Visiting Tessha in Arizona

I had the opportunity to go and visit Will's sister in Arizona.  Tessha and I have always gotten along great, and when she extended the invitation to me, I just couldn't say no.

I'd never really visited Arizona before, just driven through it.  So it was a whole new experience for me.  While I was there, along with helping Tessha to organize her new apartment, we also took some road trips to an old western ghost town and the town of Sedona.  

I know Will doesn't really like the rough red terrain of this southern state, but I found it completely beautiful and fascinating. I had never seen red rocks like this in my life. It mystified me.

And of course last but not least, a shot of Tessha's apartment that I decorated for her! Haha :) I hung up photos and basically unpacked for her.  The poor girl had been working so much she didn't have any time to do it for herself.  And the best part was that I got to hang out at the pool, read books, and enjoy the 90 degree sunshine when it was probably raining and 50 degrees in Seattle. Woohoo!

Grand Piano! Finally!

This is us, in a cleared room...sitting, waiting.

What are we waiting for you ask?

This!!

The next day a beautiful thing called a grand piano came into our homes with welcomed arms...

And our office was now twice as squished as we had to put the oversized chair in there to make room for the piano in the living room.

Getting this piano has a long story to it.  Do you want to hear the quick version?

I've spent the last however many months looking on Craigslist, going to piano stores, auctions, music stores going out of business...you name it....looking for a piano.  I'd gotten tired of playing on my keyboards and thought it was high time to finally get a piano.  BUT, didn't really think I could afford a new one obviously, but didn't want to settle for a really bad one either.

At first I thought I could buy an old grand piano and fix it up. I went to several places that I found on Craigslist looking for an antique piano for a good deal.  However I always ended up sorely disappointed.  One place I went to, the guy operated out of a storage unit restoring pianos and I found out that he was just putting decals on pianos to say they were a certain brand when they really weren't.

I started to get discouraged and think that maybe I would never find a piano.  I thought maybe I should just rent one from a piano store.  But then...one fine day, I found a woman on Craigslist who wanted to lease her piano out to a good person.  She'd owned it her entire life, but didn't play any more, and wanted it to be used by someone who would play it.

We went over to her home in Seattle, played it, talked with her, and we made the deal.  A STEAL of a deal.  We were able to rent the piano for the same price per month that a really crappy upright would rent for from a piano store.  I was ecstatic.

It was a bit of a process getting it here, with the piano movers ($$$), and we also had to get renter's insurance and a bunch of other little details that the owner wanted to be sure of.  But in the end...it all worked out and now we have a beautiful 6 foot Kawai grand piano in our apartment. Only problem is, it's going to be really LOUD. :)

Seattle Symphony with Friends

We had a super fun double date with our friends, Aaron & Erika.  We went to dinner at a fine Italian restaurant in downtown Seattle on Olive Street, and then went to the Marvin Hamlesch concert with the Seattle Symphony.  It was a lot of fun - and even moreso to get all dressed up!

Impromptu Ferry Ride

What could possibly be better than a bowl of hot Ivar's clam chowder...

...and an impromptu midnight ferry ride with your husband?

Hmm, honestly, I'm not really sure.  It's pretty darn good.

Sock Hop Dance

I was asked to perform the Orange Blossom Special with a local band that performed at our ward's Valentine Sock Hop Dance.  It was a fun time!