Everyday Epiphanies

Me+Vitamin D= Ahhhh

Soaked up some sun.  Nothing Like Some Vitamin D...

This is how I spent the rest of my afternoon while the kids were still in school. Sitting outside with my book (almost done, awaiting 2nd book), and just relaxing!
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Now it's 8:30 pm

(straight outta my laptop, like 2 seconds ago, nothing like instant gratification from technology!)

I just finished dinner, the house is cleaned up, laundry done (for now), dishes washed, and contemplating what to do. The kids are still out playing and I swear I feel like I have none :)

Okay, hubby just called and he's on his way home, and we're going biking.

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We had an amazing bike ride... and with this new app mapmyride.com, we are able to track our ride:
(more reason to upgrade to the 3G...)

Is it possible?

Here in Alaska? Really?
Oh I can tell you right now. I am not gonna be sitting in my house. I'm getting my tan on!
Really?
Well, bring it on!
What a great way to spend our last spring/summer in Alaska!

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So far so good. It is now 3:17 pm and we are already at 55 degrees. (I don't think I was so obsesed about the weather till I got here. I will take any sunshine Alaska has to offer!

Looking forward to a bike ride later on this afternoon, grilling some veggies for dinner, and reading my book outdoors!  

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11:45 pm, It was indeed a beautiful day and it looks like tomorrow will be round 3. I'm ready! I'm gonna soak up that sun again. I sat out there for several hours as I kept my eye on the BBQ. And I got a tan :) How crazy is that! 

 

Tonight I ate some yummy grilled veggies and Chicken Breast. It was scrumptious!

 

After dinner, the hubby came home around 7:30 and at 8 pm, we headed out for a bike ride. What he said would be a light workout, turned out to be a bit strenuous!  I'm not sure what I was thinking, (probably gone mad), not only did I do spin class this morning, we ended up doing a 8.5 mile bike ride. He thought it would be fun to bike from our house to near his work place and going back through Ft. Rich.  Hmph? Not my idea of a light workout! So needles to say, I'm beat!

I'll be back basking in the sun tomorrow, to get my tan on again :)  Today we reached up to 60! Tomorrow they say 65!  Holy Moly!!!

Daily Tid-Bits 4/29

On my way home from work today, hubby surprises me with having dinner BBQ'd and finished. My absolute favorite, Steaks, BBQ'd loaf, Baked Beans, and Zucchinis. Sweet! I was very surprised! (Most of all I thought of the extra time I had now, not worrying about dinner).Thanks babe!

Some daily randomness :)

• I'm completely engrossed in my novel at the moment, City of Bones. It had a slow start which made me think, why am I reading about all of this?  Well now I'm in a whole new world. A world of magic, shadow-hunters, warlocks, and secrets unfolding... ooooh. Nothing like a good book, to let your imagination run wild.
• This house has got Basketball on the brain. That is the only thing on TV.
• I'm loving this new song by Keri Hilson feat. Kanye and Ne-Yo
• I have been enjoying addicted to my runs so far.
• I think (I imagine) he was singing to me.

• What's everyone doing for National Scrapbook day this weekend, May 2?
• Thinking this paycheck, I may treat myself to new Nike Attire!  Maybe a pair of new running shoes too. Hubby and I are Asics fans. We buy all our running shoes at Skinny Raven. A bit pricey but so worth it!
• I need some new "exercise" music. Any ideas? Anything to get my blood pumping!
• I took my run outdoors today!  Just enjoying the scenery, the fresh air, and the feeling of pavement under my feet! I totally see why people enjoy running :)
• (Hey Erica, sound familiar, it was just a matter of time) Hubby finally connected the modem to the TV so we can watch hulu through our playstaion 3 on the flat screen and Netflixx through our xbox. BTW, they have great free movies on Netflixx, not to mention everything on hulu!  
• So, I don't treat myself to bubble baths, I just think it's a waste of time.. but Steph thinks it's the greatest relaxation. And I know Erica does it every weeked!  So, I am going to try it. (I'm just one of those people, who likes to go in and out. "Getter' done".) Who knows ladies, I may even get a pedicure!  ;)

Off to read my book. That's enough blogging for me :)

March In Review

Phew, time flies, now it's time for an April In Review!  Time Flies.

This month I did several different types of layouts both paper and digital, using baseball card holders, and a 6x12 format.

Realizing that I had very few photos for March, you can bet, I took tons for April :)

Weekend In Photos (and some words).

Totally inspired by Ali Edwards   (recording her weekend in photos)   at the moment.  I got on her website on Friday after being away from "scrappers" blogs for a while and came out of there, totally inspired and wanting to just record my weekend for what it is. I miss doing this.

Saturday. I worked till 3pm. I left my teenager in charge while the hubby and I both worked. Oh you gotta love your "moody" teenager in charge. (More on that later...must save an entire post of his teenage antics). Not only did I get several phone calls of these 3 siblings not getting along but also text messages too. Ethan text me to tell me that Isabel was playing in his room and making it messy and even broke his chapstick. Then I get to come home to a house turned upside-down:

Well, just because my work day ended, it never does at home, right?

But the minute I get home, all the kids make a mad dash to go and play outside.  And I get to clean up in peace and quiet.

After cleaning up I actually got to enjoy some creative time, with my usual set up of my laptop and my desktop playing Battlestar Galictica.

I even snuck in some reading time.

 

And excited to finally have the hubby home from work.

Long days in Alaska, yes the kids are still out...

Sunday Morning, a day of just me and the kids :)

I love to hear Isabel reading to me.

Watching basketball with the kids (sort of) while get my facebook fix.

Getting a good workout at the gym with the kiddos and we went to the pool after (haven't downloaded those photos yet)

My teenager and his texting...

Izzy's Girlfriends.

Hubby home at 7:30 pm.

 

 

Kids still outside at 8:30 pm...

I loved taking the camera out and taking just random photos throughout the day. It's our life, through my eyes.. just an average weekend for us. But it's these little moments I want to remember the most.

"R" Days Off.

Today the hubby and I enjoyed a day off together. Doesn't happen all the time where we are lucky enough to spend the day together. I usually take that opportunity to go to work and not worry about the kids too much, so we are usually ships in passing. We spent most of our day in the gym and him teaching me the art of Strength Training.  Then we split a yummy Roasted Garlic Chicken Salad from Snow City where he listened to my rambling about seeing clips on the filming of New Moon and the Wolf Pack!  (Ah-Woo!) And as I rambled on and on, he said, "Yeah, maybe it's time for one of those "girlie" nights, maybe a chick flick and a movie?"  LOL! Was he just telling me to go and ramble to someone else?  And before we knew it, the kids came home. Needless, we enjoyed just being.

And before I go.. did you all catch EW little specials on New Moon?

Getting Ready for NSD.

You know, National Scrapbook Day!

Our store has a lot of events coming up. I've offered to do a few classes:

Kaiser Crafts makes some amazing altered products like these heavy duty chipboard tag book album.
Amber and I will be teaching a Boy Tag Album and a Girl Tag Album.  Here's my girl album:

And for another class I will be teaching, we will be making this Ohana Album:

So for those of you in the area! Swing by the store for our special National Scrapbook Week, April 27-May 2! 

Oh and this (mmm, hmm) ...........

Daily Tid-Bits 4/21

• Enjoying the weather so far. Been sittin' outside reading my book and relaxing again!
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  • Me & Izzy's Friend.. why is it, that when I sit out there, all the kids want to talk to me, don't they see a book in my face :)
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• Latest downloads:
  • All of Kris Allen's music and some video coverage for the iPhone :)
  • "Jump" by Flo'rida feat. Nelly Furtado, good exercise song!
• It's the NBA playoffs, it's really the only sport I can handle being played on TV all day.
• I'm excited to watch American Idol tonight. It's ashame that this was my motivation to start my day!
• My work day FLEW by.
• It was nice seeing you again Ms. Paula, thanks for stopping by.. but we will catch up, dinner perhaps?
• Guess what Erica did for me? She bought me these jeans! ( So sweet.. so sweet!)
  
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• Having "teenager" issues (aka attitude) with my son. He's a good kid, I gotta give him that, but he could do without that extra attitude every now and then. Like his little smirks when I ask him to take out the trash or something. 
• Planning on BBQ'ing veggies for dinner tonight. I absolutely LOVE asparagus!
• 1 866 IDOLS 02 Sticking with Kris... (Even though I have to say.. tonight, Oh Adam.. Oh Adam.. Wow Adam!)
• This is a brilliant idea: Cathy Z's Next Class.. so right up my alley, and so doing this! We all Tweet somehow, right?
• Next week I will be beefing up my workouts with Strength Training.
• Hmm.. who's going home on American Idol? (I'm thinking Lil Rounds and Anoop)
• That's it, off to read my book and get some rest.. it is 10:30 pm! (Oh there is still some sun light in the horizon!)

It's Actually Here..

Spring, that is.

And the thing is, it seems like it has been a long time coming, but on the other hand, it's coming quick!  It's a good feeling, somewhat refreshing really.  But a little sad, to think this is possibly our last Spring/Summer in Alaska. We are due to leave next year and plan to leave as soon as the kids start their summer break in May. So on our drive home from a nice little dinner between hubby and I, I said, "This, this is what I will miss the most, the sun shining brightly at 9pm!" 

It got me thinking.. there really is no where else in the world quite like it. The long summer days. I can't even begin to explain what having the sun out at midnight is like! But I could go on and on about how dark and cold winters are :)  Then I began to feel sad. Thinking about leaving this place. Odd, how at times I'm dying to get out of here. But then again, this has been our home for nearly 5 years.  And for my kids, this is all they know. They don't have much memory of Maryland where we lived for 7 years. Then we were in Hawaii for one short year. Alaska is what they will remember the most as the place they grew up. And me.. ugh, it breaks my heart. I still feel like I'm not quite done with it yet or I can't let go just yet.

So knowing that this is our last year here, I started off my year, not wanting to spend it stressing over loading myself with photography or at the scrapbook store. I wanted to take it easy, to enjoy, and to just "be". And so far, that's what I've been doing. I want to soak it all in and that is what I intend to do till we leave.

So this weekend, we spent most of our time outdoors. The family went out for a bike ride and just hanging outdoors, weeding out all the dead grass, and cleaning up from the remnants of a long winter.

Tonight I treated myself and the family to the best burgers I've ever grilled, (thanks for the secret ingredient, Steph :) It was delicious, the first burger I've had in months!

 

A "BE-YOU-TI-FULL" THURSDAY.

(see Bridget, we don't have to write paragraphs on our blog.. bullets girl! simple fragments of a sentence is just as good!)

• The sun is still shining bright at 6:30 pm..

• I am sitting on my sofa looking out the big window to catch of glimpse of Izzy playing in the playground.

• I've got Pandora playing with a Nelly Furtado Station and Rhianna is on.

• I'm enjoying the quiet of the house. (minus the dogs barking out there)

• I went for my first run outdoors. And it was harder than running a track, for sure! You don't take account of the wind, the gravel on the road, the uneven pavement, and puddles! But it felt good!

• I just watched Izzy eat 3 pieces of chicken! Talk about growing!

• Uhm, 2 Words, Kris Allen.  (Aaahhh).  *Okay, I swear I will stop talking about him, I'm sorry for the rambling to the ladies that I talked to today.. Amber caught me in my moment :) Bridget walked in, in the nick of time, I bombarded Erica with texts, Keri got an earful, and poor Steph, got an early morning call about it..

• Still gorgeous outside at 7:30.

• Oooh it's an Office Night!  Love me some Dwight, even though when taking the "Which Office Character Are You in Facebook, I ended up as Stanley!

• Speaking of Facebook Quizzes.. why do I feel the need to take 10+ every time I log in. My favorite ones are the Top 5 Picks!
  • Top Five TV Shows, Movies You'd Watch Over and Over, Hottest Guys on TV, Things You Don't Leave the House Without... I could go and on.. (and this would make a great layout!)

• Still beautiful at 8:44 pm. (Yes my posts sit in the drafts section for a while :)

• And this one is for Keri, guess what I did after I hung up the phone with you :)