There is a New Plow in Town...

And the winner is!!!

I just have to post this, I cannot help myself. This is a message I just got, from a dear friend..(one I miss a ton btw) and I am so excited for her...and for me, I can hardly stand it!!!

She reins supreme...ummm..thats not to mention her son A.J., who actually complied, and learned his marks...wooo hooo...congrats!!!

ust gotta brag a bit! AJ did the testing today at Yavapai College because we have taught him everything through high school level and he is now ready for college, at 15, and wants to start on the road towards getting a master's in marine biology along with fine tuning his passion for writing. So.........drum roll.........He got a 99 in Grammar/Editing (must be the tutoring he's had from the highly talented Christy Krug as he writes his novel), he took a 96 in math-pre-Algebra, then a downslide as he moved into the higher math, 66 college algebra, and 28 in Calculus (how do you even get a 28 in something you've never done?), he took an 81 in Reading/Comprehension, which I think is great but the instructor is looking into because she thinks it was miscalculated and should be higher due to the 99 in Grammar/Editing. So, a HUGE sigh of relief. HOMESCHOOLING REALLY WORKS! and even if taught by someone who was homeschooled all her life and who didn't know what she was doing most of the time but followed her instincts and stuck with what was important and used any and all tools available, dvds, computer games, etc. IT WORKED
Okay, that's a relief, I can stop wondering if my kid will make it into college.
Love you all!
Glenda

Learning to make our marks!!

We love school!!!

Sunrise over the Mississippi River

I suppose I should share the sunrise..as well as the sunset. Both of these are taken from the front of the house, this one from the southeast, and the other from the southwest. I am anxious to see what they look like in the summer..


We are on the bluffs right above the river, so if you were to drive down the hill, you would see the frozen expanse of river.

It is AMAZING here...



chilly at the moment, but amazing.

The girls and I are getting ready to do our reading lessons, the goal is for them to be able to read by spring, so they can sit in their playhouse and read to each other.

sunset over the mississippi river

And to think, I was worried I would miss the sunsets.

The squirrell

Desert Rat, in negative...or below..zero..what do you call it?

I am watching the ten o'clock news, and for some reason they are tossing hot water into the air outside, and watching it turn to steam, instantly. What the heck does that mean?? Is that anything like frying an egg on the pavement? (which I have done, several times)
So, its negative 25 right now, with the wind chill. I am always standing corrected, as it is 25 below, in the breeze. I am not kidding, just a breeze..something so sought after in AZ, turns this place really, really cold, if you have bare skin. So what do you think, that I will sit inside and stay warm? Oh no, I wanted to know what all the hubbub was about. After all, I have taken many, many desert survival classes while growing up...couldn't be too different could it?
So, after listening to the newspeople say...in 20 minutes you could have frostbite..I put on two pair of long underwear..snow pants..2 pair of wool socks..tank top, long underwear top, cotton turtle neck, ear muffs..pink thing that covers neck face and head if I want it too...my fuzzy leopard hat..wool mittens..goosey jacket, and snow boots...and just in case my eyeballs might fall out...goggles...,
well, for any of you that have ever been in the cold...

I LOOKED RIDICULOUS!!

I wanted to make sure the birds had seed, and the barn cats water bowl was plugged in, and that they had some food, (because all the mice are trying to get in here) and I had to walk mattie of course, so while I was at it I thought I would get more wood too...just in case.

So, you get to guess...was I cold, warm, or sweating my arse off?
As you look at these pictures, look at how blue the sky is..how sparkly the snow is...and I wish I could share with you just how still...silent...and peaceful this new home of ours is. I wasn't cold, I did get sweaty hauling the wood in..Kiersten came out then and helped me..our breath almost froze in crystals..and we made angels..and laughed..tried to sleigh ride, but just kind of plowed the powder.
When we were quiet, a wood pecker was all we heard.
no, he was not pecking at our house..although I worry about it.
I could never take off enough clothes to be as cool as i was warm looking like an idiot today.

Saying Goodbye

What was it I was just talking about? Saying Goodbye, in order to move forward? Yikes...who am I kidding. I flew Morgan and Jacinta out for Larry's 50th birthday. I tried to get Nathan and Nicki, but it didn't work out..(for lots of reasons) but, nonetheless the party was a smash hit! At 7 a.m. this morning, Larry and Morgan headed to the Van, so he could take her to the airport. I made her little sausage things to take with her, and gave her a hug. Then she buried her face in my neck and cried and cried...I don't think she is one of the things I wanted to say goodbye too, in order to make room for the future. I think its even harder with us, because it was just the two of us forever...

wait, there is a squirrel in the bird feeder..gotta grab the camera..brb got it..ok, got the photo, chased the squirrel..now the cardinals are back.

Back to the two of us...there are just so many little things I wish were different, things I wish I had done differently, things I can do now with the girls that I could not do then. She has grown up to make me so proud, but nothing stops me from worrying, and thinking she would be better off close by. Letting go sounds so easy, doesn't it?Watching her grow up, the best and the worst thing I have ever been through. Enough melancholy...that squirrel is back...chasing my birds. He is awfully cute though...
Make every second count...

A brief overview of the last summers adventures!

Last summer was full of adventure, goodbye parties, and visits to friends and family that we might not see for awhile.
It was a lot of fun, although sad at times. I learned a long time ago, that one cannot move forward without letting go of something. There is always sadness in letting go, but it is an energy that can be processed..and used to fuel the future. The greater sadness, is being afraid to let go, and never experience life to its fullest..for even when we think we are hanging onto something...we still only have the memory..nothing more. In Scottsdale, I always had this feeling of being homesick, even though I was home. Everything that I knew as home was gone, torn down, or built over...the small town values had disappeared..the people self absorbed and cranky. (Not all of you..but as a culture) So, if I was already homesick, might as well experience something else eh? So, we began by heading to Payson to be with mom, but we left before she got there, from there back down to the townhouse to learn to swim, mighty mud mania, out to Lake Powell for a couple of weeks on a HUGE houseboat, from there to California to mend things with Nathan, and see Ava. Oh, right before Nathans, we did Dads, in Anaheim, Disneyland, the beach, Balboa Island which was my favorite when I was a kid...Then Jacinta's for her beautiful wedding..(pictures to follow) and then in search of our new home. In there are birthdays, graduations...and life.
Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of things and people I miss...Amazingly so...
but:
the Mississippi River is PHENOMINAL!! I am in love...and will try my best to let you all experience this place through the blog, as time goes on. Love to all....

And the view from the jacuzzi

Here is what we look out onto, unless the windows get so steamy we cant see out, which happens when the Jacuzzi is really hot..or its really cold outside...

What we do when its cold outside..

For those of you worried about how we are dealing with the chilly weather...
this is it!!
I am telling you, this is the life!!

Inside of the house...

Here are a couple photos of the inside of the house...now, be advised these were taken almost three years ago, to show the house when they originally decided to put it on the market. These are the photos that helped us decide to come out here and look at it. This is the living room, taken from the foyer. To the left are the bedrooms, laundry room, and stairs to the basement. The two doors beside the fireplace have never been used..we would like to build a sunroom/firepatio outside of those doors. ONE DAY....





This is the kitchen, taken from the standpoint of the plants, in the corner, (above photo) Ok, you all know me, its baby blue, and white washed...with.. stutter stutter...old linolium...
besides the difference in decorating taste..this kitchen absolutly ROCKS!! It has in induction stove, which is amazing to cook on..lots and lots of cabinet space..a breakfast nook, which i have always wanted.
Now, you know I love color...I am thinking...RED...black...and butternut..go on..you can picture it...
the view of the living room from the opposite side..double doors are my office..Larrys office is bigger, but downstairs. Suits us both well..you know..the 24 hour a day thing, we can actually miss each other..and be excited to see one another again. It is a difficult house to get a picture in your head, maybe I will scan the floorplan..then all my lovely visual friends will really get it..and perhaps help with decorating suggestions? (those walls..are blue by the way) so is the carpet.
This is the 12x12 jacuzzi room, off of the master bedroom...we are putting a treadclimber in here, and a total gym..(love that thing lots more than i thought i would) and i think i will put the rubber gym tiles down. The floor is very slippery now...not suited for really working out. I will add new photos soon, of what we are doing to the house. You all know how much I love color..so I know it will look very different. We are limited for now, as it took most of what we had to get out here..we kept just a couple pieces of furniture..
The intention was to start over..we may even revise history and change our anniversary to April 21st 1980. (it saves on the story...smile)
More photos to follow..all comments appreciated...

OH, and once the prior owner decided to sell, she decided not to do ANYTHING to the house, but bare living essentials. Cleaning, and minor repairs..have been numerous, to say the least..

Not in Arizona anymore kids...

alright folks..it has been FOREVER since I have blogged on this page. At the urging of a Pink elf, (who shall remain nameless) I will grab an occassional photo, or photo show, and put it up here, so all who are interested can take a gander at what life is doing these days.
This photo is from a trip to Mt. Horeb, the troll village, just before Christmas to do some shopping. We had a blast...

and for those of you wondering why we left AZ?

We can breath the air...leave our doors unlocked...(do we? nooooooo) but we could if we were didn't have the backround that we do..

the neighbors already know quite more than they should, which means they show up to help without us asking...

it is amazing. And the snow? I have a goosy jacket, gloves and ear thingys now...and I am toasty. One can only get so naked in the heat..before some motor pulls you over for...oh for something....hahahah

We are going sleigh riding today, on a horse drawn sleigh..weather permitting...

Gotta love this country. I do wish I could have taken everyone with us though...

WE MISS YOU!!