Everyday Epiphanies

3 B's

***photo taken by Isabel***

Busy.
Bad.
Blogger.

What can I say in my defense?  But that it's summer!  Not just any summer, it's summer in Alaska.  And I know all to well now, being it's our third summer here, that it's a season that goes in a blink of an eye.  So, I'm making the most of it.  So when it comes to being home and surfing on the web, I'm sorry to say, it's last on the list.  I do stay on the computer to edit photos though but that's about it.

June is pretty much over and so far the summer of 2007 has been amazing in the Land of the Midnight Sun!  There is something about summer, it could be because schools are out, flowers are blooming, the sun shines it's warmth... but our smiles deepen, our laughter increases, and our hearts are open!  It's just a time to enjoy life's riches rather than having the riches of life, bring us happiness.  It's priceless.

I've been enjoying time with the kiddo's.  This weekend, the hubby and his friends are out for camping/fishing expedition on a Halibut Charter!  I'm anxious to see how he handled the sea life!  As for me, spending some girly time with my only girl!  Today she and I went to the mall, dressed a like, (Anna's cute idea from Old Navy, we bought our girl's these sun dresses, while we bought the largest kid's size for us!)  I can't tell you how many people, stopped to tell us how cute we looked to be dressed alike. And Isabel says,  "Mommy, why all the people looking at us, cause you copy me, mommy?"  LOL, yes I'm copying you!  We bought Ella some gifts at the mall.  She was so adamant about getting her clothes and toys!  (After all, she adores Ms. Ella) I enjoyed just watching her pick something they both would like! She had her one hand on her hip, head tilted to the side, and one eyebrow up, thinking and wondering if Ella would like this outfit or that outfit!  (I wish I had a camera! Note to self, invest in a little camera!)

I've also been busy with shoots!  I'm excited and nervous!  But working at our Local Scrapbook Store has boosts up my clientèle list! Next week alone, I have 4 photo shoots!  Like I said, nervous and excited!  July seems like it will be a jam packed month with CHA around the corner, I can't wait!  I would LOVE to meet anyone who is going!!!  Let me know!

Until then, here are some snapshots from a recent shoot:

Raining, A Bear, and Fall Out Boy!

Weekend Recap.

Rain. Cloudy. Dreary.
A bear in the neighborhood.
That same bear on a tree!
Eating at our favorite Japanese Restaurant, Dami's.
Scrapping with Anna.
5 years of photos... DONE!
Watching episodes of CSI Miami on my DVR, Horatio is the man!
Listening to Fall Out Boy's "Thnks Fr Th Mmrs", on repeat! Awesome song!
Photos of Lori's family.

Let's back track a little, just in case you want details. Shall we? 

Yes, rainy weekend, but after a week of sunshine, it's kind of nice. It made for a weekend of just being at home, a homey weekend!

A bear, that's right, a black bear was seen in our neighbor's garage, sifting through their things. (Note to self, if I want to see a bear up close and personal, I will leave my garage door open with food and trash in it!)  On our way out to eat dinner, I see the animal patrol guys circling our area. They quickly jump out in front of someone's house.  Someone's already got their camera out.  And ladies, you have never seen me run so fast! I bolted in my house, grabbed my camera hoping for some live action. 

Unfortunately, these guys, wouldn't let me get close enough!

Turns out, the bear climbed up the tree!

A little closer:

So, very exciting.  However, I had to have that "Bear-Talk" with the kiddo's again! But I guess, it's not so bad when this guy is constantly patrolling our area!

Signs...

If your like me, I'm always looking for signs to signify something I should do.  Or signs of things to come.

I'm one of those people, "Ahh.. it was a sign!"  Yes, either laugh or call me "nuts!"  Not that I believe that's how I determine my day to day life. But it's just the fact that we don't have the power to see into the future to know the outcome of any situation, that we almost need a crystal ball to help us determine what we should do. Since we don't, there are always signs. :)

So seeing it was such a nice day yesterday. (A sign, that I should feel at peace.)  But I couldn't, thinking about an old friend, in which many things were left unsaid.  And I think that a lot of time has passed that the hurt that came with the fall out, had passed.  There was no animosity, no one to blame, and it was no one's fault. I'm not one to hold grudges or stand behind a wall of pride, you just come to that point, where pointing fingers doesn't really matter.  All you want to  know is if that person is okay. (Of course, I'm thinking all of this while Snow Patrol's Chasing Cars is playing, we adored that song, another sign!)

So I just picked up the phone and called...

The thing is you never know what could happen, unless you do it.  And like a friend told me in a email (another sign)  "If it is on your heart, you should do what you feel is right..." I think every chapter in our lives deserves an ending or a new beginning.

Alright.. another gorgeous day ahead of us.  It's hard enough to stay in the house! So I will catch you guys later!  Here's the latest addition to my iPod:  (gotta love a mix with Missy Elliot and Lil Kim!)

Good Day.

It was such a nice and relaxing day!!!  Smiling all day long.  I went to see my girl Jayme, got a trim and she never fails to impress me!  I'm trying to grow my hair out, wanting my curly locks back.  The longer it gets, the curly it gets, and it's so much easier to tend to.  I brought my kiddos along with me to the hairdresser, to the LSS (for over an hour), grocery store and everything.  And to  my surprise, they were really sweet. Sure they bickered and fought, but it didn't even faze me.  We drove around with the windows rolled down, singing, laughing at Ethan's funny little quirks, and Caelan's jokes.  It was just one of those glorified ordinary moments.  We got home and sat outside for the rest of the day. Hubby threw my favorite, steaks on the grill. And I'm getting some scrapbooking in, just about done with 5 years worth of photos! Ahh, it's nice to see them in albums!  Enjoy the Summer Solstice! 

You never know, till you try...

My mom used to tell me,  Try it, you never know until you try.  And it's true, with food, music, clothing, and yes even friends.  You never really know someone until you try to get to know them. Just when you thought, who else can I get to know or hang out with?  Someone comes your way with a flag that says "Me! Me!" 

You know first impressions, don't really count.  Sure it's a sneak peek, but not the whole package.  When I first met this lovely lady:

I thought, she reminds me so much of Anna! (You see I am, much like my friend Lori, we are the quiet, almost  the submissive type. You know the kind that can't really put their foot down and say this is how things are gonna be, we really just nod our heads).  Anna and this gal, are quite head strong, know what they want and will get it kind of gals, and just plain up front say it like it is gals. So when you have one friend like that, why it almost scares the living day lights out of me to meet two!!! I feel like a tiny fish treading in some big waters!  :)  But Lori and I always agree that we need people like this in our lives to help push us towards our goals. 

But I remember coming home one night from hanging out with them, and I told hubby, that this lady is probably one of the coolest people I've ever met.  So full of information, life experiences, and a mom of four! She really has got it together. I thought I was Super Mom, but I'm really just Robin, Batman's sidekick!  :)  So, another lesson learned, You never know until you try..

Weekend Warm Up.

We so needed this weekend!  The weather since Wednesday has been nothing but BEAUTIFUL!  Blue skies, sun shining for nearly 20 hours, and just plain warm.  (Shorts outside warm, yeah!)  Saturday was a perfect day for more celebrations.  Nothing like a birthday party to remind us big people, that we are still kids at heart.  So when Allie brought this slide over, our first thought, was when do big people get to go on it?

Some how we could not convince Anna to get on, though.  And the shameless shots of me, Anna's got them posted up.  I won't even talk about how I knocked myself on my head coming in from a running start, (on an inflatable slide, none the less!)

Needless to say, it's amazing what a little bit of sunshine, good food, and being surrounded by great people can do to one's mood.  Although it's hard to not think about our dear friend and the battle that lay ahead of her, there are days, it's just nice to hang. 

19 Hours...

Of daylight, up to date.  Nice, very nice.  It's about time Alaska warmed up! 

A lot on mind today, which always leads to trying to keep myself even busier than I already am.  I managed to care for 5 kids, wash and vacuum the truck, move Isabel's bedroom around, all of this while tending to everyday chores. 

That's how I deal.. I try to keep busy.  I don't want to sit down, not even for a second, or else my mind will start drifting.  But all the running away I did today, couldn't help me when it was time to settle down from a long day.  I even refused to wash dishes, cause I would have to stand still, so I threw them in the dishwasher and walked away.  Not sure how to handle news that just breaks hearts.  I get into this funk, where I want to yell at how life is just so UNFAIR.. but that can't help anything.  I'm mad, but not sure at who or what. It's no one's fault.  It just is. 

I'm the type of person that, if I could help, I would.. but all the help that I could offer won't change such circumstances.  (As Anna says, It is what it is)  But I have such a hard time accepting that. Gosh, getting all choked up thinking about it.. thinking of exiting Firefox, quiting Typepad and finding something else to do.  I guess I should be re-reading my Happy File, huh?  (Eating my own words)  I guess I can't, not right now..

Unfair.
That's what life is.
We all know that.
We've all been there.
That place, where it seems dark.
The light seems all but to far.
Just give up.
Hope.
One word.
But for many,
it's the only word to hang on too.
Everyone keeps saying,
It's going to be okay.
You wonder if that person still believes that.
Angry.
The heart hardens.
When there is no explanation.
We all want answers.
No one likes to wait.
Fear.
Of the unknown.
No crystal ball.
Wait.
That's all we can do.
Love.
It's the key.
Hang on.
To the people that love you.
They will carry you.
When you fall.
Faith.
Don't lose it.
It's the only way.
To get through it.

Well, it's still as bright as day.  That's a good thing. The weekend is just about here. Another good thing. Birthday celebration. Another plus. A few scrapped pages for the LSS.  It's not so bad, after all. (Once you let it all out.)

Movie Night.

The ladies and I finally decided to go out to the movies, and see "Izzy" (from Greys) in Knocked Up.  It was indeed hilarious and amusing.  My only problem, was the amount of times they cussed in the movie.  Maybe I'm just getting old, I did find it hilarious and repulsive at the same time.  Altogther a cute and girly movie for sure. A lot of "crack-up" moments followed by "I can't believe they showed that, or said that"    It was just nice to get out, even though I've been out of this house every night this week so far.

The best part, driving home at midnight and still nice and bright. Chit-chatting about life led me to realize how two complete opposites actually compliment one another. You know the saying, Opposites Attract?  True. You learn from one another. I'm passive, she's agressive.  I'm laid back, she's a go getter.  I sit, wait, and let life unfold.  She wishes for a crystal ball so she can see the outcome before it happens. I say "Let's not buy the tickets just yet, and wait for the rest of them just in case they don't make it to the 8:50 showing."  She says, "Buy the tickets, this was the plan, if they don't show then we will watch the movie ourselves."  I see a shade of grey in just about anything.  She sees black, then a thick line, dividing the white, nothing in between.  What can I say complete opposites.  Although, overwhelming at times, with a head strong and stubborn personality ... diversity is good for the soul.  Makes you see things in a different light.

Summer has been going well. I wish Alaska would warm up a bit. The kids are content. And I've been busy with a little bit of everything. I'm loving being a part of the design team at our LSS, the other night I did not get home till 11 pm.  Can you tell, I could literally talk about Scrapbooking all night long?  Have a great Thursday!

Happy File, to be filed.

A few weeks ago, I blogged about keeping a Happy File.

I actually took out the camera out, other than for work.  I wanted to capture the little things that put a smile on my face in my everyday mundane life.  Mind you this list is on-going. I'm photographing as I go.

Scrapbooking of course!  But being able to do it in between the million other things going on.  I try to escape in 10 minute intervals to work on a layout. With the hopes that after several hours with the kids, I would have completed at least one page.

The latest issue of Simple Scrapbooks.

My Weather Widget!  Ever since I moved here, I am constantly checking the weather. But with my personal widget, it's easier than ever!

Email.  Love em!  Check it everyday, several times a day. With my mac account I don't get all that junk in there. 

Ahh.. Starbucks.  Sure I can make my own lattes but, getting them made for me is even better!  My favorite these days, Dulce De Leche Latte.

My kids doing their chores, without all that fuss.  And they don't. They do as their told. Well, they know that they can't play outside until it's done, so that's enough of a reason to them merrily!

Last one for today... mail, from the mailman!  ***Thanks Lynne***  You brightened up my weekend!!! I was shocked to get some mail!  I Love them!!!  Now I feel like the horrible friend who mails once a year!  :)

I've got tons more.. but I didn't want to bore you all!!!  But this Happy File, will be my next project!  I'm excited!

Busy...

With these guys!

The week went by quicker than I thought it would, of course with a house full of kids the clock seems to keep on ticking!  Last week, we just hung out, Anna came over, well let me rephrase that "moved in" to keep me company:) And Melissa came over to join the Scrapbooking Marathon, well more like organizing her stuff! (Cause you know Anna and I could literally scrapbook all day!)  So it was nice. I think we were all just trying to calm our nerves from our friend's surgery.  Which went well BTW, thanks to all who emailed and have added her and her family in your prayers. 

I managed to fill 2 of these albums so far, 6 years of photos almost done! And that is a lot of layouts:

The thing with me, is when I start on something, I literally cannot stop.  I can't even take a break from it to start something new.  Not sure if that is a good quality, but a one track mind gets things done.

Hubby is back from Germany (a day early)!!!  And it's true, Distance makes the heart grow fonder!  ;) He wrote to me on a piece of note pad he got at the Airport everyday and pretty much kept his end of the bargain.  I on the other hand barely had to time to even blog!

The weather has been surprisingly gorgeous, almost 70's today! So I actually got a tan sitting out all day on Sunday!  The Aspnes invited us over for dinner (amazing as usual!)  Then we pretty much sat outside for the rest of the night.

Alright, Monday's around the corner and back to work!  Enjoy your day!