the dog days of summer

So what's new on the home front?
Well, we'll start with Shawn... he's loving his job at the Apple Store. In fact, he had his first brush with fame... the other day he sold two iPhones to Amare Stoudemire of the PHOENIX SUNS!! Check out his official website ! What a cool site!
Shawn's wife Nicole is starting her new job as an ER nurse at Good Sam this Monday. She has been working for the past three years as an ICU nurse at Thunderbird Banner. She's looking forward to all the exciting, new challenges and I am sure will have some fascinating stories to share.
Miranda is enjoying her job as an instructor at the Arizona School of Message Therapy in Tempe. She loves her students, decorating her apartment, Netflix and reading... oh and she is counting the days when the new Harry Potter book comes out so her and her Dad can read the entire book together. They have read every book out loud together. And me... well, I have never read nor seen the Harry Potter movies. So I just don't get all the hype.
Tyler is working full time for FLOOR & DECOR in Tempe. He's pretty excited that he gets paid to 'work out', carrying all those heavy boxes of tile. Just wanted to point out that his name means tile maker/ tile layer... sorta weird, huh.
And it's hot... real hot! So we do what most of you do in the winter... we hibernate, we become housebound. Cuz there is nothing worse than getting back in a HOT vehicle! My exercise program you ask... parking my van wherever I can find a piece of shade, even if I have to walk a REAL long ways. And it makes my kids so mad, but they thank me when we get back to a somewhat tolerable van! Oh, the joys of living in the desert.
So I will leave you with this.


Tyler took this awesome picture a year ago while we were hiking near Horn Peak. We were at a Horn Creek family camp near Westcliffe, Colorado. The camp is at 9000 ft. and it's cool and beautiful and Randy and I leave to go back there in three weeks and we can hardly wait!!