2009 Here We Come

It's official - I took the Christmas decorations down last night - this means that 2009 is on its way. And all of the excitement for the new year has me thinking of how quickly the time has gone these last 11 years I've been in Alaska.

There are a few New Year's celebrations that stick out in my head. I remember watching the fireworks on TV from town square in Anchorage on the eve of Y2K - we didn't dare drive outside in case everything went haywire. Remember the fear of the world ending? I remember a couple of years later when some friends had a huge party at a house they were house-sitting and we dressed up and had a great time. (that house had some great hiding spots for playing sardines - not that I would know about that) I remember the year we got married and all of our friends went to bed early (like by 10:00) and we tried to find people to "play" with and they were literally in bed or on their way so John and I stayed up playing nerts until 2:00. I remember last year - going downtown for the Fire and Ice celebration and then praying and having communion right at the change of the New Year.

And, I remember making goals one year with my friend Greg. We divided our paper into financial, physical, spiritual and educational goals. This was well before I married John, and I was still in college and had a car payment. I decided that I would pay off my car that year, and I did. I worked hard making double and sometimes triple payments and got that thing paid off. When I look back at it - I think about how having a goal and writing it down was a necessary part of getting it done. I think I'll make some new goals this year using the same quadrants, some for me personally and some for the two of us.

I think another important thing for me as far as making goals goes (goals goes?) is to make mini milestones along the way. By March I plan to...by June I hope to...etc.

I've got some thinking to do - I want to be sure that I make some goals that might just be reachable!

Christmas

We had a nice Christmas - it was very laid back and I liked it. I'm usually a party til I drop kind of person when it comes to holidays - and I don't mean drink and party until I drop, but socialize and play games until I drop.

We went to our friend's house on Christmas Eve - he is from the Philippines so it was fun to chat with his family and friends and eat their food. On Christmas Day, we slept in and casually made our way through the morning, and then John's parents came over with their little Shih Tzus in the afternoon. We ate ham and potatoes, green beans and salad and just hung out. We watched The Nativity and ate cookies and ice cream - it was very relaxing. When John's parents headed home, we walked them out to their car and discovered the 10 inches of new snow we'd gotten that day - it couldn't have been a more perfect Christmas.

Friday we hung out at our place in the morning and then went to Fireproof that afternoon. That was a good movie - I enjoyed it and would recommend it. I cried, of course, through the whole thing. I get so stressed out in movies where people are yelling at each other - especially married people.

Friday night I went to a girls night for the youth at our friend's house. My friend's husband went over to our house and spent the night to get away from all the girls and play video games with John. I stayed up until about 5:30 that night...er...morning. Yeah. We turned the lights out at 4:00 and the girls stayed up talking until about 5:30 when one of us chaperoning adults had had enough and said - "girls, seriously, it's time for bed." Anyway - it was fun, the girls were super cute and I had a great time.

Saturday was spent recovering from Friday night - and then we went to "Bedtime Stories" with our friends - that was also a super cute movies. Oh by the way - we also watched "The Kite Runner" wow...that was an intense movie - it was so very good. Disturbing and yet really good. It was kind of a movie weekend.

Back to work today - more of a normal week with a day off in the middle - YAY!

Six Years Ago Today

It was a warm night for December standards, but then again, they were in Colorado. The two decided to go for a hike up a well known trail in Colorado Springs. As they climbed, she thought to herself "interesting, I remember I told him about my friend who got engaged up here a few years ago - I wonder..."

But as they were overlooking the incredible falls beneath the cliffs, the opportunity seemed to come and go, and back down the mountain they went. She was sad, but knew she loved him and he could take his time as far as she was concerned.

About half way down the mountain, he grabbed his heart and asked if they could stop for a minute. "Of course," she said. He fell to the ground and continued to complain about chest pain. She was concerned - was it altitude sickness? After all they had come from Alaska and were probably standing a good 7,000 feet above sea level.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm okay, it's just my heart."

"Can you make it down the mountain?"

"My heart hurts because you're holding it in your hands."

And he pulled a heart shaped pillow ornament made by his very own hands (with help from his fabulous mom) out from around his neck. It had been hidden under his shirt. And tied to the heart is a beautiful engagement ring. More beautiful than she would have guessed. And he says, "I want to spend the rest of my life with you, will you marry me?"

And the tears streamed down her face and she says "yes, yes, yes, of course....oh my...wow"

And they were married, and so far, it has truly been happily ever after!

Morning Madness

John is now working the day shift and it has made my mornings so much easier. We both work at 7:00 - I live about .5 minutes away from work and he tries to be at work well before his shift actually starts. I've gotten used to getting up 1/2 hour before I have to be at work and high tailing it out the door as soon as my wet hair is dry. With John's new hours, I've been getting up, having time to do stuff and take my time getting ready...what a concept!

This morning I thought my ample time would allow me to get all kinds of things done. I got up and started wrapping presents and getting a box ready to ship - then I went to the grocery store and got some last minute items as well as stuff to make dinner. I was sort of just wandering around the store (I'm usually an in and out person - I don't like to wander) and I realized that it was now 7:00 and I was at the store, I hadn't checked out, I didn't even have everything I needed...wow.

The good news is - my watch is fast and I made it to work by the time it was 7:00 here...and that was with chatting with the checker lady who I always seem run into at Carrs!

I have tomorrow off - cannot wait - seriously. I'm going to sleep in and take it easy and maybe even stay in my pjs most of the day. hopefully my friend Marlene stops by - because I've stopped by at her house when she was in her PJs! :)

For some reason I can't get this to post the "right" way but it is just too funny to not post...so here's a link:
http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/1wWJiSZ6GR2YjNZvNswF

Hopefully that really works this time.

We had a fun weekend - we went to the party on Friday night and we both decided to skip the usual fancy dressing and opted for Alaska Dress-Up instead. I work work clothes with a little extra jewelry and John wore a shirt that had to be ironed...so that was us dressed up! Sorry...no photos this time! :)

We spent Saturday with our friends and Melissa and I scrapped and chatted all day. I got a lot done for some Christmas projects I was working on so I'm feeling really good about that! John and Josh played pool and watched a movie and then we had dinner with our friends and headed back home.

We had a really cool thing Sunday morning at church for Christmas. our pastor and his wife treated us to breakfast and people shared Christmas memories. It was a special time - even if we were an hour late. That's right people...and HOUR late. I work at 7:00 so even on the weekends I find myself up by 6:30 or so, John doesn't have this same internal clock. But I must have needed the rest because we woke up 15 minutes after we were supposed to be at the church. Oops...we did get a lot of rest though! HA! After church we did some shoppting and toured a couple of open houses and then came home and worked more on our projects. John worked on his project, I mostly did laundry and a bit of housework and chilled for the day. I love Sundays!

Last minute shopping should be done tonight and I think we're almost all set for Christmas. I'm sure I'm forgetting something. Packages in the mail...cards sent...stuff waiting to be wrapped...oh yeah, and there's the whole celebrating the fact that Jesus came to earth. I'm working on keeping that more central this year.

Finally Friday

yay - here we come weekend!

We had a great time last night at a Christmas Fondue Party. The longer I live in Anchorage the smaller it seems to me. It was funny being there and running into very good friends that we've known for years and didn't expect to find them there. Christian circles run 'deep and wide' in this town, and it's something I really love about Anchorage. The food was great, the conversation was fabulous, and the friends were worth coming for. We even sang a couple of Christmas songs, and Bean treated us to her incredible rendition of O Holy Night (my used-to-be fav Christmas song by the way) that girl can sing.

More partying tonight - we're going to a work party with John's parents. I think it will be fun and I'm looking forward to dressing up - as dressed up as we get here in Alaska. It's always fun to see all the different ideas of what dressing up is - from Carharts to sequins.

I think a goal for me in 2009 is going to be making more time for our friends. We have had a very busy life since we got married, and we're often trying to just make sure we get some minutes together each day. Last night we hung out with a couple that we really love spending time with but rarely see and I thought how silly it is that we don't see each other more. We mostly just run into each other at this event or that event and hardly ever set something up on purpose. That's something I'm going to work on - see friends more often. As John's schedule settles in it will be more and more easy to know what to expect. It feels like we've been in "hang loose tightly"mode for a while and I'm looking forward to some normalcy.

New Christmas Favorite

This is quite possibly my new favorite Christmas song - A Baby Changes Everything, by Faith Hill

I took out the ooos and ahhhhs :)

Teenage girl much too young
Unprepared for what's to come
A baby changes everything

Not a ring on her hand
All her dreams and all her plans
A baby changes everything A baby changes everything

The man she loves she's never touched
How will she keep his trust
A baby changes everything
A baby changes everything

She has to leave, go far away
Heaven knows she can't stay
A baby changes everything

She can feel it's coming soon
There's no place there's no room
A baby changes everything
A baby changes everything

Shepherds all gather 'round
Up above the star shines down
A baby changes everything

Choir of angels sing
Glory to the newborn king
A baby changes everything
A baby changes everything

Everything, everything, everything
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah

My whole life has turned around
I was lost, but now I'm found
A baby changes everything, yeah
A baby changes everything

Why can't I wake up?

I'm having one of those mornings when I can't shake the fuzz out of my brain...bug! I don't think I had a rough night sleeping...but who knows? I was at the grocery store for work around 7:15 this morning and I stood in the bakery for at least 5 full minutes trying to think of what it was I was there for. I was staring at some cookies and wondering...what was it I needed? wow...so very sad. Then, once I remembered what it was I needed, I scanned my credit card and was talking about how tired I was to the clerk and he's just standing there, and I'm just standing there, and then he says 'you can just sign right here' and indicates toward the signy thing....oh brother...talk about spacing out!

Anyway...that's my exciting news!

December's First Weekend

Another busy weekend came and went. Friday I got my hair cut and love it. It was funny - when I came home John said "I thought you were getting your hair cut", "I did," said I. "Oh - it looks the same," said John.

Then I turned around.

"Ah hah - it is quite different!" The back is much more stacked now and I LOVE it. The front is a little shorter, but I don't really expect that John would notice the tiny bit that got cut off the front. It's funny when I get my hair cut because it always looks so good when I leave the salon (I love the lady that cuts my hair) but then the next time I try to do it, it never looks the same. I can have the same products - blower, curling iron - everything the same and then poof...my style looks very different. Oh well...I still love the cut.

Friday night (Sat. morning really) John went to work with his dad a bit. He got home late and woke me up to tell me about how he had been parked in the street in front of his parent's place and a drunk driver had hit his truck right there in the street. the guy was wasted and said he had been going 25 miles per hour...uh huh...and managed to move a Ford F350, crew cab, extended bed with 1,000 pounds of wood in the bed from its parked position to 5 feet away from where it was. Interesting. Thankfully it was the truck the guy hit - his car was totalled, but the truck isn't much worse for the wear. Had it been our little car I think it would have been over for the poor thing. That was the second time in a week one of our cars was hit. Wow...no one was seriously injured in either accident - and the drunk guy will hopefully pay enough in fees to be over driving while intoxicated.

Saturday, John slept in and I couldn't sleep so I got up around 6:30 and started housework. I worked out and came back home and John was still sleeping so I looked around for something quiet to do and ended up waking him up in the process. Something about jumping on the bed and saying "come on lets go somewhere" wakes people up...who knew? He was happy to get up and we did some shopping and got most of Christmas finished. Then we wrapped up the housework and baked a goodie (seriously we should not have made it, my tummy was very upset over the whole thing, I couldn't stop having 'just a tiny piece more') and made dinner for our friends that came over with an armload of games we had never played. We've had a great time with these friends - they're a lot of fun and we laughed quite a bit. Plus the games were very fun - and the husband cracked me up saying that we can't play a game involving charades until the four of us are on our third date...something to look forward to I guess! :)

Church on Sunday morning and then we went out to lunch with some friends that we hardly ever see that are thinking of starting to attend our church again. It was fun hanging with them. Then we went to John's parent's place and hung out for a while. The home again for dinner. We finally made it to Home Depot last night to get a tree - the first one we shook out was beautiful. we snatched it up and brought it home. We had fun decorating and rearranging our living room to fit everything in. In the end the couch remains...sigh. I love real trees - I'll deal with the sweeping and sweeping to get the smell and the way the branches hang. LOVE IT! We watched a Hallmark movie while we decorated - of course I cried...wouldn't you!?

Wow, if you read all of this, good for you! I was chatty this morning!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

I cannot wait to get our tree this weekend. I think we're actually going to get rid of the beautiful green/white striped couch that has been the bane of our living room for the last 5.5 years! What? We have to - to make room for the tree!

Then out come the decorations - I can't wait. I love this time of year, I love the smells the sights the love, it's just a great time of year. Our house already smells all Christmassy (I found the world's best candles through my friend Kim - I can't even think of the name right now, but they are way better than any candle I've ever had) and it will be fun when it looks cozy too!

Future Steph

Dear Future Stephanie,

You are going to look back at this time in your life and thank God for the challenges and the growth you experienced. You’re going to thank God for the incredible character growth, and that your Father allowed you to learn more about yourself and about Him even though it may have been uncomfortable. You’re even going to be thankful for the career development and the expansion to your resume.

This time in your life was perfect to set you up for what you’re doing today. Each heartache and stumble was needed to help you become who you are, and to allow you to help others in their own struggles. Sticking your neck out might feel like it’s stretching too much – but trust me, it’s worth it! Those muscles need elongated too!

Future Stephanie – you are who you are because your Father loves you, and He likes your personality and the things about you that make you unique. The refining takes place in the fire, remember that when the refining process starts again.

Love,
Present Stephanie

Ideas?

I have no idea what to get John for Christmas. he's not giving me any ideas...so if you have any fabulous thoughts about what he'd LOVE to get, let me know. I'm so stuck here!

resolution for the week

I will not allow job stress to spill outside of my office. I resolve to keep a lid on negativity at work and just keep plowing through things as though I were on our 4-wheeler. This is not only my resolution but a heart felt prayer.

Here I go - I'll let you know how this works out for me.

Ode to the Four Wheeler with Plow

Oh Four-Wheeler how I love you,

You make shoveling an easy task to do.

Instead of causing my arms and back to ache.

I save time and can go skate on the lake.

Those eight inches of new snow are nice,

And I really do like the pretty way it shines.

But the best part of all for John and me,

Is that we don't have to hurt and get the job doneie. ( or something)

Yay for John and his decision to buy the four wheeler with the plow - now that I know how to drive it, the driveway is a cinch to plow and we're done in no time. Plus it's a great excuse to snuggle!

Black Friday

The Longs = 0

Wal Mart = 500

wow - I'm pretty sure I came, I saw and I never again will be at Wal-Mart at 5:00 a.m. on Black Friday.

Corrie ten Boom

In May 1942, a well-dressed woman came to the Ten Boom door with a suitcase in hand. Nervously, she told Ten Boom that she was a Jew and that her husband had been arrested several months before, and her son had gone into hiding. Occupation authorities had recently visited her, and she was too fearful to return home. After hearing about how they had helped the Weils, she asked if she might stay with them, and Corrie ten Boom's father readily agreed. A devoted reader of the Old Testament, Casper ten Boom believed Jews were indeed "the chosen," and told the woman, "In this household, God's people are always welcome."

Thus began "the hiding place", or "de schuilplaats", as it was known in Dutch (also known as "de BéJé", with BéJé being derived from the name of the street the house was in, the Barteljorisstraat). Ten Boom and her sister began taking in refugees, some of whom were Jews, others members of the resistance movement sought by the Gestapo and its Dutch counterpart. There were several extra rooms in their house, but food was scarce due to wartime shortages. Every non-Jewish Dutch person had received a ration card with which they could procure weekly coupons to buy food.

Corrie knew many in Haarlem, thanks to her charitable work, and remembered a couple who had a developmentally disabled daughter. For about twenty years, Corrie ten Boom had run a special church service program for such children, and knew the family. The father was a civil servant who was by then in charge of the local ration-card office. She went to his house unannounced one evening, and he seemed to know why. When he asked how many ration cards she needed, "I opened my mouth to say, 'Five,'" Ten Boom wrote in The Hiding Place. "But the number that unexpectedly and astonishingly came out instead was. 'One hundred.'"

The Germans arrested the entire Ten Boom family on February 28, 1944 at around 12:30 with the help of a Dutch informant. They were sent first to Scheveningen prison (where her father died ten days after his capture), then to the Vught political concentration camp (both in the Netherlands), and finally to the notorious Ravensbrück concentration camp in Germany in September 1944, where Corrie's sister Betsie died. Before she died she told Corrie, "There is no pit so deep that God's love is not deeper still." Corrie was released on Christmas Day of December 1944.^[2] In the movie The Hiding Place, Ten Boom narrates the section on her release from camp, saying that she later learned that her release had been a clerical error. The women prisoners her age in the camp were killed the week following her release. She said, "God does not have problems. Only plans."

Awana Fun

Last night was the carnival at Awana - I was in charge of the ring toss, and John got the pleasure of having little kids throw wet sponges... at his face...fun for him! The kids would come over and tell me that they got to throw the sponges at him, and I was a bit jealous! :)

We had a great time - the Cubbies (3-5 yr olds) are hilarious and quickly figured out that didn't have to "toss" the ring, they could just walk right up to the post and drop them on. I wasn't too bossy about it - we were there to have fun. I laughed pretty hard though when they'd rejoice over all of the rings landing on the post!

We got away pretty easy last night - only one casualty - a tooth!

Oops...

Oops is right.

Once again I was in a hurry and got things all messed up and didn’t realize how bad it was until I was far enough away from the situation that going back would be a pain.

I am the “voice” of my work. I am the person that greets you when you call, lists all the people and extensions and invites you to leave a message at the tone. Today I changed the message because of office closings coming up. I was reading my script (that I have mostly memorized) and got almost to the end and said “if you know the extension of the person you are cleaning for…cleaning for?...oh crap” and then I rerecorded a message without the “crap” and went about my merry way.

I’d been at lunch for about 10 minutes when my cell phone started to ring. My friend Marlene from work called and said that I should call and listen to the voice mail at work. I knew immediately what had happened…I hadn’t pushed the “1 for ‘yes’ I would like to save the message I’d just recorded.”

The funny thing is that in the afternoons our phone hardly rings…but in the 30 minutes that the “crap” message was on the phone we had 4 messages telling us all about how shocked these people were to hear that on a message.

Oops…

Letter of Life

Dear Friends:

I had an experience recently that really made me thankful that I know my savior and that my future is cemented in Him. How thankful I am for that hope that rests for me apart from this world, and apart from any man.

I was in a meeting for a bunch of non – profits a couple of weeks ago. I have been to many of these and have heard from organizations that I would never support but understand that they are also a non-profit and struggle with the same things that the non-profit I work for does. There are many organizations out there fighting for things I can never support, and I have grown accustomed to seeing them here and there at events/meetings I attend. I would not have categorized myself as being naïve to their existence.

Until today.

At the meeting, we did an intro and announcement time where you introduced yourself and announced anything you wanted to. A person from Planned Parenthood introduced herself and announced that their chapter received $40,000 in donations from people giving on “behalf” of Sarah Palin. She also said that their national organization received over $2 mill. It gets worse. When she said that PP sent Sarah “thank yours” for the donations, I felt sick to my stomach – and people in the room laughed.

People laughed at their clever idea to throw in Sarah’s face that they have the “choice” to kill babies. Is it a laughing matter?

I was so shocked at this display of sin in our city – and in our nation. I think for the first time in my life I popped out of Christian bubble long enough to be slapped in the face with the hardness of people’s hearts. I should not be surprised – our fight is not against flesh and blood. These people whose hearts are so calloused that they laughed at such a sad, sad thing are an indication of what our country believes in.

I am broken over this – I have cried many tears of shame that I did not speak out, and in sorrow for the hearts of these people who do not know their Creator and who put their hope in this earth and other people. I am not angry with them (anymore), I am angry that I have lost sight of the true fight – it happens on our knees.

I was in such shock at the meeting, that I didn't do what I should have done - I should have stood up and said something. I didn't stand up in that meeting, but I am going to make a donation to the Crisis Pregnancy Center in honor of Sarah Palin and the guts it took for her to stand for life in front of America. And I’m going to ask my friends to do the same!

I did some research on the donations that were given to Planned Parenthood in "honor" of Sarah Palin, and found out that the whole campaign was begun by an email. Why can't we start an email campaign and combat those donations by giving to an organization that fights for life?

John and I have struggled with whether or not we should disclose how much we are planning to give. In the end we decided to tell our friends and family that we are giving $1,000 to our local CPC, I'm telling you the amount we're giving, because it stretches our budget, and I'm asking you to stretch yours. We need 79 people to join us in Alaska at this giving level to double what the enemy raised for Planned Parenthood. I know that not everyone can do this, and that this issue is not everyone’s passion. $1,000 spread over a year is less than $20 a week. If 800 people can give $100 we can still double the amount!

I have mentioned the walk-a-thon our local CPC is having to many of you – and for me, this is above and beyond that fundraiser. For me, this is personal now, and should have been all along.

Prayerfully consider this opportunity to bless CPC and stand up for life.Please write a letter to CPC explaining what your donation is for and ask them to send a card to let Sarah Palin know that a donation was given to CPC in her honor. In Anchorage, the address to send a donation is 2902 Boniface Parkway, Suite 200, 99504. You can also donate online at http://cpcanchorage.com/donate.html there is a place to add a note to your donation in the online form.I plan to let our local CPC know that I'm sending this email out and ask them to fill us in on how much is raised. I know we can spread the word and make a positive impact.

Please forward this to friends and family so that we can be sure to pass along this information to everyone who needs to see it.

Sincerely,Stephanie

Home Again, Home Again, Lickety Split

I made it home late in the night Saturday. The trip home wasn't so bad - I slept all the way from Seattle, and that's always wonderful.

It was so weird walking in the house and not having Pike and Harley there to greet me - but I'm certainly getting used to a cleaner house and less responsibility! :) It is so good to be home with John, I really miss him when we're apart like that, I think that old adage is so true, absense does make the heart grow fonder.

I went to a friend's birthday party on Sunday morning - we had a great time. It's so good to be with girlfriends who love Jesus and love talking about what he's doing. I feel so blessed to have the friends that I have, we need girlfriends!

We also went to a quartely meeting at church on Sunday night - those are kind of fun. I throw in my two cents here and there about things and our pastor really listens to concerns/ideas and does his best to take into consideration everything people bring up. I love it!

Happy Monday!

Waiting for Baby

I'm at my sisters house in Virginia. It's a beautiful place to visit and I've had a great time picking apples, seeing homes of our nation's founders and hanging out with family. When I got here the it was over 70 degrees, but quickly returned to more fall-ish weather...bummer. After our less than desirable summer, I thought I'd get a quick one while I was here.

We are, however, still waiting for baby #3 to arrive for my sister and brother-in-law. My poor sister is still very pregnant and now three days overdue - she's ready and so are the rest of us! I have a sneaky feeling I'll miss the birth entirely since I leave in two days...bummer.

P&H are adjusting to life with kids again. There have been a few tears and a lot of stern conversations regarding "personal space" for the dogs. It's hard to understand when you're four that growling is a really good indicator that maybe the dog doesn't want your hands in his blanket that he's borrowed completely under. I'm sure all will adjust just fine and the girls and boys will soon grow used to each other and the fascination will wear off.

I better get going and try to help out doing something around here.

Traveling soon...and other stuff

Tomorrow I'm heading to my sister's house in Virginia to help her with her girls and the arrival of her new baby, and to bring her her long lost dogs.

The boys are all certified and ready to fly. I have to give them baths and pack up all their items tonight when I get home from work. I'll wash all their gear so hopefully they're not too stinky when we arrive. I'm feeling a little nervous about the whole process of getting them checked in and picking them up on the other side, but I'm sure everything will be smooth. John will have to say his goodbyes to them tonight - and I'll have another week with them before I come back home to an empty house. Void of dogs I guess but not really empty.

In the mean time, I've got a lot of packing, cleaning, preparing meals (for my sweet husband to fend for himself) and general stuff to do tonight. Fun.

In other news - I actually made it another quarter with Creative Memories. I struggle to get those orders in because I don't do any shows/parties or anything because I just don't remember to do them...but I like the discount I get, and being a "consultant" has caught me up in scrapping - I'm now in last summer...not too shabby. I rely on girls at work to keep me floating and so far they are doing a decent job - thanks! :) At some point I should try and sell something...what a concept!

Even with Obama as President...

No matter who our president is, all of these will come true!

1. The Bible will still have all the answers.

2. Prayer will still work.

3. The Holy Spirit will still move.

4. God will still inhabit the praises of His people.

5. There will still be God anointed preaching.

6. There will still be singing of praise to God.

7. God will still pour out blessings upon His people.

8. There will still be room at the Cross.

9. Jesus will still love you.

10. Jesus will still save the lost when they come to Him.

Politics

Dear Friend at work:

I hear you right now discussing your opinion about tomorrow's election.

Guess what - I don't agree with you. Could you take your opinion somewhere else? It's very possible that one or two people might agree with me - but rather than start a fight about something we obviously both feel passionate about...why don't you just shup up and we'll call it good?

And I'll keep my opinions to myself as part of the deal.

Love,
Stephanie

The Boys

This morning in between snoozes...I was feeling sad about Pike and Harley moving on. I thought...wow this is the last Monday that I'll let have to pull Pike out of his ball of blanket and make him go outside....how sad. Pike really wads up in his blanket when he goes to bed for the night. most mornings, Harley runs out of his kennel ready to face the world, and Pike has to be coaxed out of his kennel and loved on a little before he's ready to go outside. I'm sure that once Pike got outside his thought was "wow...this is the last Monday that I'll have to freeze while I try and use this giant snow-covered bathroom."

John and I have gotten a laugh out of how much like Pike and Harley we are. I jump out of bed ready to go in the mornings, I'm truly a morning person. John has to push snooze a bunch of times and eventually makes his way out of the bed - after some coaxing. At night...if we're watching a movie or something, I'm asleep if I blink too long. John is a night person and could stay up until 2 if something interests him.

The boys move to Virginia to live with their "real" family on Friday. We're leaving on a jet plane ... me in the cabin and them underneath. I can just hear Pike crying about it now. We have a vet appointment tomorrow where they'll get their health certificates so that they can fly, and then everything should be in place for us to go. Our plan leaves at 7:30 - so poor John has to get up ultra early on his day off...at least he can go home and take a nap without having to tell the dogs 1000 times to get off the bed.

When I left for work this morning, I could see Pike on the couch under his favorite blanket, sound asleep again. I couldn't find Harley...so I knew exactly where to look...in our room. And I noticed a certain section of our blanket on the bed was breathing. Uh Huh. I touched the breathing section and found Harley, but just didn't have the heart to make him get up and go to the living room...after all - it's his last Monday to sneak into our room and get under the covers.

Doris Day

Guess what...I LOVE Doris Day. She is so cute!

I just want to be her friend. Her movies are fun and clean and she has such a funny little personality that you smile just seeing her. It sort of makes me feel a bit like I wish I had been alive during the 50's/ 60's and could have had pajamas like she had. All flowing and beautiful - the women dressed like women and were covered, yet very attractive. We're really missing that today - not that I want to be all girdeled up, wearing panty hose and heels every day...but there's something about the feminity that the women had in Doris' day (ha) that makes me wish we still had it.

Maybe this is why I love her: "She is a staunch supporter of the Republican Party, and told the press she voted for George W. Bush in the 2000 presidential election."

The difference between cats and dogs

Dog's Diary Entries:
8:00 Dog Food!!! My favorite thing!!!
9:30 A car ride!!! My favorite thing!!!
9:40 A walk in the park!!! My favorite thing!!!
10:30 Got rubbed and petted!!! My favorite thing!!!
12:00 LUNCH!!! My favorite thing!!!
1:00 Played in the yard!!! My favorite thing!!!
3:00 Wagged my tail!!! My favorite thing!!!
5:00 Milk Bones!!! My favorite thing!!!
7:00 Got to play ball!!! My favorite thing!!!
8:00 Wow! Watched TV with mom!!! My favorite thing!!!
11:00 Sleeping on the bed!!! My favorite thing!!!

Excerpts from a Cat's Daily Diary:
Day 683 of my captivity: My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength. The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the floor.

Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a "good little hunter" I am. The audacity! There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of "allergies." I must learn what this means, and how to use it to my advantage.

Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow - but at the top of the stairs.I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released - and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously cognitively challenged!!! The bird has got to be an informant. I observe him communicating with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. The captors have arranged protective custody of him in an elevated cell, so he is safe..... for now.....

Dear Al Gore

Could you please send global warming to Alaska. I have woken up to below 10 degrees for the last three days and am wondering how that is warmer than the average October temperatures in Anchorage of 28 degrees F.

I'm just curious.

College was several years ago - but if I remember right...let me rack my brain here... 10 is lower than 28. Significantly.

While you're at it, Al, could you fix my internet? It's super slow today!

Random Stuff

I'm so sad about Uncle Ted? I'm just sort of surprised, I don't know why, but I really thought that he would come out innocent...so I'm just surprised is all.

Also - we had a fun weekend. John's brother and sister-in-law were here for John's graduation and we had fun hanging out with them. They have the cutest little girl and we enjoyed spending some time with her as well - she has a very sweet spirit, and it was fun to see her walking around.

Our friends, Christen and Tom had a new baby on Friday, so we watched their little girls over the weekend while they were at the hospital. We had a good time - for the most part...except when we all got sick. Yeah...wow. I had the fun throw-ups on Saturday morning and shared that with both the girls. So they were throwing up all night Saturday - suffice it to say we were all very tired Sunday morning. John got to play a lot of PS3 and I got to play with the girls which was just as fun for me. We had a great time - despite the crazy sickness we all shared.

Anyway - back to work this morning. I have been very frustrated with some things recently at work and they had seemed to have subsided...today they were back in full force. Barf. I need some help with attitudes at work, since it seems I'll be working there for a bit longer...I'm okay with being there for a while longer, but need to get a better attitude toward some of the people I work with. It's one of those things where the better at working you are - the more work you get put on your desk...and the less work others who aren't as interested in working get. Such a good time!

Where else but Alaska?

I was walking around in downtown Anchorage (metropolitan that we are) with the CEO from work. We had just gone to a Rotary meeting (wow...) and we ran into Don Young and his wife on the sidewalk. Yeah - one of our representatives to the US House of Reps...interesting. Where else but Alaska do you walk down the sidewalk and run into a Representative and his wife whom he introduced us to? However you feel about Don Young - it's still pretty rockin!

Meetings

I'm so over meetings...seriously. What if instead of meetings we just passed around a piece of paper and wrote down our announcements/concerns/arguments and passed it around work or wherever you go to have meetings.

Then, everyone has to sign the piece of paper (initial here, initial here...etc.) indicating that they read it so that no one can say "I didn't know about that new thing" or "I didn't get to say what I wanted."

No one gets to ask stupid questions, fling accusations at others during meetings, talk about things with one person that should talked about one - on - one but for whatever reason gets brought up in front of everyone else, complain about kitchen use/misuse at work, or bring up random things no one cares about. Everyone gets their say, when they follow the rules previously mentioned, and we each get to remain at our desks completing the work that we've been given.

The people who space out during meetings and never say anything and when asked if they have any questions say..."what were we talking about" are happy because they have a copy of the paper with the "meeting" on it and can look at it later when they decide that the information might be good to know. The people who are confrontational during the meeting and accuse others of not doing enough or taking vacation at a bad time are happy because they think they can write those things on the "meeting" paper, but what they don't know is that all their whining gets a giant white out (I love the tape kind - it's fun to use). The people who never say anything and sit and look sour the whole time are happy because they don't have to be around other people who might have good ideas. The people who giggle through the meeting and write notes to their neighbor are happy because they can write their comments on the "meeting" paper. The people who have constant complaints about how others use the common areas are happy because they think that once and for all they will solve the mystery of the soaking bowl that never seems to get washed. And lastly I'm happy because I get to use the tape white-out to banish all negativity from my fab new "meeting."

Life

I wish there was something very exciting to talk about...and there just isn't, we're boring around these parts...well...at least I am! Life just sort of keeps ticking on by. It is exciting that John is graduating next week! I'm so proud of him - he's done a very well and he's so ready to get out there and do his job. Some family is coming up for graduation and that's very cool. Johns tickled that they're coming and it's always fun to see family.

Speaking of seeing family, I'm leaving in three weeks to see my little sister, and hopefully be there for the birth of her third little girl! That's very fun - I can't wait to see my nieces...as much as I love my sister and her husband, the best part is seeing the girls. They are at very fun ages (4 and 5) and they remember me now, so it's a blast to see them. They change so much each time I see them, awwww...I'm pretty sure I have the best nieces...not that I'm at all biased, but since I have 5 almost 6 of them I consider myself an expert! :)

I have mixed feelings about taking the boys back to my sister's house - they are after all her dogs, but it's just in time for John to work crazy hours and I'll be home alone a lot. I'll miss the boys, but the good news is that I'll finally get some decent furniture! That was the rule - when the boys are gone we'll get new furniture. If you haven't been to my house then you can't know that our couch is trashed and it's just gross...so there will be no hurt feelings over getting that thing out of my house! I have some ideas about new furniture...but I haven't yet made up my mind about what I'd like to have. So many choices!

So I guess things aren't as boring as I thought. I think since our "let's fly here and there" lifestyle has slowed down quite a bit it feels more boring...but our bank account likes us traveling less!

Curves for Women

Friends - this was embarrassing. I went to Curves this morning because I have a late shift and knew that I wouldn't make it to Curves between work and Awana. So I got up early and headed to Curves.

I didn't brush my hair.

I didn't brush my teeth.

I don't even know for sure when the last time I shaved my legs was, and I was wearing shorts.

This is not unusual for me to go to Curves a little less "ready" for the day than I usually am. I don't really like working out in the morning before I do anything else, but today was one of those days where if I didn't go in the morning, it wasn't going to happen. And I'm one of those special people that has to work out most days or face the consequences. I so wish I was in a super gene family or something that didn't have to work out...but we all get to. Lucky us.

I really don't care if I look like poo when I work out - I mean seriously...who am I there to impress? But today might have been a good day to care...why?

BECAUSE CHANNEL 2 WAS THERE FILMING. Once again ...something you could have told me YESTERDAY!

Seriously? Bah...so now I'll be on the news looking all scuzzy with my sweet action cowlick sticking up to the sky and my eyes not quite focusing because my body hadn't had any nectar of life (aka coffee) yet.

Weird Weather

So - here's the skinny:

Yesterday we got about an inch of snow. It was all blustery and snowy and the roads were terrible. I kind of like snow - it makes you feel all cozy - but it's a real drag when you get snow so early in the season because it's going to be here until April. Most of the residents in Anchorage hadn't yet put on their snow tires (it's still really early in the season) so people were sliding all over the place, and there were tons of accidents.

Fast forward to this morning at 4:00 - we were awaken by a huge blast of wind that knocked over a bunch of stuff in our back yard. We both lay there awake for quite a while listening to the wind and wondering how much of our stuff was laying in the street. When I came to work this morning - all of the snow was basically gone, it was raining, and the wind had blown a bunch of yard debris (branches, twigs, leaves, people's trash) around in the streets. the power is out all around town in different areas including having no power at the most "major" intersection in town. (Major in Anchorage is much different than major in any other "biggest city in the state" so you know, take that with a grain of salt.) Luckily for ME - the power is on at my work and at my home so I am at work today...lucky me. Can you imagine if I had had a three day weekend? I mean seriously...the sheer horror of that...

The Deadliest Catch

John and I went to the wedding of a coworker this weekend and had a great time. She had a very fancy wedding and we had fun talking with my friend Marlene and her husband.

The highlight of the night was getting to meet the Captain of the Wizard - Capt. Keith. If you watch The Deadliest Catch - you know who I'm talking about. We had a fun time chatting with him about fishing/crabbing (because you know, we get the season on Netflix - we know everything there is to know about crab fishing!!).

We were laughing the other night about it because we watch that show and it's basically crab pot after crab pot coming up empty, with a full, somewhat full, and popping full and somehow we get a kick out of it each time a new pot comes out of the water. weird.

When I get my computer to work, I'll post pictures of us with Keith - we are so very cool!

Seriously?

snow? oh man - woke up to fun snow on the ground. Yep - on October 7. It does look really pretty though! I suspect it will be gone by the end of today unless we get more. On my way to work at 7:00 this morning, it was already starting to get a little sloshy and yucky out, so who knows.

But still - it's SO early in the season...I guess it's time to break out the winter gear and find the shovel!

If I have to blow my nose one more time...

Then I guess I will... I have not been well this week, I didn't go to work on Tuesday and spent the day in bed - bored out of my mind.

I am the world's worse sick person. I always think "Oh I'm feeling a little better, maybe I'll go out and rake the yard or mow or something" and then inevitably, I just get more sick. So this time I am taking it easy. I haven't worked out since Monday, and am trying to just lay low after work in the evenings. I think I am feeling better today - at least my head isn't all clogged up and things are ... um ... draining. So that's a good thing!

Photos from this weekend

How can you resist?

Here we are along the way on Sunday

Some of the beautiful scenery - what a great walk!

Monday Monday...

Back to work...ah yes, Monday is upon us!

We had a great weekend away. As soon as my friends email us photos (we are lame and left the house without our camera) I'll post photos of our fun. The weather was perfect - all fallish and beautiful. No rain - thank heaven - and beautiful blue sky with crisp air, it was perfect.

And it's a good thing the weather was so nice because - get this - construction workers accidentally cut the fiber cable so the hotel didn't have cable at all until Saturday evening. Isn't that all special and ironic? So we didn't get our fill of discovery channel and VH1's "where are they now"...but we did have a great weekend. :) There is life outside of vegging in front of the TV when one is visiting a hotel...who knew?

We had two batches of friends join us for hikes in Girdwood. One set joined us from the hotel and we hiked along Winners Creek trail to a hand tram - it was a beautiful hike. I had no idea that hidden in the woods next to a fab resort was a this beautiful walk to a waterfall and fun hand-tram. Then Sunday, other friends joined us and we started on the other side of the hike and went to the hand-tram and waterfall...just as beautiful and different scenery - very cool.

Back at work and normal life today. Had to scrape the windows because we forgot to put my car back in the garage last night...oops. I suppose the snow will be here before long, I'm okay with it holding out for a while. My fingers are cold...I guess it's time to sign off!

Another DUH moment for me

I was invited to a bridal shower last weekend - fun right? Right. So my friend at work and I (we'll call her Marlene) like to go in together on gifts and she usually does the shopping. Marlene tells me that I'm going to do the shopping this time and hands me some money. Fine I think, I'm good at shopping.

I go online and order a gift card to a local day spa. Done.

Except the card doesn't come on time, so we make a little poem or something and stick it in a box and our friend is cool with that. She knows the gift is coming.

Except it still doesn't come, almost two weeks after it's ordered. Oops...Stephanie ordered the card from a Day Spa of the same name in NEW YORK CITY. The new bride isn't going there any time soon...bummer.

So I called the spa and they said it happens all the time...stupid Alaskans! The lady there was probably like...and they want us to vote for Sarah Palin? right...

Weekend Away

John and I are heading to Girdwood for the weekend. I'm really looking forward to some time together and away from regular life (and projects!). Seriously - he has been working so hard this last week that we've had a grand total of 9 hours together so far this week. I should have clocked in! A few of our friends are meeting us down there to get some hiking in - and hang out in the hotel a bit.

We get one TV channel at our house (hense my obsession with Big Brother) and we have a subscription to Netflix which keeps us only one season behind our favorite shows - we like The Office, House and 24. We are such junkies when it comes to watching TV, that we made a conscience decision not to have cable in our house because we both have a tendancy to get sucked into TV and we just can't walk away. So we limit our netflix and try our best not to get too sucked in to TV while we're at home.

Why am I telling you about our TV habits you might wonder? Because - we like going to hotels for the cable. Hotels are like a "TV can't possible rot your brain" free zone for us. How embarrassing is that? But it's true - we could watch hours of Discovery Channel and HGTV...and so on and so forth. We love hotels...and I know you do too - for the cable of course!

Oh yeah and there's also the part about being together and away from our regular life and all of that...and then there's cable!

An extra day off

I took yesterday off of work for an apopintment. It was the best day I could have picked to have a personal day - it was beautiful outside. The sun was out and there was just a bit of crisp in the air, the trees are turning their beautiful fall colors which were an amazing contrast with the blue sky. I enjoyed taking the dogs for a walk and they seemed energized by the weather and sunshine too!

I got so much done around our house - I basically dropped the ball on any housework last week and totally got caught up without feeling rushed yesterday...maybe I should take Monday's off from now on!

When did I get old?

I had to laugh at myself this week. We've had a busy week with lots of social things going on.
Back in my "hay day" I worked 2 jobs, went to college full time and managed to get out most nights. My friend and I worked at Payless Shoes together and we'd be standing all day long, get off at 9:30 and race down to the coastal trail to rollerblade for an hour. Afterwards we might have gone out to dinner at Denny's or we might have just hung out at one of our homes until 1:00 or so - up at 7:30 to start the next day all over again.

Now I have one job (well, only one I get paid for) where I sit on my booty most of the day staring at a computer. I get in a workout and I head home to my dogs and make dinner and spend the evening with my John (which is the best end to any day).

Somehow between 25 and 32, I became an old woman.

I lost stamina - not sure how it happened. This week has been full of social events, Awana, hanging with friends (SO good to see people that I hadn't seen in a while - it blesses me that God has given us such incredible friends), a movie at Bear Tooth (Get Smart was cute), Costco evening runs and more friends tonight (love it - John plays video games with hubby, wife and I have great conversation, shoulder to shoulder bonding for him, face to face for me, the best of both worlds!). More stuff planned for the weekend with some well deserved rest on Sunday.

I actually said - out loud no less - "we never have this much going on at night - we're usually pretty chill." WHAT? usually pretty chill? What happened to the old Steph that could go and go and never look back?

I got old.

The last of the stupid blogs...

So - Dan won!!! :) That's right - our guy Dan scooped the 500 K!! I'm so proud - it's like my brother won or something! YAY!! Now it's time to move to something more productive on Tuesday nights...and Thursday nights...and Sunday nights!

The dogs

While we were gone - Pike and Harley stayed home by themselves and my FIL stopped by to feed them and let them out. They were not very impressed at being left by themselves and apparently did not eat ANYTHING while we were gone. (evidenced by the abundance of food left in their dishes when we got home last night)

I thought the whole not eating thing might be a good - Harley is getting a little....um....how shall I put this..."fluffy" and I've been a bummer of an auntie by not taking him walking as much as I usually do...such is life.

So - his diet plan was foiled when we got home and he pigged out...and threw up...great I probably made him really self conscience about his weight. I'm a bad auntie. But on the positive side they are both getting much better behaved thanks to Christan and Tom and their dog whispering ideas!

Denali Trip

This weekend we joined our friends to drive into Denali National park. For those of you who don't live in Alaska - you can enter a lottery each year that gives away a limited number of passes to drive all the way back to Wonder Lake (the lake you see in pictures of Mt. McKinley). Most of the time, without the pass, you can only drive to Savage River about 20 miles into the park, so it's sort of a big deal.

We drove up to Denali and camped just inside the Park at this great camp ground (with flush toilets) - I know I'm getting really soft. I stayed at a cabin AND at a camp ground in the same summer! We got up and were out of our camp site by 7:00 Sunday morning so that we could maximize the limited time John and I had in the park.

We saw some incredible stuff - 8 count them...8 grizzlies!

This one was the closest that we saw - he was digging around for roots and whatever they eat and seemed to be happily ignoring us! We also saw a caribou - but it was too far away for our little camera to see it, and a cute little fox that ran next to the road with us as we drove.

We also saw Mt McKinley - not the whole thing, but it did clear up for a while...a beaver...a moose and a wolverine, naturally there's no picture of the wolverine! It ran across the road so cast we didn't even know what it was until we had a second to discuss what that could possibly have been. The colors on the way there and the way home were amazing. I took a picture, but I don't think it gives justice to the brilliant colors - at times it seemed as if the trees were glowing, especially from the distance. Driving from Talkeenta to Cantwell was especially amazing, and you AKers - if you get a chance to take a drive in the next week or so, I highly recommend it!

I had to add a picture of the wolverine - just so everyone knows it really does exist!! :) I found out this morning it's not at all related to the wolf, it's a weasel...and it only goes super fast or it's stopped. This would explain why it ran so stinking fast across the road. Now that I've seen a picture, I'm even more sure it was a wolverine that we saw sprinting across the road.

There are a lot more pictures - but I won't bore you with all of them - you'll have to visit and look at the scrapbook! :)

More stupid stuff

If for no one else - I have to update for Michele! :)

SO!!!! Dan and Memphis are in the final two. I am so ready for Dan to win - I'm just saying. He has played the game so well and totally deserves the win! And I suspect Jerry will be the one in the jury to win the $25,000.

In other news...we are driving into Denali Park this weekend so I hope to have some good picture of our weekend to post. I'm hoping we'll get to see something...and that we won't freeze. Both of which are huge hopes! We're going with some friends of ours and I'm looking forward to the time together.

This is a totally stupid blog

Seriously.

But if you're watching Big Brother (like you should be) then you know that this is a very serious blog (in a stupid way).

I can't believe how incredibly smart Dan is. Of course we picked him as a favorite in the beginning and I have been intrigued watching him work the game. I couldn't get over the way he used the veto ceremony last night to be sure that Keesha thought he was on her side and to set it up so that Memphis would be the bad guy. I LOVE IT! I so hope he wins - as long as Jerry doesn't get crazy and turn into a superhero - and it comes down to Memphis and Dan I know he'll win. If Jerry is part of the final two - i know the jury will choose him.

Sweet.

Okay, I'm done with my stupid post - I'm just pleased as punch at how smart the game was played this time. No weird guy/girl things just good game strategy and smart playing.

Good Friends

Do you ever have those moments when you hang out with people you've known for a few years but never really did anything with and suddenly you're like, where have these people been all our lives?

John and I hung out with a family from church this weekend and had a great time. We got in the car on our way home and thought...what took us so long to get to know them? It's weird how you get caught up in your own life and don't take time out to get to know other people. I've been thinking a lot lately about how easy it is to be so busy your own day to day that you miss others and what is happening for them. I know I've missed hurting friends because I was too uncomfortable to ask or too busy to care. hmmm...something for me to think about.

Job Well Done

Yesterday was one of those days when I left work feeling like I got something done. In fact I was so engrossed in my work that quitting time came and went and yet I was here. That doesn't happen very often for me. I'm usually running out the door just as the clock strikes 3:30 (I pretent I'm a union member! :))

I like those days when you feel like you're doing something worth doing, and getting stuff done. Yay for those days, and yay for Fridays!

Go Sarah, Go Sarah, Go Sarah

I can't help but be so proud of Sarah Palin.

Maybe I'm being too naive, and not looking at all of the political (schmolitical) issues. But seriously...a person who supports life like she does and isn't shy about saying so, and is a woman (*shock* a woman who is pro life and not afraid to say it), and has experienced moments in her own life when the world would say "wow you should have taken care of that" it makes me proud (and frankly a bit teary). And it makes me wish that I had an opportunity to stand up like that too.

Go Sarah!

The most important question

Will Dan be able to win the $500,000 on Big Brother X? This is the most important question.

So...what else goes on?

Sigh...Jeni's gone and life is back to normal.

After a fun time of hanging with family how strange it feels to be back in the normal groove of life.

We had a very relaxing weekend. We had a great time Saturday - taking Jeni out to breakfast with friends, hiking and then shopping around town for gifts. I like going into those cheesy gift shops...and who doesn't like Alaska Wildberry? Jeni left Saturay night - how sad...

Sunday we went to church and had nursery and then spent the afternoon doing some shopping. John had to do some stuff for work, so I picked some more raspberries and made jam. My friend shared her fab recipe with me for rhubarb custard bars so I made a batch of those. Yum...got them out of the house as soon as possible. I also froze some so we'll see how they hold up.

I must have been in a nesting mood because I busted out my scrapping and got to work wrapping up a book that's been waiting for me to finish it for several months. We ( mostly I) watched Gone with the Wind and finished my scrapbook. YAY! Now I can move on to January of 2007 - I'm catching up!

The coolest thing

I got a tip from my boss that she saw baluga whales coming into town early this week. I remembered that the one and only time I've seen them was around Labor Day and I thought... maybe we should try to see them. My boss suggested we go at high tide since that's when she saw them.

My sister and I went home and looked at the tide tables and decided to go last night to try and whale watch. John, my sister and a friend and I loaded up and headed down the Turnagain Arm. We pulled over where one car was with binoculars...but couldn't really see anything. Looking down the highway we could see a bunch of people pulled off so we headed down there.

Sure enough - there they were. we stood watching the whales for about an hour. We didn't see a ton of them, and at one time we saw about 6 of them swim by one right after the other, but mostly it was looking for them a little further out.

Very cool - and well worth the trip!

Morning Excitement

I live in a neighborhood that some might find a little 'sketchy.' I normally don't feel threatened living here, and the only time I've ever been scared was when we had some crazy people living next to us that we worked hard to get rid of.

But this morning on my way to work, I called 911.

It's like this - I walked to work (I live 4 blocks away from work) and coming out of my driveway I saw a young guy walking down the main street we connect with. Well...I take that back, first I heard him yelling obsenities, and then I saw him. He looked at me and yelled "what are you looking at? I'm going f... somebody up." wow...so I felt a little threatened. I let him get way ahead of me, he's still yelling at no one, at himself at other people along the road, and I decided someone needs to get him off the street.

So that's when I called 911. Normally, I'm not squite so apt to call and might have just let it go. I run into questionable people now and then, but I felt threatened by this guy.

Needless to say, I was late to work...not so shocking considering how slowly I was walking to stay way behind this guy.

I'm wide awake - that's the good thing! :)

Weekend Fun Part 2

Jeni's here! And we're having a great time. We picked her up at the airport Saturday night. Sunday morning we went to church (which was a great sermon this week) and then went out to lunch and headed home.

We are watching John's parent's dogs this weekend, so we let all the critters out and packed some snacks and headed to Wasilla. We went kayaking on a lake out there - it was beautiful. The sun came out as if on que and we just floated around checking out different parts of the lake.

It had been a gloomy day so it was so great getting an hour or so of sun.

After the kayaking, we climbed the rock climbing tower. It's 35 feet. It didn't seem so tall...at least not at first. We got all geared up and John went first. He just flew up the wall - oh I thought, it's not so hard.


So then it was my turn..I climbed to the little window and then had some issues...I got stuck. I had to stay there and think for a while. But I made it to the top! :) It was so worth it. Belaying doing was very fun I recommend trying it to any one! The harness is so flattering...ha! It really just accentuates your fabulous fluffy parts!!!

Jeni went third and she did great too. She got a little stuck a the window as well, but made it to the top. Watching her belay was a riot. I laughed so hard...and then she watched the video we took and had good laugh too...it was great.

Weekend Fun Part 1

John and I rearranged our bedroom...big time. Those of you who have been to our house know that we had a really - and I mean really tall bed. We were both growing weary of how much space our huge bed took up in our room and tired of having to literally climb in and out of it every day...so we got to work.

We had a lot of stuff stored under our bed so it took a long time to unload all of the stuff and find places for it...and then we took the bed apart...yeah huge job. Above is Izzy checking out the situation as we cleaned things up and got ready for the main event.

We are currently borrowing a queen sized bed from John's parents to see if we can survive in a queen before we commit. I think we'll make it, and we'll get our own bed soon. I like it so much better - it's much more roomy and more like a bedroom. AND I can have my book on the nightstand next to me even! How cool is that?

So - here's the look so far. We'll probably move things around a bit more...and I'm not sure if we'll keep our current bread spread, etc. It's okay, but not it's HUGE on our little bed. As you can see Izzy approves.

Getting Excited

My sister Jeni is coming to see me for the next week or so and I cannot wait for her to get here. It's so great to have family visit and I love that she's willing to come all the way up here to hang out with us! :) I'm not sure what all we're going to do but I'm sure we'll find something to do - having a hiking buddy is going to be fab!

I have to brag for two seconds. I have the most incredible husband...for real. That's all. I'd like to say more but I'm fairly certain I'd really embarrass him.

I suppose I should get moving already...

BIG bummer

I thought it was too good to be true - my $100 was counterfeit. That's right - I found funny money...bummer! I hadn't really spent it in my head yet, so that's a good thing!

Bella and $100

John and I just wanted "Bella" a movie recommended to us. It was an incredible movie - I HIGHLY recommend it - to anyone. Clean, beautiful story, great acting...it was just an amazing story.

Also - I found a $100 bill today when I was walking the dogs. That was very exciting. I picked it up off of the street when I was picking up some trash this morning...pretty sweet, eh? I'm not even going to try and think of where it came from and whose it was...that takes too much imagination, or maybe not enough!

A crowd draws a crowd

Maybe it's because I have a BA in sociology...maybe it's because I analyze things too much...not really sure. Whatever the reason, I am fascinated by theories - I have a few of my own and I'm going to share one of them.

It's not like I made up "a crowd draws a crowd" but I have seen in proven many times. I have some good friends that I used to travel with and we liked to go to theme parks - I think we went to Disneyland twice and Magic Mountain once or something like that. Anyway...we would walk up to a line and there wouldn't be anyone there but as soon as all 8 (or however many of us there were) got in line it was like the skies opened up and dropped people from the heavens. The line would suddenly double or triple. We had so much fun on those trips...but I digress.

So I decided that maybe the crowd draws a crowd theory applies to more than just people. Maybe it applies to trash too. I live in a somewhat shady part of town, I don't really notice it, and am totally comfortable walking my dogs around my neighborhood, but others aren't so comfortable here. Anyway, there was a TON of trash on this one stretch that I walk most days so I decided I'd pick some of it up. I only picked up the big obvious things like Mc D's cups, Taco Bell nachos thrown out of a car, huge bottles of beer (empty of course), etc. I filled up a kitchen trash bag completely in three blocks. Wow.

This morning I walked to work on the same path and noticed that while there was still some small trash - that I missed and maybe some that has gotten there since I picked up - there were no big chunks. My theory is that the crowd of trash drew a crowd of more trash...I'll fill you in on if my theory holds or not - I'm sure everyone is just riveted at my discovery.

Encounters of the furry kind

Friday night we went hiking with our friends Tim and Rebecca and their children. We were planning to walk the Turnagain Trail from Potters Marsh side (at the RR section house) to McCue Creek. Great plan. We went to the section house side to park our cars and we were warned there was a mama black bear and her cubs in the parking lot. So up we went in our cars to check out the scene. Sure enough - there she was a very small bear and her babies were up a tree. The mama loped around a bit sat down and watched us, sniffed around some, pooped and then walked over to the tree and somehow summoned her babies down from the tree. The scurried down and the three of them went off into the woods. We got to watch them for maybe 20 minutes -I took pictures with my phone camera, but they mostly just look like dots in the distance and you can't even see the babies.

So we decided to start at the other end.

It took us about two hours to walk the trail and by the time we got back to the section house side we decided to not go down the path that would lead us to where the mama and her babies had been and went down the wider more used path instead. Great idea....in theory. It wasn't long before we saw her and the babies right on the trail! I was busy looking at all the debris she had dragged onto the trail and didn't see them until she'd already shoved her babies up a tree and was getting ready to climb herself.

We went ahead and headed the other way...not really into walking past a sow and her cubs if you knwo what I mean!

It was the coolest - we got to watch them for so long in the parking lot - and then ran into them at a relatively safe distance on the trail. That is the third time I have run into bears on that particular trail, so I wasn't too surprised, but I have never seen them that close for that long not in a zoo before. This year people have had a lot of bear meetings not nearly as 'fun' as mine, right now there are hunters trolling a trail where a brown bear with her two cubs has already mauled two people. It's been quite the summer for bear encounters.

sunshine and long lost friends

Yesterday started out pretty gloomy and then in cleared up into our sunniest summer day this year. I decided it was too nice to be at work, afterall - who knows when the next nice day is going to be, so I bugged out of work early.

I went home and mowed the lawns (LONG overdue that's a funny pun on so many levels, I kill me!) and then went inside to clean up a little. My friend Mel called and we hit the coastal trail for a little while. I was tight on time, but we made use of what time I did have and she biked while I bladed. I have been wanting to act like I was flying down this hill (if you are familiar with the trail, you know the hill coming down from Earthquake park) it's steep but not so steep that I'm scared, but steep enough that you pick up some good speed. I've been too embarassed / shy / whatever to put my arms out like I'm flying but i've often prayed that I would just take off...wouldn't that be a weird prayer for God to answer? But this time I just did it - I looked like an overstuffed bird coming down that hill, but I liked it so there!

I went home and got to making dinner, and my friend Kim whom I haven't seen in 15 years (we figured that out) came over for dinner with her son. Her husband is now stationed here and we found out the other was here through our moms who happened to run into each other. Weird. So here we are 15 years later...it was so good to reconnect with her - she's newer to the area so I decided we should go to the coastal trail again and her son loved it. Yesssss....I got another one hooked!

John came home just in time for dinner and Kim and I had tried a new recipe that thankfully worked out (chicked stuffed with apples and cheese - so good by the way).

what a nice night...i slept hard!

Oh my my my

What wonderful thing did I come home to after work? Well behaved dogs waiting with yummy chummy breath for me to take them on a walk.

nope.

Dogs who did this: So i'm looking around trying to find the rest of the RAW HAMBURGER container that one of the dogs apparently ATE. I can't find it anywhere, I'm beginning to wonder how in the world that is going to digest in their tummies. Was it going to kill them? No such luck. I found the rest of it in the living room chair...oh to have this stuff on camara.



For the record, I love P&H...they just drive me CRAZY sometimes!

Photos

Promised photos for all my readers of our fun weekend with family!

Here I am with Hannah our little niece and Pike our nephew. Hannah was really into Pike's dog tags, and Pike was really into getting some
loving...from anyone!







Here's Hannah and my MIL's dog Izzy. They are infatuated with each other. It was too funny- the first night Hannah was here, Izzy was trying so hard to herd her. Hannah puts up with a lot and let her kind of push her around the room. With a few little nudges now and then!

Family

I'll post some photos soon, but I thought it would be fun to tell that we had a little family get together this past weekend. John's mom had a birthday last week and to surprise her FIL and John and I decided to see if brother T, wife and daughter could come in from Juneau for the weekend.

They did - and we had a great time. We totally surprised John's mom and she seemed pleased to have her granddaughter here, and of course brother T and wife! It was fun to spend some time with them, and I hadn't yet met their sweet little girl (who is about to turn 1 how embarrassing that I just met her!) - so that was very fun. Seriously, I don't think I've ever met a better behaved child...I'm not just saying this because I'm the auntie...for real I'm not! :)

Pics of the weekend to follow...

We did it!

Well...we did it! My friend Rebecca and I walked the entire length of the coastal trail (9 miles) from Westchester Lagoon to Kincaid park...and BACK!

By about mile 15 we were both feeling the 'pain' but we pursued and proved to ourselves that we can do it. I remember one time when Rebecca, Deb and I walked to church (remember Deb?) and it seemed so far away - I think it was about 6 miles...

Anyway...not to brag, I'm just saying!

Now...that's what I call Camping

John and I have discovered the ultimate way to camp - in someones cabin! :) We love to camp - we have a great time setting up our tent, we're not afraid of sleeping on the ground, and we like a camp fire probably more than the average, healthy adult. AND - it was great staying at our friend's cabin and not having to pack all the stuff that has to go camping if you're in a tent, not having to think much about what we'd eat, not having to pack a year's worth of water, and knowing that we'd be warm (with running water) the whole weekend. Plus - a bonus of watching a movie if we so pleased!

We drove up Friday night and our friends met us to hike for a while. They brought their two little girls, and we brought our two little nephews. We had a great time on the hike and enjoyed a little picnic on the side of the trail. It rained on us some, but not too bad - so we looked for a dryish spot to eat lunch. It was funny - we found a weird little spot that was on a slope and kind of hard for the girls to sit on and we decided to just eat there. As soon as we were done with lunch and moved on down the trail about five minutes...naturally we found the perfect spot.

The trail wasn't very long - I think it must go in about 2 miles - but apparently it was a little much for poor little Pike. He tuckered out and John stuffed him in my backpack. He basically hunkered down and enjoyed the ride. What a funny little guy.

After the hike we hung out at our friend's cabin in Healy that they had rented and then headed back for dinner at our little cabin we were staying at in Cantwell.

Sunday morning we got up earlyish and headed back to Anchorage and our ever present rental to wrap up. Barf.

Dreams...not the Corrs! :)

I dream – a lot.

I usually remember the ones I have right before I wake up – probably because we push snooze about 100 times a morning and I usually have to go to the bathroom sometime in the night. So basically I remember a lot of my dreams. I thought it might be funny to share my three latest weird ones.

John and I went camping this weekend (I’m using the word “camping” loosely here – we were staying at our friends’ cabin) and the dogs decided to sleep with us on our blow up mattress in our sleeping bags. This was uncomfortable for all of us with the dogs getting up 1,000,000 times throughout the night getting in and out of our bags because they were hot or wanted to change positions. Normally we don’t let them sleep with us – but since were already in the wild we thought…why not? I have no idea why it didn’t occur to either of us to just get up and put the dogs in their kennel, but neither of us thought of it in our sleepy state.

I was in between one of the times when the dogs woke us up, and dreaming away. In my dream I was in a movie and it was about a cruise ship. The director (who was this guy that I barely knew in HS – Matt Foster – I knew his brother better…who knows why I was dreaming about him…so weird) was giving me some direction about how he would like me to say a particular phrase. He said “you’re saying it all wrong, you’ve got to say it like this…” and then he made a sound much like a growl “rrrrrrr…..rrrrrrr….rrrrrr” and then I woke up – and realized Harley was sleeping right next tome snoring. HA!

Okay, so the next two are funny too – hope you’re not bored. I dreamed I was petting Pike’s little head – I was petting John’s head – thankfully it did not wake him up!

I dreamt I was on a missions trip, and a woman from church was one of the leaders. She was passing out supplies for the camp and handed me a highlighter, I was really clutching it like I wasn’t ever going to give it up. I take my temperature EVERY morning – I was holding on to my thermometer – clutching it like I was never going to give it up!

You just got to laugh at some of this stuff or you’ll think you’re a little cuckoo!

Just Wonderful...

I can’t even describe the excitement I feel right now. After days and days of non-stop rain and overcast skies…we have sunshine today. I mean real honest to goodness sunny sunshininess. It’s wonderful. Just wonderful.

The nephews

Does this ever happen to you? You have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night and then you can’t fall back asleep?

This morning I got up to go to the bathroom at 4:00 and apparently woke Pike up. I heard him get out of his kennel (which we got out of the habit of locking because he puts himself to bed between 9:45 and 10:00 and we forget to lock it …and it cracks us up) and get up on the couch (where Harley was sleeping). It’s like this, Harley falls asleep on our floor every night – then sometime in the middle of the night he goes and sleeps on the couch. Pike goes to sleep in his kennel every night and some time in the middle of the night, he goes and sleeps on the couch too. So every morning, we wake up to P&H on the couch usually under the same blanket fast asleep. Sometimes Harley is wedged between cushions on the couch because his blanket-hogging brother has pushed him out from under the blanket.

Anyway…so I get up and hear Pike wake up too. I hear him delicately tiptoe to the couch (something you have to see to believe – Beth and Phil know what I’m talking about) and he jumps up on the couch. I go to bed and lay there awake and the next thing I know – I hear Pike growling fiercely, I mean really growling. I get up and sneak into the living room and there he is hovering over Harley who is completely wrapped up in the afghan we let the boys sleep in – and Pike wants Harley to give up the blanket.

I give up watching them and go back to bed...and can't fall asleep...for the rest of the morning...boring.

Pike won – this morning when I got up “for real” there was Pike all wrapped up in the blanket, and there was Harley – cuddled up next to Pike – with no blanket.

One of those survey things...for fun!

The phone rings, who do you want it to be?
A family member

When shopping at the grocery store, do you return your cart?
I put it in the coral

In a social setting, are you more of a talker or a listener?
I am more of a talker, but I am learning to be a better listener

Do you take compliments well?
Not always, I try to talk my way out of them.

Do you play Sudoku?
The easy ones

If abandoned alone in the wilderness, would you survive?
I would probably do my best to figure out how to get out – and then sit down and cry so much I’d probably die of loss of electrolytes or something. I can tell you that I wouldn't try to find a bus in the middle of nowhere!!

Did you ever go to camp as a kid?
Yeah, I loved camp, I would be packed for it for weeks. It was the highlight of every summer.

What was your favorite game as a kid?
I still like my favorite game – Sorry! And I still like to wrestle around which we did as kids a lot.

Could you date someone with different religious beliefs than you?
I wouldn’t date anyone right now…duh. But I don’t recommend even dating someone with different religious beliefs as you – unless that’s all they are…religious beliefs. If you have a relationship with Jesus…I think you’d want your someone to share that with you.

Do you like to pursue or be pursued?
I still like being pursued…my husband does a fine job of that.

Do any songs make you cry?
Yeah – I’ve cried before over a song

Are you continuing your education?
Thinking about it

Do you know how to shoot a gun?
Yes – but I’d like to know more.

If your house was on fire, what would be the first thing you grab?
Make sure John was on his way out and then get the dogs…and our envelopes!

Do you think more about the past, present or future?
I mostly think about the future – I’ve never been very good about living where I am.

Favorite children’s book?
Where the Sidewalk Ends

What color are your eyes?
Blue..da da da

How tall are you?
5′7

Have you ever taken pictures in a photo booth?
Yep.

Where was the furthest place you traveled today?
Curves on Tudor!

Do you like mustard?
Yeah – but I never remember to use it

Do you look like your mom or dad?
I look more like my dad - actually pretty big time

How long does it take you in the shower?
About 10 minutes.

Can you do splits?
HA

What movie do you want to see right now?
Leatherheads

What did you do for New Year’s?
Hung out with good friends – went downtown for fireworks, had communion and played games.

Do you own a camera phone?
Yes, but I don’t get it.

Was your mom a cheerleader?
No – she was into drama club

What’s the last letter of your middle name?
A

How many hours of sleep do you get a night?
about 8

Do you like care bears?
I don’t really get into characters

What do you buy at the movies?
I eat some of John’s popcorn

Do you know how to play poker?
I’ve tried…

Do you wear your seatbelt?:
ALWAYS

What do you wear to sleep?
My jammies – they are cute!

Is your tongue pierced?
Nope - gross
Do you like Liver and Onions?
Never tried it but pretty sure I would throw up

Are you in love?
I am…and it’s fun

Do you like funny or serious people better?
I like most people, but I tend to be drawn more to funny people

Ever been to L.A.?
Yep – I kind of like it there, but would NEVER live there.

Do you steal or pay for your music downloads?
I don’t download music except from iTunes, and trust me I pay for it!

Are you a gullible person?
sometimes

If you could have any job (assuming you have the skills) what would it be?
I would be a traveling blogger and tell people what they should and shouldn’t do when they travel here or there.

Are you easy to get along with?
Ask John – ha! I think I am easy to get along with most of the time.

What is your favorite time of day?
The evening, when John and I are together

Would you rather sleep alone or with someone?
With someone

Would you give up the one you love/care for the most to become immortal?
Weird – heck no.

What animal are you most like?
Probably a dog – Harley and I have similar qualities!

What kind of tea do you like the most?
Earl Gray – oh yes. But I prefer coffee

Do you laugh at peoples’ stupidity?
I don’t really laugh, but I probably talk about it way more than I should…it’s sad. I need to knock that off.

Do you feel guilty for doing so after you’re done laughing?
I do for talking about people’s stupidity…then I repent…and do better for a time, and then it happens again….