Grand Canyon!!

Yesterday we drove up to the Grand Canyon (just under 4 hours from our house) and were amazed at the sights. Neither of us had ever been there before, and seriously, you have to see it in person to realize just how massive that thing is. We drove part of the way along the south rim, and then watched the sun set from the south eastern edge. It was awesome. It was cold too! When we left Phoenix it was about 75 degrees, and by the time the sun set at the canyon it was 33 degrees. The wind up there is COLD! Here are some pictures, including sunset.

Dad's Visit

My dad was here last week, and we had lots of fun. The week started out with a Minnesota meal of pan fried walleye, wild rice, and pasties. It was delicious. We went golfing a couple of times, and dad got a hole in one! We played Palm Valley, which is about 15 minutes from my house, and then the next day played the course in my neighborhood but it was insanely hard so we probably wont play that one again.


It was also race weekend at the Phoenix International Raceway, so we went and watched the nascar races on Thursday and Saturday. We had perfect weather and saw a couple good races.

We ended the weekend with a good meal at the Old Pueblo Cafe.

Tomorrow we are headed to the Grand Canyon! Pat has the week off of classes and the 10 day forecast is 75 and sunny!

Pre Halloween Bash

Okay, Bash may be a big exaggerated. But we did have a bunch of friends over for yummy food, pumpkin carving (maybe just Rachel and I did that...), and lots of guitar hero. We ate beef empanatas, corn chowder, and apple crisp. And Terry cooked pumpkin seeds.

Check out our pumpkin:

VEGAS!

We went to Vegas for the first time (well, my first time, and Pat's first time as an adult) and had a blast! We also learned a few things so that next time we go we will be better prepared.

1. Resist the urge to wear heels (or at least always have flipflops handy).
2. Invest in the bus pass on the FIRST day, not the last.
3. Know the schedule to the Bellagio water show before walking all the way down there at midnight.

We stayed at the Riviera which was straight out of the 80's. It's located on the south end of the strip, next to the Wynn and across from Slots-O-Fun. Note to self: Never again have a $1 hot dog from slots-o-fun. The Riv was cheap and pretty clean. I think we would all agree that it is perfectly acceptable when on an extreme budget.

I also have to mention we rode in a Limo more than once. Classy.
Here are a few pics. Great times with new friends!

Oh and no, we didnt win. But we probably gambled a total of 20 bucks so it wasnt a huge loss either. Slots ARE fun!

Cold front!

Hello! We have had record breaking temps for the past week or so.. but a cold front is heading our way tonight! Which means, the high temp tomorrow is a cool 96 degrees. I'm going to be honest- I am looking forward to it. Ted and Boris are too.

We haven't done anything too exciting yet, but in 10 days we are heading to Vegas for a quick 3 day trip. I have never been there, and last time Pat was there he was about 15. We are going with about 8 people and it should be a great time. I will take pictures so the blog isn't so boring :-)

I have quite a few new wedding stationery clients- so I have been busy with that, Pat has been busy with exams (he took a test on Friday and every single person in the class failed... yikes. The professor is letting them retake it in small groups tomorrow) and Ted and Boris have been busy snoozing on the tile floor.

Today I looked up apple orchards in Arizona.. there are actually a bunch, but they are all out east closer to New Mexico. There are about 8 big orchards with apples, peaches, and all the other typical fall foods, and I guess the trees even change color over there. I am thinking we may have to take a day trip sometime later in October when it cools off.

Anyway- I hope you all are doing well up north, and are enjoying breaking out the sweaters and jeans! You could leave a comment occasionally- dont be shy!

Also, if someone could tell Casey shes pretty for me that would be great. And has anyone seen my golf shoes? I thought they were down here but I looked..

<3 Nat

Week 1 Recap

Well, we survived the wedding, the plane ride, the post-plane ride flu, and week 1 of being in Arizona together! Since I don't have a whole lot of news, this is going to be a quick bullet point update of the past 9 days :-) And I promise, I will try my hardest not to talk about the heat more than 4 times per post.

• We got Library cards, and let me tell you, the Phoenix library system is HUGE. We will probably even cancel our netflix because they have pretty much every movie in the world. I have read 3 books (sorry Gramps- havent started Ronald Reagan yet), and Pat has watched 2 movies :-)
• The Arizona transportation department really needs to reconsider the way they mark their streets, plan their turn lanes, and build their intersections.
• If you leave 2 sticks of butter on the counter in Arizona to soften, for more than an hour, they will not only soften but will melt. Into liquid. (Thank you Patrick for keeping the house at a frothy 83 degrees.)
• I made Chili for dinner tonight, and Pat said it was good. Progress :-)

Well, there you have it! Week 1 and all is well.

<3 Nathalie

PS We are now accepting reservations for the super cold snowy travel season!

Unpacked

We got the house unpacked, and definitely added to the list of missing items. (Not items that are actually MIA, but forgotten/not packed/still needed.) Sheets, bedframe, TV stand, dining room table, desk, etc. Oh well, in time all will be there. Here are some pictures- I am sure you are all dying to see them! (just kidding!) Also if you click on the pictures they will get bigger. That might be a no-brainer, but it took me a while to figure out :-)

Our stuff made it!

Well, the truck came, and we unloaded everything. Only a few minor losses! And a few things I guess I forgot :-)
Today Pat showed me around the area, and we went to the water park for a while. As you can see- it is every kid's dream. Even I loved it! Then again, who wouldn't love 200 gallons of water being dumped on their head from 20 feet in the air? Plus the pool is huge, and is right next to the lake. It was pretty windy today and there were some sailboats out- it looked like fun! Maybe if it were 20 degrees cooler I would try that.

We have a house!

We have a 12 month lease on a house in Estrella Mountain Ranch- about 15 minutes south of Pat's school. Hopefully we will be able to extend our lease and stay for the full 27 months. Its a great house in a great neighborhood (for all you potential visitors.. we will have a water park, golf course, 2 lakes, fitness center, and mountain trails!).

Pat leaves in EIGHT days- so much to get done before then! I must admit, I am not too sad about skipping out on the first summer. See weather box to the right. --> I think Ted and Boris agree with me!

After debating what to do with all of our furniture, we decided the best and easiest thing would be to haul it all with us. We have to rent a truck no matter what, so we might as well just load it all up. That way we don't have to worry about finding furniture down there (I really just dont think I could handle 2 years without a kitchen table) and we don't have to worry about finding a place to store things up here. In the long run, both would cost more than just paying a little extra for a little bigger truck.

I am hoping I will be able to head down to Arizona in June to help Pat unpack, and that he will be able to come home for the 4th of July week. I guess it will depend on whether or not we can find cheap plane tickets. Does anyone know if tickets are cheapest if you just go to the airport on the day you want to leave and hope you can fly standby? I have no idea how that works.
Anyway- must pack now!

Packapalooza!

So.. I was driving through Wisconsin yesterday, and I saw a big sign that said "U pack, We haul, U save." There was a website listed below it, and I was smart enough to write it down (because clearly I would forget otherwise) and checked it out when I got home. Jackpot!

It will cost us the same amount it would cost to rent a uhaul when you include gas, except we don't have to drive it down there, and don't have to buy a plane ticket home!

They give you 3 days to load the trailer, 3 days to unload it, and no one else's stuff is packed in with yours. Excellent.

So now it is sounding like Memorial Weekend will be packing weekend! Pat will not have to sleep on the floor for 3 months now, and I can get my house cleaned up and ready for the next lovely occupant.

We have not yet signed a lease on a place down there, but do have 2 options and are hoping to get something finalized within the next couple of days.

It's Official!

Well, it's officially official. Pat and I will be moving to Arizona this fall. Actually, Pat will be moving soon. Memorial Day soon. He starts school (Grad school- Doctorate of Physical Therapy) June 1st. I have classes to take, a wedding to finish planning, some golf to play, and close to a million other things to figure out, so I will be heading down after the wedding.

I will be honest and say I was not overly excited about the idea of moving at first, but I am coming around. I guess 2 years without a shovel or window scraper cant be all bad right?! We will be in Goodyear, which is about 20 minutes southwest of Phoenix. Flights to Phoenix are cheap! Come visit us!

I have always wanted something legit to blog about, so if you are looking for an adventure I invite you to live vicariously through ours :-) at least until I get bored with posting!

That's all for now- welcome to my blog!

Nathalie

P.S. One piece of advice... if you ever move to the desert, don't research the spiders, snakes, and other gross creatures that may find their way into your house. Once you know... you will never forget.