TRAVELING BACK IN TIME:
Our wonderful daughter, Amy has been scanning and scanning slides and old photos lately...

...(by the way, Amy if you want to start taking our boxes of photos and/or negatives, they're ready anytime).

She just gave me all the old Hann photos from Terry's childhood that she's been posting highlights about over the last month or so, plus she gave me some old ones of Terry's and mine from 4th grade (for me) and beyond. I'm trying to go through them and label the ones that she wasn't able to identify and it's so fun to look at all these old photos. I'm also sending individual ones to old friends here and there as I come across them. So, if you've known us for a long time, you may get a photo or two from us in the coming days or weeks.

I came across this one of Terry (in Colorado, I think) in AUGUST 1978. We had been married about 9 months. First of all, I love that it was snowing in August. Second, I think it looks like an album cover, doesn't it? Pretty fun!

This one of me is puzzling. The tag says its 1980, but I don't have a wedding ring on and I always wore my ring (except maybe a few months when I was pregnant, because it didn't fit). The only thing I can think of is that it's a reverse image and we're looking at my right hand...or maybe the date is wrong...hmmmm.

These ones of us with the kids are hilarious!

The first one was taken in Sedona when we went up with the Haugens and Thrushes. Lots of great stories from that trip. Look at how big Kevin was compared to Amy and they were 2 years apart. He was a big boy, but Amy still loved to hold him and play with him and love on him!


The other two were in Del Mar in 1984 when we went over for the Olympics. One of the few seasons when Terry didn't have a beard.

Isn't it amazing the expressions and actions we can catch our kids doing? Kevin was a comedian from the get-go. Be sure to click to enlarge . What precious memories...they make me laugh out loud.

I imagine I'll be posting more in the coming weeks as well. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Breakfast Company:

This is what Shredder looks like in the morning (and sometimes in the evening) when I'm sitting at my computer. The ritual is:

• Get up
• Give Terry a kiss (and say good morning & good bye)
  
• Get dressed
• Hair and makeup
• Bowl of Chex or Cheerios with some kind of fruit (fresh or dried) on top
• I go to the computer and check email and blogs before I leave for work. (I should be leaving right about now)
• Shredder keeps me company and gets a little bit of attention before her long lonely day
• And sometimes, if she seems interested I put my cereal bowl on the floor when I'm all done and she gets to drink the leftover drops of milk.

SEDONA WEEKEND:

Here are some highlights from our trip to Sedona this weekend. While it was too early in the season to catch the fall colors, there were a few hints that it was on the way.

We drove down Oak Creek Canyon on Saturday and picked up some amazingly delicious Macintosh apples and fresh squeezed apple cider. There's just nothing like the fresh stuff. It tastes like someone's squeezing it fresh from the apple right into your mouth. Mmmmmm, absolutely scrumptious!
Early in the day we took a hike down the Brins Mesa Trail in Sedona. It was a really nice hike. We decided that it must be designated for women and their dogs, because that's mostly what we came across. We could tell that there was a storm coming in, so we didn't hang around too long.

One discovery that I made was my new branch! You'll see Terry holding it (and looking bewildered). I'm so excited that I finally found one just laying on the ground. No, I didn't violate the forest by breaking or cutting off a branch. I was determined to find one that God had already chosen for me. For those of you who don't remember, see my inspiration here from Santiagos restaurant in Bisbee. I've also seen them in magazines. Here's what I'm thinking...I'll hang it over the sofa in the living room and display an ever-changing art exhibit or other decorating items there. Think photos, greeting cards, Christmas ornaments, postcards, fall leaves, etc. I need to clean it up a bit, but I think it will be PERFECT! I'll post a picture once I get it up there. My loving husband was even willing to give up the trunk so we could get it home. It barely fit, but we made it with all the luggage in the back seat.

Later in the afternoon and into the evening we were blessed with a wonderful storm with thunder and lightening and all. Thank you God!

West Fork Trail
On Sunday we enjoyed a nearly perfect day of gorgeous weather, hiking the West Fork of Oak Creek. I don't remember ever going on this trail before, and I don't know why. It's so beautiful. Considering the fact that this trail has a parking lot all it's own, you can imagine how crowded it might get. The good news is that I think the storm the day before scared everyone away, so traffic on the path was relatively light. The photo of the stone wall is in an area with several decaying walls and buildings near the beginning of the trail. There's also an abandoned fireplace hearth, chicken coop and an apple orchard nearby. I'd love to hear the story behind these remains. Let me know if anyone knows it.

We also got a nice little treat in seeing this little bunch of reddish pink maple leaves...and so the season begins...can't wait!

And the reflection of the red rocks in the creek is simply spectacular. Click to enlarge these. They're much better in full screen.

And last but not least, Terry stopped the car for me on the way out of town so I could get some photos of the moon over the red rocks. I love taking pictures at this time of day, when it looks to the naked eye like it's too dark for them to turn out. It's amazing how much light the camera can capture.

Overall it was a precious weekend with my honey.

Update on Zooomr...not as much functionality as it appears at first. Not sure I'll use it any more.

I just discovered and signed up for a new free photo sharing site called Zooomr. So far it sounds pretty cool. No limits on numbers or size of photos to upload. They're also talking about setting up a way for each user to attach pricing to some or all of the photos that you load so that others can buy a license to use them as stock photos. I LOVE this idea. I've had lots of people tell me that I should sell my photos, but I just haven't had time to pursue the venture. I think it would be great to have a way to do it on the same site where I would normally post them for friends. Great idea guys! Can't wait! (Of course, I wouldn't charge my friends.)

You can also sign up to get RSS feeds (RSS makes it possible for people to keep up with their favorite web sites in an automated manner that's easier than checking them manually.)

It looks like the text on the site is also convertible to Chinese (I think) so Kevin can just click a button and practice his Mandarin. There's geo-tagging and lots more functionality that I'm still discovering. And they post announcements on their blog about photowalks in various cities that anyone can join. I saw ones for Santa Barbara and San Francisco so far.

Check out this article about Kristohper Tate, the creator of Zoomr. He's only about 18 years old! His story is pretty amazing and I love his ideas about the site.

For now I've posted pics from our latest trip there. I made some of them private and some public. Try this link to get to the public ones. If that doesn't work, you can find my photos by searching for the word "Prescott" then you can click on the link below one of the pics that says NanAZ. In order to see the private ones, its a little trickier. I think you have to sign up with a user name and email, then search for my name and identify me as a friend (or family). Then you get access, I think. Sorry, it's kind of cumbersome. I'll see if it's worth it to do it this way. Let me know what you think.

Prescott Sanctuary
This weekend we were able to get away from the heat and enjoy a relaxing and refreshing time with friends in Prescott. Check out Linda's blog for more pics and talk about the trip as well.

Although 80+ degrees may not seem too cool for those of you who live outside of Arizona, Prescott temperatures run about 10 to 20 degrees cooler (or more) than Phoenix in the summer. And though its September, which feels like the beginning of fall in most places, we're still definitely in summer. I think today was probably one of the first days below 100 degrees in a long long time.

Needless to say, it felt good to enjoy the cool breezes, gorgeous sunsets, night skies filled with stars, and even a light rainstorm in the mountains. Several times I found myself standing still, closing my eyes, and just drinking in God's awesome beauty that was all around me. The smells, sounds, sights and touch of the cool breezes were just incredible! Not that I hadn't been there before, but just that I had not realized how much I missed it.

Weekends like this are so revitalizing to me. I'm so thankful for the chances we have to get away and enjoy God's creation.

There were other gifts this weekend as well. Getting reacquainted with old friends is always such a blessing...good food, good company, stories, laughter, smiles, and even comfortable silence.

The cabin we were staying at also had a peaceful Prayer Garden on the shady hillside to enjoy. There were several sitting areas with stones engraved with places in the world to remember in prayer...China, Bosnia, Ephesus and others. Our hosts are involved in missions and this was a great reminder that even if we aren't able to go to other parts of the world, we can still pray for them and those who do go.

And the last treat I'll share about was the pile of guest books that were at the cabin, filled with names of visitors that have been there since they bought the cabin in 1979 and started entertaining angels. This cabin has been such a blessing and retreat for so many folks. What a gift that our hosts have been to the weary in their world.

It was so fun to look back and find an entry when Terry and I had visited in January of 1982, which would have been early in our marriage before Amy & Kevin were born. In fact I was pregnant with Amy at the time! Wow! It's hard to even imagine that they weren't part of our lives at one time.

So, there's more stories to tell of this precious weekend, but they'll have to wait for another day...

Check this out!

If all goes well, we may have a Phoenix Suns connection this year. Go Lisa!

Speaking of the Suns, do you know anyone who's between 16 and 19 who might be interested in being a Suns Ball Kid? Hey, I wish I was young enough. You get to sit right by the bench or the under the basket. Wow!

Or how about all you people with awesome voices. They're auditioning for singers for the National Anthem. Hey you'd get tickets to the game, I'm sure.

Let me know if you get chosen. We would totally go to the game to see you.

Super Bowl & FBR Open house rental...hmmmm...tempting


O.k. gang, my sister just brought up the idea of renting out our homes for the Super Bowl and FBR Open Golf Tournament week at the end of January 2008. I did just a little bit of research and it looks like $1000 per night is a very conservative rate that's being charged for home rentals in the area.

That means we could easily get $7000 if we rented it for the whole week! Now that would pay for a few home improvement projects or our upcoming 30th Anniversary Hawaii Cruise (and then some). The good thing is that we live very close to the FBR Open location and an easy drive to the Super Bowl location.

Now, I just need to figure out where we would stay that week (with Shredder, our cat), then I need to talk Terry into letting strangers stay at our house when we're not there. We recently had a couple stay here while we were out of town, but it was a missionary couple from Japan, so he figured it was o.k. It's not a big issue for me, but somehow he worries that they might mess things up. Of course, we could charge a hefty deposit just in case...

I'll let you know if it goes anywhere...

Before and after:

I mentioned that I did some updates around the house on Labor Day weekend and here's the first project.

Lesson Learned: This day reinforced to me how much more I would be able to get done at home if I could work a 4-day week. (Even if they were 10-hour days.) I am realizing more and more, that I do so much better if I can start on things as soon as I get out of bed. I don't stop for breakfast or to get cleaned up for the day, I just dive into the task at hand and work until it's done, carrying my coffee cup or water around with me and literally grabbing bites to eat as I get hungry. I just don't have that same energy or motivation after work and we usually have social or church plans on the weekends. I truly believe that if I had a day at home when most everyone else is at work, I could tackle all those projects that have been piling up over the years. ...so that is my prayer and goal...that we would find a way to do that this year.

Anyway, this particular project was really no big deal. I had bought 3 different sets of curtains and curtain rods at Ikea a few months ago (white, brown and aqua). I had some ideas where I wanted to use them, but hadn't decided for sure. So on Monday, Labor Day, I woke up with the challenge of actually doing something with the curtains that had been sitting in my scrapping room for all those months.

Now here's the sad and scary part. As I was getting them out of the bag, I noticed that the receipt was still in there. When I looked at it I was shocked to see that I had bought them on September 2nd, 2006! LAST LABOR DAY!!!! Talk about procrastination or poor time management or something! I just couldn't believe it. Pretty sad, that I hadn't made time in a full year to hang a few curtains. WOW!!!

So, the project itself was simple. As you can see, I decided to use the brown curtains in the office to cover the closet. We had removed the old metal louvered doors that were in the house when we moved in because they were in pretty bad shape. So until we find a more permanent solution, the guitar storage needed to be covered (sorry Terry). I think the chocolate brown looks great with the "Little Pond" blue walls and the dark wood of the desk. The room also looks so much more tidy as well.
Just an added note for anyone who might know... I have been trying to find mirrored sliding french doors to use in the closets, but haven't seen anyone who carries them. If you have any ideas, please pass them on.

And just for fun, here's my screen saver. Isn't it cool? It matches the room and makes me feel like I'm still sitting on the veranda at Crater Lake, enjoying the view. Love it!

There's still more to come on my Labor Day projects. This is just the first one. Enjoy!

Let the blogging begin!

This is what my prickly pear cactus looks like right now. The red "fruit" is what people make prickly pear jelly and other concoctions from. Some day I'll have to try it. We'll see if it's this year. I hate to see them ripen and not use them, but the birds seem to like them if I don't do anything.

Here's a Cooks.com site with some interesting recipes for ways to use the fruit and even the cactus, I think.

It's too late to start on a good post tonight, so I'll just give you a few teasers so you'll come back in the next few days to get the real scoop.

Upcoming posts:

1) Does anyone want to make prickly pear jam? I have the prickly pears?

2) On Labor Day I actually completed THREE decorating projects at the house! None of them were huge, but all had been waiting a while, so I'm so glad they're done. Think hanging candelabra in the kitchen, chocolate brown and "Little Pond" blue in the office and adding more color on the walls in the living room and dining room...check back for photos and details.

3) Last night Terry's brother, Tod invited us to go to the Diamondbacks game and sit in Leslie's Pool Zone! We could have gone swimming during the game! Can't wait to post this one.

That's it for now. More to come by the weekend.

"IT TAKES A LONG TIME TO GROW OLD FRIENDS"

This saying is on a sign we have hanging on our wall at home and it's such a precious truth to me. In this day of commuter families, mobile societies, and shallow relationships we are so blessed to still be in touch with many "old" cherished friends.

Last night we were privileged to be able to spend time with a small group of them. These friends, in particular, are some of the folks that we've known since high school and college age. Most of the guys all played in a one of the most popular Christian rock bands in Phoenix (Glory Road) during that era. They were HOT!!! (O.k. so I may be a little prejudiced, since I married the leader.) Dave and Rand were in other groups that were equally excellent.

The awesome thing is that many of these guys have stayed active in music in one form or another, so we can continue to enjoy their gifts as well as support and encourage them in what they give back to others. This was such a night. Dave and his wife Kathrin live in Tucson and in the last few years, started a band called Late Rain. When we found out that they would be playing here in Phoenix at a coffeehouse, called The Music Corner, we marked our calendars for a chance to hear them.

We also used it as an excuse to get a few of us (eastside folks) together for dinner beforehand. It had been way too long, so we really enjoyed our time of food & fellowship together with Rob, Toni and John, then headed for the concert. We were sad that Kim didn't make it...maybe next time.
The concert was beautiful! Every song, every harmony & instrument expressed the hearts of the musicians. I personally loved Dave's guitar playing and the cello added so much too. The lyrics (by Dave) were sometimes heartbreaking, but always inspiring. What a gift God has given him. I'm glad we had the treat of being there.

Here are a few pics from the concert and afterward and a link to some more photos of the evening. Enjoy!

I think the guys were talking about the fact that Terry's the only one with short hair. You can't see Rand's, but it's down close to his waist. Mine used to be the longest, now they all beat me out. Interesting, huh? Yeah, I guess even though they're all very responsible citizens and work full time "regular" jobs, they're just still a bunch of hippies at heart...and I love that about them. It's so amazing to be with people who are comfortable with who God created them to be and don't try to put on masks or pretend they're something else. I love the way we can accept each other just the way we are and can laugh together in the good times and cry together in the hard times. What a GIFT God has given us. It's priceless and I hope we never forget how special it is!!!! Thank you God for the gift of friends. They give us a glimpse into your perfect love for each of us.