Wohoo!

Through the glorious powers of the wonderous communication tool that is Facebook, my friend from high school, Nadine, and I found out that we both just moved to the Phoenix area. We got together for lunch this week and had a good time. It's was great to see a familiar face in a brand new, unfamiliar place. Yay for friends in Phoenix!

Good Day

I really don't have anything too exciting to post, but it's been a good day so I thought I would let everybody know :D First, I got good sleep after I got home from work Friday morning. Good sleep always makes for a much improved day. Then for dinner/breakfast (depending on how you look at it now that I’m working nights again) Casey and I tried a Persian restaurant by our house. It was SO DELICIOUS! The smells and flavors were so aromatic and tantalizing. I had a dish that I don’t know how to pronounce or spell for you, but it was roasted chicken with saffron and curry served with basmati rice featuring almonds, bayberries, baked apples, saffron, and I can’t even remember what else. But it was fantastic – quite possibly one of the best meals I’ve ever had. After dinner we went out for frozen yogurt and then rented a movie at Blockbuster. Nothing too exciting happened, but it was an all around wonderful day. Oh, and it rained. I love it when it rains in the desert!

Phoenix Zoo

We went to the zoo this weekend and had a great time. There's nothing like enjoying being a kid again without the actual responsibility of your own kiddos. We saw all sorts of fun animals, got treats and explored all that the zoo had to offer. Here we are enjoying our blue slushee: And here is a picture of a little critter known as a javolina. They kind of look like wild boars and they run wild down here in Arizona. Some live in the arroyo behind our house and come out at night and eat the plants by our front door. Pesky little buggers! One of the coolest exhibits at the zoo was the monkeys. You could walk into a little area where they were running wild and scampering about in the trees and along the path. It was so awesome! Here is a video of a mama and a baby - so cute. A few more fun shots... Giant Galapagos Tortoises Another Monkey A ridiculous sign posted outside the bathroom. Who wouldn't want to be remembered in this way?

Cody

My mom called me tonight to tell me that our family dog that we've had since Ben & I were little died tonight. I am sad and I miss him already. He was old and we all knew this was coming at some point, but no matter how much your brain tells you its eminent, there is no way to prepare your heart. The bond that we form with our pets is amazing. We tell them things we don't tell other people and they love us even when we're unlovable. Cody has been my buddy since I was 11. We've run hundreds of miles together, done lots of wrasling and just generally enjoyed each other's company. I'll miss you Codester. Cody 1994-2007

Oh, Daphne

She is so helpful with those everyday tasks...

First Day of School

Monday, October 29th

Casey's first day of school picture. Aww...so cute. Wondering why he looks irritated? Well, he was running a few minutes later than he wanted to be and I was in his face with the camera demanding he stand there and smile. The result? A compromise...he stood there for me, but wouldn't smile. Close enough. He got to school on time and I got my picture :D

New Strategy?

So last night I was watching the Discovery Channel's series Planet Earth. (If you don't know what I'm talking about check it out at http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/planet-earth/planet-earth.html ...so incredible.) The episode I decided to watch was called "Deserts." It seemed appropriate given our recent inhabitation of such a place. I learned that in order to keep cool in the heat of the day, kangaroos sit in the shade and lick their forearms. Apparently they have a large amount of blood vessels in that area and as the saliva evaporates they cool down. Now I know our vasculature is not the same as kangaroos, but when it gets too hot to handle down here you just might find me sitting in the shade, licking my forearms.

Sunsets

The sunsets from our back patio are absolutely beautiful. Dusk is by far my favorite part of the day here.

The Adventure Begins

Well, after 17 hours on the road we finally made it to Scottsdale. We’ve been here about a week now, and to be honest, I feel like I’m on another planet. It’s hot (keep in mind it’s almost November), there’s lots of sand, and I’ve seen more types of cacti than I ever even knew existed. But it’s not all bad. We’ve got a pool and a hot tub in our neighborhood. And pretty much all of the local people we’ve met have been really friendly. Mostly I am missing my family and friends, and all things familiar. But it’s been getting better day by day. Today we had the pleasure of patronizing the DMV (or the MVD as they call it here). I loathed the thought of standing in line and waiting around, but the experience actually proved to be entertaining. We had to have the Mazda inspected and not only was the inspector an amusing fellow, but it turns out he lives in our neighborhood. What are the odds of that in an area with over 3 million people? The gal who processed our paperwork was another story. If you’ve seen the movie Monsters, Inc you may remember a character named Roz. Turns out she has left her old job and now works at the Scottsdale MVD.

Hope you’re all doing well. We miss you! Keep in touch :D

Molly & Casey

wilsom@spu.edu

cbabendure@hotmail.com