Time flies...

My sincerest apology to those of you who have been faithfully checking for updates... and a sarcastic one to my ever-loving family who has been giving me a hard time.  :-)  The past month has been busy and wonderful!  Work is great- I work with some of the best people, and I actually love the challenges that come with customer servicing.  With the holidays, the resort has been full of life and activity.

Mosaic is going great (our Wednesday night community Bible study group)- earlier this month we tried something new... a creative expression, if you will... we're going to be trying out a lot more new and creative things at our gatherings.  Here's a picture of individual takes on the scripture we read...

It was a lot of fun, and I'm really looking forward to more (and different) expressions in the coming weeks!  Also this past month... I spent a good bit of time getting ready for Christmas.  Thanks to friends and family, I was getting boxes and presents and goodies and cards almost every day in my post office box! I was able to decorate my condo (thanks, Mom!) and help the Capshaws decorate.  It wasn't until I did some Christmas shopping, though, that it really began to feel like Christmas!  There was one day a couple weeks ago that Jenn and I went shopping together and I really enjoyed that time... It was fun to shop for friends and family, but it was some much needed quality time with her, too!  From then on it really felt like "the season".  I mailed off a couple of boxes and cards the next day (along with getting a few packages I was not expecting!) and that kind of started the Christmas bug in me.  :-) Around that time, too, I began to count down until Sam's visit.  He came the 20-25th, and I'll share more about that later. Throughout December, the days were getting shorter and shorter (until the solstice on the 22nd) ... I've been going into work before the sun comes up, and getting off of work after the sun sets, and no, I'm not working long shifts!!

For those of you long-time blog readers, you'll remember the terrible, horrible the last time I decided to house-sit for someone for an extended amount of time.  For those of you newer ones, here's the reader's digest version: Atlanta flooded, and by flooded, I mean my sister got evacuated from her apartment because half of it was underwater and oh-by-the-way roads were under water too; the cat got sick, like requiring-the-vet and special-medication, has-to-be-confined sick; dog threw up (and I don't do vomit); I had an allergic reaction to the cat... great week.

I've been house sitting over the holiday for some great friends, and aside from the power going out (no power, no heat, no running water, concerned about keeping a ton of fish frozen), the battery in the smoke detector dying so it beeped every 60 seconds for 24 hours (it would require an extended ladder to replace the battery- which isn't laying around), the house alarm being on backup (and beeping every 60-90 seconds), the pup being on special medication (and not able to run/go down certain steeper stairs), the other pup freaking out due to the beeping, and the doorbell getting stuck (and dinging incessantly until I unplugged it)... it's also been a great week (or two...).

Ha, it sounds more dramatic than it has been, but I'm convinced that I'm either really good at this house sitting thing (I can handle anything...?) or I'm really bad at it and should never consider it again!   So that is what I've been up to the past several weeks... What about you?


PS- I hate to blog without a decent pic (or 2) to share... My friend Tara took this beautiful pic one evening several weeks ago...


Welcome to Girdwood...

Settled!

I am officially and happily moved into my new apartment!  It is tucked in at the bottom of Mt. Alyeska, with less than a mile to walk to get to work (at the ticket office!).  So far I've only had two days at work, but I think I'm starting to get the hang of it!  I'm also really enjoying getting to know my coworkers; and, they have been so patient and helpful in training me!  I think it is going to be a great fit for the winter season.

Now, about the apartment... It is a cozy efficiency, that surprised me by having more than enough room.  Thanks to my mama, who has mailed several packages, I already have this place feeling like home.  Added bonus... I have a gorgeous view of the Chugach mountains out my window.  Here's a couple pictures...

my bedroom and living room :)

icicles out the window

see the mountain through the trees?

more mountains

Fireplace (between bed and window) - the only source of heat!

my kitchen

dresser (between bed on the left and entry on the right, across from kitchen)

bathroom

beautiful tile work in the bathroom

So, officially, welcome to my home!  (At least, my home for the next 6 months.)

For Thanksgiving this year... on Wednesday, we're having a community thanksgiving meal (everyone's invited!).  It will definitely be a thanksgiving unlike any others I've ever had, but at least I'll be making my grandma's pumpkin pie.  :-)  And, I'm really looking forward to spending that time with friends.  Tuesday, the mountain is open for pass holders, and Wednesday it opens up to all, so we're going to be busy Wednesday-Saturday (at least?) at the ticket office.  I'll be working those days, for sure!  I hope everyone has a fantastic Thanksgiving holiday-- enjoy your family and friends --don't take that time for granted!

Me too!

Last weekend we went to Piedmont Park to hang out with friends and enjoy live music coming from the Park Tavern.  We took the puppies of course... Dakota sat in someone's lap the whole time and Montana had zero interest in settling down at all! 

The music was fun - Christmas in July (?!) with a few fun 80s songs in there.  Apparently the band is a cover band, and they were definitely entertaining!  We hadn't been there too long before a big storm rolled in... I managed to snap a picture at just the right time!

Some of you know Montana has been on anti-seizure medicine for a couple months now... We give it to her in a syringe, and she hates it. She groans and backs up trying to avoid it.  It only took about a week of watching before Dakota felt she was missing out.  Far be it from us to deprive our puppy of anything she wants... so I suggested to my sister that she should offer Dakota some water in a syringe.  Would you believe that she fought it, just like Montana, but as soon as Jen went to toss it out, Dakota was jumping at it?  Jen offered it to her again and she slurped it up... so it goes, whenever Montana gets her medicine, Dakota gets some extra water in a special way!

Happy 4th!

I can already smell burgers on the grill...

Max, Cate, me, and Elie

A very happy 4th of July to you all!  I'm typing away at the computer this morning while Jennifer is running the Peachtree Road Race. I dropped her off at the start, and I'm sure she will run great!

This has been such a rewarding weekend.  Wednesday evening I drove to Tennessee, stayed the night with my parents, and left Thursday morning with Mom for Champaign, IL.  I had my Boot Camp Support Training seminar this weekend to help me prepare for Alaska!

Steve Shadrach was the keynote speaker, and offered a lot of insight on the process.  (More on that  below...)  I appreciate the training, but in all honesty, I am really grateful for the LOCATION of the training!

By being in Champaign, I was able to stay with my great Uncle Lou and Aunt Mary, next door to their daughter and her family, Alicia and Achim, Max, Elie & Cate.  It was such a sweet time spending the mornings/evenings with my family.  Being in Atlanta, I rarely get to spend quality time with this part of the family and I will cherish the time we had together this weekend!

Aunt Mary, me, and Uncle Lou

Cate, me, and Elie

Now on to the seminar... for anyone raising support to be a missionary, I would highly recommend the Body Builder's Boot Camp.  It's two long days and lots of material, but I'm excited to put into action what I've learned.  Not that I have anything to compare it to, but I would sure say it is the best bang for your buck!  The seminar offered some great resources and ideas for newsletters and ways to stay in communication with supporters; I'm really excited about that!

Boot Camp Workbook

Steve Shadrach speaking

I hope everyone gets the chance for some food, fun, and fireworks today!  As for me, this is the last 4th of July that I'll be somewhere dark enough to see fireworks, so I plan to see at least a few! :-)

'Bouism #3

Kind of makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, doesn't it?  

What is your favorite picture of you and your dog? (or pet...)

-♥-

Happy Fall, Y'all!

Yes, I know it is not fall yet, but... Oh. My. Goodness.  I got up early to run this morning (because Wednesdays are always so busy!) and it was 65 degrees outside.  For real.  I cannot remember the last time I enjoyed running so much!  (I take that back.  I enjoyed it on Saturday!) My friends Kristy and Mary have got me running a 5K with them in October with the help of the C25K app for the iPod Touch (or iPhone, but I refuse to buy an iPhone until it can use Verizon service).  The C25K stands for Couch to 5K and it is an app to help you (drumroll please) get from the couch to running a 5K.  Catchy title, right? Ha ha.  I love this app.  It lets you play your own music/playlist while running the app as well.  During the 30 minute workouts, the app will turn your music down to tell you it is time to walk or run and then turn the music back up.  This is great, because I am not clock watching... 

Today I started week 4, day 1 and it went so well.  

The workout: 

• warm-up 5:00
• run 3:00
• walk 1:30
• run 5:00
• walk 2:30
• run 3:00
• walk 1:30
• run 5:00
• cool-down 5:00

 I was pressed on time, so I skipped the warm-up and ran through my last walk and cool-down.  Thus, my actual workout was:

• run 3:00
• walk 1:30
• run 5:00
• walk 2:30
• run 10:30

And my cool-down was getting Montana from the house and walking her to the park and back (about 5 min). All day today, whenever I've been driving, I have had the windows down and the sun roof open.  I just love when the weather cools off.  Amazingly enough, when I went out to grab some lunch today it was 80 degrees outside... Kind of sad and alarming that 80 degrees is refreshing!  I suppose the 47% humidity instead of 97% makes a difference, too.  

Back to fall... I ♥ FALL! I am so excited about hiking, and pumpkins, and autumn harvest candles, and cool weather, and festive drinks/recipes (i.e. pumpkin coffee, pumpkin spice lattes - though Starbucks had to have changed their recipe because it does not taste the same this year!, pumpkin soup, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin bread, PUMPKIN PIE, other kinds of soups, chili, this random yummy baked apple/pear casserole, etc.)... seriously, what is not to love?!  

Things I want to do this fall... go to a pumpkin patch, carve a pumpkin, bake a lot, hike even more than I bake, hike with Jen & a healthy Montana, run my 5K in less than 30 minutes, hike in the Smokies at least one weekend, play in the leaves, find a cute new sweater, go to a corn maze, go to a UT football game and maybe even a GA game, tailgate, go on a hayride (maybe even a haunted hayride), go to 6 Flags' Fright Fest, go canoeing, take LOTS of pictures, and maybe some other things I can't think up just yet.  Please, please, please... let me know if you will join me for any of the above!  Company always makes things more fun! :-)