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Vacation 2018

I arrived at my vacation destination Tuesday, May 29, 2018 just after 3:00 pm. We had some confusion as to where to meet up but my family found me and delivered on the hugs I had been eagerly awaiting! It seemed like a long day of travel since leaving the house after 8 pm on Monday after taking hubby to the airport to go to work at 4:00 am! My flight took off on time on Tuesday morning heading to Seattle but gave me a short window for getting to my next flight east – not time to grab coffee since I was flying alone so no one to watch my bags while I went in search of a coffee shop!! For being the coffee capital of the US you would think it would be easier to get coffee in the Seattle-Tacoma airport.

My flight east must have had some really good tail winds because we arrived 40 minutes early after leaving right on time. All was right with my world again as I met up with my family as we began the drive to their home. The drive once again reinforced why I’m so glad that I live in Alaska – no matter how bad the drivers are up there or how bad everyone thinks the traffice is, it is so much worse on the other side of the country. But so proud of my daughter-in-law in how she was handling the driving.

I am feeling so relaxed. Playing with grandkids is so much fun, it has been a while since I have sat on the floor playing Barbies and snuggling with little ones. The enjoyment I have experienced watching the simple joy of a cup of ice cream on a muggy eveing. Being able to spend time helping my kids and grandkids is not as energy draining as work, though I do love my job (no worries Pastor, I will not be quitting anytime soon ), or being the parent. Being the grandmother is so much more fun than being the parent, though I would not trade those years raising my kids.

Leaving hubby and my daughter, as well as friends, back in the Great Land was kind of hard after all what if they needed me? But I know deep in my heart that I need this trip for my own mental health as well as for the opportunity to spend time with my family (son, daughter-in-law and grandkids, parents, and my brother and sister-in-law plus niece and nephews) several of whom I have not seen in too many years. The way things are going in this world I know that I need to spend time reconnecting with all of them.

I will share a couple of photos later here.

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Winter is Here

 

February is almost over, and we have had more winter in the first 2 months of 2018 than the past 3-5 years combined! So many days where it has snowed two or more inches, usually more, and made a mess of the roads and parking lots while at the same time making the companies who plow those same parking lots and roads very happy. Even teenagers are getting into the act by offering to shovel driveways and sidewalks for neighbors – well my neighbor boys and a couple from church have anyway.

The weather we have been experiencing has been much like I remember from growing up in Anchorage back in the 1970’s and 1980’s with 5-6 inches of snow per week. People were not complaining about the lack of snow back then for skiing or snow machining as they have been known to do for the past several years when the city of Anchorage had to import snow for the Fur Rondy races (one year it had to be shipped down from Fairbanks in rail cars!) and the Iditarod. This year that is not an issue, there is plenty of snow all over Anchorage.

I don’t mind the snow, it makes everything look so pretty when it’s here, and since I live in Alaska I expect to have snow in the winter and am disappointed when it doesn’t appear. I do hate when we get dumped on and hubby isn’t home to help me deal with it. My asthma does not allow me to go out and move very much of the snow. Even with our snow blower, I struggle with not having an asthma attack. Fortunately, my neighbors have 2 teenage boys who like to make money and are willing to come over and shovel me out. Then there is a family at church, the husband in my hubby’s hunting partner, that will come over and have my driveway all cleared up much faster than my daughter and I could ever hope to do it.

 

I have photos but for some reason, they do not want to load so I may try to do so at a later date. For now just imagine lots of snow, white walls along the driveway, and leaping trails by dogs.

 

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January 13, 2018 – Recovery

After 2.5 days of being sick, a recovery of 1.5 days then it was back to regular life once again. Hubby stayed home from church last Sunday to get some much-needed rest before heading back to work on Monday morning.

I have no idea where the two of us came in contact with the crud that knocked us down at the beginning of the year but I am pretty sure that it was able to infect our system because both of us had not been getting adequate sleep over the holidays. Our immune systems were most likely run down and not able to put up enough of a fight to keep the nasty at bay.

Normally in our family, we go down one after the other not all at once, at least not both hubby and I. This time around our daughter is the one who kept her health and did not get sick. We were so thankful for that as she was able to help us in our sickness by bringing water so we stayed hydrated, fixing meals that we could keep down, and just generally take care of things here at home. She did her best to not get what we had, she was successful, and took good care of her mom and dad. A week later and she still has not come down with the nasty.

To end my week out I have a cell phone that has decided to go wonky, not sure where that word came from but it seems to fit what is going on with my phone. So I had to begin looking into getting a new phone. We are with AT&T so I began there…expensive phones I must say and not the latest version of my current phone. That took me back to the Motorola website to see if my phone of preference was available. Thankfully it was and the cost, with free shipping, was less than half the price of what I was looking at over at AT&T. After talking with hubby we decided to go ahead and order my phone. It will be here on Wednesday, January 17!! I will then take it with me to the AT&T store to see if they can help me with getting it set up on their system.

Hopefully, I will be able to share photos and information about my new phone by the end of next week.

Do you have a favorite cell phone?

What features do you have to have on your cell phone?

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Everything is on hold

Last night, after clearing the driveway of snow, hubby came in to say he wasn’t feeling well. A fever took hold, which he still had as of this morning. I gave Him an aspirin, water, and Gatorade then told him he was staying home. 

After that I contacted my friend that I was going to have breakfast with that I loved her too much to possibly share with her. Then I contacted my boss and admin to let them know I was taking a sick day. Too many people I know, now us, have been hit recently by whatever bug is going around because others were sick and didn’t stay home.

If my family was part of your plans for today please know that we’re canceling them so we don’t share.

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It Happened Again….aaagghhhhh

Last night, New Year’s Eve, I stayed home while hubby and daughter went to take care of dogs that she is watching this weekend. At one of the homes they were planning to watch a movie that they both like but we do not own. I opted to stay home with our dogs to help them get through the fireworks, one of our dogs really does not like them so she will stick really close to whoever is home.

Since I was tired, I woke up between 3-4 on Sunday, I decided to head to bed around 9:30. I fell asleep around 10:30 according to my FitBit. Sadly I once again woke up sometime around 3:30 this morning. I’m not sure what is going on but this is getting old. I am glad that right now I have both hubby and our daughter at home to do the driving because if I cannot begin getting more sleep it will be dangerous for me to drive.

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Time to Quit

With 2018 being just hours away it is time for me to begin making plans for what I want to change in my life. One of those changes is to quit being so much of a couch potato and to begin moving more.

A couple of years ago I bought myself a FitBit to better keep track of my activity level, my calorie intake, and my sleep patterns. I need to work of keeping better track of what I eat as I am not doing so well with that. My sleep patterns are not where I want or they need to be, part of that is my sleep apnea ( I really need to talk to my doctor about being retested so that I can at least get new supplies as my prescription ran out – no one told me this would happen) and part of it is something else.

I have been able to up my step goal since I bought my first FitBit. It comes with a step goal of 10,000 steps per day. After trying for a week of normal activity I realized that I was not in any shape to do that with normal activity and I needed to feel some sort of daily accomplishment so I modified/changed the goal to 6,000 steps per day. That seemed more realistic for me. In the last 7 months I’ve been able to reach that goal enough consecutive times for me to change/adjust it to 6,500 steps per day. After one and a half months at that goal I was able to meet or exceed it for a month!! That convinced me to reset the goal once again this time to 7,000 steps!! I have been at that goal for a couple on months now but I do not feel I need to change it as I have not been able to reach that goal consistently. So for the month of January that is what I will be working on, increasing my steps per day.

While my FitBit helps me to set and keep track of my fitness goals I know that I really need to do even more. Hubby and I will be going to our local gym this week, where we have had a membership almost since they opened their doors. We have not been to the gym in at least 2 years though we have been paying the monthly payment all this time. Our son did take advantage of our membership before he shipped out for USAF BMT last May. He figured that since we had him on the membership, we have a family contract plan, he would take advantage of it to get into shape for going to BMT. I have decided that it is time to get back there and make use of what we have been paying for all this time. Either Monday, if they are open, or Tuesday, we will be stopping by to get the new id tags for each of us and getting reacquainted with the facility.

That will be the easy part. The hard part will be making the time in my daily schedule for going to the gym and making this a habit as quickly as possible. I am thinking that for me the best thing to do will be to get up in the morning, have my coffee, a bite to eat, deal with the dogs then head to the gym. After my work out I can shower and dress for work and get there by 9:00. As you think of me in the coming days say a prayer that I am motivated to truly do this and change the way I live.

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The End Leading to a New Beginning or a Continuation

Well, here we are the final Saturday of 2017. I am not sure why I am awake so early, I got out of bed around 3:30 am! But I thought that if I could not sleep then blogging would be a good way to pass the time.

We have a plan to drive to Anchorage today to take care of some shopping that I forgot to do a couple of weeks ago as well as for some items that I did not know I was nearly out of, I really hate that but so life often is just that way.

Along with doing more blogging in 2018, there are a few other things that I want to do more of in 2018. Some of those I have previously blogged about and others are more new in my mind that I am working to get set into place.

  • Live for Today not Yesterday
  • Take more photos of special events but even more just normal life
  • Write more letters, cards, blog posts, and journal entries
  • Spend more time moving and less time sitting
  • The time spent sitting down needs to be productive: either working, doing sit down activities, or spent being creative but not just sitting in front of the TV going numb

I do not what this to be a long drawn out post, I can see that happening as I go down various rabbit trail so I am going to break up the above subjects into different post over the next few days.

I want to live more in the NOW. Spending too much time dwelling on what could have been, what should have been, or even what might be seems a bit wasteful of my energy, not that I have a lot of that to waste anyway. I do not mind looking back if it helps me to see where I need to change or to relive the good times, for a time since there is so much more to come, however I do not want to dwell there or set up residency in the past – it is simply not healthy. To live in the NOW I want to keep better connected with my family and my friends so that we know how one another is doing and can better pray for and help one another.

My cell phone is definitely one way I can do this. Social media is everywhere and can be a double edged sword. Some people use it to plan hurtful, even hateful, schemes that serve no good purpose at all. These include gossip, rumors, violence and revenge. That part of social media I want no part of. I prefer the good aspects of social media, the parts where people can stay connected to their family, their friends, and their community. The part where we can learn about the good that happens around the world but also the bad, which is not always evil rather just the bad of living in this world.

My cell phone is also my main camera. This allows me to be able to take photos of what is happening around me so that I can share with others what I am experiencing.

Of course this same cell phone can be a distraction that can lead to misunderstandings and to damaging relationships. I am hoping that I use it more for building and maintaining relationships than for being hurtful to the same. But I do not want this same technology to keep me from building my relationships on a more personal level.

I am not so old that I do not remember the days of handwritten letters that were sent via the US Postal Service and eagerly awaited. I can recall the days when I would see my mom sitting at the dining room table writing a letter to Gram. Each week she would send out a letter to her mother letting her know what was happening with our family (we have long been the odd ducks in our family in that most of my family lived within 100 miles of one another while we lived on the other side of the country thousands of miles away). Even while I was in college I would eagerly go to my mail box praying that I had a letter or card from a family member or friend. And when a package arrived, oh boy did everyone in my dorm wing know about it! And I was not the only one to be excited by mail. Even today my kids and grandchildren as well enjoy getting letters/cards/packages in the mail.

So I am going to my hand at writing letters once again. Some of them may be hand written, others done on the computer, and others may wind up being cards sent when the spirit move me. I do not plan on giving up technology or pretend that I will only keep in touch by way of ‘snail mail’ because no one who knows me would ever believe that. I just do not what my kids and grand-kids to remember me in only one manner. I want therm to have cards and letters to look back on, photos to cause them to think back to that day, that time when we did something, and also to have quick access to the photos of my life and the things that struck me via social media.

On that note here are a few photos of my life recently:

Dog Sitting
Dog Sitting
Daniel with dad & Grandpa
Daniel with dad & Grandpa
My Son and me
My Son and me
GramE and Maggie
GramE and Maggie
December Temps
December Temps
Daniel's pizza dinner
Daniel’s pizza dinner
What Ididachain made for Frontline Mission
What Ididachain made for Frontline Mission
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My son & his family after Maggie's 1st recital
My son & his family after Maggie’s 1st recital
GramE and Maggie
GramE and Maggie
Maggie's dance class
Maggie’s dance class
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Looking Back to Go Forward

As this year comes to an end and I face the start of a new year I’ve been looking back so that I can look forward. So much happened in 2017, good/bad/indifferent that I’m not sure where to begin.

When I was learning to drive I was told that you must look behind you first. When backing out of the garage or a parking spot you want to know if anything is there that you might hit. Once you checked behind you it and know that it is safe you can back up so that you can go forward to reach your chosen destination. Did that make sense?

I want to revisit where I have been in 2017 so that I can go into 2018 with clear vision.

2017 saw people who I care about have health struggles, I’m not going to write about all of them here because I know that I’ll forget about someone. The biggest ones hit very close to me.

2017 ended with the birth of my first grandson, Luke’s first son. He wound up in the NICU for 2 weeks with his mama, Bekah, while Luke was working and caring for Maggie with the help of family and friends. Daniel came home before Christmas which was a great gift for all of us.

Christmas day of 2017 brought a day when one of my closest friends, a sister in Christ, was too sick to come to church. For all who know her you know this is highly unusual for Rene. That evening I received the call that her family had taken her to the hospital and was their air lifted to a hospital in Anchorage. Her situation was not good, it actually became quite dire, there was a chance that we could lose her. Thankfully God intervened and she made it through the worst of it. She’s still dealing with after effects of what happened, both health wise and personal but she is still here and showing me that living by faith and in God’s will is worth it every time.

Some time in either February or March Luke and Bekah told us of their decision for Luke to join the US Air Force. This was going to mean a lot of change for their little family but it would also provide great opportunity for growth for them. Luke was scheduled to leave in mid May, he actually shipped out May 22 or 23.

Mean while, Mark was having more issues with his knee. He began to see an orthopedic doctor and had tests done on his right knee. It was determined that he definitely had arthritis in that knee and that some of the cartilage was gone. We scheduled his surgery to clean it out was set for May 22. We had our final good-byes in to Luke and headed to Anchorage early Monday morning. Mark came through the surgery just fine and we headed home with a nice water ice chest to keep his knee from swelling.

While all this was happening I had been asked if I would work in the church office at least for the summer as the church administrator was wearing a number of hats and struggling to do it all. After much prayer and discussion I accepted the position for the summer and began right away. Little did I know when I said yes for the summer that the Lord was preparing me for taking the job full-time when the summer came to an end, though I am not the administrator, that is more than I feel I’m supposed to take on right now.

While Luke had headed for Texas to basic training and Mark was home healing from the surgery sweet Daniel came down with a staph infection that saw him in the hospital once again for a few days. We were able to visit him in Anchorage, this time we were all feeling good so it was safe for us to see him. Poor boy was tied down with tubes and such but he was such a trooper as was his mama in doing this alone. We’re all praising God that Daniel made it through all that stronger than ever and now growing like a weed!

July saw Mark and I flying to see Luke graduate. We flew to Louisiana first to see Mark’s step-mother and then drive with her to San Antonio to meet up with Bekah and Daniel to attend Luke’s graduation from Air Force BMT (basic military training). What a trip! Heat, storms, and family.

Mark then learned that his company was having him transfer to another work area which would change his work schedule and his travel day. As bleak as things were looking God had it all worked out. Mark was able to help with the NYI working the red gate at the fair which he hadn’t been able to do in a few years. After a few hitches at the other shop he got to go back to the main shop, get his schedule changed to where it had been so that he came home on my birthday, was here the entire Luke was home after graduating from his tech school in California, and here for Daniel’s first birthday.

And I haven’t even mentioned anything that happened to other family and friends. There was a point when I was afraid that 2017 was going to be like 2008 which was probably the absolutely worst year of my life. I’m thankful that this year has not been as bad as it was looking.

The benefits going through all of the above is that once again my faith has been strengthened and I have found myself seeking Him for direction more each day as I haven’t in a few years. So I guess that if that is the result of going through all of that then it hasn’t been all bad.

As I look towards 2018 I am working on having a positive attitude that this new year will see more growth in myself in regards to my spiritual life, my personal life, my marriage, as well as my relationships with my family and friends. I want to travel more, to see my family, I really don’t want my grandchildren to not have memories of me and I want to be a part of their lives in an active way. I want to see more of my state and my country. I want to gather family stories from my parents and even a few of my cousins so that I can pass that information down to my children and grandchildren.

I want 2018 to be a year that I will look back on next December as being a year that I allowed the Lord to use me to bring glory to His name, His kingdom, and to be a blessing to those around me.

I want 2018 to be a year when I can say at the end that I was more open with those around me and especially Jesus. Tht I looked first for where I could join Him in His work and less on what I wanted.

In the end if 2018 is my last year on this earth (no, I have no preminition that it will be) I want people to say that through me they saw Jesus, and therefor they have hope for their lives.

2018, I’m ready, I trust in the God who already knows my future and He will prepare me for what is coming. Between the 2 of us 2018 better watch out because this will be a good year.