A new friend

A friend of mine from work, Dawn, asked me to take pictures of her nephew... he was an absolutely ADORABLE little boy with brilliant blue eyes. He was all movement and wanted to see everything! (Especially the lake). Watching him wander, look and play made me miss when my Joe was that age. The wonder in his eyes, the curiosity he had for all things... simply put, this little guy is precious!




Shh! Don't tell my mommy! This is a surprise for her!

Crazy Corn Runner

5:00am the alarm goes off, FAR too early for my liking. I lie there and debate.
"Do I really want to get up?"
"Yes, my inner voice says sleepily, you're never going to go back to sleep now."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, get up."
"But, can't I try?"
"No. Get up."
5:30 I've eaten a banana, had a cup of water, gotten dressed, camelpack fanny pack on and I'm out the door. Route is planned and on the computer for Dan. Cell phone in hand, I leave my sleeping boys to enter the pre-dawn twilight.
First two miles are always a bitch... trying to get my rhythm and wake up, but soon I've got a bit of a groove going. That doesn't mean I don't do some more internal debating.
"Let's take a walk break."
"Are you kidding me? We're not EVEN at 3 miles yet."
"But I'm tired."
"No. Maybe at 4 miles, but come on this half marathon is over 13 miles."
"Please?" in a bitty voice, knowing I'm losing
"No. You suck. Keep running."
And I do. Keep running. One step at a time. Occassionally I get lost in thoughts of work, friends, stuff that needs to be done at the house... general everyday planning. It's always a surprise to come back to myself and wonder how long I was on autopilot. Since I've not completed the 7 miles, I'd say I came "back" too soon. I lift my hands and say a little prayer to God, grateful for the beautiful sunrise, the cool shade and my health in being able to run.
Soon I'm passing by miles of cornfields and even over the sound of my music that helps keep my feet moving I hear the birds. Such sweet melody and they are singing just for me. Over the tops of the rows and rows of golden sunlit corn tassels, I see My Mountain and marvel at it's beauty. At that moment, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

That soon changes. Beyond the corn and back near the school on mile 5.5, I am hit with horrible side cramps that force me to walk .5 to .75 of my 7 mile run. After a few painful false re-starts, fighting tears of frustration and debating whether to call Dan to rescue me or not, I decide to give it one last whirl. I start a painfully slow jog, feeling a slight twinge in my rib cage. I press on. Slowly. With 1.5 miles to home, I jog at a 12 to 12.5 minute mile. I feel okay and take a slightly longer route home giving me an extra .4 miles to make my total run time nearly 7 miles. It took 1:30:32 and I estimated about 1:10 or 1:15, but I made it. Another one under the belt and one step closer to the 13.1 miles. I'm pleased with the accomplishment and look forward to the next run.

Desert Roots Farm

What do I love best about Thursdays... besides working from home? It's knowing my fresh fruits and veggies are being delivered from "my" local farm. Kelly runs Desert Roots Farm in Queen Creek. They offer a program that runs year round and delivers fresh fruits and veggies to my doorstep each week. I LOVE their selection, knowing I'm supporting a local farmer, eating pesticide/ synthetic fertilizer free food, lessening my carbon footprint and eating healthy. Their carrots are so incredibly amazing, I've never tasted anything so darned good. Joe and I can't get enough of them. The squash is delicious, cucumbers, beets, leeks, tomatoes, potatoes, onions and more.. Divine!

Beall Photo Shoot

Nothing is better than little people giggles and the Beall children certainly provided plenty of that! A perfect night with a gorgeous sunset brought out the beauty of this family. The little ones played very well together, enjoyed spending time with mom and dad, and running in the cool green grass.


The children were delighted to watch this duck float by as the sat and watched.

No sibling rivalry here as sister gives a sweet kiss on the cheek to little brother.

It was a true pleasure to meet the Beall family and spend an evening getting to know them.

Ballew Shoot

My lovely asistant (and husband) Dan and I had the privledge of taking pictures for the Ballew family tonight. These well mannered boys are as much a delight to be with as their parents. Dan has known Mitch and Jennine since before they had kids and it has been wonderful to watch their family grow!
This is Mitch and Jennine's oldest. He shares the same birthday as our boy, Joe, albeit different years. He has vibrant green eyes like his Mom and is a super smart, sweet kid!


The middle son is a little firecracker with a ready smile! Full of energy he is always ready to play.


The littlest, at 2 years old, is a sweet joy as well. He enjoyed watching the ducks and drinking his "Frite". Watching him chase after his two older brothers he is fearless.



After our session of pictures, we sat down at the onsite eatery to enjoy beer, wine and ice cream for the kids while we caught up. Thanks for a wonderful evening!

Summer Memories

I've been thinking all morning about what a different experience Joe has had as a child as compared with me, Dan, Leo and Jennifer. He's got to nuclear families he belongs to and experiences how two different households run. I have nothing to compare to it. On one hand I'm grateful for his exposure, knowing what happy environments both places are. On the other hand, I'm sad that he has so much exposure and pray he feels he fits in both places.

Thinking specifically on summer had me trying to recall memories from my own summers here in Phoenix. What did my brother Joe and I do all summer long? When I was in junior high, I recall Joe playing outdoors with his friends frequently while I stayed indoors where it was cool and watch TV. Dad was working but where was Mom? Many days at school. I know we went to places like the library, movies and on a trip to California, Tucson, Grand Canyon, etc during the summers... but it all seems a bit misty.


I thank God for Joe's opportunities... spending 1 or 2 days a week at kids express playing with other little kids. Thursday and Fridays are treat days at his Dad's house. The days at the beginning of the week are spent with Grandma, Grandpa and usually Samantha.

My folks spoil those kiddos and entertain them well. It's not always something super expensive, but it IS far better than just hanging around the house.

I pray that his experiences help build his character and strength so he can grow into the man God wants him to be.

Hangin' with our girls - the Wallers

We love these gals! There is nothing better than the sounds of the kids laughing and playing upstairs (with an occasional tear) while we adults chill. Mr. B couldn't make it this trip as he is working hard on his MBA program. And while we did miss him, we are SO proud of him and more than happy to entertain the gals while he slaves away on homework..

D brought up G, who is 6 weeks younger than Joe, R and A. These girls are so sweet and well behaved, a true joy to have around. We played at the pool, all the kids and Dan braved the cold water. D and I opted out and stayed warm on the side lines.

Post dinner the kids were still sugar high from snacks at the pool, so we took them all to the park to burn off that extra energy. D and I shared a bottle of La Terre cab (YUMMY!) and Dan brought out some goldschlager. Rounds of Catan were played, and we stayed up waayyyy late.

Sunday found us at Grimaldi's Pizza for Bruschetta (add chicken!) and Pepperoni pizzas. Joe remarked that this was THE BEST pepperoni pizza he'd EVER had! That says a lot as the kid is a connoisseur of pizza and wings.

A great weekend that flew by WAY too fast, we can't wait for our next adventure with them.