the bottom dropped out

It was even colder on Wednesday and Thursday!( -38° & -42° respectively.) David came in to kiss me goodbye Wednesday morning and asked "Were you planning on going anywhere today?"
I say (half-asleep) "No, why?"
He replies: "My truck won't start, and the doors are acting funny."
I told him to take my car. It is SO cold out there! All our window sills are ice cold to the touch. I had to move my little plants somewhere else.
I have got to have one of the sweetest husbands. I woke up Wednesday morning with an extra blanket on me. I peeked in at Gwyneth and she was covered with an extra blanket as well. I guess he thought we might be cold. ♥
I'm such a weenie...After he came home that night, I told him I needed a few things for dinner. He was sweet enough to go back out in the cold and pick up the items for me.
Gotta love him!♥

Christmas packages have been flowing in! I LOVE packages...even if they aren't for me. David brought the mail in the other night (He is officially the "mail-checker" when it is this cold!) and Gwyneth and I swarmed him! :o) We all love mail! We have also received many Christmas cards as well! LOVE seeing those!

Dinner on Wednesday was my all-time favorite soup:
Mexican Chicken Soup.
(You can access the recipe by clicking the pink name. )

The link takes you to the "Beans Blog" I contribute to.
If you're looking to eat healthier and need some inspiration, and access to some delicious tried & true recipes...come on over and take a look! I have tagged the recipes that I have contributed with my name, for easy reference.

We recently tried the Shrimp Pasta Puttanesca and really liked it. I am not really keen on seafood, but the shrimp was pretty good. It is also a really fresh, and pretty dish! :o)
*TIP* resist the urge to salt this dish while cooking! The capers and olives make it plenty salty. I was not thinking and added a smidge of salt and wished I had left it out! Oh, and I also omitted the anchovies!

We also tried the Cajun-Spiced Fish With Fresh Corn Salad that Bonnie posted. (Again, click on the pink name and it will bring up the recipe.)

I used talapia, and absolutely LOVED it! I WILL make it again! It was so tasty, and took no time at all to prepare. David was a little surprised that the beans in the salad were cold. I emphasized the title "Salad." ha! :o) I enjoyed it very much. I was able to use some of the beans we froze from our farm share this past summer. (Find a local CSA- community supported agriculture) in your area by clicking the pink.) I LOVED the red onion in the salad, and the cilantro was divine!
Very fresh tasting! I used canned corn instead of fresh for now. In the summer you can be sure I will make it with fresh corn! I highly recommend this recipe! If you do not care for fish, use talapia. It is a very mild white fish. (It didn't taste "fishy" at all!)

Thankfully it is only -9° this morning. I am thankful because I have a hair appointment this afternoon and was dreading going out in the extreme temperatures we've been having! At least -9° is bearable! (I never though I'd say that in my lifetime! ha!)

Here is a picture of our windows from the inside of our house! The ice is gathering around the areas any warm air escapes! Crazy!


Have a wonderful weekend! Enjoy your family and friends and all your holiday festivities!

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frigid

This is what greeted me this morning when I turned my computer on! Brrr... The long johns came out yesterday, and you can be sure we're wearing them today! ick!

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edit

I edited my last post on laundry to include a bit more information... As if you cared for more! ha! My friend Bonnie has posted her "Dirty Laundry" on her blog. See it HERE Her post prompted me to share the additional photos. The additional photos were taken in March, April and October. I knew there would be a use for them one day! ha!

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airing our dirty laundry

Talking to my sister Rachel today she told me I would be shocked if I walked into her laundry room! She just received her Christmas present from me so she said she'd take a picture to show me...I added "With your new lens!"I told her that my laundry was stacked up too so we agreed to both post pictures of our dirty laundry! Maybe we will provide some consolation to all you women who know just how bad it can get!
No Martha Stewart here!
We challenge you to do the same! If you do post pictures, be sure to let us know!

*EDIT* Part of the reason that I procrastinate when it comes to laundry is because I hang all our laundry to dry. With the exception of sheets and towels. (I do not have the luxury of warm sunny afternoons to hang my laundry out in the backyard. When we do own a house someday that is on my list of must-haves, a clothes line out back, along with a veggie/flower garden of my very own! I have chosen to hang our clothing to dry to offset our electricity bill a bit, as it can get pretty high in the winter with all the lights we have to use due to less daylight hours. Plus I'm saving the environment one kWh at a time! (The dryer is one of the worst energy consumers!) I originally bought this drying rack when we first arrived here in Alaska to hang our mittens and coats on after fun in the snow. I used it that way maybe twice and it now permanently resides in Gwyneth's bathroom.

In the photo below you can see how I installed another shower curtain rod just for the purpose of hanging clothes. I just open the curtain on the rod that was originally there, and hang clothes on that one and my "extra" one. When laundry is done I store our drying rack in the tub, (we all use the master bathroom for our showers) and close the curtain and no one is none-the-wiser!

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christmas time is here...

Fun little experiment! You can find instructions HERE.

Here's what the "device" looks like...

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morning fun

If you have kids, or just love animals, then you'll love this site:
National Geographic
Gwyneth and I chose the Orca Whale for our screensaver. She loved the multimedia components. We were able to listened to what a Polar Bear, a Bengal Tiger, and an Orca Whale sound like.
Check it out!

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sanity break

(The photo above, shows just how spirited and crazy our little girl can be sometimes...today was a particularly challenging day with this little one! Sorry if this offends anyone, I thought it was hilarious!)

I have a few minutes to myself this evening...
David is spending some quality time with Gwyneth in front of the "boob tube" catching up on their latest cartoon favorite "The Batman."
I've been almost three weeks without my car.
I never realized how much I depend on it until now.
I put rental reimbursement on our insurance...can't believe we were so cheap and didn't put it on before!
Gwyneth was sick almost a week. She ran a low fever for 6 days! Now she has a cough. 'Tis the season...
Going a little stir crazy here without a car. David has had to chauffeur us everywhere. Grocery shopping is the worst. His cab in his truck is not that big. I am trying to make it until this weekend on the food we have before I have to shop! They say Friday my car should be done! Yippee!
Even though she is six years old, Gwyneth still has those days when she is so needy, and hyper like a three year old! That was today! I needed this break. She is hilariously annoying sometimes. I can laugh about it out of her midst...but boy, to be in the middle of it! whew!
We've been keeping up with school pretty well. Ready for Christmas break though. Gwyneth is super smart! This 1st grade curriculum is not very challenging...yet. I have looked ahead a little and know it will progressively get more challenging. For now, she is a little bored with Math, and she doesn't care too much for reading, even though she is an excellent reader. In the new year I plan to incorporate more extra curricular activities. She would like to take ice skating lessons, and is interested in basketball.
We're approaching the shortest day of the year. I think it's December 23rd? Anyhow, our days are short enough now! The sun doesn't rise until 10:30am and sets around 3pm. So only 4 1/2 hours of daylight. It can take a toll on you. When I get my car back I plan to go out and run my errands between sunrise and sunset to take in all the daylight I can!
Here is a picture I snapped on our way to church one day... it was 10:30 am.Lack of daylight=lack of inspiration, or any photos worth sharing. I'm so glad I have a big flash to take the little snapshots around the house such as this one of Gwyneth with her enormous collections of Littlest Pets:

Aren't these just the cutest!? (For the record, we have only bought a few of these for Gwyneth, or they came in sets. She has bought the majority on her own with her allowance.)I have all these grand plans for Christmas cards/letters, but am doubtful I will get to them!
We just received our families names in an envelope from my mom today. My side of the family started drawing names for Christmas about two years ago. With all us young folks on limited budgets and "young at heart" retirees, we saw it as a way to alleviate the holiday pressure. We put every member of the family's name on a little piece of paper into a box and draw out the number of names in our individual families. We only buy Christmas presents for the names we draw. And there is a $25 per person limit. It has worked the past two years, and everyone appreciates it. We were excited about the names we drew today! I can't wait to do the shopping now! I LOVE shopping and giving gifts to others! Because we only get to shop for three people each Christmas I make sure to make every other family member's Birthday extra special throughout the year. It's a little more spread out then...
We have already done a little shopping for Gwyneth. She is almost done. Just a few more items and she is set. I know what I want to buy David, I just have to order it! Better get crackin' on it! It's one of my goals for this weekend.
Our Christmas tree is up and decorated! I just love the twinkle lights! I love to just sit in the evening with all the other lights off and read by tree light! I have tried to convince David to put some lights up outside. Not sure if it will happen. It is only -8 currently! ;o)
We recently purchased the game Clue on sale! We've been wanting to add this game to our collection for a while! Gwyneth loves it just as much as David and I did as kids. I still love the game!I think this brings you all up to speed. Thanks for stickin' it out while I rambled on! I pray each and every one of you feels the "reason for the season", and are enjoying your family, friends, and health!
Take care!

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because it's been too long

I don't have enough time to post more than this one picture...(I made the scarf she is wearing from yarn I scored for $1 while on vacation this summer!)

I do have a few things to blog about. Hopefully before the weekend!

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Rachel put up some pictures!

Hey guys! If you haven't stopped by Rachel's blog in a while, you should! She just put up a few pictures, and a little update!
Here's the link:
Conklin Family
I hope to have a few things of my own up here tonight!
Take care!

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sad today...

Today I am sad.
I had my first car accident.
I've been driving 11 years.

I am sad that my car is broken.
But I am thankful that the only damage was to my car and a street sign.
No one was hurt.

The roads are snowy and slick today.
I was on my way to go help out at "church clean up day," via a coffee drive thru.
I didn't make it to either.
Tried to make a right turn and kept on going straight. (My front wheels locked and would not turn right because of the slick road.)
Headed right for a truck.
Thank God I was finally able to turn right, but not without taking down a street sign in the process. I remember seeing the sign and thinking, "I'd much rather hit that, than the truck." The sign finally stopped me from sliding, but landed me in the wrong lane facing on-coming traffic. I was able to turn around before causing anymore damage.
Scary!
Gwyneth was with me.
It scared her quite a bit. So much, that when Daddy came to be with us while I filed the police report, she opted to ride home with him. :o(

The bumper pushed into the radiator, so we're not sure how extensive the repairs will be. I pray it is a quick and easy fix.

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Happy Today

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September

I've been wanting to share these pictures for some time now.
We spent a day in September, the first day of Autumn to be exact, at one of our favorite places, Creamer's Field. We spent the chilly afternoon biking, and birdwatching, and taking LOTS of pictures. At one point I handed the camera to David and he got some really neat shots. He even snapped a few of Gwyneth and I, which I always love! Gwyneth took a turn taking a couple pictures of David and I. We tend to get a little silly when we're being photographed. As you will see in the below photos!
I was anxious to get out and take pictures of the changing colors. Here in Alaska, Fall only lasts about a month. A little less than 2 weeks after our glorious day at Creamer's field, the skies opened up and blanketed the ground with the first snow of the season.
I am so glad we ventured out and enjoyed the last little bit of bright sunshine, and cool (not freezing) temperatures.
I have worked on this slideshow for a couple days! I just love the song that plays with it. It is titled "Home" by Trenchtown Oddities. I have looked all over for a place to download it, but haven't been successful. If you have a Photobucket account you can create a remix by selecting your album, and picking "create remix" next to "create slideshow." I found this to be the best solution for the amount of pictures I wanted to share! Can you imagine me posting them one by one! Whew!
Enjoy!

(Turn your speakers on!)

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hello there!

It's been a while! I'm taking a little break from our lazy Saturday to enjoy the above cup of coffee...mmm...home made mocha...complete with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. Simple joys...

Thank you all for your comments on my last post. I am doing much better. I have much to be thankful for! I think the combination of the weather change, falling back an hour, and the sun rising late and setting at 3pm here, I just got a little down. It will be a little challenging keeping our spirits up this winter. We're staying busy though. We just don't go outside much. I think I miss that the most. We had such an amazing summer! We were outside every chance we got. I love the snow, from afar, or through my windows. I don't care too much to be out in it! :o)

I hope to post a few pictures from the last couple of weeks soon. Maybe I'll just do a random picture post.

I had a request to share the pattern for the little felted purse I knitted for Gwyneth. Since my friend Amy is picking up knitting, and I know a couple of you like to knit as well, I thought I would just share it right here on my blog. The purse I made Gwyneth measured 8"H x 6.5"W after it was felted. It is just the right size for her Sparks handbook, and my old Precious Moments Bible, as pictured in the photo to the right... This is a quick and simple project, perfect for a beginner. It's also great for the more experienced knitter who wants a project that does not require a lot of attention (you know the ones you sit with and work on during a movie, or your favorite TV show.)
So here it is:

Little Felted Bag
You will need:

1 skein of chunky wool (I used Patons Classic Wool) (140 yds)
Size 11 16” or 24” circular needles
4 markers (I just tied yarn, in a contrasting color, to my needles.)
yarn needle

Guage: in stockinette, roughly 12 inches and 18 rounds, four inches

Finished measurements: after felting, purse is roughly 6.5 to 8.5 wide by 6.5 to 7.5 tall, depending on how long you felt.

To make bottom of purse: loosely cast on 13 stitches and work back and forth in garter stitch (knit every row) for 38 rows (19 ridges). Do not turn.

Begin main part of bag: Without turning, knit 13 stitches on needle, place marker and pick up 19 stitches along the long edge (1 stitch for each ridge), place a marker and pick up 13 stitches along cast on edge, place marker, and pick up 19 stitches along second long edge, place a fourth marker to mark the beginning of the round; 64 stitches total.

Note: you will be working in rounds from now on. Be sure to keep moving markers as your work.

Begin knitting every round (stockinette stitch) until purse measures 10.5 inches, measuring from pick-p round, ending at beginning of round marker.

Begin handles: On next round, k13, slip marker off, k3, bind off next 13 stitches, k3, slip marker off, repeat to once more, leaving only beginning round marker.

On next round, k16, cast on 25 stitches, k19, cast on 25 stitches, knit to end of round.

Work 4 more rounds, bind off all stitches. Work in ends.

Wash is hot soapy water in your washing machine. Check often through cycle to check felting progress. I did not wash my bag for a full cycle. Rinse in cold water. Let air dry stretched over a shoebox inside a plastic grocery bag, to shape. Embellish with buttons, ribbons, felted flowers, etc.

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Photography Blog

I added a new post to my photography blog.
Visit Here

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Had To Share

I have been going through a phase of depression lately. Can't really pinpoint what exactly I'm feeling, or why I am feeling it. Is it the weather? Cold temperatures in the teens, bad road conditions so I don't feel comfortable driving anywhere, the sun sets at 6pm and doesn't peek out again until 9:30am! The darkness continues to increase through February or March I believe.
Is it lack of time with my husband?
Is it too much time alone with a energetic 6 year old? :o)
I've read blog posts by two friends of mine this week that have been a great source of encouragement. I would be remiss if I did not share...in case you are in the same place as me.

• My dear friend Larissa shared her insights on friendship and relationships in this post:

"With The Younger and Wiser"

• My friend Jess really made me consider who I turn to with these feelings (even if I can't fully understand them, God does.) in this post:

"All I need is a little (fill in the blank)…"

(After reading Jess' post I believe I have a better understanding now of what I am feeling, and the remedy!)

If you two wonderful women are reading...Thank you for your encouragement!

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Ta-Da!

I made this!

It's adorable, and Gwyneth really likes it. I had a lot of fun making it! I started another one that is going to be about three times this size.

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more snow

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first snow

Oh, boy...
We had the first snow of the season today.
I went out in it this morning to finish up my grocery shopping.
It wasn't fun. I was slipping and sliding all over the place.
At first I thought it was just me, but I saw quite a few other people slide too...
'Tis the season......I don't think I'm ready!
I'll share a few more pictures tomorrow.

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Mmmm...

Dessert tonight...

Blondies with Chocolate Chips and Walnuts.

yummy...

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freak

As if I needed another reason to believe I am abnormal...
Gwyneth and I did a little science experiment in school the other day.
We measured each other's height and arm span.
She was 44 inches both ways...which is normal. People are usually as tall as their arms are wide...
I on the other hand was 63" in height, and 66" in arm span!
I have gorilla arms! HA!
I was meant to be taller...
I always knew that!
HA!
Try it today and see if you are normal...
But then again normal is overrated!
Ü

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Recipe Blog

My friend Bonnie invited me to contribute to a recipe blog she started. It's titled Pass The Beans Please and you can visit by clicking HERE. I just posted a totally yummy recipe titled Mexican Chicken Soup. You'll find delicious and healthy recipes here. Emphasis on healthy.
I'm going to make the Quinoa Vegetable soup next week!

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Bronchitis

Last night I was feeling a little better. Actually pretty chipper. We ate popcorn and played cards together as a family. I considered canceling my Dr. appt. for this morning.
...That is until I woke up every hour last night to a coughing fit. I was so sad every time I woke up to find that only an hour had past since the last time I was up coughing. The night was LONG! So I got myself and Gwyneth up early today and made it to my appt. I have bronchitis. Since it's mostly caused by a virus, I just have to rest it off, and drink plenty of water. Fine by me, but I wish it would hurry up and go away! I've been sick for a week now.
Tonight is AWANA. Last week was opening night. Gwyneth is in her second book in SPARKS. I am a SPARKS leader this year, and David is working in TNT boys, 3rd & 4th grade. I am loving it! I just love working with little kids! Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade! They're so sweet and energetic! Little sponges!
Unfortunately I have to stay home tonight due to being sick. I will miss it!

If you haven't noticed already I have a link on the sidebar for my sister Rachel's blog. She has been experiencing difficulty logging into her old account, so she created a new blog.
Click HERE to visit!

Maybe while I am home sick tonight I will post a few pictures from our vacation last month! Although, I could catch up on all the prime time shows from last week that are bogging down our DVR!
We'll see!

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Happy Autumn

New look for the blog for the Fall season, which will be swiftly gone in Alaska!
The forecast is predicting snow within a week! I'm not ready!
I'm still sick today. I waited on the appt. line this morning for 20 minutes only to be told they didn't have any appts. until tomorrow. I hate going to the Dr. but I want to be sure I don't have a sinus or respiratory infection. I can endure it as long as it's not an infection. I haven't slept well in days. Coughing all night. I actually slept on the couch the other night, so I could make sure David got some sleep.
So here's o Fall! I better get crackin' on the pies! We'll have snow soon and it just won't be the same!

I added a few items on my sidebar, one being that I am hooked on the new show Bionic Woman.

I love a good tough chick movie or show. I was thoroughly addicted to Alias a few months ago. I was sad when it ended. This new show fills that void somewhat. Yeah, it's a little cheesy and unbelievable at times...I'm easy to please! You can click the image above to view the very first episode online.

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hairy mustaches

Spurred on by my friend Bonnie's recent trip to the hair salon, and her schemes to freak out her hair dresser one day, (read her commentary here) I want to post these pictures from June.

Gwyneth participated in the library's summer reading program this year. The theme was "mystery." It was actually really cool the little events, and crafts they had. I love our library! It's awesome!
One of the last events was a craft night. At the closing of the craft they handed out stickers, and your very own mystery disguise: a mustache.
Gwyneth agreed to get one, only if I would wear one with her. So we walked out of the library wearing our disguises.
She tired of it real quick, and became embarrassed. So I handed her mustache to Daddy, and he and I got a kick out of the looks we received driving around town. The most hilarious response was this man in the parking lot driving along who took a double-take. Literally! Rubber-neck and all! It was so funny!

(No, my camera is not sick, I ran a vintage film action on some of these pictures.)


David sporting his Charlie Chaplin mustache. He looks a bit like his brother here.


She thought stickers on her cheeks were less embarassing. :o)

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David is...

Take the Quiz here!

You are Fanny Price of Mansfield Park! You are quiet and faithful, but those around you may think you priggish. You love deeply but jealously, and the thoughts and values of your loved one - good and bad - rub off on you.

Thinking there may be guy questions in the quiz, David took it too. And why not. I think it's a very good idea to include Ms. Austen's dashing men...but alas David is Miss Fanny Price...
Hold off the laughter... :o)

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sick...

I have the worst cold...ick...I woke up Wednesday morning feeling like I had swallowed a million nails. Hindsight, I should have known it was coming. I was feeling really "off" Monday and Tuesday. But not like this. It came on hard and fast!
So if I don't answer the phone, you know why. I can hardly talk it hurts so much! I sound like a frog!

Gwyneth's school books arrived, so my weekend is going to be filled with scheduling that!
I love the curriculum! It's laid out in detail for me. Not much planning on my part. It has lesson plans and everything! Our school schedule should be Mon.-Fri. 9am-12:30pm. It was so cute when the UPS man dropped off the books. Gwyneth was so excited and wanted to tear the package open immediately! I remember those days! When I was in homeschool I was always just as excited! New books for school, new schedule, new pencils, erasers, folders...anyone remember Trapper Keepers? I wonder if they still make those! I loved those!

Tonight is Pizza Night! Yipee! I hope my tastebuds perk up! Have a great weekend!

P.S. My signature was inspired by my friend Bonnie. It is my actual signature! Neat-o!

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Little Quiz

You are Elinor Dashwood of Sense & Sensibility!
You are practical, circumspect, and discreet. Though you are tremendously sensible and allow your head to rule, you have a deep, emotional side that few people often see.
(Click on the above image to take the quiz.)

I cannot wait to see this movie. I missed it when it was at the one theater in town, and am patiently waiting for it to come out on DVD. Supposed to be in January. Boo! Hoo!

(Click the below image to watch the trailer.)

The poster above is a UK version, so the date is off from the US. I just like the pictures better than the US version! ha!

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Freezing Already

It's currently 25° as I type this.
This morning I woke up and opened the blinds and was greeted by the first visible frost this season. Winter comes so soon here!
It's already colder here this morning, than where my parents live, will get all winter! CRAZY!

This was on the local paper's website this morning:
"...it’s very rare to go through the month of September without snow falling, so residents should begin preparing for the first measurable snowfall of the season..."
...Here we go!

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nine years

One of my favorite pictures taken as we were leaving our wedding celebrations nine years ago.

We've been married nine years! I can't believe it's been that long. We've actually been together as a couple for 12 years. He has been my one and only love for 12 years! And I am only 27 years old! It's crazy! I feel that in the past couple of years we have come to a place of real comfort, security, and trust.

• He balances me out. I am constantly amazed at his wisdom and downright common sense.
• I'm a little more type A and neurotic. He is calm and collected in almost all situations.
  
• He offers simple solutions to everything, whereas I always find the most complicated frustrating route!
• He has taught me to lighten up, and not take life so seriously!
• He can fix anything. It may take him a year, but it gets done! ha!
• He makes me laugh. Sometimes hysterically!
• We love to stay up late on the weekends watching movies, or just watching programs on our DVR.
• He still loves to come home to our daughter and I every day!

We have only been on one "date" in a year! We actually don't mind going out together, the three of us. We go plenty of places, and do many things together as a family unit. But we both realize that going out, just the two of us is rejuvenating. We are going to do it more often!

Thanks to our friends, this past weekend we were able to actually go out alone for dinner to celebrate our anniversary.

We went to one of the better restaurants here in Fairbanks called The Pumphouse.

We arrived only a half an hour after dinner started, so it was pretty quiet. Service at any restaurant in Fairbanks is relatively slow. The Pumphouse was no exception. It was o.k. though. We didn't have a six year old beside us getting antsy, and we had nowhere else to be.
I ordered one of their famous Mojitos, and David a locally brewed beer.
David ordered the pistachio nut encrusted, Fresh Alaskan Halibut sauteed in a Ginger vin blanc sauce. I am not a seafood girl. It's sad because we live in one of the best places for sea food. The halibut was pretty good, I just couldn't get past the fact that it tasted sort of like the fish sticks I ate as a kid.
I thoroughly enjoyed my Filet Mignon served with herb steak butter, fresh sugar snap peas, and Yukon Gold au gratin potatoes. It was a whopping 10 oz. so David helped me finish it.
We ended dinner with a freshly made cobbler, of strawberry and rhubarb, topped with ice cold vanilla ice cream, and a cappuccino for me to compliment it.
They brought the "dessert tray" table side for you to choose from the many delectable items!
I took our little point and shoot camera with us, but left it in the car. I resolved to enjoy our dinner and time together sans pictures!
Here's to nine more years, and then some!

Snorkeling in Cozumel, Mexico circa 1998.

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Mr. & Mrs. Jacob Johnson

(Click on the above image to see a gallery of pictures from the celebration.)

The evening couldn't have been more beautiful. The sunset was gorgeous, the food was excellent and the company was perfect! The celebration took place at my parent's new home in North Carolina.
The heat was a bit much for a few guests, who trickled into the air conditioning of my parent's living room, but for the most part it was a great time enjoyed outdoors with the music rockin'!
We celebrated informally, all the guests dressed comfortably, some even brought their swim suits to take a dip in the pool.
We dined on fine southern pork barbecue (my Grandaddy's famous recipe), baked beans (prepared impeccably by my Dad), pinwheel wrap sandwiches (so beautiful in their presentation, lovingly made by Rachel), veggies and fruits complete with each their own special dip, spinach dip with Hawaiian bread (my mom's specialty) and good ole' sweet tea!
Their cake was beautifully prepared by a friend of Marissa's. It was absolutely delicious! We all enjoyed it the next day! It didn't last longer than that before the last morsel was consumed!
Some guests flooded the yard, dancing to the music. You'll see in some of the pictures, Jacob tried pretty unsuccessfully to dance the Macarena. :o) Oh, and he goofed off with his friends and played chicken with his nephew on his shoulders. Yes they are the same age! Born only 5 days apart!
It was a great time for all, and we are so thankful we were able to be there to celebrate with them!
We love you guys and pray for only the best for you three as you embark on this journey called life!

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Home (bitter) Sweet Home

~This was what a few rooms looked like Tuesday as we unpacked. Everything is washed and put away (even the luggage) as of Wednesday night! ha! We unpack pretty quick. David is the best! He unpacked a lot of it! I can't stand having luggage hanging around for weeks!~

We're home again from our ten day stay in North Carolina, visiting my parents, and siblings. We had a wonderful time! It was so hard to leave! You would think it would get easier ever time we say goodbye, but I have found it only gets harder. Especially now that we live so far away.

It was not and easy trip. We missed our connecting flight in Atlanta from Anchorage because of a delay leaving Alaska. In Atlanta we had to fly stand-by. Separate! They only had two seats available on the next flight, so David sent Gwyneth and I on along, and waited behind to catch another flight. We got on the plane and the attendant told me they had two seats available, separate seats! I looked at him in disbelief! I replied "She's only six!" I don't think anyone would want to sit next to a six year old, unattended. The attendant asked the man in the back of the plane where one of the empty seats was located if he would mind sitting in the other available seat, so that Gwyneth and I could sit together. The man initially refused. Two men to the right of me, one a sailor, offered to relocate to the vacant seats and let us sit where they were. Finally the man from the back came up front and said he would sit up there and we could have his seat and the adjacent one. He still didn't look too happy to have to move. When I passed him to get to our seats, I said "Thank you very much!" He ignored me! How rude! I was already on the verge of tears from having to leave David behind, my guard came down then, and a few tears slipped by unwillingly! UGH! I felt like crying the whole way to Virginia! David did not get on the next flight, but fortunately got on the following one! Needless to say it was a VERY long day. Approximately 9 hrs. flight time and 1 hr. delay in Atlanta for Gwyneth and I. David had about the same amount of flight time, but was delayed in Atlanta for at least 4 hours!
We left Anchorage at 1AM EST and Gwyneth and I arrived in VA around 12 NOON EST. Approximately 11 hours travel time.
David's was around 14 hours.

Our trip home was a bit better. We had a 7 hour layover in Atlanta, so we called David's brother Alan, his wife, and two boys who live nearby and asked if we could meet them for a few hours. They picked us up and took us back the their place and we had Arby's for lunch and had a great time talking around the table. (I feel bad though, because I was fighting sleep really bad! I was exhausted from getting up at 4 AM EST! Gwyneth and I both fell asleep on the way back to the airport!) The kids got along really well and had a good time too! It's been about8 months since we've seen Alan, two years since we've seen Sherri, and longer since we've seen the boys. It was really great to see them again! Just wish we could have visited longer! (And not been so sleepy! ha!)

We were delayed about a half an hour leaving Atlanta because of a faulty part. Maintenance fixed it and we were on our way. LONG flight! Gwyneth didn't sleep much until the end of the flight, then we had to wake her and she was a bear! My friend Courtney picked us up and took us to her place to pick up our car. We were so exhausted I hardly remember it. I do remember feeling bad because I wanted to visit with her a bit more, but knew we would nod off on her! :o) We made a pit stop at the grocery store to pick up stuff for breakfast the next morning and then made our way to our room for the night. Then we CRASHED! I was out the entire night, and David and Gwyneth were up before me the next morning! We checked out the next morning and went to Lonestar Steakhouse for lunch.

Now, eating at Lonestar is a family tradition when we go back to see my family. We always go at least once when we are there. It's a family favorite!

Their Amarillo Cheese Fries (a.k.a. "heart-attack-on-a-plate") are so yummy, and their Signature Lettuce Wedge (a cool, crisp wedge of iceberg lettuce smothered in rich, creamy bleu cheese and tomatoes) is outta this world! David got a steak with their famous sweet potato, which he was kind enough to share!

(Gwyneth hamming it up! They had a really great interior in this particular restaurant. I loved the domed ceiling!)

Unfortunately we were unable to make it to Lonestar while we were back home, but we made up for it, just the three of us!

I'll share some photos of the road trip to and from Anchorage soon! It's really beautiful country here in Alaska!

I'll also share some of the tons of photos I took while visiting my family! I have some of Jacob and Marissa's wedding reception, my nephew Daniel's high school senior portraits, a mini photo session with one of Jake and Marissa's friends (she's too cute!) and LOTS of pictures of the kiddos, and daily life there!
Till next time!

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