Halling Go To Alaska

Sunday 2/20 Fire in the fireplace in the gold room.  We were kickin' it with booze and Guitar Hero.  Monday - 2/21 Snowy mountains.  YAY! Tuesday 2/22 Cat not happy about having her picture taken.  Wednesday 2/23 I'm not sure how I can explain how awesome I think I am that I caught this drip.  Because I'm 100% impressed with myself.  Thursday 2/24 It was so bright out from the snow.  There were complete cloud coverage but the sun was *trying* to break through.  Friday 2/25 The original "Words with Friends" with my 10yo.  Saturday 2/26 Loved the mountains with the clouds right on top of them... and yet the sky was so blue. 

I'm a big fan of Jade over at Tasting Grace .  Like a huge windmill-sized fan.  I'm not sure when I started reading her blog, but she's 1000 kinds of awesome.  Currently she and her husband are living in Thailand.  They moved from Southern California to Thailand.  Because they wanted to.  How awesome is that?   There is a lot more to the story.  Here's the background.   See? All kinds and shades of awesome. But not only is she a fantabulous writer, she's got heart and insightfulness and friendship.  I'm proud and lucky to call her a friend. Today she wrote about an experience she had about a month ago.  She and her husband were in an accident.  Everyone's fine, but you must go read it.  Because these last couple of sentences? These here? Holding on to fear and anger will only create more pain. Clinging will only bring anxiety and hurt. Rings so true and so clear to me.  Such a simple statement but so profound and so true.  And I couldn't thank her enoug

L My maiden name begins with an "L".  It's a long one too.  But this last  week I inadvertently found some other "L"s that were worth sharing. Lashes And snowy limbs . Check out what other "L"s were found over at Beth's.  

Sunday 2/13 From scratch cinnamon rolls.  They were yum.  We managed to save some for day 2...barely Monday 2/14 This was one of the hearts Sweet Pea came home w/from her preschool Valentine's Day party.  I know that it would mean something totally different to a 5yo, but still... I confiscated it.  Tuesday 2/15 Only in Nevada do you see a cab with ad for a "gentleman's club" on it.  Wednesday 2/16 There is the house I pass every day on the way to preschool.   They have ducks...or ducks have them.  There are 7 in this picture.  I've seen upwards of 20 before.  Not sure where they go when they are getting fed in the morning.  Thursday 2/17 I love snow.   I love snowy trees.  I love cottonwoods covered in snow.  Winter makes me happy. Friday 2/18 Snow on the chain link fence at the pool. Have I mentioned snow makes me happy?  Saturday 2/19 Icicles hanging from the roof in my backyard.   Can you see the hint of blue sky reflected in them?  Guess what?  I love snow an

A couple days ago I was on Facebook. Periodically I check out the list of recommended people I should be friends with. Most of the time I see people I recognize but not ones that I feel compelled to "friend." I noticed one of those people was someone I thought was on my friend list. She had been at one point. Though honestly I was closer to her husband than her, but we would talk and get along when our families got together. T still hangs out with the husband on their "boys night out." I was amused, for lack of a better word, by her unfriending me. But the more I sit with that fact, the more I realize how much I miss my friend. How much his presence meant (means) to me. It's sad when you lose a friend. Someone you trust. It's been a year and a half since things went astray. I've talked about this before. But I don't let people into my heart unless they are deserving. It hurts too much too often to let people be close. Being in my heart means you

Sunday 2/6 Homemade green chile stew.  It was delicious.   I made enough to freeze for future dinners.  Monday 2/7 My lunch Corn tortilla, fried egg, green chile stew, and cheese.   Oh.my. Tuesday 2/8 Purdy Wednesday 2/9 Wild boar head.   Sing it with me.  "Hakuna mata!" Thursday 2/10 Two of my sweet girls actually being sweet on each other. Friday 2/11 A real smile.  In her new clothes from the shopping spree T's parents took the girls on. Saturday 2/12 New running shoes!

So now that I have a handy dandy iPhone I was able to not only record a video using my phone but also get it to upload to youtube.  Miracles do happen.  Now, the second miracle needs to be me being able to get it to embed in this post.  Essentially the point of this vlog is to see and hear the differences in vernacular across the country.  I've seen Mel's , Brooke's , Tiffany's , Melissa's , and Bari's .  I think that's it.  Following the hopeful embedding of the vlog is going to be the list of words and questions to be answered if you care to join in.  It was pretty fun.  I haven't looked back at it, so if I have shifty eyes (which I probably do) or I have weird mannerisms (don't tell me about them).  (Oh, and don't you just *love* the still frame?) If you want to follow along or do the Accent Vlog yourself, here are the words/questions: Aunt, Route, Wash, Oil, Theater, Iron, Salmon, Caramel, Fire, Water, Sure, Data, Ruin, Crayon, Toilet, New Or

So after yesterday my world seems a little melancholy.  To be honest, Spain was probably a long shot.  Though we were hopeful T's experience with the military would have made him a prime candidate because  if you know the military you know they work from a totally different frame of reference and to have someone who understands the military (even though this was a contract position) usually makes a difference.  Or maybe they had previously had military people running the show and they were hoping for a change in perspective.  Who knows.  All I know is that the search will go on.  Because T is not one to be complacent.  It took almost a year before he got out of his last crappy job situation.  Though, to be fair, it was almost a year ago that they started with the furlough days and lack of overtime. It's weird to think that we've been in one place for over 4 years.  This is a first for us.  Well, it's a first in that we have no current plans to leave where we are.  I'

You know how I know it would have been a good move?  Because I vacillated between wanting to puke and cry and almost did both when I found out it *wasn't* going to happen.   I'm so sad.   Sad for the opportunity that won't happen.  Sad for my husband who desperately need a change of environment.  Sad for my family that they won't get to have certain experiences. I know there's a silver lining.  There always is.   Or at the very least we need to find that open window now that this door is closed.  I don't want to move across the country.  I don't want to leave my home.  But to get to experience this whole other world... well, it would have been worth it.  

I have a question. Not a totally serious, deep question but a question nonetheless. The 10yo has a friend who she loves to hang out with. I like this girl. She's a good kid. Her mom is a single, working mom who has given both her kids (the older sister is 15) cell phones. For Christmas they all got iPhones (3G). So there's some indulging going on but it's not over the top year round. Anyway, when she comes over here it seems that she wants to be envied because she calls other friends and texts people. They go hang out in my girl's room. But my girl isn't part of these conversations and is just sitting there watching her guest talk to someone else. Which doesn't seem to bother my girl but it bothers me and T. So my question is: should I mention this to her mom? Who, by the way, is a really nice lady. I would like to have her come over to hang out but I don't like the situation that I know will happen. Or do I just tell her friend that she's being rude?

Sunday 1/30 Level 4 gymnastics team at beginning of the meet. Mine is second in line staring at the floor.  Monday 1/30 Technically this is a picture for Tuesday, but... this was what time I went to bed Monday night.  Tuesday Gosh! Ain't she cute?  Wednesday 2/1 It decided to be winter again.   I like winter.  It's been too much like spring the last few weeks.  Thursday 2/2 Love her eyelashes in this one.  (took this one on manual!) Friday 2/4 Sand dollar from the Oregon coast.  Had dinner at my parents' house with some friends in from out of town.  They came bearing little bags full of san dollars and shells from the beach. (taken on manual too!) Saturday 2/5 Beeyouteeful! And... (because I couldn't not post this one because it made me laugh) T and a buddy with their drinks and the empty bottles that made them. 

Red.  It's a mighty fine color.  You'll find it on banners... (My girl's level 4 team - placed 3rd overall) In parks... (The little firetruck at the park.) And in the most common of places. (Love this perspective.  Pays to be short sometimes.)  Lots of reds will be seen over at Beth's .  Go check it out. 

Look!  A post that isn't about pictures!  Miracles do happen!  Well, this one is happening thanks to Tiffany at A Tall Drink of Life .  (So you might want to go say thanks. IJS.  She's a pretty awesome lady!)  But I sorta scoff at the "stylish" part of this award.  I've never considered myself stylish.  But maybe my pictures are stylish.  Or something.  But thank you, Tiffany.  You rawk my running socks and it's an honor to call you my friend. There are a few "rules" that go along with receiving this award. 1. Give thanks! and  2.  Share something about myself.  So the first part is done.  The second? Mmm. What would be interesting to know about  me that isn't already covered on my "100 things" page.   I'm super excited for Sweet Pea to start kindergarten next year.  I can see signs of her leaving that toddler -without-an-attention-span stage and it thrills me to no end.  So that fact along with her joining her sisters next fall at