New Brother in Law! Welcome to the family Casey!

On our way to Alaska we spent several days with Nate's little sister Tessa and her family. While we were there Tessa got Married! She married this really wonderful guy named Casey. I feel so lucky to be able to of been there for there special day. Before they got married we went outside and took some family pictures and some pictures for the wedding. The light was fading fast and we had less then an hour to get them done. I think they turned out pretty good although I had very little light.

My family

Before I left for Alaska I made a trip down to Utah with the family to see the family. While I was there I did picture's of my family for a wall collage for my mom. This is some of the end result. I was so glad to get them done although most of my family didn't really want to participate in them. Oh well. We would of done them with all of the grand kids too but, two of my older brother Pete's kids weren't there.My wonderful Parents Kim and SusanMy Nephew RyanTwo of my nephew's Caleb and RyanMy brother, Peter and his two boys Caleb and RyanMy sister Joyand her with her dogs Ash and Roxy.My dad with Ash and Roxy.My mom Susan.Joy, my mom and meMy family... Me, Peter, Kim, Susan, Rocky, and JoyThe family with the in laws Nate and Meagan added to it.The boys Rocky, Kim, and PeterRocky and Meagan

Date Night

This Friday Nate and I were able to go out on a Date! A real date and the first one that we had since we moved here to Alaska. It was great to get away from everything and just be a couple for a couple of hours. We went to a restaurant right across the street from us. It is a Greek and Italian restaurant. I had the Greek spaghetti. It is spaghetti noodles with olive oil, garlic, Parmesan cheese, and feta cheese. Nate had the lamb gyro. We shared a canoli. Yummy. Then we went to the movie. We went to see Little Fockers. Nate and I have always enjoyed the Focker movies. They are just kinda dumb funny which is just what we needed. After the movie we came home and played Nate's video game. I do not really enjoy playing video games but, I do enjoy doing stuff with Nate and since he likes them I thought that I would do something that he likes to do. It was fun spending the much needed time together.

An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves. ~Bill Vaughan-

We didn't do much to celebrate the new year. It didn't turn out as I had planned. In my mind we would play games, watch movies, and hang out until midnight and then go to bed. When I came downstairs to start the celebration I came down to Nate on the computer with Tyler watching him. Ella on the laptop and the girls isolated in their bedrooms reading a book. So much for my family fun night.I did guilt them into playing one game of curses with me.well, almost everyone played. Nichole sat on the couch and read. But, at least she was in the same room as the rest of us.After the game everyone kinda separated to do their own thing. The girls once again went into their rooms to read, Tyler and Ella had a pillow fight, and Nate and I played one of Nate's video games together (I have to do stuff that he likes every once in a while. It seems to make him so happy).Tyler watched us play the game and Ella made us a New Years sign.It says "Happy New Year" or haay no yerg.At 11:30 the neighbors started to light off fireworks. Not those dumb on the ground fireworks but those "illegal" up in the air fireworks that aren't illegal here. They also had some sparklers that they gave to the kids. Which was super nice of them. We had a fun time watching the fireworks but had to go inside when our neighbors and their friends who were quite a while into their partying (and kept me up until 4:30 in the morning with their partying ways) started dropping swear words left and right. That is when I rounded up the kids and came into the house.At the stroke of midnight. Ok we didn't really have a countdown and may of been a little early. So at the stroke of almost midnight the kids started banging pans and shouting Happy New Year. We ate our Milano cookies, drank our sparkling cider and kissed (ok that was just Nate and I). It wasn't how I thought that I was going to spend my new years eve celebration. But, I had a good time hanging out with my husband and kids.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!

Year in Review from my Facebook status'

Here is a summary of my year based off my Facebook Status. Kinda fun to do.

Boxes, Boxes, and more Boxes

We finally got our belongings here on Monday the 28th of December. I was really bummed that the movers weren't able to bring our stuff on the 23rd like we had originally planned but in hindsight I am grateful that it did not get delivered on that day. With the boxes and boxes and our house in shambles I would not of been able to enjoy Christmas. I don't think that I would of been able to sit down on Christmas. Anyway, the 28th started with the mover's showing up early in the morning. Nate helped the best he could and I kept the kids wrangled into the family room. The movers were really good. They unpacked the truck into the garage and then would move the stuff from the garage into the house so that the house would not get cold. The couches wouldn't fit downstairs so the movers were just going to leave them in the garage. But somehow Nate convinced the movers to hang the couch over the patio while Nate held onto it while the second mover ran down the stairs and helped the first mover hold onto the couch. Then Nate would lower it as far down as he could and the movers would say now. Then Nate would drop the couch into the hands of the movers. Now those are some awesome movers.

I know in this picture the house is a mess. The sad part is that it in no way shows just how many boxes we had to move in. The first day we didn't have time to unpack much so we just moved the boxes out of the way. It was like living in a maze full of boxes. The next day we started unpacking. I quickly noticed that the movers in Idaho did a poor job labeling. If the box had one article of clothing in it and everything else was kitchen stuff they would label the box clothes. That has made for some complications while we are unpacking. But for the most part over a week later we have unpacked enough to run our house.

In your opinion what acts can be described as courageous and why?

There are a couple things that I think are very courageous. One is standing up for what you believe especially when not everyone around you believes the same thing as you do. It doesn't have to be a religious thing. It could be something simple like not drinking or smoking. If you think that it goes against what you think is right and you just turn down that is courageous.
Another thing that I think is courageous and it kind of goes along the same lines is not being afraid to be who you are. And not letting the influence of the world change who you are. If your smart, if your quirky, if your a nerd, if your an brainy. Embrace it. Love who you are. Nothing is more courageous then being just YOU!