Alaska

Alaska

November 15th

15 November 2014

Saturday is a special day; it’s the day we get ready for sunday.

I’m grateful for the lovely Aurora Borealis we saw last night.

I’m grateful that I love making food. It is such a good way to create. We’ve got some nice chicken eggs right now and Chris has been quite into omelets lately, and I like making omelets for him. I’m grateful for that. And oh! I am grateful when the eggz do not get stuck to the pan. Cleaning eggs of the pan is not one of my favorite things to do.Speaking of food, I finished off my hagendaz dark chocolate chip gelato this morning that Chris so lovingly got for me. :) And I ate a bunch of parmesan cheese. I’ve been into yummy (kinda stinky) cheeses lately. Here’s a lovely picture I took for my sister of myself eating parmesan.Okay, bikes, they’re super cool. In Hawaii, I had the two greatest bikes ever – Lola and Charlotte. I got a used cruiser bike here, unnamed and not custom painted yet, but she’s a gem. I’m grateful that I can only think of good times had on bikes. Biking is usually always a good time.I’m grateful for leggings. Goodness yes I am. Especially my snow leopard leggings.

I’m grateful for birthdays. Today is my step niece Lauren’s birthday, and also my dear ol’ friend Katie’s birthday. It’s nice that everyone has a special day.

It’s stake conference weekend. I’m grateful for a husband who wants to grow and improve, and who goes to the priesthood meetings. I’m thankful for the counsel we’ve received and for the small positive changes that happen in my life as I embrace that loving counsel. Small and simple things.

P.S. Our dinner was really yummy. Delicious grilled veggies and our favorite salmons.

P.P.S. my iPhone photos have been uploading weirdly, and vertical pictures go horizontal, so I rotate them, and then they load really funny on my phone. Anyway… yummy food and a day with ups and downs! :) Glad that my days usually always end on a high note.

Alaska

November 14th

14 November 2014

Aloha Friday.

I woke up nice and early, which is quite rare these days. At a dark 6 am, I got out of bed and laid in front of the heater. I’m so grateful for our heater so that I don’t have to freeze! Someday we’ll have a wood stove and that will be ever so lovely.

I’m grateful for beautiful mornings. And for a puppy who gets us going in the morning.

I’m grateful that I said YES to a phone call for substitute teaching at the school in the Russian village, Nikolaevsk! When I was little we lived right by the Russian village in a little cabin and we had so many great forts in the woods. Today was my first day of substitute teaching. It was great. Really great.

The school is so unique, with maybe like 70 kids K-12. There is focus on preserving the Russian culture and remembering the Old Believers. Not all the kids are Russian of course, but it was great because I felt like I was in a different place. It was all new and exciting and the kids were really great.

The half hour drive in the North Fork wilderness was beautiful and brought back lots of memories. So I’m really grateful for how all of that worked out.

I am especially grateful for the inspiration of the spirit, and that I followed the spirit and made a salad for the ward Thanksgiving dinner. :) I didn’t feel like using the salad spinner (because I don’t like it very much) and I didn’t feel like cutting up veggies (I was being a sloth), but I felt like I should so I did. And pretty much it was like the only green salad there, so I’m glad I could make a nice contribution. :)

I’m grateful for our wonderful Homer ward and the lovely Thanksgiving party. I’m grateful for the crayons and paper leaves so that we could write down things we were thankful for. I’m especially grateful for the moment when little Katy came over and said, “Can you help my write ‘my sister’?” Goodness those two nieces of mine are so precious and such good sisters.

I’m thankful for texting and picture messages so that my siblings and I can stay in touch. :) I’m grateful for my in-laws and that I love them and they love me. I feel wonderful being in Chris’s family.

I’m grateful for movie time with Christopher — we watched Gattaca (the first ever dvd my family owned when I was a kid) and folded all the laundry, which is great! Grateful for Chris, who got me some chocolate gelato, which made movie/laundry time even better.

AND I’m grateful that our friend told us “the lights are out” and we got to watch the Northern Lights for a couple hours on a dark chilly hill under a beautiful sky. (This picture is obviously not an iPhone picture, like the rest of my pictures these days. Also, with the slower shutter speed, the camera captured a lot more light than we could see with our lovely eyeballs and supervision. We couldn’t see any pink, only green. Nevertheless, twas really beautiful and lovely.) The sky was magical with the northern lights and starry starry night.

Alaska

November 13th

13 November 2014

I’m extremely grateful for pillow talk. I love talking at night with dear Christopher, sharing our thoughts, victories, struggles, funnies. Chris and I are far from fantastic with diligent scripture/gospel study, though we do usually at least have some sort of spiritual thought type thing. I’m grateful for the peace that the gospel brings. Husband shared these words with me by President Uchtdorf:

“Perhaps focusing on what we are grateful for is the wrong approach. It is difficult to develop a spirit of gratitude if our thankfulness is only proportional to the number of blessings we can count. True, it is important to frequently “count our blessings”—and anyone who has tried this knows there are many—but I don’t believe the Lord expects us to be less thankful in times of trial than in times of abundance and ease. In fact, most of the scriptural references do not speak of gratitude for things but rather suggest an overall spirit or attitude of gratitude.

It is easy to be grateful for things when life seems to be going our way. But what then of those times when what we wish for seems to be far out of reach?

Could I suggest that we see gratitude as a disposition, a way of life that stands independent of our current situation? In other words, I’m suggesting that instead of being thankful for things, we focus on being thankful in our circumstances—whatever they may be.”

I am thankful that the Lord puts such wonderful people and blessings and experiences in our path.

And goodness, after months without a functioning washer (thanks to my sister for letting us borrow hers), we found a cheap used one that works great. Hooray! I wonder how long our clean clothes will sit in the baskets before I put them away…

Chris and I watched How to Train Your Dragon 2 and I thought it was a gem. Dragons and people can live in peace! Amen. And of course our movie was accompanied with Whirly Pop (get one) popcorn with coconut oil. Yum. Grateful for moments like that.

Oh, and I’m especially grateful for a certain girl’s comment on Facebook that made me feel much much better. She wrote it just when I needed it and I’m grateful for the spirit that guides us so we can help each other.

I’m grateful for the time I have to play music and that we have a keyboard so I can play piano. It’ll be lovely to have a nice old wooden upright piano someday, but no space for it now in our lovely home which I love so much.

Grateful for the beauty everywhere!

IMG_0047-1 2

Alaska

November 12th

12 November 2014

Wednesday.

I love wind. Okay, that’s not entirely true, because there are definitely times (especially in the harbor) when it is too windy and cold for me. What I love are magical moments that are nice and windy, where I feel peace. Like I just have some great memories of windy moments where I could feel Heavenly Father’s love. With the storm somewhere that I don’t know hardly anything about, our weather here has been a little more cuckoo. Today was quite windy. And it made me feel and think of God’s love and power. I’m grateful for those moments that ground us.

I’m also grateful to my dear family and our times working together. It’s funny and good. We’ve been doing a lot of that lately helping my dad clean out an old house he just bought.

I’m grateful for my precious lovely nieces and the joy they bring me. Oh I love them so so much. They helped me make cupcakes for the young women for mutual. And then of course they decorated some and there were sprinkles (and sewing pins) all around and that is great. They play so well and make me really happy.

Chris and Dad and I all went to mutual last night and I’m so happy and grateful to work with and serve the youth. For YW decorated lots and lots of cupcakes and it was fun and we shared (and ate) some and that was good. Really grateful for the good influence of the church and gospel in my life.

Aaaaand… grateful for rummikub! I totally love playing that these days.

Alaska

November 11th

11 November 2014

11/11 – super wish day!

I am grateful for ponder time to think about what I most desire.

Joy is always at the top of my desire list. When I make wishes, happiness is always included in the list, and it’s something I’m quite often blessed with. I’m really grateful for that, and that the Lord is happy to grant us our righteous desires. He knows what is best for us and he knows what and who we need, and when we need them.

I’m really grateful for my parents. I think they are the bee’s knees and I feel lucky to have them both. Lately we’ve been working in this semi hoarder house that my dad just bought, cleaning it out and selling stuff and such, and it’s nice to do some good work with both my mama and papa.

Here’s a picture of a cool moon boot. Who doesn’t love that?

I’m grateful for Christopher, obviously. :) I’m just so so happy and glad to have him as my companion. I don’t ever want to be without him. He gives me so much purpose and motivation and happiness.

I’m grateful for washing machines! What a dream washers and dryers are! Our washer has been broken for quite some time, but we took a nice, dark, rainy drive and got us a new used one. Lovely.

I’m grateful for spaghetti squash. Yum. Made a recipe similar to this one tonight. Yum. I’ve recently acquired a liking to fancy cheeses btw.

I’m grateful for DOWNTON ABBEY OMG I LOVE IT. We (including the pooch) really enjoyed watching it tonight. Oh I love them all.

Alaska

November 10th

10 November 2014

Monday. It was pretty sunny. Most of the snow has melted away. Kooky.

I’m grateful that we had Chris’s business friend/mentor/investor over for dinner. It was a really lovely time. Enlightening and inspiring. I love our home and I’m grateful for the lovely space that we have.

We gave thanks and ate our yummy salmon (that we caught this summer) and stirfry and quinoa. Delish. I’m grateful for the things we’ve been blessed with and how accessible things and information are to us.

I’m grateful for the blessing that it is to talk with others and share experiences and stories. Stories are wonderful.

I’m also grateful for the Family: Proclamation to the World that we have framed on our wall, in portuguese of course.

Also, I’m grateful for the good use of facebook. It is so helpful in keeping in contact and sharing parts of our lives with others.

Alaska

November 9th

9 November 2014

domingo sunday hoje today aujourd’hui

I really love going to church. I am so grateful for the knowledge I have of the gospel and the peace it brings. And the church functions so well and I really really love our Homer ward; so many good, beloved people.

I love having my family and so many great friends at church, friends who have become like family. I’m grateful that Chris is so friendly with others, nonjudgmental, and really open to helping and serving. The sunday school lesson was great today too. Dedicated teachers.

I’m grateful for visiting and home teaching, opportunities to serve, and the blessing that it is to share relationships and learn together.

I’m really grateful to serve in Young Women. It gives me purpose and makes me happy. I love those girls. Today I taught a lesson about conversion, and it made me thankful for the process of how I have become converted to Christ and his perfect gospel. I have become converted through small and simple things, and great things have been brought to pass (Alma 36:6-7). It is a continual process as well, choices made daily of how to be and what to do and how to do it.

On a different note, what post is complete without a cat picture?

Playing games is great too.

Alaska

November 8th

8 November 2014

Here’s another funny picture of me and my Pops from today. I’m really grateful for family. It’s so nice to have people who you love and who love you, and who understand and know you pretty well. Family, what a perfect invention. Marriage is fantastic too. I’m sooooo grateful that things have worked out so lovely with us. At the beginning, dating Chris wasn’t what I thought I wanted. Once I warmed up to the idea and started loving this funny boy, I still wasn’t too excited about marrying him. But thankfully, lights turned on inside of me and I realized I didn’t want to be without him! I just wanted him around for always. I am so happy to love my Christopher Robin. I’m grateful that the Lord knows me better than I do. :) grateful for rummikub eventides

Alaska

November 7th

7 November 2014

I’m grateful that Chris got me out for a walk, and I’m grateful to see changes in the world everyday. It’s neato to watch the seasons change.

I’m thankful my dad can be really hilarious. What a gem.

I’m grateful for recipes and food inspiration that I get online. Like I just google the ingredients I have, or something I want to make, and magic happens! Magic also happens when Sister Stacy sent me this recipe of yummy butternut squash soup with roasted chickpeas.

So so grateful that I get to sleep next to my sweet every night. I’m so happy he’s such a good cuddler. So thankful to be his wife.

Alaska

November 6th

6 November 2014

Some days I make it difficult to get out of bed. This occurs when I’m feeling like a sloth and I don’t feel motivated to do much. This cycle often spirals downward. The results are not ideal. Well that kind of happened today. Annoying. Buuut it happens.

I’m grateful for a dog who reeeeeeally likes getting outside when we wake up. I’m grateful for this because I always enjoy these walks with Edel (and Christopher, and our kitty Bel sometimes). It is so beautiful and I’m especially grateful to watch the seasons changing this winter.

I’m grateful for our home and our clothes and our baskets and for my friendship bracelet making time today, which made me feel more productive than laying in front of the heater with Edel. And I’m so grateful I got all my substitute teacher paper work done! Yay.

I’m grateful we live sooooo close to the beach and the ocean! Chris and I took Edel down there tonight and it was delightful. The world is a beautiful place.

Also, I am obviously no longer studying at the blessed BYU-Hawaii. I am soooo extremely grateful for the many classes I was able to take there, the lessons I learned, the professors who taught, friendly students, interesting subjects.. so grateful for it all. I do miss school. I am grateful for my peace building classes, oceanography, physiology, biology, world history, english, french literature, communications, anatomy, Eburne’s classes, anthropology, personal and family finance, physical science, volleyball, soccer, church history, doctrine and covenants, old testament, book of mormon… so many wonderful things I learn and hope to keep learning!

Alaska

november 5th

5 November 2014

Wednesday.

I hope my gratitude posts don’t become shallow and redundant. I really am grateful for my life, how it is, and who I am. I’m grateful for the things that refresh my perspective on my life, myself, and on others.

I’m grateful when Chris leaves my toothbrush ready for me to brush away! It makes it much more desirable to brush my teeth. :)

I’m grateful that I get to make tasty healthy food for me and Christopher. I’m grateful for his kisses. And when we look at the sky together. I like looking at the moon. And the stars. And the sun. JK, I’d recommend not looking directly at the sun.

I’m grateful for how I feel happy and rejuvenated after a good mutual activity at church with the young women. Sometimes I do not have the best attitude before I get to the church, but I usually leave feeling much lighter. I’m grateful for that. It was especially lovely to have both of my nieces at the church tonight too, for activity day and for hangout with Chelsea time. :)

Tonight I wasn’t really wanting to go to mutual, since we were watching Downton Abbey and eating salmons and potatoes and I was wearing sweats with lace pockets, but it really turned out lovely and made me happy.

Alaska

November 4th

4 November 2014

Tuesday.

Tuesday and Thursday evenings I play volleyball for a couple hours with various wonderful community members. I am so grateful for it. I love playing volleyball and I’m grateful for the exercise and for a well functioning healthy body and grateful that I know the community volleyballs schedule!

Also I’m grateful for the right I have to vote! Thank you to so many who have contributed to providing me with the freedoms that I have. So grateful to be an American and an Alaskan. :)

I hung out with my mama today and it was lovely. I love her so much and I love who she is and how she influences me. Today at her house I saw these two cool old pictures of my grandma with her in-laws and of my grandpa’s mother, Ethel. Really neato. Grateful for pictures. Forever grateful for pictures. They preserve and share so much.

Also, I found this old can of beanz today in this house we’ve been cleaning out. Cool. Vintage beans. :)

On my way home, I stopped at my sista’s house, and my niece Natalie was drawing the beautiful beautiful pink sunset. I am so grateful for Natalie and how she brings out the best in me.

And when I came home, my darling husband had dinner waiting for me! Perfect burritos. I’m so grateful for our food times at the table and I’m so grateful Christopher is my dear companheiro. <3<3<3

Alaska

November 3rd

3 November 2014

Monday.

Chris and I stayed up till just after midnight, but I was sleepy and sometimes I’m narcoleptic, and I fell lying in front of the heater in my fabulous pink tights (that I bought from Claire’s on a high school volleyball trip like ten years ago). Well miss Edel Cradle came and laid right by me and it was sweet and I love her and she’s a really good cuddler. I’m grateful that I love Edelweiss.

Morning came and we took the pooch out for her usual walk and ball tossing escapade. Since it’s snowy, the kitty no longer joins on our jaunts. I’m grateful for the trails next to our house and for the great chuck it balls and ball launcher, because it all keeps our doggy quite happy, and Chris and I enjoy it too. I love the morning walks, even if some mornings I lay in bed on my phone, until I’m too hungry or have to pee so bad that I finally get out of bed. True story.

I’m really grateful the my sister Holly and her family live just five minutes away from us. It is so nice. I love being in their home, playing with my nieces, watching the chickens, talking with them, playing games, eating… it’s great. I’m grateful they have a great washer and dryer that we’ve been using sometimes lately; our washer is broken which is lame. But it’s nice that Sister lets us use hers!

I’m grateful for cool treasures and for opportunities to serve others. Serving helps me and it makes me feel mo better.

And I’m so so grateful for our ward’s “empty nester’s FHE!” That’s Family Home Evening, where you get together with family type people on a monday night and enjoy lovely things and learn something together. Chris and I went to our friends’ home and ate together with other friends, and then heard a nice message and had a good discussion. Oh there’s so many people I love so much and I’m grateful to be loved by them.

I’m grateful that our kitty Bel likes Jesus.

PS. Chris had a mustache for 24 hours. And I’m grateful for the laughs that came from it, and that he doesn’t have a mustache anymore. :) I love my honey boy husband mancub Christoph.

Alaska

November 2nd

2 November 2014

Today I am thankful for fast sundays. It’s not a day I always look forward to, because I do quite enjoy eating yummy food and I don’t always enjoy being hungry, but it is definitely a day I am grateful for. It is a blessing to be able to fast and it helps me rely more on the Lord. I’m grateful for the knowledge that I have that God hears and answers my prayers.

I’m grateful for the gift of the Holy Ghost and that he can be our constant companion. I’m so grateful for the inspirations that I receive throughout the day, which lead me to greater peace and happiness.

Today I’m grateful that our kitties are getting along better!! Since we got our little kitty Bel this summer, our lovely fluffy cat Amelia has not been very happy about it. We’ve prayed for them to get along better and it is happening. They can both be around each other now without too much hissing and growl meows. Our Edel pup is pretty good with the cyats too.

One of the things I’m so so grateful for is family time here at mine and Chris’s home!! Mom, sister, and my precious nieces came over and played today after church! This is Chris and Natalie watching the trek video that Chris made. Presh and lovely.

We ate really yummy and healthy stiryfry and salmon. It was lovely. And then we had some of my pumpkin pie that turned out fantastically. I’m grateful for healthy delicious food and our desire to consume it. I’m so happy we have salmon, and hopefully we will get some halibut soon too.

I’m grateful for Natalie and Katy and how happy they make me and how they make life much more magical. We made pumpkin chocolate chip cookies together this evening and it was so enjoyable and delicious! I love making cookies, giving them away, and eating them of course.

I’m grateful for Chris’s beard too. He just shaved it. He’s been bearded for so long! So that’ll be an adjustment. :) I’m so grateful for all the hard work he does and his dedication to do great things and help people.

I’m grateful we went to a cute little girl’s baptism today and for the confirming spirit we felt. On my mission, I made a goal to go to baptisms around me. Baptisms and confirmations are always special and I am reminded of the sweet spirit I felt with so many people on my mission.

Popcorn with coconut oil and salt is yummy and nice to eat whilest watching netflix, and I’m grateful for moments like that with my honey husband today. :) I’m grateful for netflix, and for our whirley pop to make popcorn!

I feel very blessed. And I’m grateful for that. I’m also grateful for my pink tights. I love them.

Alaska

November 1st

1 November 2014

Today I am grateful that my dad is home! It had been like 6 weeks since we’d seen each other I think. It was especially good to see how long his beard is now! :) He’s really cool. And he’s a great example of physical health. He’s been eating extra super healthy the past few weeks and was saying how much better he noticed he felt, like no joint pain and stuff.

I’m grateful for all the goods he brought us from costco, especially the pictures I just had printed!

I’m grateful that Chris and I have so many wonderful memories and experiences that are captured in beautiful fotos. And I’m so grateful to have so many fotos in our house.

I’m so very grateful for our home. Mortgages are not the greatest, but I am so grateful we have a home that we can call our own. I love it. And I love home making. :)

I’m grateful for opportunities to serve. It makes me feel better and it makes others feel good too.

I’m grateful the my Christopher honey husband is home. I love being able to say our prayers together each night and wake up to his lovely face each morning and to kiss him during the night while I watch him sleep. hehe. How endearing. :)

I’m grateful my parents live here in Homer. And my sister and her family. I love being able to visit them and play together. I love my family and whole lot.

OH! AND I’M GRATEFUL FOR SNOW AND FOR THE MAGIC OF WINTER!!!

How good it is that it’s november. I’m shall be more grateful each day.

Alaska

pineapple days

28 October 2014

Chris has been gone for 9 days so far, 3 more to go. He’s on a business trip doing great aviation things with great aviator people. We miss each other a lot though. Life makes so much more sense together.

In his absence I have grown to love our pup Edelweiss a lot more though. My liking to her has been growing all summer and lately it’s reached the love level! Not sure why I was so resistant to her, but I’m glad I’ve opened my heart because I really appreciate her. Good little Edel cradle.

I feel lots safer with her around too, especially when honey husband is gone. There’s not really much I need to be afraid of, but sometimes I get afraid anyway. It’s nice to know we’ve got a good protective pooch around.

Anyway, with Chris gone I’ve done some good productive and helpful things, and also some less productive, laying in front of the heater moments, on my phone, and continually checking various social media, instrgam being the preferred media.

I’ve been looking lots through our old fotos though, and that’s where this giant pineapple picture came from. Those pineapple days were soooo good. And the days now really are good good now too.

Also… I played volleyball tonight with a bunch of Homer’s lovely community members and it was soon fun and great! I loved it. Made me really happy and glad and it feels great to exercise.

Also, I’m so happy to live so close to a bunch of my favorite peeps, aka family.

Also, our kitty Bel just sneezed, precious. And she’s purring up a storm. So glad Christopher dear will be home soon!

Alaska

Amigos week with April and Jesus.

16 October 2014

Way back in July, my dear ol’ friends from the early BYU-Hawaii days came out to visit!

It was such a delightful week. So good.

I picked them up at the Anchorage airport and of course we had to take a picture with this lovely airport grizzly bear. When I picked them up, I dropped Chris off for a business trip. :( I’m glad they all got to meet each other for 15 minutes though!

We camped at Bertha Creek campground, saw a lovely waterfall, and had a grand time camping.

Jesus was excited to pump delicious cold water right out of the ground! Alaska is magical.

When we stopped for a bathroom break in Cooper Landing, we talked to this guy making a cool cabin and peeling logs #likeaboss. He was friendly and kind enough to let us try it out too. It’d take me a long long time to build a cabin. I’ll just work on making a doll house.

We drove on Skilak Lake Road to try and spot some bears. We found a BIG pile of bear poo, but didn’t see any bears.

And we stopped at this cool bone and rock shop in sterling! I’d never been there and it was pretty coolio and Alaskan. :)

And we stopped at the chainsaw carving place on the side of the road in sterling. The guy and his apprentice make super cool carvings.

And we ate some salmons for dinner! My first time having pink salmon. Not bad at all, at least fresh. April and Jesus were so lovely to make dinner while I cleaned boats.

The beach was grand.

And Norman Lowell studio was incredible too! April and Jesus really appreciated it and the art. They were such goooood guests. Wow, so good. Loved having them around.

They MADE me these sandals!!! Out of leather and thread and their own hands! Oh I love them.

They helped me clean boats, since I do that everyday. They were so happy to live Chelsea’s Homer life.

We brushed Edel. Shedding season…. ugh

The fam was in town too! And we all played together. Love having lovely peeps in our home.

First time to Happy Valley Falls!!!

I carved this for me and Christoph.

We had fun times cruising around town together in Penelope!! I love my subie. And my amigos!!!

Cool boat. Cooler car. Cooler peeps.

Played lots with nephew Brady while the fam was up visiting! He’s such a doll.

Bear tracks on the beach going to Grewingk Glacier.

Love my sibling time. (missed you Holly! And Chris too of course!!)

I LOVE THIS BOY.

Farmer’s Market carrots!

SUPER COOL BOOKSTORE. Really nice Russian man who owns it and has an amazing collection of books. They liked going here. So did I! Can’t believe I’d never been there before! But I’d always wanted too.

They became such good and helpful boat cleaners. It was such a joy having them around.

I’m grateful for the wonderful souls the Lord puts in our lives, and how he helps us become more wonderful too.

Alaska

Boats cleaned!

21 September 2014

It’s our last night of boat cleaning! For the season at least. I’m sure I’ll be cleaning next summer too. I just can’t pass it up! I’m really grateful for it. And so happy to be done for the season.

Btw we watched twister tonight. We’ve been watching old school movies lately and are loving it. And we ate some really delicious ginger stir fry and salmon for dinner. Happy things. :)

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