Nanette's Blog!

One Year!

2011-12-01T23:03:00.001-08:00

You guessed it...it's been a year since we moved into our new house! The holiday season is upon us once again! Can you believe it? It all seems completely surreal. This last year has been a complete whirlwind. We settled in...and here we are. NOW WHAT? :)

I will post more later on what we've been up to but I couldn't let this day go by without acknowleging our one year "anniversary" of sorts. It's a milestone! We love our home (most of the time). Yay to "Living the Dream"! :)

What are you guys up to? How are you preparing for Christmas? I've already recieved a box with gifts from my dad...and my mom said she's sending something already. WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE and what did you do with my parents???? LOL!! To say they are "on the ball" is an understatement. It just goes to show how CRAZY this time of the year is and people are wanting to get things taken care of early so they aren't dealing with the madness that comes along with the season at the last minute. I should be one of THOSE people. I'm working on it. At least I've got some shopping done! It's a good headstart.

OK...it's late and I need to get to bed. Happy December everyone!! Hope you are all living YOUR dream wherever you are.

Nan XO

Oh Snap!

2011-08-11T20:51:00.001-07:00

It has been exactly 4 months since I blogged! Wow! The time flies...what more can I say? So much has happened, I'm sure, but I'm not going to get into all that just yet. I'm exhausted after working on the house for 5 days straight. Tony and I decided to try and paint the house this summer and after much thought and consideration, realized we wouldn't be able to do the whole thing this year. We resigned ourselves to doing the worst two sides...the sides that get hammered by the weather and had the most damage. To make a long story short, much scraping, sanding, caulking, painting and cursing ensued. LOL! We are almost done with the two sides...we finished the hardest side yesterday. Needless to say we are EXHAUSTED! It started raining yesterday so we are getting a much needed reprieve.

On another note, football (pre-season) started tonight and our beloved Seahawks won against San Diego. LIFE IS GOOD!!!!!!!!! :) Fall is right around the corner, y'all and we are STOKED that the NFL got their you-know-what together and there's going to BE a season!!

Jake starts junior high in 3 weeks. GULP! I can't even tell you the ANGST I am suffering over this. One minute I'm super excited for him...the next minute I feel like I'm throwing him to the wolves. Schoenbar doesn't have the *best* reputation. Sigh....can I throw up just a little bit?!?

We got a kitten back in May...much to my dismay she is driving us INSANE. She is 100% kitten and she's cute as heck. Her name is Tillamook, "Tilly" for *short*. The boys came up with that one....named after our favorite brand of ice-cream. :) She has been very entertaining and Jacob loves having a pet again. It's nice that he's old enough to clean out the cat box...that is a PLUS!! :)

OK...I'm going to cut this short for now. Time to get back to relaxing after a hard-working week. More to come in the very near future!! Hope y'all are having an amazing summer!!!

Hugs! Nan XO

To Blog...or Not to Blog

2011-04-11T23:16:00.000-07:00

If you'd like me to continue blogging...please leave a comment below! Thanks!! Nanette XO

TGIF

2011-03-25T11:33:00.000-07:00

Funny...TGIF doesn't really apply when you are on vacation. But it *is* Friday and my staycation is rapidly coming to an end. And anyone that REALLY knows me...knows I haven't even touched that pile of boxes downstairs. Yeah...the ones I took the picture of. Lame, I know. But you know what? I really don't give two hoots about it. I have worked upstairs on some boxes that needed my attention so the week hasn't been a complete loss. And like Tony said, everyone needs time off once in a while! So, that being said...I have been enjoying doing a whole lot of nothing!! The weather has been nice and we've been out and about a little bit...but there's been a whole lot of TV watching, internet browsing, and napping going on!! Happy Vacation to ME!! And, I *do* still have a few days left before going back to work so there's still hope I'll get to some of those boxes shortly. :)

Has anyone checked out the book contest I mentioned previously? Manic Mommy is up to 37 books so far!!!!! And there's still 6 days in the month left!! I am OBSESSED with winning all these books. LOL! I did end up going to the library the other day and getting one of the books b/c I was just so curious about the author and her reading style. I checked out "Something Borrowed" by Emily Giffin. I could NOT put the book down and read it in like 2 days. So, add THAT to my vacation list...I read a novel!! And I didn't PAY for it...even better!! Anywho...MM is talking about having two winners for the contest since there's so many books. The selfish part of me says "No way, Jose...I want them ALL!" But the practical side of me says "I could live with that...it doubles my chances of winning, right?" LOL...I really *do* like the idea of winning them all, tho. I am SO selfish, y'all. I don't wanna share! Waaaa!!

It's almost time for breakfast so I better run. Tony is making french toast and bacon. It smells SO GOOD in here this a.m. How lucky can a girl be?!? The kids are over the moon happy, too. They've been eating a lot of cold cereal this week. You didn't think I was going to cook every morning, did you? I've been doing a full-on dinner EVERY night. It's amazing what having an extra person in the house will do...motivate you to make sure there's food on the table every night. It's much easier to do the leftover thing when it's just the 3 of us. Three more nights and our guest is gone and life goes back to normal. :)

Hope you have a great Friday and an even better weekend! Hugs~ Nanette XO

Too Much Stuff

2011-03-22T22:07:00.001-07:00

In case you haven't figured it out...this is the "abyss" that I have to work on this week. I tried going in there today and got so overwhelmed I decided I'd wait til Tony was home to cheer me on. I started working on some boxes that were upstairs. Getting into THIS MESS is going to be tough. I have too much stuff to say the least!! Anyway, as you can see...I wasn't kidding when I said I had a lot to do. So far, I'm getting very little done. It's so nice to just do NOTHING once in a while!!

Tony and I are both home starting tomorrow so I know I will make a huge dent in this before I have to go back to work. I need to get an early start and just jump in and DO IT. Feel free to come over and help if you are so inclined! And perhaps maybe someone should stop by at some point to make sure I'm not buried alive...like on that show "Hoarders". I'm just sayin.

Night!!!!! Nanette XOXO

Staycation

2011-03-21T07:43:00.000-07:00

Mornin'! Today is Day 1 of "Staycation". I'm not counting the weekend b/c I got nothing done over the last two days. LOL! Today is probably going to be a bust, also, since I have a doctor's appointment today and so does Jake. By the time I go to mine, get home, and take Jake to his...the day will be lost. I *am* up early, tho, so maybe I'll get a few things done before I have to leave. At any rate, it is SO nice to be home and I'm trying not to think about what's going on at work. I am hoping this week is enough time to get thru all my stuff and get unpacked. I haven't even gone downstairs to look at the mound of boxes yet.

Anywho, we had a nice weekend and the weather was GORGEOUS! Spring is definitely here. We had lots of sunshine and almost 50 degree temps. There's still quite a nip in the air but the sun felt wonderful. We have a friend of Jake's staying with us so Saturday we did some running around and went to McDonald's for lunch. It was an all-around good and busy day. We managed to do some recycling and getting groceries for the week. We also went to the library and I actually checked out a book! I haven't done that in YEARS! I am tickled over how much money I am going to save myself by doing that more often! :)

Sunday was not quite as busy. I ended up going back to town for a few things and ended up with a whole nother cart of groceries...LOL. Apparently, I didn't get enough the day before! Funny how that can happen. Then I went over to see Julie...she'd had a birthday on Friday and I had a gift for her. So, back to the old neighborhood I went...I sure miss living down by the water!!! Anyway, after getting back from Julie's I took the boys up the hill from the house to get them outside and away from video games. I had never been up there but it was such a beautiful day that it was the perfect time to check it out. I knew there was an empty lot up there...sure enough there is!! Tony had said there was but I had never checked it out. So, Jake and Gabe kicked the soccer ball around and I visited with the neighbors for a bit...they were out working in their yard.

Speaking of my neighbors...have I ever mentioned that we have the NICEST neighbors in the world? OMGoodness!! They are awesome! Patty is going to help me with my yard this summer...she's going to show me what's what and what I need to keep pulled as far as weeds (cuz I have NO idea what I'm doing.) She also told me she'd help me plant some bulbs in the fall. I CAN'T WAIT!! I've never planted bulbs...I've never had my own yard for that matter and I am so excited to start working out there and enjoying the fruits of my labor. I'm so looking forward to everything blooming and coming alive again. I will be sure to take pics of everything and post them on here. :)

OK...I think I'll take advantage of being up early (Tony is getting ready for work which is why I'm up at all!) I'll check in with you all later....and post a pic of my mountain of boxes before I tackle them.

Happy Monday!!! Nanette XO

Here Ya Go

2011-03-19T07:57:00.000-07:00

Here's the blog/website I told you about with the book giveaway. I am sharing it under one condition. In the event YOU win a book or two...or especially ALL the books at the end...you MUST share them with ME after you are done reading it/them. Deal? Thanks, Y'all. Love ya!!! Happy Reading!!!

www.manicmommy.blogspot.com

No Time Like the Present

2011-03-19T07:05:00.000-07:00

It's 6:05am on Saturday....A.M!!! I woke up coughing my head off and didn't want to keep Tony up so I decided to head for the couch, drink some water, and go back to sleep. No.Such.Luck. I remembered the blog I've been going to daily written by a gal who is doing a book giveaway every day and I got so excited to see today's book I decided to log on. She's in Arizona so I knew she might have it posted. Anywho..sure enough, I was right. And today's book sounds exciting! If y'all are interested, go to www. Oh dang it...I'll have to look it up and post it later. At any rate, this gal is giving away books every day...sometimes more then one book...sometimes two, and the other day she posted a whole SERIES of 5 books. Here's how it works...you leave a comment daily to win the book of the day. Each time you comment you are eligible for a final drawing at the end of the month to win ALL the books. EVERY SINGLE BOOK....the motherlode of books, if you will. This makes my heart skip a beat, y'all. If it's one thing I LOVE...it's books (especially if they are new...and free!!) Books to me are like shoes to other women. I think I love them more then even Pampered Chef...and you KNOW I love me some PC!!! Anyway, I will post her site on here later...I did NOT mean to ramble on about THIS, believe me!!

So, it's been a while since I posted. A lot has happened since then...the most obvious, the tragic events in Japan. It has weighed heavy on my heart...can you imagine dealing with? Not to mention the loss of life...and the nuclear disaster which just seems to get worse every time I turn the news on. I was greatly concerned about my cousin and her new baby but quickly found out (Thank-you Jesus for the iPhone!) that the area she is in wasn't hit too hard by the earthquake and there was no Tsunami in her location. To make a long story short, she just posted last night that she and the baby are getting out of Japan asap. I think the biggest fear for the civilians there at the base (her hubs is a Navy man) is running out of supplies. I would be lying if I said I wasn't relieved she's getting the heck out of there!! Love ya Rachel!!!! Anyway, it seems silly to post about trivial things (such as books above) when such serious things are happening around our world today...but life goes on and you can't dwell on the negative or walk around being depressed, right? I can donate to Red Cross, I can pray...there are many options! But most of all...I can LIVE MY LIFE because life doesn't slow down just because of an earthquake somewhere 5000 miles away. (I totally made up that number...sorry.)

So, enough about that...I did my 3 days of obsessing over the news and freaking out...I'm MOVING ON....and so should YOU if you are still worrying about it. :)

Today is the first day of "Staycation". I will be posting a pic later of the ginormous amount of boxes that I have to tackle during this time at home. And the weather has decided to cooperate. We are going on our 3rd day of sunshine...it's been GORGEOUS. This will come in handy when it's time to haul stuff to the second-hand store soon. Yep....as I unpack, if I don't NEED it...or LOVE it....It's GONE. I cannot wait!!!!!! No more hoarding for THIS hoarder!!!!

As I type this it is getting light already...it's not even 6:30!! Even with the time change, the day is starting earlier and earlier. Do you know what this means? SPRING HAS SPRUNG!! As I mentioned, we are on day 3 of clear, sunny weather...Yesssss! As we approach the "Spring Solstice" I am left to wonder "where the heck did winter go?" Seriously....THAT is how fast it happens around here. One day we are having snow and the never-ending winter....then the next day it's sunny and 40 degrees! It is nothing short of awesome to know we survived another Alaskan winter. LOL!! April 6th will mark my 21st year since moving here and I can't believe I've done that many winters...amazing!!

I guess I should talk about other happenings since my last post. We had Jake's final "Parent-Teacher Conference" for elementary school last week. I can't believe it was the last one!! I did not realize there wouldn't be another before the end of school. Just another reminder of how fast the year is going already!! Anyway, Jake is getting all As and Bs in school and is doing really well. I think he will transition well to Jr. High next year...I can't say the same for his mother. Gulp! He is such a nice, sweet boy...but I've already caught glimpses of the "teenager" in him and I am somewhat frightened. Recently we had to school him on how to really shower now that he's starting to "stink"....they ALL stink so I don't feel bad in saying it. LOL!! Boys are just SMELLY....so accept it and move on!! Anywho....so yeah. We are in full "pre-teen" swing but I am loving every minute of it. I know it won't be long before my "baby" wants nothing to do with me. Sniff** I asked Tony last night if he'd like to have another baby....LOL!! It was a weak moment...what can I say? And before y'all get too excited...IT'S NEVER GONNA HAPPEN. That ship has SAILED...so again, accept it and move on!!! LOL!!! Tony and I enjoy our sleep FAR too much to go thru that again. We can barely keep up now...just sayin'. Making and having and raising babies is for the YOUNG. :)

OK...I keep getting off on a tangit. Sorry! So yeah...it's been a very full week and a half. I have been working really hard at the office getting ready to be gone for over a week. I did not realize when I asked for this week off that we also have the 28th off so that's a nice little bonus for me. I get a full 10 days in a row off PAID. Many might be wondering why I didn't head south to see family and get off the island. Well...all I can say is I have SO MUCH to take care of around the house that NEEDS to get done. Plus, I just don't have the extra money for airline tickets right now. That is really the bottom line, I guess. Even when I was looking at PFD tickets back in October it was still like $500 to get to Portland!!! That's a SALE ticket????? I think not. So yeah, I'm spending my vacation time at home...and I'll probably take more time off this summer to paint the house. Did I mention having to paint the outside of the house this summer?!? OH YEAH...fun times. Welcome to home ownership!!!!!!! Thankfully, we have many friends that have offered to help as well as offered up equipment to use. We will definitely be taking them up on their offers!!

Wow...have you guys been watching American Idol???? Who are your faves???? This has become the highlight of our week (sad, I know!) I'm still rooting for Scotty, of course, but I have fallen in love with a few others. Stefano is my "home boy". He's from Kent...which is where I'm from (before moving away to Mt. and Ak.) He is wonderful!! So talented. My other fave is Paul...he just makes me smile when I watch him. They are ALL talented in their own way...it's been so fun to watch! What else are you guys watching out there? We love reality TV...we also watch Survivor and The Amazing Race. Course, right now, March Madness has begun. The Huskies won again last night....not sure they can beat Carolina next...IN CHARLOTTE!! WHAT??????? Sigh. We are big sports fans...the ultimate "reality tv"....or should I say "the original" reality tv? LOL!!!

OK...enough of my yammering for one day. I will let you get on with your Saturday. I am hoping to do some catch up as I promised of some pretty neat past "happenings" (as my gal pal Debra likes to call it) now that I'm home for a bit. It will be a nice break from unpacking which I'm sure is going to get REAL OLD, REAL FAST! It's a lot of work...I'm just sayin'. Allrightythen.....have a great weekend and keep Japan in your prayers...they need it!!!

Namaste~ Nan XO

Another Monday

2011-03-07T10:56:00.000-08:00

Well it's Monday again and I don't have a whole lot to report. I will mention, however, that it is finally warming up here and spring should be here soon. It was 4o degrees yesterday...a heatwave compared to what it has been! Yahoo is what I say! It froze overnight and was freezing this morning but the sun is out so I think it's going to be nice again today. Maybe I'll get out for a short walk. Wouldn't THAT be lovely? I should have gone yesterday but I was feeling lazy. Sunday should be a day of rest, right?!? That's what *I* say!

So, yesterday, Jake had an opportunity to go shooting at the gun range with some friends. It sounds like he did very well and enjoyed himself. Some guys in town are going to start a "shooting league" for kids after Spring Break...they will even supply the guns. I am hoping Jake will be interested in joining...I think it would be a great experience for him and he will learn a lot about safety. We don't have guns in OUR house, but I know there are many people that do and if and when he comes into contact with them, I want him to be smart and safe about it. He has also expressed an interest in hunting. If and when he gets the chance to go (not with us but maybe some buddies) he will know what to do. I am so grateful there are people out there willing to take this on and get these young ones on the right course towards knowledge and safety! Tony and I aren't into the hunting scene so this allows another avenue for our son who is very much interested. Course, he doesn't realize yet he has to EAT whatever he kills. Based on that venison roast we ate...maybe we'll just have to give away anything he brings home. :)

OK...I've procrastinated long enough. I'm diving into Monday y'all.......Love and Hugs!!! Nan :)

Wow!

2011-03-04T12:24:00.000-08:00

I hope this link works....whoops! Wrong one...hold up!! :)

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/video/default-ap.aspx?cp-documentid=5551bc25-6a0c-a7cf-92ba-8f25ef8a7ddc

OK...that should take you to a video about last night's "Idol". I haven't watched it yet so I will be seeing it for the first time with all y'all. At any rate, I know I went on and on about Idol already but last night's show DID NOT disappoint. It was over the top GOOD!! Tears were shed over this program much to my dismay. How do you get so into a program that you physically shed a tear over it? Maybe I was just tired. Maybe the song that Stefano sang moved me...Yeah, Yeah...that's the ticket!! If you missed it....SIGH!!!!!!!! YOU MISSED IT!!!!!!!!!

Anywho...that's all I got for now. TGIF!! Nanette XO

P.S. After just watching the video...I must apologize for all the other garbage that's on there. Oh...and YES...my fave, Scotty, is obviously in the Top 10 and YES...I was worried!! LOL!! A lot of my other favorites made it as well but there were a few that didn't and it was SAD!! Sigh....

March 3rd...Really?

2011-03-03T11:05:00.000-08:00

We got a massive amount of snow last night and I'm not the least bit happy about it. When I say "massive"...I mean just enough to stress everyone out but not enough to keep us snowbound at home. Grrrrrr.....it's MARCH for crying out loud!! I think we have about a foot accumulated in our driveway which we will have to shovel tonight. Normally, my neighbor takes care of it with his 4-wheeler/plow combo but he was nowhere in sight this morning. Not sure if he's out of town or what. But anywho....that means we'll have to dig ourselves out when we get home. NOT my idea of a good time. Thankfully, the snow is pretty powdery for the time being so it shouldn't be too difficult...just annoying. And, of course, we were dumb enough to buy Tony a little front-wheel drive car that is useless in this kind of weather so we are carpooling these days. Enough said about that. He tortures me and makes me listen to Rush Limbaugh all the way to town in the morning!!!! Double Grrrrrr!!!!!!

Anyway, in other news...American Idol was on again last night and it was the girls' chance at the Top 10. They were AMAZING!! We counted at least 9 out of the 12 that ROCKED IT...but there's only 5 spots and 7 will go tonight. You MUST tune in!!! This is GREAT television y'all!!! I am SO hoping my picks make it thru. I really like Ashton, Thia, Kendra, and that country girl...her name is slipping my mind. At any rate...they all deserve to be there and it's going to be heartbreaking to see their dreams crushed tonight when they get sent packin'. BUCK UP LITTLE CAMPERS is what I'll be screamin' at the TV. :)

OK...I suppose I should get some work done. That's all I got for now. Have a great Thursday and I will be catching up on some blogging later with pics from past events that I have failed to provide you with.

Take it easy, y'all.....XOX. Nanette

American Idol (Slow News Day...Sorry!)

2011-03-02T12:43:00.000-08:00

Let me introduce you to Scotty McCreery!! America's newest rising star (imho) in country music!! My #1 pick on American Idol this season...GO SCOTT!! :) I know, I know...I'm a geek for watching "Idol" but it truly is one of the best shows on television this time of year. Tony and I miss football SO BAD right about now so it's nice to have something we both enjoy watching so much. My soft-spot for country music has drawn me to this contestant and I really believe that American Idol or NO American Idol...he is going to go FAR in the country music business. He makes me sqeal with delight when I hear him sing. He has God-given talent and is a breath of fresh air amongst the others in the group...althought MOST of them are amazing in their own right. If you aren't watching already...it's not too late! The talent this year is incredible and I think we will be happy no matter WHO wins it this time around!

Rollin' Into March...Under a Deep Freeze!

2011-03-01T18:53:00.000-08:00

Wow! I can't believe it's been 9 days since I last posted! And March? WHAT? We would expect that spring is right around the corner but it's been SO cold out it doesn't seem possible. Over the last several days we have experienced a roller coaster of weather and it's just about to get worse. I heard this morning that it's been almost 3 weeks since it rained....which makes sense because it's been either clear and REALLY cold or it's been snowing. Hard to believe for this time of year in SE Alaska!! Rain isn't ideal...but at least you don't have to shovel it!! :) Anyway, so we've just been hanging on and staying warm and waiting for spring. Jake can't wait for spring break...and ME TOO! I've decided to take the week off work to finish unpacking the house. Did I mention this already? I probably did...oh well. Just consider it a "reminder". It will be my first (and hopefully last) "staycation". Google it if you don't know what that means. I can barely stand the thought of actually staying HOME when I have an entire week off work but 1. I NEED TO UNPACK!! and 2. I DON'T HAVE MONEY TO TRAVEL! (That's what happens when you buy a house!) Sigh...enough said on that one. I swear, tho, if I hear ONE MORE PERSON tell me they are going to Hawaii I just might SMACK 'EM!! Seriously!! What is the deal with EVERYONE going to Hawaii lately?? SIGH!!!!!!

Anyway, work has been crazy...we've had two new candidates come thru in the last week and we hired one today. We recently lost two therapists (3 actually) so we've been short staffed as of late. But today, we offered a job to a very nice therapist named Annie. She comes to us from Seattle and she fits right in. She even loves rain! I guess I should back up a bit and mention that we also recently hired a very nice man from Idaho....and we like him too. So, we are slowly getting back on track and will hopefully hire one more therapist soon to be completely staffed. It's been a bit stressful to say the least...it always is when people go and new people come in. You have to start all over getting to know them and their "style" etc...etc....it's quite a "dance". It's not easy and sometimes you get very attached (which stinks when they leave!!). We can't help but become like a family down there...a great, big, diverse, dysfunctional family!!! LOL!!! I'm kidding...it's not always dysfunctional. But if you know anything about Mental Health...you know what I'm talking about!!

But enough about work...I try really hard these days to put work behind me and focus on enjoying our new home. I haven't done any new projects since finishing the bathroom. Unpacking is my main focus for now. I need to get the guest room together also...which I'm rethinking these days regarding the "location". Right now it's right under OUR bedroom...I don't think it's going to "work". LOL!! There's NO privacy for anyone. I don't want to make Jake give up his room...and if I use the other room downstairs I will HAVE to paint...and right now it's DARK BLUE. It would be a big job to paint it. Sigh...I guess I don't have to paint right away but it's so darn ugly!! I want the guest room to be an "oasis" so to speak. Maybe that will be project #2. Actually it will be #3 since the room is currently FULL of boxes...and I'm not even kidding. I will have to take a pic so you will see what I'm up against in the next 3 weeks.

Jake is doing great in school...I feel I should mention that. I can hardly believe he's in 6th grade and almost in Jr. High. We have a teacher conference next week...then spring break the week of the 21st...then before we know it school will be out. Holy Cow...the time FLIES!! Only good thing about that is it will be SUMMER!! I can't wait for summer...my favorite season. Course, between painting the house and working out in the yard...there won't be much time for enjoying it. I do plan to try to get to Petersburg in July to see my friend at her family's cabin right on the beach. She has 4 kids and it will be paradise for Jake. I also want to get over to POW again to stay with Jaqie and her dad and hopefully do some fishing. We'll see....that's a ways off and just a DREAM at the moment. It's not as if the ferry is "cheap" and getting the time off work will be a challenge...only b/c I will need time off to paint the house when we get nice weather. PLEASE LORD...let it be a nice summer!!!!!!! Amen!!!!!!!

OK...I better go check on dinner. I can smell garlic coming from the kitchen. Just thought I'd drop a little line before too much time went by. I heard there's a big storm heading our way so maybe I'll have something exciting to report next time I'm blogging.

Hope you all are well and I'll see you soon!!!! XOXO Nanette

P.S. One exciting thing of note...the days are getting LONG!! It's getting light really early now and it's not dark until after 6pm. This is EXCITING...and...drum roll please...I have SURVIVED another winter in Alaska y'all!!!! AMAZING!!!!!!!!!! I deserve a fricken medal....Yep. :)

More Snow...

2011-02-21T11:07:00.000-08:00

Our view this morning after waking to unexpected snow. As annoying as it is...it's still really pretty! Guess we are in for the never-ending winter. Ugh! At least I don't have to go to work today. Happy Monday!! :)

Recap

2011-02-20T18:09:00.000-08:00

So, big daddy came home on Wednesday and all is well in our world. The week was VERY busy for me so it was super, duper awesome having him home so I didn't feel overwhelmed between work and taking care of everything at home. I spent a few nights, with Tony's help, getting my guest room somewhat "squared away" by removing the majority of the boxes (they went in the other spare room!) so I could put an air mattress in there for my gal pal, Jaqie, from POW. She had made plans to come to "town" to help see a friend of ours off who is moving north (a coworker of ours). I got both the room and the bathroom downstairs set up for her arrival. She came over via the ferry on Saturday morning. It's been SO great having her here. I tell her she's my "sister from another mister". LOL! I'll have to post about my trip over to POW last summer to stay at her dad's lodge. It was DA BOMB. But more on that later. At the moment, Ms. Jaqie is preparing a venison roast she brought over from her island. She also brought us more halibut as a gift....AWESOME! Last night we had our little "going away party" so to speak and today we've just been vegging out at the house. She leaves tomorrow...sigh. It's never enough time when we are together...but it just makes the time that much sweeter when we do have the opportunity to visit.

At any rate, tomorrow is President's Day and our office is closed. Yay!! I do have some work to do, however, as I have decided to take Spring Break week off and I need to keep up my hours in order to have the time to take in March. My plan is to unpack the ungodly amount of boxes still downstairs to be unpacked. I can't take them being piled to the ceiling in the other spare room down there. I am going to be so busy this summer I want to get it all done now...it will free up so much time later. I also can't find some things I'd really like to have!! I am excited! I'm also going to keep my friend, Cathy's, kiddo while she goes out of town that week so Jake will have someone to hang with while I'm busy unpacking etc....Cool beans!!

Anywho....that's about it for now. We got a ton of snow last night...more so in town than out here which was strange. Whatever...it's just ANNOYING. It cleared up today, tho, and the sun came out. It was super nice out today...gorgeous with all that fresh snow on the mountains. :)

I suppose I'll wrap this up and see if Jaqie needs help in the kitchen. I'm going to try and post a pic of her from my trip last summer. :) OK...I just did that and it shows up on top of this post...SIGH. Blogger is SO aggravating sometimes!!!!!! Oh well....that's my girl from POW. Isn't she cute???

Peace-Out!! Nan XO

Here it is!

2011-02-16T19:29:00.000-08:00

And VIOLA!! No more ugly wallpaper....the color I chose is really pretty even tho it's hard to see in this pic. I plan to find a cool picture to go above the toilet to spruce it up in there.

Any suggestions on jazzing up my vanity? Can you "refinish" a vanity such as this one? New lights maybe?? Help!!

Thank goodness that wallpaper is GONE! Are you feelin' how much I hated it? I'm planning to get a little cabinet for towels etc to go in this space which is behind the door.

Found these uber cute hooks for the shower curtain. I need a new rod, tho...that one is HIDEOUS and dated. I also plan to get a skookum new shower curtain to add character...this plain, white one just isn't cutting the mustard in my opinion.

Thanks for visiting and come again for more pics of our new, humble abode!!! XOXO

Just a quick Hello....

2011-02-16T11:06:00.000-08:00

So, it's been about a week or so since I started blogging again and so far I've only gotten 1 comment. Hmmmm...has everyone given up on me? Just kidding...I know it won't be long and people will figure it out. At any rate...Tony gets home from POW today and I'm SO excited! Seems like he's been gone a week...even tho it's only been a few days. :) It's just not the same without daddy around!! Jake misses him terribly when he's gone. I kept myself busy with redoing the bathroom and entertaining my friends I don't usually get to hang out with. Jake had a friend over Saturday night but has done well entertaining himself and hanging out with "just mom". Not sure if you all know this...but if Jake had to make a choice at home...Dad would win EVERY time. LOL!!

Anyway, I'm hoping to get pics taken of the "new and improved" bathroom as soon as I finish "pimping it up" and looking it's best. I just need a few more things. If I could replace the UGLY floor it would be the shizzle. But alas...THAT'S not happening any time soon. I still need to finish unpacking and getting the guest room ready. I think I'm going to have company this weekend...I better get crackin'!!! :)

OK...I just wanted to stop in and say "howdy" while I had a few minutes. It's really cold up here today (27) and is suppposed to stay cold and possibly snow some more. We got quite a bit more 2 nights ago. Our house gets more than most people cuz we are *just* high enough above sea level now to be ANNOYED by snow. :) I sure do miss living down by the sea!!

Alrighty-then...have a great Wednesday and I'll catch ya later!!! TTFN~ Nan XO

Projects....

2011-02-16T01:16:00.001-08:00

The "projects" have begun now that we are home owners. I couldn't wait to dive in and take care of this seriously ugly bathroom. This is the "main" bathroom upstairs...as you can see it needed a little TLC to say the least. My friend, Buffy, helped me take down the wallpaper and give a much needed facelift. The wallpaper came down and fresh paint went up. I picked a PERFECT color and I'm very excited at how it turned out. I will take "after pictures" and post those next. :) This is the highlight of this last week...well THAT and Tony and I will be reunited tomorrow after some time apart. He's been working on POW. Our anniversary was yesterday...16 years!! Happy Anniversary to US! :) Stay tuned for more blogging and more pictures. Night y'all....XO.

OK...I like Killer Whales and all..but this is a bit much!!

OH LOOK! We took the paper down...just to watch it take a bunch of paint with it. YIKES!! Good thing Buffy was there to teach me how to fix that little problem. I learned all about hot-pink spackle, too!! Fun times!! :)

Our View

2011-02-09T16:55:00.001-08:00

Looking out from the "front" of the house. As you can see we have a wonderful deck that we will be enjoying this summer. We get a LOT of sun during the day when it's nice. Despite the power pole...it's not a bad view at all. :)

Our New House

2011-02-08T23:09:00.001-08:00

These are just a few pics to wet your appetite. These two rooms are on the upper floor. The first is looking into the "formal" living room from the kitchen. The second is obviously taken from the living room looking back into the kitchen. As you can see, we have a lovely wood stove in the corner that I plan to use once we get some wood. I took a pic of the ceiling just to show you that it's not all wood in the living room...our ceiling is white and we have lovely beams going through that give it a vere "lodgey" type feel. I love it...it's very cozy and comfortable in this room and we spend a lot of time in there! And last but not least is the kitchen. It's a bit narrow but it has been updated and has more room than what it looks like in this pic. It's perfect for us and I love it. I could definitely use more cupboard space...but is there ever really enough?!? LOL!! Sometimes I think there would never be enough no matter how much I have. :) I also plan to paint the kitchen at some point. The color is yet to be determined. Anyway, there is a lot more house but it will be a process getting all the pics taken and put on the blog. Be patient with me!! I will post some pics of our view next...taken on a sunny day. Not as good as our last place but still VERY enjoyable just the same!! Over and out~ Nan XO

A Must Read for Today....

2011-02-08T11:35:00.000-08:00

http://wwwwordsfromwillow.blogspot.com/2011/02/water-skiing-first-and-last-time.html

This was sent to me today by my BFF in Anchorage...written by her SIL, Cherrie. SO FUNNY! My mom is always telling me that I'm funny...but I don't hold a candle to this lady. Enjoy...and may your heart be just a little bit lighter today for it!!

Love and hugs, Nan XO

Snow....

2011-02-07T18:31:00.001-08:00

The view from our front deck! Normally you can see the water beyond all those trees.

Super Bowl Sunday 2011!

We awoke February 6th, 2011 to a snowfall we weren't expecting (or all that happy to see!) It continued to snow all day and evening and we had about 6 inches on our deck by the time it was all said and done. Fortunately, we have the best neighbor up behind us that keeps our hill plowed pretty well in these conditions. Thanks so much to John Krosse and his 4-wheeler!! YOU ROCK!! At any rate, it was pretty to look at and once it cleared off last night we got a gorgeous, sunny day today. Our bitter cold weather is usually accompanied by lots of SUNSHINE....Yee Haw for that!!! :)

Monday...Again!

2011-02-07T11:14:00.000-08:00

Mondays come WAY too fast in my opinion...and the older I get the more I realize that two days off a week just isn't near enough! Our weekend FLEW by. It seemed busy yet uneventful. We made a trip to town and hit all the usual spots...Safeway, Madison, USPO. It was a decent day outside with no rain so that was nice. We ended up not getting anything at the hardware store (as usual) because we are so overwhelmed each time we go in there that I get frustrated and want to leave. There's so many choices and when you don't know what you are doing or what you need it makes it NO FUN!! LOL!! I'm sure we'll get over it once we get serious about fixing up the house. We have to paint next summer!! Yeesh!!!!!

Sunday we were slow to get up but when we finally did we saw SNOW! This came as a bit of a surprise b/c the weather has been mild with rain and 40 degree temps. Needless to say, it IS still winter so we shouldn't have been shocked. It continued to snow a LOT up on our little hill. We just stayed in and did more chores and got ready to watch the Super Bowl. Our friend, Tracy, came out and watched with us...we were VERY happy the Steelers lost. :)

I did manage to take some pics of the inside of the house which I will post later. I also plan to do some "catch up" blogging as well. I have many pics to share...can't wait!!

Well...I suppose I should get on with this Monday before the day gets away from me. Oh!! I decided last week to give up coffee. I'm doing what I can to "de-stimulate" myself. My resting heartrate is WAY too high these days due to lack of exercise so I'm doing what I can to bring it down. I thought not drinking coffee might help. We'll see!! So far I'm doing OK. I've never had more than 2 cups a day so it's not like I'm giving up a whole lot...just enough to be a little "healthier". :) I've moved on to Decaf Tea...Earl Gray is my favorite. SO GOOD!!!

That's about it for now...see y'all next post!! Have a great (and warm) week!! Hugs, Nan XO

Happy New Year!

2011-02-05T12:32:00.000-08:00

OK...So I'm a little slow wishing everyone a Happy New Year...but I'm HERE and that's all that matters, right? Not to mention...January went so dang fast it makes my head spin just thinking about it. As most of you already know, we just bought a house so between Christmas, working, and getting settled in to the house the time has flown on by!

As I was preparing to do my Christmas letter recently, I realized I could just go to my blog to refresh my memory of our year (2010). NOT!! I quickly discovered I had only blogged like 4 times last year!! WHAT THE?!? LOL!! I knew I was BAD...but that is just SAD! So, I am going to REALLY make an effort this year to blog accordingly if for nothing else so I can reflect back at Christmas time when preparing my yearly letter. Sigh....you know what it's like after 40. You can't remember ANYTHING it seems.

Anyway, I'm not going to get into too much at this moment as it is Saturday and there is a LOT to do (always) and I need to get on with this day. But, I wanted to touch base and let everyone know (if you don't already) that LIFE IS GOOD. We are feeling very settled in the new house despite all the boxes that STILL need to be unpacked. I am overwhelmed any time I look in the two spare rooms that are filled with boxes. After working all week, I just want to do very little on the weekend. I *do* need to get my guest room ready, however, in the event someone wants to come visit. It would be quite embarrassing to have a 5 bedroom house and NOT have a bed/room for someone to sleep in.

So, on top of getting unpacked and all the regular daily stuff we have to do, we are dedicating ourselves this year to getting more exercise and getting in shape. We bought an elliptical recently and really enjoy exercising on it. It is going to be my goal as well to get outside more once the weather turns...maybe do some hiking up behind where we just bought our house. Not sure if there are any trails per say...but it might make for a good workout to just get up in the woods and check things out. :)

Wow...this is probably the most boring post of all my postings!! LOL!! Just consider it an appetizer to future blogs that will hopefully be more interesting. I should probably get going...we need to hit the hardware store (our new favorite store now that we own a home.) I hope you all are doing whatever you enjoy on the weekend...even (and especially) if it means laying on the couch watching the Food Network all day (which is what I'd rather be doing!!)

Love and Hugs from Alaska!! Nan XO

Hi Gang!

2010-07-17T09:20:00.000-07:00

Me...Kickin' it at the cabin last weekend! :)

Good Morning! I say "good" cuz it's not raining...and it's good to be alive! I don't mind that it's not sunny and hot like it's supposed to be...as long as it's NOT raining in July. :) Anyway, I'm going to keep this brief b/c I'm taking my BFF to breakfast this morning. It's her 37th birthday and she is VERY loved and deserves a great day...starting with a lucious breakfast at Cape Fox. Since *my* birthday is Monday we are also celebrating mine! Yay! Anywho...just wanted to touch base with all of you and let you know I plan to put a new slideshow on here this weekend with some pics of a camping trip Jake and I took last weekend. I will blog about it, also, since it was a most glorious time! In the meantime, I hope you are all well. You are never far from my thoughts! We are enjoying our summer...well at least I am. I have some things coming up I will blog about later.

For now...I bid you Adieu! Have a great Saturday!!!!!!!! :)

Hugs, Nan

P.S. If you'd like a preview of our camping photos, you can see most of them on my Facebook page! :)

So Much for Promises!

2010-06-15T22:07:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe it's been 6 months since I promised to update my blog! Honestly, WHERE does the time go? And WHERE did my motivation go with it? What can I say? I don't have any of the answers. I will say, obviously, I just wasn't driven to keep blogging for some reason. It's very possible it was stress related. The last year (almost) has been very stressful at work. I am very drained at the end of the day and the last thing I feel like doing is sitting in front of the computer or laptop and pouring my heart out. My family is starting to worry about me (due to the lack of blogging and phone calls) so I figured it was time to pull myself up by my boot straps and GET ON WITH IT!! Or as my BFF always says "Get after it!" LOL!! At any rate...I am not going to "promise" to keep up my blog but I will TRY to do my best at updating more frequently than I have been. :)

So, it's summer 2010!! This year is flying by...every month seems to go faster and faster. Jacob just finished 5th grade and is growing like a weed. He is currently at a "summer camp" being put on at the "Tongass School of Arts & Sciences" and seems to like it pretty well. Course, if he had his way he would be home playing video games all day but I told him that's just not an option. I'm not sure at this point how long he will go to the camp but for right now it seems to be working out. We leave on vacation July 23rd so if I can get coverage until then, it's all good. It's really hard at this age...he's too old for his regular "daycare" but too young to be left home alone all day. Sigh....

I mentioned vacation...yes indeed! Jacob and I are leaving Ketchikan on July 23rd to head to Portland. My baby sister, Crystal, is getting married July 31st...I am excited! Jacob is excited to have another "uncle"...Uncle Johnny!! :) We are south for about 10 days and I can't wait to see everyone. I especially can't wait to get OFF THIS ROCK!!!!

Work is going fairly well for both of us but it seems to be busier and more stressful these days. I guess with "great power" comes "great responsibility"...LOL! Just kidding!! What I should say is the more money you make, the more the responsibility you have and more stress you have to endure. Yep...that about sums it up!! Believe you me...if I had MY way...I think I'd be making espresso at the local coffeehouse making minimum wage by now. :) But alas...we are grown ups and we are trying to buy a house...so working full-time making as much money as possible is my sentence for now. I doubt we'll EVER see retirement at the rate we are going!! (SIGH)

Speaking of which, we finally went to the bank to be pre-approved for a home loan! We found a house we like but it's already been snagged. I am somewhat disappointed but I knew there was already an offer on it so I had a feeling it wasn't meant to be. The search continues! Good things come to those that wait, right? :)

The only other news I can think of that is "blog worthy" is that my brother and his wife are expecting a baby boy!! Little Abby will have a baby brother and I am SO excited for them. I think he is due the end of August. I am so thrilled for them....and he is going to be SO CUTE!! I'll have to post pics of Abby...she's such a little DOLL!! :)

OK...that's good enough for now. Maybe I'll get inspired again soon and post some more. I will try to get pics on here, too. Hopefully it will be a little easier now that we have Windows 7. We'll see!!

Goodnite for now, y'all.......I'm baaaacccccckkkkkkk!!! :) Nan XXX

A Promise

2010-01-15T13:18:00.001-08:00

Well...the comments are being made. Sigh..."When are you going to update your blog?" Yada, yada, yada....Well, I PROMISE to update and SOON! I have many pictures to share and I know I need to get on here and get this blog taken care of. I have just been SO busy and I just don't have the "umpf" at the end of the day. I will leave you, however, with a picture that came to me in an email today that just made me laugh! Literally, I LOLed right at my desk y'all.... :) Happy Friday!!

Is this just not SO PRECIOUS?!? Course, the parent of this kid sure wouldn't think so!! Ewwww!!! Pig snot!!!!! LOL!!! I'm so glad my wee one is grown and doesn't do stuff like this anymore. Hee!!

Halloween 2009

2009-10-30T22:08:00.000-07:00

The display on my kitchen table...thanks to PartyLite!

Waiting for Jake at Trick-or-Trunk. I was a "She-Devil". You just can't see the horns.

Jake and I carved "scary" pumpkins this year. His is the vampire on the left. Mine the creepy one on the right. It was fun...another October coming to a close. Tomorrow is the whole kit and kaboodle. More pics to follow. Jake is into being "scary" this year. I'm not thrilled with his costume but he LOVES it...Sigh. It's amazing what you do to keep your kid happy!! LOL!! More tomorrow after the tricks and treats! :)

School, Scouts, & Sun

2009-10-14T22:13:00.000-07:00

Well...I haven't had much to complain about which is why you haven't heard from me! :) Just kidding...I know I complain a lot (especially about the weather) but I am trying to get better about that! So, I will begin this post by saying all my earlier whining paid off. The rain went away for a while and we've had STUNNING fall weather. Today it was so warm I could have gone for a walk without a coat. It was just unbelievable. We did have our first "frost" the other morning but it warmed up and has been sunny and beautiful. I can't remember such a nice October and it was so nice to finish up our soccer season on such a dry note. Speaking of which, soccer was over a week ago. We came in 4th out of 6th. We'll take it!! We were all ready to be done but look forward to next season. Not sure if we'll coach or not but I am excited about seeing the kids and watching the games again.

Jacob has been playing "catch up" at school. About 2 weeks ago he brought home a progress report that was less than stellar. His dad has been working very hard at helping Jake make up assignments. He's perfectly capable of getting good grades (as you already know) but has just been a little "preoccupied" with other things. We have a parent-teacher conference coming up so we will get to the bottom of it. Part of it is just staying on top of him and making sure things are getting done and turned in on time. Sigh...when does the micro-managing end????

Work is VERY busy right now. I am in the middle of an audit and it's making things extra crazy. I did get some good news yesterday, however, and that is the fact that we won't be taking over the other mental health agency in town. Not sure if this is public knowledge or not but I'm sure the word is out by now. This is such a relief...I can't even begin to explain how hard it would have been for our entire agency to take on such an endeavor. I am very relieved that I can now move forward and put all that worry and angst behind me. I, for one, was not thrilled with the idea from the get-go. But that's just ME...and the older I get the less I like change. Enough said.

So, I'm not doing well at getting back on my diet!! Every day I try...perhaps it's time to get back on the scale. I know I will do it...of that I have no doubt. I've even finally made an effort to eat lowfat yogurt in order to have another option when I want something "yummy". I've never been a yogurt eater...never liked it. Well...I have discovered "Yoplait". It's been fun discovering all the flavors...Orange Cream and Blueberry are my fave. Lemon is good, too. I feel like I'm really getting something naughty when I eat it...and that's the whole idea people!! When you are trying to be good...you have to find ways to trick your mind into thinking you are being "bad". It's mind over matter when trying to lose weight.

Well...I better go. It's getting late. The last few mornings have come very early and tomorrow won't be any different. If we could get just a few extra hours a day...wouldn't that be awesome?!? Oh...what are y'all watching these days???? One of my faves is Biggest Loser as you know. OMGosh...can you EVEN believe they didn't vote off Tracy last night??? I am still having a fit over that one...SIGH. That woman brings out the ugly in me!!!!!!!!!

Night, Y'all........Love, Nan XOX

Snotty

2009-09-25T15:22:00.000-07:00

There are TWO types of forecasts for this area...I am convinced. It's either "snotty" (which isn't the word I *really* want to use but it's a little more "appropriate" for this blog) or there's "not snotty". Seriously, THIS is what we've gone back and forth with for what seems like a while now and to be quite frank...I am OVER it already. We've had at least 3 (THREE!) storms rip thru here with "gale force" winds in like the last week. This *is* still September, right? October didn't sneak up on us without me knowing it, did it?? Hmpf! So much for the "indian summer" I thought we might be lucky enough to get!! Thankfully, however, we are "in-between" snotty at the moment and hopefully (Dear Lord, PLEASE!) it holds off for our soccer game tonight. I am sleep deprived and cranky and really don't feel like standing in a monsoon tonight. And I'm SURE the kids don't want to play in that (excuse my language) CRAP either! So...there it is. What was I thinking when I said "I think I may just be used to it" in one of my earlier blogs?!? You *CAN'T* get used to it...EVER. I don't care HOW long you've been here in SE Alaska. It's been almost 20 years for me and I still HATE it. Now I see why people take off this time of year and go on vacation. It's to extend their summer just a WEE bit longer. Sigh....

Anyway, on a happier note (and I hope she doesn't mind me spilling this on here) but I got some very exciting news two nights ago. My baby sister, Crystal, called me just before I left work on Wednesday. My radar for bad news went up immediately since she doesn't call me that often and it wasn't very long ago that she called when my mom collapsed at work. Sooo...I was on edge instantly when she said she had some "serious" news. Well...SILLY ME!! She was calling to say that her boyfriend of 5 years has finally given her a ring and has asked "the question" she's been waiting for. Yes...she is ENGAGED!!!!!!! She has decided on a summer 2010 "outdoor" wedding and I am thrilled for her. I'm also thrilled for ME (and isn't it all really about *me* anyway? Don't answer that!) cuz that gives ME an excuse to go home next summer (not that I need one but you get my drift!!) LOL!! Since I'm travelling to see everyone in December I really didn't have a plan to make the trip again next summer....well there ya go!! Sometimes you just get "lucky" and fate steps in. :) Who am I kidding, tho? I don't believe in fate. It's a blessing from above and I am ALL OVER IT!! Oh...I left out one little thing, however. DO YOU REALIZE WHAT THIS MEANS????? Yep...have to break up with bacon again. It is seriously time to get even MORE serious about losing this weight. Most of you probably don't know this but when my brother got married in 2005...Y'all...it was a SAD, SAD sight to see at the mall. Let me tell you...I was there for HOURS looking for something cute too wear. Need I say more? Yes...I need to say MORE....let me fill you in. There is NOTHING cute for a fat girl to wear at the MALL. No...I don't care what you say...THERE ISN'T. I ended up going back to Nordstrom and buying something I didn't even like that well and spending WAY too much money for it. It was a very depressing time for me and I REFUSE to go thru that again. Seriously...I *WILL* be cute at Crystal's wedding if it kills me. Let me send a shout out to my future BIL, John!! THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH for kicking it into high gear, buddy. GOD BLESS YOU!!!!!!!!!

OK..I am getting out of control. I need to go. Time for a *healthy* snack. I feel my blood sugar dropping. I will say, tho, that I survived the home-buyer's class. It was very good but I am exhausted. We have our game tonight at 5pm then I'm going home, eating a salad and then CRASHING on the couch. I have two hours of TV to watch (Grey's Anatomy...can't wait!!) but then it is off to bed EARLY. We have a game Saturday at 10am I need to be sharp for. Please, Please God...let us have some sunshine on Saturday!! Heck...I'd even settle for "not snotty". Thank you and Amen. :)

Happy Friday everyone!!!!!! Nan XOX

Please Support Scouting!

2009-09-23T13:49:00.003-07:00

Here's the website you can click on to support Jacob and the Cub Scouts. I hope it works! Happy Shopping and Thank You very much in advance! :)

TTFN~ Nan

http://www.trails-end.com/estore/home_alt.jsp?_requestid=242804

The Whining Has Begun

2009-09-23T10:41:00.000-07:00

Rain, Rain, GO AWAY!!! I mean, enough already! I am all for the cooler temps etc. but does it really have to rain so much all of a sudden? Guess this is pay-back for all the sunshine this summer. It was absolutely howling outside night before last but then it cleared up yesterday (just in time for soccer practice, Thank God!) but then it went right back to being nasty today. Hmpf! The commute to work was just awful! I didn't even want to stop and get the mail. Yuck!! Seriously!!! I told you I was whiney!! Oh!! And it doesn't help to hear that it's like 80 in Seattle and 90 in Portland. Not fair!!

Anyway, the rain here is nothing new. But what to talk about then? Let's see...last night was our last soccer practice. With cooler temps and lots of rain lately we are not sad about it in the least. We have two more regular games...one on Friday and one Saturday. Then the tournament begins we believe next week. I think I mentioned that it's a double elimination so we have at least two games to play in the tourney. I hope we win a few more but that would drag out the season so there's some mixed feelings there. We'll see what happens. :)

Tonight I start a two evening class to learn about all things "mortgage". It's put on by the Alaska Housing Financial Corp (or something to that effect) and it goes from 6pm to 10pm. I am looking at 2 very long days (ugh!) It will be worth it, tho, and in the long run when it does come time to buy a house (if we go thru AHFC) it will be a requirement to take it. May as well just get it done now, right? I am sure I am going to learn a lot and I am excited. I'm also very excited at the idea of owning our own home sooner rather than later. I'm thinking next year...we'll see. The rates are so low right now...maybe it will happen sooner than we think. You never know. Perm fund checks come out next month so we will have a little "nest egg" saved in the event we need closing costs. We will be finding out tonight (or more than likely in tomorrow's paper) how much the PFD is. I'm not expecting it to be very high considering how badly the market's been doing but we'll see. Anything is better than nothing. :)

Today is picture day at school. Jake wanted to wear his cub scout shirt but I wasn't sure if that was/is allowed so I made him wear something else. I didn't have time to iron it anyway so it didn't work out. How lame am I? My boy is so proud to be a Cub Scout and I can't get up early enough to iron a shirt for crying out loud! I promised him, however, that we would take some pictures on our own and post them for everyone. Which reminds me...have you ordered some popcorn yet? You can do it online. I'll have to get that website on here since I can't seem to remember it off the top of my head. I'll get it up and running....promise!!! Some of you already let me know that you'd like to order and I promise we WILL be coming by...probably this weekend so dust off your checkbooks!! :)

Well...that's about it for now. I don't think this was a whole lot of "new" info but thought I'd touch base anyway. I know my family likes to keep close tabs on us so there ya go mom and dad!! (Oh...and Rick!!) Love you guys!!!!!!!

Happy Wednesday! Love, Nanette XOX

Hello Fall...Nice to See Ya!

2009-09-21T13:25:00.000-07:00

And welcome back if you are reading this blog! :) As I predicted, the weekend flew by and it is now Monday once again. I worked the front desk on Thursday and Friday so I am now catching up on work that went by the wayside last week. Never a dull moment around here! Anyway, the weekend was busy just like I knew it would be. It also poured down rain almost the entire weekend. Friday night our kids played a 5pm soccer game in the POURING down rain. We managed to win our second game, however, so that made up for it. We weren't so lucky on Saturday at our 10am game. We didn't get "killed", however, so that was a bonus. The last time we played this particular team they creamed us 8-0. I think it was 4-1 this time. Not too bad!! We are getting down to the end of the season also so that just shows how much we've improved.

Saturday (after the game) after a short time at home, Jake and I headed to Alec's birthday party at the lake. The rain stopped just long enough to grill some burgers and dogs. The kids had fun looking at the rotting salmon on the shore of the lake (they come up the creek and spawn.) They were especially grossed out by the maggots feeding on them. I told the boys they better toughen up if they were grossed out by that! LOL!! Anyway, there was a little excitement at the party when a black bear got a little too close for comfort. Jodie's dog was there and chased him away but he still hung out just where we could see him. We figured he was waiting for us to leave so he could get his paws on that rotting salmon with the maggots...Yum!! :)

After the party, Jake was still up for skating. Off to the Rec Center we went where Jake worked on his skating skills and I walked the track. Did my usual 3 miles and worked up a sweat. Before we knew it it was time to head out. Back home we went. Just long enough for me to get cleaned up and then it was off to Bob & Bev's for dinner. We had a little "belated" birthday celebration for Shirley (her bday is Sept. 7th). Great dinner and company followed by a very yummy, chocolate cake and vanilla ice-cream (so much for the walk!!). I was exhausted by this point and Jake and I left pretty early. That was enough (too much) for me for one day!! :)

Sunday was very laid back. My BFF was/is in town and I was going to hook up with her but I didn't hear from her. It was absolutely storming outside!! I ended up getting laundry going then headed to town to get groceries. It was a soggy day that's for sure! Fall is definitley here...no doubt about it. I saw someone post on FB that we've had over 9 inches of rain in September already!! I believe it!! Woo Hoo!!! No more worries about water for a while....that's always nice. :) You just HAVE to find the silver lining or you'll go crazy around here!!

The days are getting very short already...I woke at 5:46am yesterday and it was pitch black outside. I was shocked! It is happening more rapidly then I'd realized. I'm not usually up before 7am sooooo....I hadn't a clue! LOL!

OK...I'd better get back to work. Busy week this week. Soccer tomorrow, Scouts on Thursday, Soccer game on Friday. In between all that I am taking a 2-day "class" on Wed. & Thurs. It's a class put on by Alaska Housing....it's a requirement when you buy a house here with an Alaska Housing loan. I want to be prepared in the event we find something to buy. I am always looking. :) That $8000 tax credit sure would be nice!

Have a great week everyone! Nanette XOX

P.S. My love affair with bacon is back on!! Sigh....some things I just can't resist! :)

Downhill Slide

2009-09-16T00:03:00.000-07:00

It's Tuesday night. Tomorrow is Wednesday...duh! Where am I going with this? Well, what I'm getting at is how fast time goes and before we know it the weekend will be here. Yep...it will. I promise! :)

We are definitely into fall here with a nice little windstorm at soccer practice to prove it. It was really kicking up and I figured we were in for a very blustery night but it seems to have calmed down out there now. We'll see what happens. I know there is no sunshine in the forecast any time soon (we were lucky to see some on Sunday) so it's probably rain from here on out for a while. This doesn't really bother me for some reason. I think I'm so looking forward to the tourists being gone that the fact I am looking at rain, wind and darkness for the next 6 months doesn't even phase me. Go figure! Maybe I'm just "used" to it now. Nooooooooo!!! Did I just say that?? Well it HAS been almost 20 years people! It's not like I don't know what to expect after all this time.

Anyway, I am finally going to see Julie&Julia tomorrow! I am so excited!!! And then Thursday night is Cub Scouts. Friday is sort of a "free" night..we don't usually do much. Saturday is busy, busy, busy and has filled right up. Which is why I will probably actually be doing things Friday night that I don't normally do...like laundry etc...Or maybe I'll work out! There's an idea!! After watching "The Biggest Loser" tonight I am feeling inspired. I just LOVE that show, y'all. Are you guys watching it? It is AWESOME this season!!! I am so moved by the stories of the contestants. You should watch it if you haven't already. Seriously!! :)

OK...enough random thoughts. It's late and I need to get to bed. Just thought I'd drop ya a line.

Have a good one everyone! Love, Nanette

P.S. Dad...if you are reading this...leave me a comment once in a while so I know you are still alive! Love you!! :)

P.S.S. Did y'all see it's only 100 days to Christmas!!!!! ONE HUNDRED DAYS!!!!!!!!!! WOO HOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (You can hate me just a little if you want...I understand.)

We Won! We Won! We Won!!

2009-09-13T14:18:00.000-07:00

Well...the *kids* won...it had nothing to do with me but you get it. I should say Tony's team won their first soccer game of the season yesterday! We knew they were improving...we could see it but in the first half they scored like 4 goals! Yee-Haw!!!!!!! It was awesome and I was so happy for the kids. They were excited! Let's hope they stay on this roll they are on...we only have a hand-full of games left. I must say, I'm really getting into this sport and I'm definitely getting attached to our kids. They are getting really good and it would be fun to keep going with them and watch them grow. Never thought I'd say THAT...that I'm actually ENJOYING soccer but alas...it has happened. I remember the days of standing by the side-lines and the games being the longest hour of my life. Now, I'm on the sidelines screaming my head off to the point of having to walk away and calm down before I scare the children! LOL!! Anyway, Jake still isn't really "into" it so this may be our last season. We'll see.

Took Jake and a buddy skating last night. It was nice to get out of the house and actually "do" something other than just go to a movie. Jake has improved a lot but it was still nerve-racking to watch. He skates like he's constantly in fear of falling down. You know the type...the kid you steer clear of for fear he'll take you down with him if you accidentally get too close! LOL! But he's doing MUCH better and as long as we continue to go, he'll get better and better. He didn't complain or beg to leave after 20 minutes. That's a first on the long list of things we have tried in the past. Makes me very happy as it's really good exercise AND it's an indoor "sport".

Well...it's a gorgeous day today and I'm trying really hard to get out as much as I can. I want to scrub the car down, too, before we go into winter. It's got green stuff growing on it. It's in dire need of some attention. We'll see. The time flies by pretty quickly on days like today. Come to think of it, my windows need washed and I need to get groceries. There's never "nothing" to do around here!!

Tony is watching football all day. So, I guess you could say I'm a football "widow" as of today. Fine with me, tho. I'm free as a bird to do what I want. Right now that means laundry and scrubbing toilets...but once that's done...there's a walk and possible movie in my future. (We'll see how much I accomplish from the list above.) Julie&Julia is here...it's calling my name. Speaking of which, I put Julie Powell's blog on my blog list. She wrote the book "Julie&Julia". She's a pretty funny writer. Thought I would keep up with it for a while to see if I like it. It's under the title of "What Could Happen" in my blog list to the right.

OK...I'm off! Hope you are having a great weekend. Hugs~ Nan XOX

Baby Trey

2009-09-11T00:30:00.001-07:00

Trey Biagi...September 4th, 2009 7lbs 2ounces...What a doll!!

Scouting Rocks!

2009-09-10T21:49:00.000-07:00

*Deep Breath*....what a day! Work was crazy busy. Thank goodness our soccer game was cancelled due to the monsoon going thru tonight. But...no rest for the wicked. I still had a Cub Scout meeting at 6:30pm. I left work at 5pm and had just enough time to stop for milk and a pizza at Ward Cove. Of course, all they had was whole milk (ack!) so had to make a second stop at Lighthouse. Found some pepperoni for the cheese pizza I picked up so that was good. You can't always get everything at one store around here! Anyway, back to Cub Scouts. Jake and I showed up at the meeting. He is one of 3 Webelos this year in our pack. We are selling popcorn which is the big fundraiser for the year. Be prepared for a knock on your door...Jake wants to earn the pocket knife (oh dear!) We are gonna have to sell a LOT of popcorn.

I'm doing pretty good on my diet! You'd all be so proud of me. I fudged a little today...weak moment but I am doing much better than I was. I don't feel so out of control. I'm back to eating Nutrisystem for lunch and that will help a LOT. I need to order some breakfast food...they make awesome oatmeal! :)

Well...mom duties call. Must go for now. More on how to order popcorn ONLINE for those out of town. You AREN'T off the hook!!!! LOL!!!

Later! Nan

A Funny For Tuesday Night

2009-09-08T22:07:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSjXeqA8Iow&NR=1

Enjoy! Nan XOX

I'm Breaking Up With Bacon

2009-09-08T21:42:00.001-07:00

Oh Bacon...Sigh. I *heart* you so very much. But alas...I got on the scale today. Bigger Sigh....

Y'all...I have been having WAY too much fun. Eating what I want and sitting on my you-know-what WAY, WAY too much. The time has come...it's back to being "responsible". I am WAY too old apparently to be eating bacon and cookie dough without paying for it BIG TIME. This makes me ever so sad but I guess it's time to be a grown-up. I spent all that time, money and effort last winter to lose weight...just to put 1/2 of it back on. YES YOU HEARD ME!!! HALF!!!!!!!!! I am freaking out. I guess I should have checked the scale about 5 pounds ago to see I was careening out of control. It's a slippery slope y'all. Very, very slippery.

So, guess what's on TV as I type this post? You won't even beleive it. It's a show called "The Best Thing I Ever Ate...With Bacon". I kid you NOT. Sigh.....I guess I have to break up with the food network as well...too tempting. There are so many yummy things to be desired on this channel.

So, that's how MY day went. Busy, Busy..."hey, I better check the scale" in the middle of it. Really? Did I really need to do that TODAY? No time like the present, tho, to get your hiney in gear. Back to the gym I go starting tomorrow. It is ON!!!! Now, if my BFF (aka walking partner) would just get back to town I would be SET!! Another few weeks and Buffy will be home. She's my biggest inspiration these days. Although, I think she's losing her mind out on that fishing boat...she's actually LIKING it. What the heck?!? It's freaking me out a little. :)

OK...I better ski-daddle. There's always something to do around here! Love Y'all!! Nan XOX

Procastination

2009-09-07T16:39:00.000-07:00

Well...things never go as planned. I didn't go to work today but I'll figure out a way to make up my time I missed. Worse case scenerio...I just use my PTO. Sigh.....

Anyway, it's just been a lazy couple of days. I can't quite seem to get motivated. I'm putting off doing the dishes by updating the blog. Thought I'd let y'all know that Julie finally named the new babe. They came up with "Trey Alexander". Trey meaning "third". Pretty clever since it's their third kid! :)

Jake has been playing outside a lot this weekend since the weather has been decent. Yesterday was really nice...I think it was almost 70 degrees. He even went swimming!! I don't know how he can stand that cold, freezing water!! He's an Alaskan boy for sure.

OK...I've dilly-dallied long enough. The chores are calling and I want to make some goodies for the Biagi's. I think a loaf of banana bread is in order...it's "semi" healthy. They don't like to eat a lot of garbage and I have 3 over-ripe bananas. So, there ya go! LOL!! Hope they like it.

Have a great week everyone! Ours will be busy once again. Hugs~ Nanette XOX

Not So Long Weekend

2009-09-05T22:44:00.000-07:00

Well, it's supposed to be a nice, long "holiday" weekend. Not so much for me unfortunately. Today was my Saturday to work for Dr. Mesdag. I got to bed fairly early last night in preperation for getting out of bed early for the 6th day in a row...it wasn't early enough apparently. I dragged my behind all day. I was SO tired. Events of this week caught up with me, I guess. Even the doc was tired. He took advantage of a "no-show" and took a little cat nap in the exam chair. I even heard snoring coming from the room! In all my time working for him...he's never done that. Perhaps it's time to start thinking retirement?? LOL!! Anyway, it was a pretty busy day but I did have time to read my book in between patients. I am addicted to Julie & Julia. It's not for everyone but I sure am entertained by it. I do know for certain, however, that I will never try to make JC's (Julia Child) recipes in her cookbook MTAFC (Mastering the Art of French Cooking.) A lot of the things that Julie Powell has made (at least the ones she's written about) sound NASTY. I thought trying to cook them would be the challenge...I was wrong. Eating them would definitely be the harder part. Gross!!! Have you ever heard of "Aspic"? I won't gross you out by explaining it. You'll have to Google it or read this book! I'm wondering if they cover this in the movie. I sure hope they include the chapter where she has to kill a live lobster. It's pretty darn funny!!

I came home after dropping off the doc and immediately went back to bed. I haven't been this tired in a really long time. I need to get back to exercising. I felt so much better and had more energy when I was at least walking regularly. Sigh....So, starting tomorrow I will work towards that goal. Wish me luck!

Jake's soccer game went well today from what I heard. The rain stayed away again...not sure how we've managed that but I'm not complaining. They didn't win but we are seeing definite improvement in the kids and they seem to be having fun (at least I hope they are!)

Tomorrow will be chores/errands day. I was hoping to stop and see Julie and the baby (whom they still haven't named) but I don't believe they are letting kids in the OB dept. With the whole Swine Flu scare the hospital is on "lock down". They'll be home Monday...we'll go visit then.

Monday it's back to work for me to make up the hours I was at the hospital with Julie on Thursday. No rest for the wicked I suppose! Hee Hee! Like I said...no long weekend for me. It's all good, tho. I have lots of work to do and it will be nice and quiet. Plus, I need to save my PTO for Christmas vacation.

So, there you have it. That's what's happening on our end. Nothing exciting. Think I'll go back to my book now! Hope you are all having a great weekend. :)

Hugs! Nan

Baby Biagi

2009-09-04T20:40:00.001-07:00

Here he is! Still no name yet that I know of. 7lbs 2oz of pure love!!!

It's a Boy!

2009-09-04T13:11:00.000-07:00

Well after all that yesterday...Julie's water broke last night. Thank goodness daddy was home b/c there's NO way she could have gotten me out of bed at 1:30am last night!! I was DEAD to the world. LOL! Anyway, C-Section at 4:30ish brought little boy Biagi into the world. 7 pounds 2 ounces...healthy and doing well! I am excited for them and I'm sure Julie is SO relieved it's all over. Now it's time to recoup and enjoy their new baby. Sniff...I missed it by a DAY people!! I was SO close! LOL! Just kidding. I know Chris is very happy he was here for the big moment. Blessings to all of them. I'll post pics when I get a chance to see them. Right now I'm letting them rest. Since they live next door there's plenty of time and opportunity for visiting. :)

Happy Friday, all.........Nan XOX

False Alarm

2009-09-03T16:08:00.000-07:00

So, last night my dear friend, Julie, came by for something. I don't even remember what it was. Oh yeah...the newspaper. We get it daily...she doesn't. Now mind you...she's VERY pregnant right now. She has only 3 weeks to go before her scheduled "due date". Actually, it's a scheduled C-Section since she's already had two and they frown on VBACs in this town. Don't ask me what that is b/c the men reading this blog...and those that can't handle any kind of talk of an OB/Gyn nature will be screaming at me. Basically it's just a "normal" delivery after you've already had a C-section...they can be dangerous and being on this island it's something they just don't care to do. SO ANYWAY...sheesh...didn't mean to go off on that tangit! LOL!!! So, Julie pops in looking like she's got a basketball under her blouse. She tells me that she is starting to feel contractions and feels she could have the baby any day now. So, my radar goes up (knowing her hubs is out of town) and I tell her (more like instruct and demand) that I will leave my phone by my bed at night and NO MATTER WHAT she is to call me NO MATTER WHAT time it is. I will take her to the hospital. So, yada, yada, yada and she was on her merry way with paper in tow. We went on with our evening. Now...I didn't mention that MONTHS ago...when she first found out that her eggo was preggo...Hee Hee...she asked me if I'd be willing to go into the surgery with her in the event Chris (the hubs) couldn't be there. I said "OF COURSE" with a LOT of enthusiasm! Who would say "no" to that?!? Well, apparently, not everyone is excited about witnessing that sort of thing cuz I'm the only one she asked. I was/am up for the mission if I'm needed. Enough said...it was/is a done deal.

Sooooooo....back to last night. I went to bed and by some miracle remembered to put the cell phone next to us on the dresser. We konked out...happy to be in bed before 11pm. LOL! It was probably 10:45ish at this time. Anywho......so I'm in dreamland and at 2:21am...you guessed it. The cell phone goes off! Now...I had forgotten to tell Tony my plan and warn him the phone *could* quite possibly be going off at any time. So, of course, he has a heart attack as I grab the phone. For a nanno-second I think it's my alarm going off and thank goodness remembered in time that THIS WAS IT!!! I don't think I've woken up that fast in my life after only a few hours of sleep. Sure enough...it was Julie...and it WAS TIME to go to the hospital. I was excited...she was in pain (poor thing).

I got ready to go in about 10 minutes and went next door to get her. Her bag was packed..her mom was there with the kids. We were SET!! The adrenilin was flowing (keeping me awake)....we made it to the hospital in one piece...I didn't even speed. I was cool as a cucumber. I'm the right girl for the job!! :) I think we arrived around 3am to a not very excited crew. I guess if you've seen one woman in labor, you've seen them all?!? LOL! I remember feeling that way when I worked for the OB/Gyn...after a while it's just another pregnant lady!! LOL! Anyway...so we checked in, they hooked her up, etc...etc...they gave her fluids. All the standard stuff went down including some medicine to help stop contractions. It helped a lot to say the least. Julie wasn't suffering quite so badly. We started to realize rather quickly that this baby might not come just yet! So, after many hours, a lot of fluids, and another shot of medicine...it soon became apparent we may just be going home. In all actuality...this was for the best since the baby isn't due for 3 more weeks, right? Sigh........I saw my chance of being at this birth fizzle. Not only that, when Chris got wind of what was happening, he quickly made reservations to come home.

So, sure enough, after some more time went by, we got the word that Julie was not in what they considered "active labor" and were given the OK to go home. By then she was starving, thirsty, and exhausted...very ready to just GO HOME!!! Chris was on his way and all was right with the world once again.

So, here I am. 12 hours later...waiting. And I'm sure I'll wait some more. It could be a while...who knows!?! I'm just glad I could be there for whatever she needed even if I'm not at the main event. OH!! And that book I told you about?? Julie & Julia....BOY!! Did THAT ever come in handy!!!!!!! Thank goodness I had the wherewithall to remember to bring it!!! All that waiting is terrible without something to occupy yourself with! I made some great headway on this book...did I mention how good it is???? I can't wait to see the movie now!!!

So, that's it for today. Enough excitement for me for a while. I will sure sleep good tonight!

Love and Hugs~ Nan XOX

Julie & Julia....

2009-09-02T21:57:00.001-07:00

I am reading this book right now. So far it's really good. I'm already wanting to try my hand at some French "cuisine". Ooh-la-la!!! They use my favorite things in french cooking...Butter, butter, and more butter! LOL!! Do they use bacon? I'm wondering about that at the moment. The potato soup in Julia Child's first cookbook was only potatoes, leeks, cream, butter, and salt & pepper. How does one make a potato soup without bacon??????? My grandma ALWAYS used bacon when I was growing up. It just wouldn't be the same without it. Not only does she use the bacon...but the bacon GREASE as well. Oh yeah.....DE-LISH people!!

Speaking of bacon, I made brussell sprouts for the first time tonight. I've not only never made them...I've never EATEN them. Yep....40 year old Sprout "virgin". GASP!!!!!!!!!! (Did she just say virgin?!?) LOL!!! Anyway, the web sight done by my friend Karen in South (?) Dakota (I get north and south mixed up!) made some Brussell Sprouts and they just looked so good. I knew I would like them. She uses 1/2 stick of BUTTER....the bacon was MY idea. How can ANYTHING be bad if you use enough butter and bacon???????

OK...enough of all of this silliness. I really didn't have much to report. Just wanted to find out what everyone is reading and eating, I guess. It's Wednesday...countdown to Friday...T-minus 2 days?!? Is that how they do a proper countdown? Busy weekend ahead!!

Bye for now and thanks for stopping to read my silly blog!!!!!!!!! :) Nan

P.S. Pork Fat Rules!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Soccer 2009

2009-09-01T09:23:00.001-07:00

Jake playing "goalie" while Daniel tries to kick the ball in.

Jake anticipates Isaac booting it in...he's a good kicker!!

Showing off for the camera. What a goofball!!

Our team for 2009! Notice we have 5 girls!! Yeah...Alaska Girls ROCK!!!

So, we are well into our soccer season and so far we haven't gotten rained on. I know it's just a matter of time but it sure has made things more pleasant for the time being. :) We haven't won any games yet, but that's OK. It's about learning and having fun...as long as the kids are doing that then it's OK by us. Tony is coaching and I am the "assistant" coach. I do the important stuff...like making sure the kids have snack at the end of the game and such. LOL!! Just kidding...Tony has the hard job for sure. I am learning a lot about soccer, tho, which isn't always a good thing. I've found myself getting quite worked up at the game when the ref misses or makes a bad call. Another test in the "patience" department. :)

Anyway, we are getting some nicer weather again. It's not as hot as it was but that's just fine in my opinion. The days are rapidly getting shorter, tho, and that's always a bummer. Fall is right around the corner.

That's all I have for now! Hope you are having a great week! Love, Nan XOX

First Day Of 5th Grade

2009-08-28T08:38:00.001-07:00

Here's Jake as we are flying out the door yesterday. Of course, he didn't want to wear one of the nice NEW shirts I had ordered from Lands End and insisted on this ratty, ol' T-shirt he's been wearing all summer!! Sigh....Pick your battles, right? So, I gave in and said "fine!" but made him wear new jeans and new shoes etc...etc.... This is a perfect example, however, of how our kids drive us crazy. That, and asking for a cell phone. Who needs a cell phone in FIFTH GRADE?!? Heck, I survived my ENTIRE childhood and most of my adult life without one!!! Sigh....Anyway, school went great yesterday and Jake is really liking being out at Point Higgins. As soon as he saw his best friend, Alec, I no longer existed. I didn't get to meet his teacher like I'd planned. Sigh....but at least HE was comfortable. I just have to accept that he's growing up. I'm glad he is so independent. It's just hard letting go. *Sniff* More to come.........Nan

The Slideshow

2009-08-27T16:25:00.000-07:00

So...I got the slideshow going. For those of you that haven't figured it out, if you click on the pictures on the slideshow you can actually go into the Picasa website and see the pictures blown up etc. They are quite small on the blog and I find myself squinting to see them. You may be able to see my other albums as well but I'm not sure. I'll check it out when I get more time. I'll also try to figure out a way to put a caption under the pics so you kind of have a clue of what's what in each pic. :)

Anyway, hope you are enjoying the updates. I feel my creative juices flowing again and the desire to keep adding and writing. You can expect to hear more from me...especially with the weather starting to turn already.

Bye for now!! Nan XOX

Stay Tuned!

2009-08-27T00:20:00.000-07:00

I finally put together a new album of summer pics but there is a bit of a delay getting them from Picasa. As soon as it's "ready" I will be sure to post it. I didn't take as many photos as I thought and now I'm wishing I had! Waaaa!! I want a summer do-over, please!! Sniff! Anyway, I didn't post any of our vacation pics yet b/c I want to do those seperately. I may just post those in a new post instead of an album.

Bye for now! Love, Nan

P.S. School starts tomorrow. I can't believe I'm the mother of a 5th grader!! I've been emotional all night and I'm guessing it has something to do with that. Plus, I miss summer already! I had to pull out my wool sweater this a.m. But wouldn't ya know??? It got NICE this afternoon. Perhaps old man Murphey was playing a trick on me! I'm gonna do that tomorrow too!! Oh!! We had the MOST spectacular sunset tonight. Here's a pic for ya. As my friend Stacy always says..."Jealous?" LOL!!!

Wow! A New Post!

2009-08-25T10:31:00.000-07:00

Well...so much for keeping up on the blog. What can I say? We had a wonderful summer and it was too hot to sit in the office spending time on blogging. I have no other excuse (other than being lazy, I suppose!) I have had two people complain about me "abandoning" this so I'd better get on the stick and catch up. I will post pics later. Actually, I may just attach a slide-show with all the latest pics and replace my "snow" pictures. Yeah...I'll do that. It will be much faster and save me a lot of frustration. Plus, it's just "time" to replace those snow pics!! LOL!

So, where did I leave off? I think we were getting ready to go on vacation! Yes...we took off for Portland on July 3rd to spend some time with my family. We stayed at my dad's new house in Portland. He is out in East Portland...kind of close to Gresham for any of you in the PNW that know where I'm referring to. It's kind of "out of the way" but it's not far to I-5 which takes you just about anywhere you want to go. And my dad was very gracious with the use of his car sooo...we were good to go!! Anyway, the 4th of July was spent in Ridgefield where I grew up. It was quite a day!! It was up over 90 degrees...that is VERY hot for us Alaskan folk! The parade was pretty good and I took a lot of pictures. I've never seen SO many tractors, tho! You know you are in farm country when people line up for what seems like miles with their tractors for a parade...yep..."you might be a redneck"...etc...etc....LOL!!! Just kidding!! There were some very impressive machines to say the least! :) We also went to my cousin, Marie's, new house for a BBQ. It was fun seeing her and hearing about all her plans for the "fixer-upper" she and her husband bought. It's going to be cool when it's all done!

After the 4th, we did a little shopping in Oregon and tried to take advantage of what Portland had to offer. We did the zoo (more pictures ensued) and went to OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.) The weather wasn't that great so we didn't get to go swimming and such. I was a bit bummed by that. I *DID* get to see a lot of family, tho, including my brother, his wife and my new niece, Abigail. I am in LOVE with Abbie...will post pics later. My other sister, of course, with her brood was ever present. Baby Clara is getting so big already! She'd changed a lot in the 6 weeks between visits (I was down there Memorial Day weekend.) It was fun seeing them again and Jake had fun seeing all his cousins. I spent a little time with my baby sister, Crystal. She's been studying to take the test to get into medical school so I didn't see her as much as I would have liked but I understood.

At the end of the trip we spent a day out at Seaside, Oregon on the Oregon Coast. WHAT A BLAST!!! This was the hightlight of our trip. Tony was in awe of the beach and the sand and all things "beachy". It's completely different down there in comparison to SE Alaska! He and Jake tried the "skim board" that all the kids were using...it seems to be all the rage now. It was a very windy day and body surfing and swimming were out of the question so the skim board it was!! I ended up buying a kite. Great day for kite flying that's for sure!! We are definitely planning to go back there some day and actually stay a night or two. It's a great little touristy town but they also have some outlet stores I'd like to check out. You know me...I have to shop where-ever I go!!

All in all, it was a great visit. My aunt, Lori, and cousin, Emma, came over for dinner the last night we were there. It's always fun when Lori is around! My other cousin, Ryan, came by and it was great seeing him. He lives not far from my dad so I will be able to see him a little more often (I hope.) We are planning a trip down for Christmas so hopefully I'll get to spend even more time with everyone. Jake and I will be there for two weeks over Christmas break. I am excited about that!! Tony will more than likely come down for a few days to spend the holiday with us (unless he wants to save miles for Hawaii...hint...hint!!).

Since our return, we have enjoyed probably one of the best summers in Ketchikan that I can remember. It rained for about a week when we got home but then got gloriously hot again. It was marvelous!! Jake spent countless hours on the beach with Damion from next door. We enjoyed sitting on our deck watching the water. We didn't get out and do much other than the beach once in a while but it was still fantastic seeing the sun and getting a reprieve from the gloom and rain. We just simply enjoyed it as much as we could. Other than that, we really haven't been up to much. (One downside to the heat, however, is it killed the fish I've been fish-sitting. The parrot fish that I pictured on this blog and the silver dollars are gone. I was just SICK about it. It happened while we were gone b/c our house was all closed up and it just got too warm for them. Thank goodness Buffy hasn't disowned me for killing her fish!!!!)

Anyway, work has been extremely busy for us both so there's nothing new to report there. Soccer has begun and Tony is coaching this year. Jake wasn't too thrilled about playing but he has sucked it up and just dealt with it. I wish he'd be a little more excited but "whatchya gonna do" right? He's doing OK with it....and I am the "assistant" coach so....I'm helping keep him in line. :) Our first game was Saturday. It was a lovely day and even tho we lost 3-1 we still had fun (I think!) LOL!

School starts in 2 days. My boy will be a 5th grader. I can hardly believe it! Pics to follow for sure! Oh...and he's still hanging in there with the flute. He is taking a weekly lesson and will start band at school as well. He is excited about getting to his new school and seeing all his new/old friends. He'll be at Point Higgins this year. Mrs. Troina is his teacher. I hear she's very nice! Can't wait to meet her!

OMGoodness!! I almost forgot....I turned the big 4-0 this year!!!!!!! I knew there was something I was forgetting!! LOL!! It was pretty painless. It's hard to beleive I'm in the "40 and older" category. Yeesh!!!

Well, that's all I can think of for right now. I better get going. I promise (I always say that!) to put pics on here asap. I also have video of some whale action from earlier in the summer. We are back to our gloomy, rainy weather so I'm sure you'll be hearing more from me. Hope you all have had a wonderful summer!

Love and Hugs~ Nan XOX

I Must Blog!

2009-06-24T12:59:00.000-07:00

OK, OK....I know I am SO far behind on this blog it is utterly ridiculous. Not as ridiculous as some...but ridiculous none the same. Can you tell I LOVE the word "ridiculous"? I just hope I'm spelling it correctly. Where's the autocorrect you ask? Well, apparently is just doesn't exist on Blogger. Nice! Another thing to be exasperated about. THAT and the fact that it has become a federal case just to put pics on this stinking blog that I sometimes wish I had never started. I'm kind of having a tizzy...can you tell?? LOL!! Just kidding. I am starting to ramble, however, so I will quickly get to the point of my post. But first, I will check to see if Blogger has at least some spell check. I love me some spell check y'all. I am ALL ABOUT spelling and grammar and all that jazz. :) I see there is a little button right above this text that has a little "ABC" with a "check mark" right below it. BINGO!!!!!!!!!!! Lovely...it doesn't tell me how to exactly spell the words right...it just highlights them. CHECK, PLEASE!!!!!! WAITER??????????? Oh geez.

Sigh.....Ok...enough of that nonsense. Oh, one more thing. Pics will come later. I know I'm behind but bear with me. I can't do pics from work so I'll just update you now and post pics later. Sorry. I know it's disappointing but you'll just have to "deal". LOL!!!

Where do I begin? I already told you about my family meeting me at the airport so I'll just talk about my last trip down to Portland. It was, in a word, "FAST". I did see my parents, grandparents, my baby sister, Crystal, and my other sister and her family and the new baby. It was REALLY good to see everyone. I hadn't realized just how much I missed them. All of Becky's kids are growing up so fast. The last time I saw them was August of 2007. That's quite a lot of time to go by. Oh! I also met up with my auntie, her daughter and my uncle and his family. It was such fun to be there. The weather was amazingly warm considering it was the end of May. Flowers were in bloom and I wore flip flops the whole time. I had to wear shorts at my uncle's BBQ b/c it was SO HOT that day. It was so much fun catching up with everyone and I can't wait to do it again when we are down there next month. It was very hard to leave and of course I came home to rain. I was VERY glad to know that we have tickets and are leaving again the 3rd of July. Can't wait!!!

Shortly thereafter, school was out and Jake was FREE! We started having some amazing weather as well and summer was well on it's way. We even went kayaking one night with a friend from work. It was blissful for about a week. Jake has been going to the Rec. Center "summer camp" from 8-3pm (he spent one week at Lori's but got bored.) He will be there until we leave for vacation then he's going back to Lori's for the remainder of the summer. By then there will be more kids (boys) to play with and it won't be so boring for him. Anyway, as I mentioned in a previous post, he is also taking flute lessons on Tuesday afternoons. He seems to enjoy it so far. Other than that we are just biding our time until vacation.

We've seen a lot of whale action this summer already. I have some video of the Orcas going by. I will post that at a later date along with pics of my family and the new baby, Clara. Speaking of which, I found out that my brother and his wife are flying into Portland the same day we are so I will get to see baby Abigail for the first time..FINALLY!!!!!! I am so excited about that I could just pee myself...just a little bit y'all...seriously! At my age...it's not difficult. LOL!!!

Speaking of my age...I am having a very special birthday next month. I can hardly believe it. I have been trying to figure out what I want to do to mark the occasion. I finally remembered what I've been wanting to do again FOREVER and that is "Zip Lining". I'm thinking I'll get some of my peeps together and we'll make a day of it. Nothing makes you feel more alive then Zip Lining. It's a "Must Do Before You Die" kind of thing. Seriously! Sooo...I will be doing some celebrating while I'm south as well since I will be with my family. My mom has lined up a massage for me with THE BEST massage lady, B.J. She's THE BOMB. I cannot WAIT!!! Then, of course, there WILL be some cake and things of that very sugary nature. I am so excited. I can hardly believe I made it to see 40. Wow!! Just saying it out loud puts a knot in my stomach. Yikes!! How does that happen???

I can't think of anything else that's happening at the moment so perhaps I'll end this for now. I will post pics and try to keep up on this blog (I always say that!) a little more frequently. :)

Ta Ta For Now~ Nanette XOX

P.S. I forgot to mention that my mother has been diagnosed with "Atrial Fibrillation". This explains her collapse at work on May 4th. I am very relieved that they figured out what the problem is and she is able to take medication for it. If you don't know what A.F. is...Google it! :) (I just love saying "Google It!" LOL!!)

My Wonderful Family

2009-06-18T19:12:00.001-07:00

So, as you all know, I went south to see the fam for Memorial Day weekend. I had made plans ahead of time to have my little sis, Crystal, pick me up. Unbeknownst to me, however, there was a welcoming "committee" of sorts there waiting as I walked out of the security area. Standing there was Crystal, my grandma, my mother, and my auntie!!! Not only that...they were all dressed in Hawaiin "garb" and had a BIG, YELLOW sign saying "Nanette...Welcome Home!" Holy cow was all I could think at that point!! How cute are they, tho??? LOL!!! It really touched my heart to know that I had been missed so much. :)

From left to right, My grannie, Mom, Aunt Lori and Crystal. I love them so much!!!!! Thanks guys!!

Fish-Sitting

2009-06-16T21:37:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone! Meet Waldo the parrot fish. He and the others belong to my BFF, Buffy, and we are taking care of them over the summer. Buffy and the fam are going commercial fishing and she didn't have room (or electricity) on the boat sooooo....I offered to foster parent them for a few months. It's been 2 days and we are already attached. :( They are so funny!! Who knew fish could be so fun? Anyway, I know I have a lot to blog about but honestly...after a day at my desk doing data entry...it's all I can do to put THIS on here! You'll have to bear with me. You may just get random pics, thoughts, and posts for a while until I get out my blogging "slump".

On a totally different "note"...Jake started flute lessons today. He already seems to be getting the hang of it. I'm so excited for him!

Bye for now! Nan XOX

P.S. Did I mention we had to order water this week? Yep...we are in conservation mode. You know what they say in SE Alaska..."If it's yellow...let it mellow." If it's brown...flush it down! LOL! (Hope that's not TMI for some folks!)

Playing Catch-Up!

2009-06-15T20:18:00.000-07:00

Better late then never, right? This is Jacob (kid in striped shirt) playing at his last concert of the school year last month. He did so well on the recorder! We were very proud. Next, we are moving onto the flute. Jake will be in 5th grade next year which means...Band! Yeah! We are excited and he can't wait to get started. We rented a used flute over the weekend (we are renting to own) and he begins private lessons tomorrow. I figured it couldn't hurt to give him a head-start and since he's so excited about it...I'm all for it! :)

Is She Ever Going to Update Her Blog?

2009-06-09T21:46:00.000-07:00

I know this is what you all are thinking out there in cyberspace! LOL! Thanks for not hasseling (sp?) me about it. Any of you that blog know that there's a time for blogging and a time for your actual, so-called "life". Having the time to just sit down and blog is somewhat of a luxury for most of us. Not to mention, putting pics on here is almost a freakin' art form and can be a REAL pain!! I have tons of pics to put on, too, so it may be a challenge tonight. I may have to just start with a few and blog a little each day. We'll see how it goes. Anyway, last I left you I was getting ready to leave town and was trying to keep you posted on Marina's condition. Well, after I left to go south which was Friday of Memorial Day weekend, I got a message from a friend that Marina was actually being released from the hospital and was leaving Bellingham to return to Ketchikan. Once she was south, the doc in Bellingham knew exactly the best course of treatment and she got a LOT better rather quickly. She was like a new person once they got her on the right meds. She flew back to Ketchikan on Saturday of that weekend before I even made it back to town. I was much relieved to hear how much she'd improved. Needless to say, she is doing HEAPS better. I think she's still suffering with some headaches and short-term memory loss but that is to be expected with a head injury. I think it was a week or so later, tho, when I got a text message stating that she and Gillian were at Oceanview having lunch and to join them asap. They didn't have to ask twice! When I saw Marina, I couldn't believe my eyes! She looked AMAZING....like nothing had ever happened. Marina is the one on the left above! Ms. Gillian is on the right...my new, dear friend I refer to as Mizz Gillian! :)

Just like I thought, Blogger is already giving me fits when it comes to posting pics. I will continue this update in a new post and I will try adding pics first and THEN text. Sigh....

Back in a bit. On to the next post! :) Nan

Week One

2009-05-20T11:58:00.000-07:00

Well..it's time to update again already because as we all know...what a difference a day can make, right?? Things have taken a "turn" since I posted last night. Marina is being shipped to Harborview in Seattle to see a Neurologist after all. Her doc felt it was the best course of action. She is now experiencing "auditory sensitivity" and he feels she should be thoroughly checked out. I'm sure she's not too happy about it but OH WELL. She was a very naughty patient yesterday so I'm glad she's going somewhere where I KNOW they will keep a very good eye on her!

So, there you have it. I will try to blog more frequently as information becomes available. It's going to be a long road.

Have a great Wednesday everyone!! I'm outta here on Friday morning....Can't wait! :)

Love, Nan

Updates

2009-05-20T00:02:00.000-07:00

A lot of folks have been asking about Marina so I thought I would post a little more tonight. The last few days have been "big" days. You must remember, she has a pretty major brain injury so progress is slow. Today we found out she has what's called a "shearing brain injury" which doesn't show up on a scan (google it for more details). This is one of the harder injuries to recover from and it explains why she is in so much pain and having all the problems that she is. I can't remember how much I already posted so I'll just tell you what I know and go from there.

Anyway, as far as her head injury goes...it's going to be a longer recovery than we anticipated. That being said...she still has a LOT going for her and things could have been much worse. Like I said above, she is still suffering from a tremendous headache, double-vision, and sensitivity to light. It's hard for her to open her eyes...the room starts spinning when she does. There was a call to the "neuro" doc today and he did have some encouraging things to say. He said everything she is experiencing is completely normal and that a trip south is not necessary (there was earlier talk of her taking the Life Flight to Seattle for a full neuro work-up.) He said they are doing everything for her here that they would do down below. This was VERY good news!!

She is now getting out of bed on a regular basis and even snuck out of bed to shower today...much to the dismay of the nurses! We're going to have to duct tape her to the bed!! LOL!! The fact that she's up and about is a really good sign. She's moving SLOW mind you...I was shocked to hear she got up on her own. That's pretty significant progress!

I think that's all I can think of for now. Her doc has ordered all kinds of rehab therapy for her and she is really anxious to get started. She was ticked they didn't show up today! I told her "be careful what you wish for." :) They'll be kickin' her fanny soon enough!!

If anyone has questions or concerns, please feel free to call me at 821-1580 for further updates.

On a lighter note...we are plugging along here at the Newell household. Tony has been very patient with me not being around as much...always stopping at the hospital etc. He's been very busy and even put in a 12 hour day on Saturday. Jake was "Student of the Week" 2 weeks ago....I didn't get around to posting it with everything that was going on. He is so awesome!! I am a very lucky mom!!!

I am still leaving on Friday for Portland. It will be really good to get away for a few days to check on my mom. Oh my word!!! I forgot to post that my sister had her baby!! Clara Maria was born on Mother's Day!!!! I can't wait to see her on this trip. My sister is doing well and settling in to having a new baby again. I will post pics when I get back.

For those wondering...my mom hasn't had any more problems. She is wearing a heart monitor right now as they are trying to find out what made her collapse on May 4th. She had one more "episode" of heart palpitations on the 7th...but she didn't pass out. I just hope they can figure something out in the NEAR future. At least I know they are keeping a close eye on her and I don't worry so much.

Well..that's it for now. I need to get to bed. I've been fighting a cold for a few days now.

Keep your prayers coming everyone!!! Love, Nan XOX

Angels Among Us

2009-05-18T13:59:00.000-07:00

I don't even know how to begin this post! So much has "gone down" in the last two weeks! I really want to post, however, about the big event that happened last week. It all started (for me) on Thursday morning when I got an email from a friend. It said something to effect that the "missing hiker" (that I knew nothing about) was a gal named "Marina Hinkle". After taking in the fact that there was a missing hiker...I was then processing the fact that this "Marina Hinkle" was/is one of my best friends!!! Oh my word...I can't even begin to tell you how I felt in that moment. I immediately called her husband and hoped beyond hope that there was some kind of mistake. I am REALLY glad I didn't read the paper that morning b/c it was a really grim assessment of the situation. Anyway, Brett, Marina's hubby, began to tell me (with great horror) that Marina had gone out for a little hike alone on Wednesday and never returned. Not only that...but as of that moment on Thursday they STILL hadn't found her!! I just could NOT accept that this was happening...this just could not be for real. I instantly went into "don't panic" mode...and "is there anything I can do" mode..."they WILL find her" mode. Oh...did I mention she was injured and had called 9-1-1 after falling off a cliff??????? Yeah...this story just gets better and better!

So, I told my co-workers what was going on after having a lengthy conversation with Brett. He was beyond worried...she'd been out there ALL NIGHT and who knows how injured she was! Her 9-1-1 call was kind of vague...she had given a description of about where she was and that she needed help. She ended up passing out and then the cell phone died. You can imagine how everyone was feeling when they didn't find her that night. I am really relieved I didn't know this was going on at the time...I would have been SICK with worry. Anyway, after talking to my co-workers I decided I could not stay at the office. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that IF the news was bad that day, I needed to be at the house with Brett. I knew he would absolutely crumble if they didn't find her alive. So, I jumped in the car and just as I turned the key, I got a call from Brett. She was found and alive!!!!! What we didn't know at the time was that she was BARELY alive. They had a hard time finding a pulse. Nonetheless...we were so relieved they found her. They took her to the hospital via helicopter. It was quite an ordeal.

I ended up staying at the office knowing that she might be medivaced south. Brett was expecting them to ship her out depending on how bad her injuries were. She was terribly dehydrated and hypothermic...her body temp was 91...well below normal. She probably had, at the very least, a head injury. She had told the 9-1-1 dispatcher that she hit her head. We worried about spinal injuries as well. At any rate...I didn't last long at the office before deciding to check in at the hospital to see what was up. Thank goodness she was still in the E.R. when I got there. She had not been medivaced like we expected. She was completely unconscious and heavily drugged b/c she had been shivering so badly when they brought her in. We were all just mesmerized (and relieved) by the fact that she was alive.

After work that night I went to the ICU to see her. She was still completely out and it was going to be hours before she "came to". They were still considering sending her south depending on how she responded when she came off the Valium they gave her. I went ahead and went home knowing that her good friend, Gillian, who happens to be a nursing supervisor would be there all night. She promised to call me if anything happened. She even talked Brett into going home to get some rest...he'd been up all night the previous evening while they were still searching. Sooo....we all eventually left so Marina could "rest". We were pretty certain she could still hear all the commotion in the room.

I ended up sleeping really hard that night after taking some Advil PM. I knew if I didn't take something...I would have worried all night. The next morning I got online and saw a few postings (updates) on Facebook by Gillian. Marina had woken up and was talking!! It was a miracle!! Now...when I say "woke up" and "talking"....I don't mean just sat up and started yakking. She was extremely weak, in a LOT of pain, and barely coherent. I will say, tho, the first thing out of her mouth was "I was not alone. Who was that lady out there with me all night?" Y'all...I could NOT believe what I was reading/hearing. I couldn't wait to get back to the hospital to find out more from Gillian what was being said. Was it possible that Marina had her own bonified Guardian Angel out in the forest with her that night??? OF COURSE IT'S POSSIBLE!!!!!!!!! Not only THAT...but this "lady" coaxed Marina out of the spot she was in to get to an area where the searchers could see her. She kept telling Marina that they weren't going to see her and she would die. She keeps telling us now that "The lady was right." Can you believe it???? I am still getting choked up over this story as I tell it now.

There is so much more to tell but I can't get into all of it here on this blog. What I have found out in the last few days, tho, is this: the searchers went back out to the area where Marina was spotted and they think they've located the spot where she landed. She had fallen backwards after the earth gave way under her. They are saying she fell about 40 feet...not the 15 feet she initially reported to 9-1-1. This would explain why she is in very rough shape. She has a major concussion and a severly bruised back. It hurts to even breathe right now. She has a hard time opening her eyes b/c she is seeing "double" and is sensitive to light. It's going to be a long road to recovery. But, her spirits are GOOD and she is determined to get better. She's a fighter!!! Not only that but she is anxious to tell her story about the "lady" in the woods. You have NO idea how full my heart is over this!!

For those of you that don't know, Marina is an emergency room nurse. She is married and has two boys...one of the boys is the same age as Jake. We've been friends about 10 years now. Please pray she will make a full recovery...she means the world to a LOT of people in this community!!!

More later everyone. I am still basking in God's goodness and the PROOF that there really ARE angels among us!!!

Love and Hugs~ Nan XOX

I Must Give Credit Where Credit Is Due....

2009-05-06T21:40:00.001-07:00

So, in regards to the last post about my little "jaunt" to the lower 48...this would NOT be possible if it weren't for one very special person that makes it all happen. Yep...you guessed it...my MAIN SQUEEZE...my BETTER HALF...the LOVE of my LIFE....Tony!!!!!!!!! If it weren't for his love and support and general knowledge of how to keep me happy...I wouldn't be going ANYWHERE!! Let me back up for a sec and give you the "low down" on how this all happened. I was at work yesterday morning and my boss asked me if I'd already bought my tickets for our trip in July. Of course, I said "Yes...why?" She informed me that Alaska Air was having a major fare sale. I said "Really? Like, how good are the prices??" I was very interested at this point (as anyone that lives here would be!) She told me it was less than $200 one way to Seattle. So, I immediately went to the Alaska Air site to check it out for myself. Lo and behold...it was $169 one way to Seattle AND Portland!! I think I literally sucked my breath in at that moment...and just about started hyperventilating. That price is UNHEARD of these days....I was in SHOCK to say the least. I immediately went to the instant message program at work and sent Tony an I.M. with the details of what I'd found out. I said "$169 one way to PDX!!!! OMG!!!!!" His response without missing a BEAT was "When do you leave?" LOL!! Y'all....I have to take a moment...a moment of silence if you will. :) This is TRULY a man that understands and RECOGNIZES that "If mama aint happy"....well YOU know the rest!! Need I say more?? Actually, not only does he know the above...but he just knows ME...very, very well. LOL!! That's what 13 years of marriage will do y'all. Mmmm...Hmmmm!! :)

Thanks, baby......YOU MEAN THE WORLD TO ME!!!!! Thank you for all your love and support and especially for being the kind of dad that can hold down the fort while mama is off playin' and visiting the fam. You ROCK!!! I only wish everyone could have such a wonderful partner in this crazy thing we call "life". You get the "Best Husband In The World" award!! Wink!!

OK...enough gushing for one night. Back to my glass of wine and American Idol. Go Danny!! :)

Night!! Nan XOX

I've Never Been Good At Keeping Secrets

2009-05-06T13:10:00.000-07:00

Well...let's see. Guess I'll start with the fact that I bought a ticket home, y'all. In light of everything that's happened and what is ABOUT to happen...I am OUTTA HERE!! LOL!! Just kidding....I mean, I *am* outta here but not really for the above reasons. Yes...I was out of my mind with worry on Monday night and Yes...my sister *is* about to give birth any minute...but the truth of the matter is that Alaska Air decided to throw a big "fare sale" and I just could NOT pass it up. The timing couldn't be better. I want to see my mom and make double-sure she *is* indeed OK...I feel the need to see it with my own eyes. Secondly, I know it would mean the world to Becky if I showed up after the baby gets here. Sooo....all that said...I fly out on the 22nd which is the long "holiday" weekend. This way, too, I don't miss more work than necessary. I am SO excited!! And so is mom. I *wasn't* going to tell her...but knowing MY mother...It wouldn't surprise me in the least if she up and took off for the long weekend. It would stress me out too much not knowing if she was going to do something crazy and not be there when I get there! LOL!! She isn't going to let ONE little fainting spell slow HER down...no SIR!! Ahem!

So, I called mom today to check on her and tell her the news that I'm visiting much earlier than expected. She is happy!! We ARE NOT going to tell Becky, tho, that I'm coming. Since she doesn't read my blog...she won't even KNOW!! LOL!! So....for those that DO read this blog...MUM'S THE WORD!!!! Shhhhhhhh!!!!!!! That means YOU Lori, Dad, Rochelle, and whoever else I'm leaving out!! LOL!!

Life is calming down again now that I know mom is doing well. (She is home taking it easy for the rest of the week. She's hoping Becky has the baby and SOON or she won't be able to take any more time off work.) Tony and I are just keeping busy with work and getting Jake through his last month at school. I can't believe it's almost summer! The skunk cabbage is coming up, the cruise ships are starting to arrive, and construction signs are going up everywhere. Yep...summer is just about here!!!

Did I tell y'all that Julie found out she's having another boy?? We (me and Julie) are THRILLED!! Now I spend most waking hours trying to come up with a name. They (she and Chris) are really picky so this is going to be tough. Speaking of which, their son, Kai, is starting Kindergarten in the fall. I am so excited to announce that Jake is going to switch schools and go to Point Higgins next year also (which is where Kai will be going.) We are all excited about the change...it is LONG overdue.

So, that's the latest so far. Jake is going to Lori's again for daycare this summer. He would be too bored if we left him home so that's not an option just yet. He would beg to differ on that, I'm sure.

OK...I better run. Lots to do. :) Oh wait...I forgot to mention the Ladies group I'm "joining". LOL!! I found out this morning that there is a group of ladies that go out every Tuesday night to Kayak. It was started by an outfit here in town that offers kayaking tours etc. Anyway, it's only $15 dollars to go!! AND...you double up with another lady in a "double" kayak. It just doesn't get much better people!! And you can't beat the price!!! I am SO EXCITED!!!! Can you tell??? LOL!!!!

Have a great "hump day" y'all!!!!!!!!!!! Hugs~ Nan XOX

Stress Test

2009-05-05T10:58:00.001-07:00

Well, my mom had her stress test this morning and she passed with "flying colors" (her words.) She is being released from the hospital today. This is such an answer to prayer...although it would be nice to know what actually caused her to collapse. We may never know. At any rate, she is doing well and says she feels fine. She is going to have them check out her gall bladder as gall bladder issues run in our family. Other than that, there's nothing to report as of now. No news is good news, right? :)

As far as Becky is concerned, I wasn't able to reach her. I'm really hoping she isn't having the baby TODAY! LOL!! My aunt, Lori, is keeping an eye on everyone for me. She's the ROCK in our family and I'm so thankful to have her.

So, that's it for now. Praise the Lord for answered prayer! He is so good to us once again!!

Hugs~ Nan

An Awesome Email

2009-05-04T21:44:00.000-07:00

Got this tonight from a man our church has been praying for. I thought it was so awesome!! I believe "H.S."= "Holy Spirit". If only we could ALL have this perspective! Wow!!! And to get this after what happened with MY mom....Holy Cow!!! Do you think someone is trying to tell me something??? :)

**After sitting very still and paying attention to what was going on in this critter body "I Am" gifted me with, I came to the conclusion that this is probably what they call a heart attack. The pain wasn't unbearable or debilitating or frightening, it was just a careful analysis over a period of an hour that the Spirit assured me this was indeed something I needed to go through. Not so much for me but for everyone else. I shaved, brushed my teeth, sat down, called Mary to me so we could have a talk. After explaining to her what was happening and where all the papers and etc. were, she took me to the E.R. in Baker.

At the E.R. I walked into the reception, picked up the phone and explained to the woman that I was having a heart attack. The circus began. After stripping me of my clothes, dignity, and whatever else was loose,(they even managed a stool sample) they began applying stickers, wires, tubes, monitors, gauges, wrenches, and other odds and ends from around the room. I'm convinced that they had an old war surplus 55 gallon drum of blood thinner sitting around that they saw a chance of getting rid of.. The Doc. confirmed with some excitement that they did indeed have a heart attack in process. They wadded me up to fit into into the rear end of a helicopter. So far, I felt detached from the whole process to that of a spectator. Being a Spiritual being assigned to this critter body, allowed me to spend time traveling around it with H.S. in peace and safety. After the Helicopter. arrived, Ron, Deb, and the Pastor from the local AG showed up and prayed for me. As they were screwing me into place in the helicopter, my symptoms disappeared.

Through the 40 minute flight, I felt in a fog of love, warmth and peace. H.S. and I looked over the situation and He said, "You have a very good heart." I wept.

At St. Al's in Boise the flurry of activity never subsided until they went in through my Femoral artery to see what they had. They inserted several wires, tubes, devices of various kinds and probably some stuff that was laying around the room they had to get rid of. They found a little damage, no need for Angio- plasti or stint. They withdrew and sent me to my room.

Their incision would not stop bleeding for two days (remember the 55 gallon drum.) Five days in the hosp. with a fine staff. The insisted that I lay flat on my back the whole time which left me with fatigue, back pain, and no sleep. The only discomfort was the point of incision and my back. It's always the same. They wake you up to see if you are resting OK or to give you a sleeping pill. You wear a blood pressure monitor that squeezes your arm every 15 minutes. Sleep? Riiiiight.

After the cut quit oozing, and they had removed all the extemporaneous wires, tubes, etc. Mary brought me home.

(Friday pm)
Through it all I was able to enjoy the whole process from the vantage point of a free man just passing through this amazing place. A lot of characters played a role in this episode, some I was able to speak a word of rebuke and others of encouragement and to all gratitude. Friends and family were involved too, of course, but I saw the face of fear in many and I don't think I want any of that.

It was my joy to experience this. No heavy revvy here, just an ordinary heart attack. No great revelations, profound insights to anything. I thoroughly enjoyed the time with H.S. This was just a blip for His purposes, not even a dry run. It ain't my time, baby! Me and H.S. have some stuff to do. In the mean time, all my plans are cancelled and a long rest period is in store. Lookin' forward to it.. The prayers of so many are highly appreciated. Thank you.

Yr.Stmblng.Srvnt. R.

Healthy Dose Of Reality

2009-05-04T20:45:00.000-07:00

Nothing gives you a "reality" check like a good, solid "health" scare...whether it be yourself or a parent or especially a child. Recently, it was my own that got me re-evaluating where I stood with God and my life. About three weeks ago, I discovered a lump in my neck. It had been there for quite some time but had grown in size considerably and was now tender and sore. I thought "Oh Great. Now it will *have* to be looked at." So, I didn't mess around...not with MY history. I called the surgeon's office and told the gal quite frankly..."I have a lump and I want it removed." She was ever so gracious and empathetic. I told her about my history of Melanoma etc...etc...and to get me in asap because we all know too well how the mind "works". I knew I'd be planning my funeral before the week was over. I had an appt a week out from that very phone call. So, to make a long story short, I saw Dr. Garcia...the new surgeon in town. Dr. Garcia came with 16 years of experience and I felt confident he probably knew what he was talking about. He told me the lump was more than likely an inflamed lymph node and that I should keep an eye on it...take some Ibuprofen. He was more than willing, however, to take it out if that's what I wanted. I wasn't sure in that moment EXACTLY what I wanted. I liked the idea of the "wait and see" approach. I figured...I can *always* have it taken out later if I change my mind. I really liked the fact, too, that the Dr. wasn't anxious to start cutting on me! The idea of someone yanking out a lymph node for no reason didn't sit well with me. God gave us lymph nodes for a reason, right?? LOL!! Sooo...needless to say, I am waiting and I am seeing. :) I am taking Motrin 2-3 times a day and keeping a very close eye on "it". I have a follow up appointment on the 15th. If the lump is still there...I may have him just take it out. That's really the only way to know for sure whether something is malignant or not. This I know to be true! If it does come down to taking it out...I will be heavily sedated...mark my words! Soooooo...I hope my "melanoma friends" out there don't freak out when they read this. I promise to have the lump removed if and when the time comes. I already know all the stats and risks yada, yada, yada. This is my plan and I'm sticking to it! I really feel at peace with my decision and I know the odds of my melanoma coming back are zero to none...wait...wouldn't those be the same thing? Zero? None?? Huh?!? LOL!!!

Anyway, so after all of this "drama" I was getting back to a normal life. Heck, we even had a week of sunshine to take my mind off of it all. Life was good and we didn't seem to have a care in the world. Then ZAP! Back to reality once again TODAY when my baby sister calls me with "news". I about had a heart-attack. It's that *one* phone call you just KNOW you are going to get when you live on an island 1000 miles away from "home". She was calling to tell me that my mother "passed out" at work today. Unbeknownst to ME...not only did she pass out but she got right back up and started working again!!! She is SO much like ME...or is it vice-a-versa??? I would have done the same...making sure my job was taken care of. Anyway...she started not feeling well so she called a friend to drive her to the E.R. Sure enough...they started doing all kinds of stuff. Apparently, it might have something to do with her heart. Crystal (the baby of the family) said that my mom felt "heart palpitations" right before she went down. Thank the Lord she didn't hit her noggin on the way down!! Anyway, so she's in the hospital tonight. She will have a stress test on her heart in the a.m. I am PRAYING they will find the problem and be able to FIX HER!!! This has been so stressful...I can't even tell you. Nothing serious has EVER happened to my parents and to be quite frank...I was hoping we would go a LONG time before something did. Like I said earlier...re-evaluating EVERYTHING. Sigh. I will be going to God tonight with a LOT of questions. All I can do is hope I get answers. I am just SO grateful He has watched out for us like He has. Between her and I....it could have been a LOT worse. (She's probably going to kill me for putting this on my blog by the way.......Sigh.)

So, we are both waiting and seeing. I will keep you posted on both of us. I'm more concerned about mom, tho. I can handle anything that comes MY way....it's much easier to be the one going through the valley. Much harder to watch those you love go thru stuff. Anyone who knows me well knows that I am a total control freak. This is something that drives me CRAZY in times like this!!

Not much else is happening. I am counting the days until we go south...we really need a vacation!! And, of course, in light of everything I will want to see my mother with my OWN eyes and give her the biggest hug of her life!!

Thanks for listening...reading...praying! This is a great place to "vent" and I appreciate you all so much. On a lighter note...Don't forget...Mother's Day is Sunday!!!! :)

Love and Peace~ Nan XOX

P.S. I heard my other sister, Becky, may be going into labor. Pray for her, too!! She needs it!

New Favorite Recipe

2009-04-29T11:09:00.000-07:00

I have discovered my new "favorite thing" this week. It's NOT low-fat by any means but I don't care at this point. Anyway, have y'all heard of "Creme Fraiche"?? I'm sure you foodies out there have and I had too...but I finally tried it last night. It is basically just a "fancier" and more expensive Sour Cream. It was DA BOMB! I will never go back to regular sour cream again...I'm now a Creme Fraiche SNOB!!!! LOL!! Anyway, here's the recipe I used with some Halibut I took out of the freezer. My only regret was not making potatoes to go with the fish...but my thighs are thanking me for THAT today, y'all!!! It was bad enough I was eating the cream as it was. Sigh......

Mustard Roasted Fish

1- 7.5 ounce Container “Crème Fraiche” (pronounced “Crem-Fresh”)
1 ½ TBLSP Dijon Mustard
½ Tsp Stone Ground Mustard
1 TBLSP Chopped Shallot
1 TBLSP Drained Capers
Salt & Pepper

Mix together above ingredients and slather over fish (Halibut or Snapper works best!) Cook fish until liked doneness. Enjoy!

**You will find Crème Fraiche in the “fancy” cheese section at Safeway!

Hope you all try this...it's DA BOMB!!!! :)

Nooooooooooo!!!!!!!!

2009-04-22T16:22:00.000-07:00

I was on my way to work this morning and went around the "famous" corner by Jud's and Talbot's and LOW AND BEHOLD there before me was a CRUISE SHIP!! And there were TOURISTS in their matching little wind-breakers and such....I literally GASPED OUT LOUD at the absurdity of seeing a ship this early in the year. It's APRIL for crying out loud...there is still FRESH snow on the mountain. What the HAY is going on??? And in THIS economy??? Are you kidding me??? So, I collected myself and made it to work...taking pictures from the car for "evidence" without getting myself into an accident...thank you VERY much. But I am still reeling from the shock of it all. Usually, shops and businesses start bustling and opening up and we are sort of "forewarned" before such a ship makes an appearance. But nooooo...no way, no how...not this time. Ahem. Even the crossing guards were out in full force. I could NOT believe it!! Where does all the time go??? I guess I should be happy because supposedly this means "summer" is here. Well...I can tell you FULL WELL that "summer" is indeed NOT HERE!!!! It's barely 50 degrees out these days. Sigh.

So, that's the latest from K-town. Another season is upon us. It's inevitable I guess. I will post a picture of said cruise ship when I get home tonight. Until then...be cool. :)

Nan~

Egg Hunt 4/12/09

2009-04-21T18:34:00.000-07:00

The hunt is on!

Dad made him slow down long enough to "pose".

Alec is determined to find those eggs!

Still looking!

Bingo!!!!!!!!!!

Bloggy Kind Of Day

2009-04-21T13:11:00.000-07:00

Wow! It's been a little bit since I posted but boy did the time go fast! It's been a whirlwind, it seems, even tho there really hasn't been that much going on. Guess I'll start with the fact that we had a very nice Easter. Went to church, as usual, then came home briefly before heading to Rick and Margie's for a nice Easter dinner. Kelly and Alec were there...Kelly is their daughter & my friend (she's my age) and Alec is her son. He is one of Jake's best friend's and they are about a year apart (Alec being older.) We ate, talked, and played the Wii for a bit before calling it a "day". A good time was had by all. Oh! We even had an Easter egg hunt...man...guess you're never too old to get excited over finding those eggs! The boys really enjoyed it. I will post pics of it later when I have a chance.

The rest of the week is kind of a blur. A friend I work with lost her father on Monday night (the 14th actually) and so that kind of threw everything up in the air for me. I wanted to help and be there for her. I was just so sad for her. I ended up helping at the front desk a lot since she was out and we also had another gal out on vacation soooo...I am the "back up" Admin. person these days. I tried to help with that as much as I could. I did manage to work out at least one day but I can't for the life of me remember what happened the other evenings. We did have Kessa over on Thursday night, I believe. She is the girl I used to babysit when she and Jake were little. It was fun having her over. She's so grown up!! I taught her how to play Backgammon. So, I guess between making extra meals, housework, the usual stuff...the week flew by. Saturday was the service for Renee's dad so I went to that for moral support. Afterwards, ended up taking Jake out to a friend's on the other end of the island...he stayed the night. We went out for dinner, which was nice. I was pretty fried by the time Saturday night rolled around! :) Sunday was spent going to church, getting groceries, and all the usual "stuff". I think I got a nap in there somewhere! LOL!!

Yesterday it was back to work. I ended up taking Renee a "cheer you up" kind of basket last night after work. We chatted for a bit then I made it home and made dinner. Nothing too exciting.

I guess that pretty much sums it all up. The weather has been "better" but we are getting quite a bit of rain. I'm not complaining, tho, cuz it's better than SNOW!! :) We are going to be getting Jake a new bike soon...that will be awesome for him! It's that time of year again...to be OUTSIDE!! I am planning on doing more hiking this year and even plan to head up Deer Mountain...something I haven't done since my first year in Ketchikan. It will be even more of a challenge then it was then. Wish me "luck". Hope I don't keel over at the top. LOL!!

Well...I better run. Hope you are all well. To all my bloggy friends...keep up the good work!! I love reading all the blogs that are out there. Facebook just isn't cutting it any more...not for ME anyway.

Take Care, Y'all!! Nan :)

Over the Hump

2009-04-10T08:50:00.000-07:00

Well...we have been blessed the last two days with sunny and WARM weather!! It's been in the lower 5o's, which by Alaska's standards would be considered "warm". LOL!! I would say Spring has finally arrived. Yay! The birds are back and singing away and I saw a hummingbird drinking from the Crocus yesterday. The picture above is of the sunset last night. I never get tired of watching the sun go down out here!!

Anyway, it's been a busy week. Jake has been "testing" all week at school and he has been really "tuckered" out by the end of the day. I dragged him out for a walk yesterday since it was so nice. It was our first walk OUTSIDE in quite a while. It felt really good to be out in the fresh air. I am REALLY hoping we get a nicer summer this year. If not, at least we have a week in Portland in July. We are *almost* guaranteed some sun in Portland!! LOL!! I say "almost" b/c it is, after all, the Pacific Northwest!!! But it's not Southeast Alaska so the chances are good we will have nice weather.

Wow...got off on a tangit there!!! Where was I? Oh yeah...busy week. And there's a busy weekend to follow. Tonight is "Good Friday" service at church. I am working for Dr. Mesdag tomorrow for most of the day then, of course, Sunday is Easter. We will be going to church and then to Rick and Margie's for dinner that evening. It's going to FLY by!!! I'm already tired just thinking about it. Hopefully, the clinic will go smoothly tomorrow. That can really throw a "kink" in things if it doesn't.

Well...I can't think of anything else going on. Oh! My sister is quickly approaching her due date. I haven't spoken to her for a while but plan to call her soon to see how she's doing. She's hoping for a little girl. She has 3 girls and 3 boys at the moment. What a brood!!! :)

Have a great and blessed Easter weekend!! Many blessings to you~ Nan XOX

P.S. Jake asked me this week if he could start a blog! I said YES!! It's not quite up and running but when it is I will let y'all know. You will be able to find him at www.jacobnewellspage.blogspot.com It's so exciting that he's growing up and getting interested in such things, don't ya think? :) Ta Ta For Now, Y'all!!!!!!!!!!!

Haircut Time!

2009-04-09T21:18:00.001-07:00

Shhhhhhh!! Don't tell Jake I posted these. He would KILL me!! He DID NOT want me posting that pic of the leopard print cape on him!! LOL!! Sorry, Buddy...it's a parent's job to humiliate their kid once in a while!! Snicker-snicker............

Well I Spoke Too Soon

2009-04-02T18:58:00.001-07:00

It snowed, sunshined, snowed, sunshined...ALL DAY today. And the north wind it is a blowin'....AND IT'S COLD Y'ALL. It has really picked up, too, since this morning and there were/are "white caps" galore out in the channel. Brrrrr!!! I've been thinking about Rachael all day today (my co-worker.) She headed to Vegas this morning. Man...wishin' I was with her about now! LOL!! She's not going to want to come back and I wouldn't blame her. :) Anyway, here's a few more "nature" shots. The sunset was from last night and the other is from this morning. The fresh snow on the mountains is gorgeous that time of day. The pic does NOT do it justice!!!

Did Hades Freeze Over?

2009-04-02T11:16:00.000-07:00

My kid NOT ONLY asked me for broccoli tonight...but he asked me to save some for his lunch tomorrow!! I have woken up in the Twilight Zone today. That, and it's not raining...OR SNOWING!!!!

Wonders never cease!

Nan

Snow and Warts

2009-04-01T11:06:00.001-07:00

LOL!! Did that catch your attention? Well, that's what WE are dealing with these days at the Newell house. It's April 1st and we are still getting snow. Sigh. It is no longer "funny" to anyone around here! LOL!! I don't know how people live further north where this is the "norm". I am DYING for some warm weather...even 50 degrees would be nice. I think the high has been 39 in recent days. Oh well...whatya gonna do? Put on your big girl panties and DEAL WITH IT!! :)

Not sure if I mentioned it in any previous posts but Jake has had a wart issue on his foot. We've had it removed by the podiatrist 3 times now. Not sure yet if it's coming back again but we are doing everything we can to prevent it. Extra Vitamin A and Zink are what's "prescribed" in that area. However, I came home from work yesterday to the news that he now has what looks to be a wart on his hand. Sigh. Have any of YOU dealt with this problem and what was successful for you in the area of getting rid of them???? HELP!!!!!!!

So, the countdown to summer break is ON! Jake is getting excited for school to be out (June 5th). And other than having to pay for daycare...so am I!! We also have plans to be in Portland for the 4th of July...Yay!! It better be NICE and HOT while we are there...that's all I can say! We will be staying at my dad's new house and plan to see most of our family that lives close by. We leave July 3rd.

Got the Subaru fixed this week. That is such a relief let me tell ya. Did I tell you the head gaskets had to be replaced?? Is this normal?? My car is a 2005...what's the deal? Anyway, PTL it was covered by my warranty!!! Yay for THAT! I have put a lot of money into my "new" car already....brake job, new tires, new battery, oil changes...yada, yada, yada! The good news is, however, that we used our PFDs last year to pay that sucker off so I don't have a car payment any longer. I don't mind spending money on maintenance if it means I will have NO car payment for a very long time. Yes maam...thank you very much! :)

Not much else is happening. Time is flying by. Work keeps us busy. I love my new office!! Today my department is going to Cape Fox for a strategic planning meeting which will last all afternoon. It will be nice to break up the monotony of being in the office all day. That and free lunch! Who says "There's no free lunch"?? LOL!!!

Did anyone see Biggest Loser last night?? It was the bomb!! I am so inspired today and plan on getting back to the gym starting tonight. I am three months away from vacation and turning 40. Time to hit it hard and lose that extra 20 pounds I have yet to get rid of. I want to look and feel my best when I turn the big 4-0...(how did I get so old??? LOL!!)

OK...I'd better get busy. Have a great rest of the week, y'all!!!! Hugs~ Nan

New Motto for 2009

2009-03-27T00:18:00.001-07:00

Lysa's Post for Today...Cracked Me Up!!

2009-03-26T10:22:00.000-07:00

This was taken from Lysa TerKeurst's blog. If you like THIS...you'll love all her other posts so click on the link I've created on MY blog under "My Favorite Sites". Anyway, I look forward to each and every day starting out reading what Lysa has to say. She's a "Mom's Mom" so to speak and a God-fearing woman...My favorite combination in a gal. Check her out when you get time!! Have a nice Thursday, Y'all. Hugs~ Nan

For the sake of a mighty fine tastebud
Dear children of the world,You are loved. You are absolutely adored. You are one of the best gifts God ever thought of! All that said, please listen carefully to the following instructions lest you send your mama to the crazy house:

1. It's never okay to wipe the treasures you dig from the depths of your nostrils on anything other than a tissue headed in the direction of a trashcan.

2. When you need your mama, get up out of your chair and quietly go find her. Screaming "MAMA! MAMA! MAMA! MAMAAAAAA!" will make her blood pressure rise to the point of no return for like an hour. And when she finally lays her sweet little bulging eyes on your sweet little self, there better be something bleeding.

3. If your mama ever asks if anything about her body looks big, say no. Just say no. Let's practice. "No mama."

4. When your mama stands in her hot little kitchen, to cook a hot little meal for your hot little tummy- do not tell her you'd rather have mac and cheese. Nope. Do not do that. Don't even utter the word mac. It will make her want to sit down in the middle of the kitchen and scream. Really loud. Loudly. You get the point.

5. Your eyeballs are beautiful. Yes they are. But if they roll at the wrong time, they will be your greatest downfall. Oh yes they will. Especially if said eye roll occurs while you simultaneously mumble the word "whatever."

Ewww, that might be a really bad moment of your life. We mama's don't like bad moments. We like happy moments. Kodak moments actually. The more of these you give us, the less our hair will gray, the less our skin will wrinkle and the less potato chips and chocolate we'll consume. Then the less cellulite we'll have. And it will be very bad for you if cellulite starts to take over our bodies because we'll strip the kitchen of everything that tastes good and replace it with fiber and no fat everything. So, for the sake of your taste buds- be nice to your mama. Thank you and have a nice day.

~Lysa~

Life on the Beach

2009-03-25T19:53:00.000-07:00

I had a thought this morning..Yes..A THOUGHT!! LOL!! Actually, I have thoughts all the time but this was more of an "epiphany" of sorts. Wow...that's TWO in one week's time. More on the other later. Anyway, my thought this morning came as I watched a Humpback whale out in front of the house. His "hump-back" came way up out of the water and I got a good look at him before he dove down not to be seen again for a while. I was bummed that I was scrambling to get out the door for work. I probably would have sat around and been late for work but that would have meant Jacob being late for school as well and that is just NOT acceptable in our household! LOL! Anyway, we haven't seen whales in quite some time so we get quite excited when something big comes our way. We did have a "group" of Sealions going crazy out there tonight too but we are getting used to that. :) OH...my thought was "How are we ever going to move out of this house???" It is just so wonderful to be down here on the water. It's nothing short of amazing. Sigh.

AnyWHOOOOOOO....my other thought I had was on Sunday. I arrived at church and found out as I walked in the door that another family is leaving Ketchikan. This is a young family with two small children. Sigh. I asked Kristina why they were leaving and found out that her hubby got a great job in Anchorage and they couldn't pass it up. You can't blame them for that!! It still makes me sad and I cried the whole way home. I didn't cry because I am especially attached to them (well I *am* but...) it's just that it seems like everytime I turn around we (the congregation) are saying good-bye to someone. And it's especially sad when it's a family with children b/c we won't get to watch these little ones grow up!! Needless to say...I hate it more and more as time goes by. Sooooo...I was in my kitchen making lunch when I had my other "epiphany". I thought to myself "Wow! I finally found something I hate about Ketchikan MORE than the RAIN...I hate saying good-bye to people!!!" Wow. This is BIG. Well it was BIG to ME. Everyone knows how much I hate all the rain here. I'll tell you what, tho, it's the people here that make this place livable!!!!! Why do you think I've stayed here all these years???? Can ANYONE relate to this??? Please speak up if you do. SIGH. My friend, Carla, is right. This is NOT the place to be if you hate seeing people go. I never thought of Ketchikan as a "transient" kind of town but that's exactly what it is. We have a pretty big community of Coast Guard families...most people don't have family here...jobs aren't always plentiful...yada, yada, yada. There are plenty of reasons to leave. I get it. I don't like it...but I "get" it. That being said...it's fun when NEW people come. We actually have a new pastor coming!! Dave and Bonnie Hunter decided Ketchikan is the place for them and we (the church actually) offered them the job of pastor/pastor's wife. I'm sure that's not the correct "term" but you get my meaning!! We are excited to finally be getting a full-time leader. Yay!!

On a completely different note...I have moved into my office at work. It is DIVINE to have my own space. It was just the attitude adjustment I needed. :) I still need to decorate but that will come with time. The sun has even been streaming thru my window! Lord knows I need as much of that as I can get.

Speaking of the sun, the weather has improved here. It's still really chilly even on the nice days but there is light at the end of the tunnel as far as Spring is concerned. Last night it cleared off and got cold...the windows on the car were completely frosted over...but we can live with that. I think any threats of major snow are over...Thank Goodness!!!!!!!!!!!!! Whew! Hard to believe it's the end of March and it's barely hitting 40 degrees out there. It's coming, tho.

So, last week was Spring Break for Jake. Tony and I were sick all week but we are doing lots better now. We didn't get hit as hard as most people out there. There are some really NASTY bugs going around. The postman came in today and said his little girl got sick and was down for 9 days!! Poor thing! My friend, Marina, and her entire family are really, really sick...her dad even came down with Pneumonia. She sounded like she was not far behind him. :(

Not much else is happening. I'm having some issues of a "Gynelogical" nature but hopefully I'll get in and get things taken care of soon. Let's just say it put me on my fanny today...I was home by noon. Lots of Motrin and red wine! :)

OK...I won't bore you any longer. Hey...Is anyone watching American Idol??? It's SO GOOD this season!! Wow!! What are your pics???? We like Matt but my favorite is Danny Gokey. Wow!! Speaking of which...gotta go!! It's ON!!!!!!!!!!

Love and Hugs~ Nan XOXOXOXO

First Day Of Spring...

2009-03-20T20:50:00.001-07:00

Our drive in this morning!! Sigh....Need I say more?

The "White" Stuff

2009-03-17T20:14:00.000-07:00

Get it? The "White" Stuff? Not "The Right Stuff"?!? LOL!! I crack myself up sometimes! :) Anyway, what I really mean is WE ARE GETTING THE WHITE STUFF!! YUCK!! Old Man Winter has decided he likes Alaska and is taking extra long in getting the heck out of here. People are getting a little (actually A LOT) fed up with this nonsense! Who ever heard of a white St. Patty's Day?? In SouthEast Alaska?? And who ever thought that *I* would wish for rain?!? Well, I guess this is what we get after having all those glorious days of sunshine so I'm trying not to complain too much. Everywhere you go right now, tho, people are whining about the weather. We're never happy, I guess. I know a lot of people must be low on water, too, after record sunshine in the month of February. Ho Hum....It was pretty funny tonight eating our Corned Beef and Cabbage while a white, winter squall swirled outside the window. Sigh.

Not much new to report on the home front. Jake is on Spring Break this week and has been hanging out at Lori's house. There aren't many kids there this week, tho, which I thought was weird. I guess other folks were smarter than us and headed for sunnier (and warmer!) climates for the week. We should have followed suit. Although, you just have to come back and face the music afterwards...not like it's going to be "warm" in March in Ketchikan when you return! LOL!!

Tony had his little jaunt over to POW and was back in a flash. I'm so glad he survived the drive from Craig to Hollis. The road was a sheet of ice. I'm so happy we bought the Subaru which got him through with flying colors. :)

As far as work is concerned...I have exciting news! Well...it's exciting to *me* anyway. And it's ALL about ME, right????? Just kidding!! Anyway, I am pleased as punch to announce that I am moving on up and getting my *OWN* office!! Yep...you heard me. And the other gals are green with envy...sorry gals! So, it's not huge but has plenty of room for little-ol'-me. AND...the best part...it has a WINDOW!!!!!!!! Oh gracious!!!!! My heart just a flutters when I think about it!! Glory Be!!!! I must be livin' right y'all. I am SO grateful and can't wait to move in. I'm still waiting on a few odds and ends to be moved out. I'll have to post some pics when I'm in there. I can't wait!

Well...that's all I got for now. Hope you are all well. OH!!! Before I forget...a very good friend of mine is EXPECTING!!!!!!!!!!!! I'll give you a hint...she lives NEXT DOOR!! I cannot wait to have a baby next door!!! This way I can spoil it and go home! LOL!!

Night Y'all....Nanette XOX

The Next Top Chef

2009-03-05T00:07:00.001-08:00

I decided to let Jacob make his own pizza the other night. He's always begging me to let him help in the kitchen. I'm starting to let him do more and more and getting more comfortable with him in there with me. Anyway, here he is...it's pretty self-explanatory. Sorry Karen...no homemade crust in our house! LOL!!

Doesn't that look good?? Yummm!! (Don't look at how dirty my oven is!)

Meredith's Birthday!

2009-03-04T23:42:00.001-08:00

Monday night Julie and I made sure our friend, Meredith, had a nice birthday...pink cake and all! She had no plans other than to be home with her two kids. Mark, her hubby, was out on the ship working. Anyway, it was really fun helping her celebrate and her mother-in-law joined us as well. Isn't she cute???

Opening a card...from me! :)

Meredith and Carter, her baby boy.

I think her wish was that I would buy her house. I just might!!! :)

Isn't Carter adorable?!?

Madisen sang the birthday song. She's Meredith's 4 year old daughter!

Carter and Grandma Judy! Judy Lundamo is Meredith's MIL. :)

Only Wednesday...Seriously?

2009-03-04T21:28:00.000-08:00

It feels like it should be Thursday at least! My co-workers are feeling it, too. Geez. What's up with THAT?? LOL!! Anyway, I feel like I've been going 100mph the last couple of days. The fact that I don't get enough sleep doesn't help, either. Monday night was spent over at Meredith's for her 33rd Birthday...pictures to come later. Tuesday we had fresh Halibut Tacos and then watched "Australia" which is 2.5 hours long. That doesn't count all the little things that come in-between. You know what I mean, I'm sure.

Tony is leaving for POW for a few days tomorrow. I will be widowed until Saturday...it will seem like an eternity without him here. Got the Subaru all ready for him. Took it in today for an oil change, new wipers, new fog light...and a nice little "Surprise! You need a new battery!" Well, I won't tell you the final bill. Anyway, it's always something. I'm just glad the car will not break down on him while he's in POW. Oh...and let's not forget I was informed the gaskets are "leaking" and need to be replaced. What the french, toast?!? PTL the gaskets are still covered by a warranty. I forgot to ask if the labor is, too. It's a 2 day job so I am fretting about that now. They charge $110 an hour...times 2 days...YIKES!! OMG...I might start having a panic attack if I have to pay for labor. I told Tony I'm trading that baby in on a nice NEW Subaru if that's the case. I'm NOT putting any more money into that car!!!!!!!! Somebody PLEASE put me out of my misery and tell me labor will be covered also. Ack!!!!! Sigh...taking a deep breath now.

Margie is doing a lot better and went back to work today. She's pretty sure she hasn't passed the stone yet so we aren't sure what's going on there. She's going to have another Xray to see what the dealio is. I'm just glad she's doing better.

Anywhooo....that's what's happening in our neck of the woods! How about YOU???

Hugs~ Nan

Monday

2009-03-02T10:58:00.000-08:00

Well...it's Monday. Again. Yee Haw!! :) I'm having a hard time getting going this morning. It would have been VERY easy to call in sick today...but I wouldn't and didn't because that would just be WRONG! Plus, what happens when I *do* get really sick?!? Yeah...I know you know what I'm talking about. I did think about just taking the day off, tho. I thought about my friends that are home today (Margie, Meredith, Julie, Kristi...) and thought about sitting and having coffee and chatting with them. Oh how glorious that would be!!!!! But no...it's not in the cards for me. Not yet anyway. Another day, I suppose. And Margie is only home b/c of that stupid kidney stone that refuses to work itself out...otherwise there wouldn't be that opportunity to hang out. So...it's best I just come to work today. Who knows...maybe something exciting will happen!! LOL!! I doubt it...but I can hope, y'all!!!!!! :)

Anywho...I posted the link to World Vision under "My Favorite Sites" in case anyone else is feeling "moved" to sponsor a very needy child. Jacob is all about helping out our little girl I sponsored...he keeps looking at her picture and I can almost see the little wheels turning in his head. He said, "We need to raise money for her." I explained that wasn't necessary because we would be sending a check every month but I sure appreciated his tender heart and willingness to reach out to someone in need. He's such a sweetheart! I must be doing something right! PTL!!

OK...I'd better get to work. Have a good week everyone! Love, Nan

P.S. All the snow we got yesterday is gone already...just like I predicted. I feel sorry for the poor souls on the east coast getting hammered. Yuck!!! Better them then ME, tho. LOL!

March...Really???

2009-03-01T17:05:00.000-08:00

Well you wouldn't know it by looking outside. It's been snowing almost all day. I'm not getting too excited about it, tho, as I'm sure it will warm up and rain soon. I'm just taking in the beauty of it because we probably won't have too many more days like it then it will be back to the rain and misery.

Today is laid back after being so busy the last few days. I don't think I've mentioned (because I assume most people know) that we've had a "pastor" and his wife here checking out the possibility of coming to Ketchikan. Our pastor, Kevin, left a year ago and so we've been without a full-time pastor ever since. Dave and Bonnie Hunter from Ellensburg have been here for over a week checking us and our humble little town out. I have no idea at this point if they like it or if our elders feel they are for us. Guess I'll find out eventually. Anyway, we had a potluck for them after church today. It was nice to just come home with full bellies, hit the couch, take a nap and just enjoy the rest of the day being lazy. I've been doing the dishes in "stages" trying to play catch up. I *should* get my fanny on the treadmill....but you know how hard THAT is. LOL!!

I have pictures of todays snow but I have to download them off of the camera. I'll do that before today's end. Not that you haven't seen snow but...it's March 1st!! I want proof that yes...it's still snowing!!!

Hope you guys are having a great weekend. Love and Hugs~ Nan XOX

**P.S. Today is Monday, March 2nd and the snow is gone!!**

My Heart Is Full

2009-02-28T20:33:00.000-08:00

So, I mentioned in my last post (I think) that I was attending the SEACWR this weekend. Please don't make me spell it out again...refer to previous posts if you've forgotten what that is. :) Anyway, it was a very blessed time. RoseAnne Coleman from TN was our speaker. What's the deal with TN lately?? I'm either meeting someone from there or sending someone to live there. Is God trying to tell me something?? Seriously! I just got used to the idea of being stuck on the island.... At any rate, I have posted RoseAnne's website to the right along with Lysa and Kevin. If any of you have a chance to go see her or attend her Bible Study in Brentwood, TN...DO IT! She is amazing. What a woman...I am humbled. I think (imho) she is one of the best speakers we have had. She had us rolling from the get go...and who doesn't need a good, old-fashioned, belly laugh in the day and age we live in?!? And she sings, too! She even writes her own stuff!! I bought her CD along with a book she had available. I guess that makes me a "groupie" but I don't care. I would follow her anywhere. :) She's DA BOMB! But it was more than just "great speaking" and good laughter...it was a true "kindred spirit" kind of experience and God spoke LOUDLY through her. What a gift she's been given...two gifts, actually. Speaking AND singing. I can't help but be a tiny bit jealous! :)

So, besides that I also bit the bullet and did something I've been wanting to do forever and just kept hesitating for whatever reason. Just a quick note...RoseAnne partnerships with World Vision and there was a table at the retreat. I'm sure you see where this is headed! I could NOT resist any longer sponsoring one of these very needy children. I chose a girl...she's in Ethiopia and she'll be 7 on March 12th. My heart is full. I can't wait to get letters and info on her to hear how she's doing. I feel like I have a daughter!!! PTL!!! Maybe this is why I only had 1 child. There are SO many kids out there that need help. But I won't get on my soapbox here...I'll spare you for now. :)

After the retreat, I drove out to see how Margie is doing. I took them a Chicken-Pot-Pie so they don't have to worry about dinner for at least 2 nights. She's still waiting for the stone to pass but she's doing better pain-wise. Keep praying for her!

Tomorrow will be a full day so I'd better get off of here and do some dishes. Hope you are all enjoying your weekend.

Love and Hugs~ Nan

So Much For Spring

2009-02-27T11:27:00.000-08:00

I think the Crocus are confused. I think they may have gotten a little ahead of themselves and are now wishing they could bury their pretty, little buds right back into the frozen ground! I certainly wouldn't blame them. It was lightly snowing (as expected) when I left the house this morning. Oh Yay. It is really windy and cold today with an overcast sky. I wonder if and when we'll see the sun again. We've gotten really spoiled the last two weeks with sunshine...no rain really to speak of. Ho-Hum. In a rain forest...we kind of come to depend on the rain so I shouldn't complain. I guess the electric company is going to have to turn the "diesels" on b/c of the lack of the "liquid sunshine"...whatever that means.

Anyway, it's Friday. Sigh! This has been a somewhat crazy week...or at least it feels that way for some reason and I'm tired today. I am glad the weekend is almost here. Tonight is the beginning of the SEACWR (Southeast Alaska Christian Women's Retreat) up at Holy Name. My friend, Misty, is meeting me there. I am excited to hear what the speaker (and God!) has to say...it's always a good time. It's fun to see ladies from other churches that you don't normally get a chance to visit with. So, that will be tonight and most of Saturday. I may leave a little early, tho, depending on how it's going. I have a friend laid up with a kidney stone...I want to take her and the hubs a chicken-pot-pie so they have one less meal to worry about. Pray for Margie and that the stone will pass quickly! I think she's pretty miserable right now. Thanks!

That's all I got for now! Have a great weekend, Y'all!! More later....Much Love, Nan

Spring Has Sprung

2009-02-26T21:39:00.001-08:00

Look what was peeking out of the flower garden this morning! I was so shocked as it's been SO cold. We are supposed to get more snow starting tomorrow but hopefully it won't kill the Crocus. I got so excited when I saw them. They are such a reminder that spring is almost here! And...daylight saving's time is a week from Sunday so I'm doing the happy dance about that.

Hope you are all having a good week! Hugs, Nan

SeaLions

2009-02-25T20:38:00.000-08:00

Yep...those brown nubs sticking out of the water are the Sealions that have been hanging around out front the last few weeks. It's awesome to watch them play! We are SO fortunate to be right on the water. (This pic was zoomed in of course, otherwise you wouldn't be able to see them as well.) They are very curious creatures we've noticed. The other day a little girl and her daddy were down on the beach and the SeaLions were coming way up out of the water, kind of sticking their necks out so to speak to get a good look at what was going on. They did the same thing when kayakers went by recently. Don't know if I'd want to be in a kayak and have one of those beasts come up to me! They are bigger then you realize!

Here's video of them!

And here's Damion, our neighbor and Jake's buddy, watching them! :)

Hot Water Update....

2009-02-25T20:29:00.000-08:00

So, Channel Electric was here today. All the dude did was replace the breaker that we had turned off the other night and VIOLA...we have hot water again! Easy fix...YAY!! I am so relieved. Funny how much you take certain things for granted. As for my slippers...I need to go see if they are still soaked. Not much I can do other than keep them over the heat register until they dry out. One thing's for certain...I am going to bed EARLY tonight! LOL!! (I always say that and it never happens.) Anywhoooo...

Night, Y'all. Thanks for checking in. Love and Hugs~ Nan XOX

P.S. I know it's the end of February but I am still planning on posting some pics from Christmas. Just in case any of y'all are wondering. Better late than never, right??? Peace, Out!!

You Know You Are Tired When...

2009-02-25T11:49:00.000-08:00

...you wear your slippers into the shower. UGH!!!!! Yep...that's me. Letting my mind wander to the point of not even realizing I still had my slippers on this morning as I stepped into the shower. Now...I don't even have a good excuse for being so tired which makes it even funnier that this happened. :) And it wasn't like I just stepped in and immediately realized what I'd done...OH NO!! Cuz that would be TOO easy, right?? Nope...they were soaking wet by the time I figured it out. (In case you are wondering...I wear Acorn slippers in case any of you are aware of what those are. They are heavy and thick...kind of like wearing sheep on my feet.) Sigh. Another example of not living in the moment and letting my mind wander. I am blaming it on the fact that we still don't have hot water and we are having to shower downstairs in the B&B. My mind was focused on wondering what the electrician was going to say when he finally made it out to check things out today. Hence, not remembering what I was doing.

Speaking of not having hot water...Sigh. We are on day three and I'm getting irritable. I'm already tired of boiling water to do dishes. I am TRYING REALLY HARD to just be grateful that we have water at all and can flush the toilet and all that business. So, I will continue to do that...focus on being grateful for the little things. Grateful that the B&B downstairs is empty and we can walk down to shower. Grateful that we have running water at all. Grateful that even tho we've had a long stretch of sunshine we will NOT be ordering water like a lot of people probably are about now. Gratefullness...a virtue I'm quickly learning. Patience on the other hand...that's another story. This one I will go to my grave working on.

Anyway, no other news to report at this time. It's Wednesday. It's SUNNY!! It's still cold as all get out. The days are getting longer, however, which brings much joy to my heart. I woke early yesterday, around 6:15am, and the sun was already coming up. Whew! Another Ketchikan winter almost behind me. Another thing to be grateful for. :)

Love and Hugs~ Nan

Another Day In Paradise...What???

2009-02-23T13:13:00.000-08:00

I don't know WHAT is going on but it is sunny AGAIN today. I think we've had over a week of nice weather (if you don't count the small drizzle we had on Saturday.) I'm serious...it's been sunshine and blue skies for I don't even know how long!! Yay!!! And it's supposed to stay clear all this week. Wow!! This is just too wonderful for words. I don't know what we did to deserve it but I am LOVING IT for now....It even warmed up to like 40 degrees yesterday and was just lovely. Nice!! :)

Friday night brought some excitement to our place. I was awoken (awakened?) at 3am to a very strange sound I've never heard before. Tony had fallen asleep on the couch in the other room so he was oblivious to what was happening. I quickly figured out that the sound was coming from the "breaker box" which happens to be in our bedroom...weird, I know. The best way I can describe it is it sounded like something was "shorting out". I was horrified!!! This is NOT something we are capable of dealing with and our landlords are in Mexico. So, I wake my sleepy and disoriented hubs and tell him what's going on. I wandered out to the couch in the living room and zonked right out...good thing Tony didn't get electrocuted or catch the house on fire!!! LOL!! Anyway, to make a long story short...he tried shutting off different breakers (which were now getting HOT to the touch!!) until he found one he thought was the right one. The sound stopped and we haven't had any further "issues". However, the breaker he turned off goes to the hot water tank. Yep...you guessed it...NO HOT WATER!!!! I can live with that...at least we have heat and electricity to run everything else. Thankfully, the B&B downstairs is vacant so I took my little behind down there this a.m. and took a nice, hot shower! PTL!!!! So, I guess our landlord left a message with the "electric people" and we are hoping they are coming sooner rather than later to fix our problem...whatever it might be. I'm just thankful, too, we didn't end up with a fire or something, which is a big worry of mine. I'm now sleeping with a fire extinguisher next to my bed. :) Paranoid...that's ME!

Had a nice PartyLite party on Saturday night. It was fun. We had lots of yummy vittles and polished off some "beverages" and had a good time. PartyLite is candles for those of you that don't know. I wound up earning LOTS of free stuff so I am EXCITED!! I have such nice friends who help support my "habit". LOL!!! Thanks to all of you...you know who you are.

Sunday left me tuckered out after the whole getting ready and having the party so it was uneventful. We went out for dinner since we don't have hot water to do dishes...sounded like a good excuse to ME!! Oceanview was yummy!!

Sigh...that's it for now. Nothing exciting, I know. Sorry!!! No news is good news, tho. Right???

Bye for now~ Nan XOX

Baby Abigail is 4 Months Old Already!!!

2009-02-18T18:43:00.000-08:00

OK...I'm sorry. But is she NOT the cutest baby you've ever seen??? With the exception of mine, of course. My sweet, sweet neice turned 4 months on the 15th. I am an idiot for not flying south when she and her parents (my brother and SIL) were on the west coast. I don't know WHAT I was thinking to stay home when my ENTIRE family was all together enjoying her. I am TOO PRACTICAL at times. Yep...that's me. I know some of you out there don't see me that way but I promise you...I *AM* very practical most of the time. LOL!! Let's NOT remember a time when I ran off to Mexico...well, we all know what happened!! LOL!! Anyway, I try not to post more than once a day but I couldn't wait another minute to put up the new pics that Katie sent me. Thanks Sis-in-Law!!!!!!!!!!! You rock!!! OK...off to find some vittles for me and the fam. Have a great Wednesday night! It's another night in paradise here....Love, Nan

A Cute Email I Got Today :)

2009-02-18T16:09:00.000-08:00

MOTHERS

Real Mothers don't eat quiche...they don't have time to make it.
Real Mothers know that their kitchen utensils are probably in the sandbox.
Real Mothers often have sticky floors, filthy ovens and happy kids.
Real Mothers know that dried play dough doesn't come out of carpets.
Real Mothers don't want to know what the vacuum just sucked up.
Real Mothers sometimes ask 'Why me?' and get their answer when a little voice says, 'Because I love you best.'
Real Mothers know that a child's growth is not measured by height or years or grades...it is marked by the progression of Mommy to Mom to Mother....

The Images of Mother
4 YEARS OF AGE - My Mommy can do anything!
8 YEARS OF AGE - My Mom knows a lot! A whole lot!
12 YEARS OF AGE - My Mother doesn't really know quite everything.
14 YEARS OF AGE - Naturally, Mother doesn't know that, either.
16 YEARS OF AGE - Mother? She's hopelessly old-fashioned.
18 YEARS OF AGE - That old woman? She's way out of date!
25 YEARS OF AGE - Well, she might know a little bit about it!
35 YEARS OF AGE - Before we decide, let's get Mom's opinion.
45 YEARS OF AGE - Wonder what Mom would have thought about it?
65 YEARS OF AGE - Wish I could talk it over with Mom.

The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides. The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole, but true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows, and the beauty of a woman with passing years only grows!

My New Baby

2009-02-17T18:49:00.000-08:00

I'm sure only other "Domestic Goddesses" can appreciate this post. LOL!! (Especially YOU, Karen Nason!) This is a pic of my new "Dutch Oven". I have been wanting one of these babies FOREVER and had I known how cheap they are at WalMart, I would have bought one years ago!! Who knew Wally World would have this??? Not ME!!!! Obviously!! So, I have to apologize to WalMart b/c I am always complaining about how much I hate to go there. Really...I hate it!! But when I saw I could get this item for a fraction of what the kitchen store sells them for...I LOVE WALMART!!! :) Oh...and by the way, Karen...inside I am already cooking your "Curry Chicken" to break it in! How cool is THAT??? Night Y'all...Nan

What I Came Home To

2009-02-17T18:41:00.000-08:00

As I pulled up to the house tonight...this is what was waiting for me. :) How blessed are we?!? I wasn't so much excited by the sunset or the fact that it wasn't raining but by how LIGHT it is out and it was after 5pm. Yay!! Spring is right around the corner. I heard the other day that bulbs are already coming up in front of Annabelle's which didn't surprise me because we've gotten lots of sunshine lately. Annabelle's gets a lot of direct sunlight during the day. Anyway, what a relief to think long, warm days are soon ahead of us. Come April will be my 19 year milestone. 19 years in Ketchikan is a LONG time!!!

Well...I hope you all had a great Tuesday. Stay tuned for more "Newell News" as it arises. For now we are just waiting for Spring. :)

Toodles~ Nan

Our Big Night Out

2009-02-16T12:00:00.001-08:00

Tony and I celebrated our 14th Wedding Anniversary on Friday night by going out to Cape Fox for the entire evening. That would be "Friday...the 13th" if that is any indication of how it went. Just a word of advice...If you ever decide to stay at Cape Fox...DON'T...and I repeat DON'T let them put you in a "Mountain Room". When we first arrived...we were quite pleased with the room in general and the view of Deer Mountain was spectacular. However, we looked down to see a row of cars in a parking lot right below us. The words "Super 8" came to mind but I brushed it off because I still had high hopes for nothing less than a wonderful evening of "celebrating". I should have known better.

Maybe it's just ME...or maybe it's my AGE...but I just can't deal with NOISE any longer. And I NEED a good night's rest. Anyway, let me back up. We went to dinner as planned. We ordered our beverages and meals and we were excited! LOL!! Well...the waiter comes back shortly thereafter to tell us they are OUT of baked potatoes. OK...maybe it's just ME...but it's Friday night...7 pm...on one of the busiest weekends for a restaurant and you are OUT of baked potatoes??? This was NOT a good sign. No biggie, tho, I just ordered the "mash". Tony settled on Baby Reds. Whatever...we got over it. So...we proceed to talk about the events of the day and started on our salads that we ordered with dinner. Not too much longer after that the meal arrives. We start to dig in. Now...we BOTH ordered our steaks "Medium Rare". Mine was perfect...I had the Pepper Steak. It was divine. Tony on the other hand received a steak that was still so rare it was almost purple. Sigh. This happens to him all the time...it is frustrating. You know how it is to have to send something back. Well...he just couldn't eat it and I couldn't blame him. So, he sends it back...bless his heart. :) OK..so we are talking and I'm eating my perfect steak and he starts on his "sides" that the waiter was so gracious to bring back while they "fix" his steak. Not too much time goes by and steak #2 makes it's appearance. Lo and Behold...it's rare. Big Sigh. At this point...I'm thinking...what the hay?????? So we show the waiter...he is shocked. Back goes the steak. We feel terrible. We are nervous about what's coming next. Steak #3...third time's the charm...or so we hoped. OF COURSE...this time it's overcooked...AND not only that...it's a terrible piece of meat. It is full of grissle and HELLO!! It's not even seasoned. OK...maybe we are just "food snobs"...but even *I* know how to "season" a steak. For crying out loud. Sooooooooooo....we finish our meals and even order dessert. At least they gave Tony his Mud Pie for free to try and make up for the fiasco that was dinner. The bill was still ridiculous by the way....we could have made better steaks at home. SIGH!!!!!!!!!!!

So, we waddled back to the room after deciding it will be a cold day in you-know-where before we eat a fancy dinner up there again. It's just not worth it. Either that...or don't go up there on a busy weekend. We thought going on the 13th would help. We thought wrong.

Oh yeah...so back to "The Mountain Room". So we settle in for the night. Once again...high hopes. To make a long story short...someone's car alarm went off like 4 times. My acid reflux was flaring up b/c of all the dang food I ate. We got NO sleep. It was miserable. About 12:40 in the A.M. I said "Let's just go home..." Tony didn't "concur" so I tried to go back to sleep. I think I was up every hour on the hour. And I could have KILLED whoever kept setting off their car alarm. Yep...don't stay in the Mountain Room. It is doomed. :( My new take on Hotels is they are like hospitals. The beds are uncomfortable, there's never enough pillows, the TV sucks and you don't get any sleep. Not to mention...you start to hear doors slamming and vacuume cleaners at 7am...if not earlier. If I want THIS kind of experience...next time it *WILL* be the Super 8 y'all. Seriously.

Other than all that, tho, the company was GREAT. It didn't ruin our Anniversary. We just know better now what NOT to do next time. The moral of the story...next time...save money and STAY HOME!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL!!!! I hope all of you had a wonderful Valentine's Day (and anniversary for those of you that chose that day to get married on....hope you had better luck then we did!!!)

So there you have it. Hope you have a great week and I'll post more later. I have some new pics of my niece to share. She just turned 4 months. What a doll!!!!!!!!!!!

TTFN~ Nan XOX

P.S. One more thing...don't ever order the Sourdough Pancakes at Cape Fox for breakfast! In a word...NASTY!!!!!!!!!!!!! Probably the same chef that made Tony's steak!!!! LOL! :)

Somebody Loves Me!

2009-02-14T20:06:00.001-08:00

These were waiting for me on my desk yesterday morning. A little "Pre-Anniversary" surprise from the hubs. Spoiled Rotten...I know!! To be continued....

Business As Usual

2009-02-11T13:02:00.000-08:00

I awoke this morning to the sun coming up and the full moon going down. It was magnificent. If ONLY I could get a decent picture with my camera! No such luck. It's moments like that that make me LOVE living in Alaska! How can we be so spoiled??? And when I hear stories of tornadoes wiping out neighborhoods...I count my blessings to be "stuck" on this island.

Speaking of being "stuck"...the road is clear now. Not a speck of rock on the highway this morning. I couldn't believe it! No one was even out there looking things over making plans of what to do next. There is a tremendous amount of rock in the "ditch". It is an amazing sight to behold for sure. If I'd had time I would have stopped to take some pics but I was in a hurry (as usual) to get Jake to school on time. Anyway, traffic is aflowin' again, y'all! I am impressed with how quickly they got things moving yesterday...I heard people were getting thru by 12:30ish or so but it was sporadic. Jake and I just stayed home...I didn't want to sit in traffic OR get stuck on the other side in the event things weren't quite "stable". No Thank You Very Much!!! :)

Today it is "Business As Usual". Back at work. The boy is at school. Tony is busy. He and Jake have a LONG weekend. Teacher conferences are Thurs. & Friday so Tony is taking those two days off to be home with Jacob. Monday is a holiday for us so he will essentially get a 6-day weekend. I, on the other hand, will be working after being home yesterday. Oh well...that's the way the cookie crumbles, right?

Well...we just got word that Tony's Grandma passed away last night. She was 101 years old. I met her twice. She was the sweetest lady and I am sad she is gone. It doesn't sound like there is going to be a service so we won't be going anywhere. Anyway, that's the latest with us.

Hope you all are doing well. Have a Happy "Hump Day"! Cheers~ Nan XOX

Stuck

2009-02-10T12:15:00.000-08:00

Well...Tony and I have always wondered what would happen if Tongass Highway was ever blocked off for any reason. We got our answer this morning! Just after 8am (Tony missed it by MINUTES!!) there was a "landslide" at Mile 5 North Tongass. As you can see from the pics...it's BAD! I was on my way to town and traffic was backed up around the corner from the car wash. This means it was backed up for at least a mile or so if my calculations are correct. I couldn't see what was going on so I called Jake's school to let them know we were running late. That's when I heard about the slide. My thoughts instantly went to my husband who had JUST driven in to work...then my friends I knew would be driving both north AND south that time of day. Praise the Lord, NO ONE was hurt or involved in the slide. My friend's boyfriend missed it by INCHES...he was the first "on scene" and saw it happen. I am so thankful he is OK. Anyway, I am stuck at home and Tony is stuck in town. Not sure what we are going to do. All I can say is my heart goes out to the people that own that house at the top. I'll keep you posted with how it all turns out. Word on the street is it could be a while before the hillside is deemed "stable" enough to let traffic through. SEE!! I KNEW we should have bought a BOAT!!!!! LOL!!! I would be at work right now! Just kidding!! :) Bye for now~ Nan XOX

Another New Look

2009-02-09T12:37:00.000-08:00

Well the other template was bugging me so I've changed looks yet again. I felt it was too "busy" and made it hard to read. I'm keeping things "pink" however in honor of it almost being "Hearts" Day! Actually, I heard something cute on KLOVE the other day regarding Valentine's Day. The lady was talking about how it got started and how St. Valentine was a very "loving" man and that the day was meant for anyone and everyone in your life that you love. Not just for "lovers" as it has come to be. I've always felt this in MY heart and therefore send cards to a lot of people for V-day....I LOVE it!! Oh...and let's not forget the CHOCOLATE. What a great excuse to give someone you care about GOOD chocolate!!! Yeah, baby!! Bring it on!!! Life is TOO SHORT not to eat some chocolate once in a while.

Anyway, Happy "Hearts" Day, Y'all....Share a sentiment with someone YOU love!!!! :)

Love, Nan XOX

Inspiration

2009-02-08T15:55:00.000-08:00

Nothing inspires me more than a sunny day and someone telling me they enjoy reading my blog. Well, today I got both! Let me give a big shout out to Rick Thynes for his nice compliment about my blog this morning (Love Ya, Man!!). It gives me great joy to think someone is out there reading my stuff and getting a good chuckle out of it. On top of that...It is another day in paradise today. The wind and rain from yesterday has moved on and we are being blessed with sunshine and calm waters. It is magnificent! It's still a bit nippy...I'm so jealous of those in other places getting 60 degrees already but I will take what I can get.

Anyway, life is good and it's quiet around here. Just the way we like it. Jake is over at a friend's and Tony is programming the new remote control. I have a big pot of soup on the stove for later. Most of you know that I really love to cook but since I started dieting I try to avoid it as much as possible. I haven't quite learned how to cook lowfat despite having TWO lowfat cook books. Perhaps it's time to take the plunge. However, my soup today is going to be my "usual" type of soup. Lots of butter and some cream. :) It doesn't get any better than that!!!

OH! I almsot forgot what I really wanted to post about...Mercy!! So, I got home on Friday from work and I always check my emails first thing before getting busy doing other things. I got the most WONDERFUL email from my sister-in-law, Katie. She is the one that is in Ohio with my brother...the mother of my new niece, Abbie. Anyway, Chris and Katie were just on the west coast recently so that Katie could do some job hunting. Currently she is doing a 3 year fellowship in Ohio (she's a doctor) but her time is almost up so she's looking for a job. Anywhoooo....she announced that she is taking a job in PORTLAND and they will be moving out in August. This news almost brings me to tears y'all. I love my brother and adore Katie and of course...y'all already know how I feel about that baby!!! I have not seen Chris and Katie since they moved to Ohio and I miss them terribly. I haven't had much of a chance to get to know my SIL and I've never seen Abbie other than pictures. Not to mention, with my dad moving to Portland last year...this will be the first time my entire family has lived close to each other and I am THRILLED!!!!! I am excited beyond words and I think I may have to start taking more frequent trips "home"...especially with my sister, Becky, having another little angel of her own....I want to see these kiddos!!! Heck...I may have to revisit the idea of "relocating"...LOL!! Yeah...like THAT'S ever going to happen. I think I'll be on this island forever, y'all.

Speaking of which...not just my "wedding" anniversary is upcoming. My "coming to Ketchikan" anniversary is coming as well. It will be 19 years in April. Can you believe it?????? OK...I'd better go check on my soup and my husband. I think I'll go outside for a few, too, and soak up some Vitamin D while I'm at it.

Have a great Sunday!! Love, Nanette XOX

Love Is In The Air....

2009-02-05T19:32:00.001-08:00

My new blog look is inspired by the fact that Valentine's Day is right around the corner. But this isn't the only event coming up on the 14th!! It's also my and Tony's 14th wedding anniversary! Yeah, baby!! We have plans to spend the evening at Cape Fox...dinner...a room for the night...ALONE! LOL! We are going to splurge and get some King Crab since I've never tried it and I can't wait!! I also plan to have dessert, which I am even more excited about. They have a dessert called "Banana Cream Dream" and it is the bomb!!! I'm counting the days y'all. I'm also very proud to say not only have we been married 14 years...but we still like each other!! LOL!! Actually, we are still crazy in love...probably even more so then the day we got married. At least that's how *I* feel about it! :)

Tomorrow is Friday.....weekend BLISS!!! TGIF Everyone~ Nan