What we've all been waiting for...

Yes, it is unoffically the Holiday season again. Starbucks has the famous red cups out and that simple little paper cup has always made the begining of winter a joy and delight to me.


Last year I decided that I needed to bring this simple delight of the red cup home and so I outfitted my little mug tree with these:



If you haven't had a cup of joe in the red cups yet you're missing out. Come over to my house if you would like or go into Starbucks some time today. My recomendations this year:

1) Passion Tea w/one honey (ask for a grande size with only one tea bag and they will only charge you for a tall size...more for you money)

2) Chai Tea (ask it to me made with no H20 and w/soy milk for a creamy and wonderful delight)

3) Black and White Mocha (this is a mix of half white chocolate and half regular chocolate mocha)

4) Peppermint Mocha (this is a very festive drink)

Now, please control yourself and don't get to carried away by the Holiday excitment just yet. I think that Thanksgiving gets shafted every year. I mean there is lots of excitment for Halloween and even before Halloween gets here the stores are decked out with the Christmas docor and the holiday advertisments. Where is Thanksgiving? Shoved aside and forgotten about really (untill you eat that amazing Turkey).

So don't get to wrapped up in the Holiday season just yet and if the simple excitement of the red cup makes you forget about Thanksgiving don't worry there is a remidy for that as well - simply order the Pumpkin spice Latte. Who can forget about Thanksgiving when drinking this delightful latte?


MMMMMM....I think I need to take a Starbucks run

Did you?

Happy Birthday Big Sis

Today is a very special day. It is Amie's Birthday!!!


Whatever I can say about Amie here on this blog cannot begin to describe how wonderful she is. I have lots of fun memories of us growing up together: Playing games, camping, collecting earthworms, being scarred to death of Amie's "pet spider" was loose in the house, reading all the Berenstain Bear books we could get our hands on, and acting out Little House on the Prairie in the yard are only some of the fun memories I have of growing up together.
Over the years it is fun to see how things change, how life grows us and how even family relationships change. Amie has been such a great friend & sister to me, always encouraging and always sharing about how the Lord is working. Apart from being a wonderful sister she is also an amazing wife and mother.
It has been fun to see her move from avoiding all men to falling in love with Jon learning how to be a wife, and becoming a mom.

Both Rosemary and Providence are blessed to have my sister as their mom who is teaching them and training them in the the Lord and who loves them with all her heart.

Amie, your gift in hospitality, your love for your girls and Jon and your love for the Lord are a great example to me. I love you tons and wish we could be there to help celebrate this special day with you. I hope you have a wonderful birthday.



Happy Birthday!

New Career - Tour Guide

Ty and I got to use the road lottery ticket and drive our car into Denali National Park this year (driving in the park is restricted to tour buses and the few lucky lottery ticket winners at the end of the season). It was the first time I got to be at Denali and it was totally worth it. Check out our videos to see our trip.

Don't worry once you see the videos you'll know that I am not really going to change careers to be a tour guide. Tour Guide and being in front of a camera is not for me (the tip is broken down into two videos due to time limitations with You Tube ... but watch both, they are only a total of about 17 min).





This trip reminded me how much I love Alaska.

So mom and dad doesn't this look like somewhere you would want to go on one of your visits up here?

Goodbye Fall

So fall is officially over. The termination dust has come and the snow has arrived along with the cold weather. Though it seems extra early this year for snow, Tyler assures me that this is really pretty normal for AK. The past 3 years I have lived here it hasn't really snowed 'till around Halloween and apparently that is later than usual. So this year is my first "real" winter I guess you could say.

This year is the first winter for our pup Yawkey. Our deck looked like this earlier today when Yawkey went outside.
After a short time of constant snow fall it began to look like this:

While he is very timid and greatly dislikes the rain the snow is a different story. Yawkey loves the snow. We let him out on our back deck and he goes crazy. He walks around and sniff the snow for a bit then decides to start eating it and before you know it he has taken off on a full out run chasing the snow balls that his legs kick up in front of him. It is pure entertainment for Tyler and I to watch until he runs in the house covered in snow shivering. (Here is a short little video link you can see of him playing.)

IT HAS ARRIVED!

Unbelievable - but it's true, Alaska has just gotten its very first TARGET store. It opened this week and yes, I have already been there.

They were prepared for the madness and excitement, from parking lot attendants, security guards inside and having every register open and running...Target was ready for the rush of both those of us who walked in and had that look of seeing a long lost friend after many years to those wide eyed newbies who couldn't believe their eyes once they stepped into the world of Target. To those newbies it was like seeing the pages of a store, only seen through photos on the Internet, come to life. Mothers, teenagers, toddlers, grandparents, newborns and everyone in between could be found at the new Target location last night.


Though I prepared myself for the worst: angry customers, empty shelves, long and slow lines, pushing and shoving, I was surprised at the great time I had browsing the aisles, looking at candles, picture frames, kitchen gadgets, and clothing...my time there was delightful and the lines (though very long) moved very quickly.

I am proud to say that Alaska has finally gotten one of my favorite stores and it makes the coming winter a little more appealing...'cause really what better pass time in the cold and snow then to shop (and I already have my first Target Purchase picked out for my next visit - isn't it a great sofa table?)

Smarties

Ok, so I'm not really doing an entire post like you might think on Smarties the candy. (Though they are quite good and therefore do deserve a moment of recognition since this post appears to be named after them.)


I am talking about just one person or "smartie" (and I mean that in a good way not in a Jr. High name calling way).

Today I came from an all day seminar that my company sent me to to learn more about some of the laws that I work worth on a daily basis as a Benefits Administrator in the HR department. After finishing this 7+ hour seminar I received a "certificate of continued education" for completion in the one day training. But really should a receive such a honor for doing absolutely nothing? (I mean I simply wrote down what the instructor said and he even gave everyone the answers to the tests/exercises after each completed section).

So no, the "Smartie" here is definitely not me. The "Smartie" that I want to recognize is non other then my Mom.


Just a few weeks ago my mom completed her Masters program in teaching. There was blood, sweat, and tears involved in the process I'm sure if you were to ask her; and plenty of tests and papers that she was not given the answers to. However, on top of working full time as a teacher she plunged in and decided to become a student herself once again. She even gave up her longed for summer days of freedom to work on homework and lots of papers...now that is dedication. It has all paid off however and now she is the proud recipient of a Masters degree. What a great mom I have who has shown, and continue to show, a great dedication to all she is involved in and a great work ethic.

CONGRATULATIONS MOM! You truly are the "Smartie" here.