The Road to California..

Our renters moved in our home.  We are very excited to have found a great couple who loves our house.  We love Nighthawk Way too, so its good.  

We are most grateful for AWESOME family who let us move into their amazing guest home. Thank you Diana and Craig for your amazing generosity when we needed to be out of our home.  When we told West one day this week that it is time to "head home" (meaning up to Diana's) he thought we meant our house on Nighthawk and loudly protested, "NO, I want to go to Diana's."  She's the beloved.  We all think so too West. 

Maybe the pool is also a draw.  Seriously, its the coolest pool in AZ.  

I'm done!  After a week of farewell parties and a humorous cake picture sent on (thanks a lot, see below), my time in Scottsdale is done.  I've had months to prepare for my exit, yet I care for these agents I've coached and supported and the community I've embraced.  I'm in leadership and KW focuses on the development of leaders - so I get to teach and demonstrate leadership.  I LOVE what I do and now I have a bigger platform in LA with huge opportunity.  It's a massive next step.  We are thrilled.  And we found a home we absolutely love (online) last night, so now need to make sure we love it in real time, which I believe we will.  Fingers crossed.  Trying to find that home that you can raise your family in and matches the environment you want for your kids is tough.  This one "feels" amazing.  Love the location and everything.

Hilarious Cake...

The real cake.

There's always a down side to moving.  Westy and Presto are buds. We hate to say goodbye to this one.

Let the Games Begin

Big week!  I hired my operations director for my PHX-based Real Estate Team (Tru Properties Group with Keller Williams Scottsdale/Paradise Valley - more on that later), hired my Marketing Director for my team in PHX, interviewed agents for my team, training my PHX replacement in running the overall office, announced our move to my agents and was announced in KW Beach Cities to their agents (soon to be my agents).  

On top of all that, Taani lept tall buildings in a single bound and this is the result (see pictures below).  She's kinda cool.  Ok, she's really cool.  And today we plowed through a lot too!  

We love this house.  It's been a safe place for us.  We've lived here for 8 years.  We moved for two and came back because we could.  We had two of our three kids while living in this house.  We had PHX Fire Dept respond to West in 2009 and got him breathing in the front room.  Kids started school here.  Ms. Willis.  Ms. Rosie, etc... We've cried here.  We've laughed a lot here.  We've done homework, prayed, read scriptures, camped in the backyard.  We love Nighthawk Way.  Somehow I feel its time to spread our wings, but it is hard/emotional to leave a place that has been our safe haven from the crazies of life.  Not sure how I feel.  

Excited.  Sad.  Thrilled.  Nervous.  

My rockin' mother in law always says "it's easier to do nothing!"  Well, for some reason I get that more than ever Debi.  PHX we love you.  You've been so many things to us.  Now its time to take these lessons and pay it forward. 

Parks and rec in Manhattan Beach:

Page five, third paragraph:  Youth Surf Camp.

Yup. 

NOTE:  Can you find Westy in one of these pictures?  He hit a wall today.

Sing Forth!

The 3rd grade classes of Sierra Elementary School performed last night.  I have to tell you, this opening number had me beaming.  Nothing makes me happier than when kids sing forth and these kids had this opening song down and sang with gusto.  Way to go Hattie!  She loves to perform.

Pardon the video - I was wrestling an unnamed three-year-old and then curly hair woman scoots in front of me and blocks Hattie.  You get the idea.

Go Hattie-pants, go!  She nailed her lines and did a great job.

Let Them Build FORKS!

It's their "fork" as West calls it.

Building is fun.  Taking down causes kids to disappear.  

What a great day.  Much needed downtime after 12 months of crazy and the last few month's of intensity.  What a great weekend!

Ahem.

It's hard to believe we celebrate 12 years together this summer.  It's hard to believe we have lived in PHX for 8 years (this month actually).  We've had a cat, a dog, a few cars, a couple of bruises, a few moves, career changes, milestones hit, rough patches worked through, a lot of laughs (yes, I love when I make her laugh), and three kids to show for it all.

And after all that, she still takes my breath away when she walks into a room.  This picture was taken at our company's annual award banquet.  She had a group of people around her all night.  The people I work with are taken by her.  I know why.

Now its on to a new adventure.  You know that deep-in-your-soul-just-gotta-do-it-take-the-risk-and-make-rain-feeling?  Ahem...California here we come!

California Dreamin'

Wow, we pounded the pavement in LA for three days - in business meetings, hunting areas and attending wards.  Everyone in PHX asks - why would you ever want to live in LA?  Well, meet our dream neighhborhood - Via la Selva in Rancho Palos Verdes Estates.  No words can describe what we saw in this area.  Beach to the west, hillside rustic retail and libraries and all within a throw of LA, but without LA prices.  We are smitten.  Think Father of the Bride neighborhood.  

Our good friends from Keller Williams have this listing.  It is PENDING and sold in days.  They call it the "Leave it to Beaver Home."  When we drove by Taani was thrilled this stuff existed.  They all look like this.  A bit beyond what we are looking for now, but our next house for sure!

We collapsed on the plane.  What a weekend and now we know there are places like this around LA.  Between this and Manhattan Beach we're in.  

This house is now on our vision board. 

We also loved the beach urban area and ward of Manhattan Beach, CA.  Just south of LAX beyond El Sagundo.  I am told the home from the movie Jerry Macguire is in the  area we loved - The Tree Section.

Supposedly this is the home from the movie.  Yup Tom Cruise was here.

The Tree Section offers little homes at big prices, but we love it.  Blocks from the beach and all the offerings of the vibrant city of Manhattan Beach with access to all things city (no need to get on the interstates).  The schools are some of the best in the state and we felt at home in the ward yesterday.

What to do, what to do.  

We are up for the adventure!

It Was A BYU Kinda Christmas

It takes a village they say...well, thanks Grandpa Tom for helping us get BYU in their heads early.  He learned West got a BYU jersey and in true Secrist fashion got the helmet, pants and another jersey with pads to go with.  Go BIG or go HOME. Go Cougars...no devil pitch forks in this family (and yes that's a big wad of gum in his mouth).