A New Squirrel Feeder

We went to the Birds Unlimited Store today to pick up some bird food, and we couldn't resist getting another squirrel feeder.  We (Jared, Kristina, and Indy) get so much enjoyment from watching the squirrels frolic in the backyard.  Indy especially LOVES it.  She will sit on the sectional and just look out the window and then run from window to window when they are on the move.  It is quite hilarious to watch Indy watch the squirrels.  That being said, we decided to get another feeder.

It feeds the squirrels peanuts in the shells.  The squirrels hop up on the little teeter totter on the front of the feeder, that lifts the roof, and then he/she reaches in and grabs a peanut.  They literally figured it out within minutes and we were soon wishing we had bought a bigger bag of peanuts.

Baseboards Finished Downstairs

Jared finished up phase one of the baseboards today!  We had a post earlier that showed his work in progress, and here's the finished product.  We have the entire upstairs to do, but that will be phase two.  :)

The front door with the newly stained door trim.  There's an up close shot as well so you can check out Jared's handwork!

These shots are of the white baseboards.  The new baseboards and trim look MUCH better and more finished.

Stay tuned for our next project...

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day 2013!

Here's a shot of the beautiful flowers Jared not only bought for me, but arranged for me as my Valentine's Day Gift.  I must say, he has quite the talent of selecting the right flowers and putting them together.  Of course they look perfect on my table runner!

It was a quiet Valentine's Day since it was mid-week.  We have found that over the years, we don't like to go out to dinner on Valentine's Day since the menus are very limited!  That being said, we had tenderloin steaks at home!  Yum!

We hope you had a good one!

What Goes on in YOUR Backyard?!

Here's another video we caught using the Yard Camera.  We positioned it a little bit different this past week and we got some interesting results...what do you think?

Quick Trip to Phoenix

We haven't been travelling much as of late.  Between both of us being more than swamped at work, we just haven't made time (we also don't have a ton of vacation, so we have to plan carefully).  Anyway, our good friends David and Nayon invited us to stay with them, so on a whim we flew to Phoenix for the weekend (of course that was after finding a pet sitter for Indy -- let's just say that wasn't an easy task)!

We both managed to take Friday off, so we flew out bright and early and landed in Phoenix just in time for lunch.  We have both been craving Nello's Pizza, so after David, Nayon, and Addie picked us up at the airport, we headed to Nello's Pizza in Tempe.  It was great and it was fun to catch up.

The rest of the day we spent recovering from the flight.  To make our 7:15am flight, we had to get up at 4am, so we were a little wiped the rest of the day.  After getting back to the Lee residence, we relaxed for a while in the sunshine and then took short naps.  David and Kristina then headed to the grocery store to pick up some food for dinner.  And let's just say, we ate like Kings and Queens!

The next day Dave had a trail picked out for us, but the weather didn't really cooperate.  It looked like it was a nice trail, but the weather was awful (yes, awful).  It was cold (<40 degrees) when we reached the trailhead and the wind was kicking up.  In addition, SNOW WAS FALLING!  We couldn't believe it.  Snow in Phoenix in February -- that's just not right!  Oh well, we braved the trail for a little while until Kristina said that's it -- we're turning back!  Let's just say, everyone was VERY grateful to Kristina for heading back because the weather only got worse after that.

Here David and Addie are...trying to enjoy the hike.

It was great scenery, but look at those clouds!

Addie was so cold that her eyes were tearing up!

After the "hike", we headed to the Horny Toad in Cave Creek.  You can see that Addie had to kickback her much needed milk.  :)

Later that evening, we headed to the Roaring Fork in Scottsdale to celebrate a belated birthday dinner for Jared.  Jared wanted something southwest, and particularly the pork green chili stew appetizer at Roaring Fork.  It was a very nice evening, and a good day!

The next day we decided to show David, Nayon, and Addie a great hike for Buddie.  Instead of north this time, we headed East to the Superstition Mountains and the First Water Trail.  Addie knew it was going to be a big day, so she caught some zzzz's on the way there.

Here is some scenery from the beginning of the trail.  It is a very nice hike along a stream bed.  The weather was better this day, but still chilly.  At least there was visible blue sky in spots.

Jared and Kristina cheesing hard!  You can tell that we are both cold...jackets are zipped up and hands are in the pockets. 

Nayon, David, Addie and Buddie at the beginning of the trail!  Buddie had such a great time on this hike.  I haven't seen a dog smile that BIG in a long time. 

It was a little warmer at the bottom of the canyon, once you were out of the wind.

After we reached Hackberry Springs, Addie needed a break and some milk!  Doesn't she look like she is in heaven in this picture; her dad is holding her, she is drinking her milk, and the sun is shining on her.  What a life!

Buddie navigating another pool of water and having a great time.  He was pretty tired when we were done and finally sacked out in the back of the vehicle on the way home.

And of course, the whole point of the trip...relaxing!

Happy Birthday Jared!

Woohoo!  Today is Jared's birthday.  We don't have a lot planned in terms of celebrating.  It is a workday in the middle of the week, and Jared just wanted to go out for a nice dinner.  So, Kristina took him to their favorite place, the Barking Frog in Woodinville.  It was a nice enjoyable evening!  Happy Birthday Jared!

A New Year -- another round of projects!

As usual, we are starting starting another year with more projects.  The first one for 2013 is new baseboards.  Our house was built in the early 80's and from the wood trim, you can definitely tell.  We decided it was time for a bit of an update, so we are ripping out the "oak" ones and putting in new ones.  We'll have to add a second  post with the finished product, but here's a glimpse of what we have done so far.

Here are a couple of shots of baseboards in the formal living room.  The walls are a very light gray and you can see the white drywall where the old baseboard was.

Here's a few shots of the doors.  The new door looks good, but the trim not so much... 

And here it is stripped... 

Stay tuned for another update!

Another Coyote Sighting on the Yard Cam

We keep moving the yard camera in hopes of getting something else, but it seems like the coyote is our most frequent visitor.  Here's a shot of him/her.  It looks like he/she is checking the yard out before he/she ventures that way.  You know that Indy -- she is an animal, the coyote will have to be on the lookout for her.