Indy is THREE

We weren't sure that we would survive Indy reaching THREE years old, but the day finally arrived and we're still here!!  She has been a bundle of energy since the day we brought her home, and she has showed no signs of letting up any time soon.  Usually though, Australian Shepherds are known for their brains finally getting attached to their bodies at the age of THREE!  The jury is still out on Indy.  :)

Indy is quite the sweetheart of a little dog.  She loves everyone, even though she is sometimes skittish at first, and she has an incredible disposition.  Her curiosity in everything that moves is very entertaining (for both her and us). Indy loves her daily walks -- even though she still pulls on the leash -- and she is showing more and more independence all of the time.  She still loves to give and receive love; rubbing her chest or her warm little belly are sure to bring a smile to her face!  Oh, and let's not forget her love of food -- both dog and human!  She has been known to destroy shoes and baskets because there was ONE piece of doggie kibble in the shoe or basket, and she just HAD to have it.

Well, here she is sporting her birthday pose, up close and personal.

Look at that face!  This is vintage Indy!

This shot is a little further back...

Oh, and don't think she doesn't get spoiled on her birthday.

Look at her stash!  Can you believe that is all for ONE dog!

Here she is checking out the goods... 

"Did I hear a squirrel?" 

"This one smells particularly good!" 

And finally, here she is posing with all of her goods.  Isn't she a good little dog? 

Happy 3rd Birthday Indy!

3X Kansas State Wrestling Champion

Congratulations to Rhett!  Kristina's nephew is now a THREE-time Kansas State Wrestling Champion!  For those of you that don't know, this is quite a FEAT!  Wrestling is a long hard season and you never know how it is all going to turn out at the end of the season.  It all boils down to a matter of seconds at times -- literally!

Looks like a happy Rhett (and relieved too)!

Rhett starts his wrestling season each year around Thanksgiving and the season finishes up each spring.  This year (2011-2012), Rhett moved up an age class; he went from 8 and under to 10 and under.  Normally this comes with a few losses during the season because you are one of the younger ones in the age bracket.  Rhett did suffer from a few losses during the season, but he did very well overall in his weight bracket of 58lbs.  And, with anything in life, you tend to learn more from defeats or near defeats.  His weight was a pretty tough bracket because there was another two time state champion wrestling at the same weight and a few other kids that were very close in level of skill.  But as with anything in life, it all depends on how much you want something and how much "homework" you want to do to get there.  Thanks to his Dad (and coach), Rhett had done everything possible to prepare...it was down to desire.

Rhett ended up meeting the other two time state champion in the semi-finals.  It was a tough match, but Rhett avenged a defeat earlier in the season and won to advance to the finals.  In the finals, he met another wrestler that had beat him earlier in the season.  In true Rhett fashion, Rhett won in OVERTIME 4-2.  Let's just say, GREAT JOB RHETT, but can you stop with the overtime in the finals!!!!

Wrestling Coach Dad and Rhett celebrating!

Good-Bye Maxima, Hello Juke!

For those of you that remember Jared's commute in Phoenix, it was NOT pretty.  His 2001 Nissan Maxima had 180,000 miles on it -- most of which were from his daily commute from Gilbert, AZ to Phoenix, AZ.  While it still ran great, it was beginning to show its age a little bit.  It need about $2000 worth of work and when a vehicle with that many miles on it needs some significant work, it makes you re-evaluate things.  You could spend the money and get many miles/years out of the car, or you could spend the money and never get it back.  That being said, Jared decided to look at car options.

Now that we live in Western Washington, our priorities with respect to cars have changed a little bit.  First of all, AWD or 4WD is helpful.  There can be lots of snow from November through March, and when you mix that with the hills, narrow roads, and the lack of snow plowing, it only makes good sense.  In addition, a little higher clearance is good.  The roads here aren't nearly as smooth and nice as the roads in Phoenix, and you never know what you might run across while driving.  Lastly, a good turning radius is imperative.  The parking lots are small and the parking slots are tightly packed in the parking lots.

That being said, Jared's main objective was to get something that not everyone else has.  So after a lot of research, he decided on getting a 2011 Nissan Juke.  As you can see in the pictures below, it is metallic gray and a 4-door.  

The interior looks pretty snazzy as well; it is a 4-cylinder, but it is a turbo-charged engine.  We were amazed at the zippy-ness of it on the roads.  It also has different driving modes, so you can drive it in a normal, sport, or eco -- which ever meets your overall objective.  It has a automatic transmission, but you have the option of putting it in manual (like Kristina's 350Z).

Here's a shot with the backseats folded down (how we will have it most of the time).  It is pretty spacious for such a small overall volume.

And finally, here's a shot of Jared with his new ride!

Will Spring Ever Arrive?

It has been a long winter in Western Washington this year; hence the reason our blog is so sparse.  The weather has been so crummy that we haven't been able to do anything outside, or anything fun.  On the bright side that means it has been a record breaking snow and we will have a good water supply for the rest of the year, if not longer.  Additionally, we have been getting a lot of things accomplished on the inside of the house.

We FINALLY finished painting the entire house (except for the bathrooms, but they are another story).  We also re-organized the mud room with new shelving units from the Container Store.  The garage also got a first pass at organization (more to come here, but it has been too cold to spend time in the garage).  Next up is a new front door; it has been ordered, we are just waiting for it to be made.  In addition, we will also be getting some artificial turf for Indy's dog run next week.  As always, things are a constant work in progress.