Ahhhh....

While the rest of the country is enjoying the onset of autumn and bracing for winter -- those of us here in Phoenix are still dealing very much with summer.  As I write this, it is 99 degrees.  They say it feels like 94 -- but what does that mean really?  It's still just hot.  We are supposed to get back up in the triple digits this weekend.  Sigh.  Then maybe a cooling trend?  Low 90's and finally down into the 70's over night.  That sounds like bliss right now.

Anyway.  I digress...

No doubt about it, it gets hot here.  When one is taking a "little" along for the ride not only does mama get a bit hotter in the process but the baby has no fun being placed in a usually warm car seat/carrier.  Poor Little Flower will go from a nice cool building to a HOT car where her seat has been as well.  When I look back at her, shock (and worry) fills me.  Her face is flush and when I pull her out of the seat she's all sweaty.  Yes, the AC is on full blast.  Those rear facing seats don't allow the air to flow that's for sure.

I have been eyeing this Cold Seat for quite some time.  I have friends that have made their own versions of it.  However, I am not quite that talented at the sewing machine.  I tried just tossing some ice packs in the seat and it was just messy and cumbersome.  So, when GoGo Natural offered 40% off of the Cold Seat I couldn't resist.  Yes, I do realize the hottest temperatures are behind us and we are using a different car seat now.  However, it was delightful to put Little Flower in her seat and not have it be super hot or worry about the buckles burning her.  I feel like it was well worth the buy.  Plus, there is always next summer and we hope more kiddos to come. 

Who knows, we may have to buy another?  I'd be okay with that.  :)

Crashing Crystal

"My messages will be very light on Scripture.  They'll be stories, primarily with lessons.  They'll be biblical concepts, but my platform on the 'Hour of Power' and the cathedral on Sunday mornings is as an outreach to the unchurched."

-Shelia Schuller Coleman, who will succeed her father, Robert Schuller at the Crystal Cacthedral, saying her sermons won't sound like those of a preacher.

 

(Modern Reformation, September/October 2009, p.4)

Interesting, because I thought that Sunday's were for worship and the reading of the Word.

Lessons from Lack of an Air Conditioner

Awhile back I posted this article about a Valley couple who vow not to use their air conditioner for a year on Facebook. It's an interesting read to be sure.

This last weekend we noticed that something was sounding a bit off with our air conditioner. We called the repair folks and they were knocking on our door early Monday morning. They told us what part was broken and then said, "it could keep going like this forever. However, it would be good to fix it now." So we made arrangements to have it fixed once the parts would arrive. Little did we know that "forever" would quickly arrive that evening!  Sigh.

The first night we did pretty well and we just stayed under the fans.  This would also be what we all did Tuesday.  Nothing, and I do mean nothing, got done Tuesday.  Move out from the fans and we started to sweat right away.  The high temp in the house was 90-degrees.  What it came down to was how well Lily fared with it all.  She was great... not a whimper... which is more than I can say for her mother.

Here's what I learned:

1. Ceiling fans are a survival tool in the desert.  I finally get it.
2. The repair man can never come early enough.
3. The heat really does permeate EVERYTHING.  My pajamas felt like they had come straight from the dryer and there was no "cool spot" on the bed.  We don't warm Miss L's  bottles and yet they were warm.  The chocolate in the candy bowl melted.
4. Babies are tougher than we think they are.
5. My daughter can teach me contentment in a variety of situations.
6. I am thankful for air conditioner.
7. I still think the people in the article are a little off kilter.

I am sure there were more things but this is what I really think about right now.  However, the air conditioner is fixed and the house is nice and cool.  It almost seemed cold as it was cooling down.  That's fine.  I'd rather shiver a bit than sweat.  It's true.

Something New

I am ready for the fall season to begin.  I long for the changing of the leaves.  Although, that doesn't happen here.  I long for cooler weather... which may be, in part, due to the fact that our AC is out and it's about 83 degrees in the house.  On the up side, the repair man is here as I type.  There will be dancing when he is finished.

In a nutshell, here's what has been going on here...

July could not go by fast enough.  My grandmother died on the 1st which was quite expected.  We had her funeral on the 4th in Nebraska.  Soon after that Husband and I headed to New Mexico to help finish packing my dad's house.  While there I found out that my cousin passed away.  Her funeral was on the 25th and I was off to Nebraska yet again.  It was just a hard month and I was glad to see it end.

August then went by entirely too fast!  My dad moved in with us as he searched for a new house here in the Valley.  Oh yes, did I mention that my dad is moving out here?  Yes, we never thought it would happen but here he is adjusting to the heat quite well.  He purchased a house in Surprise and closed on it yesterday.  Let me just say, September is moving as fast as August!

Soon it will be Christmas...

...okay, so I have a new post up and I am going to work on some other things that I thought have been interesting over the last few weeks.  Hopefully, you will find them equally as interesting.