good to be home

We were lucky to have gotten home! I wouldn't have been so anxious to get home if I didn't think it would be so hard. We flew in only 20 hours later then scheduled. Space-A didn't work out in the end, but same-day tickets sure did! Hurray for great prices. There are countless numbers of people stuck in Seattle b/c of the Anchorage airport being closed because of the volcano eruptions and ash clouds. When we heard we were being diverted to Portland instead of Seattle from Honolulu, we were sad because we wouldn't be able to see my parents, BUT 

:::  At the airport we could keep our plane and it would wait with us... almost like a private jet!

:::  We would be able to get home sooner. 

:::  Mark would be able to fly again sooner (it has been a really long time since he went to Safety School for a month+ in New Mexico - never knew it, huh!? I'm sneaky like that). 

:::  I would be able to sleep in my soft bed sooner (back pain is so wonderful). 

:::  I would be able to finish my quilt sooner (meaning fix my huge mistake sooner - more on that to come). 

:::  We would be able to finish the basement sooner (got an estimate today - we're anxious to begin!)

:::  We could begin the preparations for being parents! Not much time left... it's going to come so fast!

All in all, I'm just glad Mark is now home with me; so I can talk about my ideas out loud without feeling a little nuts, so I can laugh at (yep) and with him, so we can cook together, so we can drive together and I can be the best back seat driver ever. I've missed him over the last month!

20 weeks

So here I am at 20 weeks. This was taken on Monday night, I believe (courtesy of Mark's iphone). Since then, my belly has grown a little more. There have been 2 nights so far in this pregnancy where I have woken up and felt it growing, really!! It's the strangest sensation. It's tightens up and I feel little pulling. I have been able to feel the little boy every now and then and get all excited and shout, "baby!" Mark now knows that it means it's moving.

One worry: yesterday my ankles turned into little cankles!! Is this normal for almost 21 weeks? I'm a tad nervous... maybe it's all the restaurant salty foods and the little hike we tried yesterday. We met a guy in a gallery (who ended up making a commission... but that's another story yet to come) who's wife went into labor at 26 weeks and he said they caught it at just a 'regular check up'. But he said she was all swollen!! So you bloggity-mothers out there, tell me it's not a bad sign to get some swelling this early?!

So anyway, here's the picture I promised!! I better get back to Hawaii-ing.

Anyone hear about Redoubt erupting?? We might not get home on schedule...

bring on the heat!

Tonight we pack. 

Tomorrow we fly. 

We are trying to get here: Oahu, HI. We're flying Space A, a military perk to fly from place to place without spending money on transportation. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't! So if we only end up in California, I will still be happy because they have BEACHES! 

I'm taking: capris, t-shirts, swimsuits, camera, flip-flops, cell phone (because I have to), and a book

I'm leaving: ipod, computer, television (because I normally just tote this everywhere), sweaters, and snow
*pooch pictures ARE coming... Mark will just have to take them while my toes are nestled in the warm sand. EEEEE!

little bitty boy

A baby with a stinkin' cute foot like this:

and a sleepy little profile like that:

he must be a little boy!! For the little guy's privacy reasons, I'll refrain from putting his embarrassingly exposed picture up. But we are 100% certain this little hooligan is a little boy! I think he'll be just like Mark was when he was a toddler; walking around the house in nothing but boots and a cowboy hat! 

My Grandpa Barrett just said we will need to call him Wyatt Earp. oo! I do like the name Wyatt, though... 

Now begins the name game. You should hear what Mark comes up with!

Stats: 

19.3 weeks along today

16 Aug due date (Mark's birthday!)

*bump picture coming soon

Bon Voyage!

photo credit: .sunday. by punkinmom {caroline}

My friend had this on her blog and since I had some free time (woohoo!) I decided to give it a try. If I were to have a band, this would be my album cover, according to these steps. Give it a try!

See how my little sister's turned out. Pretty artsy-tartsy. That's right. Tartsy. 

1. Go to Wikipedia. Hit “random”
or click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
The first random Wikipedia article you get is the name of your band.

2. Go to Quotations Page and select “random quotations”
or click http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3
The last few words of the last quote on the page is the title of your first album.

3. Go to Flickr and click on “explore the last seven days”
or click http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days
Third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

4. Use Photoshop or similar to put it all together.

doldrums

Buckwheat is trying to outlast winter. 

bad bug

This week, I had a plan. I was going to work/temp(?) for 3 days at the clinic: Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. 

Thursday I was going to stay home from quilting so I could finish my service auction frames. Thursday night I was going to attend the Relief Society service auction, enjoy dinner, and come home with something fabulous. 

Saturday, today, I was going to go buy a couple little maternity shirts, grocery shop, wash the cars, and fill them both up with gas. Then I was going to attend the Adult Session of Stake Conference. 

Instead, these last 2.5 days I have been incapacitated with a huge, ugly cold. Chills, fever, 'getting sick', congestion (nasal and chest), big stabbing headache with loud noises, bright lights, and sharp eye glances (sounds odd, I know), big cough, and just plain misery!! 

At least it's pretty outside and my neighbor finally drove his diesel truck away (they keep it running for at LEAST 45 minutes before driving away, which means my house fills up with the deadly fumes), and little Buckwheat is curled up by my feet. 

I hope today ends better then yesterday, and I feel a little better. I just wanted to complain to someone - so my blog won. 

Stay healthy, everyone!!

story from a vet

There was a gentlman I just checked out (I'm temping at the clinic this week) that had a Veteran's hat with a clip-on-metal and lots of ribbons. The wars listed were WWII, Korean and Vietnam. I had to ask.

He said he was actually in 4 wars, and he then started in on a little story. Here it is:

He was a bomber pilot in the Korean war, waiting for the moon to come out before they began their flight over the rice patties. Lying on the wing of his plane, his buddy gave him a stick of gum to help pass the time.

An hour and a half later his plane was shot and destroyed. While the plane was going down they all jumped with parachutes and survived (he left out the rest of the story, there was sadly a line of patients growing).

He said he's never chewed gum since, and he's also never been shot down since. So it must be working.

the graduate

I can now proudly say that I am one of the newest graduates from the University of Phoenix Online Campus. It feels wonderful. And I'm sure it will feel even more so as it continues to set in, and as I spend much less time with this: 

While I do love my computer, it will be very nice for both my fingers and my pup that pouts every time he hears the little 'start up click'... yes, he pouts! For the entire 3 years of marriage, Mark has been married to a student. Now he will be married to a Jayci. Congratulations, Mark!!

so nice

I just ran out to beat the mail man to my box. I was going to be late on a bill if it didn't get today (Mark, I miss you!). We made it to the box at the same time, and right when I slipped my envelopes into the outgoing slot, the mail man stepped out of his chain-tired truck and said, "Let me guess his name, Toto?" I said, "YES!" (just trying to be funny, haw haw). He held out a milk bone (Buckwheat has never really loved them), but Buckwheat stood to reach it, gently took it from the mail man and booked it back to the house where he could eat it. I said, "Thank you!" and let Buckers pull me on home with his 9 pounds of horse power. 

Then I noticed a suburban parked in front of my house with two women from the ward inside. I hurried and tried to look presentable incase they came to the front door. Then I noticed Brandon, one of their sons with a snow shovel. They drove off thinking I never saw them. 

So many  nice people!!  

wrap it up

Thai Peanut Chicken Lettuce Wraps: 

When I was a sophomore and roommates with Jordan, our friend Mauri came over (then I didn't know her too well - seems so long ago!) and they were making dinner together. Mauri had come up with a little idea for chicken lettuce wraps. 

I took notes, and have made them a few times. If you're interested, here is... 

what you need: 

iceberg lettuce 

cooked chicken (of course)

Peanut Sauce (I use Bangkok Padang Peanut Sauce-mmm)

optional:

mandarin oranges 

water chestnuts

peanuts 

happy things

While I'm dreaming of summer time and fresh grapes, my pup still comes in from the outdoors looking like this: 

because he likes to do things like this: 

and this picture, I just wish had turned out clearly, it just makes me laugh:

Tessa! these are for you. He's still due for that de-wookie-ing haircut.

grapes

The taste of summer. Especially the red ones! At the house I grew up in, my dad grew grapes outside my sister's window on a tall trellis (it was tall because my dad is tall and he still wanted to walk under it!). The grapes still grew, and it was fun to see them turn from small, bitter and green into round, red, sweet drops of summer. 

I have been enjoying them all week from the base grocery store, and thinking about other smells and tastes of summer. 

Another smell of summer for me is the smell of hot water coming through metal, just like the smell of water rushing out of a garden hose. Mark just put in a new shower head for me and it smells just like that!! When I turn on the water I put my nose close and take a deep breath. Just like summer! 

If you could bottle a smell or taste of summer, what would it be for you? I'm really curious!

trying

I am trying to let myself blog more often like the good old days (pre-morning sickness).  I'm still waiting for that icky part to end (the 15 week milestone is on Tuesday), and while I do, I'm finishing up work and tying up my lose-ends with school. It will feel so nice to have all that free time, so I'm gearing up to blog as I used to. 

Here's to hoping!

turning up the heat

I have had a steamer, I think since Mark and I were first married. Had I used it? No! That thing scared me to death. Holes in the bottom of a pan? What genius would put holes in a pan? oh. That thing's a steamer? I got it. 

The woman I sit next to at work, Hope, is such a healthy eater!! She cooks for her and her roommate almost every night and half of their entire meal is a steamed vegetable. Well, sitting next to her for so long, I was hoping something like that would rub off. So she'll be proud when I tell her of my Sunday Adventure. Here's how it went down: 

I followed the instructions and rinsed all of the beans (bought fresh from Costco-yum)…

I turned on the oven and let the water start boiling! *I read online to cover the pot to let the inner-temp rise
Then I put the beans in (I had to do 3 different sets because I was cooking 1/2 of the big bag! Trying to feed 13 people from these beans) to the steaming sauna. See the steam? So picturesque.

After they were tender enough (poked them with a knife), but still a little hard (b/c I like to think they retained a lot of the nutrients that way), I put them in the casserole dish with the lid on to wait for the rest of them. 

When I was finished with all that I wanted to cook, I added 1.5 T of butter, salt, lots of pepper, and a touch of garlic powder (you may already know I don't like cooking with garlic! It reeks. and so does the person who consumes too much of it!) Stirred it all together and VOILA!

So just incase you're one of the ladies too scared to steam.... I hope this little mini tutorial helps. It was just as easy as Hope said it would be. And they turned out so yummy I may do it every night this week for my dinner's vegetable. 

sun day

I wonder how someone came up with the name for today. Pretty nice, I must say, having a day devoted/named after sunshine. I wonder if they assigned names to the days of the week after the majority of Christian religions started practicing Sabbath on Sunday and it has a religious reference to the Son, who is our sun in a dark world? 

What do you think? (without wiki-ing it)

Either way, the sunshine that is now coming through the low parts of the valley earlier in the day is like a fire when it hits the trees. I love, absolutely love early morning sunshine. It's at its purest and brightest, I think, when it's morning. What a beautiful way to begin a Sabbath day. 

Buckwheat thought so too. *he needs a haircut! every time he starts looking at me like a wookie, I know it's about time...

3 years

Monday was mine and Mark's third anniversary. It was sad that it felt like any other day because unfortunately I had work, and that night involved a trip to the airport. Mark had the day off, since it was President's Day, and well, the military observes Federal Holidays unlike hospitals. hah! 

Luckily for me, Mark is a sweetie. He spent all day doing his own chores, but then also did laundry, vacuumed, cooked dinner...

... and surprised me with these!! He hung them while I was at work. Yes they are different heights because the windows are different heights + we needed them to the floor at the sliding door. Summers here are bright! Thank you, Mark!

PS - a lot of you asked, so here's a little of my reasoning for quitting. Mark and I have been hoping for a pregnancy for some time, and with it 'underway?' we knew we would want to take advantage of this time we have just us. Not that we haven't been doing it anyway, but now it's crunch time! :) So we are planning a couple little trips and I just want to relax for a little while. I have 4 more work days left (since I get Thursdays off), and afterwards I plan on painting canvases (seeing how it turns out will be the adventure), sewing (working on my quilts, and stockings), lots of walking (no slipping!) with Buckwheat, lots of cooking (I have lots of gathered recipes I'd love to try), lots of books to read, and 9 days of school to finish after my last day of work. Then I will be done with both my degree AND work! Hallelujah!

Valentine's Day

Mark and I celebrated our love-appreciation-day by making a yummy breakfast and then calling the temple. We signed up for the 1:00 session, but when the time came to leave, Mark did NOT feel well. We made it there on time, but we were rushing and decided to do sealings instead. The sealer was one of the oldest sealers I have ever seen. His name was Leon, and loved talking to Mark after we were done. 

We left the temple and when we got to the little restaurant I realized I left my coat! It was that warm. I told Mark it is a good day in Alaska when you walk outside and don't realize you left your coat.

Then we went to Chili's for the yummiest salsa and chips. Chili's has my favorite salsa of all time (I realized this when we lived in Texas where I would go shopping in town and grab their chips and salsa to go!). If anyone knows where I can find the recipe/a similar recipe, let me know! 

mighty change of hair

Thursday I cut and colored my hair. Being blonde was swell, but with trying not to damage any babies, I didn't want to keep coloring my hair every 6 weeks. With one color of brown I won't have to worry about keeping it up for a long while. So here is the Ask Aida hair cut on yours truly. 

This is Kim (on the left) and Katie (on the right). Kim was the birthday girl, so a bunch of girls from work went to celebrate! 

These pictures were taken Friday night at Gallo's a Mexican Restaurant in Anchorage, but everyone here (even the commercials on TV) pronounce the name "Galow's." It's really strange. Anyway, they had great chimichangas and spicy-hot salsa that was muy delicioso.  
Here is me and Sarah, my e-mail buddy at work. Being her visiting teacher is all-too-convenient when I see her every day!! And she is also the one that found me the job at AFOC. 

And this last picture is of me and Carol, Dr. Ryan's nurse. It will be sad leaving all these wonderful people next Friday (my last day of work). They have become like family!

sunny and share

See that? It's a sun-shadow. I had to show it off. You probably see them all the time at your house, but I haven't seen this at my house since ~November!! Since I'm away during the day at work, and most Saturdays have been overcast, I was pretty excited, and had to document! These were last Thursday. 

I know... still nothing up on the wall there, I'm working on it. :) 

Here is the sunshine from the deck. YUM!

hello spring? naah.. probably not for another couple of months. But hello sun!