Gainfully Employed

Just as Jen was resigning to the idea of being unemployed for our entire duration in Yuma... Just when she gave up waiting for a job and started making plans.... just as we booked a 20 day vacation back to Washington.... she got a job! And not just any job, but a great job! Jen is the new Assistant Marketing Director and Commercial Sponsorhip Coordinator for Marine Corps Community Services. In this position she wears many hats, one as a manager of a graphic design team, one as an event planner, one as a sponsor coordinator for those events, and one as an advertising sales representative for all advertising on the MCAS base. Better yet Jen's new office is just three blocks away from Levi's and our hours are nearly identical! Our new routine has been to carpool to and from work, cool off in the pool while talking about our work days, grill out for dinner and head to bed early - it has become quite the domestic bliss.

Back in Action!

After 7 1/2 years of employment at the same company Jen has been officially unemployed for one year and four months, during this time she has been thouroughly entertained by various adventures. One month exploring Thailand's white beaches, clear waters and rich culture, followed by a cross country trip to the East Coast for a 6 month love affair with the city of Washington, D.C. a whirlwind and chilly seaside experience on the island of Newport, Rhode Island, yet another cross country trip to Yuma, Arizona for a solo house hunting venture, Christmas with the fam in Washington and then back to Yuma the ultimate adventure of home ownership and remodel projects.

We've been in Yuma for 7 months and while the home remodel project has been rewarding and enjoyable the project it is no longer sufficing as Jen's sole hobby. The demise of our last camera paired with Jen's growing anxiousness for variety, spawned her new plan of learning photography. Levi bought Jen her new Canon Rebel XSI DLSR for thier anniversary and her birthday. Jen has grand plans to take photography classes, and get good enough to volunteer with a local photographer, take free portraits for friends and maybe one day start shooting photos for a nominal fee using the military network to target families, deployed spouses and all of those quickie marriages. We'll see where this takes us, worst case scenario Jen will have a speedy camera and knowledge to capture great shots of our current adventures and future family.

Still without a camera

We have had a lot going on these last couple of weeks but without a camera to document it all there is little incentive to blog about it. Jen is excited about the opportunity to buy our new camera, we are taking the plunge and buying a more advanced digital SLR. Jen is planning on enrolling in a photography class to better understand the SLR and all of it's bells and wistles. After four years of dental work/braces/and a retainer Levi will see his oral surgeon for the last time be sporting a new movie star smile.

We are gearing up for a big 2 and a half week trip home. During this short time we have 5 weddings, 2 rehearsal dinners, a bridal shower and a bachelorette party. Also coming up is our three year wedding anniversary and Levi's 28th birthday.

The home improvements are coming along slow and steady. We are still working on our baseboard installation, caulking and painting, while also working on other small projects. We are in the details stage of our main living areas, still we need to hang pendant lighting over our island, hang curtains, mount our TV, and purchase/hang wall art.

Sweltering Heat

Today it is 110 degrees with 30% humidity. From what we hear the temps and humidity will continue to intensify through the end of August. We are spending our days inside and our evenings in the pool which has already reached 92 degrees. The cats are having a tough time adjusting to the high temps as well - they are avoiding the outdoors entirely and are more lethargic and sleepy than ever.

Our camera is malfunctioning so it may be a while before our current house projects are debuted here.

Summer Fun

This last week both our social and remodeling schedules kept us busy. Our friend Chris visiting Yuma on his cross-country road trip from New York to California. We attended the Raddison Wine Bar's wine tasting and tapas night with friends Nicole, Monica and Sean - This might be our new favorite event in Yuma! Levi and our friend John discovered an inexpensive 9-hole golf course behind our community and have made a weekly plan to work on their game. Levi bought a set of clubs and is awfully excited about his new hobby. Jen made an overnight trip to Phoenix to go shopping with SIL Kristen and watch baby Kendall during her second swim lesson. On the remodelling front Jen fixed our irrigation system and Levi cleared our garage making a place for our Element to be parked. It's been a delightful and productive week!

The tree is gone!

Oh how we hate this tree! Let us count the ways- 1) The tree paired with Yuma's wild wind has been ripping off our shingles on the roof. 2) Our attempt at pruning resulted in not only an unsightly chop job but also a ridiculous growth spurt of branches forcing us and all of our guests to duck before entering our home 3) During Spring the tree blossomed thousands of lime green puff balls attracting thousands of bees who took up residence in our tree for a month. 4) Half of the puff ball blossoms dropped into our yard and rock bed making it look as if we littered our yard with thousands of tiny green marshmallows. 5) The other half of the puff ball blossoms attached to the tree sprouted a pea pod type appendage which are now also falling into our yard. 6) Come winter the green leaves will also litter our yard. It's too much! The tree had to come down! When a landscaper knocked on our door offering his tree pruning services Jen arranged for the tree to come down all together and the rock in the front to be removed. To some this is a huge travesty but the tree and all of it's issues have begun to affect Jen's daily sanity - it had to come down.

We have every intention of replanting something in it's place and landscaping the rock bed with drought tollerant plants but in the mean time the house is looking a little bare. So bare in fact Levi who was drove right pass our house on his way home from work.

Renovating again!

Alright it's time to get this blog back on track! At the brink of utter home renovation burnout paired with our newly connected cable we unofficially and unplanned took a hiatus from the whole thing! Now we're back! We're starting out steady and small. Levi's first project was to add the base molding to the island in the kitchen/family room as a test run for our big house wide base molding project. What do you think of the two toned molding? We're thinking it blends well with the island butcher block - thoughts? We're totally joking. The molding came primed but the corners were just raw wood, there will be a more cohesive look to follow :)

Jen's project was a photo project she had planned for the formal living room. We have some pretty amazing photos that we have collected over the years and we've been waiting for a showcase opportunity just like this! The photo project is still in progress, we have to buy a few more frames and then choose the photos to fill them. Also the couch that is there now will be exchanged for a corner sofa. To the right of the sofa we're planning to place a side table and a large (and unidentified) canvas painting above it.