2 Days Until Daddy

The Phoenix Zoo!

We just had to go one more time before we left. Unfortunately it doesn't open until 9 a.m. now, so it was a bit warm! When we first arrived and received the map I asked Abby what she wanted to see. She said, "Elephant." I searched the map for the elephants and could not find them. I finally jokingly asked Abby where the elephants were and she pointed to this tiny drawing of an elephant. She was absolutely right. I cannot believe how smart she is.We saw all kinds of animals--see pictures below. We also rode the Safari Train for the first time and played in the Splash Park.
We saw a whole bunch of turtles and they came right up out of the water. We were afraid to scare them away, but we probably could have touched them.Abby brushed the goats and tried to say hello to a sleeping goat.After petting the goats Abby played on the "Little People" play area.4 warty pigs (that is what the sign said).
Three tortoises!
The giraffes from the Safari Train.
The splash park has the coolest cave with water and slides.Jen and Abby
After a long morning at the zoo we came home, ate, and Abby took a nap. Then it was time to go teach Hannah her final piano lesson (although I think I am going to give her a lesson when I have to return to Phoenix each month). I absolutely love their family so much. They have been such a blessing in my life. They fed us dinner and let Abby take a bath in their bathtub since we are permanently without hot water!They gave us the nicest gifts. I've always eyed the large pictures of Christ at Deseret Book but did not think I would get one any time soon. They gave us the most beautiful framed picture and the plaque at the bottom says, "Gentle Healer." They also gave Abby a picture of Christ with a little girl for her bedroom. They are so very kind.When I went to the mailbox after the Zoo today there was a piece of paper sitting on top of our mail that said, "Today will be beautiful." I do not know who made it (my guess is Natalie). It was very cute, creative and thoughtful. It made my day.Here is a video of our unforgettable time at the Phoenix Zoo.

3 Days Until Daddy

I forgot how tiring it can be to pack! I'm exhausted! My Labor Day was spent packing the rest of the things in our house. The only items left are clothes for a few days, some necessary toiletries and some books and toys for Abby. Fortunately, I had some help--that is how I finished! Natalie came over in the morning and stayed until 4:30. Our other friends Brent and his daughter Tiffany (I taught her in Seminary) came over and helped also. I could not have done it without the help!

Here are Natalie and Tiffany taking a break and eating the marshmallows that I thought would melt in the truck!
Natalie waiting for me to come and tape up a box!
Plus, Abby played all day with Tray and Ivy and just had the best time. Before she went to their house she had 2 gogurts for breakfast and I just think this is the cutest picture!
I managed to get to the store since we were out of milk and then went to pick Abby up and they fed us dinner. Aren't friends wonderful?
Abby and Ivy were swimming when I got there.
Abby watching Janine make yummy fruit drinks for dinner.
Abby, Tray and Ivy with their popsicles.
Our friends even let Abby take a bath since we haven't had hot water since Wednesday. Our friend Neil came over to fix the water heater and said it was a 10% chance it was the regulator--so very unlikely. He changed another part on it and it did not work. It is a regulator problem and I don't want to spend around $100 for hot water for a couple days. So I will rinse off in the cold water and wash my hair in the sink. I will just have to find places for Abby to take a bath at night! Just another adventure!

Last night Abby and I finished the stories (again) in her Book of Mormon stories book. The other day I discovered a "More Book of Mormon Stories" book that just came out and had to get it. So tonight we started into new stories and enjoyed reading about Lehi's Dream.
(Why is it sideways--I have no idea! It will not cooperate.)

Who Wants Dog Vomit?

Today I observed a little treat in my front yard. Just outside our front door there is a large mulch covered area with pretty little bushes (I don't actually know what any of them are) that have thier own dedicated sprinkler line to keep them healthy. However, hiding in the mulch I found some fine specimens of an ugly little mold/bacteria called "Dog Vomit Fungi." No, I did not make that up; that is the standard nickname for the Fuligo septica that haunts my front yard. The photo below is not from my yard, but is a dead ringer for the six inch diameter blobs I am looking at.

It starts of as a light yellow/white color and then fades to black, from the inside out, and then to an ashy gray that --POOF - blows all over the yard. My neighbor has it too, and she says it because we have clay soil below us that traps the moisture. My online reading confirmed her explanation. Oddly enough, this mold is particularly common in desert areas like Bakersfield and Phoenix, and I'm guessing that is because the soil does trap moisture between my clay dirt and the imported sod and mulch sitting on top.

So how do you get rid of this vomit? That is the fun part. You can't. Sure you can scoop it up and throw it in the trash, but it will be back. There is no chemical treatment that is proven to work, or so I've read. One website said the only way to remove it permanently is to pave over your front yard. Yes, that would look lovely. Another said to only water your yard in the morning so any excess H20 evaporates by the end of the day. I'll give that a try, if I can figure out how to use the high tech sprinkler system that came with our house.

The good news is that I'm reading it is often a seasonal growth that flares up in September, so hopefully this is the only time I have to look at it. So far it is not too wide spread, and since I don't have much of a sense of smell I don't notice the stench I've read about on these websites. Lucky Jen.

4 Days Until Daddy

Today was the day to say farewell to the Tempe Ward. We've been in this ward over 4 years and have absolutely loved it. We also experienced quite a few milestones in our lives during our time in Arizona. Some of those include: buying our first home, graduating with our doctorate degrees and adopting our daughter Abby! I think those are rather significant events in our lives! I also directed the ASU Women's Chorus, my first community choir and had the opportunity to teach seminary. There is a lot to let go of here. But a lot to look forward to also. We will always treasure the many friendships we made here and I am confident we will stay in contact with many people. Tonight we were invited to our friends Aaron and Sarah and they made a yummy chicken curry--I need the recipe. It was wonderful not to worry about making dinner. Abby loved playing with their daughters Lola and Poppy (Penelope). Tomorrow is the day to get everything else packed up. Thank goodness for friends who are willing to lend a hand!
Abby before Church today.

5 Days Until Daddy

This morning Abby and I went with our friends Carric and Jenny to just have fun in IKEA. We did not go to spend money--just thought it would be a really fun place for her to run and play. She ran around, climbed into various wardrobes and cupboards, bounced on beds and even stole Carric's soft serve ice cream!
Here are Carric and Abby having a little "tea" time!

Abby trying out the "big girl" beds.

Abby stealing Carric's ice cream.

A fun trip to IKEA.

After Abby took a brief nap after IKEA we went to Mesa to teach one of my piano students, Hannah. Her whole family welcome us with open arms whenever we come and we will miss them so much when we leave.

Only 5 more days Daddy! We better finish packing.

6 Days Until Daddy

Our morning began at the Pueblo Grande Museum with Natalie. We got free tickets through the Tempe Library and thought we would check it out. There wasn't a whole lot there, but we did see some pretty neat excavation of a Hohokam Village. Abby enjoyed playing with the baskets and sticks and running through the dirt.

Actual excavation of the village.

I played the piano for a vocal studio class today so Abby went and played with her friend Indi. When I came back to get her they were up in Indi's room dancing.

This evening Abby and I drove to the Chandler Mall to ride the choo-choo train that goes around the bottom floor of the mall. She loved it. We also played in the play area and got some rice and noodles at Panda Express.

Here is a quick video of Abby dancing with Indi and playing at the play area.

Direct Buy

So I was looking for furniture stores in Bakersfield (we need to buy a couple couches and a mattress) when I stumbled upon DirectBuy. I thought the premise of their online sales pitch made sense. Essentially they buy from manufacturers and sell to members without the mark up. They make their money off the membership fees. So, I figured, it must be like Costco.

Yesterday I filled out the online info request but midway through it required I select a time to visit. I wanted Jen to accompany me so I did not complete the form, but I thought it odd that they so quickly tried to bind me to some time slot when all I wanted was a little information. Today a cheerful friendly salesman called to ask if he could send me materials and get me out to the warehouse to see what great deals they can offer. He testified that I could save 25-50% off items bought through DirectBuy. I agreed to let him send me materials. I also asked about the membership price; however, the salesman explained that he was not permitted to share it over the phone. Suspicious, I thought. It reminded me of the time share pitches I've attended in the past where they refuse to give you a price until they've sufficiently wowed you with their product. It is a sales tactic I don't care for, but I do understand it.

So, I did a google search on this company to see what the price would be and if people liked their service. Holy Bedposts Batman! I routinely google search for reviews on anybody and anything I encounter just to see what the world thinks of them, and I've never seen such universally hateful comments about a company.

To begin, the membership price (shhh... dont tell anybody, its a secret) is $5,000. For this, they tell you, the company will save you bundles of money on every purchase. They hope that you wont do the math and realize that it would require tens of thousands of dollars worth of purchases before you made back the loss on the membership fee. But this is only the beginning. They have terrible customer service (routinely do not answer or return calls) and won't let you return or exchange anything you bought. Most disturbing, they employ a over the top high pressure sales approach, according to the reviews I read. Apparently, they get you to visit the warehouse, show you furniture and other products without prices, except for a couple selected items with big savings. If you ask to see the catalog, with prices, they refuse. There they subject you to a 2-3 hour sales pitch, and then tell you that you must decide right then. They explain, if you leave the store you will never be permitted to join--its now or never. One review I read said that the would-be members had to open their cell phone and begin calling the police before the sales crew would let them leave the building. About half of the reviews I read said it was a rip off and the other half said RUN (in capital letters) away from this scam.

So the moral of the story is, don't join DirectBuy.

And on a final note I should point out that the entry on Wikipedia even states that DirectBuy's attorney has filed cease and desist actions against blogs that spoke ill of the company, so don't be surprise if this posting disappears later because I don't want to pay for an attorney to defend my first amendment right to freedom of speech. If all that is true, this company really is evil.

7 Days Until Daddy

One week from tonight we will be reunited! It seems like it has been so long. We miss you Daddy! Fortunately Abby and I have been so busy that the time has passed very quickly. Today was a particularly fun and busy day. By 12:30 we had gone on a very long walk, played at the park, watched a 30 minutes Thomas video (while I got ready), went to playgroup at Tempe Marketplace and played in the fountains, ate yogurt with all of the kids, played in Barnes and Noble with the books and Thomas the Train set, and drove home! Abby actually took an earlier nap than usual. This is what comes of having a child that gets up so darn early everyday and just loves to be out! Later we drove over to Deseret Book in Mesa to buy her a new journal since I've almost filled up the latest one and I had a coupon that expired today. Then we looked at the Mesa Temple and went over to Pioneer Park for a picnic dinner. Little did I know that there was a huge train! Abby was so excited. There were so many toys to play on--she wasn't too interested in eating. There was also a little 2 year old boy that only spoke Spanish and he and Abby had so much fun together. When his Dad came to pick him up the little boy ran and gave him a hug. Then Abby did the same! I think she really misses Matt! Tonight we came home and she wanted to eat "Woody" pasta. It is macaroni and cheese in the shape of Toy Story characters. I made it and gave her the food and went to walk away and she folded her arms and said--"Pray?" I was so proud and excited. What an amazing girl she is.

Morning adventures at Jaycee Park in Tempe: Abby lear

ned to climb up the moving ramp. . .

And was quite pleased with herself declaring, "I did it!"

Playgroup at Tempe Marketplace (Abby, Savannah, Annie, Indi)
Abby running from the water--MoJo Yogurt is in the background.
Abby always has to see what else is around and was the first to play in the other water feature!
Happy kids and Mommies with yummy yogurt.

Abby and Mommy

Playing with Thomas the Train in Barnes & Noble.

Mesa Temple

Train at Pioneer Park

More climbing. . .

Same, "I did it!"

Here is a video of some of our adventures of the day.

8 Days Until Daddy

If you haven't been to Mill Avenue in Tempe, it is a fun place to walk. This morning Abby and I walked over to Mill and walked up and down much of it. Abby loved looking in the shops and watching the people. She ended up getting 3 powdered donut holes--she bites into one and then goes for the other. All in all she might have eaten one!

Since my calling as Ward Choir Director pretty much ended on Sunday I decided I should clean up the choir folders and organize the music. We spent a good hour and a half on it and Abby helped me throw away a lot of things. We will have to go back another day because the music still lacks organization and I do not want to turn it over to someone else that way.

I received good news today--no more packing my "owie!" Doctor Feldman said it will take a while longer to heal, but I can cover it with a good bandade now. Abby loves Doctor Feldman and played with his stethoscope. She even made him listen to his own heart which he promptly announced was not there!

Abby has a friend named Caely that moved to Tuscon. She came back for her uncle's cross country meeting tonight and so Abby went with Caely to the meet. They enjoyed swinging and playing in the grass.

Abby, Natalie and Caely

Abby on the slide--taken with a phone so it is small!
Only 8 more days Daddy and we will be united again!

This is a video of Abby at the end of our walk. You can hear her say, "Abby turn" which is her way of saying "I can do it myself." Her ABC's are getting better!

9 Days Until Daddy

Less than 10 days--wow! That is exciting. We are anxious to see Matt (Daddy) again. I'm also a little tired of being surrounded by boxes and bins. But Abby and I spend most of our days outside anyways, so it doesn't really matter! Today we began with another long walk that ended up at the park. The picture below shows you what I see most of the time at the park--Abby running everywhere!

One of our most wonderful friends, Carly, Paul, and Adelaide are also moving to California and they leave tomorrow. They will be greatly missed by everyone in Tempe. Carly is an excellent oboist and I've had the pleasure of working with her on a number of occasions. I will truly miss making music with her. As a going away gift I took a piece that we played together that was written for violin and piano and put it into my new Sibelius program (transposed it to a lower key) so that she will be able to use it again. It was an excellent exercise for me in learning how to use the program. I realized there is much I need to learn! We definitely want to keep in contact and hopefully hook up to go camping in California! (I do not know why the picture of the music below turned--I can't get it to rotate--sorry!)

Carly, Adelaide and Abby

We will miss you!