Sorry it has been so long since my last post.... what can I say it is HOT as haites here and we have been hibernating :)

The visit with my Grandma Fisher was a lot of fun! We got to have lunch together over here at our home and we showed her all the wedding pictures, listened to her stories and memories, and we ate good food . It was one of the best days I have spent with her. We had a lot of fun. Brett was able to be there as well which made the day even that more fun! That night we then went out to eat with her before she left on Saturday.

This weekend Brett and I had a date night, we went out to eat at Chili's after church and enjoyed a couple of beers and each other's company. We then came home and watched Star Trek The Next Generation. Which is my new favorite show. All of you that know Brett knows he has been a avid fan for YEARS, so I am sure he is thrilled I am making him watch them all over again! I can not make the Vulcan hand sign thinging, but I am not to distraught, I just like the story line :)

Big history this week as mankind made it's first visit to the moon!  As American's it makes us glow with pride that we were the first and continue to be the pioneer in space travel... who knows, maybe Star Fleet Academy is not that far fetched!

Mandy and I hung out on my day off this week, we went to the movies ( Hey it is cool in there! ) and saw The Proposal with Sandra Bullock. It was fabulous! As most any movie with her in it is. It made us laugh, cry a little, laugh, and laugh so more. So cute!

Next week I am on vacation :) Yeah , I am in need of a break. I am going to go up and hang with Brett in our "vacation home!" It will be really nice to get to spend quite a bit of time with him as August is turning out to be a very busy month on the weekends! Brett has several classes for work. I will have some pictures from that to show you all.

I have no pictures this week, as we have not been doing much to exciting. The flower garden is dying as the heat is to much and they are suffering ! It is that time of year! Only 3+ more month of it !

Hope you all have a great week !

We do not have much to report this week. We have finally settled down a bit and are getting into a "routine."

Brett took Miller up to Kayenta for the week for some male bonding. From my reports all went sort of well...
Apparently in an 18 foot camper, dog toots are rather odorous. Apparently in an 18 foot camper, lots of changing positions occurs to move around and the dog thinks that the couches are free reign- he soon learned otherwise. Apparently in the middle of Indian reservation there is a lot of stray dogs, apparently our dog is very protective of "his" stuff and did not appreciate anyone checking it out. Apprently on a 5 hour ride in the front seat he was a bit nervous and shed every last piece of fur he could.

Miller learned a very good lesson while gone. Brett said that they discussed how fortunate Miller was and how he lived like a king compared to these other canines and that Miller needs to be more appreciative to his owners and more grateful for the things he has. Those dogs scrounge for their food between Burger King, McDonalds and Sonic... while Miller get the heart healthy 100% Omega 3 fatty acids, fresh from the sea- processed dried and compacted salmon food. Those canines sleep where they can when they can and frequently are the added oil to the pavement. 

Upon returning home Miller was most jubilant, but has now gone back to his old ways ( barking for a treat, playing the in and out game to sunbathe....) Apparently Miller does not learn so fast :) 

Brett accidently left the camera up in the trailer, but will return home with it next week, at that time I will post pictures for you all to see of their adventures. 

My grandma is coming in over the 4th of July. YEAH! We are very excited to see her! 

We are still battling the rabbits... so far neither of us have won, but I believe I am gaining ground :) Which could totally be my imagination! 

Happy 4th of July to everyone! This is one of my favorite holidays. Americans join together and celebrate the birth of our freedom. It does not get any better than that! 


 

I thought that the quote I found by Pope John Paul II was an excellent summary of what Brett and I have learned to do in our lives.  God is good, so good to us, we put our lives in his hands we will be blessed. Though the future of life can sometimes be unknown, scary, trying, and exciting all in the same breath. Our confidence is from knowing that our God is good and he will provide for us.
Looking back over the past several weeks, this quote rang true.

We are enjoying this weekend as we are doing not much, but enjoying each other's company and chilling.
Brett came home on Thursday night and was really busy on Friday all day moving the work tool box from my truck to his work truck ( I had been wanting a new one, or this one painted, as the black had begun to fade and chip off- despite years of aggressive waxing, guess they did not paint the thing from the factory correctly. ) Anyway, what Brett found underneath was utterly devastating! I had the side of the bed repainted a couple of years ago with the bed ( long story for another time) If you know anything about me I am slightly Anal -retentive about my vehicle. Anyway, what he found was that the body guys that put the box back on the truck - post re-paint . put nothing between the box and the truck box. Yep diamond-plate pattern down in the metal on MY truck. I cried. Brett is going to fix it. We are going to put on rail protectors and it will cover. Still horrible. I will NEVER go back to that body shop again. Brett saved the day though, and will make it all better :)

The rabbits are STILL persistant besides the human hair in the front lawn. UGH! Anyone with any other ideas? My grass is so nice in the back yard but so bad in the front ( where it is important!)

We are going down to a pool party this evening at a friend of mine's house. Should be fun, a couple of my Doctor and NP friends will be there that I have not seen in over a year . One of them has a undergrad in electrical engineering and her husband is an electrical engineer. So Brett should have someone to chat with too:)

I posted a whole bunch of new pictures of the camp site and the Roasted mutton restaurant on the res :)

Miller is headed up north with Brett for the week. Pray they get along together and they bring each other home in one piece:)

Wow, when I say we have been busy, we have been busy!

We took Brett and the trailer up to his job site last weekend. My parents went along with us so it would be easier for us to turn and burn it back home. We stayed the night in Flagstaff and had a really fun time! We about froze our butts off and found ourselves in the Wal-Mart trying to find coats! Duh we know better when we leave the scorching surface of the sun, that anywhere else is cooler! We ate at our favorite Flagstaff micro-brew called Beaver Street Brewery. They have a wonderful Raspberry ale that I like. My dad and Brett enjoyed all the other kinds! Then on Sunday morning we took him to his "home" for the next couple of months.

It is gorgeous up there. I thought I took a bunch of pictures... but apparently only took 1. I guess I was sad to leave my Brett behind!
I have him on a mission this week to take more pictures for y'all!
I plan to go up there for a week the end of July, and my parents are going to come up for a long weekend. There is a lot off cool things to do around the area!

The way up there is another story. It is in the heart of the Navajo nation. The Indian reservations are ridiculously poor and with no pride in the people what so ever. They live in shacks, they tear up those shacks, there are free roaming dogs... and other assorted animals, such as sheep, horses, burros, and whatever else. Brett said he say a spray painted sign for roasted Mutton... umm yum ? LOL It is something you have to experience to understand!
I will post some pictures to give you an idea.

We, however, did find him an oasis that sits on 60 acres that is owned by a white man in the middle of the reservation. So it is very nice, and has a lot of amenties! This is the one picture I do have :)

We celebrated Brett's birthday yesterday and went over to my parents to swim and have a BBQ. I made Beer Bratwurst, Alice's German Potato salad, and beans. We had a chocolate twinkie cake and homemade ice cream for supper. YUM-O! Brett got a pair of new Brewer's swim trunks from my parents, and leveling blocks for the camper from my sister. I got him 20ton Stubby jack from Northern tools, that he has been asking for --- well forever! LOL

Thank you for all the well Birthday wishes and cards. Brett is headed to the Home Depot to buy and set up a tool kit for the camper! He is very excited!

We got an I-Pod so Brett could download Rush Limbaugh's program daily and listen to it at his leisure... Well let me tell you... 2 educated people spent over 3 hours on that darn thing and barely figured out how to use it. That thing is ridiculous! HAHA! We did get it programmed for Rush and we figured out the volume... this am I figured out how to get some music on it... that is it! We can not figure out how to even turn the damn thing on and off... I am not sure it has an off botton :)

The battle with the rabbits continues... I however, I have new ammunition up my sleeve. While sitting in the barber shop with my dad ( he was getting a flat top- and I went to watch so I could continue to cut it) a man walked in while the barber was sweeping up hair and said that is good for ridding of deer and rabbits... WHAT? After all the money and effort we have put in... so yup I went out and scattered human hair all over the front lawn... I wonder if dog hair works as well.. I have plenty of that. So keep your fingers crossed!

I think I forgot a lot of stuff. We have been running around like chickens with our heads cut off.... but is is all for good reasons!

Hope everyone is having a great week!

June is the month of Brett's birthday! Yeah! so I chose the website to reflect that. It is also when Maddie is going to be 6 months old ( can you believe our little sweetie is going to be 1/2 a year old!) and Brandon's birthday as well!

We have been busy as usual, trying to stay cool and anticipating hotter weather! We have been doing a lot of swimming, staying indoors and chilling. The heat makes us a little sluggish... this time of year is like most people's winter months, we stay inside, only coming out if we are in a body of water, if we can go to an air-conditioned store, or if the sun is set!

Most importantly though, Brett is starting work at a new job that he has been really looking forward to. In many ways he is actually working for himself as an independent consultant for the state DOT. He is working with a company, however he is his "own" boss and he is going to be able to use his PE ! It is definitely several steps above his position at FNF. It was a real blessing that he does not have to work at that company any longer! We are  very excited for the opportunities that this position will entail!

We also this weekend purchased a new camper! We have been wanting one for a while, and decided to go for it. It is a 2008 Pioneer Spirit travel trailer. It is perfect for us for right now!  It is small, easy to tow, but yet has lots of room, and all the amenities! It has a tan and green interior in a bit of a palm leaf decor. It has the look of tile floor, and light beige walls. The windows are tinted and each one has it's own awning, as well as we have a main awning. I will post pictures next week!  We are very excited to try it out. We pick it up next Saturday! Today we went to Wal-Mart and had a lot of fun picking out new stuff to put in the camper. We do have a lot of camping gear so a lot of it we will be able to use, however we have the fever and it is always fun to look! It has A/C and heat, which I am sure Miller will be very grateful for!

Our orange and lemon trees are still growing strong... I hope they stay that way! We did find a caterpillar on the lemon tree this am, so it is getting fumgated tonight when we do yard work! The rabbits have desimated our front lawn, however after a couple of unfortunate incidents.... they have not been back in almost 2 weeks ( knock on wood!) We are hoping the bermuda will spread and grow over the bare patches :( .... I do not think that a lawn-scaper will ever be in my future!

Happy Birthday to Brandon on the 1st! We hope you have a great day!

Once again it has been a while since we posted. However, we have been really busy and have good reason.
Two weekends ago my parents decided that we needed to get my great-great grandparents piano stripped, refinished and out of their shed. So we worked all weekend stripping and sanding and varnishing. Then my dad sprayed the piano with clear coat over the next couple of weeks. It turned out beautiful! It has a very nice finish and actually looks great in our living room. ( One day I plan to have a "sitting" type room to put it in...but until Wyoming comes... it is in the living room!)
( This was the trip to Iowa in October). My dad and Brett moved it into the house this week. They worked hard, as that thing is far from light. We have dated it back to 1917 as date of manufacture. So my great-great grandparents bought it then my great-grandma had it. My dad remembers sitting for hours listening to her play and playing with her... she taught her some rather hmmm...interesting.... songs :) She never could read sheet music, she merely listened to the radio and then could play the music on the piano. The piano then went to her nieces house and that is where it has been until now. I remember as a little girl playing for hours with "Baba" on the piano. So it is great that it is now in our home. It was a lot of work, but worth it. The hurricane lamp you see on top of it, is my great-grandma's as well.

Then the next weekend was mother's day weekend and we also celebrated my mom's birthday ( which was the 12th of May). We went out to eat at Texas Roadhouse and had an Awesome time. I learned that Shock Top is a very good new beer out on the market :) Then we came home and I made molten chocolate cakes with home-made ice cream! Yum- O!
On Mother's day we cooked out and swam most of the afternoon, the heat is coming back and this time of year is always the worst at we are not used to it yet! So 103 just kills us...but in October we welcome 103!

Our lemon tree is producing fruit like crazy! There is a million lemons on that tree! So we will keep you updated! We are so excited that we will have our own fruit this year! I have a recipe for some killer lemon-ade that we love! Our orange tree is finally really looking a lot better! Thanks to Brett,it has 2 oranges that we can tell. They will be the best 2 oranges we have ever eaten!

I am sad to report that the owl did not work for ridding the rabbit pests in our front yard. They are still desimating the yard! So we are at our last resort! ARGH! I think I prefered the weeds as being my big issue! Stupid rabbits!

Our flower garden is growing great! It is really doing very well! It was actually ok that they old one burned down because the new one is so much better!

This weekend Mandy is hanging with us as my parents are gone for the weekend. We went out to eat at Chili's last night and had a very nice time! We have been hanging out, swimming and trying to stay cool!

Happy Birthday wishes out to Grammie as well for her B-Day on the 12th!
Happy graduation to Melissa!

This weekend we were very busy building a new flower bed. As you can imagine with my superior engineer for a husband... we have a much improved, stronger, bigger, built quite soundly flower bed! He is amazing!
So we dug, cut-up, nailed, screwed, pounded, saw-zalled ( I did it!), measured, assembled, painted, filled with soil, and planted flowers in a brand new flower box! As you can see from the pictures it is new and improved! We had so much fun!
We were granted with pretty cool temps this weekend ( high 92) so it was really fun to be outside.
Except now Brett's allergies are kicking up! Zyrtec does not cut the cake for him so I called in some Allegra... apparently our insurance company believes that this medication is gold and will not cover it ( even though it comes a generic!) So off to cash pay for that we go :)
We also have been helping my parents strip my great-great grandparents piano. We have it tore down into many pieces and today will work on the main body of the piano and then it will be ready for clear coat.... I just have to figure out where in our little humble abode I will place it.
It is going to cost us a fortune for Brett to move all over my things ;) Well he does have one very heavy safe... which actually tops it all! :)
Maddie has some new pictures up for us to look at! She is absolutely the most cutest little girl we have ever seen! She brings us so much joy! We can not believe how big she is getting, and it was so funny to watch her eat her cereal! We can not wait until we get to see her again! Hopefully in July... if not do NOT worry because we will find a way!!!! We love you Maddie... keep growing up so strong and beautiful!
Happy Cinco de Mayo and Happy belated May Day !
Hope everyone has a great week!

This weekend Brett smoked up a delicious pork shoulder in celebration for my parents 30th wedding Anniversary. It was so yummy! Anyway, we had decided to put the ash that has been accumulating from Brett's smoking adventures on the garden to make it richer soil.
Brett did this yesterday afternoon. When I got home from work , he was telling me all about it, how the coals after 48 hours were still very hot, enough that he had to wear gloves to touch them. We dicussed this at length because we do use the smoker alot and had no idea we had hot coals out there apparently for days... so we were thinking of solutions to make sure that they always stay contained etc.
Later in the evening we are watching Magnum P.I.  Awesome T.V. show by the way!!! and Brett remembered he had forgotten to retrieve the mail. So out he goes, he comes back in and is complaining that someone is burning something in the neighborhood. This is very rare, as within city limits of Mesa there is a no burn law, and within our subdivision there are not even any fireplaces... mind you it is 95 degrees out! So with little more thought about the subject we continue to watch our T.V.
At about 9:00 pm the dog goes out like he does everyday, only tonight he is on watch so one of us has to go out with him ( Do not ask... apparently he thinks that licking up grease from the grill and smoker is what he should be doing... even though it makes him sick... so now he is supervised :). Anyway, Brett steps outside and is like " Holy Cow, it is really smoky out here!" he walks around the corner and I hear " Holy Cow! The flower bed is on fire! Get the hose! " I come running out ... sure enough... well I of course have to go get the camera first ( priorities you know!) and grab some quick photos.... meanwhile he is pulling out the hose and heading for the flower bed. Sure enough I guess the left over ash must have come into contact with surrounding wood border and it was smoldering... it apparently had been smoldering for a while. It burned up all the flowers, a pile of weeds, and unfortunately the border... Thank good ness it did not burn on the side closest to the house or the air conditioner!
I now have the giggles, because this has stricken me quite funny, which gets Brett laughing, as smoke is rolling out from the fire, over the yard filling it with smoke. We are very fortunate it was at night, or I am sure someone would have called Mesa FD with as much smoke as it was making!
So that is our mid-week excitement that I felt we had to share... see the photo page for the great photos!
Melrose St. Fire Department saved the day!

What a time it has been since we last blogged!
Our Anniversary day went great! Thank you to all of your that sent cards, it is a wonderful feeling to know that we have all of your support! A special thank you to my mom and dad who got us a new TV! We are now HD and digital and up on the times! ( Our T.V. died last year a week before we were married, so we have been using the bedroom TV).We went out to eat at the Olive Garden! It was so good, I actually even tried calamari and thought it was o.k. ( as long as it is super thin!.) For those of you that know me, know this is a feat because I HATE anything that comes from the water/sea. I do not like the smell, taste, consistency anything about sea-life. But this did not really have a flavor ( it kind of tasted like the breading) and was firm in consistency... Brett thinks there might be hope for me yet!
As you know, we shared our 1st Anniversary with Easter day. We went to sunrise mass and it was beautiful! We have a courtyard at our new church with a water fountain, and the stations of the cross are all outside in this courtyard. So the mass was wonderful, and we had perfect weather. There is something about having mass outside that can really make you feel in tune with God. Let alone it is usually on Easter.
We then went to my parents for breakfast and to hunt eggs with Mandy! She was so excited! I have pictures, but am having difficulties with them ( our camera died so I am transferring from my parents!) . I will try to post them!
The week following our anniversary was fairly uneventful. I did come down with vertigo again on Tuesday night after work. To the point in which Brett and my dad had to come down to Queen Creek and drive me home. It was really windy that day, and at this point I still think it is from allergies...However, whatever the cause I am ready for it to be gone for good!
Saturday was my birthday! I absolutely love birthdays! They are very exciting a whole, entire day that is all yours! How awesome is that?!?! I awoke to Brett's birthday gifts to me at the foot of the bed! I got a new heavy duty baking sheet ( I have been wanting one) a 4 cup Pyrex ( I have been wanting one of those too!) a new cheese grater ( Sorely needed one) and a new wooden spatula/spoon. So he did really good! Which is usual! We then went to my parents for the afternoon and swam in the pool it was 85 degrees! Almost bath water :) My mom made supper of Manicotti and garlic bread and of course we had angel food cake, fresh strawberries ( in season here and yummie!) and home-made ice cream! I ate so much I had a belly ache and had to go home!
I guess to much partying to close together was to much for me, as on Sunday I started in with a high fever, and by Monday morning I was one sick girl. I ended up with strep throat! I have never had strep throat in my entire life and never want it again! I am exposed so much to strep that I was so surprised that I actually obtained it ( took me 10 years :). I had high fever for 48 hours ( that is probably what made me feel the worse) and my tonsils were huge and gross! Brett took great care of me, he made jello, pudding, soup, gave me tylenol, ibuprophen, my antibiotic, held my head when I was sick, cleaned, cleaned, cleaned and then cleaned it all again!  He did it all. I am truly so blessed with that man!
And thank the Lord that he did not come down with it himself! He had strep once as a small child on Christmas eve! He could not tolerate the medication and had to go to the ER for a shot. Poor guy! Now I know what he felt like!
I am now plagued with cold sores.... ugh... but I am finally feeling really good and back to myself today! I told Brett April was a good month, celebrating good things, but I am ready for it to be over, hoping my health improves :) LOL
This weekend we went to Tommy's for a party last night and today we are smoking up a pork shoulder and I made Alice's 7 layer salad and cream puffs to celebrate my parents 30th wedding anniversary! Any excuse for good food, right ?!? We are going to swim as well as my parents pool is now 95 degrees! Gotta love Solar heat, especially in Arizona!
Alice sent us some pictures of Miss Maddie from Easter, and she is of course adorable! She has the cutest Easter dress on! These are times in which we wished we lived closer! She is growing so big so fast... 5 months in just a couple weeks! Whew! ( BTW Becky, there is some stuff coming in the mail here in the next week... we were shopping could not resist :)
Happy 37th Anniversary to John and Alice this week!
We are really both blessed with parents examples of marriage and commitment to one another!
Hope everyone has a great week!

One year ago tomorrow April 12, 2008 Brett and I made a commitment in the covenant of marriage before and with God.  We stood before family and friends and said our vows, promising to love and honor each other and God, every day our lives. We meant every word we spoke. A year of growth, deepening faith, and unity has solidified our relationship beyond words.  We truly feel the grace of God in our covenant.

We once, again would like to thank our families and friends for all your love and support. You all have been integral in the first year of our marriage. We are truly blessed with loving, and supportive social systems. Thank you.

The morning of our wedding day we awoke to fog and drizzle, and as everyone I am sure remembers we were then graced with snow, sleet, more fog, rain, and cold. It was a high of 36 degrees! Quite a change from when we left Arizona! However, we all made the most of it, warmed ourselves inside and celebrated heartedly after the mass!

Even as I write this now, today in Mesa Arizona it is cold and rainy! God’s way of reminding us he sends down his love and grace on this very special day.

The day went off without a hitch! Everything went according to plan (after a year of planning!) We had an amazing photographer that provided us with an excellent “picture” and memories of our wedding day. They stuck with us all day long… I do not think my cheeks have ever hurt more from smiling! However, I am not sure I could have stopped smiling even if I had tried.

We were married at St. John’s (Saint Theresa of Calcutta) Catholic Church in Monches Wisconsin. The church made our ceremony even more beautiful. St. John’s has so many unique distinctions that our mass could not have had a more time-honored background. It was also very special to Brett as he grew up worshiping in that church. Father Anthony McCarthy prepared an incredible homily and reminded us that no matter how tall of a mountain we may encounter, together we can scale it.

After the mass we gathered at Daniel Boone Conservation League for our reception! It was a perfect setting for our intimate party. We had food catered in by Rubicon’s sausage haus. We had cake and danced the night away, celebrating with friends and family near and far. We truly had the best night of our lives.

Neither of us ever thought we would marry.  Neither of us was in a hurry to do so. We had our careers, friends, and family and believed we would never find a love like what we have.  We were ever so wrong! Brett has truly made my life complete.  Every day we grow stronger and more into a single unit. We are blessed with God’s grace and we will continue to embrace Him and each other in our journey of marriage.

A quick run-down of the excitement at the Bautz household this week:

1.) Mandy and I have been very busy this week in the kitchen making goodies.. We have to take advantage of the weather!

2.) Miller is recooperating from his surgery really well. I think he loves that fact he gets his medicine in marshmellows!

3.) We dyed Easter eggs with Mandy yesterday ! It was a lot of fun, I post some quick pictures.

4.) We went out to eat at the Apache Junction Mexican restaurant... It was super yummy!

5.) On Wed. AM I woke up with horrible vertigo. So much so I could not walk and was horribly nauseated. Anita hooked me up with some oral steroids and Transderm patch, which helped,by Thursday I had a regular Doctor appt so they gave me a steroid shot, which should calm down my allergies that causing the vertigo! Thank goodness!

6.) I had to simplify this as I typed out a lot and then the computer deleted it by itself... I am not taking chances again :)

7.) Have a Blessed Good Friday!

Love,
Brett, Sara and Mandy too!

                          Miller Update

We have retrieved Miller from the vet. He did really good! The vet said that he tolerated the procedure really well. He is on antibiotics and will be for the next 10 days and we are to give him pain medication for the next 5 days. He is still a little groggy, and very anxious ( probably from pain) but is doing good! Send up your prayers of Thanks to St. Francis of Assisi! Thank you to all that prayed for us and him!

We were pretty busy this week getting ready for Mandy to come stay for the week. So, as I am writing this I am officially on vacation! YEAH!
I have much planned for the week... but unfortunately most of it is associated with spring cleaning! The house will be great afterwards, which makes it all worth it.

We are also planning a couple of fun things, we are going to dye Easter eggs, plan on going to a musical play with Mandy called "Singing in the Rain!", Brett and I also got suite tickets to the Coyotes game so we are pretty darn pumped about that!

The weather has been just great! Nice and cool with breezes so we have been able to keep the house opened up and we can still bake.. for a few more days anyway! Mandy and I took advantage and made an awesome apple cake, and zucchini bread! We are baking fools!

Our good friends Erica (stood up with me in our wedding) ,Jeff ( usher at our wedding) and Ian ( our ring-bearer) welcomed a new baby girl/sister into the world last week. Elizabeth Marie! She was a few weeks early ( 37 weeker) so she was a peanut at 5lbs, 5oz! Adorable! We hightailed it right on down last Sunday ( they came home on Saturday) so we could cuddle a little :) Ian is doing great, and is such a wonderful little boy, so Elizabeth is a very lucky little girl! Congratulations to the Letherer family!

Big news was that I started a second job. A NP that I used to work with in Family Practice started her very own practice about a year ago. She has been gradually getting busier and busier and decided she needed a PT NP to help her out. So she sought me out! I am so excited! 1.) To be working in Family Practice again! I missed it 2.) To be working autonomously 3.) I am part of a NP owned and operated practice which is outstanding. This is the future of health-care and I am almost brought to tears with pride for being a NP and getting to be a part of this awesome opportunity. We practice very much the same ( fairly conservative) so our thoughts/beliefs are very parallel. So I will be doing that PT while still working at TakeCare FT.

Miller's surgery is this Wednesday. So please send your prayers to Saint Francis of Assisi for him. We know he will be fine, but he is our buddy and we do of course worry :)

Sounds like Wisconsin is getting pummeled with some late winter storms with lots of snow. Sure am glad this was not last year! ( Even though it did sleet/snow on our actual wedding day!) Hope you all are staying warm and not having to shovel to much!

Our horseradish is leafing out again very nicely. I think by the end of this year we will be able to harvest it and make Brett some fresh sauce! We know spring has been here when horseradish starts to take off! We also noticed some beginnings of fruit bearing on our Lemon and Orange trees! I posted some pictures in the picture section. The Orange tree looked like it was going to die, but the Brett took over it's care and it has thrived. I guess I just "loved" it to much!

We made a trip up to Penzey's spices yesterday! We found a store in Scottsdale, is that not the coolest!?! So we have the enjoyment of fresh, quality spices at our fingertips... without the cost of shipping! Has anyone used the Chili powder products they have out now : Chili 3000 or Chili 9000? If so, could you provide us some feedback? Thank you!

Maddie now has her own website, and we could not be happier! Becky, we can not thank you enough! It will be so nice to be able to actually see her grow in at least pictures and hear/see her grow in videos! It is our favorite place to visit!

Next Sunday is Easter and our 1St wedding anniversary, so we will post a special wedding addition!

Have a Blessed Holy week.

This week was very status quo at our Bautz household. Which we will never complain about! But it makes for poor writing material!

My mom and sister came back from FL on Saturday, so on Sunday we went over to greet them home ( and I had to dye my mom's hair :) We had hamburgers and kielbasa for dinner and came home.

Miller had a routine Rabies vaccine visit to the vet... in which turned out to be not- so - routine. He ended up somehow breaking off a back molar ( the one that dogs use to bite down on something hard) and it needs to be extracted.... UGH! So he goes in on April 8th to have that tooth removed ( as they have to put him completely out). Guess that the Held's bone wasn't so inexpensive after all! By the way... poor Miller is still unemployed and has no dental insurance coverage... it is gonna take him a while to pay off this debt! Please send your prayers to St. Francis of Assisi (defender of animals) for Miller to do very well with his surgery!

The winds have been really blowing here lately, which is a bad thing as it really brings up the dust, smog and pollen. It is also spring ( with some decent winter rains -3) so everything is in full bloom! The days are getting warmer and warmer, last week we were at 90 already!
So getting hot and allergy season is literally in full bloom! Please any rain you can send our way would be great!

Brett also received his wall certificate announcing he is an official P.E. ... State of Arizona is only about a full year behind in sending it :)
It is now nicely framed and hangs above the desk!

Other than that, not to much exciting in our neck of the woods. Have some things brewing but they are to early to announce:)

Everyone have a great week!

This past weekend we took full advantage of our lovely spring weather... the heat is coming soon!
We hauled my dad to the Ostrich festival! This is a festival in Chandler dedicated to you guessed it... Ostriches! We had a great time. We saw motorcycle dudes that did 1 mile wheelies and sat on the handbars, did head stands, wheelies in a circle, etc. They were incredible!!! Next we enjoyed some great Blues by a local artist that was quite talented! We dined on an Ostrich burger and an Ostrich brat.... I think the bird should leave it up to beef and pork... they were what we call an experience!
We really enjoyed outselves and bummed around watching people all after noon. That evening we went to the Outback steakhouse with my dad and Tommy. We had the best time. Those two were so funny. Somehow Tommy convinced the waiter to bring him and extra salt and pepper shaker because he needed one and home and he did! We had such exceptional service ( not only because of the free salt and pepper shaker! ) so we pulled the manager over to let him know that our waiter was top-notch and that we really had an excellent dining experience... and Tommy somehow weaseled an Outback pin out of the manager! We then went to the local bar and had a few beers. It was an awesome day !
I think I may have finally got my tooth fixed! Praise the Lord. I have had such a toothache for almost 2 months. It is now starting to feel a little better after the dentist put a coating on it!
Saw the new show Bridget's Beaches, it is really great! I am so sad that the Girl's Next Door is over... but this new show is really good. Check it out on the travel channel. Kendra is supposed to be starting her own show as well! So we are excited to see that! If you have never watched the Girl's Next Door you have to pick up the re-runs... it is by far one of my most favorite television shows! I am very picky!
Also ER... sorry about the T.V. inputs here... but is anyone else an ER fan?!?! Me? Have been from the beginning,die hard fan. I have seen every episode since the show began... through good times and bad and I have to say they are going out with a huge bang! All the "old" docs are returning and it is tying up such great ends... I am getting a little weepy thinking about it coming to an end... So moving on!
We are status quo this week, so not much to update on!
Celeste and Frank... we are not sure when you are leaving but we wish you good times and safe travel! Once again pictures are must of the Panama Canel!
Happy Saint Patrick's Day!!

This week we had some great weather! So we took advantage and did a bunch of yard work. We closed off all our drip lines ( as we planted all cactus) , we aerated the lawn, we sprayed for weeds ( again :). The bermuda is starting to come up as our days are starting to be averaging over 85 degrees. So the lawn will be nice and lush once more! That is the only good thing about the impending summer months! We also tore the oleanders out of the back yard and replaced them with Agave's . Now we have them in the front and back yard... We are going to be making some fine tequila really soon! So next winter when it is all cold up there, you are all welcome to visit the keg is always fresh, and tequila may be present :)

Brett also put new shocks on my truck, so it now has a very smooth ride, no more hitting our heads on the side windows :) LOL

This weekend Brett also put a beef brisket on the smoker and we had my parents over for supper! It was superb! He is the pit master when it comes to BBQ! We made our own rub and BBQ sauce. It had great smokey flavor, and we have some left over  for tomm! Which is awesome!

Miller and Brett were playing in the yard... Miller lunged forward and caught Brett's arm and clamped down. Brett ended up with a bruise the size of half a dollar bill that is all sorts of colors and he broke a little skin... Miller is so ferocious! LOL Don't worry they were playing again doing the same thing again only an hour later :)

Happy Birthday to my best buddy Anita this week! She is going to also try for a baby again in the next couple of weeks,so pray for her this time that it is effective.

The Coyotes won one game last week against the Bruins, but then suffered two losess to the Sabers and the NY Islanders! Booo Hooo! We have aquired some new players with the trade agreements and hope that if not for the rest of this year, next year we will be one ass-kicking team! Ow Ow Owwwwwwww!

Hope everyone has a great week!

For those of you up on the "times" I just joined Facebook so I could be up on the "times" as well. So you can also get daily updates there... because our lives are that exciting... :)

I actually met my childhood best buddy through there this weekend ! She is living in the Ukraine teaching English through a mission. She actually married a Ukrainian and they are expecting in April! How cool is that! So it has been very fun catching up with her.
I also re-united with my buddy Raliegh, whom I was very close with until about 3 years ago, but we found each other again. He to is married and has twins! So cool to find out what people are up to and how great they are doing! Let alone, now I can keep up with P.J.,Ryan * I gotta call ya buddy! * Buster/Becky and Maddie, Brandon etc.

This week we went to the Brewer's spring training game and had a blast! The ended up tieing the Oakland A's in OT but it was a great game. The beauty of spring training is that you can get up close and personal with the players. They will talk with you, sign whatever you want, wave, etc. So Brett got to see Jeff Suppan, J.J. Hardy, Prince Fielder, Corey Hart, Billy Hall, etc all within 5 feet! So that is really cool. Next thing tickets are like 20 bucks! So it is a fun time, you get to see all the minor league potential as well.

The weather here is definitly starting to heat up in the high 80's to low 90's so summer is a coming! However, it is great to be outside in, and our grass is loving the heat!

This weekend we went to the International sportsmen expo out at the Cardinal stadium. ( University of Phoenix arena... I like to say that I bought the "U" in the name:) The show was mediocre. But the after part was awesome. We had to find an elevator for Mandy so this security guy took us through the building and we go to check out the opposing teams locker room, the Medical room, the weights room, the cheerleaders room, interview rooms, coaches offices. etc. It was pretty cool! Then we were the only ones in the upper section so I took some pics because it was surreal being in a stadium with no one else around!

The Coyotes have been kind of stinking things up, but we have been able to catch a couple of games on T.V. which is so much fun! I bet our neighbors think we are crazy howling like we do! Oh, well team spirit prevails! Go 'yotes! Miller even joins in on the fun!

Miller is supposed to be getting his rabies shot here this month... ( O.K. actually Feb) somehow he keeps weaseling out of it! Wish him luck when he goes! His arthritis is still pretty significant. We put him on Glucosamine, but I am not sure it is doing anything. Doesn't hurt him so we are continuing it. However, we might be forced to look at other options. Poor guy.

We went to church again at St. Bridgets... Rolled in the door at 4:15 and got a seat!!! Can you believe that?!?!?! and we were not sweating to death squished inbetween two non-deodorant believers! It was lovely!
By the way, any NON-FISH Lenten recipes that people like... please send them our way! We are crashing and burning and PB and J's are old already :)

That is all folks for my report :) I hope you are doing great and getting ready for St. Paddy's day!

A hello out to Brad, we posted today because you insisted :) LOL

This past week/weekend we were once again busy! On Wednesday Brett, I and Mandy all went out to watch the Phoenix Coyotes VIP practice! It was so cool, we were one of about 20 people in the place, they gave us free donuts and juice and we got to see them practice, how they break down plays etc. It was a really cool experience! Once again, Thank you dad for hooking us up! We then ate lunch at Johnny Rockets ( which is an old style diner place) and had a great time! ( I tried to take pictures but the camera had died... don't worry I just put the wrong batteries in it!, it works now!)

This weekend we enjoyed our warm weather and washed trucks, worked on the yard ( yup...weeds! ) and hung out. On Saturday night we went out with my parents to eat at San Tan Flats. This is a restaurant that has some seating inside but the majority is outside in a courtyard, where they have open fire pits, live bands, dancing, etc. It is a really cool place to hang out! Plus they have the best steak I have yet to have in Arizona, it was actually tender, and had decent flavor! Nothing like mid-west beef... but ya gotta do what ya gotta do! Mandy spent the night so we could go to church this morning.
 
We are trying out a new church because our old one is always so crowded with elderly people and they put people sitting where they should not be sitting so it is hot, uncomfortable, and not very enjoyable. Our pastor is a bit old school as well, so not much stuff occurring for young people or newly married people.  So we tried St. Bridget's here in Mesa which a bit farther. It was a nice church, they were very new school. We enjoyed the mass, but they may have been a little over the top with the music. This is a difficult decision. Brett prefers the old school very traditional mass, and is happy with the no music, no frills 6:30am mass, and would not mind leaving it at that. However, I am thirsty for more, teachings, involvement, comfortability, etc. So pray that we can decide what is best for us.

Today we went over to my parents for supper. Tommy came down and we gave my dad his ultra-early Father's day gift of a Garmin ( we did it early because they are going to the keys in April for their 30th wedding anniversary and thought it would be cool to have for then)
He loved it! We had yummy enchilada casserole and I made cream puffs for desert. Tommy ate 4 helpings and 2 cream puffs. He had a belly ache!

The Brewers spring training starts this week!!! WOOOOHOOOOO! We are thinking about going to that game on Wed, we will take lots of pictures to report if we do!

Phoenix Coyotes have been kicking it up! They have won the last 2 games and kicked butt in LA. Hopefully they can keep up their power play power and keep the goals a coming!

Hope you all are staying warm, and starting to see some signs of spring!

We have been so busy that we have neglected to write!
Last weekend was rainy all weekend, finally! Yeah! We did go out to eat at Carraba's on Saturday night with my parents. My sister and my mom both got food poisoning from there! It was horrible, they spent the whole day Sunday with it, and have even had left over issues this whole week! Do not eat at Carrabas... the food was not that good anyway, it was not worth the gift card we had!
Then on Sunday we met with U. Les and A. Angie, Susie and Jerry ( friends that come down from Iowa for the winter) with my dad ( as my mom and sister could not go!) It was some of the BEST mexican we have had in a very long time. So if any of you ever come to visit us... guess what, we are taking you there! Los Dos Gringos in Apache Junction.
This week I had to go to the dentist... ( ugh!) I ended up with a new cavity ( no surprise) then I have tooth that has been bugging me so he refilled it. It, however did not completely fix it and I still am feeling it... so I am hoping time will make that better. We also went and had our taxes completed. Let me just say that I like to think that the ENOURMOUS amount of money that we paid in over the year, ( which we could have employed a full-time person for...) went to a poor child with no shoes or food to eat... so that all year they had shoes and food to eat. If Obama gets away with what he plans to... we are going to have to buy a boat and live on the ocean! haha
Oh well, I guess that saying is right... two things are always certain death and taxes!

On a lighter note.... our very cute little niece got her 2 month well child check this week and is huge! Weighing in at 10lbs 14 ounces and is now 24 inches long! Looks like we have a basketball player in the making :) hehe Just kidding we will support her in all the great things she will do in her life! Becky sent us new pictures and if you have not seen them ( of course I posted a couple) is she not the CUTEST little girl you have ever seen! We are so proud of her, growing so good, just if we could convince her to slow down :) We love you Maddie... P.S. Becky... I guess I have no idea how to spell uncle ( ie.. I have been spelling it unkle) I did go to school and receive a real masters degree, apparently I just got to reliant on spell check and it does not spell check slang... whoops! So I will correct it. I had a good laugh about it!
This weekend was Valentine's day.. Happy Valentines day! We hope you all spent a little extra time with your loved ones! We did get to go a Phoenix Coyotes game.. not only did we get to go, but we had suite tickets... not only did we have that, but I got to go down to the Coyotes team bench and stand in it, next to the ice... where the players sit and I got to be within 5 feet of all the players! My dad's company supports their charity for kids program so they had us represent them! It was the best Valentines day EVER! We had such a great time. We have a few pictures, I made the jumbo-tron so Brett took my picture! Brett tried an anchovy for the first time, and HATED it! It even smelled fishy, so we stuck with the chicken fingers, chicken sliders, and pizza! We had all the free Pepsi we wanted to drink. It was truly an awesome experience. Thank you Daddy, and thank you QuikTrip!

On a side note this week was frigid! I took some pictures of Brett's truck because it actually had frost on it the other morning! Yikes, that is cold! So we have had to have the heat on at night recently!

Happy Birthday to Buster ( last week) and Happy Birthday to Alice this week! We hope you both enjoyed your days!
Happy Presidents day on Monday!

It is February, and believe it or not, this is the closest to Valentine-like page drop I could find... at least the colors suggest the holiday!
Brett and I got a new garbage disposal. Several weeks ago I went to turn it on and it just hummed, so Brett trouble-shot it tried to fix it and it ended up deemed for the garbage... literally. So we saved and now we have a new one! That is a multigrind ( meaning it has 2 levels of grinding action) and it is so quiet, sometimes I am not even sure it is on. So my husband ( who NEVER would use the garbage disposal before) now is putting everything down it! Guess it just needed to break, so he could install a new one to form a bond... whatever works for me, so the garbage does not stink so much now!
Brett also thatched the lawn. So he put on a blade that tears up all the old dead clippings ( because they do not degrade here, but rather are fossilized :) So our yard looks like a putting green! Hopefully our Bermuda will come back in thick and lushish ( I do not have the best luck growing grass so keep your fingers crossed for us! )
Friday night we kept Mandy, Brett kept her until I got home from work on Friday and they made Nacho's so Brett was king of the hill for the night, then she kicked us both at Uno... Kicked us! Saturday, of course, was then church. My parents then took us out to eat at Texas Road House. Yum-o Brett had the ribs and I the chicken fried chicken - yummy!
Brett's mom is getting a new set of Maytag Washer/Dryer! I am so excited for her! Alice- You will absolutely love them, I think in the case of a fire, they would be the first thing I threw out the door :) It is sad, they are my babies :) hehe
Sunday, of course we went to Anita's for a super bowl party. As you all know the Cardinals lost and it was a heart-breaker, however it was an awesome game. I do not even like football and I was very entertained by it. We all the Cardinal fever ( ok... maybe not all of us) but it made for a fun time! We had chili, brats, cheese dips, chips, and other assorted goodies. I cooked the brats on the grill ( after a few shots) and ended up searing off Bretts arm hair... Don't even ask how that happened!  The commercials, I did not think were so good, of course the Budweiser ones were... and the Quik Trip on of course!
Also we hear that Maddie is getting bigger and bigger! Alice says that is so tall! Guess she will come by that naturally. Maddie- we sent you a package so be expecting it... Buster your Birthday stuff is in there as well... along with some stuff Brett sent you.
The piano is coming along, my mom is starting to work on it. I will have to post some pictures so you all can see beginning to end. Still have no idea in Sam Hill where the hell I am going to put it, but once I get my Wyoming house I will have room... for it will be much bigger :) hehe
I think that is all the updates for now!
Oh, Ryan, you sly dog you! Running off to the Caribbean on a cruise! Have fun and drink a lot for me! I wish you nice weather, good times, and smooth sailing... I am so jealous!
Love you all, Stay warm those of you in colder climates, and send some of that our way! Yesterday we almost turned on the air conditioning but then had to run the heat at night... the desert!

This month is very exciting for us, as Brett's truck is now paid off! So we officially now own both of our vehicles! YEAH!
That is the best feeling in the world, to own a vehicle, and especially since they are both still very nice. So I took some pictures of the new proud owner and Miller. ( see picture page)
The weather has been exceptionally warm ( 80's) So we took advantage and washed and waxed the trucks this weekend. We also did some yard work... you all guessed it the weeds... they are BACK! So we burned, poisoned and ceased germination. We will win, I swear it !
Today we butchered and ground up a turkey, so we are set for some time with meat again. We also power- washed all the rugs in the house. So they are all clean.
We watched In Harm's Way with John Wayne, and coming from an unbiased John Wayne FAN!!! It was superb, have to say it was one of the best John Wayne movies to date.
We also watched Survivorman. As you know, Brett is the fan, and I usually do not watch this show with him ( Because that Les Stroud is a bit whiny, oh I am so hungry, cold, surviving all alone... boohoo) But I watched this one episode and Les Stroud stated that putting a rope.. YES a ROPE around your camp at night, truly does keep the SNAKES out! So I have been vindicated, and he is now one of my favorite people ever! Go Les Stroud. Obviously, even despite the whiny the man is a genious! I knew it all the time. Brett was in dismay as many a laugh has been had at my expense because I told everyone about the rope around a camp will keep the snakes out! I was right!!!!!
Well, that is about all that has been happening around here. Normalcy is never bad, so I won't complain :)