Bad Football Wife

Okay, so me and some of my friends have this book we are going to write about various dumb things we said when we were single, one being things I will never do when I get married.
And tonight is thing #72: I will never complain about my husband watching sports like some wives do.
YA RIGHT! Last year I told my husband, "I used to like sports." Football season and Baseball season seem to have become the bain of my existance. Right now, as I am writing this we are watching the first OSU Beaver Football game. Ryan tries to include me, "Watch this, watch this!" I lose interest at about the middle of the 1st quarter and then again at about the last 2 minutes of the 3rd quarter when I think the game is almost over and then it really has another quarter!
Don't get me wrong, I do love the Beavers and I like going to watch games live and if the game is an important game (I can just hear Ryan saying, "all of them are important.") I will enjoy watching it on TV. Maybe it is all the Fantasy Football Leagues and in years past we went to EVERY high school game (I do love going to HS games), then we watch college football all day Saturday and sometimes Thursday, and then EVERY professional game on Sunday and finally Monday Night Football.

So as this 2008 Football Season starts I make a semi-serious pledge to not be a bad Football wife.


My little guy...another reason to try to love sports again.


My two guys

Poor Little Guy

Yes folks, Henry has ear infection number three in the past 2 months...ahhhhhh! He just got off his last antibiotics four stinkin days ago!!! (I know the three exclamation points are redundant, BUT SO ARE HIS EAR INFECTIONS!!!!!)

That's the bad news, the good news is we found this amazing pediatric urgent care. If you live in the East Valley, you will want to check it out--if your kids are in need of urgent care that is.
www.phoenixchildrens.com/contact-pch/map-directions/urgent_care.html (I tried to be cool and post the website picture here, but not that smart yet...)

Why I love it:
1. Big, clean, fun waiting room. Cars was playing on a plasma TV.
2. All the staff were friendly and helpful. Our PA looked like Henry's Aunt Kristi, who is also a PA (our favorite PA) and she was super friendly.
3. They took my Kaiser Permanente card! Thank you Jesus!!

Here is Henry with his tag they put on his ankle. He worked on getting it off the whole time we were there and finally right before we left he succeeded. (These pictures are a reenactment)

rain...arizona style

So, today I met Ryan for lunch in Mesa and on my way back I see this storm over the Superstition Mountains (my mountain). I race (not really, safety first, fun a close second), to get home so I can be there when it starts raining. I love the rain. In fact, this morning I was watching the today show and Al (first named basis with all my Today Show friends) said it was raining in the Pacific Northwest. My heart sank a bit missing my Oregon rain and all that comes with it. As I near A.J, I am guessing that the Lord is pretty fond of me, and I start to realize that I am going to get my rain after all with a storm to boot.
Lightning, thunder, 101 degrees, cool rain drops and the sweet smell of the desert finally getting a cool drink of water. I stand in it for a while. Have you ever smelled desert rain? Yummy, the closest I got to it in Oregon was Wildhorse Canyon, but there are a lot of sage bushes out there, and so often there is a hint of cat pee smell in it.

Bye Bye Birdie!

So, the week I arrived in Arizona, Henry and I spotted this awesome nest in my dad's Aleppo pine tree. Those of you who know me, know that I am not really a nature person, so you can imagine my excitement when came on this pine cone-nest with momma bird all by myself. My dad was proud and he told me the bird looked like a morning dove (a nature person).

I have been "babysitting" this nest and bird for about two weeks now. Henry and I went out today and no mom. I looked around for the shell...maybe the birds were born! The egg shell was on the ground with ants inside it. What do you think this means!!?! Who killed my baby birds???? I sadly went to my dad and he said it was probably the wind storm, but that the mom will come back and lay more eggs next time. NEXT TIME? What about THIS time? All that worrying for nothing! I don't really even like animals--I am no Pamela Anderson (in more ways than one), but I am sad about this mom and all the time she spent sitting on those eggs. I mean we bonded and stuff. Just when my "moving-funk" was lifting--THIS!

Well, Henry & I are going to pay our respects. I will let you know if she comes back. I took that picture by the way.

What's Wrong with AJ?

So, yesterday I took cranky Henry to the Pediatrician right next to my mom's house--we walked there. Fantastic location. Anyway, we get in right away (Henry finally hit the 16 pound mark and he is 10 months old today--Happy Birthday Henry-Boy) and the doctor starts asking me get-to-know-you questions. He proceeds to tell me how we should absolutely NOT buy a house in AJ--I guess he forgot right away that I said my parents live here. Now I have done my fair share of griping and making fun of Apache Junction, but it is kinda like making fun of your family--only you can do it and if someone else does you want to pummel them with a saguaro cactus (speaking of Saguaro Cactus--never mind that is for another blog). So I let him have his little say about AJ and how dirty Walmart is and he tells me Henry has an ear infection--sad...second one in AZ. Walking out of the office I walk past a few people all who smell like smoke and have a few teeth missing and I start to wonder if what everyone says about my hometown is true.

And then in mid-list of what's wrong with AJ, yes folks, I make a top ten list of what's RIGHT with Apache Junction, Arizona and here it is:
(these, by the way, are irrefutable facts, so do not even try to argue with me)

1. My parents live here.
2. The Superstition Mountains--glorious
3. Home of the world famous Lady Prospectors--yes they were famous with Tricia and Tara playing and Liz and my dad coaching, if you saw them in action, you would agree!
4. 4th of July Fireworks show. The whole town goes to the football field just like the good-ole-days! The display is better than ever.
5. Still quiet in most places. I can hear the birds all day everyday.
6. Mr. Olmstead. Still teaching math and making in impact in young people's lives.
7. Little Prospector Preschool. Best preschool in the continental United States and maybe the world and not just because all of my sisters and my mom have worked there. I would put their website on here, but they do not have one.
8. When you get in a wreck, you know the paramedics and firefighters who come to the scene.
9. It is where I started leading Young Life--some of my favorite kids of all time!
10. AJ is where I grew up, where my elementary school, junior high and high school still reside (although they look a little different). It is where I had my first kiss, made my first basket, and had my first job (Sonic Drive-In--which would have been on my top ten, but it is not the same as it was back then). Apache Juntion is my hometown and although I could fill this page with things that drive me crazy about this place...it is mine, so don't mess with it Mr. Pediatrician.

The picture is of Tricia and Henry with the Superstitions behind them--yes that is a rainbow behind the mountain.

I think I forgot something...

You know when you go on a trip and you just know you forgot something, but you just can't remember and you stress and stress about that thing you KNOW you forgot. Well that is me for the past 7 days that I have been in Arizona.

And then today, all of a sudden, I remembered. No, it wasn't my toothbrush, my hair dryer, or my face wash, although those are usually on the oops I forgot list! It was a big ole piece (forgive me for being dramatic) of my heart. I just started thinking about all I left behind, mainly friends, but more than people...I think there is a piece of my life that I cannot bring with me no matter how I try. It is those things that are not movable like:

Stanley Lane and all my memories with my roommates when we were single. Painting my room with Lisa who mustered up the courage to tell me she had had a crush on my old boyfriend (was he ever my boyfriend, really?) The tree falling in the car port and the cute PGE guys who came to fix our electricity. The time Lisa and Jodi had to investigate the Rat Family (Jan who we thought was Jim until he or she had babies) in our garage. The musicals Jod and I would make up about boyfriends or not having them...

Or the room Carmen and I stayed in at Wildhorse when we were on assignment and it only had ONE queen sized bed in it and then Sara bringing in a bed, because she fixes things, but Carmen and I just sleeping in the queen bed like sisters minus the cuddling.

Or the River (Camp Sherman, Sherwood Forest) Us girls dreaming about our lives...would it include husband and if so where would we get married. Rafting down the Metolious loving the green all around and my numb butt because the water is always around 40 degrees. The hammock I would lay in and wish that time would stand still.

The silent dinners Sara and I would have...no need for conversation.

Maybe it all comes down to my single life that I loved and hated and held on to and couldnt wait to let go of...it has to be left in Oregon...in the Good Ole Days FILE--you know the file that is constantly being made you just dont know it until a couple years later...

I am crying now...tears that I have held back for fear that I would stay in Oregon with Jodi and Dean and Henry's BFF Jacob (who he misses everyday) forever and make Ryan quit his job.
(I really don't want to do that, I am just dealing)

So there it is after week one...it'll get easier...

Who Says You Can't Go Home?

In four short days I will be going home to Arizona after 8 amazing years in Oregon. From firs to cactus, from green to brown, from rain to sunshine. From Henry to Gelbrich, I am flying home with 9 month old in tow to meet back up with my husband who has already started his job.

This really is happening. I am torn. I love this Oregon life, but it is time to go home. More to come...