A Very Good Read

I don't pretend to be a literary critic, but it just so happens that I just finished reading a fantastic book. I love reading, and when I do read a buzz worthy book I tell everyone I know.

So the book is titled - "Day One: The Name of the Wind" it was written by a new author named Patrick Rothfuss. It is the first part of a trilogy called "The Kingkiller Chronicle." This book came out in 2007 so the next book "Day Two: The Wise Man's Fear" has yet to hit the shelves. (it is my turn to anxiously hold my breath)

The author is able to tell the story in an almost musical way. The use of each word is brilliant! He created an unlikely hero (as in the first book he lives through his teen years) that a single reader could resist. He has that boy-ish charm, he is humble, but most of all he is believable as a character. Your heart strings tug as this little boy experiences trial after difficult trial to become a man.

Kvothe is much talked about in this wonderfully created world. He has done things that most men only dream about. Of course, with this sort of reputation many of his deeds are embellished or distorted. He is in hiding, masquerading as a polite and unassuming innkeeper. Yet someone is aware of his true identity and has come to find him. Not just anyone, but a scribe....The Chronicler. He is hunting for the true story of Kvothe, the bloodless. (as he has many names) The Kingkiller Chronicles tells the tale of the life of Kvothe. Not only the obstacles, but the many loves...his music, his family, and of course a woman. Believe me, he is the type of hero that many a damsel would swoon for.

I hope you will pick up a copy, and prepare yourself for an adventure!

Tiny Athletes

I believe that I had mentioned my agreement to impersonate an officiator of junior high volleyball. So....I bet you have been holding your breath just hoping for an update. No, well one could only hope!

These girls are absolutely precious! I never played volleyball at the junior high level, and I have no basis for comparison. We are calling the home games for Solomon schools and these girls are just tiny. They are much smaller than most girls, and a lot less competitive. (as those of you who are familiar with the area are aware)


Despite all this, you still find yourself rooting (quietly of course) for these tiny athletes. They try so hard and very rarely get three hits on the ball or do any spiking. Still it is inspiring to see them play the game. Their opponents generally have position rotating, attempt to "bump, set, spike," and have the game time cheers. (just like a miniature high school team)

October 3rd is their last home game of the season. I really hope they win. So far the Solomon Cougars have yet to add a victory to their record. It has been a fun experience, but I don't think I will do it again.

Not to be underestimated!

I am lazy. I am not ashamed of it. I do, however, generally keep a pretty clean house. I don't have a problem with the dishes. (thank goodness as our temp. apartment does not have a dishwasher) On a good day I might even wash them twice. (we run out of bottles quickly) Mopping the floor is a little less easy, but I still manage to do it at least twice a week.

There are two things in this big, wonderful world that send shivers up my spine. (or i would shiver...if i wasn't so lazy) I can not for the life of me understand why, but hearing the words "sort the laundry" and "shower" cause the same reaction every time. I am sent into this comatose like state. My arms and legs become like lead, and my brain gets all fuzzy. Clearly I underestimate the lazy. To me it has really become almost a debilitating disease.

I don't want to mis-lead you. I do shower. (regularly in fact) I am not a grease monkey by any stretch of the imagination. Still, when I start to think about all the steps involved with showering.....I start to whine like a five year old. "I don't want to shower. Do you know how hard it is!" First, you have to gather all the necessary clothing items. Then, you actually have to run the water. Followed by all the shampooing, conditioning and washing. And lastly, the shaving of the legs. This is my least favorite of all, but I almost have a phobia of pokie legs! I can not handle if my sandpaper like legs rub against each other in the middle of the night! So after 30-40 minutes of complaining (about a task that won't take more than 20) I shower. This process occurs just about every night! It is a miracle that John hasn't yet clubbed me and thrown me in. (bless him)

As for the laundry. I have absolutely no problem washing. In fact, it is one of the easiest jobs that are possible. It is common knowledge that the sooner the items are hung or put away the less wrinkly they are. This fact (according to me) is absolute rubbish! I would rather clean the toilet than sort laundry and hang it! I dislike folding. Especially all the tiny onsies that Ryenn wears. I hate finding matches for socks! During this last week My dear sweet husband has been living out of the laundry basket that I have not sorted through. Excitingly enough I have to do laundry again today. (adding to the pile of clean clothes)

Maybe I need to see a therapist, but for now griping in a blog will have to do!

Mi Familia

(no i don't speak spanish, but it seemed fitting)

When speaking about your family it is really hard to decide where to begin, how much to reveal, and what words will adequately describe mi familia in general. Of course no matter how is begins or what I say, you will have on word instantly pop into your head.....NUTS! (that is, in small part, the reason for my blog description!)

So to business. Like most people I have two parents. I have a wonderful mother, Lisa. She is my rock. We didn't have a lot growing up, but she never let me want for anything. (unless it was entirely unreasonable) She is the reason for my unsocial mannerism, but I love her anyway! She never complained when we drove for hours (sometimes full days) to a softball tournament in Texas. She was always willing to help me to achieve my dreams. So in short, "Don't talk about my momma or you will have hell to pay!"

Grandma Lisa and baby Ryenn

I do, in fact, have a father. While he may not be present all that often....he is enough to blog about. His name is Francisco. Growing up I always knew him as Frank. He and my mother divorced during the summer of my junior year of high school. He married a younger woman, sort of had a mid-life crisis, and began calling himself "Pancho." (oh well) He was the person who helped me to develop my skills in sports. We would have terrible fights while practicing softball. He desperately wanted me to pitch (like my brothers) so I became a catcher instead. He would shout, I would cry tears of white anger, we would fight. In my child like defiance I would refuse to practice any further. Especially in the batting cages. He would pitch his arm off, and I would stand there refusing to swing. Great memories!!

Grandpa Frank and Ryenn

My older brother, by two years, is also a Francisco (of course he was, and still is, the Pancho I know). He is a stubborn man. We never had the best friendship when we were children, but then again that seems to be the way of things. Now that we are grown up it is getting better. (but by no means perfect) We both have pretty quick tempers, so that gets in the way of our being friendly sometimes. Pancho is very much the jock, and the ladies man. He does have a son, but that situation is a wee bit complicated. (and definitely a story you won't hear from me) He is very sweet and very protective. In short, he is the perfect older brother.

Tio Pancho with Ryenn

My baby brother, Gaspar, is three years younger than me. I lovingly call him "Bubba" (so don't get confused in later blogs, i think it without realizing). He is a sweet, sensitive guy who tends to get his heart broken on a regular basis. He is very sensitive, kind, and a little flirty. It gets him into trouble frequently. He and I have a great relationship. He calls me for my good opinion and impeccable taste. Where my older brother is a bit of a metro-sexual, Gaspar is the polar opposite. I still love him, and would defend him despite his faults (that goes for pancho too). He also has a son. His name is Cyrus, and I love the little critter to death. He is so very handsome for a baby. His blue eyes and precious smile will be melting little ladies hearts in no time.

1) Silly Cyrus 2) Tio Bubba and his new niece Ryenn

I have a wonderful half-sister (but if anyone asks she is my sister). Her name is Amber. The relationship we have is a little complicated, and I don't care to explain. She is the sweetest girl and one of the best mothers ever. She has a beautiful two year old daughter, Lorena, with her husband Luis. I only hope that since we now live very close to each other, that we will develop a better friendship.

1) Tia Amber with a newborn Ryenn 2) Me and my lovely niece Lorena

Of course you already know about my handsome and dear husband John. He is everything a woman could ever want for a husband. He is kind, loving, and considerate (most of the time). He changes diapers, gets up to make bottles in the middle of the night, and usually lets me get my way. (i can be stubborn, and i tend to worry needlessly)

My handsome hubby John

Which brings me to my wonderful daughter Ryenn. It would take days to describe the pure joy I experience having this little urchin in my life. She is the sunlight. Her smiles can warm me on even the worst of days.

Ryenn wearing socks on her hands

So, not as nutty as I first imagined, but I did leave plenty out. We have drama like any normal family (per capita i suppose we may have more), and we are capable of looking past all of this and loving each other anyway. I am sure some of the drama will spill out in the open for everyone to see, but I will try to keep it at a minimum. (we still want to seem decent for the public) ;)

I know...I know

I realize that sometime soon I will have to get off the subject of Ryenn's birthday party, and I promise that it will be in the very near future.

First of all I want to say a great big "THANKS" to all of those who participated, gave a gift, or just listened to my insane rambling about details and fears about this party being perfect! (i did a lot of rambling)

There is a gift of note amongst the gifts we received. My Tia Stella made Ryenn the cutest robe out of a towel. It is absolutely perfect. It is purple, soft, and looks adorable on my Squish. (ryenn's nick name since week one, after a particularly gross sounding b.m.)

1) Ryenn being adorable 2) Ryenn a little less so

This really means a lot. Hand-made gifts are much more desirable and unique. It is so wonderful to know that someone loves you so much that they are willing to spend the extra time and effort to create something just for you. Plus my aunt really has a great deal of difficulty with her hands. This gift will be treasured, and stored for Ryenn to have when she is grown.

(it is sort of a wonder that i haven't done a post on my family...they mean so much...well...soon)

On a different note, I don't really think that I have the best personality for a stay at home mom. (except for the fact that I enjoy sleeping when she does) I don't like being in one place for too long and I get bored very easily. I have heard that if that is the case, you must be a boring person. I guess I might be. (okay, who am i kidding) I have begun to take steps to improve myself. I have decided to become more creative.

I started by making all of the invitations to Ryenn's party. (i promise this is the last time i bring the party up) That went well and only took about four hours one night while Ryenn was sleeping. I ended up having a lot of fun. So I decided that I would also make the thank you cards. I bought a few more supplies to punch them up a bit and went to work. So, two days and a huge headache later, I had 16 beautiful thank you cards. (i'm sure i'll do it again next year)

Just a few of my favorites (in duplicate)

Birthdays....not all fun and games

Yesterday was a very long day. My mother and I went to Tucson for Ryenn's 1 year check up. We left Safford at about 11am or so. Of course I forgot to re-install Ryenn's travel DVD player, so the whole way she was very upset. She finally fell asleep when we were around Benson. And for those of you that know....it is more than half way!!!!

Being a small town girl again, you can't go to the big city without doing a bit of shopping. I bought a few things at the Sally Beauty Supply store (shampoo for my seriously oily hair....uggh!). We also made a trip to Michael's where I made a contribution to Martha Stewart (like she really needs it)!

At Ryenn's appointment the doctor told us what we already knew. (our daughter is very exceptional) And we also got the good news that we can put her in a forward facing car seat!!! This is going to relieve a lot of stress for us. Our daughter is rather notorious for disliking the car with great intensity. I hope that with a change of scenery she will learn to, at the very least, tolerate car rides.

She can start the transition to whole milk, too! This makes me very excited. For those of you that are not aware, cans of formula are very expensive. One can can cost up to $25. It was a huge shock to us since I breast fed for 8 months.

Having a birthday does not always mean fun and games. With the end of each appointment she gets the dreaded immunizations. She got four in all. The controversial MMR, Chicken Pox, Flu, and Prevnar. Ryenn usually recovers pretty well from the shots, and hasn't had complications before. (hopefully the trend continues)

My poor mom, who has never been in the car with Ryenn without the DVD player, was worried that Ryenn had a reaction to the shots. My daughter cried from Tucson all the way to Jensen Hill!!! That is roughly two hours of crying. As soon as we got home and set her free she was happy go lucky Ryenn again. I don't think my mom will ever forget this trip. She made herself sick with worry. I guess I didn't understand....I know my daughter is a terror in the car!!

I've come to the conclusion

that I really hate having short hair. I don't understand why I do what I do to my hair sometimes. John is always the first one to remind me..."You aren't going to like it. You never like when you cut your hair."

My John-Bon is correct. I have tried a great many things with my hair. Whether it was the time that I decided to get a perm! (very 80's I know) Or the many, many times I have chopped of my wonderfully long length for something I always figured would be more practical. It seems as though it would be easier for life as a mother to not have much hair to get in the way. In my case, I have found it the exact opposite!!

I can't pull my hair back into a pony-tail without a few strands falling out of place. Diaper changing is a hassle. More than once I have ended up with rash ointment in my hair. Sleeping is rather annoying as well. I will wake up without the smooth hair style I went to bed with!

So, good friends, I am counting on you (and the frequent advice of my husband) to keep me from destroying my hair happiness!!

1) Me and my long locks 2) My new shorter do!

All School Reunion

As of May 2008 John and I have been out of high school for 5 years! The idea, of course, makes me feel old! Coupled with the fact that I have a one year old child, and have already begun planning for baby number two makes me feel even more so!

In October Safford High School is having an All Bulldog Reunion. This is a gathering for all alumni. There is going to be a pep-assembly, a dance, a parade down main street, and of course the homecoming football game.

The pep-assembly sounds slightly interesting, the dance....less so, and who doesn't love a great football game. The problem......SHS football is not normally very competitive. If I remember correctly senior year John's team only won two games. I enjoy watching the NFL, but they provide the first down marker across the field (via the yellow line). The cameras also follow the ball for you. I wasn't ever very good at watching live football!

I imagine that these activities should be entertaining, but I am also quite sure that John and I do not have a choice in the matter of going and not going. The spirited, energetic, and party loving Rhonda Sears has already made us promise that we will attend. (gotta love the mother's of friends) She really is terrific, and has promised us that we will enjoy ourselves. She has even begun to plan an alternative activity, by way of BBQ, at her place instead of the dance.

I hope that more of our class-mates will attend. If not then we will just have to suffer through two days of being back in Bulldog Country.

Bon Halloween!

I am super psyched for Halloween this year!! For those of you who don't know, Ryenn was super tiny when she was born. When her first Halloween came she was much too small for wearing a costume. She wore preemie outfits for about the first three months of her life. She still fits into some 0-3 month clothes and she is a year old!!

Anyhow, this year is different. The costumes have been ordered, and I could not be more thrilled! Ryenn is going to be a super cute bee (sorry Mariah). I love this costume. It has an attached stinger and everything. I only hope that she will wear the hood. She is pretty well known for not liking hats or hair ribbons.

We also bought costumes for us. John has consented to being Harry Potter! He has the glasses, and I am definitely painting a lightning bolt scar on his forehead! Whoo-hoo! Of course most women's costumes are pretty slutty during the Halloween season. I have ordered a knock off Gryffindor school girl costume. It is a plus size, and I am hoping that it will be longer for it. I will probably wear tights as well. Don't worry, I am sure to take plenty of pictures!!

Happy Birthday Baby!!

Ryenn and her balloon

The big day came and went!! Big sigh of relief, it went without major complications. Ryenn is a year old, as of Friday, September 12th! Her party was planned for the following day. Here is how the day took place:

John and I began food prep. (slicing vegetables for the hamburgers), while my mother made some delicious, but a bit too spicy, salsa. It burned my mouth but I couldn't stop eating it. She also made a more mild salsa (but it wasn't much different). I apologize to anyone who ate the mild one, but still ended up breathing fire!

1)Ryenn and Tio Gaspar 2) Ryenn with Grandma Lisa, and Grandma Veva

At 1:30pm John and I left the apartment to decorate the ramadas. Ryenn was asleep..best plan of action leave her and Grandma Lisa there! We met Pancho (my brother) and Lauren (his girlfriend) at the fairgrounds. We began to decorate, but couldn't get anything done because the wind was terrible!! (Thanks a lot Ike!) Our tape wasn't strong enough to hold anything down. Luckily enough Pancho was able to improvise and get the main decorations I wanted up.

Now for all the mishaps! My father-in-law Stan was sent to pick up the birthday cake. When he returned the cake said "Happy Birthday Sabrina" and was a Betty Boop theme! Hopefully whoever Sabrina was didn't mind that her cake was a little late! We forgot the clear plastic cups that I bought for the kiddie drinks. I had made kool-aid ice cubes for the sprite so that there would be a rainbow effect in the drinks! My mother-in-law Ida left to pick up cups! (thanks! the drinks were a hit!) We forgot to bring condiments...but our guests did without! (not too much complaining either!)

It reads "Happy 1st Birthday Ryenn"

Only three other kids (besides the pretending of Ryenn) wanted to hit the pinata! My nieces Lorena and Kaylee, and my nephew Conner didn't think that the pinata was "uncool." After about twenty or so MLB style whacks Kaylee couldn't completely break the pinata. So it was tipped over and was defeated. (thanks to Geoff for tipping, and cleaning up the mess afterwards!)


1) Ryenn -vs- the pinata 2) Lorena -vs- the pinata 3) Conner -vs- the pinata 4) Kaylee -vs- the pinata

Then, finally, Happy birthday was sung. At some point Ryenn realized that everyone was singing to her and she got very shy! It was adorable. We opened gifts, and then the party was over! It is hard to believe that a whole year has gone by. My baby is a year old. I only hope that I am able to teach her to be kind and respectful. Time really does fly!
1) Ryenn with Tia Amber 2) Ruenn decided she was pooped!

Excitement and Fear

Our little family has been extremely busy since my last post. Our very first night was spent in the emergency room with Ryenn. While we were unloading our car, she fell face first into the floor. It was so scary. She was limp, unresponsive, and blue! She ended up being okay, but it was by far the worst day of my life.

We attended a birthday party for my niece Lorena. It was great. She was wearing the perfect dress (made just for her) with fairy wing attachments. She was super grumpy when we arrived because she had just been napping. Still, we watched her hit, and kick, the pinata. She also opened her gifts with a woohoo!

1) Lorena being shy 2) Ryenn and a balloon 3) Gaspar, Cyrus, Ryenn, and John

I also went to my niece Kaylee's soccer game. It was adorable. Little girls that are 4 to 5 years old running around chasing a ball. My niece was fierce! She scored like 5 of the team's 6 goals. She would dirt roll other little girls, but still keep up with the ball! After scoring she would still say, "We made another point!"

Afterwards, my mother and I took Ryenn to feed the ducks. She wasn't really interested in them until they started to quack really loud. I don't really think that feeding the ducks is something we will do again until she is older.

1) The first duck 2) Grandma and Ryenn 3) Ryenn trying to peak over the brick wall

Return to the land without technology!!

The big move to Safford begins today! Crazy, I know. The time passes so quickly. I don't really feel like we have moved, or packed, very many things. Our lease ends on September 30th so we still have time, but I am still a little stressed about things.

At first we thought that it would be impossible to move all of our possessions into the bedroom that we are living in at John's mother's house. We have had a stroke of luck already. As part of the relocation package, we have been given temporary housing. We haven't seen the place yet, but John has decided that if it is big enough we could live there, or we could just use it for storage. It is ours for 90 days, but I am hoping that by then we will have found a place of our own. I am really going to miss having the run of my own house. Still, we are very grateful for Stan and Ida.

As it is, Safford isn't really your hot spot for activities and excitement. I do have a few things lined up to keep me entertained. I will be helping a friend officiate Jr. High Volleyball games. Our first game is coming up quickly. At least it will get me out of the house for a short time. In February, I will be playing volleyball with my mother, aunts, and a few cousins. I am trying to enlist my sister-in-law Brigette as well. It should be fun. Of course, I will still have my endlessly entertaining daughter, Ryenn.

1) Ryenn trying on Bob's shoes!! 2) A winning smile!

In the Casa de Nunley, however, I will not have Internet. This may very well be the last blog for a while. I hope to catch you all up soon enough! (This one puts me in front Mariah Lynn!)

The loss of a great love

Any parent can attest to the fact that once you have children you will lose sleep. Gone are the days when you can just curl up and take a nap after a big meal. No longer can you enjoy a short snooze while it is raining.

It gets even worse when your child is sick. Thankfully Ryenn has only been ill twice in her very short life, but it doesn't make it any easier. On Sunday afternoon we went to a birthday party. As soon as we arrived Ryenn began sneezing. Her nose was terribly runny. I attributed it to the fact that we were directly across from a cotton field. Later that night she didn't sleep well, but of course she still couldn't breathe. It was awful...she couldn't sleep flat or she would sound like an offspring of Darth Vader. She didn't want John to hold her. Needless to say I spent a long night of trying to put her to sleep.

Labor day Monday was spent at the Creek with the Nunley family. My daughter was miserable. I had considered not going, but John decided that it wasn't any different being sick at home. So things were packed and off we went....and we were the first ones to leave.

Monday night was not much better, and since John had to drive back to Tucson for work the next morning he had a very rough night. Around 2:00 am her fever seemed to break. She finally slept for about four hours straight! I decided that since she was better we wouldn't go home with John. So much for that plan....

Tuesday was worse than before. If she wasn't asleep she was crying. She was bright red, and her fever had returned. So after requesting the aid of my father-in-law we arrived back in Tucson yesterday. The Pediatrician's advice was to wait until Thursday and if Ryenn wasn't feeling better by then we would need to seek medical help. Thanks a lot.

Last night was by far the most difficult. Ryenn fell asleep around 9:00 pm. So John and I used the opportunity to catch some z's as well. I think she may have woke up every hour or so. She decided that she really didn't want anything to do with me. Poor John had to put her back to sleep each time. Until 4:00 am when she decided that she didn't want to sleep at all. I tried for a while, but she decided that she would rather sit on the couch and play with a cell phone or remote control. This game went on until 6:00 when I just had to get some sleep, as I had started to feel ill myself. So, John and I switched roles until 8:45 am when she took a nap and is still asleep now! I was very grateful, and took about an hour nap myself.

So...Goodbye to sleep. I will miss you. You have been a dear friend.