Something you don't want to see in your storage room

Yes, Greg had one of these in his storage room of his carport recently. What may be worse than having a skunk in your storage shed, is having a boyfriend that is upset about having a skunk in his storage shed preventing him from getting anything accomplished that day.

It left later that day, after the sun went down, limping quickly into the bushes. I cannot disclose how he became injured, but I'm sure he didn't last long in the desert after that night. I felt bad for Greg, having lost a day of work...as for me, I enjoyed a day of watching football. :)

Coming home!!!

To all my Wisconsin family and friends....

I will be back in Wisconsin for Thanksgiving!! I fly into Milwaukee the afternoon of November 21st (my birthday, hint hint!!), and will be in town a whole week before departing the following Saturday evening.

I think I am most excited to be in a place that actually feels like what the calendar reflects. I know this may sound silly to those of you in cooler regions of the country, but I can't wait to wear some of my winter gear again! I am so tired of wearing summer clothes for 5 months straight...it just doesn't seem right. haha....

Anyway, I just thought I'd let you know when I'd be back so we can make some plans. :) I can't wait to see you!!!

Look at these cuties...

My adorable niece and nephew!!

Asha is about 3 1/2 years old now, my sister Rachel's little one. Arjen is almost a year old already!! His birthday is coming up in December, and he's getting so big. His mommy is my other sister Sarah. My sisters took these little gems to a photo shoot recently, and I thought I'd share some of the pics emailed to me:

Sarah's husband, Kristopher, is a HUGE Florida Gators fan. Hence all of the Gator-gear:

Just like her mother, Asha is quite the ham!! But I love it:

Before Arjen was born, Asha referred to him as "baby cousin." Pretty sure she still calls him and and thinks of him in the same way. She sure does love him though!!! :)

I love this one, looks like cousin wanted to play with Asha's hair!!

Can't wait to see them in less than a month!!! :)

The Road Church

Yesterday we tried out another church. It was suggested to me by a co-worker when she discovered Greg was a off-roading enthusiast. Apparently a lot of the men in the church enjoy rock crawling and off-roading. There wasn't a lot of information on the church website, but we decided to check it out anyway.

Pulling into the parking lot, Greg immediately noticed the plethora of vehicles outfitted for back roads and rock crawing. He looked like a kid in a candy store. We had a few minutes to spare, so we took some time to drive around the building. Towards the back was a shop area, with tools and materials for "tinkering," as Greg calls it. Further around the corner was another area with piles of used parts, and a couple of hallowed-out Toyota jeeps. It was obvious these church members were more than just enthusiasts; they were hard-core! I told Greg, "if we don't decide to worship here, at least you will make some new friends hang out with on the weekends!" To which he replied, "Well, I hope these Toyota guys will worship with a Suzuki guy!"

Those we met in the church were very kind and welcoming. We sat with another couple, much older than us, in the back row. I am on-call for work, so I need to be in the back in case I received a phone call, needing to step out. We spoke with them briefly before the worship began, discussing their recent move to Tucson, retirement, and their thoughts on the church. They seemed to have enjoyed many things at The Road, including the preaching, the number of families/young people, and the worship services. I observed many families and young peoples, those around Greg's and my age. I was pretty optimistic as the service began.

Overall, we both really enjoyed the worship service. Music was great, led by a worship team at the front of the church. Something that I enjoyed was the lack of lighting in the front of the church. Not having the worship team, or the minister, in the spotlight was a really great. It was a reminder that God is the only One that should really be in the spotlight. I liked that. The preaching was also great. The minister used a lot of scripture, and didn't talk about fluff the whole time. He used some humor, at times just slipping in a joke here and there. There was one thing that stood out as a disappointment for us-no communion. Once again we visited a church that obviously doesn't participate in communion each week. That is something we'd have to look into.

We decided this was certainly a church we would frequent once again next week. I'm looking forward to learning more about the church and their opportunities for involvement and ministry. I saw a handful of ladies my age in attendance, so I'm hoping there will be an organized women's group. We'll see what happens!!

More Accomplishments...

I sewed two skirts over the last couple of weeks. I'm pretty proud of myself. One has a more professional look, the other fun.

Pictures soon...

Chiropractors

I know they aren't official "medical doctors," but they are the BEST!!

Sunday morning I awoke with the most horrible neck pain. I slept funny, it was obvious. I spent the day with a heating pad on my neck, alternating with an ice pack. Greg tried massaging it a bit a few times, lending some temporary relief. I went to bed that night hoping that I would sleep funny on it again, but wake up without any discomfort. However, that was not the case.

I woke up feeling much worse, not even able to turn my head. I could barely wash my hair in the shower, wincing with each move I made. Getting dressed proved to be quite difficult, as I could hardly bed over to slip on the essentials. It was not cool. I had to hold my bowl of cereal up to my chin in order to eat my cheerios. I was reminded of the patients I once cared for as a nursing assistant-those whose movements were restricted with neck collars or halos.

Not able to turn in the driver's seat, I made it to work safely, without any accidents. Truly, I was worried about this! My co-workers could see the pain on my face upon entering the office. They all suggested I visit "Dr. Hottie," the chiropractor. He had an office suite in our building, and many of the other girls had seen him in the past. Apparently he's rather attractive in addition to being able to relieve extreme neck pain.

I went down and was able to get worked into the schedule for the day. Sure enough, he examined me and found that one of my vertebrae was "way out of wack." Meaning it was extremely misaligned. And with one swift movement, he cracked my neck. It was so loud and such a relief! He did it in the other direction as well, providing even more relief. I was amazed at how much better I felt. Wasn't 100% of course, but much improved.

I saw him again at the end of the work day, and he did some more crack-a-lackin. It was awesome.

I haven't really been able to sleep the past few nights, not able to get comfortable at all...but with each day I have improvements. Yesterday Dr. Hottie gave me a massage. It was rough and deep, but amazingly relieving. I see him again once more tomorrow. He says I'm healing, but it will be a while before I'm back to normal. I have a couple of knots in my shoulder now, likely developed to compensate for my crappy neck. That's most of the pain I'm experiencing at this point.

So to all Chiropractors out there, THANK YOU! You are amazing.

Oh, and Dr. Hottie really isn't that attractive. I don't know what the big deal is. Guess he's just not my type. :)

October in Tucson....

IS AMAZING!!

I know I've complained before about fall in the Southwest (ie: my discussion about the start of Football Season), but I'm REALLY enjoying this weather!! I turned off the central air this week, and don't plan on turning it on again for the next 8 months. I've opened the windows; well, my one window and the sliding door that opens to the balcony. Each morning greets me with the cool and crispness that I just love. Daily highs are only in the 80's, and skies are clear almost every day. It's so beautiful!!

Mind you, I have no idea it is October. It really feels like June in Wisconsin. My desk calendar says it's October, and that we are in the season of Fall. Football games are all over the television all weekend-long. The stores are filled with Halloween decorations and costumes, and everyone is beginning to discuss Thanksgiving plans. But my fingertips and my toesies feel that it's still summer. Poor things, they are so confused...

I can't imagine what is going to happen when I travel to Wisconsin for Thanskgiving next month....