San Xavier Mission

Dan and I went on Saturday to see the Wheel of Fortune Wheel Mobile and see if we could try out for the show, and on our way home we stopped at the San Xavier Mission. Neither of us had ever been out there, we've driven past it, but we've never gone.

Dan is also trying out my camera now (because it's a little better than his) until we can save enough money to get him the good camera he wants.


So we stopped by to test out my camera on a great monument at sunset. Here are some of the results...







Isn't he a great photographer?

New Puppy!

This is really the craziest story, but a great one at the same time!

As I've mentioned before, we are looking for a home for our 2 chihuahuas, and at the same time we've been looking diligently for a new partner/friend for Sadie. We've been looking for a young dog/puppy who has the same amount of puppy energy as Sadie does as well as one who will be around her same size and will be able to play with her and put up a fight.

So, last Saturday on Valentine's Day, we were out and about just driving around town, and we went to the pound to see what new dogs they had gotten since the last time I'd been there. We walked in and I FELL IN LOVE! There was a sweet little black lab puppy, 3 months old, boy who had just gotten there earlier that morning. (We'd kinda been biasedly searching for a boy because everyone we've talked to has said it's good to have one of each.) So he was PERFECT! We immediately asked someone about him and if we could take him out to play with him. The guy told us that the wouldn't be available for adoption until Friday (last Friday the 20th) and that I'd have to be there when they opened at 10am to be in a raffle against anyone else who was there for him. I was a little disappointed, but determined to come back on Friday to try for him.

Events proceeded throughout the week though, that had us end up in Phoenix Thursday night and Friday, which made us unable to be there to get him on Friday. I had gone back a couple of times during the week to check on him again and look around. In that time, I found a couple other dogs I had my eye on since I knew I wouldn't be able to get him Friday and I was sure he'd be gone right away Friday. There was already 3 people's name, phone numbers, life story, etc. who wanted him.

So I was over him and let him go out of my hopes. Dan and I got up this morning (Saturday) and drove over to the pound when they opened at 10 in hopes of getting another puppy who was just like him, only a girl. She was supposed to be in the same boat as him only available today, and a girl. So we walk in, and it turns out she's scheduled for surgery and not available.

We keep walking around and all of the sudden I see Dan in the middle of a bunch of people all huddled around one kennel. I knew there must be puppies in there since that's always where people flock first. Dan was holding all the papers of info on all the dogs in that kennel. I walk past, unable to see in the kennel past all the people, and keep looking. Dan comes up to me and says "isn't this the same one from last weekend? isn't this him?"

I looked at the paper... IT WAS HIM!!

I ran back to the kennel, and by now the people were all gone, and there he was; sitting in the kennel all wet from them hosing out the kennel and with 3 other dogs. I kept the paper on him so no one else could get him, and went to find a worker to let me play with him. So we took him out and played with him, and that was it. We loved him and knew he would be perfect, and exactly what we were looking for.

He ended up having surgery on Friday and therefore went up for adoption THIS MORNING right when we got there! I don't know what happened to all the people who said they were interested in him, but no one else was there for him this morning. We didn't have to fight or anything. I can't help but think that he was meant to be our puppy!

We walked out with him about 30 minutes later.

He has a runny nose and has to take some medicine for the next week while his stitches are also healing, but he doesn't act sick. He's still playful as ever, and for the record has very sharp teeth. ( I already have a band-aid on one finger)

So, yes for the moment we do have 4 dogs at our house, but they're getting along fine. Mika & Quimby won't be here for much longer, so then we'll be back to just 2 and normal again.

Look at him! Is he not the cutest thing you've EVER SEEN?!

Long Overdue Update

Sorry it's been a while since our last update...

Ok yeah, Christmas, that was a while ago...

We've been really busy since Christmas. We both started school again full time and we're both at school it seems like more than we're at home. I am now in my second semester of hygiene school and am seeing actual patients for teeth cleaning. Dan is going to school full time at the U of A for Journalism, and after the break has now officially decided he will finish his degree at ASU in a couple years.

We were dealing with the trouble of trying to register him for a full schedule while he works full time. It is a nightmare every time registration comes around. So we went in January to talk to an advisor at the Journalism school at ASU and find out what it would take for him to transfer as well as what classes he can be taking down here to stay full time and keep his scholarship that will transfer as classes he'll need for ASU. So we got it all figured out, and have his class schedule pretty well lined up from now until next May (2010) which is when he'll transfer to ASU. I graduate from hygiene school next May, and then during the summer we'll move back to the Phoenix area and then Dan can finish at ASU. Ultimately, ASU's journalism school is like 20 times better and more reputable than U of A's, so it will most likely help him out more in the long run if his degree is from ASU.

Like so many other people now a days, we were without work for about a month and a half right after Christmas. So it's been rough the last couple of months, but Dan just got his first paycheck at his new job last week, so now it's just about playing catch up on all our bills and everything and then we'll be back in the swing of things.

An update on our dog situation, we still have not found homes for our 2 chihuahuas. We hoped someone in Dan's family would be able to take them so we could make sure they were going to a good place, but either they can't take them or they don't want them. So, we will most likely be putting them up on Craigslist either this week or next week to hopefully find a good home for them where they'll be happier.

Even though we're low on money, (who isn't?) we're planning 2 trips this year. One will be coming up at the beginning of April. We'll be heading to Utah again for General Conference as well as Dan's mission reunion. Marie will be coming with us and experiencing Utah for the first time. It should be a lot of fun. We're hoping to meet up with a bunch of our friends that live in Utah that we don't see as often as we'd like.

Our 2nd trip will be in August for Dan's birthday. We're planning a trip to Washington D.C. and Philadelphia where Dan served his mission. He's looking forward to showing me around so much, and I'm excited to finally see all of the places I've heard so much about for the past 4 years. We'll also attend a Diamondbacks vs. Phillies game in Philly while we're there, which will be SO fun I'm sure.

Dan's brother Jared just reported to the MTC on February 11th, and we were able to attend his farewell as well as his setting apart which was a very neat experience for me as I'd never seen a missionary setting apart before. We're very proud of Jared and wish him the best of luck in Tampa, FL when he leaves the MTC next week.

More detailed posts coming about some of the various events I've mentioned here.

Stay Tuned...