Sorry, I missed a month of blogging. My mind and body have been pretty preoccupied with the Holidays and other news. Jim and I have had an extremely eventful couple of months.

I'll start with the a trip to Seattle at the beginning of November. Jim attended a continuing education class in Seattle and I took the opportunity to take a mini-vacation while he got his learnin'. We spent as much time in Seattle as possible exploring, shopping, and eating all the food we had been missing. We took a trip to the Seattle Aquarium, to see Sweeney Todd, lunch at the Space Needle (way cool!), and watching Hacksaw Ridge at a reclining "lounge" movie theater. It was a fun and busy weekend!

Monumental moments later in the month of November included FINALLY getting long awaited chicken eggs from our own backyard, watching the dogs play, voting and watching the election results unfold, and (the most exciting news) the birth of my newest niece Skyler Nicole! She arrived on Thanksgiving morning, 3 days after her due date. She filled our hearts with thanksgiving! She did battle slight respiratory issues in the NICU and received a round of antibiotics but this was minor and she has fully recovered and is thriving now at home with her two wonderful parents. She is a beautiful girl and I can't wait to learn all about her personality and watch her grow. So thankful!

I spent the first part of December preparing for our community's Children Christmas Program, "A MARVELous Christmas". I really enjoyed working with all the kids in the show and getting to see their confidence grow and excitement when they saw the crowd of people that attended both shows! The show was about a group of superheroes who heard that a new "superhero" was arriving who was here to save he world from the villain, sin!  They were afraid that they would no longer have a job and was wanting to find the superhero (Jesus) and make sure their jobs were secure. It was such a cute and creative play! We also prepared our home for Christmas but did not go out to get a 'real' Christmas tree this year as the roads at the end of the island were very icy and we have a puppy that doesn't stop chewing on things, so decided to only put up a fake tree upstairs where they puppy can't access it. We attended the tree lighting downtown in Wrangell. This is a big deal! Santa comes, Main street is closed, shops stay open with "Black Friday" sales, and EVERYBODY is downtown for this celebration. This town is just so cute. I also sold my little Nissan Sentra and purchased a Jeep. We really needed a vehicle with all-wheel drive for these roads and with more trunk and space for a car seat for our upcoming addition. 

Did you re-read that last sentence a few times? You read correctly!!! WE ARE EXPECTING A BABY IN AUGUST 2017! It is such a surreal feeling. We have started mentally preparing for this adventure, but I don't think the reality has fully hit us yet. Although, my body can definitely feel that it is happening. I am fighting constant nausea, I am exhausted (requiring at least a 2 hour nap a day), and I have food aversions like a crazy person. We are just so, so excited and amazed that we are so lucky to be given this gift from above. 

My "God thing": 

New year, new resolutions, lots of changes, and even more expectations. I think it is safe to say that 2017 is going to offer a lot of change. Many people are anxious and excited as new years begin with attempts to "start it off right". I think it is important to remember that "beginnings" can happen anytime. January 1 is a good beginning, but so is every Monday when you start a new work week, or every morning when you start a new day, or even every hour when you decide "this is my beginning". Time is different for everyone. Time is immeasurable for our God. He is with you every year, every month, every week, every day, every hour, every breath. It is amazing. I am so thankful for His presence, especially this year as I prepare to be a parent and begin a new adventure. He is so good, all the time. 

October is the month that Wrangell decides to end the summer weather, and turn to rain and shorter days. It may sound terrible, but really after a summer of long days and beautiful weather, and feeling like you need to take full advantage of nature and never rest or sleep, it is a welcomed change.

During the first part of the month, Jim was out as a deckhand on a shrimp boat. You can call him Bubba from now on. He was excited to experience the fast paced shrimping business. Shrimping is way different from crabbing. With my limited knowledge of both fisheries, I do know that shrimping requires more networking and understanding of markets (live markets, tails, spots, stripes, etc.). With shrimping, you are also limited on what hours of the day you can actively pull and set your gear, whereas with crabbing you could work at 2 in the morning if your little heart desired. Shrimping also usually requires that you stay out on the boat overnight occasionally depending on which district is open and where you are shrimping. Jim stayed overnight on the boat a few nights at the beginning of the season. I was happy for him to come home, and then to shower!

We finished up the youth basketball season with a playoff game and practically all the members on our team were picked to go on to the all star league for Wrangell. Wrangell Parks and Recreation schedules games against the neighboring island town of Petersburg during the month of November. The first weekend involves youth basketball players from Petersburg traveling by boat to Wrangell for games and the next weekend, roles are reversed and Wrangell players travel to Petersburg. I just love the fun activities and opportunities for kids in this town.

I have recently gotten involved with an awesome group of people who are starting up a Les Mills facility in Wrangell in February/March, 2017. We have been working out together 4 times a week at 5:30 am... killer! But I am thankful for the opportunity to become a certified Les Mills instructor and be part of the opening of a new fitness venue in Wrangell! Go, team!

Otherwise, we have been watching Toby grow. He is quickly catching up with Beatrice and more than keeps up with her when they play. He weighs about 15 pounds now! He can now jump onto the couch independently, so Beatrice has no "puppy safe zone" anymore. They are getting along very well!

My monthly "God thing":
You can't tell me that prayers do not work! Every morning and every evening I prayed for Jim's safety, the crew's safety, and for plenty of shrimp to fill the pots while they were out on the boat. I prayed for good weather, calm waters, and good experience. Jim was out on the boat for almost 2 full weeks, with only 2 days of light rain, calm waters every day, and no health issues. For southeast Alaska, in October, 2 weeks of fair weather is EXTREMELY rare. Two days after Jim finished shrimping district 7 with the crew, he returned home and to work for good and the crew and boat moved on to shrimp in district 8. Less than 48 hours after Jim got off the boat, he got word that the boat he was on had damage to the hull and was going down. The captain was able to call in for help with Jim's satellite phone that he left on board, beach the boat, and were found by search and rescue with no major injuries very quickly. All three on board returned safely to Wrangell and the boat was brought in a few days later. What a wake up call for both of us! I am so thankful that Jim was on that boat earlier in the season, that he left his satellite phone on the boat, and that all the crew members were returned home safely. Prayers work, people!

This is a special edition post in honor of a very special lady! She is 94 years young on October 18th and is the role model and hero of many people all across the USA and I have a video as proof.

Grandma, you are a wonderful person. You inspire me and many others to be all around better. You light up a room when you enter with your positive spirit and friendship. You always offer a listening ear and give advice (even in situations when it may be hard to take) and look after your "flock".

We all love you so dearly! We have gathered well wishes from all over the USA, even though some we were unable to obtain due to technical issues. Just know that you are in all of our hearts always, but especially on this day.

P.S. Thank you, Kevin for putting together this video. I am sure that I may have eventually figured out how to do it, but I know it wouldn't have looked as good and it would have taken me FOREVER!

Welcome to my September (and a little bit of August) summary!

What a fun month we have had. I hate to sound like a broken record, but this life is so fun and I can't believe I am the one lucky enough to live it. It always amazes me how busy we stay on a little island. Slow days are rare and appreciated. In this past month and a half we said goodbye to all of our out of town wedding guests and my mom, who migrated back south for the winter, and got back into "every day life".

Before the ultimate birthday present (Toby) arrived, Jim spoiled me with a new camera and a picnic hike. The weather was beautiful, the company was perfect, and the sub sandwiches were much desired after a few miles on foot. Beatrice was even pooped after this hike! We almost had to carry her!

Rainbow Falls

The next weekend, this girl reeled in her first halibut! It was about 35 pounds but I swear it fought like it was 60 pounds. It was definitely a thrill and apparently I have great commentary while pulling in a big fish: "my arms don't work anymore!"

Toby arrived mid-September and has been keeping us, but mostly Beatrice, on our toes ever since. He is a ball of energy for sure. Surprisingly, Beatrice was accepting and playful with him from day 1. It is crazy how fast he grows! He has already outgrown his puppy collar and can no longer fit under our quilt trunk to play peek-a-boo with Beatrice. A second dog is definitely easier than the first dog because they have each other as an outlet for energy. Now if I can just get him fully house trained and to sleep past 6:00 am...

                                                

The day after Toby arrived, we were offered a float plane trip to Virginia Lake as a wedding gift (thanks, Mike!). It was a first float plane trip for both Jim and me, although we have both been on a small passenger plane before. I really like the thought of flying on a small float plane, but my stomach does not even though the views were awesome and the flight was smooth. It was nice to be "away" for an afternoon at the cabin with no dogs to watch (thanks mom, dad, and Kevin), no internet to surf, no chores to do, and no distractions. We hopped on a row boat at the lake and fished for trout, sat on the dock, played cribbage, and just enjoyed the sunshine. 

Otherwise, we are embracing the activities of day-to-day life including chasing the Northern Lights (no big deal) and coaching 4th-6th grade youth basketball. Okay, let's be real, Jim is coaching - I am more of a cheerleader/behavioral support. It's fun! We have enjoyed getting to know some kids here and see them learn how to work as a team. 

Here is to the next month of adventure! Jim is out on a shrimp boat until October 12th, which means I am trying to keep up with these crazy puppies by myself. Maybe next month's update will include tips and tricks on maintaining your sanity with a 10 week old beagle who pees everywhere! Stay tuned.

My monthly "God thing": 

You know those days when everything seems to happen all at once? Sure, you may start the day with the right attitude and a healthy breakfast but then everything else happens. Your husband leaves to shrimp for two weeks, your dogs constantly want each other's bones and toys, the light in the kitchen won't stop flickering, you are coaching a team of kids who just lost their first game, and you have a busier day at work than expected so have to go in later to finish paperwork. I had a day like that this week and do you want to know how God presented himself and said, "It's okay, Kristen. I've got you"? My last little patient showed up to her session with a bright, beautiful bouquet of flowers. He is always there for us and send us bits of encouragement right when we need them. You just have to listen.