Kunkels in Arizona

Belly Pics from a few weeks!

2009-10-16T14:10:00.000-07:00

This picture was taken July 23, 2009 in Sedona, AZ on a weekend trip with Brad and Manda Leach. I was 16.5 weeks pregnant here and still able to wear regular clothes for a few more weeks.
Waiting for THE BEST seafood in San Diego. Picture taken 8-13-2009 at 19.5 weeks.

My belly is getting bigger every week! This picture is taken in our back yard on 8-25-2009 at 21 weeks.

Ryan's Mom, Aunt Linda, and Granny sent us a box of tomatoes from their garden. Ryan thought I should take a picture with one of them! 9-13-2009 23.5 weeks

Celebrating our 4th Anniversary and Manda Leach's birthday on 9-19-2009 at 24.5 weeks.

In front of the Paris Casino in Las Vegas on 9-29-2009 at 25.5 weeks pregnant.

Belly is getting way out there now!! 10-4-2009 26.5 weeks pregnant

The weather is cooling down, but I am still wearing a tank top! 10-14-2009 28 weeks pregnant

This is where we are right now. Everything looks really good and she is moving around all the time. She likes to kick...especially in the middle of the night. Ryan really enjoys getting to feel her kick his hand on my stomach. We are excited to meet this little girl in about 12 weeks!

Summer 2009

2009-08-19T14:15:00.000-07:00

A lot has been going on here in Arizona! We are excited that Carrie is 20 weeks pregnant and doing very well. We found out a couple of weeks ago that the baby is a girl. The name we are leaning towards is Stella Jane. Stella for Carrie's Great Grandma Mary Stella Price and Jane for Ryan's Grandma Barbara Jane Kunkel. The baby is getting bigger. She is about 8-9 oz and about 6 in long. She is a fiesty one, too! She kicks and tumbles all day long. Carrie loves every minute!

Vera and Shelly (Carrie's sisters) moved to Arizona at the end of July and are currently living with us while they find jobs, apts, cars, etc. The house is bursting at the seams, and Ryan is totally outnumbered, but it has been lots of fun.

To escape the heat, we went to San Diego and Los Angeles this past weekend. We left Wed. afternoon and drove to San Diego. Our friends, Brad and Manda Leach, loaned us this trailer to use camping. It was a nice spot to spend a couple nights in. We spent a day at the Dog Beach on Coronado Island (our favorite place!!). Wrigley was able to run up and down the shore, play with other dogs, jump in the water, and make an attempt at leaving the beach with another family. Luckily Ryan made a spectacular 100yard dash and caught her before she really got away! We found a delicious Seafood restaurant...Blue Water Seafood Market and Grill that I highly recommend. The crab is AMAZING!! Friday we went to Balboa Park in San Diego and walked around. We would like to return maybe in September or next summer and see some of the plays they do in the theaters within the park.

We drove up Friday afternoon to LA to spend a couple days with Ryan's cousins in Rosemead. Pete, Cindy, PJ, Ivan, and Nicholas Ostry are relative of Ryan's mom and are always so hospitable when we go visit. This weekend was especially nice because Ryan's Great Uncle Don Kersey had his 94th birthday. We got to meet cousins that Ryan had never been able to meet before. Uncle Don had an amazing wood shop that Carrie's Dad would drool over. He had made some very nice furniture for the house with his amazing woodworking skills. Pete and Cindy and kids took us to an amazing sushi restaurant that we are going to have to go back to next time we are in LA. The boys showed us their musical talent on Guitar Hero...they are really good for only having the system for a few weeks! We always have a fun time with the Ostrys!

Thank you all for taking time out of your day to catch up with us. We appreciate continued prayers for us during the remainder of the pregnancy. God bless.

California Coastline

2008-08-25T16:16:00.000-07:00

A month ago, we set off on a trip up the CA coastline. We had a week, a few reservations, camping gear, and a dog...this could be interesting. We started our trip in San Diego. We went to Coronado Island for a couple of hours Friday night until it was dark. We returned to Coronado and went to the beach only to find out that we couldn't have our dog at that beach. We drove up to the dog beach and gave Wrigley the time of her life. I think she was in shock that there could be so many other dogs.

We worshipped in Oceanside, CA so that we could check out a few of the places Ryan remembered from his days at Camp Pendleton. San Clemente was a small town where everyone had a surfboard with them. We continued north and camped that night in Malibu. The drive up the coast from Malibu was right on the ocean, and I got out to take some pictures of the scenery. The spray from the crashing waves was hitting us from 50 feet below!

We spent a day in a touristy town and then decided to find a spot to camp in the middle of Los Padres National Forest. We curved up the mountainside and found a spot that had previous campers but was definitely not a campground. We set up our tent on the flattest spot you can find on a mountainside, made some dinner, and (I) tried not to think about getting eaten by a bear. (We were in CA and they do have bears!) The next morning we awoke to find that we were higher than the clouds...really cool. We had a peaceful night camping with no one anywhere close to us.

We then made our way further north to San Francisco. We stopped at Carmel-by-the-Sea along the way. The beach was beautiful...but the water was sooooo cold that my feet hurt for 5 min after I got out of the water and buried them in the sand. Sorry, you have to turn your head to see this one!

San Francisco was a really neat city. It was hard to get much done with Wrigley in tow, but we got to see the main attractions and had some GREAT seafood! The fog is mostly covering it, but we are standing in front of Golden Gate Bridge.

Camping almost every night turned out to be not so bad. It was a lot of work to unpack each night and repack each morning, but we got to stay at some beautiful campgrounds. We had an amazing time and would love to go back sometime!

An overdue update

2008-03-30T23:11:00.000-07:00

Well, after hearing that a few people actually read these updates, I felt a little guilty that I hadn't added anything in such a long time. Here is a short update on what we have been up to over the past few months!

In October we closed on our first house! We are really excited to have a place of our own and slowly make it just how we want it. We spend hours working on things around the house and sometimes dont see much progress, but I guess thats how homeowning goes sometimes. We have 3 bed/2 bath and plenty of room for anyone who would like to make a trip to Phoenix. Did I mention that we have a pool..it should be getting warm enough to swim pretty soon!

In November we went north about 3 hours to Pine Top, AZ with a group of friends from the church. We stayed in time share condos that a couple families had available and took the chance to go to the mountains and enjoy a weekend in nature and away from the city. To our delight, we woke up Sunday morning to a blanket of snow. We had a lot of fun with some great friends.

Another important addition to our lives has been a new puppy. Her name is Wrigley and she is a boxer/shar pei mutt. She is just the cutest puppy ever, but terribly ornery. She loves to chew, and has decided to chew several things that I was not so happy with. Four plants to date have lost their lives to her, and more will I'm sure. I just discovered yesterday that she chewed the handle of the parking brake in my car when Ryan left her to run into the grocery store for a couple minutes. OOO, but she is so lovable and cute...and I should know that puppies chew EVERYTHING.

Ryan and I have been unlucky enough to have gotten sick several times this winter. That really slows down how much we can get done when he works the night shift every 6 weeks! We do try to get away on the weekends sometimes to see different things in the city or all over the state. A week ago we went to Jerome, AZ. It is about 2 hours north of Phoenix and is the largest ghost town in the country. We had a lot of fun. We packed our car full of everything we would need to camp for one night (unfortunately you need as much gear for one night as you do for one week!), Wrigley, our trusty Discover Arizona book and set off for an adventure. Wrigley spent the whole night in the tent watching out the tiny crack between the mesh window and the fly of the tent, guarding us as we slept. We spent a day looking through antique stores in Cottonwood and then toured the city of Jerome. We finished the day with a really neat hike in Sedona. Wrigley had the time of her young life. She couldnt even believe there were so many cool things outside her yard!

We are doing very well and feel very blessed to have such a great life. We look forward to my Mom and Dad visiting in April...and anyone else who comes out this way is always welcome!

2007-07-26T22:49:00.000-07:00

Well, A LOT has happened since I last updated this! SORRY!!! I never remember to add more info about what we have been up to! Here is a summary of what Ryan and Carrie have been doing the past few months.

Carrie's mom and dad came to visit in February. It was still a little chilly then and it RAINED! Surprising. I dont think it rained for months since then. We tried to show them some neat sights of Phoenix. We went on a beautiful hike in Usury Pass in Mesa. We saw the sun set as we hiked back down the mountain. The views were breathtaking!

Ryan joined a city soccer league in the spring. He is playing Striker position and having tons of fun.

In March the weather was PERFECT! Ryan and I went to see his favorite team...the Cubs play in Mesa at a Spring Training game.

We have a habit of ending up at Starbucks after Bible Study on Wednesdays. We have fun with friends and get a dose of caffeine!

The desert does have color. The spring here is absolutely beautiful. I went all around and took pictures of the desert in bloom. I had so much fun watching what seems lifeless and dull come to life.

Casey, my brother, came to visit when he got done with school in May. It was perfect timing since Ryan had to go to Knoxville for two weeks. Casey kept me company for a week. I showed him the sights of Sedona, and we got in Oak Creek and walked around for a while.Here we are standing in front of Cathedral Rock.
Well, sorry this picture uploaded so small, but here we are with my sister, Vera, riding horses in South Mountain Park. Vera came for a few days in May. We had lots of fun as usual!

I recently went home for a week. My mom, sisters, and I spent a long weekend in Nashville. We stayed in a cute cabin, rode horses, shopped, went to the spa, and had a great time together.

We are currently looking for a house. There are a couple potentials, so we are praying we make a good decision that will benefit us.

We look forward to hearing from you all and seeing you the next time we are home!

Costume party, cont.

2006-11-01T21:44:00.000-08:00

Ok, here are some more pictures.
This is Zack (he's almost 3) and Micah (he's almost 1). They were the cutest frogs ever. Below are Michelle and Jason (the froggies parents). They are pirates. ARGH!

Craig is Osama. He made the costume himself, and although he is probably a foot taller than Binny, I say he looks pretty close.

Emma (Snow White) had to have Janice in the picture with her family. Also in the picture are Lisa and Tom (the pirates) and Jacob (Zorro).

Here's me and my little buddy Zack. He's so much fun!

Well, thats about all folks. Hope you enjoyed!!!! More later. Adios!

Costume Party

2006-10-30T21:16:00.000-08:00

Okay, please dont fall out of your chair due to the small amount of time between this post and the last. :o) I thought I would share with you all the costume party Ryan and I went to at some friends from church. Enjoy!
I am a monarch butterfly and Ryan is a butterfly catcher. Arent we cute! I kept running into things due to the extra height and wingspan. Ryan had the idea for the super-stylish hunting socks with the boots...made the whole effect!
Holly, Chad, and Abigail Wagner are Wendy, Hook, and Tinkerbell. Chad came with a crocodile and a tick like a watch (I think he had a metronome in his pocket).
Heather and Adriel Reavis. I think you can figure them out.

Janice and Doug Tellinghuisen are Dorothy and the Tin Man (with Toto along).

2006-10-20T23:16:00.000-07:00

Okay, if youre reading this before I talked about Fiddlesticks, you might want to start with the post below this one, otherwise continue...

Here are some more pictures from the Tortilla Factory. The man is making tortillas, and I believe in the other picture fire is coming out of that water. Bet youve never seen that happen.
Again, tilt your head so you can see Vera hugging a cactus. Yes, its real. She is very brave.

Here is an interesting sign we saw while shopping in Old Town Scottsdale. If you cannot quite make it out it reads "Please do not touch or sit on Indians. Thank You." We werent sure what it meant, but we liked it. ;o)

This is the top of South Mountain, about 1 mile away from where we live. Shelly was absolutely not going to hike, so this is about as far down as she went. However, below you can see what the results were from her hike. She nearly fainted on us!

We had to eat one night at the 5 n Diner. Tasty burgers and the usual diner food. Next time you see Shelly, ask her what a "potato chip" is. Seriously, do it. You'll laugh.

Well, it was so nice to have them out for a week. I had a ton of fun with them, and I miss them living so far away now. I think I laughed from the moment I woke up to when I went to bed the whole time they were here. Miss you, chicas. Come back soon!

More postings to come...hopefully soon!

My sisters come to visit!!

2006-10-20T22:14:00.000-07:00

Well, I am really bad at posting updates to this site. So sorry. Although I do not currently have a job, I do work hard! Anywho...

Vera and Shelly came for a week in late Sept, and we had a blast. I dont think Ryan was used to that much sister-craziness, but he had a lot of fun, too (despite a nasty cold). I tried to show them some cool sites of Phoenix. Here's a mini-tour of what we did. We went to Old Town Scottsdale to find some great Southwest jewelry and gifts, plus the town has a really old-west feel to it. We went there one night for dinner at the Old Tortilla Factory and then to shop during the day.
Um, as a side note, I guess I should flip the pictures before I post them, so this time humor me and just tilt your head a lil to the left. THANKS!

We also spent a little time golfing at a driving range called Fiddlesticks. Vera forgot to put a ball back on the tee before we captured this shot! OOPS!

Continue to next post for the continuation.....

2006-08-06T23:52:00.000-07:00

Well, I thought it was about time I gave you all an idea of where we are living. We have a townhome in Ahwatukee (south side of Phx) that is about 2 minutes from South Mountain.

We have an extra bedroom and bathroom for all of you back in IN who want to escape to AZ once it begins snowing! This second bedroom is still a work in progress, but (Vera and Shelly) I promise we will have a bed by the time you come in Sept.

Here is the couch that I recovered and our cute new little lounge-chair-sofa-thing. Maybe we'll get a chance to use our fire place this winter.

Welcome to bliss...our relaxing bedroom. The window has been blacked out, so we can take a nap in near darkness in the middle of a sunny AZ afternoon. With our beach-themed room it is only natural to fall asleep to the sound of waves crashing against rocks playing on the stereo. (Im usually asleep in 2 min). The painting on the wall is a Carrie Kunkel original.

Our kitchen - featuring pictures of Kunkel's Restaurant (unfortunately not in the pic). Good food and lots of coffee made here daily. Yes, even with no children, our frige is covered in magnets and papers.

We got a dinner table!! It was a steal and a deal. We put our 'lil bistro table out on the patio. We got the table from a guy at church and the chairs at IKEA. They dont exactly match, but I think the effect is charming. We'll still play our Tuscan Village CD and imagine we are somewhere exotic.

Our patio - we havent taken advantage of this area much since it has been so hot. We did enjoy a rainstorm one night out on our little outdoor spot. We'll have to get a grill soon! We do have our own fountain outside the patio since a sprinkler's top got knocked off. It is pretty much a geyser every night.

Well, this pretty much wraps up todays tour of apt 1248. Thank you for coming along today. I hoped you enjoyed yourself. Come for the real-life tour anytime you'd like.

Monsoon season is upon us!

2006-07-24T14:01:00.000-07:00

When the dust rolls across the desert...when the thermometer reads 118...when lightning ignites wildfires...you're in the heart of Pheonix MONSOON SEASON! I got the chance to see a storm roll in over a lake and golf course...it was so amazing! The power of God was in all of it.

Ryan and I have been working hard. He has been swinging from one shift to another and I have been staying up working on things around the house that I had to finish before I could go to bed!

The floral couch is a thing of the past...I recovered it in a light chenille that is not as loud as the floral print. I'm having fun with time to get back to my creative hobbies.

Ryan and I hiked a trail in South Mountain, the mtn closest to us. We got a later start than we should have and by 11:30 we were coooking. We had a great time and saw some amazing scenery. Thankfully no spiders, scorpions, or rattlesnakes needed to make an appearance for us along our hike.

Well, I have a cold right now, so I hope all of this makes sense despite my foggy head. We miss you all and look forward to any trips you might take to the Southwest!!

2006-06-26T15:08:00.000-07:00

ADDRESS:

5102 E Piedmont Road
Apt 1248
Phoenix AZ 85044

2006-06-26T14:18:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Valley of the SUN!! Ryan and I are settling into our apartment here in Ahwatukee. We're loving our new surroundings! There are mountains surrounding us here. Luckily we havent had to suffer through the terrible heat, yet. It has only gotten to 112 so far! Try sitting on a leather seat in a car after it has sat in the sun for a couple of hours! SCALDING. (The reading to the left measures the temperature in the shade and does not reflect the actual temperature in the SUN.)

We visited Sedona 2 hours up north before Ryan started work. The red rocks are really beautiful up there. We didnt have time to get our palms read or have our fortunes told to us or visit one of the "vortexes." But, Ryan got a sweet coyboy hat, I got some cool jewelry, and we got some howling wolves to decorate our apt with.

We found a great church to worship with here. We're blessed to be working with a great group of Christians. Monte Vista church of Christ.

We'll keep you updated on what we are doing around here. More to come soon!