trying to find a new normal.  at least i wake up to these eyes which makes my day far from normal. 

i think this one is going on the wall.  

playing with his star wars buddies.  lutas.  love his speech.  sad to think he will grow up and grow out of his cute little quirks. 

kitchen.

had some requests to show the new house.  here is the kitchen.  love it.  

still trying to decide on paint colors for the walls.  after they are painted I can finally hang up my photos that i have been missing since early April when we took all our photos down in our Maricopa house.  Won't truly feel like home until then.

loving the new house, new ward, new location, new school, new teachers, new neighbors.

miss our old friends and think of you often. 

changing.

This week will result in a BIG change in our family.  We will move from our lovely home we've spent the last 7 wonderful years in, and move our family to Gilbert.  It's a bittersweet time for us.
Bitter: We've had so many wonderful memories and made some of the most amazing friends...friendships that are still strong, although friends have come and gone.  Now we are the ones who will be gone.  I've experienced some great highs and lows during this time.  A great time of growth in so many way.  These were some of the best years for me, personally, in so many ways.
Sweet: We are excited to be up in town close to our family that we don't get to see near as often as we'd like to.  We will be closer to David's work.  The kids are in a great school district and I am impressed with the teachers.  Shopping is much closer too. ;)  Want to go to a movie?  just 2 miles away.  the mall? 5 minutes.  costco...just around the corner!  Temple!?...why not!  Just look across the field.  There it is.  no map needed.  If you can't tell, I'm excited for the new changes.

We said goodbye to our San Tan Branch family today.  Kaylee and her sweet primary teacher Leanne had a photo together.  I got to hug my sweet Julio...and many more sweet natives on our way out.  It was 2 years ago exactly that we were called to the Branch.  I've grown to love them so much...and the sweet spirit I feel there...I know when we visit it will be like coming home.  I've been in three different presidencies in three different organizations in those short 2 years.  It will be an adjustment coming to a ward from the branch.  So many people.  150 kids in primary...vs....well...not as many. ;)

Today we attended the last hour of our new ward today and had such a warm welcoming.  We are excited to meet more new friends.  The kids happily went to yet a 4th hour of church...wow.  I'm fortunate to know at least one friend in the new ward.  I already feel at home.

The kids love their new school and new teachers.  Conner is excited to start school as soon as we move.  He loves shadowing me during the day, and is mostly a happy camper when I drag him everywhere to prepare for the move.

Kaylee will be baptized on September 8th.  Family will attend.  All of David's family should be there, as well as my parents and Kelly too.  I'm excited to share this moment with so much family.  Kaylee is so excited to be baptized as well.  She will be baptized in the dress I was baptized in...the baptism dress my mom made for me.  I still need to get photos of her in it.

This week ends the past 4 1/2 months of living with boxes strewn about the house, picture-less walls, playroom boxed and blocked...living out of boxes...and sometimes breaking into them to get something I packed WAY too early. :)  our pantry is just about completely empty...I only have the meals planned until Thursday night...and I only need a pot and maybe some butter to cook these meals.  We will be happy to be back to a normal balanced diet.

After this week....the unpacking and nesting begins.

and oh....then painting begins.  drat!

1514 East Hummingbird Way

After 7 wonderful years down here in Maricopa, we're moving to Gilbert.  We're really excited and nervous about what the future holds for us.  We will be building a house and will be done early August...the BEST time to move in Arizona!

Our cross streets are going to be Germann and Val Vista.  

a photo of the new Gilbert Temple currently under construction from the spec home just 5 properties of where our home will eventually sit.  

We'll be happy to be closer to David's work, which is moving buildings in a couple months, making his commute farther.  He will be much closer to work now.  I'll have my doctors and specialists closer to me, which will keep my weekly travel up to town not such a tax on our car, unhappy ride-alongs (aka: Conner) or gas budget every month.  I am excited to be closer to shopping areas, pools, and parks.  The Gilbert Temple will be only about a mile from our house which I'm really excited about.  We can actually see it from where the new master bedroom window will be.  We will be in a wonderful school district as well...since our current principal has been forced out...which doesn't sit well with me after the great turn-around that was experienced this past year.  I'm kinda done with those politics, so we're off to a better public school system.  We will be nice and close to family finally was well.  It has been hard to come up to town often to celebrate holidays or special occasions due to our location.

I have so many fond and wonderful memories of Maricopa...being in 3 different wards and a branch...making some of the best life long friends that I'm so fortunate to have.  Discovered I had more of a passion than a talent for photography...and this is where it was fostered and nurtured by wonderful friends that had faith in my work....  I'll continue coming down to Maricopa for photo shoots as well...shooting sports actions still for all the Maricopa sports leagues, and any other photo needs of my friends that still want family photos for any occasion.  It was here that some of my worst pain was endured...and overcome with help from the wonderful service of my many friends and family.

I'm going to miss you Maricopa.  In so many good ways...but I'll be back often to visit.

our new street name: Hummingbird.  my mom loves it. :)

new house

lot 53.  our new home site.
(the spec home where all the following photos were taken, is just 5 properties to the right (or east...as the camera is pointed north).

driving to the new Gilbert temple from our house.

as you enter the home. 
stairs on the left with a nook.  stairs are three level.

 i'm standing at the top of the overlook....having come up the three lengths of stairs.  you can see the nook area

 conner is right below the stairs...in a storage area/hallway that curves to the left and ends a few feet later.

kitchen...with pendant lighting.

dining area with sliding glass doors to the back yard

looking from the dining area to the living room.  nice and large.

looking from the dining area into the hallway where the pantry is the first door on the right, the 5th bedroom is the first door on the left and the 3rd bath is the next door on the right.  The garage is the door straight ahead.

pantry heaven!

nice

and 

huge!

to the 5th bedroom entry

5th bedroom

5th bedroom closet

3rd bath

3rd bath

3rd bath and 3rd linen closet

3rd bath tub

side view of kitchen

front view of island and pendant lighting

back view of kitchen island

 dining area light

under stairs storage

turning the corner to the under stairs storage

end of the under stairs storage

coat closet at front entry...to the right when you come into the house.

front door closed and coat closet on the left

three small windows on your way up the stairs

windows on your way up.

at the first landing up the stairs...looking up at the loft.

the view from the first landing on the stairs at the overlook and master bedroom on the left and hallway to the 3 other rooms on the right.

looking down the stairs from first landing to the front door.

loft. huge.

master bedroom. out the window you can see the new gilbert temple. (our house will be only 5 houses west of this house...same vantage point just about.

looking from the master bedroom window to the hallway on the right and the master bath on the left

Gilbert Temple view outside the bedroom!  just under 2 miles away!

entry to master bath (we will have a door on ours)

an extra bedroom....cough...I mean...our CLOSET!!!!

yeah...i said closet!

yup.  think of all the stuff I need to fill it with! ;)

master bath vanity.

toilet room.

toilet

cade at overlook.  going to the other rooms on the left.

  turning the corner.  laundry room is on the left....hall to the other bedrooms is on the right.

laundry room

nice and big...but not huge.

kids bathroom

 hallway to bedrooms

bedroom 3

 bedroom 3 walk in closet

bedroom 2

  
bedroom 2 closet

linen closet 1 outside bedrooms

bedroom 1

bedroom 1 closet and outside you see the linen closet 1

looking outside the master bedroom window

attic door

 back yard

west side of house

east side of house with gate

garage service door (we will be getting this)

 our street.

1514 East Hummingbird Way
Gilber, AZ 85297

 garage 

garage.  in front of you is the entry to the house, to the right is the garage service door to the outside where the trash bins would be located.

the house from the outside...we are not getting this style of elevation....our colors have dark teal shutters, dark chocolate brown pop outs, and cool beige main color.

the garage on the right...you need to turn to get into it...will be quite an experience figuring out how to park our cars!

these are the model home photos that I took...I'll be pointing out what I like...some or most of these things are not going to be in our house, but i like the style of some of these things.

baseboards...square

square sink at kitchen....stainless steel.  looking to get this in the house...i think.

these cabinets are actually darker in person.

backsplash looked neat....but not getting it.

square sinks...planning to get these in all baths...but not the faucet$$$.

i liked the black accents.  want to incorporate black and grey into kaylee's yellow bedroom

 like this wood laminent flooring.  we're planning on doing this instead of tile.  finally!  I need to find some flooring that looks good with the cabinets I'd like to get.

kaylee hearts this room.

love the grey i this house

love this kitchen...dark cabinets with white counters.  i'd do round hardware...the long skinny hardware is too modern.

dual flush toilets....as mom would say: if you go wee wee, press the small button, if you go woo woo, press the big button. :)

like the colors.

love the wall color

dark blue with white trim.

pretty...and pretty expensive.

cute stripes.

love the setup in the loft....

kitchen pendant lighting.

like the headboard...want to make something tall...out of old distressed wood 

cool tile with linen print

blueish grey

the following photos were taken at a different build location...these houses were over 4,000 square feet...and mucho expensive...fun to walk through and loved the master bathroom...as I think you will too!

walk-in, sit down and take a load off shower.

the best bathroom ever!