Checkin'-In

Hey y'all! My very southern talkin', country speakin' visitors may just be bringing back my accent with a vengeance! That's ok, though. I knew it wasn't very far from the surface. Just give me a glass of wine and that becomes very evident.

We piled up in the car and made the nine hour drive to Seward on Sunday. Sometimes I forget how huge this state actually is, but just driving to a neighboring city reminds me very quickly. The drive wasn't so bad, though mostly due to the awesome company we had.

I have so much to tell you about...like how I caught a big ole halibut...and some other fish, but I'm going to leave that post for a little later. I just wanted to check in with all of you and let you know I'm having a fabulous time. Also, I'm looking forward to catching up with all of you via Google Reader. I'll probably do that after I'm done typing this. I will leave you with the scenery I've been staring at for the past few days...

If you haven't visited Alaska...you should!

Love,

FF-in Vlog

Bonsoi! I vlogged...again. Go over to Wife of a Sailor to participate!

 

 

5QF time

Head over to Mama M's page to participate in Five Question Friday.

Beckoning

Sometimes this feeling creeps in and takes over my life as I know it. It's a nagging annoyance that beckons me to get as far away as I can. It's not because I don't like where I'm at or because I don't like where I'm going. It's something else entirely. I've talked to other military spouses about this feeling that I'm having- the need to get away. The catch is, I just want to disappear with my man.

I don't know if you heard, but the military requires a lot of time dedication and that's not only when they're deployed. There are FRG meetings, Hail & Farewells, 5am workout calls, 12-16 hour days, and much more. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like if Captain J was working a 9-5. Would he be happy? I know I would love more time with him in the mornings and the evenings. I also know my driven husband would always look back at the Army that has done so much for him and question if he did all that he wanted to do within it.

Despite being thankful for his job that provides for us, I still let my mind slip to that feeling of just getting away. Perhaps I have a vacation hangover. This week Captain J transitioned back into working again. In fact, he's away right now and probably will be for the next few hours. This gives me plenty of time to think. In my readings, I came across this quote-

"To express a place in art, we need to take certain risks...we need intimacy of a sort that demands a certain daring and risk: a surrender, an abandonment." -John Haines

or as Barry Lopez puts it-

We need to "become vulnerable to a place."

Why the topic change? Well, when I want to "get away" this is the very place I want to go...

The walls of this house boast with the warmth of the people who inhabit her. From the outside, there are forested views as far as the eye can see. There's a creek nearby, that when crossed, will lead one along the twisted walking trails behind the property. There's a history there that intrigues me and is cherished greatly by those who came before me. This place blends well- manicured terrain with seemingly untouched countryside. She's so beautiful that she's seen weddings, family reunions, the occasional snow, and treasured Thanksgiving days. Oh, how I miss her...

This house has been in my family for years. There was a period of time during the war that the family lost the house, but God blessed my grandparents with the opportunity to get it back many years later. What a gift that has been! It's nice to have a piece of such a personal history to explore. If I walk far enough into the woods, I'll find a bench by a huge tree that has initails upon initials of the people who called her home. Besides the history, there's a freedom attraction to it. It wouldn't be uncommon to wake up every day there for a week and never see a single soul. It's private, it's glorious, it's refreshing.

That's where I want to be. I could swoop up Captain J and hop on a plane to good ole Tennessee. Maybe we'd be alone or maybe we could be in the company of various family members who frequently use this hiatus as a weekend-type get-away. Either way, I know it would be a memory I wouldn't soon forget. There's just something about that place.

Do you have a place you hold dear to your heart?

Why Me Wednesday

* Why is it that every time I pick something up around the house, five other random items are sprinkled in the floor almost automatically? These boys are killin' me.

*Why is it that I keep forgetting to buy a razor at Wally World? My legs are looking pretty gross, not gonna lie.

*While we're on the topic of Walmart, I'd like to know why I used my debit card there 5 times today? Ridiculous.

*Why can't I remember things?

* I took D-nugget to the dog park twice, let him swim in the Chena, and showered him with love all day so why is he still being a crazy dog?

*Why am I blogging when I should be folding laundry?

*Why does Chelsea Lately crack me up so much?

*Why have I been blessed so much to only have these seven, minor things to complain about?

I'm one lucky gal.

Try It Out Tuesday

Haven't done this in awhile, ehh? Despite having a "me" day, I still got a lot accomplished. I think it's this summer solstice. When it's constantly gorgeous outside, I yearn to get out and be productive. After hanging out with these two cutie patooties-

and then spending time with this precious little dearie-

I decided it was time to get to work on a few chores around my house. I have a certain special visitor coming up to see me very soon so I cleaned the spare bedroom from head to toe. Then I got to work on my "dream board" that I've been wanting to do for so long. What's a dream board, you may ask? Well, there's an exhaustive definition over at my blog buddy Dutch's page so why don't you go check that out. In short, it's a place to portray goals and dreams creatively. It's a place of motivation. It's a place to visualize what you want out of life and each day. Too hippyish for ya? Well, heck, for me it's just another excuse for crafting :) Here's my final product (although I'm sure I'll add more as I see fit):

On the dry erase portion, I plan to keep track of daily and weekly goals in regard to exercising, chores, watching what I eat, and bible verse memorizations. I'm excited. Think it'll work? Anyway, TRY IT OUT! It is, at the very least, something for you to do when you're bored.

Also, I wanted to post another low maintenance, super easy crock pot recipe if you'd like to TRY IT OUT. This ranch chicken recipe is very tasty and produces some excellent leftovers (this coming from the woman who thinks most leftovers are yucky)-

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons bacon seasoning


• 1 teaspoon garlic


• 1 (1 ounce) package hidden valley ranch dressing mix


• 1 (10 ounce) can cream of chicken soup


• 1/2 cup milk


• 1 cup sour cream


• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts


• 1 (16 ounce) package egg noodles, prepared

*Mix first six ingredients and pour over chicken in slow cooker. Cook on high setting for 3-4 hours or until chicken is done.

Ok, so I actually improvised and used what I had. Instead of bacon seasoning, I used bacon bits. I also just used a whole clove of garlic. Then I skipped the noodles and served it with mashed potatoes instead. This meal was very filling for the two of us so we had leftovers for today.

Did you try anything new today?

At 13,000 feet...

Have you ever been to 13,000+ feet above sea level? I have. The Cap'n and I heard about Mauna Kea while we were in the intoxicating islands of Hawaii and thought- we must see it. The tourist guides told stories of the locals driving up the mountain/volcano and filling up pickup trucks with snow so they could have a snowball fight down below in bathing suits, tube tops, tiny shorts, and sunglasses. Did you know that Hawaii gets snow? I had no idea. It seems pretty logical when I realize just how big that mountain is....

Wikipedia says:

The peak of Mauna Kea is 13,803 feet (4,207 m) above mean sea level, about 100 feet (30 m) taller than neighboring Mauna Loa and about 30,000 feet (9,100 m) above its base on the floor of the Pacific Ocean. By this measurement, Mauna Kea is the world's tallest mountain, taller than Mount Everest, which is the highest mountain above sea level.

whoa nelly.

That's big. It's pretty cool that one can just hop in a four wheel drive car and drive on up to the tallest point. Basically, I was unimpressed by this experience, though. Wha-Wha-What? Say what!?

Well, the tour was fine. The guide was corny-funny, super nice, and very knowledgeable, but...

the landscapes were not that glorious. So much of the the area is very dry. Lava fields fill the space between Kona and the mountain and when we weren't driving through endless coal black areas- we were looking at any other ole mountain. It didn't even compare to the Alaskan Range, Denali, or the Smokies. There's just so much beauty there.

But anyway...It wasn't without a spectacular view. The very top was an interesting experience and made the long tour worthwhile. It's neat to be above the clouds with feet still firmly on the ground. It was slightly ruined for me because of the humongous observatories at the top that were interrupting my view. Perhaps I just can't appreciate technology fully.

[caption id="attachment_1096" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Pic by Alan L. feat. on Wikipedia"][/caption]

Plus we needed parkas for this adventure. We weren't ready for parkas so soon after a long Alaska Interior winter.

After watching the sun go down, we drove back towards the visitor center where we could set up a telescope and view the stars. This was also pretty cool. It would have been a lot cooler to someone who can actually locate the little dipper. Oh well...I tried. I tried hard. In all honesty, I didn't see hardly anything the astronomer pointed out. This is just not my cup of tea. But, the stars were beautiful. Magnificent. Unpolluted by city lights. Perfect. One can really see God's majesty up there.

[caption id="attachment_1097" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Pic by MP Wright feat. at Mauna Kea Summit Adventures"][/caption]

The guide packed up his telescope while I jogged up to the gift shop for a quick look around. On the way back to the bus, I noticed these huge telescopes outside. Oh man...now, this is cool:

I got to see the rings around Saturn. Not many people can say that, right? It was pretty nifty.

What else did I learn? I learned that at 13,000 feet I'm slightly more crazy in love with my silly, wonderful husband. Some may say that the lack of oxygen made me giddy and dizzy, but me....I know the truth!

Adios!