OK, so what a weekend! Last night I went to a girls only Twilight party at a friend's house. Now, my idea of a "Twilight Party" would be for people to come over, bring food, and watch the movie. Yeah...THEIR idea is much different, and much, Much, MUCH better! We had "Twilight Jeopardy" with "Team Edward" and "Team Jacob". Then they had a contest to see who brought the refreshment that had the most relation to the movie. People got pretty dang creative, too! One girl brought candied apples, and she put "pearl dust" in the candy to created the glittering effect of Edward's skin. Another one brought a black forest dessert, and she put whipped cream all over the top. She said it was "Black Forest with the full moon because they ran through the black forest under the full moon". Another one brought little pizzas with "bites" taken out of them, because Edward took a bite of Bella's pizza. They also had a drink with cranberry juice in it for the blood. AND, they had candles burning with "blood" dripping down the sides, quotes from the book all over the house, pictures of scenes from the movie everywhere, and the movie poster with Bella's face cut out. We all posed as Bella, so there is a picture of me in Edward's arms somewhere. OH, and when we left they gave each of us the soundtrack, and a bandaid to cover our cuts due to the vampires. It was sooooooooo much fun, and FABULOUS!!!!! Today Mt. Redoubt erupted...AGAIN, only this time the ash did in fact fall on Anchorage. So I have volcanic ash in my yard, on my car, etc. Apparently it's good for the garden and soil, so we'll see how it does this summer. The ash is REALLY fine, and we can't use our windshield wipers or it will scratch our windshields like crazy. Anyway, it's my very first volcanic ashfall, so I'm kind-of weirded out by the whole thing. People keep talking about how it "destroys" your car engine, and it kills all electronics. We'll see! A friend of mine sent a picture of Mt. Redoubt erupting earlier this week (it's been erupting for a whole week now), so I thought I'd share it with everyone. It is sooooooooooo cool! The "experts" say we can expect this pattern of "slumber and erupt" for a few months. This could prove to be a pretty long summer! As long as my mom can make it up here, it will be fine! They've closed the airport several times this week due to the ash in the air, and today there are absolutely NO planes of any size in the air. It's sooooooooo quiet! Well, I'll keep everyone updated!

Good grief!!! I can't believe how fast time goes! My sister always has to remind me to write on my blog. Sorry! Anyway, tons of fun up here in the great white north! We have Mount Redoubt that keeps erupting. The volcanos up here don't spew lava and stuff, just ash. Now the problem with the ash is that it's pretty dang abrasive, really fine, and magnetic. So every day before I go home from work, I have to cover all of our computers and equipment with plastic. PAIN IN THE REAR!!! It takes so much time. And then to go in the next morning to take it all off and fold it up. Over and over again. OYE! It can also destroy the engine in your car if it gets in there, as well as the vents in your house. I have NO idea how to protect everything! So I just keep praying for the wind to take it AWAY from Anchorage. So far, so good! Anyway, we keep getting warmer temperatures, and then it freezes on us. It's "The Big Lie". We think winter is over, and then WHAMO!! snow storms galore! Last year we got 2 feet of snow the last weekend of April. I REALLY hope that doesn't happen again! I was in such a bad mood that WHOLE day! I decided to change cell phone providers, and with that came a new phone. So I got one that takes pictures. I took a picture of Brenna and everytime I show her my phone, she won't let it go. Tonight I showed her, and she showed her mom. Then she showed her big sister, Lilli. When I took it from Lilli, Brenna started crying. Sheesh! You'd think it was HER phone or something! Anyway, it makes me laugh!!! She is getting some serious attitude. She's only 1, but today she she told her mom "NO!" and hit her mom's hand. Yeah...she got in some trouble! In fact, I think we call her "Trouble" more than we call her "Brenna". She is pretty dang cute, but STUBBORN!!!! Ha, ha! I knew we had it too easy with Lilli!!! I told Lilli that my new song for her is "Mama Mia". But instead of "Mama Mia" I sing "Lillianna". So she starts singing "Analee" and "Brenna Brenna". It's so much fun! I am truly blessed to be surrounded by such great people. If I can't have my family around me, then great friends are necessary. And I've got some GREAT ones!

OK, so it's been a while since my last post. I actually forgot about my blog, and my sister emailed me and asked if I was ever going to post again. So here it is. I'm still working a TON of overtime, but that will change with the new year. We're still not hiring a nurse, but I have discovered that I am a very unhappy person when I work so much. So one of my New Year's resolutions is to cut back my overtime. I'm pretty excited about it, actually. I was blessed to have a lot of time off over Christmas and New Years, and I was able to rediscover my hobbies. So I'm going to try to keep up on them. I was released as the 2nd counselor in the Young Women's in my ward, and called to be 1st counselor. I was sooooooooo excited since a couple of my Beehives were turning 14 in the next couple months. So now I get to work with them again. One of them is very excited, and the other one keeps going "Oh, no!" I told them that some day they will have their own Young Women to torture, and I expected them to do a good job. They said they're learning from the best. I don't think they could have paid me a better compliment, to tell the truth. The weather up here has been painfully cold. It has been minus 20 for over a week now. We had a beautiful snow storm on Christmas, and 2 days later the temperature DROPPED!!!! I'm posting some pictures so you can see what it looks like up here at minus 20. The snow does NOT crunch under your feet, it squeaks and sound like nails on a chalkboard. So, as if the cold isn't enough to give you goosebumps, the squeaking snow will do it. The icicles on my house have a ton of frost on them, and there are people in my ward that can't get their cars started. Their gas lines are frozen, and their cars need to thaw. My car is the best car EVER and hasn't given me that kind of problem. It may complain about starting after work every day, but it does start. I keep my car plugged in at night. I bought a block heater a couple of years ago to keep the engine block warm. It's been a lifesaver! Or a car saver as the case may be :). Thankfully, though, it's supposed to warm up over the course of the week. It already has, actually. As I was taking my garbage out I noticed that it felt warmer that this morning. So I looked at the thermometer in my carport, and it said minus 10 instead of minus 20. It's amazing how much warmer 10 degrees feels!!!! Christmas was fabulous, although I miss my family a lot. I found out my oldest brother is moving to Kansas. Sometimes I think I should move back to the "Lower 48" so that I can see my family easier. But I love it up here, and I still feel like this is where I'm supposed to be right now. However, sometimes I feel like I will be moving back some day. Who knows? Weirder things have happened! Until then, I'm trying my hardest to stay warm! March 2009 marks 11 years living in Alaska. Sometimes it seems like the time has flown by, and it can't have been that long. Other times it feels like a lifetime. My mom gets to come up for 3 weeks this summer, and I'm soooooooo excited! I LOVE it when people come see me. It allows me to see Alaska, too. I'm usually so busy working and working on my house that I don't take time to travel around this beautiful state. I love planning my visitors' trip so I can do a lot of fun things, too. I'm looking forward to this summer. I'm really hoping for better weather than last year! I feel like I need to thaw! Well, that brings me up to date, I believe. Work is busy...still, but what can I do? My calling still keeps me busy, but that's a good thing! I've really grown to love the Young Women in my ward. They are an amazing bunch. If we can just get above zero, life will almost be perfect!

OK, so maybe I'm slacking in my posting. But I have been REALLY busy! So, for a quick update over the past month. I'm working a TON of overtime because we're closing in on the end of the year. Now is the time when everyone realizes that their out of pocket is met, or their deductible is met, or whatever. So now they want all sorts of stuff done. It's only going to get worse from here. I did manage to get some pictures of the lake, with the snowy mountains behind the autumn leaves. I hope you enjoy them! Tonight was the first night that I saw the northern lights...aka Aurora Borealis. I didn't see them last year, so it has been a couple of years. They were pretty good tonight, too. There was 1 band, and it was green. They danced across the sky right in front of my house. After (over) 10 years of living here, I still don't get tired of all that Alaska has to offer. I still get excited over seeing the northern lights, and of seeing moose in the neighborhood. I still love to watch bald eagles soaring through the sky, and ravens absolutely fascinate me. They are very smart birds, and very mathematical. I saw one gut a seagull one time. It had caught a seagull and landed on the ledge outside of one of my windows at work. It was pretty interesting. It laid out all the organs in a neat and straight line before feasting. Then the other ravens found him and he grabbed the seagull and flew like the wind. Everyone else at work seemed to be grossed out. But I found it fascinating. Why would he lay all the organs in a row? Why not just dig in? Anyway, back to the northern lights... I love to watch them because they start to come down so they look like big curtains across the sky. Sometimes they're dim, and then they get really active. They get bright...tonight they almost got to be a yellow color...and they start to "dance" across the sky. They start moving around...kind-of like "the wave" at sporting events or something. Anyway, it's hard to explain, but AWESOME to watch! I would have gotten a picture, but it's really hard to get good ones. The thing about the northern lights is they come out when it's dark, clear, and freaking cold! So I can't stay outside too long to watch them because I end up looking like I'm having a seizure because I'm shivering so badly. Anyway, I thought I would share this moment with you since it's the first for the season. I have my friends the Kincades to thank for calling me and letting me know that they were out. We have a "network" of people to call when there is a sighting because everyone loves to watch them. Winter is not the best time to come to Alaska, but the northern lights are cool to watch! I guess it's a catch-22? I'm also posting pictures of my friends' daughters, Lilli and Brenna. They are my buddies who I love a lot. So if I ever mention either one of them, then you'll know who I'm talking about. I'll try to keep everyone updated about what's going on up here in the winter time. I can tell you that it was below 10 degrees when I went to work this morning, and it was below 10 degrees again this evening when I went outside to watch the northern lights. It's pretty cold for this time of year. No more snow, though. It all blew away. We had a big windstorm that woke me up a couple weeks ago. It also knocked down a tree in my boss's driveway. He had to use a chainsaw to clear it before he could go anywhere. It was pretty powerful. Anyway, it blew the snow away. Now it's just cold...and dark. I wish it would snow again. Then the snow can reflect the light and brighten things up considerably. Oh, well!!!!

OK, so we finally harvested the garden. I knew we would get cabbage, some lettuce, maybe a raddish...but to my surprise, we also had peas! And they were pretty tasty, too! I thought I would show you the pictures. Just remember that these girls are as tall or taller than me! It was a lot of fun, and they're already talking about next year's garden. I'm glad they're excited! If we only had a couple more weeks, I'm SURE that we could have had zucchini and cucumbers, too! Oh, well! hopefully next year... Our nurse at work quit, so there's just 2 of us. Now I'm working a lot of overtime, and feeling exhausted almost all the time! We had our ward talent show 2 nights ago, and I decided to sing "Simple Joys of Maidenhood" from the musical "Camelot". Well, it was a last minute decision...I decided after I got there, and I couldn't remember all the words. So I called my sister to have her look them up on the internet. So after I got them, I told the person in charge that I would sing something. To say that I "sang" it is a stretch. It was AWEFUL! But, I got one of the loudest cheers all night. Of course, it was probably because it was over. But it was A LOT of fun!!! I'm glad I did it. But there is DEFINITELY a reason why I don't sing solos!!!! The leaves are changing even more, and they are falling everywhere. We also have snow in the mountains. I'll get pictures, but not until the clouds are no longer covering the mountains. I hope everyone is doing well, and that they are enjoying their weather...wherever they may be!

Well, today was the first time I could smell fall in the air. I've been able to feel the cool, crisp, "nip" in the air that you can FEEL, but today was the first time I could SMELL fall in the air. Now, this is not necessarily a pleasant experience. I remember growing up in Utah, smelling the fall leaves while the dry ones crunched under your feet. Mmmmmm...I can remember it so clearly! The nice, cool, autumn days that make you want to bring out your sweaters, and take walks on the mountain trails. Well, up here the smell is not DRYING leaves, but ROTTING leaves. Yeah... big difference. I mean BIG!!!! The smell of dry leaves is fabulous. The smell of rotting leaves is as if a million dogs went and did their business all over the city! No matter where you go, you can smell it. My first whiff was in the grocery store parking lot. Then I got home, and there it was again. Mmmm, mmmm, good! Seriously, you don't step out your door and take a nice, long, whiff of fresh air. Nope, not up here! It's kind-of hard to, actually, when your sense of smell is acosted with the smell of doo-doo. Anyway, the colors are changing, the rain is falling, and the leaves are wet and rotting. Life is GREAT! Tomorrow, the Beehives are comming to harvest the cabbage out of the garden. That's all we were able to get. There might be a couple radishes, but it's just cabbage. It's sad, too. I went and looked tonight, and there are some FABULOUS blossoms on the cucumber, zucchini, and crook-neck squash plants. Also, the tomato plants are as tall as I am, and the pea plants are even taller. The flowers on the pea plants are so pretty, too! If only we had a couple more months, we would be able to get the other stuff, too. Oh, well!! Hopefully, next year we'll be able to get an earlier start, and actually get something other than the stuff that grows no matter what. Did you know that cabbage can grow in the winter? Maybe not up here, but down in "The Lower 48" it can! So, if anyone decides to give it a try, let me know! Hopefully I'll be able to get some pictures of the garden tomorrow, and the changing leaves another time. There is a lake within walking distance of my house, and it's surrounded by trees. It's really pretty in the fall to have the mountains in the background, and the changing leaves in the foreground, reflecting in the lake. Well, have a great day everyone, and until next time... Love ya!!!!

OK, so it's been a while since I've posted an update. Of course, I didn't realize it had been THAT long! My sister told me today that I needed to update my blog, and I agreed. Then I pulled it up, and...sorry!!! So, what have I been doing over the past month? Not writing on my blog! Ha, ha, ha! Seriously, it has been a pretty crazy month. The battle of the garden has concluded, and I have won. Yes, the cat hasn't dug any holes since I put up my cat repelling devices. It's called "Catstop" and it runs on a 9 volt battery. If a cat...or anything...triggers the device's motion detectors, the cat gets scared away by ultra sonic noises. Anyway, I truly didn't think it would work, but it does!!! Next year I will be putting up the motion detector controlled sprinkler. Forgive me an evil chuckle...Moi-ha-ha-ha-ha!!! Anyway, that's the most recent thing. Before that, my Beehives challenged the rest of the young women to a Book of Mormon Challenge. We are reading the entire thing in 90 days. I'm pretty dang proud of my Beehives!! They're right on it! I also went hiking again. This time it was up a mountain called Flat Top. I'll bet you can't guess why! Just picture a mountain...with the top part sliced off. I would have gotten a picture to show you, but it was too cloudy. However, I did get some pictures that I am only too happy to share with you! In some of them, you can see the mist choking out our view. In others, you can see a sunny sky, but not the mountains that are right in front of us due to the cloud cover! OH, and also...there was still SNOW up there! Yup...SNOW!!! So, of course, I had to get pictures of that. Usually, there isn't snow up there this late in the year. But... I've already complained about the weather in my previous posts, and this was further evidence of the crappiness thereof. However, I was bound and determined to go for a hike in shorts. It is Summer, after all! It's just been too cool to wear summer clothes. So, this was the day to wear summer clothes. It wasn't too bad, thankfully!!! Now we're headed in to fall. We've grown a garden, and sometime next week will be the day of harvest. I think we'll only be getting cabbage and a few radishes. Hopefully next year will be better. I do have to say, though, that our peas grew to be over 5 feet tall. The blossoms are really pretty, but no fruit for our labors! It's pretty frustrating, actually. But completely out of my control. Live and learn...live and learn. Another exciting thing that has happened over the past month is that a neighbor a few houses down had a fire. So I'm sitting in my house, and all of a sudden I heard these sirens. I didn't think anything of it until they got really close. I look out my window and there are 3 or 4 firetrucks going down my street. One of them was parked right in front of my house...blocking my driveway and everything! AND, guess who was on those firetrucks? Yup...FIREMEN!!!! It was pretty fun, actually!!! I had to call my friends that live down the street and ask them how they were missing all of it. They showed up at my house not too long afterward. After all the excitement, they wanted to see my garden. So I took them into the back yard, and what should we see? My neighbor 2 doors down...PEEING IN HIS YARD! Why he couldn't go into his house and use his bathroom is beyond me, but there he was. I would have gotten a picture, too, but my friend laughed too loud and we were busted!! Oh, well! I'm sure there will be another time. Well, that's the excitement over the past month. I will try to be more faithful about keeping everyone posted and keeping up on my blog. In the meantime...