Polar Plunge....

December 28th was Sitka's annual Polar Plunge.  I personally don't find satisfaction in wearing next to nothing on a freezing cold, very windy day and then dipping my body into freezing cold ocean water.  There were however a few hundred people who decided to take the plunge.  One of those crazies was of course our son.  

 He wore his GoPro into the water to document his plunge.  Its an interesting perspective and documents what the human body sounds like when it is unable to take a breath due to shock.  

Notice my kid is charging ahead of a superhero to get into the icy water!!

Some have said that extremely intelligent people lack basic common sense.  I'm not going to quote that though just yet because my Trav says that he and I are participating next year.  

Christmas Recap....

So Christmas 2013 is over!  In general it was a good holiday.  We celebrated Christmas Eve with a mexican fiesta of delicious tacos, nachos and qaucamole.  Not a typical holiday meal, but everyone in this house loves food with a "South of the Border" flair so we indulged.  We watched our favorite Christmas movie "Elf" and tucked the kids into bed.  Of course my 11 year old laid in bed awake until almost 11pm so the night did drag on a bit.  Trav and I both know we are on borrowed time when it comes to the kids so we tried to be thankful for another year and enjoyed every second.

Trav and I felt a mix of emotions this year. We are accustomed to being without family around the holidays and we always miss them.   This year just felt different though.  Everyone felt very far away and I think we yearned to see familiar faces and share in family embraces.   We laid in bed on Christmas Eve remembering years and times gone by.  Chrimtmas at Mema and Papa's house when I was young, Christmas with Grandma Theresa for my Trav.  Hugging our parents, seeing our children play and laugh with cousins.  We enjoyed reflecting on memories of when we were kids which rolled into a sense of sadness that our own babies are not babies anymore and in a matter of years our Christmas dynamics will be changing.

Anyways, we woke up to an abundance of gifts from Santa and our families.  Trav had to go into work so we were up at an extremely early hour to let the kids enjoy their morning with Trav still home.  Taylor managed to acquire swollen tonsils and symptoms familiar with Strep throat so I pumped her full of Motrin to get her through the day.  It was a relaxing day filled with pajamas, food and laughs.

As you can see we love getting books for Christmas.  A bunch of nerds aren't we.

Travi using his new GoPro to videotape Taylor playing with her new Perler Beads...he watches the video feed on his Ipod.  Technology is ridiculous these days.

The boys got matching hoodies from Santa along the GoPro.  We have already been trying out the GoPro all over the place...in the woods taking hikes, Trav and I wore it running and Travi is wearing it on a hunt tomorrow.  its been very entertaining and Santa must have know it would be great in Maui!!

The kids got Qwirkle from Santa and its awesome!  We have already played several times after dinner.  Its a great strategy game that kids or adults can win at.  Taylor kicked all our butts last night.  

I definitely recommend it.

This is the most special gift I got this year.  Travi made this halibut for me in Woodshop Class at school.  He worked for over a month on it, even staying after school to put in extra time on it.  He was very anxious to give it to me.  I had no idea what I was getting, assumed it was going to be a hand crafted toolbox or something.  I absolutely love my maple wood, halibut.  It proudly hangs in my kitchen!

The kids loved everything they recieved.  Trav was able to get home to enjoy dinner with us.  Our vension and halibut were outstanding.  My cheesecake was gorgeous and delicious. By the end of the day we were all full and happy.  As always we know we have more then so many out there and much to be grateful for.  I always try to remind the kids that we have more then we need.  We live in a beautiful place, in a beautiful home with a bounty of things, both needs and wants.  We are blessed beyond words to be together, be healthy, be active and able.  I'm not sure how we deserve all that we have received or all the we have.  I tell my Trav all the time that perhaps we have really good Karma.  Whatever it is, this Christmas was a great reminder that we are blessed, very blessed!!

Christmas Eve, Eve....

Its Christmas Eve, Eve.  I'm sitting here at home alone feeling nostalgic this morning.  I should be getting ready for work instead of blogging but, tis the season!

My boys are out hunting this morning hoping to capitalize on a couple of more deer before my Trav ships out.  My baby girl is sleeping over with friends.  So here I sit running over my grocery list, which I still have to shop for, looking for a new recipe for a breakfast cassarole dish to make Christmas morning.  I still have presents to wrap too.  As I've said before, I'm perpetually running behind this year.

I'm also thinking about how much I love this time with my little family.  I will be working today and tomorrow and my Trav actually has duty/work on Christmas Day but we will make the most of our day and feel abundantly full of love.  Our families back down south always send plenty for the kids to open and we typically enjoy a quiet day filled with good food and Christmas movies.

This year our menu will consist of a variety of wild game we have acquired this year.   We will marinate and grill venison backstrap, fry fresh halibut and have veggies.  For dessert we are having Salmonberry Cheesecake.  It feels like the appropriate dinner.  We spend all summer fishing and Trav spends most the fall hunting so why not celebrate the holiday with the fruits of all our labor.  (Pictures of our dinner to follow after the holiday)

I'm attaching a few pictures of my holiday nostalgia for your viewing pleasure.

 I love getting Christmas cards.  I love seeing our friends and families faces, handwriting and words of joy and good cheer.  The sentimental side of me wishes I could keep every card we ever get.  The sensible, military spouse who has to pack up her house every 3 years knows thats just crazy.

Ornaments:  I would estimate 80% of my ornaments are homemade.  I definitely don't have a Pottery Barn Catalog Christmas tree but I love every single one of these ornaments

This ornament is a new one this year courtesy of Taylor.  

I'm mean seriously, how as a human being can you not love this!?!

Another new ornament this year from Taylor's teacher Mrs. Davis

The gingerbread rendition of one of our favorite cabins here in Southeast Alaska, Piper Island Cabin

Can you see the resemblance?

I just love this.

Well...Merry Christmas everyone!  Hope your week is filled with fun, love, family, friends  and nostalgic times.  

Holiday Happenings...

Christmas is about a week and a half away.  Holiday happenings are in full swing.  We got our tree up and decorated.  The kids have one more week of school before holiday break and my Trav has one more week of work before holiday routine at the Airstation.  Other then a few odds and ends to wrap up with gifts I think we are done.  

My Christmas cards will go out on Monday, which is the latest I have ever mailed them.  I always used to criticize people who didn't do Christmas cards but now I am starting to see why they don't.  When I was home more I had the time to sit down, address them so beautifully, stamp each card with a bit of Christmas flair, strategically place each festive stamp perfectly straight in the corner.  This year, I addressed them quickly as possible, crammed each card in an envelope and I let the kids slap on the stamps.  Simple as that!!  I fear if I attempted any more then that I would still be looking at these cards after the New Year. 

Taylor had her winter recital this past week.  She loves getting dressed up and singing songs.  She is so typically shy when she is out of her comfort zone but when you combine a sparkly dress, new dress shoes, singing and a stage in that order she comes out of her shell.  She was also happy that this year her dad would be able to watch her perform this year.  

Isn't it funny how in this picture they all look absolutely terrified or pissed!

After their performance I took pictures of Taylor with her two best friends here.  These girls and their families so graciously opened their hearts and doors to Taylor when we moved here. They made her transition to school here so easy.  She is very comfortable with their families and in their homes.  That comfortableness is what is important when you are new to a community and it is also what makes leaving in 18 months seems so dreadful.  That topic is for another post though! 

Trav and I decided to partake in the Airstation Christmas party this year.  I was a little hesitant about going but it turned out to be a nice evening.  Good food and good conversation.  

I was a little weirded out when I heard they had a photo booth instead of a photographer, but it turned out to be kinda fun!

My ramblings this weekend....

~Have you ever felt like you know someone, enjoy them, think their awesome only to realized later after the honeymoon phase is over its not going to work out.  Me too!  I have been dealing with relationship struggles lately.  Not in my marriage but in professional relationships and friendships.  Why the hell are relationships so complicated and hard.  At this point in my life I try not to stir the point, I try to be objective, look for ways to solve problems and avoid conflict. What I am realizing though is that no matter how much you think you are saying or doing the right thing, in the end it may not go as you planned.  You have to rely on the other parties involved to be just as understanding, objective, wanting the same outcome and be level headed for your picture perfect outcome.  News flash....that's not always the case.

Dealing with other peoples perspectives and emotions is a life lesson I have and am still learning.  While I prefer that every conflict or situation be resulted out and it be handed back to me with a bright, shiny, comfortable bow, it just doesn't always happen.  Friendships go south, work relationships take a hard right turn and sometimes you are just left standing there, angry, scratching your head wondering what you could have or should have done different.

One thing I do know is that as I get older I realize that if its not a healthy, mutual relationship I really don't want it.  If I feel like I am the only person in the relationship trying then I'm going to stop.  The road goes both ways right....at least that's what I have been told most my life.  I know I'm a good person, I know I'm a good coworker and I know I'm a good friend.  Sometimes life just complicates things and I am realizing I can't fix everything and make it perfect again.  I just need to make sure I surround myself with people who want and are worthy of my time. People who I have common ground with.  Life's just to short to spend it worrying about the rest of them.

~My little Travi is the coolest kid I know.  He is a lover of many things and dabbles in just about everything.  He is exceptionally smart, well spoken, diverse and a "man of many talents".  He gets straight A's, runs cross country, swims competitively, fishes, hunts, participates in book discussions, is active in junior politics, makes homemade survival and first aid kits, just to name a few.  He is a boy who is good at many things.

As a mom, I have a hard time letting him fail at anything though.  I know he won't be the best at everything, he might not be the best at anything but its damn hard to sit back and watch them try their hardest and it still not be quite enough for some people or teammates.  My Trav and I are firm believers in life lessons and that when you fail or fall short you pick yourself up, dust yourself off and keep going.  Unfortunately, that's not always the hard part.  The hard part is watching your child deal with emotions that come from being second or from feeling like he let teammates down.  Kids especially can hold a grudge or wear their emotions on their sleeves and lets face it "Tweens" or "Teens" can be brutally emotional.   Its so hard to sit back and watch a life lesson unfold.  As a mom I always want to hug my boy, shin kick the assholes and give him a cup of hot cocoa.  Cocoa makes everything feel better...right!?!

I have always told Travi we learn more from loosing then we do from winning.  Winning feels good and you work hard.  Loosing or just missing 1st place hurts and it hurts enough to leave a mark that makes you want to fight for it even more.  My saving grace with Travi is that the kid is damn resilient.  One minute his is down, feeling miserable and broken, the next he is smiling, happy and satisfied to have heard his name be called over the loud speaker for having the 7th Best time in the 50-Breast Stroke in all of SE Alaska!!!

                                

    Two 2nd Place relay medals and his 7th place individual medal draped around his neck!!

December...Currently!

Is it to early in the month for one of these.  Its only the 3rd of the month but whatever.


Listening:  I love Christmas carols!  They just fill me with so many emotions.  Many of them take me back to my childhood or remind of someone special or just give me the warm and fuzzies.  Pandora is my friend right now.  I can stream Christmas music through my iphone on their app. at work and then when I get home I stream it at home.  I will listen to them all month long.  I don't really love TV at all so I prefer to play music.

Feeling:  I feel good and optimistic about the holidays.  I think we are pretty much done with our Christmas shopping. Can I say I think we did all of our shopping 100% online.  Its kind of weird not to even walk into a store and purchase one single gift.  Our little town has some beautiful shops but they don't carry much in the way of gifts my kids want or things we would send out to family.  Tourist off the cruise ships love those shops but they are not the best for Christmas shopping.  I started in late October so I will not be partaking in any mad dashes last minute. I did order are Christmas cards late this year but they are on their way to me which means soon they will be on their way back out to all our peeps all around the country.

Watching:  Trav and I watched the movie Magic Mike last night for the first time.  I realized as I settled down to watch the movie that I have never been to a strip club...EVER!  Is that weird?  I'm not opposed to them and actually encouraged Trav to go to them when we were younger and he was deployed or away.  I'm completely secure in my marriage.  There just was never an opportunity.  I got married young and don't think there has ever been male exotic dancers at any of the locations we have been stationed.  I honestly had no idea the ins and outs of male strippers.  I enjoyed the movie!

Pondering:  My Trav will be leaving for an extended leadership academy right after the holidays.  He actually got orders today.  Can I just be blunt....I'm freaking dreading it.  You would think after almost 14 years of following this man around and dealing with separation I would be better at this.  We have been stationed at units were he constantly deployed and he was gone All.The.Time.  Yet here I am 4 weeks out from him leaving and I feel my chest get heavy and my anxiety rises just thinking about it.  To be totally honest, I'm just not good when he is gone.  I have been with him almost half my life and will gladly admit that I am not the most independent person.  He makes me a better mother, daughter and friend.  He is seriously one of my only friends here and my biggest supporter.  I don't feel weak for admitting that I need him and when he is gone I miss him.  It doesn't matter if its 4 days, 45 days or 6 months I will miss the shit out of him.  Damn....did I mention I am freaking dreading this!!

Random:  A friend of mine from the Cape posted this really great article on Facebook about exercise and healthy living.  I loved the article and have attached a link.  It summarized my sentiments on the lifestyle my Trav and I try to encourage our own kids to lead.  Please read it, its really good.

http://wellfesto.com/2013/11/19/10-things-i-want-my-daughter-to-know-about-working-out/

Speaking of exercise can I just vent that the darkness is a real drag right now.  I can hardly get out and run at all.  The sun does not rise until about 9:30am and then it gets dark again about 3:30pm.  When you work during the only daylight hours offered exercise outside is rough.  I'm not making excuses but I refuse to go to a gym.  I am not a gym person, don't enjoy that type of exercise and can't run on a treadmill.  I feel like a hamster on a wheel.   One of the most difficult things about approaching the winter solstice is the lack of daylight.  My stress level goes up, my tolerance level goes down and this momma just gets frustrated when I can't get my runs in.

On that note:

Tolerance and Frustration:
~ Please people in the lower 48....stop bitching about your lack of daylight and sunshine that comes through your windows.  When I read your rants, I roll my eyes and heavy breath at you.  If you think its dark there, its really damn dark here, and cold and rainy/snowy!

~Rude people, its the holidays.  Stop being so moody.  Tis' the season to be Merry!!!!!

~Sick people, cover your mouths when you sneeze or cough.  For the love of God, its not hard!  I work with the public all day long, 99% of you are over 18 years old.  Use proper sickliness edict!


Lastly:  We are putting our tree up tomorrow night.  Our house will smell wonderful and we will have a beautiful tree all aglow.  Picture to follow.  The boys are leaving for SE Alaska Swim Champioships in Juneau this weekend.  Travi qualified for 6 events plus some relays.  While the boys are away the girls of this house plan to lounge in our PJ's, watch Hallmark holiday movies and be cozy.  I'm already ready for this weekend!

Elf on the Shelf...not so much!!!

When I was a very young girl my grandparents had two toy soldiers from Santa that came each year to guard our goodies. He would talk to Santa when needed but otherwise insured everything Christmas related was protected. As a girl I loved these soldiers. They were my favorite part of getting out decorations at Memas house.  I would hold them and love them. My Mema told me they had been with our family for almost 25 years at the time I was a child.  They were fragile, old and delicate but worked hard while we were sleeping!

My grandmother gave me one of the soliders to take to my house on my 10th Christmas. He became a prized possession for me around the holidays. 

Fast forward to when my Trav and I started a family of our own. My mom sent him to me in Astoria, Oregon. I shared his magical story with my own children. He is now their magical soldier who guards our goodies. 

A handful of years ago the whole " Elf on the Shelf" thing hit the main stream. While I am happy millions of children get to enjoy a little Christmas magic, I can't help but chuckle.  Our magic soldier has been with my family for close to 50 years now.  He was with us before his story was making some mom and daughter team millionaires. He is not an elf that can't be touched, he is a family heirloom and loved one I intend to pass down to my children and their families. He is tattered and worn out. He has lost a boot and been eaten by a wiener dog.  He is old and nothing fancy. He is mine though and he came to me by way of my mother, my grandmother and decades of memories and traditions.  He is my Christmas magic!!

Thanksgiving Recap and Flashback

Another great Thanksgiving has come and gone!  As always we missed our families, wished we could have been with all of them and had to accept the ritual of phone conversation as a substitute.  Trav and I did our standard "Battle of the Bird" again.  He wrapped his in bacon, grilled and smoked it.  I brined mine and then stuffed it with goodies and roasted it.  Honestly they were delicious and I was proud of both of them.  I do love the smokey, alder flavor of my Trav's turkey though.  

We had Coast Guard friends over this year which was great.  It always helps to have great conversation and share good food and drinks with people who feel like family.  I could not help but be grateful for all we had this year.  While life feels extremely busy and overwhelming at times, we had a beautiful year.  We learned a lot about ourselves this year, had to deal with difficulties, grow as a family, grow as individuals and try to become better.  I think one thing that I thought about quite a bit on Thanksgiving was how much a year can change your life.  Last year at this time our life was in a very different place. We were celebrating with different people and wrapping up our first year in Sitka.  Now, a year later, our social circle has changed, Sitka feels more like home now that we have been here 18 months and we are mentally preparing to head into what should be our final full year in Alaska.  Time flies by and with time comes new things and changes.  

I feel lucky to have experienced another holiday that allowed us to share our lives with others and add new laughs to our memory banks.  We have celebrated over the years in many different states, different towns, different houses with different friends.  I am always thankful for the opportunity!

Flashback:  This photo is circa. 2005.  Our first Thanksgiving photo as a family of 4.  We were living in Kodiak, Alaska and celebrating with our friends the VanSicklen's.  The kids were babies, Trav and I look like teenagers and we were obviously very happy.  I would give anything to hug and kiss those little babies again and have my hair that had much less gray sprouting out. 

Brrrrr...Yay!

As I write this it is 21 degrees outside with a windchill of 11 degrees.  We have enjoyed a relatively mild fall so far.  This weekend it got COLD!  As well we had our first snowfall.  It wasn't much, but it was beautiful 

Not only are we hoping that the snow will stick around so we can go sledding  but hopefully the colder temps. will help encourage "Mr. Bear" who keeps meandering our neighborhood to head up the mountain and go to sleep.  While I enjoy watching him lumber through our backyard looking for handouts, I don't enjoy picking up rotting garbage because he is capable of opening our trash bin or having to go out and do a bear check before my dogs can go outside.

I by no means want to sound ungrateful.  I live in Alaska, the land of untamed nature.  I sit on my porch in the freezing cold for 45 minutes waiting to see a bear come through the backyard.  This is one of the reasons we wanted to come back up here. To see and experience nature.  I just don't want him to eat my dogs because there is no more food left for him to forage in the woods.

Here are a few pictures of the dusting we got this weekend.  More snow is in the forecast this week!

          

         

                    

         

This last picture doesn't really depict any snow.  Its just a picture of the Russian Orthodox Church in town circa. early 1800's.  I posted this more so because of the two bald eagles on top of the steeple (that you can barely make out)  and also to point out the fact that the sun is setting on the beautiful, snowy mountains behind town.  It was 2:30p.m.  Thank you impending winter solstice for our lack thereof daylight. 

Remember November

November is a very unique month for me.  It kicks off the holiday season which I love.  Thanksgiving, colder weather, holiday movies, etc.  Also, it is a time for me to spend remembering.  November is always a month that takes me back to my childhood.  I spend most of the first two weeks of this month remember days gone by, precious memories and dealing with mixed emotions.  As I have recollect on this blog many times, November is the month that my beloved grandfather, my Papa passed away.  He was one of the most magnificent human beings I have ever known in my life.  As a young girl I split my time between my own home with my parents and my grandparents home.  Their house was home too.  I watched him drink coffee, we chopped and stacked wood, we stole his chair and we snagged the remote to the TV when he doozed off.  We went camping, we listened to country music and we had sleepovers.

As I grew older my relationship with my Papa just matured and grew.  He was still the same man I viewed as a superhero but by now I soaked up our conversations much more and his stature became something other then the man who swung me around the living room to country music and who I loved to watch chop wood.  He talked to me, truly talked to me about his life, his beliefs, his thoughts.  I started to see more then just his physicality but more so who he really.  He was a beautiful person with a deep soul.

By the time my Papa passed away in November of 2007 I had my own family.  My babies, Trav and I lived 4000 miles from him.  Papa and I still talked.  He loved my family, he loved me and I never doubted that.  In his final days, as he grew more ready to leave this life behind I sat by his bed side, just he and I and I told him everything that I didn't want to leave hanging.  I had never witnessed death, let alone the death of a man I loved so deeply.  His death was tragic but beautiful.  I made sure he know that he was very special to me.  He was not just anyone, he was my very special someone.

As the years passed since my Papa died, November is the month that I mourn the loss of him but I also spend quite a bit of my personal time remembering our talks, his smell, his voice.  I talk to the kids about him and we toast to him at dinner.  His death still hurts.   Not in the same way it did in the days right after he left us but it hurts.  I miss him.  I cry, I weep, my heart just hurts a lot in November.  Usually it is in private and it is quiet but November hurts.  November is also beautiful.  November is the last time I laid my eyes on him, held his hand, whispered in his ear.  It was the last time he spoke to me.  As we all watched him slip away to his family in heaven I knew my life would be different and that this time of year would never be the same for me.

November is special...it jump starts the holidays, gives me the warm and fuzzy feelings of the season and its the month I celebrate not only my Papa's life but my life with him.  I hope that everyone has someone in their life that means so much.   If you do, relish it.  Absorb it.  Take it all in.  Its absolutely worth it.

Papa, I love you!  Always~

Shorter, Darker Days...(warning: picture heavy)

We are officially into that time of year where its cold, darker and the days are short.  We don't spend nearly as much time outside and we are not as active so there hasn't been much to talk about.  I feel like we almost start to hibernate this time of year.  Now is when we dust off the board games, bring back family movie night and eat tons of comfort food.  All summer long we stay active, busy and outside to offset this time of year where it is almost impossible to do those things.  The mountains around Sitka are now snow capped and the snow line will slowly inch downward from here on out and the sun never fully rises high into the sky.  With Daylight Savings Time coming this past weekend the days will get even shorter and Mother Nature reminds us that while the summers days up here seem endless, the winter days can seem endless too.

To recap, October was a good month.  We were still able to run outside quite a bit, which is saying a lot for SE Alaska in October.   The kids are doing great in school, work sucked but its a new month, we celebrated Alaska Day, the Boston Red Sox won the World Series, the Oregon Ducks are still undefeated, Halloween is over (my least favorite holiday) and we are one month closer to the holidays.  I freakin' love Christmas!!

Picture recap:

                          

                          

                                

                                

                                

This past weekend had the first sunny days in what seems like a long time. We took Travi to the shooting range to make sure he was a good shot.  He can't take a shot at a deer if Trav isn't positive it will be a kill shot.  The boys headed out on their first official hunt together on Sunday. Taylor and I enjoyed a good walk in the cold sunshine and a Holiday Hallmark Movie Special. Yes...my daughter and I bond over a good, hokey Christmas love story.

Lastly and very important to me, we accomplished "Family Picture Day 2013!"  Each year in the fall I drag my unwilling family out for family pictures.  It's very important for me to have a picture each year around the same time.  I have done these pictures for several years now and as the kids complain and walk hunched over and sulking to various spots I remind them that some day when they are gone and have families of their own these pictures will be priceless to me.

This picture epitomizes our life in Sitka.  This location is one of my favorite spots in town.  Mt. Edgecumbe is in the far distance, the fishing grounds of the Sitka Sound behind us, the break walls that protect our harbors from the seas, the bridge that Trav crosses day in and day out to work and the gray skies that seem to hang over our island most of the time.  We are smiling and happy, just our family... the way it has been for almost 14 years!!