Wednesday, August 31, 2011
ZUMBA!
Zumba recently started up here in northwest Alaska, and let me tell you. I LOVE IT. I live for this kind of thing. I have never been the type to go and workout everyday, except during high school sports, when I was at practice every single day. Lately though, zumba has been the highlight of my day! If you know me personally, you know that I LOVE to dance. When I was in college, the only classes I really honestly made it to every week were my dance classes. I begged and begged everyone to come dancing with me every weekend and my sisters and I are probably the ONLY ones who can go to Lion's Club sober on Saturday night and have loads of fun. When I do zumba, I feel liberated, I feel like I belong when I am dancing, and really it doesn't feel like a workout to me. It doesn't feel like I have to try, I just have true and honest fun! Yesterday was an especially fun day, since I had such a crappy day to begin with. I met up with Kristen and her mom and Stephanie at zumba and even before the workout started, we were laughing and having a good time. Kristen and Stephanie always get a kick out of how I do things, because I get so into it, and if you are in my way, I apologize, because I don't notice. I don't notice, which also means I probably bump, or swing my arm out and accidentally hit you. I don't mean it.. it just happens. There are a couple of things that I do really over the top, and dancing is one of them. I can dance and dance and dance, like the energizer bunny. Sometimes when zumba is over, the first song comes back on and I feel like doing the workout all over again. People ask if I ever get tired of dancing, are you freaking kidding me?! I never get tired of it. I dance all over the house, while I am cleaning, while I am cooking, when I am in the shower. Basically any chance I get, I am dancing. Ariana thinks its funny, and usually it is funny, but really, it keeps me sane! On Saturday, we went to Lion's Club and danced the night away, it's such a stress reliever. My cousin Charlotte asked how I had so much energy, and really I have no idea, because I don't stay up very late, but I rarely sat down. I never felt tired either. Call it what you wanna call it, but I am a dancer through and through.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
always pray for those who truly need it
well hello (=
I know it's been weeks since I the last time I wrote. I have been home, feeling like i'm going a million miles an hour and since I usually am only on my phone I don't write enough. I have been needing to write though, a friend of mine reminded me on facebook today that I should write. She's absolutely right, I should be writing everyday, or at least every time something happens. In the last few weeks, I have been babysitting my cousin Josie's baby, Saima. She is four months old, and don't get me wrong, she's SUPER cute. But she cries a lot more than Rea did. I couldn't imagine her being my own kid. I recently applied for a real job at Maniilaq though and I am really hoping that I get it. It will be a nice change to have to get up every morning at the same time and not have to be around Rea 24/7. Also, we will be able to save more money!
Lately, I have been feeling pretty sorry for myself, even though I shouldn't be. I am reminded daily that there are people who have it a lot worst than I do. Recently a friend of mine got run over by a truck and broke a lot of bones and was in critical condition. I have been praying for her. I also spoke with a guy who's girlfriend miscarried her baby, he explained how she had to go through labor and push him out. He watched the whole thing, not being able to help her in pain. I'm sure if he could have, he would have traded her places. I prayed for them. A new mother and her baby were in a car accident in Killeen, the mother did not survive and the father of the baby is trying to come home from Iraq. I am praying for them. Every time I start to feel sorry for myself, I remember that there are people who have it a lot worst than I do. yeah, I don't get to see my husband for a year, but he's alive. I get to speak to him, he gets to see me and Rea on Skype. Really, I am pretty lucky to have a husband who really truly loves me and my daughter. We are lucky to have friends and family who support us 100%.
Other than trying to get a new job, I have been doing well. Rea has been pretty fussy, I think she's getting her last few teeth. It's driving me crazy though. I have been having some really rough dreams. Last night, I had a dream that I was sleeping somewhere with Rea and someone broke into the house and was gonna rape me. I fought it but he managed to give me a two cuts. One on my stomach, from under my belly button to under my boob, and one on my right arm. In my dream, Rea slept through everything, and when the guy left, I was laying in my bed, motionless, crying because there wasn't anything I could do. I am always afraid of dying, with Rea around and no one finding us until it's too late for her too. Especially when Zach was gone and I was still in Texas. I was always worried about Brittany and Chrissy too, since both of their husbands were gone and they both have kids the same age as I do. I woke up, sweating and crying. It didn't help that Magnus was whining to go outside even though I had let him out an hour and a half before, and Fritz was whining downstairs, as she had been all night. Irritated, I drug myself out of bed and pulled Magnus back up the stairs, put the gate back up, and went back to bed. Even though I was terrified that I would have the same dream again. Though I didn't have the same dream, Ariana and I were in a city, i'm not sure where, and we were lost. The dream went on and eventually she was lost from me and I was wondering around looking for somewhere to go. My dad told me he has a lot of dreams about being lost as well. I wonder if it means something. After a long long night, Rea woke up extra early, because she could hear Magnus, and after dragging out getting up as long as I could, we went down stairs and I fed and watered the dogs. Soon after feeding and watering the dogs, I put Magnus outside and Rea and I walked home. I amaqed her. Which means I put her on my back, with a jacket that fits both of us in it. It's pretty muggy and ugly out. It's not too cold, which is nice, but it has been raining on and off for a couple of days. We got lucky and didn't get rained on.
Once we got home, I let Rea watch her morning cartoons and we relaxed. Since I was especially tired, I was hoping that she would fall asleep, but I never got that lucky. I was in and out of sleeping while she was laying down with me, but every time I thought she might be sleeping, she would move and we would both be up. After many failed attempts at putting her to sleep, I finally gave up and checked facebook and to my surprise, Zach was online and he had sent me a number of messages. I was happy that I got to talk to him and it brightened my day a bit. He makes me so proud. He makes me so content with my life, even when it's super crazy. So after flighting with Rea to nap, and talking to Zach, I gave up and asked my sister Saima to watch Rea for a while so I could nap. She picked her up around one and I made a cake in the microwave and put a load of clothes in the wash. Then I went into my room and shut the door. I slept for a little over an hour and only woke up because Saima had texted me asking if I was ready for Rea to come home. I quickly got up and into the shower. Rea was playing in the living room by the time I got out, but it was a really good shower! Remember the cake I made in the microwave? Well I am an at home Tupperware consultant, which means I have lots of Tupperware gizmos and gadgets. One of them happens to be a microwave oven. Which means I could cook things that should normally be baked in the microwave for a fraction of the time. I baked a store bought cake in the microwave in eight minutes! With no waiting for the oven to preheat. It tastes just like regular cake and some will even argue that it is more moist. I had planned on making cake balls for our house, but after a chocolate melting fiasco I decided I kivit, and I am making Ariana finish them! After the cake balls, we are gonna go for a ride and then I am gonna pick up Maija's car. Then it's ZUMBA time!! I love doing zumba, it keeps me sane!
Dear Deployment,
You suck, today you threw a bunch of crap at me, and even after feeling like crying, I didn't and I am now in a good mood. Lets just hope you are shorter, rather than longer okay? I would really appreciate that. Rea is growing everyday and needs her daddy around. She loves and misses him everyday, as do I. These next couple of days I will be waiting for a phone call for some work. Once I start really working, you will go by faster. Love, Elsa...
I know it's been weeks since I the last time I wrote. I have been home, feeling like i'm going a million miles an hour and since I usually am only on my phone I don't write enough. I have been needing to write though, a friend of mine reminded me on facebook today that I should write. She's absolutely right, I should be writing everyday, or at least every time something happens. In the last few weeks, I have been babysitting my cousin Josie's baby, Saima. She is four months old, and don't get me wrong, she's SUPER cute. But she cries a lot more than Rea did. I couldn't imagine her being my own kid. I recently applied for a real job at Maniilaq though and I am really hoping that I get it. It will be a nice change to have to get up every morning at the same time and not have to be around Rea 24/7. Also, we will be able to save more money!
Lately, I have been feeling pretty sorry for myself, even though I shouldn't be. I am reminded daily that there are people who have it a lot worst than I do. Recently a friend of mine got run over by a truck and broke a lot of bones and was in critical condition. I have been praying for her. I also spoke with a guy who's girlfriend miscarried her baby, he explained how she had to go through labor and push him out. He watched the whole thing, not being able to help her in pain. I'm sure if he could have, he would have traded her places. I prayed for them. A new mother and her baby were in a car accident in Killeen, the mother did not survive and the father of the baby is trying to come home from Iraq. I am praying for them. Every time I start to feel sorry for myself, I remember that there are people who have it a lot worst than I do. yeah, I don't get to see my husband for a year, but he's alive. I get to speak to him, he gets to see me and Rea on Skype. Really, I am pretty lucky to have a husband who really truly loves me and my daughter. We are lucky to have friends and family who support us 100%.
Other than trying to get a new job, I have been doing well. Rea has been pretty fussy, I think she's getting her last few teeth. It's driving me crazy though. I have been having some really rough dreams. Last night, I had a dream that I was sleeping somewhere with Rea and someone broke into the house and was gonna rape me. I fought it but he managed to give me a two cuts. One on my stomach, from under my belly button to under my boob, and one on my right arm. In my dream, Rea slept through everything, and when the guy left, I was laying in my bed, motionless, crying because there wasn't anything I could do. I am always afraid of dying, with Rea around and no one finding us until it's too late for her too. Especially when Zach was gone and I was still in Texas. I was always worried about Brittany and Chrissy too, since both of their husbands were gone and they both have kids the same age as I do. I woke up, sweating and crying. It didn't help that Magnus was whining to go outside even though I had let him out an hour and a half before, and Fritz was whining downstairs, as she had been all night. Irritated, I drug myself out of bed and pulled Magnus back up the stairs, put the gate back up, and went back to bed. Even though I was terrified that I would have the same dream again. Though I didn't have the same dream, Ariana and I were in a city, i'm not sure where, and we were lost. The dream went on and eventually she was lost from me and I was wondering around looking for somewhere to go. My dad told me he has a lot of dreams about being lost as well. I wonder if it means something. After a long long night, Rea woke up extra early, because she could hear Magnus, and after dragging out getting up as long as I could, we went down stairs and I fed and watered the dogs. Soon after feeding and watering the dogs, I put Magnus outside and Rea and I walked home. I amaqed her. Which means I put her on my back, with a jacket that fits both of us in it. It's pretty muggy and ugly out. It's not too cold, which is nice, but it has been raining on and off for a couple of days. We got lucky and didn't get rained on.
Once we got home, I let Rea watch her morning cartoons and we relaxed. Since I was especially tired, I was hoping that she would fall asleep, but I never got that lucky. I was in and out of sleeping while she was laying down with me, but every time I thought she might be sleeping, she would move and we would both be up. After many failed attempts at putting her to sleep, I finally gave up and checked facebook and to my surprise, Zach was online and he had sent me a number of messages. I was happy that I got to talk to him and it brightened my day a bit. He makes me so proud. He makes me so content with my life, even when it's super crazy. So after flighting with Rea to nap, and talking to Zach, I gave up and asked my sister Saima to watch Rea for a while so I could nap. She picked her up around one and I made a cake in the microwave and put a load of clothes in the wash. Then I went into my room and shut the door. I slept for a little over an hour and only woke up because Saima had texted me asking if I was ready for Rea to come home. I quickly got up and into the shower. Rea was playing in the living room by the time I got out, but it was a really good shower! Remember the cake I made in the microwave? Well I am an at home Tupperware consultant, which means I have lots of Tupperware gizmos and gadgets. One of them happens to be a microwave oven. Which means I could cook things that should normally be baked in the microwave for a fraction of the time. I baked a store bought cake in the microwave in eight minutes! With no waiting for the oven to preheat. It tastes just like regular cake and some will even argue that it is more moist. I had planned on making cake balls for our house, but after a chocolate melting fiasco I decided I kivit, and I am making Ariana finish them! After the cake balls, we are gonna go for a ride and then I am gonna pick up Maija's car. Then it's ZUMBA time!! I love doing zumba, it keeps me sane!
Dear Deployment,
You suck, today you threw a bunch of crap at me, and even after feeling like crying, I didn't and I am now in a good mood. Lets just hope you are shorter, rather than longer okay? I would really appreciate that. Rea is growing everyday and needs her daddy around. She loves and misses him everyday, as do I. These next couple of days I will be waiting for a phone call for some work. Once I start really working, you will go by faster. Love, Elsa...
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
FINALLY!
I finally have the energy to blog today. I finally didn't fall asleep doing something. I finally can give you an overview of my trip (= Sorry in advance if it's a bit jumpy aroundy.
Our road trip from Texas to Alaska was a blast. There was lots and lots of driving. Lots and lots of farms, lots and lots of trees and not nearly enough sleep! We drove into Dallas, spent the night there, dropped off Saima and Rea at the airport at 5 am and then went back to bed! Maija had an appointment at 11 am to get her passport. Then we had to wait for it to process or whatever. So we didn't get out of Dallas until around 3 pm. We had planned on driving all the way to Denver Colorado, which meant we would have been driving until around 3 am. But, we started seeing tons and tons of lightening. So we ended up stopping in a little town near the boarder of Texas and New Mexico, Dahlart. It had a strong smell of cat pee. Every where! Our hotel room wasn't bad though, mostly it stunk right outside the hotel doors.
On the second day, we drove through the boarder of Texas and New Mexico, and then New Mexico and Colorado. In Colorado we stopped in Denver to visit Lucy Boyd, who was Miss Arctic Circle when I was running for Miss Teen Arctic Circle! She cooked us a HUGE musk ox and gravy dinner. Then we had smelts and seal oil and a whole bunch of other food for the native soul! We ended up spending a couple of hours over there and then got back on the road and crossed the boarder into Wyoming. We had planned on driving until around 1 am, but when we found out that recently married Mary Ann Goff, just moved into the next town we were driving through. So we stopped and stayed at her house for the night. We shared lots of laughs and stories from her wedding.
Day three, we only got into Montana. Day three was not exciting, we just drove... and passed farm after farm after farm. In Montana we had planned on going out, but ended up only going to Applebees and then going home and going to bed because we were way too tired!
On the fourth day, we crossed the boarder into Canada! Canada is beautiful and we were awestruck at everything. I will be honest when I say that I can't remember exactly where we stayed each night in Canada, but I do know that we stayed in Whitecourt, Fort Nelson, and the car... I also don't know exactly how many days we were there. I was extremely tired, and I can hardly remember things anyway! In Canada we ran into a family that is from Kotzebue, the Hully's! It was awesome because after we had seen them we started following them and it took a lot of stress off of our shoulders. We stopped at the hotsprings and whirlpool and a fancy little cabin near a lake. Canada is beautiful. It reminds me a lot of Alaska.
Anyway, we are back and alive. I am super sleepy. Hopefully I can catch up on sleep more and blog more often. But for now I am good.
Dear Deployment,
The last couple of weeks or days or however long it's been since I wrote, I win. I ruled you. I passed my one month mark, which makes me super proud! I also got to skype with Zach for the first time, which was AMAZING!! Anyway, you suck and I am tired. Love, Elsa...
Our road trip from Texas to Alaska was a blast. There was lots and lots of driving. Lots and lots of farms, lots and lots of trees and not nearly enough sleep! We drove into Dallas, spent the night there, dropped off Saima and Rea at the airport at 5 am and then went back to bed! Maija had an appointment at 11 am to get her passport. Then we had to wait for it to process or whatever. So we didn't get out of Dallas until around 3 pm. We had planned on driving all the way to Denver Colorado, which meant we would have been driving until around 3 am. But, we started seeing tons and tons of lightening. So we ended up stopping in a little town near the boarder of Texas and New Mexico, Dahlart. It had a strong smell of cat pee. Every where! Our hotel room wasn't bad though, mostly it stunk right outside the hotel doors.
On the second day, we drove through the boarder of Texas and New Mexico, and then New Mexico and Colorado. In Colorado we stopped in Denver to visit Lucy Boyd, who was Miss Arctic Circle when I was running for Miss Teen Arctic Circle! She cooked us a HUGE musk ox and gravy dinner. Then we had smelts and seal oil and a whole bunch of other food for the native soul! We ended up spending a couple of hours over there and then got back on the road and crossed the boarder into Wyoming. We had planned on driving until around 1 am, but when we found out that recently married Mary Ann Goff, just moved into the next town we were driving through. So we stopped and stayed at her house for the night. We shared lots of laughs and stories from her wedding.
Day three, we only got into Montana. Day three was not exciting, we just drove... and passed farm after farm after farm. In Montana we had planned on going out, but ended up only going to Applebees and then going home and going to bed because we were way too tired!
On the fourth day, we crossed the boarder into Canada! Canada is beautiful and we were awestruck at everything. I will be honest when I say that I can't remember exactly where we stayed each night in Canada, but I do know that we stayed in Whitecourt, Fort Nelson, and the car... I also don't know exactly how many days we were there. I was extremely tired, and I can hardly remember things anyway! In Canada we ran into a family that is from Kotzebue, the Hully's! It was awesome because after we had seen them we started following them and it took a lot of stress off of our shoulders. We stopped at the hotsprings and whirlpool and a fancy little cabin near a lake. Canada is beautiful. It reminds me a lot of Alaska.
Anyway, we are back and alive. I am super sleepy. Hopefully I can catch up on sleep more and blog more often. But for now I am good.
Dear Deployment,
The last couple of weeks or days or however long it's been since I wrote, I win. I ruled you. I passed my one month mark, which makes me super proud! I also got to skype with Zach for the first time, which was AMAZING!! Anyway, you suck and I am tired. Love, Elsa...
Monday, August 1, 2011
Best day yet!!
Today my sisters flew into Dallas! I was so excited to drive up here and pick them up. I hardly slept last night, I felt like a little kid! I didn't let Rea nap this afternoon, so by the time I was ready to get everything in the car she was so tired! She didn't sleep the whole way, but she wasn't too bad. Rea was SO happy to see Saima and maija! As was I, after the airport we checked into a hotel and went to olive garden for dinner. It was nice to not have to feed Rea!! She sat next to Saima and ate whatever Saima put in front of her. After eating what she liked, she started feeding Saima everything else. It was so cute! Saima and Maija were not very tired after dinner because they are still in Alaska time, so after dinner we went to Wal Mart to walk around. Let me tell you, trips to Wal Mart with my sisters is so much more fun than a regular trip to Wal Mart! When the three of us are together it's so much fun! Anyway, it's way past my bedtime and I can hardly keep my eyes open! I'll write a better more detailed story later...
Dear Deployment,
Today was wonderful. I got to see my sisters and that made Rea super happy!! I win today. Even though I didn't get to talk to Zach. Love, Elsa...
Dear Deployment,
Today was wonderful. I got to see my sisters and that made Rea super happy!! I win today. Even though I didn't get to talk to Zach. Love, Elsa...
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