oct 13, 2008
Jun 6, 2008
Small Favor?
Dear Friends and Family...and future customers!
I have a promotional give away that you might (read: BETTER) be interested in. I recently purchased a handful of car window decals. I have placed them on both of our cars; Tyler is super excited about them on the 4Runner :)
I have 15 smaller stickers available for give away. Here is the deal; the first 15 people who reply to this email (there are 90 people getting this email) and are willing to put my sticker on the back window of their car will receive a FREE pendant, the pendants are made on the back of a scrabble piece and are really nice! These will be retailing in my store for $6 without a ribbon, or $8 with the ribbon. I will send you the pendant and ribbon Free of charge...even shipping is free! Do you get the deal, FREE!!! Here is the stipulation, you must place the sticker on your car, and then you have to email me a photo of the sticker on your car before I ship your necklace.
The first 15 people get the deal, if I have enough interest I will consider more stickers, but they aren't cheap! Just email me at (clairematney@gmail.com) with your address you want the sticker sent to and it will be on its way!
Thanks! Claire
I have a promotional give away that you might (read: BETTER) be interested in. I recently purchased a handful of car window decals. I have placed them on both of our cars; Tyler is super excited about them on the 4Runner :)
I have 15 smaller stickers available for give away. Here is the deal; the first 15 people who reply to this email (there are 90 people getting this email) and are willing to put my sticker on the back window of their car will receive a FREE pendant, the pendants are made on the back of a scrabble piece and are really nice! These will be retailing in my store for $6 without a ribbon, or $8 with the ribbon. I will send you the pendant and ribbon Free of charge...even shipping is free! Do you get the deal, FREE!!! Here is the stipulation, you must place the sticker on your car, and then you have to email me a photo of the sticker on your car before I ship your necklace.
The first 15 people get the deal, if I have enough interest I will consider more stickers, but they aren't cheap! Just email me at (clairematney@gmail.com) with your address you want the sticker sent to and it will be on its way!
Thanks! Claire
May 24, 2008
Topo!
I would like to introduce the newest member of our family, Topo, pronounced Toe Poe, as in Topographic Map.
Here is a long story with a happy ending. Since the hike with Nelius, Tyler has been wanting to replace Issy with a new hiking partner (a tough task since she such a great hiking partner). Tyler has been visiting the humane society on a regular basis and had our friend who works there keeping an eye out for a dog that would make a good hiker. Tyler went into the shelter in north Phoenix early this week to check out a couple candidates in the "Hospital Kennels" (which means they had just come in to the shelter, and weren't available for adoption, or for the public to see). In the hospital kennel Tyler spotted a 2 month old Border Collie puppy that had come in as a stray. It looked perfect, but he wanted to check the other shelter first.
Fast forward two days. Tyler went into the south Phoenix shelter and found another dog that seemed like a perfect fit. We even went through the dog introductions with this candidate. Over a night of "thinking about it", we went in yesterday morning to pick up our new dog. To our surprise and disappointment it had been adopted the night before while we were "thinking about it". Unbelievable. The lady at the front, who knew Tyler from his frequent visits said there were 7 more dogs coming in from North Phoenix any minute and that we were welcome to wait for them and see if any of those appealed to us.
Claire spotted him first, and said she thought she might have a winner. When I walked up to the kennel I couldn't believe it. There staring back at me was the 2 month old Border Collie I had seen a few days earlier at the other shelter. He had just come off the truck from the North Phoenix shelter and they hadn't even posted his paperwork yet. It was meant to be.
We adopted him yesterday from the Humane Society. We made his birthday March 23, 08 but he could be anywhere from 2-3 months old. His paper work said "dog came to house, could not keep, friendly with dogs, cats and children". He slept in the kennel last night and didn't have one accident or make one peep!
Now it's time to strap a back pack on him and get him into hiking mode!
Here is a long story with a happy ending. Since the hike with Nelius, Tyler has been wanting to replace Issy with a new hiking partner (a tough task since she such a great hiking partner). Tyler has been visiting the humane society on a regular basis and had our friend who works there keeping an eye out for a dog that would make a good hiker. Tyler went into the shelter in north Phoenix early this week to check out a couple candidates in the "Hospital Kennels" (which means they had just come in to the shelter, and weren't available for adoption, or for the public to see). In the hospital kennel Tyler spotted a 2 month old Border Collie puppy that had come in as a stray. It looked perfect, but he wanted to check the other shelter first.
Fast forward two days. Tyler went into the south Phoenix shelter and found another dog that seemed like a perfect fit. We even went through the dog introductions with this candidate. Over a night of "thinking about it", we went in yesterday morning to pick up our new dog. To our surprise and disappointment it had been adopted the night before while we were "thinking about it". Unbelievable. The lady at the front, who knew Tyler from his frequent visits said there were 7 more dogs coming in from North Phoenix any minute and that we were welcome to wait for them and see if any of those appealed to us.
Claire spotted him first, and said she thought she might have a winner. When I walked up to the kennel I couldn't believe it. There staring back at me was the 2 month old Border Collie I had seen a few days earlier at the other shelter. He had just come off the truck from the North Phoenix shelter and they hadn't even posted his paperwork yet. It was meant to be.
We adopted him yesterday from the Humane Society. We made his birthday March 23, 08 but he could be anywhere from 2-3 months old. His paper work said "dog came to house, could not keep, friendly with dogs, cats and children". He slept in the kennel last night and didn't have one accident or make one peep!
Now it's time to strap a back pack on him and get him into hiking mode!
May 12, 2008
Even the animals like the trailer!
We had to drag him out. I think he might be just as obsessed about the trailer as the 4Runner. Bentley loves it!
another touch up on Pop Up
We added carpet to cover the old 80's vinyl flooring and what a difference! Now Claire would like to figure out how to replace the orange curtains and paint the cabinets and it will look like new!
May 10, 2008
Bulldog pot
Ok So most of you know we love Bulldogs and I found this unique pot out shopping one day and couldnt resist! I probably carried it around the store for 15 minutes just trying to figure out where it would look ok in the house so I could buy it :) At first it I thought it could go in our London themed bathroom but when I got home I saw my bamboo plant in the corner of our kitchen and thought that would be cute there! It was such a great find, that I just had to share!
May 8, 2008
Pop Up Update
Well, the last two days have been productive! In my opinion, this thing is ready to go camping! We should have time to get a few more things completed before we leave for our first outing. Yesterday I redid the water system from the ground up, new tank, new hoses, works perfect now. I also updated the propane tank, regulator and hoses. So we can cook and do dishes now.Today we went out and purchased fabric...one of the things that was farther down the "to-do" list, but it go rushed to the front when we found a super cheap fabric store in Tempe. We went with a fabric that we thought was both exciting, but didn't kill the resale value if we decide to part with the trailer down the road. All we have done so far are the dinette sets. We bought a nice solid khaki color for the beds, but that fabric is being shipped to Idaho were my Grandpa is going to sew new bed panels for us. Here are some photos of the before and after photos over the last couple days.
note: I don't have before and after photos of everything, like the water and propane.
FOR MORE PHOTOS:
http://s66.photobucket.com/albums/h279/Dirt4dinner/Saratoga/
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May 7, 2008
1980 Coleman Saratoga Limited
Claire and I decided that after several years of talking about it to pull the trigger, and buy our first RV. It's a 1980 Coleman Saratoga Limited. Amenities include a sink (hand pumped water), 3 burner propane stove, and interior and exterior lights. It sleeps 8 people! A king bed on one end, a queen on the other, and then there are two dinette tables that each fold down into a full/twin. It's not much to look at, but for $500 we didn't expect much! It needs a serious bath on the inside and outside, as well as new tires, new propane tank, and a little canvas work but nothing that we can't handle! It's perfect for us! We bought it from a family that had bought it in 1981 after the original owner only took it out a few times. It has been handed around their family and used on and off over the years, with the last outing being about 5 years ago. It's time to get it back out and in use. I will get some pictures of it set up tomorrow when we start cleaning. Here are some teaser photos from tonight. We take it out on it's maiden voyage May 17th. We have that long to get it road worthy.
Apr 6, 2008
They made it!
Well Tyler and Uncle Nelius made it home safe and sound Sunday night. Here is Tyler's narrative on his hiking experience...
I have been pondering the best way to share our experiences on this hike, and I figured an email with 150 photos attached would be boring. So I spent most of the day creating a blog. It's long, but hopefully entertaining and thorough. Feel free to pass it along to anyone that you would like to, hopefully next year we can add onto it with another hike!
Here is the website: http://hikingadventure.blogspot.com/
I have been pondering the best way to share our experiences on this hike, and I figured an email with 150 photos attached would be boring. So I spent most of the day creating a blog. It's long, but hopefully entertaining and thorough. Feel free to pass it along to anyone that you would like to, hopefully next year we can add onto it with another hike!
Here is the website: http://hikingadventure.blogspot
Apr 5, 2008
New Update on their Hiking Trip
I received another phone call today from Tyler. They were at an actual camp ground and they were thinking they might stay there tonight so they could have a fire for the first time. I believe Tyler said they hiked 16 miles today and a good portion of it had a view of a lake so it was nice. He said they weather couldn't have been better with blue skies. He said is it taking lots of photos so we will post those later. They only have 12 or 13 miles left until they get to the car so they will be home late Sunday. They both are healthy and doing fine and I'm sure we will hear more stories later, but I just wanted to let you all know they were doing ok. I will let you know when I hear from them tomorrow!
Apr 4, 2008
Update on Tyler and Nelius's Hiking trip!
Well I got a phone call today from Tyler saying they were having a great time! They hiked about 12 miles yesterday and were sitting near a water damn when he called. He said everything they brought it working out fine (except he brought my hiking pants instead of his) and that the weather was great so far!
From the map below they started at Van Dusen Canyon Rd and were at Deep Creek Hot Springs tonight. So far they are on track! I don't know if the picture below is 100% accurate but it looks as if they are already half way tonight! Good job guys!
Here is a picture I got on my phone today of Uncle Nelius...
Apr 3, 2008
Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail
At this very moment Tyler and my Uncle Nelius are hiking part of the Pacific Crest Trail. They will be doing about 50 miles in 4 days, starting in Big Bear, CA and ending near Pasadena, CA. I believe it has been a dream to do the PCT of U. Nelius's and Tyler is excited about doing this big of a trip. I know they both bought and made new equipment that would be light weight enough and warm enough and are excited. They headed out this morning (Thursday, 4/2) and will hopefully be arriving either Sunday or Monday. I believe they spend on taking a half day to visit some hot springs sometime during their trip too. I assume Tyler will update this when he gets back with photos and more but wanted your prayer request for their safety! I believe this is a picture of the part of trail they will be hiking... If I hear any news I will be sure to post it too!
Mar 25, 2008
Easter!
This year for Easter my parents were able to join us in sunny Arizona!! We kept them busy by going to a local theater and saw Singing in the Rain, going to a Mariners Spring Training game on Easter day, hiked up Squaw Peak (The route is 1.25 miles one-way to the top, with about 1,200 feet of gain, for an overall consistent grade.) and much more. They even helped Tyler and I take a large (or Zoo like) family photo!
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