2009--Changes beyond the two of us

Happy New Year from Mesa! Let me (Tracy) say that while I whined in the summer time about the high desert temps when we first moved here, I understand why most Americans flock to this place in the winter. It has been absolutely beautiful here with mild-warm temperatures and it's very easy to lose track of time. I'm sitting here in my living room with a T-shirt and shorts on with both doors open trying to cool off in the middle of January. You can't beat that for a winter season!!

Jesse and I have been hanging around this crazy city the past 1-2 months as I near my due date: January 24th. It is not our favorite thing to do but we have watched 2 movies at an actual Theater (that's the most I've seen in about 4 years)---Marley and Me/Benjamin Button. Wow...we forgot what it's like to see a movie on a big screen. We have also been blessed to visit with good friends from "up north".

During Jesse's Christmas Break, Ron and Carolyn Lucas (including their dogs Lucky and Lady) were able to spend a few days with us. The last day we went for a 3 mile hike through the Red Mountain Trails north of Mesa. We have known them for our extended time on the Rez and Jesse was a student teacher with Ron during his days in Kayenta. If any of you were at our Wedding in 2003, you would recognize him as the photographer who stood waaaay too close to the edge. (We have another posting from a visit with them in Colorado back in July--see below).
They are family to us!!

Tracy, Ron, Carolyn
December 27, 2008

Just after the New Year we were able to enjoy a cook-out with the Smallcanyons. Mary and Ross were very instrumental in Jesse's teaching career on the reservation and he considers them his "adopted" Navajo family. They have 3 very successful children all attending college here in the city. It was great to have fresh, homemade tortillas that Mary made-----

Mary and Tracy cooking the meat
Can you believe we are having a cookout the beginning of January?

Jesse and Ross at Kiwanis Park in Tempe

2009 brings a huge change in our life---As most of you know our family will expand from just the two of us-----to another. It will be one of the most challenging, rewarding, exciting, humbling and self-sacrificing times of our lives. We thank you all for the support, encouragement and prayers so far....and we just ask that you keep praying for us since we'll need it more after the baby is born, right?

This might be the last posting I will have time for in a very long time.....Hopefully Jesse will have the time and energy to do a posting about the baby when he/she arrives.

Until then.......