Stairway to Heaven... I mean Bisbee

Ian and I had been wanting to participate in the annual Bisbee 1000 event here in Arizona, but it is held in October and we will be long gone by then. So we printed out the course and did it anyway today, just the two of us! It is a 5k course (feels more like a 10k) that winds you all throughout the city and hillside of Bisbee. Oh and did I mention that there's 1,000 stairs to climb in the process?  Well there is! Bisbee is an old mining town that is literally carved out of the mountainside and many of the homes only have access via stairway. It's crazy!

Oddly, the route never takes you on this stairway

Beautiful art adorned a cement wall

View atop one stairway

Great Saturday with my man!

The stairs just kept going!

A little "Rocky" celebration after out last stairway

Ian was the fearless tour guide - even though the map was a tad confusing

If anyone will be in the area come mid-October, I think this event would be a great time! 

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In

Can you believe we are already nearing the end of August? I for one am very excited for fall, but that is probably because here in AZ, summer has been here for a long time. I have been told autumn in TN is gorgeous, so I am looking forward to it!

Here is this week's MilSpouse Friday Fill-In, courtesy of Wife of a Sailor.

1. My spouse and I rarely agree on girls names, but we always agree on boys names. No, I am not preggers, but what can I say, I like to be prepared :)

2. If I could use one word to sum up the way I feel right now, it would be pumped! We just got back from an almost 5-mile run and I beat my previous time!

3. One of the things my spouse does that grosses me out is he insists that his workout clothes can be worn more than once, they just need to air dry. Needless to say, I tend to throw them in the hamper when he's not around!

4. My readers may think I'm crazy for doing this, but I really love to:

Pack! I know, I'm nuts, but I love it! Be it to move or just a suitcase for vacation. It's like a puzzle to get everything to fit just right. I really wish the Army movers would let us pack, because it drives me nuts that I can't and have to witness their sporadic packing styles! (I am, however, thankful they do the heaving lifting and transporting of such boxes). 

I also LOVE to wrap presents! I often will wrap friends and family's gifts for others just because I like it so much :) 

5. Frankly, my dear, I don't ever want to deal with RE/MAX property management again!  If anyone is planning on moving to Fort Huachuca in the near future, I would avoid renting through them.

Pantry Purging Recipes

Only two weeks left and we. are. outta. here!! I have officially begun the pantry and refrigerator clean-out process. I hate this part - especially seeing all our half-used condiments and opened goods going down the drain. We try to use or give away as much as possible, but not many people need a half-full bottle of teriyaki sauce!

Here are some yummy recipes we have sampled lately using the majority of items we already had stocked in the pantry but I think they are delicious!

Corny (like me!) Soup
Adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients:
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup diced deli ham - cut extra thing (about 1/4")
3 cups fresh corn kernels - about 4-5 ears depending on size
1/4 tsp dried cilantro
1/2 tsp cumin (or more, to taste)
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1 can navy beans, drained and rinsed
1 can white kidney/cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
28 ounces low-sodium chicken broth
1 (4 oz) can fire roasted diced green chilis (or 2 cans regular)
Plain Greek yogurt
Chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:
Heat oil in dutch oven (or heavy-duty pot) and add in onions and ham. Sauteé until onions are soft and ham begins to turn golden, about 5-8 minutes.

I love my dutch oven! I got it as a wedding gift and use it all the time. 

Add in remaining ingredients. Bring to boil. Cover and let simmer until warm or ready to serve.

Garnish with freshly ground black pepper, Greek yogurt and cilantro.

I have a strong love affair going with Greek yogurt right now. I can't even remember the last time I used sour cream! 

Garlic cheddar biscuits
From the Reduced-Fat Bisquick cookbook

I love Bisquick. I grew up on it! From pancakes, to waffles, to biscuits and more, I have nothing but fond memories coming from that little box. These biscuits are super yummy and even easier to make.

Ingredients: 
2 cups Reduced Fat Bisquick baking mix
2/3 cup skim milk
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tbs margarine or butter
1/4 tsp garlic powder
*I usually add chopped chives or green onions, but the refrigerator fairy failed to supply this time.

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 450°
Stir Bisquick, milk and cheese until soft dough forms. Drop dough by spoonful onto a lined or greased baking sheet.

Bake 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Melt butter in microwave safe dish. Stir in garlic powder. Brush over biscuits. 

The hubby tends to eat these by the dozen! 

Mexican Pizza

I'm afraid I don't have any pictures of this dish...we gobbled it up too quickly! Ian didn't even save any for his lunch :) 

Ingredients:

Boboli or ready-made pizza crust 

1 lb. ground beef or turkey

Taco seasoning (I like the reduced-sodium kind)

1 can Ro*tel Diced tomatoes with green chilis

1 can refried black beans (regular refried beans will work fine)

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar/Mexican cheese

1/4 cup sliced onions

1/4 cup chopped tomatoes

 1/4 cup sliced black olives

Greek yogurt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°

Brown and drain meat and add taco season according to package directions. Stir in Ro*tel tomatoes. Cover and keep over low heat to remain warm. 

Brush pizza crust with olive oil and place in oven for approxmately 5 minutes, or until crust begins to turn golden brown. Remove crust from oven. 

In microwave safe bowl, heat refried beans. 

Spread beans on crust, followed by a layer of meat and then cheese. Top with chopped tomatoes, onions and olives. Return to oven and bake for 5-8 minutes until cheese is melted and heated through. 

Slice and top with a dollop of greek yogurt. (Told you we rarely use sour cream!) 

*I think fresh avocadoes on top would be yummy too and I will have to try next time. 

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In

Happy Friday! I haven't done one of these in a while so I thought it was a good time to get back to it! For more info, check out Wife of a Sailor's blog.

1. The best thing my parents taught me to do when I was a child was: Always, always, always say please and thank you! I can remember my dad pretending he was deaf until the "magic" words were uttered. It was frustrating at times, but well worth it now! I have to say, it drives me batty when I hear young children ordering their parents around (don't even get me started on the behavior I see on Toddlers and Tiaras!) and I know without a doubt that sort of behavior would NOT of been tolerated in our household! On that same train of thought, I cannot thank my mom enough for always insisting that we send thank you notes for everything, no matter how big or small. I know I always appreciate it when I receive one, plus I just think it is the polite and gracious thing to do!

2. However, one thing I wish they did differently was: Wow! This is a toughie! I would say teach my brother and me some household chores that aren't generally common for our gender. I, to this day, have not one clue how to even start a lawn mower! I know I will make Ian teach me though because when he deploys it will be my job (What's the average cost for a lawn boy these days? hehe). I can bet, like my husband, my brother probably can't cook much unless it comes out of a toaster! Hopefully when we have children we will mix it up a bit. Although I do have a great example in that my dad traditionally does most of the ironing. I think Ian should follow in that tradition :) Sorry, Mom and Dad - they made me pick something!

3. One thing I have always wanted to try but haven't is: Skydiving! I have always wanted to go but haven't yet. Plus I don't want to go just for the sake of going, I want it to be for a special celebration or at least some place really incredible and beautiful!

How incredible would this be?!

4. One thing I never thought I'd try but have is: Bungee jumping! I always wanted to skydive but never wanted to bungee jump. Weird right? Doesn't make sense to me either! But when I was in South Africa, the majority of the people in our group were going, and it is the world's highest bungee  (216 meters) so the competitive side of me knew I had to do it. And it was A.M.A.Z.I.N.G!! The world goes silent after you jump and it is the most breathtaking, exhilarating (terrifying) experience! I highly recommend it!

Me! 

The bridge we jumped from

On a high afterwards! 

5. If I could give my 16-year-old self one piece of advice I'd tell myself: When you go to college, get a degree for something you can do anywhere since you will be marrying an Army boy and will have to move all over!

All Is Not Quiet On The Job Front!

Isn't it funny how sometimes things happen when you least expect it? That God I tell ya, He likes to keep you on your toes!

You may know I have been struggling with the notion of being a stay-at-home-mom, sans children, and whether this is the best fit for me. (Read about My Job(less) Conundrum). Ian and I spent a lot of time discussing this and I also prayed and did some soul-searching. It just may be that God was listening and has given me an answer when I wasn't expecting it!

I hope I am not jinxing anything by sharing this with you, but I can't keep it in any longer! I may have already landed a job in Clarksville! Here's how:

While house hunting, I went in to meet with my lender, who voiced that she was impressed with my organization skills when I gave her all our information. (Told you I was a bit Type A!) She may have been joking when she asked if I was looking for a job, but my mom and I eagerly answered a resounding "Yes!" We got to talking and turns out she is looking for someone to begin work this fall, with a marketing background, to deal with incoming clients from a recent merger. She asked for my resume and I emailed it to her that afternoon!

We met again before I left to go over more lending documents, but in our conversation she made sure I wouldn't hold back any questions for fear of not impressing her, especially since, she reassured me, I would be shadowing her and learning from her directly. (Believe me, I did not hold back any questions!) This gesture impressed me however. She also told me how it is a small and close-knit office, her aunt even operates the front desk! I got a very warm feeling every moment I was there.

I got an email earlier this week from our lender letting me know that I can be expecting a call from their home office for a phone interview! She didn't say when but did call me today to tell me about some other good news (lower interest rate!) and explained that the interview is really more of a formality and also that the position would definitely be full-time.

Absolutely nothing is official yet, and we still have to hammer out some logistics (ie salary, holiday pay, duties) and I of course have to represent myself well during the phone interview. I do, however, get a really good feeling from this! So please, fingers crossed, prayers said, and good juju sent this way would be highly appreciated! 

Also, in case you were wondering about my dental assistant aspirations, I have in no way dropped this idea, but by the time we arrive in Clarksville I will have missed the start of the classes at the two nearest schools, both of which only start once a year. So it is on the back burner for now!

Wish me luck! :)

Planning, Plotting and Perusing

We are painfully inching closer to our move! Three weeks from now we will be on the road!

Until then I have spent my days, among other things, building piles like this:

My mind literally will not let me stop envisioning our new home and all the ways I want to decorate it! I have lists, magazines bookmarked, paint swatches, files, and more all on decor alone! Am I ridiculous? Absolutely! But I can't help it! 

It seems our television is set to one channel and one channel only, unless True Blood or Jersey Shore are on of course (don't judge me!) and that is: 

I am especially loving Bang For Your Buck but Property Virgins and My First Place are regulars as well.

Generally while I am watching HGTV I will have my computer on my lap, surfing through a number of my favorite home improvement blogs. I would have to say the one that inspires me the most is Thrifty Decor Chick, and if my home could resemble her home I would be one happy camper! 

My friend Ashley also made the mistake of introducing me to a little website called Pinterest and poor Ian has barely seen me since. It's a great resource for all elements in life - home decor inspiration, recipes, travel, photography, great reads, and more! You can create your own profile and add "pins" in all categories that interest you. Plus you can follow your friends and they can follow you! It will be very helpful come Christmas and gift-giving time! If you would like an invite to join please let me know...I would love to follow you!  The one caveat - I do not have nearly enough money in the bank to do all that I see on this site! This sadly true piece cleverly sums it up: 

So onto you: Do you have favorite blogs you love? Websites you can't turn away from? Clever thrifty decor ideas I can steal? :) 

House Update!

Is August over yet? I just want to get to our new home! (And out of Arizona!)

The closing process is moving along swimmingly! Here's a brief update on what has been going on.

We had the inspection and were happy with the findings! The sellers agreed to fix the following:

• Replace missing shingles on roof and repair/replace plumbing vent pipe boots on the roof that were cracked. (Anyone know what these "boots" are?) 
• Correctly wire an electrical switch in the garage
• Fix the laundry room faucet so that hot water does not drip when turned off. 
• Repair/replace missing and damaged insulation to the A/C unit. 
• Repair/replace window sash spring in an upstairs window
• Dry the condensation and dripping water found in the crawl space under the home. They will be replacing insulation, secure a dry foundation, and will  treat/remove fungi spores through a licensed company. (This is the item where we are most concerned but from what I gather, this is a common issue in TN due to the high humidity.) 

The items we will be responsible for are:

• Getting the fireplace professionally cleaned before use in the fall
• Replacing a missing bathtub drain stop
• Replace missing shower rods 

Though there are some areas we definitely want fixed, overall we were happy with the inspection report. We were especially nervous because our home was previously a foreclosure that has been flipped very recently so we are unaware of the condition of the home before hand. Thankfully everything will be fixed! 

In other house news, the VA Loan requires an appraisal of the home to take place to ensure that we are not overpaying (and thus being over-lent too much money) for the home. This was done and everything came back good! We also have had our loan approved by the underwriter! Yay!  

Next up is a pest/termite inspection and the items to be fixed per the inspection! Then we are ready to move forward with closing! According to the mortgage company, we are ahead of schedule considering we aren't closing until the end of the month. 

Lastly, I found a link with pictures to the way our home used to be. Can you say ugly paint job? I mean seriously, who picked the colors? A color-blind person perhaps?? Pictures of our home pre-flip.

We feel extremely blessed at how smoothly the process has been going so far and pray it will continue this way!