San Diego

We hightailed it out of town Saturday morning and headed to the land of beach and sun for a much needed reprieve. 6 hours later we finally arrive at our crappy hotel motel that I booked online for super cheap. Well, we got what we paid for which was fine and acceptable except for the 20+ gnats all over the bathroom mirror and the ones buzzing incessantly around Phil. We called the front desk and were informed that no one else had complained and that they would send maintenance up.

We call them back, inform them we are very unhappy and are considering leaving and ask them what they are going to do about it. "Well, you'll be charged" is what they had to say. Not an "I'm so sorry, let's move you to a different room, discount your rate, blah, blah, customer service is #1..."

So, Phil left and found us another (ie: better) room at a hotel across the street. Problem solved! Kind of. We still are disputing the charges. (Don't stay at Best Western)

Moving on to better things. We had a great wedding to attend which we did and met up with Steph & Dave, Phil's sister who is lucky enough to be living in San Diego. They were our roomies this weekend since they are still house hunting. I got to spend 2 wonderful days with this handsome man:

How can you not have a good time when all you have to do is talk or smile at the kid and he lights up like all of downtown SD? He was full of belly laughs and happily was hauled around town without a fuss. I love this guy and can't wait to kiss his fat cheeks again.

We hit Balboa Park for family pics of Steph & Dave and got to immerse ourselves in amazing architecture and well manicured sprawling gardens. I kept asking Phil repeatedly if we could live there.

Kissing amongst the roses in Balboa park. Again, I want to live there. We wrapped up and headed back to the hotel to feed Matthew and take a snooze.



Once recharged we hit La Jolla cove for beach pictures and ended our beach experience with gelato. We had such a great weekend. It makes it hard to come back to reality and work. Now I am leaving for Girl's Camp tomorrow and Phil is left to fend for himself the rest of the week. I know I will be much appreciated when I return since the poor boy needs to feed himself.

(This is a good thing!)

Edit: Phil has since convinced me to plan meals for the 3 nights I will be away. I have created a monster!

110 Degrees

Hot. That is the one word probably most associated with Arizona. Wait. Desert, desolate, cactus, hot, hot, hot, dry and did I mention hot?

Record heat yesterday my friends. Welcome Summer! We're glad you're here. But I would be lying to say that. And I don't like to lie. I am not, am NOT, looking forward to the summer. This is the hibernating season for most Arizonans who don't embrace the blistering sun. I am a skin cancer phobe and while I envy the nice brown tans around me I would rather be wrinkle-free with smooth, creamy, milky skin for the rest of my days then wind up freckled and plagued with liver spots and precancerous lesions. You can keep your UV rays.

My long winded tirade of the sun and heat is going somewhere. Primarily here. I don't know if Arizona is my long term home. I long for cool nights, even in the summer, especially in the summer. Somewhere that boasts cool breezes and delicious rain frequently, not the drought we live in now. I long for vibrant green summers and the breathtaking rich deep colors of red, orange and yellows that define "fall", the missing season here in good 'ol AZ. I want 4 seasons, but not terribly long and bitterly cold winters. I want the best of both worlds. Is that asking too much?

Problem is , I don't know where to find this weather paradise. Is it in congested and overly inflated California? Bipolar Utah (extreme winter-snowing until May and then still reaches 100+ degrees in the summer) or somewhere I have never set foot on? The Midwest, Northwest, East, etc?

As much as I complain about the summer I seem to have amnesia and forget the weary summers once the blessed cooler climate rolls around. That is when I love Arizona. Too bad it doesn't last longer. I could be a snowbird now. I have a greater understanding of what drives them cross-country, I envy their ability to pick up and go, doesn't give me more patience when they are driving, but...

Where is your perfect place? Where do you define home? Are you a forever Arizonan?

Pray for Kyson

Our family has been rocked this weekend by one little man, just 9 weeks old and he has already endured open heart surgery to "re-plumb" his heart. Kyson was born with a heart defect, one that was not diagnosed until Thursday afternoon at a routine office visit and thanks to his mother's intuition that something was not right as she expressed her concerns to her doctor. Kyson's little body was failing, and fast. He was not getting the oxygen he needed and had been struggling unbeknownst to his family.

(Kyson before surgery)

Thankfully Kyson is now in the very skilled hands of Phoenix Children's Hospital and has proved to be quite the fighter. Go to Jared & Andrea's blog to read the details on his status. Please keep Kyson and his family in your prayers as they have a long road to travel. I am so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father that is mindful of our needs and gives us opportunities to grow, individually and as a family. Growth comes through trials and devastation, it is usually not something we ask for if we were given the choice. But in the end we are stronger, better, and have a greater testimony of our Savior and the love He has for us all.

Real & Recommitted

As in real sweaty, really not wearing any makeup, real smelly, real tired, real...

You get the picture.

This is me 10 minutes ago after a work out with Jillian. I have to admit I have been a complete slacker lately. No running, no Jillian, and plenty of good food. Recipe for: Stagnate. Zero weight loss, probable weight gain. We're not gonna go there.

Something has got to give. And that would be ME! I am in control (at least that's what I tell myself repeatedly). Every night I lie in bed reviewing my day, mentally berating myself for not making better choices, vowing that tomorrow I will do better, be better, eat better, exercise, take charge!

And usually, I fall short. Waaaay short.

So, in an effort to recommit myself, I am publicly declaring my goals. Again. You all probably think I have no self control, and you would be right. I struggle for control over my eating habits. I don't go off and hoard bags of chips and eat a whole cake in one sitting, but I do have a sweet treat usually on a daily basis. And my portions could use some reigning in. What can I say, I like, no love food. Good food, and lots of it. And I love me some sugar.

My goals:

• Eat healthy, fresh food.
• Limit sweets, we all know I can't eliminate.
• Exercise 4x/week.
• Watch portions: eat when I am hungry, stop when I am comfortably full, not stuffed or until every morsel is off my plate. I am also going to use smaller plates. On that note, Phil gets the ginormous plates and I will get the salad plate. He gets lots of cookies, I get a cookie. He gets to eat whatever he wants, I get to "manage" my "lifestyle" ('cause this is NOT a diet) for the rest of my freakin' life. Sigh. To be a boy with the metabolism of a hummingbird (fyi: highest of all the animals). I hope and pray my children get the Gunnell/Standage body gene.

Okay, I am back from my pity party. Sorry you had to see that. Let's just keep it to ourselves, shall we? Now, keep me on track guys! I need your help! Tell me what you do to stay committed, to anything. And no comment on how lovely I look.

What's Cooking 'Round Here

Head over to Down Right Delish for dinner ideas! I have posted a few new recipes and I would love to hear how they turn out for your family, leave a comment on the site to let me know you stopped by. I will post later this week too; Luau Salad & Falafel with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce.

Our photo shoot with my nieces went well. I didn't think so as we were shooting though! Try to get three 5 year olds to look at the camera and smile prettily-at the same time! No easy feat. I left the shoot after 40 minutes feeling defeated and upset with my lack of control over the situation. We got home, reviewed the 257 pictures we took and managed to get some good ones thankfully. Not 257 mind you, but plenty. Here are a few favorites. Not much else happening at our house, just work and work.

Productivity

Our family, Jared & Andrea, blessed their baby Kyson on Sunday. Phil & I were one of many "photographers" (aka amateurs) present and we captured some amazing shots. Here are some of my favorites, there are too many favorites that Jared & Andrea will receive and I won't post them all here but here is just a glimpse.

I am sitting here at the computer at 11:13am. I have been up since 5am. I packed a brown bag lunch for Phil, ate PB & honey for breakfast, had a "snack" of granola about an hour later and am still in my pj's. I have been at the computer for 4 hours now, editing photos, trying in vain to edit out certain aspects that I don't want marring the perfection. So here is proof that I have actually been doing something worthwhile, I still mean to exercise, so I better get off this time sucker or I will never get it done. And my kitchen is dirty, it's a shame.

If you are interested in having a photo shoot, email me @ gunnhp(at)hotmail(dot)com.


Not posed, just perfection captured.




I love this kid, he has the most amazing eyes.


Sweet Kyson







The Triple Threat, so sweet and fun, I get to do more of them this week, so excited!

The Limb that Died, a True photo story

This is the story of a little branch who belongs to a big pesky, messy tree, that I don't know the species of. This tree is so pesky it even sent secret little shoots under the fence (or dropped some pods, who knows) of our other neighbors and grew little offspring. They chopped it down and yet is still came back. Even bigger! But that is another tree story for another time.

In the 4 years we have lived in our humble abode Phil has had a secret burning desire to whack down the offending overhanging branches. He spoke with the white haired, winter visiting neighbor and the man came to our backyard to view the limb. He graciously allowed Phil to trim just a few snippets, the ones that Phil said would catch on fire when we indulge our fire pit since they were hanging so low. This was last winter. I think.

Fast forward to May 2008. White haired neighbor has gone home seeking reprieve from the assaulting heat that will soon strike Arizona residents everywhere. Phil sees a golden opportunity. The wheels start turning. He declares war upon the limb and readies himself for battle.

Evidence:

Phil arms himself with our extended saw. He laboriously attempts to cut the offending limb off.

Halfway through he fears he is going to tear the limb and feeling sorry for the tree (probably not but I am improvising here) he decides to attack from another angle.

I am standing by, armed with my camera and offering moral support. I give my complete attention to the work at hand. Nothing deters me from my mission...

Hellllloooo! Flora & Fauna, you ladies are looking fetching and radiant this morning.

As I was saying, nothing, no nothing distracts me from the intensity Phil is giving the limb.

Finally, it happens. Crrraaaccckkk! Timmmberrr! I yell. (Not really).

The limb has succumbed and has forfeited it's lofty position.

Casualties include one little pomegranate tree. He appears crushed. He's not moving! Quick! Send help!

Oh, phew! He's all right! He's all right! Just a bent branch, he should recover in no time.

Sensing a need for heavier artillery, Phil whips out his trusty chain saw and fires her up.

He meticulously trims away the limb, now nothing but a mangled pile of leaves and debris.

This probably hurt the tree, deep down inside it is weeping.

RIP dear pesky limb. We were never meant to be.

But Phil feels no remorse. He happily goes about his duties, tidying the lawn, disposing of the evidence. We have about 5ish months until White Haired Man arrives back home. Think he will notice? I anticipate a confrontation...

But Phil doesn't seem to worry. In fact, he's quite pleased with himself.

"Oh, What do you do in the Summertime...

...when all the world is green? Do you fish in the stream, or lazily dream on the banks as the clouds go by? Is that what you do? So do I!

Oh, what do you do in the summertime, when all the world is green? Do you swim in a pool, to keep yourself cool, or swing in a tree up high? Is that what you do? So do I!

Oh, what do you do in the summertime, when all the world is green? Do you march in parades, or drink lemonades, or count all the stars in the sky? Is that what you do? So do I!"

Well, actually I do none of the above. Perhaps I used to swim in a pool, (although I am working towards that, not doing too well, but still), I certainly don't fish in a stream, march in parades (though there is that 5k in July. Did you know it is going to be over 100 degrees in July? What was I thinking?) and I don't fancy lemonade, or any juice for that matter. I prefer to eat my calories, not drink them. And eat them I do, which is interfering with my pool side goals now that I mention it. I used to climb trees when I was younger, Grandma Fenn's house had the best trees, but those days are over.

Now in the summertime I hibernate indoors. I go from my air-conditioned house to my air-conditioned car and then hurry into my air-conditioned office to fight the ravages of plaque and bacteria infested mouths and then home again, home again jiggity-jig, repeat. We have no large plans this summer, really just a few small excursions.

We have a short and sweet trip to San Diego for a cousin's wedding, some beach frolicking (maybe in swimsuits), reuniting with my sweet sister-in-law Stephanie and her chubs (her son), etc. Then that sweet sis is getting sealed in the Manti temple in June. We will drive up, revel in their peaceful happy bliss, visit some family and then drive back down. And then it is back to the real hot world of summer in AZ as a grown-up.

What are you doing to survive the summer?