One of my closest friends from Alaska drove away today. Andrew and I went to the Worrick's home last night for some last-minute hanging out and a quick game of Cranium before heading to bed around 1:30 am, only to get up today and drive back over there to squeeze in some more goodbye's. We prayed together. We cried together. Hugs were passed around. I've been thinking about this moment practically every day for the past month or more and thinking on what to do or say to make this go by easier. The only real thing I came up with that I've been thinking about over and over, a couple of phrases on an endless repeat in my head is 'Thank you for Amy' and 'Bless their journey'.
Back when I first got here - well, even before that, I prayed earnestly for God to send me a friend. And Amy took me under her wing and has become my first real, life-changing, blessing-in-disguise friend here while in Alaska. She and Shawn have welcomed me and Andrew into their home, into their lives, and have challenged me to ask the hard questions about my life, my faith and how I should be a better wife to Andrew/live a better life (and she probably doesn't realize she's encouraged me and challenged me in so many ways!).
And now they are en route to Missouri and their new base. And I know that God is going to move BIG through them. And their journey will be blessed.
Missing you four already - Amy, Shawn, Devin, Zoey, Maddi & Kia.
Friday, December 30, 2011
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Thursday, December 8, 2011
We got a Christmas tree!
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| Andrew wearing the apron Grammie sent out (and I made for her back when I was probably eleven or so). |
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| Chip was very interested in the tree stand/water. |
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| The 'before' |
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| Andrew christening our bare tree... |
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| ...with a Darth Vader ornament. |
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| All pretty with the lights! |
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| And now some presents! |
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| Penguin ornament from Lowe's. |
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| The ornament I got from a vendor at the local craft fair back in October...I gave it to Andrew for Christmas. |
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| Another ornament from Lowe's |
Sunday, December 4, 2011
More Adventures in the Alaskan 'wilderness'
A lot has happened in the past month. I haven't been blogging much because I haven't really been feeling up to it, and I've been unsure if I should continue on - I mean, does anyone even read this?
A couple of weeks ago I left work and went into the ER for a personal issue. The next day I started not feeling well - very nauseous and had severe abdominal pains which worsened when eating. This went on for about four days before I went back to the ER for two IV Drips and a bunch of medicine. The doctors deemed it 'irritable bowel syndrome' which I know it was not - it is just their way of telling me they have no idea what it is. The pain went away after that night so it may have been a combination of the lack of nutrition from not eating for four days and dehydration.
So everything was grand until Friday of that week (Veteran's day) when we got into a three car accident (our fault) and totaled our car. Estimated damage with basic parts (which have to be new rather than used because it is a pretty unpopular car) to the front alone was $3,000.00 not including labor. It is estimated to cost about $8,000.00 to fix the Maxima. So with two weeks of rental cars and a potential loan going through, I was relatively calm and knew that everything would work out and that God would take care of us.
And He has. Our loan went through and we were able to buy a used (new to us) 2002 Subaru Impreza. It's handled pretty well so far in the snow and ice and we are pretty happy with it.
We hosted Thanksgiving at our house for the first time. Hannah and Carlo Bulanan came over as did David Smith, one of the single guys in his squadron. we had lunch at 1 pm and everyone stayed until at least eight playing board games and talking/watching movies.
I stopped working at Barnes & Nobles the Thursday before Thanksgiving and the Tuesday and Wednesday of the week of Thanksgiving I started Orientation at the Sitka Child Development Center. This past week I was placed into room 114 of the Infant wing, working with 6-12 month olds - and I LOVE it! I am filling in for the regular caregiver in this room, as her newly adopted daughter passed away the Saturday after Thanksgiving and she has not yet set a date to come back as of yet. Apparently I've done such a great job and the kids love me so Melissa (the early morning shift) requested that I be put back in the room for this next week instead of doing the flexible of 'floater' position I was hired for. I've done some helping out in the toddler and pre-school rooms and I'm not very thrilled so I think that if a position in a room opened up I would prefer to be in the older infants like I am now. Maybe even pre-tots, but I haven't been in there yet.
Andrew and I have had a couple of movie dates recently. We went to see the Muppet's - which was a decent movie in my opinion.I didn't grow up watching the Muppet's but I was amused by most of the numbers in it - especially when Sheldon Cooper from the Big Bang Theory showed up in one of the numbers. That probably made the movie for me.
We also went on Friday evening and saw Hugo. I didn't really like it mostly because it was a very slow-moving movie - a slow-moving story. Andrew really enjoyed it though and that's all that matters. I mostly went for him. Besides, he went to the Midnight opening showing of Part 1 of Breaking Dawn, the last book of the Twilight Series. Now that's love.
Last night I had the opportunity to spend some time and fun Fellowship with some awesome ladies from MCHH at The Crow's Nest which is located on the 20th floor of the Captain Cook Hotel in downtown Anchorage. It is a super fancy restaurant and not something I would go to on just some random day - it is more of an anniversary dinner or to celebrate a new promotion or something big like that. We all had a wonderful time and the view (even in the dark) was spectacular. Andrew and I might go there for our 1 year anniversary dinner.
A couple things I've been thinking about lately is making a 'mini-series' on my blog - sort of like the homemaker blogs that I follow - except these would document neat hole-in-the-wall places we've been such as restaurants with review & maybe some pictures, or maybe a small series on good items to invest in if considering a trip or a move up here - things that will come in handy such as a pair of sturdy hiking boots or a pair of studded snow tires. I guess I want to document our lives in such a way that if someone wanted some honest opinions of things see and do from someone who is currently living here. What do you think?
A couple of weeks ago I left work and went into the ER for a personal issue. The next day I started not feeling well - very nauseous and had severe abdominal pains which worsened when eating. This went on for about four days before I went back to the ER for two IV Drips and a bunch of medicine. The doctors deemed it 'irritable bowel syndrome' which I know it was not - it is just their way of telling me they have no idea what it is. The pain went away after that night so it may have been a combination of the lack of nutrition from not eating for four days and dehydration.
So everything was grand until Friday of that week (Veteran's day) when we got into a three car accident (our fault) and totaled our car. Estimated damage with basic parts (which have to be new rather than used because it is a pretty unpopular car) to the front alone was $3,000.00 not including labor. It is estimated to cost about $8,000.00 to fix the Maxima. So with two weeks of rental cars and a potential loan going through, I was relatively calm and knew that everything would work out and that God would take care of us.
And He has. Our loan went through and we were able to buy a used (new to us) 2002 Subaru Impreza. It's handled pretty well so far in the snow and ice and we are pretty happy with it.
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| This isn't actually a picture of our car, but one I took off google. |
We hosted Thanksgiving at our house for the first time. Hannah and Carlo Bulanan came over as did David Smith, one of the single guys in his squadron. we had lunch at 1 pm and everyone stayed until at least eight playing board games and talking/watching movies.
I stopped working at Barnes & Nobles the Thursday before Thanksgiving and the Tuesday and Wednesday of the week of Thanksgiving I started Orientation at the Sitka Child Development Center. This past week I was placed into room 114 of the Infant wing, working with 6-12 month olds - and I LOVE it! I am filling in for the regular caregiver in this room, as her newly adopted daughter passed away the Saturday after Thanksgiving and she has not yet set a date to come back as of yet. Apparently I've done such a great job and the kids love me so Melissa (the early morning shift) requested that I be put back in the room for this next week instead of doing the flexible of 'floater' position I was hired for. I've done some helping out in the toddler and pre-school rooms and I'm not very thrilled so I think that if a position in a room opened up I would prefer to be in the older infants like I am now. Maybe even pre-tots, but I haven't been in there yet.
Andrew and I have had a couple of movie dates recently. We went to see the Muppet's - which was a decent movie in my opinion.I didn't grow up watching the Muppet's but I was amused by most of the numbers in it - especially when Sheldon Cooper from the Big Bang Theory showed up in one of the numbers. That probably made the movie for me.
We also went on Friday evening and saw Hugo. I didn't really like it mostly because it was a very slow-moving movie - a slow-moving story. Andrew really enjoyed it though and that's all that matters. I mostly went for him. Besides, he went to the Midnight opening showing of Part 1 of Breaking Dawn, the last book of the Twilight Series. Now that's love.
Last night I had the opportunity to spend some time and fun Fellowship with some awesome ladies from MCHH at The Crow's Nest which is located on the 20th floor of the Captain Cook Hotel in downtown Anchorage. It is a super fancy restaurant and not something I would go to on just some random day - it is more of an anniversary dinner or to celebrate a new promotion or something big like that. We all had a wonderful time and the view (even in the dark) was spectacular. Andrew and I might go there for our 1 year anniversary dinner.
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| Lamb Loin I had for dinner. |
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| Myself and Amy showing off our muscles! |
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| All the MCHH Ladies in the Lobby of the Captain Cook Hotel |
A couple things I've been thinking about lately is making a 'mini-series' on my blog - sort of like the homemaker blogs that I follow - except these would document neat hole-in-the-wall places we've been such as restaurants with review & maybe some pictures, or maybe a small series on good items to invest in if considering a trip or a move up here - things that will come in handy such as a pair of sturdy hiking boots or a pair of studded snow tires. I guess I want to document our lives in such a way that if someone wanted some honest opinions of things see and do from someone who is currently living here. What do you think?
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