Hi Gang!

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!

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

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

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

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

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!

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