Archive for the ‘my amazing husband’ tag
Weekend in Strawberry
Got up early on Saturday for some hiking and geocache adventuring. Before we met, Scott had logged some 40 caches (some of them with A), but this was a first for the girls and me. They were pretty excited by the idea of hunting for a goodie box in the middle of a wilderness hike. (Not that they whined any less about having to hike, of course.)
We chose the Fossil Creek (Lover's) Leap cache, thinking that it looked like a pretty easy hike. Well, it was… kinda. The trail/road that was supposed to be there was basically nonexistent, so the terrain was rather rougher than we were expecting – rocky and lots of fallen limbs/trees to navigate. Normally? NO big deal. For a pregnant lady used to an elevation of around 1200 feet? Well, this elevation was 6600 feet and that combined with pregnancy made the whole thing a little more strenuous than I was planning.
HM was SO solicitous during this hike. She insisted on hanging
back with me and if I faltered at all, she would pat my arm encouragingly. It was incredibly sweet. I'm really enjoying this golden mama-adoration stage she's going through right now. May it never end. 
She DID make me very nervous at the Rim, however. That girl was all about scrambling as close to the edge of an 800 foot drop (my heart, omg) as she possibly could. 
Anyway, the hike was only 3 miles round trip, the weather was GORGEOUS and the view was completely amazing, amazing amazing and so completely worth the hassle of finding it. 
In all, that adventure took several hours, after which we had a nice lunch at a local restaurant, visited the oldest standing schoolhouse in AZ as well as the Pine-Strawberry museum in Pine, AZ… before heading back to the cabin to crash (if you were 14 or older) and run shrieking wild outside with kids from the other cabins (if you were 11 or younger).
Then we had a simple sloppy joe dinner and an evening of board games before we called it a night. (I was completely wiped out by this time.)
Today we slept in a little, packed up and visited a neat ancient Indian ruin site (Shoo Fly Village) on the way home. We tried to log a geocache here, but it appeared the cache involved trudging for 3 miles roundtrip through some very high grass. Meh. Not interested, not this day. The site itself was fascinating, though, and – again – the views were just gorgeous.
Shoofly Village (managed by the U.S. Forest Service) was occupiedbetween A.D. 1000 and 1250 and consists of 79 surface rooms. Itis thought the occupants were an "autonomous variant of theHohokam."
We had a great time and in being there I discovered there's lots more I want to explore in the area: various trails and lakes, hot springs and swimming holes, the Tonto Natural Bridge (when I'm stronger and more fit again!).
Multiply life by the power of two
Thinking (sentimentally) of my wonderful hubby as Valentine's Day approaches:
You know the things that I am afraid of
I'm not afraid to tell
And if we ever leave a legacy
It's that we loved each other well……Adding up the total of a love that's true
Multiply life by the power of two.>> Full lyrics
I love you, sweetie. I thought you might enjoy this romantic song – it even has a little math geek twist!
Burned. Out. (And good stuff, too.)
Work: Lots of projects and deadlines. I need to get more done, faster. This entry is not helping. But all the little stuff I've been wanting to post about has been intruding on my focus, so blogging right now is actually good for the big work picture. Yep. It's true.
Health: Most of the kids are sick with a cold, one which Scott and I are desperately begging our immune systems to repel. I'm almost 14 weeks pregnant. Food sounds good again. Haven't felt the baby move yet, but hoping I will notice it any day now. My energy levels have improved over the past few weeks, except I'm draining the reserve as quickly as it replenishes, because…
Evenings: Have been hell. Neurofeedback or orthdontist or parent teacher conferences were scheduled EVERY NIGHT for the past TWO weeks. And some days, there have ALSO been daytime doctor appointments. I'm a sloth. My body and my psyche are not used to this treatment. Thankfully a more normal routine is set to commence next week.
Good news: For the past three years, HM's teachers have recommended her for the school district's gifted program. She just tested again (CogAT) last week and this time she qualified with a 95th percentile score in verbal reasoning (that's my girl!). She's been wanting to participate in this program – it's a full day, once per week – so she's pretty excited and proud of herself.
More good news: I think B's neurofeedback sessions are making a difference! Even her younger sisters have been observing positive behavior changes. She seems to have more energy, is more alert, more confident, more peaceful and calm. She doesn't mumble as much and she seems to hear/listen with less effort than before.
B commented the other day, when she was coming down with this cold, that even though she felt miserable that day, she felt like she could handle her schoolwork. Usually she struggles to cope with her schoolwork even when perfectly healthy. Then today I reminded her to take her medicine before school and she said, "I really don't think I need it today." Hmmm. I let her go without it – will be interesting to see how she felt today.
Of course, time will tell exactly how these changes impact her performance in math, but I'm optimistic. She has a lot of catching up to do, but she's always been bright, in spite of the ADHD fog, and she works hard.
My amazing husband: CupCate's wifey entry has inspired me to blog a little public husband appreciation. The last couple weeks, with so much work and so many late nights and schedule juggling to make the appointments work out – and all the stress that goes along with that – well, it's been as hard on my boy as it's been on me. But he's hugged me lots and lots when I was grumpy, had dinner all but ready several nights when we got home after 7 pm and has just generally been there for me in all kinds of ways big and small. He's always like that, but he did try extra hard, especially this past week.
And he never, ever treats me or talks about me like "the ball and chain" (even when I'm acting like it). He says I'm his wife like he's honored by the association.
Deciding to grow old with him is the best idea I ever had. (He'll point out it was his idea first and that's true, so technically I suppose I should say it's the best idea I ever consented to.
My man is the best.
QotD: It was Kismet
How did you meet your current, or most recent, significant other?
For our first date, my boy suggested we meet at the Phoenix Zoo. And so we did one Sunday morning in February (February mornings in Phoenix are lovely, by the way).
It was a perfect, perfect location for a first date. We could stroll, we could sit and talk – it was easy to fill those inevitable awkward pauses observing bald eagles or giraffes or ostriches.
About a month later we met up there again with the kids for their first meeting.
And then, later that summer, we got married!
Scott and me (and Ohio State)
This one is for my dad-in-law who said the only thing missing here is pic of Scott and me. It just so happens that my brother took one of us when we were in Ohio earlier this week that turned out… okay.
We were having lunch at Applebee's in Chillicothe. It's appropriate that the Ohio State memorabilia features so prominently in this photo because let me tell you they are in a FRENZY there gearing up for the national championship game (to be played right here in AZ of course .
Having lived in the area most of my life and being Ohio State alumnus (Class of 1991) myself, I wasn't at ALL surprised. I think Scott found it all very curious, though – this level of insanity. The plane on the way home yesterday was PACKED with fans headed to Phoenix for the game next week. And since one of the flight attendants was a Buckeye fan, we were treated to some Ohio chants and marching band music from TBDBITL over the PA system. What fun!
Also news crews are starting to head out here. We boarded the plane and, as I watched a man walking to his seat in the row directly behind us, I thought to myself: "That guy looks a lot like Jerry Revish [evening news co-anchor, Channel 10, Eyewitness News]. Nah. He'd surely be in first class, right?" So I dismissed that idea.
Then about 5 minutes later, his co-anchor Andrea Cambern walks up the aisle and takes her seat next to him.
I was a little geeked about it, I have to admit. It was fun to listen to them talk shop a bit.
McKenna visits
This new camera is already making me get behind with posting pictures! I love that it inspires us to take so many, though.
Scott's sister came by with McK and a box of maternity clothes on New Year's Eve. Yay! Mir and McK LOVE to play together. And they had a ball playing with Gilligan, too! A few photos…
Merry Christmas to me!
Lookie what I got for Christmas!
My old digital camera (top of the line in 2000) was wonderful, but too big for a pocket or a purse, so it turns out that I ALWAYS forget it and NEVER have it when I need/want it. So Scott stuffed my Christmas stocking with the “purse camera” I’ve been wanting for ages.
Some purse camera! Technology has changed so much, that this itty, bitty beauty far outshines my old camera in quality. Plus! It’s shockproof to 5 feet – critical for a klutz like me (Scott has watched me fumble my cell phone oh-so-many times. He’s a savvy boy.) And it’s waterproof, too.
Anyway, this gift inspired me to start this blog. I’m digging the easy organization tools and privacy features on Vox, so thought I’d give this a go.
I’ll upload some pictures soon!
Mom to 4 kids and 2 stepkids, I am a writer writing in the heart of chaos. I am the co-founder and former editor of 
