Old Soul

There has always been something about Timothy... He has always seemed to have an "old soul". He has wisdom in his eyes and once he starts really talking I think he is going to tell the secrets of the universe.

The other day I thought I'd see if the suit coat fit him yet. He is almost to big for it now, but he sure did look handsome. I sure do love this kid!

Family Photos

My sister Katelynn is such a talented photographer. We are working on building a business together and she is great to work with. I asked if she would do our family pictures and I had the perfect place to go for them. I love this location and can't wait to go back. We left a little late and the sun went down super fast. I love the effects the sun setting on the mountains created...

Here are the pics... enjoy.

Garden and Yard Progress

Part of our new home adventure is making our own backyard oasis. When we moved in we had a blank slate. There are some pros and cons to this. We can do whatever we want, but we also have to start from scratch... we need sprinklers, grass, borders, plants....the works. I have big dreams for this but David always has to reign me back in and remind me that this stuff takes time, and money... both of which we are always short on. Here is what we've done so far:

Our friends down the street just put sod in their yard and had some left over. They offered what was left over to us... and we took it. It isn't much, but it sure beats the dirt. It is nice to see a little green out the window. We still have to put sprinklers in but hey, free is free...

The garden is Timothy's favorite part of the yard. He LOVES the rocks. He could play in the rocks all day long. He also likes to toss all the rocks into my garden soil. I guess it doesn't hurt much... but sometimes it sure is annoying telling him for the 100th time to keep the rocks out of my garden.

I have planted lettuce, tomatoes, peas, peppers, herbs, and broccoli. I am finding that during the winter the garden isn't getting much sun. This will be the perfect situation for summer time, but right now things are struggling without enough sunlight. I am planning another garden area on the other side of the house to plant in the winter that will get more sun. I guess part of gardening is trial and error...

This is a full view of the garden. I got to "design" the structure and David built it for me. He did a great job making this a reality. Eventually it will be covered in grape vines. They grow great in Arizona and are absolutely beautiful. I love gardening and can't wait for harvest time.

The Dark Side

Our neighborhood is the most wonderful place ever. We spend evenings watching kids play in the front yard with friends and haven't had a single drive by shooting. What more could anyone ask for? I mean, really... we love this place. Timothy, however, found the darker side to our neighborhood. It walks like a duck, quacks like a duck... so yes... it must be a duck.

After picking up Alexis from school we often walk around the pond to feed the ducks. These are the best cared for ducks around. They get fed all day long and then just relax in the shade. It was when they were relaxing that Timothy decided he needed to feed the ducks, and they wanted nothing to do with it. I think they were grumpy from being awoken from napping. Timothy continued to insist that they eat. He began following them around with a piece of bread telling them, "Eat ducky, EAT!"

The ducks had enough. They turned on Timothy and started hissing and biting at his heels. Literally biting him. Luckily he had long pants on so there was no harm, physical at least. He was crying hysterically and the duck chased him long and hard. Very adamant for a duck. Now every time we pass the pond, Timothy says, "Duck bite me!" Apparently our neighborhood isn't as friendly as we thought. I knew this place was too good to be true! :)

Updated Pics of Kids

Rather than post twice... because it takes so long... Here is the link to recent pics I took of he kids.

Enjoy!

www.emmysuephotography.blogspot.com

Unofficial callings and stuff...

Since moving into our "new" home we also got a new ward. I don't have a huge calling, but have seemed to have gotten an unofficial calling. Most people have no idea who I am or even know that I exist in the ward.... until... they need a substitute. Almost every week since being in the ward I have substituted one class or another. I guess that is what I get for not being able to say that tiny word... "NO". I have a hard time saying it because in our last ward I was a sunbeam teacher and whenever I needed some help with my class... everyone else was very familiar with the two letter word of no. Since then I said if I was ever asked, I would help if I could. Funny how the opportunity has presented itself so often. I guess the Lord takes note when we make commitments like that.

In other notes... Alexis stayed home from school a few days last week. She woke up Wed. morning with a rash all over her body. The Dr. said it was viral and she would probably get sick in the next 24 hours. Three days later she had no other symptoms the Dr. predicted and the rash was gone. I have a feeling she is allergic to something... now the mystery is what. What is she allergic to? Blah... the joy of having "sick" kids.

We also got a kind gift from a generous friend. Our friends the Clonts' just put a lawn in their backyard. They had 200sq ft of sod left over and let us have it. We now have a partial lawn in the backyard, but it sure beats the dirt and rocks. At least I think so. Timothy on the other hand still likes to dig holes and throw rocks in the rest of the yard. Typical little boy. But funny little boy.

My other doings include more painting and more painting. My goal is to have the house done by Christmas. We'll see how that pans out. Timothy likes to help when it comes to painting so I have to do as much as possible when he is napping or turn on Diego. That is his favorite show anymore. He could watch Diego all day long. And if he isn't watching Diego, he is pretending to be Diego. He is always trying to rescue the animals in trouble (stuffed animals). He even sometimes insists he be called by the name Diego. He cracks me up. I guess it is better than the annoying Caillou. I can't stand that kid. To be honest... I don't let the kids watch PBS anymore. It has become so different than the ABC's and educational stuff from when we were little... that and I can't stand Caillou. :)

David continues to work as hard as ever. He really enjoys his job at the hospital. It's crazy to think he has been there a year and a half already. He is also now training for the pediatric intensive care pharmacy. He is really good at what he does and for that I am grateful. He is so smart and a wonderful husband and dad. How lucky am I!

I hope to update with photos of Halloween. That was a weekend of parties that we are still recovering from. Time keeps on rolling....

My Little Orville

A while back I found a bow tie and couldn't help but put it on Timothy. When I showed cousin Wendi she commented he looks like the little Orville popcorn guy. I totally agree. This picture just cracks me up because it just shows his funny little personality.
And then of course... Alexis had to get into the action. She loves to pose for the camera... but she doesn't know how to just smile and look cute... she has to be a ham and jump all over the place and make funny faces. She is one spunky child.
And then there is the telling picture of both kids ready for church. Alexis wants to drag Timothy around the house and his face says it all. They get along okay... some days... but I guess they are the typical siblings. They have their moments where you think, "They are such good friends and play so well." and then in the same moment they are throwing things at each other.
I must say they are a blessing in my life though, and teach me so much every day.

I love my little munchkins... what more is there to say?

Lonely

Do you ever feel lonely? Most nights I put the kids to bed by myself, eat dinner with the kids (sans David), go to bed alone, and well... most my days it is me and the kids. Don't get me wrong... I love my kids and the time I get to spend with them... but sometimes it is lonely. I dream for the day when David has a real schedule that allows "us" time again. I miss the time of just sitting next to each other after the kids are in bed. Both exhausted... but at least exhausted together. Someday... maybe.
I am so behind on so many things that it is overwhelming. I have so much to "document" on here... like Alexis first day of school, our epic summer vacation, our garden project, and so much more. When I get so far behind on things I avoid them. I guess that is why I haven't posted for awhile. Not to mention that all my pictures are on an external hard drive, that isn't attached to this computer, because our laptop died. When it rains, it pours around here... I swear... I think that everything hits the fan at once, and financially it is no bueno.
On the bright side, it is cooling down. Today's high was only 95 and tomorrow is going to be a cool 100. I keep pretending it is nice out now that is is the end of September, only to be reminded the second I open the door and am hit with the lovely desert air. The trees here don't change colors. They go from green to brown leaves on the ground overnight. No transition. I miss the colors.
The phrase "grow where you're planted" keeps coming to mind. I guess it is time to figure things out and make the best of them... even if it means getting lonely and living in the desert.

Sponge

Alexis is a SUPER sponge. In a few weeks we are going to DC, (more on that later) and David printed a map of where we were going. He was showing Alexis where the president lives, the Washington Monument and other buildings. He pointed to the map and said, "This is where the Arizona Congressman John McCain works". To which Alexis responded, "I'm John McCain, and I approve this message." I guess she picks up on every little thing... and I guess it doesn't help that it is political season, so many of the ads are political.
What a funny kid.
"I'm Emmy and I approve this post."
:)

Before I forget

My SIL and I have this thing we do in stores if we get separated in a store. One of us will yell "Marco" and the other responds with "Polo" until we meet up again. It is a fun way to find someone. A few weeks ago when we were at Lagoon (a theme park in SLC) Kathy (SIL) taught Timothy how to yell Marco. He would then yell Marco and Kathy would respond with Polo. It was the funniest thing to see... EVER.
Now this leads me to this morning. I had to be up and ready early for the A/C service man to show up. Normally Timothy comes to the bed to get me up. When he went to my room and didn't find me, apparently he thought about his new trick to find me. I hear Timothy upstairs yelling "Marco". I was downstairs and responded "Polo". He continued yelling "Marco" all the way downstairs until he saw me. It was HILARIOUS! Great moments.
Check out the video of Timothy HERE.

Dizzy

So much has been going on that it makes me dizzy. We finally have moved all our stuff into our new house... but it is still a huge task trying to unpack. I just look at the piles and become overwhelmed. I opened a few boxes only to replace the lid and proclaim... "later". It was one of those "memory" boxes full of junk you thought you'd really want to hang on to. Just a quick glance made me think, "why did I keep this junk?" I've already made two trips to the thrift store. I foresee more trips.
You know you have too much junk when you have to make two trips with the moving truck... and that was just the "big" stuff. I had already moved all the boxes to the house. How is it that stuff seems to multiply. My huge kitchen is completely full. How did that happen? So my solution? Anything I don't use in the next 6 months is going. I am excited to simplify.

My family came into town last week and my sisters have stayed the week. They have been helpful, and gotten lots of painting done. The kitchen, laundry room and downstairs bathroom are all finished and look great. Now I can start hanging things on the walls.

So much more has happened, but I have to write about those later. Let's just say every home has its hidden "treasures". Until then... I'm off to do dishes.

Zombies

Yesterday I think we all hit the proverbial brick wall. For the last two weeks we've been living in two worlds... the apartment world and the house world. I've decided that I like the move in one day deal better that move a little at a time. By 5pm yesterday the kids and I were DONE. Poor little Timothy just wanted to be held and Alexis was falling apart at the emotional seams. I tossed the kids in the car (gently of course) and before we even made it to the end of the street they were both asleep. They slept until 7:30, then ate a bit and went back to sleep, and then slept in this morning. This never happens so they must be tired. I don't blame them, as I am exhausted too. Only one week left though. Blah... Just thinking about it makes me tired. It will be nice to stay over night at the house and get the kids to bed at a decent hour.
I am also very lucky to have a great and super skilled husband. He is a modern day renaissance man. He can do anything/ everything. Right now he is tiling the laundry room before appliances arrive. I don't know many people who can tile, fix cars, sew, cook, and "deal drugs"... I mean... how lucky am I? He works so hard for us and we really appreciate it.
Here's to the countdown...

More work, less play

The last week has been LONG! I have been running non-stop and dragging the kids along for the roller coaster. Moving is now fun, so today I took the kids to the park for a little R&R... But it was super hot. We had our own little lunch packed but the kids only wanted their juice before they went to play. Timothy was playing in the shade and decided to take his shoes off. It didn't occur to him that the sand in the sun was HOT. When he found out that the sand was hot he just stood there and screamed. He didn't think to run back to the shaded and cooler sand. I ran to rescue him as fast as I could... but his little toes still got toasty. Not to self... no easy to remove sandals for Timothy for awhile.
After the park we walked to our new mailbox and picked up our mail. We had to have our box re-keyed ($$$) so we were finally able to get out our mail. Alexis rode her bike the whole way and was very proud of her increasing skills (until she encounters a hill/slope and screams dramatically).
Other than that, our adventures have included a 5.3 earthquake in Yuma. We were all outside eating breakfast when we felt it. Yuma has had LOTS or earthquakes lately, but this was the first we were there to experience. We spent some fun time with April and Kyle who were visiting from Kansas. David really enjoyed the desert shooting. He has been dieing to go use his shotgun.
Now we are back to the painting and cleaning. I scrubbed lots of tile tonight and am feeling it in my arms and back. Timothy wanted to help paint, by bringing the broom over and attempting to dip it in the paint bucket... but luckily we avoided that... whew!
All is well... and we are plugging onward...

Bliss

Who knew you could have so much joy scrubbing floors? I am deep cleaning the new house and loving every minute of it, AND it is great exercise. The kids and I ventured out in search of sand to put in their sandbox. They LOVED playing outside in their sandbox and the whole backyard was shaded by 3pm! There is lots to be done but I am happy to do it. It is amazing how much more you appreciate something after not having it. I pray that I never let that appreciation dwindle. We are very blessed indeed.

Side note:
Dear Home Depot. How I have missed you, but we will be best friends for awhile. Just play nice with the wallet. Thanks. That is it.

Validation

Yesterday was a day of ups and downs. I would have loved to sleep in, but that didn't happen. I would have loved breakfast in bed, but that didn't happen. We did make it to church on time though. Alexis was so happy and she sang two songs with the Primary for Mother's Day. When she came down she exclaimed, "Mom, I didn't dance... I was good!" Funny kid. She also said that for mother's day that I could give her all the spankings I wanted. I guess she thinks that is what brings me joy. She spent the day behaving well and making sure to say she loved me.
Church was exhausting as usual, with the Sunbeams being more ornery than usual. Only a few more weeks left until we change wards though.
When I got home David told me to check my email. I found a lovely card from David with a note to plug the jump drive into the computer. David purchased a program for me called, "Presetopia". It is a bunch of preset actions that load into Photoshop. I am SO excited to use it. I've been looking at it for about a year now. Most of my photography experience was in the dark room so I am not super savvy on Photoshop (the digital darkroom) yet. These presets were created by a professional photographer and will take lots of time out of my photo editing time.
After the kids went to bed, David went to the laptop to start uploading the program. I warned him the laptop was acting up, and he shrugged it off as "user error". I've been super frustrated with this whole situation. Last night, my frustrations were validated. I thought for sure that David had thrown the computer across the room when a heard lots of angry words followed by a large bang. After hours of the computer puking and freezing David realized it wasn't just "user error." His final verdict is that the computer is over heating. I'm not sure... but we'll see if we can keep it cooler. All in all it was a good day and it is always good to be validated.

Tid Bits

4.14.10

Timothy was standing a wee bit too close to the table when he sneezed. I think he may have a black eye now. Poor kid sneezed and slammed his head into the table. Lesson learned? We'll see.

4.29.10

Alexis asked if she could have 100 brothers and sisters. How do I kindly say heck NO! We said when she grew up she could have her own 100 kids.

5.3.10

I am sitting here alone, with the kids down for the night, when I hear the car alarm going off. First thought... Did I forget to close the garage and now my car is being stolen? Run to get keys only to catch Timothy with fingers on the red button and big eyes looking at me as if saying, "it wasn't me!" GO TO BED!

Boxes it is!

So the boxes won. David has even packed a box. The more boxes I pack, the more I realize just how much junk we have. I am at the point where I'd rather just toss it and be done...but not all of it is my stuff, so I can't make that call.
It looks like we are starting to make a dent. This is the "ready to go" pile. It is a super tall stack, so I hope we don't have any earthquakes or anything or it is all going to tumble over. Notice the box labeled "Games". Today Alexis asked if we could play the "Lady Bug Game" and I showed her the box. She was so sad to have it packed up, so we made a compromise... Calliou on the computer. I can't stand Calliou (most mom's would agree) but I felt bad that her favorite game was packed up.
My next room to work on? See disaster above. All the toys seem to end up on the floor. Timothy was trying to reach the puzzles this morning and they all fell to the floor and now I have mis-matched puzzle pieces everywhere. I guess I know what we'll be doing this afternoon.

Finally... A random picture I found of a recent project. Alexis has lots of fun hair clips so I saw this cute idea on how to store them. You take a picture frame and remove the glass and backing. Then you attach ribbon across the frame and clip the hair clips to it. Now if only Alexis would put them back after she takes them out of her hair. One step at a time.

Another beautiful day in Paradise.

Boxes

To box or not to box... that is the question. With three weeks until we get the keys, I guess I had better start packing things up. My only dilemma is that it is just across town... so do we really need to box everything up only to have to unpack? David claims boxes fit better in a truck, and I guess he is right, but it is so much work.
We have been collecting boxes and we have stacks of them to fill, but they are all super small boxes. The kids toss them all over the house and use them for boats, castles, or whatever they see fit. Not only do I have a messy house to pack, but now boxes are everywhere. I also have to pack in "secret" because when the kids see things going into a box they are suddenly interested in it and yank it out of the box to play with.
I have also been getting rid of things as I pack. I donated five bags of stuff last week and I had to sneak that out to the car so Alexis didn't throw a fit. When we dropped off the bags she saw some of her toys through the plastic and I was caught. I then had to explain that we were going to give other little boys and girls some of her toys because she has plenty to play with at home. That seemed to do the trick, but she still has a hard time parting with things. I guess we all do though.
Alexis LOVES to cut up paper and make cards and pictures and feels we need to keep ALL of them. It has become so bad that I've had to create a secret trash can that she can't see into. I've tried in the past to throw away papers and she will see them in the trash and be devastated. My solution was a trash can on top of the dryer that she doesn't know about. We still have little pieces of paper all over but I am slowly making a dent.
I guess I better go pack a few more boxes. I keep putting off the inevitable... but I have to do it. But at least now I don't have to worry about cleaning the apartment before we move. I was informed that I have to present proof that it was professionally cleaned and carpet cleaned. Nice... more money out the window. Oh well... moving on, and forward.

House high hopes

Yesterday we had our home inspection. With how things work in the real estate world, I am a little leery of saying that getting the house is official. Our agent assured us that if the inspection went well that we could make plans. So... we are making plans. The inspection went well. There are only a few minor things that need to be fixed. What a relief. After the inspection we drove around the community a bit.
Above is a picture of the pool that is within walking distance of the house. It was cold outside so the pool was empty... and I'm hoping that it doesn't get to crowded. The picture below is of the fishing pier at one of the ponds. It is so picturesque isn't it? There were kids playing at the park, the ducks hanging out in the shade and it was just a great day.
Here is a picture of the back of the house. Re-visiting the house reminded me that the yard is going to be the perfect size. I plan on having a raised garden bordering the yard. Alexis plans of having a "play ground" as she calls it. She wants a swing set fort. Maybe that will be the kids Christmas this year.
Here is the kitchen. I LOVE this set up, especially the island. I've always had the kids who want to help in the kitchen with cookies or other things. I've always had the issue of being too close to the stove or not having the counter space for both of them to help. The island fixes that. Now they can sit on one end and help stir, measure, and make a mess. I'm also excited about 10 pull out drawers! YEAH! A place to put things and no more storing everything on the counter.
This is a view of the family room from the kitchen/dining area. Where there is currently carpet we plan on continuing the tile. I can already see food migrating onto the carpet, so might as well put in tile with an area rug. The nice thing is that they are still building on our street so we can go to the builder to match tile.
Here is the front of the house. I love the front porch. I can't wait to plant flowers and do landscaping. I know it is on the bottom of David's list... but I love to dig in the dirt and watch flowers bloom. After our Tucson house I also wanted a porch so when people are at the front door in rain they are not being drenched. I also wanted to be able to see the street from the house. Interesting the things we prefer after not having them. Things that don't seem important are. I like knowing what is going on in front of my house... and who is out there.
Here is a picture of the front formal living/dining area. The lighting is awesome isn't it? Painting these rooms is going to be lots of fun. I guess that is what ladders are for. The stairs are on the left of the room.
I guess you could say I am excited about the house, painting, cleaning, and finally settling in. In all our previous houses we've had plans to sell and move within a few years. With this house... we plan on staying awhile and don't have plans to move any time soon. This is a feeling I've not had before and I like the thought of unpacking boxes and planting some roots. So now comes the colors... Hmmm... so many options and possibilities... Fun Fun Fun!

Easter 2010

So I realize that I have a TON of pictures to post and they are all stuck on the laptop. This is super annoying and my expensive paperweight is on my last nerve. Nonetheless we did celebrate Easter this year. Thanks to David's sister we were able to have an egg hunt at her house. They have an actual yard so we didn't have to try and hide eggs around the apartment. I have a feeling that we'd loose half of them with how quickly the apartment becomes a mess.
Alexis, Timothy and their cousin had a good time hunting for eggs and we found all of them. The last one was a group effort. Luckily they counted ahead of time how many eggs were hidden. Funny how easy it is to lose something you hid 10 minutes prior. All the kids were spoiled with goodies and treats. After the hunt we all sat around and dyed eggs. I think I made a bigger mess than both kids combined. We emphasised that we needed to be careful with the dye and every time I went to dye another egg I was also in search of a paper towel to clean up my mess.David's mom was also able to join us and it was a nice time. We enjoyed the beautiful weather and even greater sunset. (Oh yeah, it was an evening egg hunt.)As we decorated a plane was flying over with a message. We had never seen anything like it before. There was a LED scrolling message across the bottom of the plane. It was crazy. Just a random part of the evening.
Easter morning the kids were each treated to an Easter basket of treats. They were so excited and it gave them something to do during conference. Timothy got a collection of the cars from the movie Cars, and Alexis got the collection of fairies from Tinker Bell. Each of them have their favorites. Peeps are also a family favorite so they got those as well. In fact a few weeks prior to Easter we found some glowing Peep bouncy balls in the mall. They were in those arcade claw machines. David's dad has a collection of Peep stuff so we just had to add to his collection. We thought... we've got 50 cents... what would it hurt to try. Not only did we get a ball out on the first try, but when we tried our luck another two times, we got two more! So each of the kids got one as well as David's dad. Random... I know.Easter took place on Conference this year. Alexis did pretty good at listening and behaving. Second session on Sunday I started nodding off. Alexis kept watching me and saying, "Mom, don't fall asleep!" I did good until she brought her blanket over and snuggled on my lap and fell asleep herself. Once my "enforcer" fell asleep I was out too.To end the day we went to dinner at David's parents house. On the way over Katelynn called (she was visiting in Yuma) and said they just had a huge earthquake. They did in fact have a big earthquake (7.2 to be exact) but everyone was okay. They were all pretty rattled, figuratively and literally. They had no visible damage to the house but nearby areas did have some damage.

It was an eventful day and we are just grateful that everyone was okay. Also grateful for a Savior who sacrificed himself so that we can all be forgiven and return to live with Him again. What a blessing and miracle Easter is.

So Quaint!

Today I took my sister over to see the house. While there we also met our future neighbors. This place is going to be AWESOME! The neighbors have three kids ages 3, 6, and 9. She said the school is great and there are tons of kids on the street. This is exactly what I was looking for. I wanted a place that was family oriented.
I remember growing up playing with all the neighbor kids and having BBQ's with everyone around. This area has that feeling of "welcome home". There are even signs when driving through the streets that say stuff like, "have a nice day". For real? Is this place for real? My sister said it was eerily friendly. She said it must be like the movie Stepford's Wives Club. I hope she is wrong and that this really is just that nice and friendly. Everyone seems to know everyone. The neighbor started giving me the names of all the people that met at the park for play days and get together to just do things. I am so stinkin' excited!
While driving around there were people (families) out and about playing at the parks, going on walks or biking. People would wave or say hello. What a concept. And people know each other. In Tucson once people closed their garage that was it. No communication other than, "ask the neighbor if you need more details for your police report".
Wow. That is all I can say. I'll post pictures of the house next week when we go in for inspection.
Good day.

No good deed goes unpunished

Growing up my mom used to say , "No good deed goes unpunished". I never really understood this until I grew up and moved out of the house. Sometimes it feels more true than other times. Recently, someone I know has been down on their luck. Been without work for almost a year, family issues, health issues, car issues, and the list seems to go on, and on, and on. I do feel for people in such situations, but at the same time there is only so much you can do to help them with their situation. The hardest part is when you go out of your way, A LOT to help them and fail to see the effort on their part to try and change their situation. It is especially draining when they dump their problems on your lap because it is "too hard" and want you to deal with them instead. I am to the point where I am feeling sucked dry and when I see the number on my caller ID (which has become daily) I just want to hit the ignore button. I want to help, deep down I do... but at what point to you say enough is enough. Or do you? I want to help others, but when you feel so burned out it makes the desire dwindle. Is there a solution? How would you handle this? Have you had similar experiences? Help?

Blessings in Disguise

Last week we lost a bidding war on a house that we really liked. It was in the perfect area, and was in our price range. It had a reasonable HOA and great amenities. I was SUPER sad and a bit frustrated we lost the house. This week it is a different story. Yesterday I received a call from our realtor stating that the people that out bid us had their financing fall through. She asked if we still wanted the house. Of course we did! We had the next best offer so our offer was sent to the bank and today we got news our offer was accepted and we can move forward with inspection and can close as soon as we want.What a blessing! We kept our bid within a price range we felt comfortable with and still got the house without going crazy on the price. It will fit our current and future needs and we hope to live there for at least the next 5 years. How exciting to have a "permanent" address and a backyard. The yard isn't as large as we hoped but with a community pool down the street (with a huge splash pool) and a huge park around the corner, we are okay with that. Someday we hope to get some property/land, but this will fit our needs for the time being. Below are just a few pictures of the community lake/clubhouse, pool, and one of 50 parks. This place is awesome and a whole different world compared to south Tucson. I can't wait. I'll take pics of the house and post when we go in for inspection.
I guess it is true that patience pays off and I need to show a little more faith that things will work out for the best. What a blessing.