Playing catch-up once again

Summer's busyness really cramped my blogging style. I'm back on for a bit to give you a little peek into the last few weeks.

Our St Johns trek up Cliff Drive...

there was a great view from the top, and good convo the whole hike.

Fast forward a couple weeks. Fourth of July weekend was good times- went wakeboarding and camping. One night of camping might not sound worth it to some, but it was perfect. We only brought essentials, and hardly needed our tent. After swimming and chillin' (it was 11 girls and 3 guys), we slept under the stars.

Sara working hard, chopping wood. We got caught by the park ranger shortly after, but not before our efforts yielded some firewood.

Amy, Hannah, and Kayla relaxing.

Since the Fourth, work has picked up. Here's a $200 casket spray I did. It was actually hard to find enough flowers and design with that much money! Fun though :) Tomorrow I get to make a $300 one.

In other news, there isn't any news yet. Joce (and the rest of us) is impatiently waiting for her little one to arrive. I moved from the country to their house in town to help with Viv when he does make an appearance. Also, Nat and the kids are officially in MN and took over the basement at Grandma and Grandpa's, where my bedroom happened to be. It is fun to finally have them around!

I did another wedding on my own, one I had agreed to before I got my flower shop job. Stay tuned for pictures, although Jen will probably beat me to it :)

Mellow Last Weekend

I'm feeling sad that I will be leaving this warm, sunny oasis in 2 days. It's been a great experience! While An was home this past weekend, we did a few things, and lazed around a lot too. On Saturday, we had lunch with the RuthLes couple from Zion and their nephew Jason. The food was delicious, and a good time was had by all. Saturday night, we roamed around Old Town, stopping for gelato, Starbucks, good music and pictures by statues. The next day, we headed back downtown for weekly music in the park. It felt like a hot summer day in MN, the kind you spend relaxing with your small community.

Once again, we roamed the streets (and had Starbucks). An decided this is what she wants in her house. She figured it would last a year, year and a half.

The Sugar Bowl. Scottsdales famous little restaurant/ice cream parlor that has been featured in the comic Family Circus.

Instead of the busy weekend full of exciting things I'd hoped for, I got a mellow one instead. However, it was a good way to enjoy my last weekend of sun and fun in Arizona.

Ways to Save at Hotels & other things I've learned

• Book early, and through the hotel directly. Our prices have almost doubled for the busy season from when I started in Nov. You might get a better deal through Expedia/Hotels.com if booking closer to your check-in date, but it is also harder to cancel, add days, etc.
• Ask for a better rate when booking on the phone. We can give a 5% discount if we want, and we don't check for AAA cards.
• Make the reservation for one adult. Our price goes up $5 for each additional adult. Some hotels might be picky, but we aren't. We can't keep track of everyone in all the rooms.
• BE NICE. You are more likely to get what you want, like a 5% discount. I don't like to give things to rude guests.
• If you don't care about housekeeping, look for a hotel without the daily service. The rate should hopefully reflect the savings. And you can probably get clean towels, sheets, etc for free from the desk at anytime. You could probably also borrow a vacuum.
• Ask for freebies. We have shampoo, soap, laundry soap, fabric softener, coffee, deodorant, razors and shaving cream, dishwashing liquid, and matches.
• Ask for coupons for nearby restaurants, ideas for things to do and places to see. People in the area give me these things frequently, and guests rarely ask for them.

I've learned so much during my front desk stint, just thought I'd share some of it with you. And I couldn't get spaces between bullets without using another bullet.

AZ on the Rocks and #9

I want to talk about #9 first because it's pretty exciting. B & C had their second child (my parents ninth grandchild) this afternoon, and named him Cutler Brett. He was 8 lbs 9 oz, and 19 inches. I don't know any other details, but I'm pumped to have another nephew!!

An and I went indoor rock climbing (with half-off coupons from REI!) on Sunday morning. It's like the climbing wall at Dick's Sporting Goods or REI on steroids.

An, hooking herself up to the rope. While she climbed, I stood on the ground and belayed for her, then she did the same for me. The person who belays is pretty important, as they're the one who prevents the climber from falling.


The room was full of ropes and different paths to the top, each marked with a different color tape. It was a challenge to stay on one color, without using any handholds of a different color.

It was a lot of fun, and we climbed until our fingers could no longer grip. We both want to go back and try more courses. They also had a bouldering wall, which is essentially the same thing as climbing, but without a harness and rope. The wall was a lot shorter, and there were pads on the floor in case you fell or wanted to jump down.

Afterward we ate brunch. I snapped this picture of An playing with a syrup drip.

It was another good Sunday. Definitely made up for my earlier bad day :)

City stuff

We got to go to church again (!) at Elaine's. Richard E came down, and a total of 20 adults attended this time. It was really nice. Elaine even let me pick oranges and grapefruit from her trees :)

Afterward, we went bowling, then out for pizza. It was the best kind of 'za, New York-style. Sarah's boyfriend Tom (who is visiting from MI) paid for all of us, which made it even more delicious ;)

An Bun getting a strike.

There's Tom, and Sarah.

And An and I, having a grand time.

It was the perfect Sunday.

Double-decker

When Pokes was here, we went to my first double-decker driving range. It was so neat! We hit off of the top level, and my hits looked way better than they really were. :)

Pokes crushing a ball.

Me, trying to crush a ball.

I learned that I can hit a golf ball over 150 feet :)

World's 2nd Largest

Fountain, that is.

It's 330 feet high, but when all three pumps are going, it gets up to 530 feet. It is located in Fountain Hills, which is about ten miles east of us. We went for a nice Sunday stroll around the lake.

Today, it rained, and then was 65 degrees afterward!!! The coolest it's been since I came down here. This week is supposed to be "cool", or in the mid-eighties.

Happy, happy

We celebrated Kayla (Sept 29) and Anneli's (Sept 9) birthdays last weekend when Anneli was home. She works on hiking trails, and is gone for 11 days at a time.

Oh, did I mention that Kayla and Sara got into town last Friday? Now we have six girls here. Three don't have jobs though, so they hang out all day livin' the life :)

On Sunday, after a very fun visit/lunch/Scrabble game/song services with Elaine S. who lives in Sun City, we went up South Mountain for the sunset.


This week, I've been settling into my new job. We've been pretty slow so far, so I've had time to learn the ins and outs of receiving wire orders (teleflora, ftd, bloomnet) and making them for delivery.

My style is slightly different from the shop owner's. It's been a might frustrating to adjust to her way. I think she is losing money because she puts too many flowers into the arrangements. I didn't think I would ever complain about that (usually it's the opposite), but the beauty of them is lost when they are smushed together with hardly any greens.

Last night, we went to a volleyball game at this high school. Coincidentally, it is where uncle Aaron (Coralie's dad) graduated from. The Firebirds lost in 4 good matches, but I had a blast watching!!!


Go Firebirds! Only in Arizona would they have a weird mascot like that ;)

Tonight we're headed to Applebees to use a gift card we got from our girls back home as a going away gift. Whoop for half-price appetizers after 9!

Twins at Target Field

Kayla and I got tickets way back in March, and our game day had finally arrived. It seemed like it would be a good game, since the Twins had won the previous two versus the White Sox. Unfortunately, it was a blowout in the wrong direction. The number of hits says it all; Sox 20, Twins 5 (or something like that). We couldn't hardly get a runner to first, and the final score ended up 11-0.

Luckily, just being at the awesome new field was almost exciting enough to cover for the Twins poor playing.

My first glimpse of the field after gettting off the bus (where we traveled with a group of guys we knew, and Darrel B)...

Kayla and I all decked out in Twins gear.

The field with the city skyline behind it.
I decided my next job should be a hose-holder. Easy!

My favorite part of the game was sitting near the organ player, and watching her. She never had to look at her fingers, just watched the game while getting the crowd all riled up. I like the fact that the new field still has an organ. It puts an old-time feel in the atmosphere.

I'm all kinds of excited to go to another game. It probably won't be until next season, but I'm so glad I got to see it at least once during this one.

Summer stuff

staying up 'til 5 am after a trip to the
stone arch bridge
sleeping in 'til ... whenever you wake up
stepping outside into a
sauna
sand volleyball
swimsuits that are constantly wet
smiles and laughter, everyone is cheerful
sunscreen on a
slippery little girl with humidity-made curls
small town celebrations
smell of fresh-cut grass

Celebrating early

Since his parents don't let him stay up late enough for fireworks, they got him some Pop-Its. I remember loving these as a kid, and he sure did too.

He had the drop, throw, and stomp (on the ones that didn't pop right away) method down pat.

Last night was fireworks to music in Plymouth. I have to admit, they were pretty darn good. Almost as good as my hometown ones, and maybe tied to the ones up north on the 4th.

A large crew met up and watched them together from our usual spot on the hill.

The kid in me wanted these super cheap fun bracelets, and I indulged her. There were 15 in the package, and no one turned one down :)

Having a little fun with night photos.

CC 2010

Jill and girls hosted a going-away supper for Jonas from Sweden. Everyone was energetic, and we had lots of fun.

Later in the evening, we sang songs. For some reason, we don't do that very often with this group, and it was awesome. Made me remember how blessed I am to have all these friends in faith.

Keeping busy.

A few weeks ago, we made a short trip up to M to admire Baby Anton, chill with these girls, and attend some relatives grad parties.
Watching guys softball. I bet the other teams are jealous of how many female fans our team always has ;) Just a few of them...

Downtown Wayzata for ice cream with Cor and Kayla.

We sat facing the lake and talked and talked. Then got up to take some pictures by the tree. Had to document what a fun night it was!

Celebrating with Steph; she turned 22 and graduated from massage school! We had a girls party for her at my parents, and it felt so comfortable to sit and chat with all these ladies.

Just a few more weeks until July. Already?!

Sleepless in the cities

I'm running on an average of 5 hours a night for the past few. And not because I can't sleep (had problems with that previously), but because I have no time to. That's what it feels like anyway. Work, work, fun, fun, fun... so is the life of a young woman I guess. I live on coffee, and power naps. And fun energizes me too.

Mark is leaving for WY this week, and the only good thing about him being gone is that I'll get more sleep. I'm hoping, anyway.

This weekend, we rode his motorcycle for the last time, sadly. He sold it a few hours later to have some cash for his summer away. It was the perfect day for a ride, and I could have stayed on much longer.

The rest of the weekend was spent doing flowers for a wedding, attending the wedding, watching Viv dig in to her birthday cupcake, having coffee with Mom and Dad, and playing volleyball.

All pumped up! but a little hurt too

Our last league volleyball game was tonight. I was debating about going, because on Saturday night at kyds, I sprained (I think) my foot playing a "fun game". However, Rita texted me this afternoon saying we only had 4 players. Whoops, there went my decision. If I didn't show up, they would probably have to forfeit. Since it was the last game, I decided I could play through the pain.

After limping all day, I put on an ace bandage and popped 2 ibuprofen, then shoved my feet into shoes and went to the gym. We were playing a team of 6 girls with a 4-somehighnumber record. This meant we (Rita H, Amanda H, and Jen P) would have to be all over the court. It started out decent, and stayed that way throughout the game- we won by 6 or so. The second game was a little harder, they were shoving deep and tipping short. We lost 22-25, and my foot was throbbing. I felt like in books when people have lines of pain on their faces, and it was hard to hide my limping. By the middle of the third game, my foot was numb, and I could concentrate on playing. We wasted the other team 25-12.

It was hard to hide our big grins as we shook hands. What seemed daunting ended as a hard fought victory. Those are the best kind, and it was the perfect way to end the season! My mouth is smiling, but my poor foot is crying. It deserves a nice rest before softball on Wednesday, and that's what it will get.

Ugh, cars

Yesterday, I awoke from a nap all fuzzy-minded and cranky. After a trip around the grocery store (trying desperately to think of food I needed), I came out to find my car dead. Blah. Even more cranky. Cor came and jumped me, and with a little help from a stranger, we got it started. On the way home, however, my car died at a stop sign. Luckily, by this time, my brain was clearing, so I hopped out, ran across the street to the auto place (I just happened to be next to one), and got a push to the side of the road. That same nice man checked things under my hood and determined that I needed a new alternator. Oh, great.

Cor picked me up, we went and played softball, came back, and jumped my car once again. I had enough juice to get home, with no lights or radio on. Who do you think I called? Well, Daddy of course. And then Mike. The brother-in-law from previous posts who has fixed every car problem in the S family since he started dating my sister. He had time, and if I found the part, he could come in and install it. Woohoo!

It's times like this when you realize how much you need friends and family.

Back.

Back to school, work, normal routine, after a week and a half break.

I now have wedding class. Making bouquets in school has been easy thus far, and it's always nice to get more practice in. I'm pretty sure I'll learn some new techniques eventually, just gotta go over the basics first.

Last Sunday, a bunch of people hung out at the guys house on the lake. Check out Cor's pics on facebook... It was great to be outside! Some of the guys put on a show for us by driving their snowmobiles over the open water, and then one sunk, so we watched the pull-out too. I took my boots for a trek out on the ice chunks. Jump, jump, sploosh. Wet to my thighs. Luckily, I had established before going out that there would be dry duds for me to change into. Good times.

I'm gearing up for SLW. It always feels like there are a million things to do, and to get. But when we put all our things together, it makes for a creative, stimulating, enthusiastic, delicious weekend.

A day out

I came around to the fact that spring is here, and now I'm excited about it! I've been rockin' my mud boots (more about them in a post yet to come), and my coat that is newish from last year :)
Kayla, Cor and I headed out one day last week to the Institute of Arts. I love that everytime I go there I see something new. The purpose of our trip was to look at the painting I chose for Art In Bloom. Art in Bloom is a show held at the Institute every year where florists choose a painting and make a fresh arrangement to go with it. I went to see it last year, and it was amazing! I decided to participate this year, and picked this Van Gogh painting...

I haven't decided exactly what I'm using yet, but probably some curly willow to emulate the trees. Lynda suggested mums because they have a similar look to the brush strokes, and I like her idea. We'll see how it turns out. The show is at the end of April. I get one free valet parking pass during that weekend, so if anyone wants to come, look me up!

After the art museum, we drove around looking for fun. We found some in just hanging out together, and then at Solos for dinner. It was a great day out!

Things I'm looking forward to

1. Spring Break; all 12 days of it!
2. Volleyball on Monday and the next Monday
3. Design shows; there are two coming up
4. SLW; spa and style themed this year, and close to home
5. NC in April with the fam

I'm feeling a little bored and blue, just needed a reminder of some excitement.

Finished

my taxes. They were really stressing me out, because I didn't know how to do my business taxes. However, they are now all done, so I can relax.

And think about fun stuff. Like Valentine's day. I sent out a whole bunch in the mail today: I wish I could be there to see the smile on the faces of the recipients (especially the little ones). Just a few more to make...