Matthieu.us

Toby and Londa go to TX

2012-02-01T19:55:00.001-07:00

Last weekend, Londa and I went to TX for her birthday weekend. We were able to visit Steve and Nikki and the kids as well as see her home for the first time. We saw CeeCee's work as well. Had a few "I want that..." moments in the store, but that passed.

Happy Valentines from Phoenix

2012-01-29T16:20:00.005-07:00

Love Chris, Beth, Cody and Victoria

Christopher's B-day

2012-01-26T20:45:00.005-07:00

Chris' favorite cake ended up being the second star of the day. It's the famous mississippi mud cake made from scratch with love. A recipe handed down by his grandma Virginia. Birthday's are so special! It's great to celebrate with the one I love. XOXO

pictures on my camera. :)

2012-01-18T23:39:00.002-07:00

Happy N.Y.

2011-12-31T12:41:00.007-07:00

As 2011 winds down it's nice to count our many blessings & remember all we learned this past year.

We sincerely hope that you all have a healthy and prosperous new year! We are so excited about 2012!!!

P.S. When looking back on this last year I realized that we don't remember the days we remember the moments.
Love,
Chris, Beth, Cody and Victoria

New Border Patrol Program :: Drones

2011-12-30T00:00:00.001-07:00

Everyone in Arizona received an AR Drone for Christmas :)

Merry Christmas

2011-12-28T14:28:00.001-07:00

Merry Christmas everyone! Tori and I were entertaining everyone with Wii games :)

Dad and Trish's new house

2011-12-26T20:24:00.003-07:00

Just a few photos of Dad and Trish's new house in Las Vegas from my trip a couple of weeks ago. Did not get one in front but they have a huge, pretty back yard. The little gray dog in the picture with the pool is Teddy, Trish's Lhasa Apso.

Christian Shooting the M4

2011-12-11T11:36:00.001-07:00

Madeline Shooting my new M4

2011-12-10T21:43:00.001-07:00

No Fear with that one!

Christmas Lights are Lit

2011-12-07T12:44:00.001-07:00

w00t! Our Christmas lights are now lit up!

Victoria's 2011 Christmas Concert

2011-12-03T00:15:00.001-07:00

Alpha Driver on Board

2011-12-02T17:08:00.001-07:00

Victoria turned 15 on September 30th and is all of a sudden very interested in driving (go figure). In Arizona, you can get your driver's permit at 15 and a half years old which allows you to drive with a licensed adult. We decided to take her down to the church's parking lot on a quite afternoon to get a little practice ahead of time and she did exceptionally well.

Even a local roadrunner stopped by to check out her new driving skillz!

Happy Birthday and Anniversary Beth!

2011-12-02T17:03:00.001-07:00

Along with our 21st Wedding Anniversary and Thanksgiving, Beth celebrated her birthday in the same week! We bought her a Baskin Robbins ice cream cake that looked like a Thanksgiving turkey. Luckily it was delicious and tasted better than it looked!

We celebrated our Anniversary at the Compass Room at the top of the Hyatt overlooking Phoenix. It's a rotating restaurant on top of one of the tallest buildings in downtown Phoenix. I think we went around the city twice!

Victoria's 2011 Christmas Concert

2011-12-01T22:50:00.001-07:00

Victoria sang in several acts in today's high school Christmas concert but stole the show in her solo act singing Beautiful by Christina Aguilera. It was...well...beautiful :)

Goodbye Buddy. We will miss you.

2011-12-01T07:57:00.001-07:00

Buddy passed away last night after battling cancer for nearly 3 years. He was 13 years old and practically part of our family. We will miss him greatly but at least we know that he is in a better place now.

Buddy was such a character. He enjoyed dressing up for Halloween and Christmas in doggy outfits including: Santa, a lobster, a cowboy, and a police officer. He also went by the following aliases: Bubba, Bubba Jones, and Mr. Jones depending on which vet's office he was visiting.

I can still remember the day we met Buddy. Cody was 6 and Victoria was 2 years old. We drove out to Glendale to meet with a couple who had a litter of Basset Hounds. Buddy was one of a dozen brothers and sisters. The couple had nicknamed him "Squeezy" because he was caught squeezing through their gate on several occasions as he tried to explore his surroundings. He rode in the backseat on Victoria's lap to his new home, ours.

We had another Basset Hound at the time named Matrix. She took Buddy in as her own puppy and taught him how to pee like a girl dog and burry bones in the yard. These were skills that Buddy enjoyed throughout his whole life.

We will miss you Buddy.

Barber Motorsports Museum Pics

2011-11-29T19:24:00.001-07:00

On Monday Night, I attended a catered dinner at this museum. They told us it was the 2nd largest Motorcycle museum in the world. It was awesome. ALL the motorcycles were in immaculate condition. I wish that I would have had more time to spend there.. Spent more time talking Caterpillar than I did looking at motorcycles.

Toby's Green Egg Turkey

2011-11-29T19:19:00.001-07:00

Killer Green Egg Turkey. Last years smoked Turkey didn't turn out so good. I owed Londa a good Turkey and needed redeem myself. Londa and I call it the "Redemption Turkey".

Pulling off the Butt

2011-11-21T17:00:00.001-07:00

Narrated by Christian !

Putting on the Butt

2011-11-21T16:53:00.001-07:00

Smoked a Pork Butt on Friday night. I will post a couple of videos. Gotta love the Egg!

Few Misc pictures

2011-11-12T10:51:00.001-07:00

"Gumbo" apron mama bought me, Madeline shooting pop pop's old .22 rifle, and a picture of Christian and Madeline at the Skeet Range.

Madeline Skeet Shooting

2011-11-12T10:47:00.001-07:00

I took Christian and Madeline out akeet shooting a few weekends back. Madeline is using Christian's youth 20 Gauge here.

Trip to Flagstaff

2011-10-19T17:58:00.003-07:00

Six of my college friends and I spent almost a week in Flagstaff, AZ. We rented a fantastic house and had a great time. We also visited Prescott, Sedona, Sunset Crater, some Indian ruins and took the train to the Grand Canyon. It was a memorable week!

Archie and Darwin

2011-10-10T16:48:00.002-07:00

Archie spent part of a week with his pal Tippy and his owner, my friend Iola. She recently acquired three baby desert tortoises as pets and so Archie was introduced to Darwin, one of them. Later he went hiking in the desert. I think he had a very good time!

Knight in Regalia

2011-10-09T20:24:00.000-07:00

I was honored to help the Columbian Squires present the Silver Rose to Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Trick or Treat Came Early This Year

2011-10-09T19:59:00.000-07:00

We had a visit from 4 javalinas last night who ate 2 of our pumpkins sitting on the bench by our front door. They were caught in the act but I didn't feel like wrestling them for the pumpkins back.

New Orleans Street Jazz

2011-10-07T10:21:00.002-07:00

NOLA

2011-10-03T22:14:00.001-07:00

I attended a conference in New Orleans last week and took in the sites and food!

Birthday Bowling Party Video

2011-10-02T20:25:00.002-07:00

Victoria's 15th Birthday Bowling Party

2011-10-02T20:22:00.001-07:00

Yarnell

2011-09-29T21:36:00.004-07:00

I've been weekending at the Yarnell house. Took a bunch of pictures so I can try to get a seasonal (3-4 month) rental. Still need a few cosmetics - new bedspread (lighter color), fix the washer, hang some pictures. But it's looking good!

Get Well Soon, Mom

2011-09-18T23:31:00.002-07:00

Nikki and I were able to meet up in Louisiana to help Mom recover from her surgery. She was in the hospital for 10 days and went home on Saturday feeling better but still requiring some assistance. Here are a few great photos from the trip:

Conference Speaker

2011-09-06T18:59:00.002-07:00

I was fortunate to speak on the Software-as-a-Service panel representing Tropo at the Madison Ruby Conference, a conference for Ruby programmers.

Chris' New Jambox

2011-09-06T18:11:00.004-07:00

Check out my new Jawbone Jambox! It's a bluetooth speaker box (6 speakers) and speaker phone and can be paired wirelessly (up to 30 feet away) with my computer, iphone, ipad, even my ham radio. I'm loving it!!!

Londa's new Washer and Dryer

2011-09-01T18:04:00.003-07:00

Last set made it 11 years. The dryer pooped out. I fixed it a couple of years ago but this time, Londa is done with it. It will be nice to have the extra capacity. To put it in Londa's words "Kids aren't getting any smaller and the clothes don't wash themselves". Took her a while to pick out the pair she wanted and find the right deal.

We were going to buy Whirlpool but have had such fits with out new Whirlpool Gold Microwave that we abstained. Customer service was HORRIBLE.

Anyway... Here is a pic.

Christian at the Gun Range

2011-08-14T07:09:00.003-07:00

I took Christian shooting yesterday to get his mind off Chloe. He is shooting my 1911 in this clip.

Goodbye to Chloe

2011-08-13T19:20:00.003-07:00

On Friday, August 12th, I signed the papers to put Chloe to sleep and said goodbye. She was 17 years old and we had her since she was a puppy. Her weight had dropped substantially in recent months and she was having trouble eating, walking, etc... Londa took her into the vet on Friday morning and was given the unfortunate news that her time with us needed to end. The kids are taking it pretty hard as is expected. Londa and I think about her regularly in the absence of her nails clicking on the wood floors. It is a sound that we have heard in the house for years. Gone silent overnight. I do not expect us to get another dog but did not realize just how connected we all were to her. She will be missed.

2011-08-10T19:44:00.004-07:00

This is the rest of the process. Sarah now has a fully decorated room, which we still need a few pics of. We will install a ceiling fan soon, now she is using a floor fan. She is in heaven and her sisters are now hanging in her new room. We are all pretty happy! cant wait to show more pics! We LOVE the door casing we installed! Thanks for allowing me to share with you through this process. It was fun to have feedback and encouragement!

2011-08-10T19:41:00.002-07:00

Here is the drywall and finished wall in the formal dining area! We looked for wall art today, but it's still a process!

Sarah's Room!

2011-08-10T19:35:00.003-07:00

Well, here is the early beginning of the project. We added a total of 3 outlets. 2 in Sarahs room and 1 in the dining room. We also had to move 2 switches!

Knights Online

2011-08-02T21:45:00.004-07:00

I am honored to have been selected to help revive our Knights of Columbus online and social strategies to increase participation, awareness, and recruiting online. Being a new Knight, my first observation is that we need a simple and consistent brand online for

our website and social sites like Facebook and Twitter. I was able to register http://vivatjes.us and redirect it to our existing website (http://kofc10062.org/). We were also able to gain enough Facebook "likes" to register the name VivatJesus as our new Facebook page (http://facebook.com/VivatJesus). Note: We now have nearly 50 Knights that have "liked" our new Facebook page! I am also working to secure @VivatJesus on Twitter for us as well (http://twitter.com/VivatJesus).

I hope to have an updated website online within the next couple of months with social features that integrate well with Facebook and Twitter so that we can all contribute to the content online on a regular basis. Our online presence (especially on the social networks) will play an important role in keeping our council better connected as well as in recruiting new Knights in our community and beyond. With more that 750M people on Facebook, we have an opportunity to spread our word much farther than Ahwatukee alone.

I am now writing a monthly article in the KofC newsletter called Knights Online!

Disney Audition!

2011-07-24T19:36:00.002-07:00

Victoria was asked to audition for a new Disney Channel pilot TV show tomorrow! She has lines to memorize and was also asked to sing a song for the audition as well.

Keep your fingers crossed everyone!

Victoria Matthieu Performs The MINT!

2011-07-24T19:00:00.003-07:00

Victoria rocked the house at The MINT in LA at the Hollywood School of Pop!

Hollywood School of Pop

2011-07-17T00:08:00.000-07:00

Victoria sang at the opening nite of Hollywood School of Pop!

Christian and Gabrielle would like to start posting...

2011-07-16T13:06:00.002-07:00

Chris -- How can I set up Gabrielle and Christian so they can post here? No promisses on my ability to limit how many lego gun pics we start seeing on the blog though......

Random Pictures

2011-07-16T12:59:00.003-07:00

Londa and Christian get Baptized

2011-07-12T19:13:00.002-07:00

On Sunday June 26th, Londa and Christian took the next step in their walk with Christ Although both had accepted Christ into their hearts prior to the baptism, the act of being baptised publicly declared their commitment to follow Christ. It was a great day. We had plenty of church friends there as well as Granny and the rest of our family. In excess of 150 people chose to get baptized on this Sunday. I am so very proud of both of them. Christian was so proud that his Granny was able to be there to witness this big step. Matthew 28:18 - 20

Building Sarah's room!

2011-07-12T18:33:00.004-07:00

Here we are! With kids graduating and wanting to stay home and commute to college, we are closing in one room downstairs.Sarah's presentation and mock room on a poster board was so amazing, we agreed! Sarah's been very involved. She is such a big help! It is mind blowing on how fast they grow up! We will continue to update you all!

Madeline goes to Horse Camp

2011-07-12T17:49:00.003-07:00

A few weeks ago, Madeline went to horse camp in Peoria, IL. She spent a full week at a Girl Scout Camp learning how to work with and care for horses. She had a great time. Both of her other sisters wanted to go next year until Madeline told them about the "Wolf Spiders" that live outdoors and in the trees. Madeline seemed to enjoy it and is hardly bothered by the stray insects. She is a VERY independent young lady with an adventurous spirit.

One More Skeet Video

2011-07-11T20:20:00.002-07:00

Christian Skeet Shooting

2011-07-11T20:15:00.002-07:00

Great little video of Christian shooting this weekend.

Awesome Storm

2011-07-05T21:47:00.002-07:00

Wiw! What a night! We had a HUGE dust storm (called a haboob) come though Phoenix tonight that had winds up to 80 miles per hour in some places (not here) and covered about 35 miles. I opened the door outside and a ton of dust blew in in an instant! Pictures on azcentral.com are pretty dramatic - just type "dust" and you get over 200 shots of this monster. Dust everywhere, now we can expect thunderstorms. The good news is that it should also cool down from 102, which would be nice.

Lady with the floppy hat! :)

2011-06-24T18:38:00.001-07:00

We took Granny for a short tour of Concordia on Tuesday! We had Dakarai for the week!

Big Green Egg Ad

2011-06-16T22:13:00.001-07:00

One for my Bro. I saw this advertisement in the San Francisco airport. Enjoy :)

More Photos from the Knighting

2011-06-12T22:19:00.003-07:00

Sir Knight Christopher!

2011-06-12T10:09:00.007-07:00

I received the 4th and final degree in the Knights of Columbus yesterday and hold the honorary title of Sir Knight in the order. It was a beautiful ceremony that lasted most of the day. I was especially happy to celebrate this amazing event with Beth and the Grand Knight of our council, Tom Kato, and recruiter, Bill Drummey.

The Knights of Columbus is a very special organization consisting of over 1.8 million Catholic men strong focused on Charity, Unity, Fraternity, Patriotism. I am looking forward to becoming even more involved in this amazing organization!

Vivat Jesus!

Grandma's new dog

2011-06-11T07:02:00.005-07:00

Meet Daisy Too, my new dog. She is tiny and cute, makes Charlie look like a giant!! I am so happy to have her, although she came to me through tragic circumstances. Her owners, an elderly couple that befriended your Grandpa Matthieu and me years ago, were killed Tuesday in a head on collision here in Arizona, leaving five homeless dogs. Through the kindness of a relative, I have now taken Daisy into my house where I hope she will be very happy. She is smart, feisty (scared Charlie for a whole day!) and very loving. I hope you can meet her in person soon.

More Graduation

2011-06-07T06:26:00.006-07:00

Had a great time at Cee Cee's graduation! Here are a few more photos....It was a great party and we are all very proud of her accomplishment. Nikki took pictures of her college, hope she will post some of them, it is a new, small campus set in a wooded area and I think CeeCee will be very happy there (hint, hint, Nikki).

Disneyworld Pics.

2011-06-02T19:54:00.002-07:00

The family went to Disneyworld last week. All had a great time!

CeeCee Graduation

2011-05-29T11:19:00.003-07:00

Isn't she just too grown up? It seems like just yesterday she was born!! She has chosen Concordia College and will begin in the Fall 2011! She is very excited. We will take Mom and dad to tour the campus tomorrow!

PopstarDiva Concert

2011-05-13T17:53:00.002-07:00

Victoria's high school put on a choir concert and auditioned solos, duets, and group performances for an evening of entertainment. Victoria participated in 5-6 of the acts. Here are a few photos from the event! The last photo is Victoria and her friend, Layla. They had a duet together in the show.

Baby Kittens

2011-05-13T17:48:00.002-07:00

Beth and Victoria volunteer at the kitten rescue program at PetSmart. A lady came in with 4 baby kittens that were found in a Dumpster. They were too little to adopt and the pound was going to put them down so Beth took them in to feed until they reach 2 pounds to adopt.

Family of the Year

2011-05-09T23:38:00.003-07:00

We were honored to be awarded the Family of the Year award from Corpus Christi Catholic Church for our catechism teachings of 6-8 graders this year. It's true that you receive more than you give.

2011-05-05T06:57:00.003-07:00

Sure is quiet around here. I hope everyone is doing ok.

Toby, did you guys get any problems from the tornados? It sounded pretty scary out your way....

Nikki, how's everyone? Steve doing ok?

Chris - are you back?

Pocqueting Easter Eggs!

2011-04-24T15:46:00.003-07:00

No matter how you spell it, pocqueting Easter Eggs is a fun and long-time tradition at the Matthieu's house for Easter. I think that Victoria was the winner again this year.

Ahwatukee Easter Parade

2011-04-24T15:31:00.002-07:00

iPhone 4 Vapor Pro Black Ops Case

2011-04-22T18:24:00.002-07:00

Coolest iPhone Case ever. Just came in today. Londa wants my head examined for the price I paid for this thing. Little does she know that you can't put a price on cool. Well.... Chuck Norris can but us common folk can't.

Galapagos 3

2011-04-20T15:48:00.003-07:00

Closeup of a green iguana; baby tortoises at the "nursery", view of the harbor from my porthole, a blue footed boobie, and a whole bunch of marine iguanas sunning themselves

More Galapagos

2011-04-20T15:43:00.004-07:00

Male frigate bird trying to attract ladies, a big old tortoise, penguin and sea lion, our ship the Endeavour, and a land iguana watching us (or is it the other way around?).

Trip to Galapagos

2011-04-20T15:38:00.004-07:00

Here are a few pictures from the trip. More on next post...three sea lions coming to visit on the beach (we got chased by the big old guy with whiskers), a marine iguana, our ship close up, one of the flamingos we saw, and a Sally Lightfoot crab, one of very, very many.

Where in the world is Grandma?

2011-04-10T20:03:00.001-07:00

On vacation. Tell me where on email and I'll post some pictures at the end of the week. Having a great time!

Dad's New Rig

2011-04-07T07:33:00.002-07:00

Dad sent this to me yesterday. Looks Big. It is a 32' 2011 Fourwinds Serrano

More Pics from the Smoky Mountains

2011-03-31T19:39:00.002-07:00

More cool pictures from our Spring Break Vacation

Zip Line in The Smokey Mountains

2011-03-25T17:25:00.003-07:00

Kids enjoyed some zip-line entertainment on Spring break! Mom, Dad, Grandma and Grandpa Brooks even joined in the fun.

Blue Snake

2011-03-19T14:04:00.004-07:00

Here is a photo of a BLUE snake I found. Isn't it just BEAUTIFUL? I have not been able to find out what kind it is. We also saw a turtle and a really cool lizard! Got to admit. The snake was my highlight!

Hiking Hoods

2011-03-19T13:58:00.002-07:00

Hey,

we went hiking today. Here is a photo of Ciana, their friend

Kelsey and Elicia. It was a beautiful day!! They swam in the freezing water out there and we hiked back. We think we did about a 6 mile hike.

Del Mar Beach

2011-03-17T18:23:00.002-07:00

San Diego Day 2

2011-03-16T18:07:00.002-07:00

San Diego Vacation Day 1

2011-03-15T21:37:00.004-07:00

Matthieu family vacation in San Diego! We needed a little R&R more than we thought.

Winterjam 2011 Nashville

2011-03-14T06:38:00.003-07:00

So...... Chattanooga on Saturday all day and Sunday morning then Winterjam Sunday night. This was an awesome Christian Rock concert. Dad sprung for the VIP tickets (Badges, shirts, early entrance to the arena....) so we got some of the best seats in the house. Christian was able to meet one of his favorite artists, KJ 52. We saw 10 different bands including performances but Newsboys, David Crowder Band, Sidewalk Profets, Chris August etc. We were tired from the weekend but the music pepped us right up. We had to miss church on Saturday so spending Sunday night in praise completed the weekend. If you ever have a chance to go to a Winterjam, I would highly advise it.

The guys on platforms are the Newsboys. The guys signing Christian's CD are the Sidewalk Profets. And of course, KJ 52 and Christian in the other pic! Can't forget the other PIC of Christian and "The Old Man". I am so very proud of the young man Christian is becoming.

Day in Chattanooga

2011-03-14T06:21:00.003-07:00

Londa and I took the kids to Chattanooga EARLY Saturday morning. We left the house at 5:00am so that we could attend a breakfast at the Cat Dealer (Open house event). Londa and the kids had the pleasure of meeting all the wonderful folks at Stowers Equipment. I am so blessed to be surrounded by these great dealers. After breakfast, we spent the day with Stowers' General Sales Manager (Rhey) and visited the Aquarium then breakfast Sunday morning. Chloe slept at Rhey's house so she didn't have to go into a kennel. Just an all-around fun trip!

The boy Christian is with in the picture is Rhey's son. He and Christian hung out a lot. Christian has always wanted a younger brother. I think he really enjoyed the time with little Noah.

Tori's Choir Performs

2011-03-08T16:46:00.003-07:00

Tori's choir performed last night at the high school theater. They sounded amazing!

Many of their songs were the same ones that they performed at Disneyland last weekend. They won two silver plaques and a spirit award!

Poor Car

2011-02-28T20:43:00.002-07:00

Last Wednesday, I was on my way home from some meetings in Tunica, MS. I decided to head home one night early instead of heading on to Jackson, MS with my team. 5 minutes from the house, the traffic stopped... I stopped.... the landscape truck behind me did not. He was going about 45 mph and watching a contractor truck on the side of the road. He hit me and pushed me into a Toyota 4-runner. I spoke to Caterpillar's fleet company this morning and they have sent a request to CAT to scrap the vehicle ($21,000 in damage).

I am OK. I went to the ER on Thursday night (yes one day after the collision). I had a headache that would just not go away. Londa was either going to dart me and drag me in or I was going to have to willingly submit myself to the battery of tests. I agreed to the head scan and you will all be suprised that this proved I am all good upstairs. Fortunately I am just fine with the usual dose of bad humor still in tact. Told the lady that checked me in that I delivered a baby after the accident but she did not believe me (go figure).

My advice to you guys is (1) Pay attention to the road when you are driving and (2) Buy a Buick! My company car is (was) a 2011 Buick Lacrosse and that car took the hit well. The damage to the car was extensive but I escaped with a sore neck and the all too original nickname "Crash" from my team. I thought it was a great car prior to the accident. I am sold on it now. Looks like I get a new one. This poor thing didn't even see its first service!

Chris gets Knighted to 3rd Degree Night of Columbus

2011-02-20T20:21:00.003-07:00

Hi there,

We just wanted to share with everyone that Chris knelt down on one knee today & was Knighted by the Grand Master. He is officially a 3rd degree member of the Knights of Columbus. A 4th degree Knight is the highest honor in this Fraternity of men who dedicate their life to serve Christ through Charity, Unity and Fraternity. He was apparently taken away to secret chambers for a 6 hour ceremony. It's a private club so that's all I know. We are all extremely proud of Christopher for this personal accomplishment within our Catholic Community. He is officially our Knight in Shining Armour. Chris You are A man to admire! P.S. We can all refer to him as Sir Christopher now, he likes that! Love,Beth,Cody, & Victoria. xoxo

Tori's Valentine's Day Performance

2011-02-19T20:21:00.002-07:00

Tori's Band Concert

2011-02-19T20:09:00.002-07:00

My 4x Birthday Cake :)

2011-01-30T14:13:00.001-07:00

Cody's 19th Birthday!

2011-01-30T14:06:00.002-07:00

Daddy Daughter Donut Day!

2011-01-30T14:01:00.003-07:00

Victoria and I went to Krispy Kremes together today for what we call "Daddy Daughter Donut Day"! We also went to the mall and got in a hurricane simulator with winds up to 75 miles per hour. Good times.

CeeCee Senior Photos

2011-01-25T16:48:00.002-07:00

Top one is ONE of CeeCee's favorite senior photos! The bottom is one of MY favorite pictures!!!I cannot wait to develop them and start sending out invites and pictures!!

More Green Egg Pizza!

2011-01-16T21:08:00.002-07:00

I meant to post this a couple of weekends ago. Homemade Pizza at the Matthieu House!

Fun with Ham Radio!

2011-01-15T17:37:00.002-07:00

I finally got a chance to fire up my new hamradio that Santa Claus brought me! It's a Kenwood TS-590S HF-50Mhz all mode transceiver. I made 7 contacts: N5ZK (Texas), NX5M (Texas), K0RH (Kansas), W5TMC (Oklahoma), KG9N (Illonois), N4PN (Georgia), and W9RE (Indiana).

73s,
N7ICE

Nikki and Stephen II

2011-01-10T18:16:00.001-07:00

I had a very dear friend pass away this past Tuesday. This is Stephen and I at the church. Ain't he handsome?

Ice Skating

2010-12-30T23:04:00.002-07:00

We went ice skating on Monday! The girls and I had a blast! It was COLD! Ciana took some time to warm up to the ice, but when she did, she let go of out hands and skated! It was a neat experience that we will do again soon. I can still skate fairly well and it was nice to have the kids think I am cool again!

OMG -- Best Butcher Block Island EVER

2010-12-28T15:47:00.002-07:00

Londa found a furniture manufacturer closing their showroom today. They had a one-of-a-kind butcher block table built by a master crafstman out of Charlotte, TN. The top is made from 588 laminated Beech Blocks 3 1/2" thick (end grain) pieces. Sides are made from hard maple and the legs are made from 4" x 4" white oak. It fits perfectly in the kitchen and looks killer. Plus it solves our counter space issue. I can't wait to make my first pizza on it.

Ribs Part 2

2010-12-26T20:16:00.002-07:00

Madeline on the camera!

Winds Up!

2010-12-26T18:29:00.002-07:00

For once we actually had enough wind in Phoenix to fly our stunt kite. John (The Kite Godfather) was on hand to string it up and encourage us to partake in a fun Christmas day of kite flying!

Merry Christmas 2010!

2010-12-26T18:21:00.003-07:00

We must have all been very good this year because Santa brought lots of toys including a ham radio for me, macbook air for Tori, beats headphones and a watch for Cody, a purse for Beth, and other goodies. It's also important to reflect the important things about Christmas like the birth of Jesus, family, friends, and health. Oh, and world peace.

Merry Christmas!

Mom's Visit to Phoenix

2010-12-26T18:14:00.002-07:00

Momma cam to Phoenix to visit last weekend. She helped us make hygiene packs with our catechism class for the homeless. We also went out to Rustler's Rooste for steaks and to enjoy the city lights. It was a beautiful visit.

More Ribs.... Part 1....

2010-12-26T16:10:00.002-07:00

I love my Egg...