Back-to-School in my new KICKS!

It is official I started Real Estate school this week!

My first day was a rough transition,

but it has already gotten better.

My life is going to change quite a bit these next few months, but for the better!

As a special back-to-school treat Travis surprised me with some adorable Nike's that I have been eyeing! (He is the best!)

I will keep you posted on my 'back-to-school woes'

Sibling Bonding Time

This past week I was blessed with some much needed sibling bonding time!

Michelle, Shaina and I had a night out at Tempe Marketplace - so fun! (You never know who you are going to see in Tempe. We saw Johnny Knoxville; pretty weird)

Chad, Michelle and I had a great coffee date at The Coffee Shop @ Joe's Farm in Agritopia. (Probably one of my favorite local spots!) Good times.

Mr. Grandpa Growler

After 14 years of waiting for the opportunity to hunt an Arizona bull with his bow, HE DID IT!!!

On day 10 of 14, Travis finally got his bull. He had been following this particular bull for 3 days and by the sound of his 'growling bugle' Travis new he was "The One." God provided him with an amazing shot and guided his arrow to the perfect spot. Then the real work began...

After 12 hours, Travis and his dad finally had all of 'Mr. Growler' out of the woods and onto the meat processor and the taxidermist. It was a successful hunt and one to go into the record books; Growler is a 7x6-pointer and is expected to score 350+ (for all you non-hunters like me this means he is HUGE!!!!) Congrats Babe, we are proud of you.
P.S. - I renamed him "Mr. Grandpa Growler" due to his old stature... Travis liked it so it stuck (He will have a home on a Wodiske wall soon!)

Michelle and J's New House!!!

Michelle and J built a house in Seville-Gilbert and the family helped them move in at the end of August 2010! Thank goodness the weather was cooler than we expected because moving in AZ in the month of August is killer! We had a fun day filled with wonderful helpers and good times! Congrats Michelle and J - fun times ahead in su casa!!!

The BIG ARIZONA ELK Hunt

3 months of planning, plenty of time and money$$ spent and 14days of actually hunting - Travis' big hunt is upon us!! We shall see what he gets!!!

6 Days in Charleston, South Carolina!

Travis' Elk Hunt had finally arrived. He drove out to Payson to begin his 14 day hunt, while I flew out to Charleston, South Carolina to begin my 10 Day East Coast Adventure!! (Travis is a doll and surprised me with the opportunity to visit friends while he was gone - gotta love him!!!) My adventure began with a full day of flying! (8am Arizona time to 8pm South Carolina time) I forgot how much I loved airports and flying; sipping on Starbucks, people watching, short and sweet naps, People Magazine and of course getting sucked into an amazing book-Vince Flynn's Transfer of Power! Once I made it to Charleston (after my first stop in Chicago followed by another stop in Charlotte, North Carolina) I was ready for some friend reunion time! In S.C. I was visiting my girlfriend Gina Stevens, her hubby Shawn and their 4month old baby boy, Aaron!! Shawn recently moved the family to Charleston because of his Ear, Nose and Throat Residency at the Medical University of South Carolina. (They moved from Columbus, Ohio where he received his doctorate) I can now say first hand that it is beautiful in Charleston!! The town was filled with adorable southern accents, kind people, lush green scenery, darling neighborhoods and a wonderful downtown; not to mention neighboring cites are on their own separate islands! (We also visited Johns Island and Mt. Pleasant)
Due to Gina being a new mommy we took our days one by one. We ate lots of designer cupcakes from a shop called Cupcake (love it!), we ate delicious home-made fried chicken at a local kitchen called Jestine's, we walked the downtown sites and the battery as well. Everything was breathtaking; not to mention the incredible plantations and homes with the double porches! We of course spent time playing with Aaron in their quaint new house, watched great girly movies (sorry Shawn) and cooked yummy meals! My favorite part of the whole trip were the beaches on the Atlantic Ocean, OMG! It was so wonderful standing on the gorgeous beaches looking out at the Atlantic Ocean (rather than the Pacific Ocean, which was what I was brought up visiting!) I felt like I was in a Nicholas Sparks book - haha! I think the foliage surrounding the beaches (the tall grass) was so special and I feel so blessed to have shared it with Gina. (Did you know that unlike the Pacific Ocean, the sun sets over the land rather than over the ocean in the Atlantic - it was marvelous!!) Unfortunately, my time with Gina had to come to an end and there were more adventures to be had - 6 days in South Carolina with Gina were wonderful. Next stop, 4 days in Boston with Stephanie! As everyone in the south says... See you soon YA'LL!!!

The Flags were flyin in Flagstaff over Labor Day Weekend

While Travis was preparing for his big Arizona Elk hunt, I have had the opportunity to visit friends over the weekends. Over Labor Day I spent 4 glorious days in Flagstaff, AZ with Lauren Ingram! Lauren shares a beautiful home with 3 wonderful roomies in Flagstaff. (Did I mention the weather was in the 70-80s the whole weekend... HOORAY) We went to the Coconino County Fair, shopped (of course!), watched lots of movies, dined in the hot spots and played pool with some cowboys; you know the average girlie weekend of adventures!!! It was so great seeing her, God has truly blessed us by sending her to AZ with us from Kansas! Thanks for a great and memorable weekend Lauren - see you when the snow falls!