Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I know it's the night before, but I thought I'd wish you all a good one right now. I'm currently enjoying some quiet time watching "In the Womb", with sleeping Lindeen boys scattered about the couch. They must not be interested in this show. As if I am not already surrounded all day long by pregnancy and fetus stories, I am sitting here at 11:30 pm watching twins in the womb. How fascinating though, I just cannot get enough. A very good sign I think, that I'm in a place where I fit. I really love my job, and I love learning so much there. I find it ever so interesting, exciting, etc. We had a woman in today who was in early labor, and if she went into good active labor before 6pm I was going to stay for the birth, and observe/assist in my first one. I was so excited to get the training process started, but unfortunately her progress was a bit slower. Oh well, there will be many more!
Tonight we all went to the dog park around 9 or so... It has been warm the past few days and we haven't had snowfall for almost a week, but tonight it came again... The darkness lessens when there is snow falling and on the ground. It's much lighter and easy to see, and there's almost an orange tint all around. In my eyes at least. We went to the park and for the second time in a row, Finn gave his very best park performance. All the dogs just ran around SO thrilled with the snow, but stayed near and did not hunt any moose. We got a huge workout in, more than any of us had planned. It's hard trudging around in the snow! I should mention also, that I was wearing Eric's boots, and I found them very difficult to lift but for once my feet were hot.
Tomorrow should be a busy day with Thanksgiving preparations, Eric and I are in charge of mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, and green beans. We opted for green bean casserole a la Eric, and sweet potatoes with kale and curry powder a la Victoria. Pies were baked tonight, and everyone will be busy making things to contribute tomorrow. One of our friends from Iowa is living in Fairbanks for a few months, so she is flying down here tonight to spend Thanksgiving with us. I'm waiting up to go pick her up from the airport in a bit. We have a few other friends coming as well, so I'm very excited for that. We're giving ourselves a day of rest afterwards, and some time to switch gears because Saturday we're doing the Lindeen traditional Christmas before their parents Mike and Ruth go back to Iowa. This will include some traditional Swedish dishes that I will not attempt to spell, but I will tell you they are mighty delicious!
I just saw a commercial with photos of the Northern Lights and I'm really excited to see those this winter. So far I have not, but at some point I'll go up a bit higher than our home location so I can get a good look. How amazing that will be, I imagine.
I have some school work to do with a few group members this weekend, but other than that it's a weekend off, hard to believe. It really doesn't feel like it, I feel like I have to get up in the morning and be somewhere tomorrow. I hope you all have wonderful Thanksgiving dinners if you're celebrating, and everyone have a wonderful long weekend! This is my first Thanksgiving and first holiday with solely in-laws and no Silber/Reese members, so for any of you that may be reading...I love you. I can already tell I miss you this Thanksgiving.

Until next time!

House Photos

2 posts in one day!! I think this is nearly a first. Dad asked me to share some photos of our house, since we're doing work to it. This was not a good night to do it, because it's dark out so it's difficult to see the outside (though it's plain so you'll get the idea) and also because we haven't cleaned today, it's looking pretty cluttered and such. So this week we'll get photos hung and clean things up. There are boxes laying around now since we are putting up new curtains and rods and such. But here's a taste! I'll share more later this week as we clean up and prepare for Thanksgiving! The festivities are taking place at our house.

This is the outside... David's car on right, mine on left!





This is one corner of the kitchen...


And this is the kitchen while standing in the doorway from the hallway. so garage/door on left, and living room on right. Right behind me in this photo is a bathroom/laundry room... but certainly not anything to see!Living room from the kitchen... looks cluttered cuz of crap on tables, and fruit basket/plant in front of camera but it's not really that crowded!
Here is the other half of living room, with curtain crowding the fireplace. There is our new tv, and the yard to the left!The other half of our living room.

The upstairs will come later. messy.

Further Progress

Happy Tuesday everyone!
I'm currently in my comfy clothes resting at home... I like Tuesdays for that. I don't work or babysit or anything ( I love both those things but I love having a day) I do have class, but I get to rest before between and after. Today I'm not feeling well, so relaxing here with the pups is feeling even better than usual. Last night we hit some milestones with the house! We finished all the painting downstairs, and put up new curtain rods and curtains, rehung our plants, and bought/mounted a tv! I have enjoyed not having a tv for the past 6 months (wow, I just now realized we have lived here for 6 months!) but as it gets colder and darker, we were all getting a little antsy to have a tv to watch movies and things on. We use my computer, but it no longer plays dvd's the poor thing is 6 years old and dying... and it's hard when half the household members want to use internet and half want to watch entertainment online. So it really does feel nice to have a tv. Everyone was up early watching the morning news. I can honestly say now as I sit here all cozy that it's starting to feel like my home. We have a collection of frames now waiting for pictures, so Eric and I are going to work on that tonight. I think that will really help! Having all the plants in here is also really helping. I bought more pots and we got more spider plants, and my personal favorite, a lipstick plant. The leaves of it are really full and luscious and colorful. I really love to look at that.
Today I re-enrolled for my gym membership, so I'm looking forward to getting back into shape, and hopefully soon we'll buy skis and start learning to cross country ski with the pups. You can just head on out of our house and ski all over the streets because the snow just packs down without plowing, so it should be really easy!
It is negative 5 degrees today, so winter is certainly here. It feels pretty good, though I really need a new winter coat. I'm off to finish my tea and head to class... hopefully to come home to a night of relaxation. I may be logging on tonight to show photos of our developments!

A Lovely Relaxing Evening

Good morning!
I had the most wonderful night last night, I am so lucky for working where I do with such a wonderful group of women! I honestly love working with everyone of them, and last night we finally got to spend some time together outside of work. It was the annual "spa party" (3 weeks after I start, I came just in time!!) We went to one of the midwives house, which by the way is my dream house. It is up in the neighborhood I love here but could never afford, up in the hillside so it overlooks the ocean as it is on a mountain. Beautiful area and beautiful house. We all brought food to share, and that part was delicious. There was wine, and 2 masseuses downstairs that gave every person a 45 minute massage. It was, by the way, the BEST massage I've ever had. I literally felt 3 inches taller when I was done. We were all given a pottery barn bathrobe which was lovely and soft, and everyone had a great time laughing. We then of course ended up doing emergency birth drills because we had missed them the day before due to a 3 minute birth at the birth center. These drills are for midwives and nurses and birth assistants who could be in the room during a problem. So one of our midwives Laura, tells the scenario and everyone has to role play what they would do. With Claire, our billing person pretending to be the pregnant woman (she played it dramatically and it was great!) and everyone more in spa party mode than work mode it turned out to be quite chaotic and entertaining. I think I'll learn more when I'm at work, but this way was fun too!
I felt very spoiled, especially because Eric David and Ruth were at home grouting the new shower tile. They all looked absolutely exhausted when I got home, so I felt a bit guilty.
Anyway, what a wonderful night! I wish that was more of a monthly event. We discussed other reasons to celebrate, so there will be a Christmas party, and a party in the next month or so (whenever it happens) to celebrate the 500th birth in the birth center.
I'm thrilled it's Friday today, although it doesn't feel like it because I work at AWAIC all day tomorrow. My weekends have been cut short for the past few weeks but it's ok... I can look forward to Sunday! Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Our First Snow Has Arrived!!

For some of you, mainly my sisters, this may seem odd. But I am so thrilled that our first snow is here! 2 days ago, on Sunday, we were walking around Lowes and Christmas things were all around, shovels etc. It was pretty dark outside (still getting used to that) and it just felt like it should be snowing, that would have been the comfy thing. It has been so surprising to all that there is no snow yet and I haven't been thrilled about it. Then that evening as we were having a dog birthday celebration, snow started falling. It was beautiful. It fell lightly, but left us with enough inches that the city looks entirely different now. Winter has arrived! The temperature is still perfect. It's in the 20's and not frigid at all. It feels so cozy to walk out and have there be mostly dark, but snow falling, and christmas lights and street lights all around. I'm excited to see the amount of Christmas lights increase. I thought to myself as I ran evening errands that I like the feeling of it here a bit more with snow. For now at least! It would be better with a good winter coat, but that is on the short list. I'll have to find a good deal on one at some point here.
As I mentioned, we had a dog celebration, as all of the pups have fall birthdays. Allie just turned one last month, Finn turned 2 on the Granzow wedding day, and Beaufort is turning 4. What a feast they had. Bowls of wet food (this is a treat!) with their initials in cream cheese surrounded with treats! Finn is absolutely a snow dog, so every time he steps out he jumps around with excitement. It's great to see. Today I have class all day, but afterwards we are going out for a very long play date with my friend Lily and her dog Monster. The two have a blast together, as do we.
My truck is handling well in the snow, though I'm thinking and have been told that I may need to invest in some studded tires. I have 4 wheel drive, but it is probably not quite enough. I'm not in a huge rush however, most tires can handle a certain amount of snow. There is not much snow pack yet, so I may wait a bit.
I had a fun day at work yesterday, there were three women who came in for their 6 week post partum visits, and since most of them are home with the baby they have to bring the baby to the office! At the 6 week visit they have to get an actual exam, so someone has to hold the babies... in steps Victoria!! I held 2 yesterday, and there was a third who had to sit in his carrier because there were not enough arms. Ah, if only that could be every day at work!
I am up early today on my one day to sleep in, so I can work on school work. But the server is down so I cannot get on to view assignments. So much for that idea! Now it will be back to my regular stressful degree of procrastination.

November Already?

Hello everyone! I hope this as always overdue post finds you all well and adjusting to the winter months ok! I have found it so amusing that Iowa got snow before we did in Alaska... Really not all that surprising since Iowa is known for its crazy weather, but still... No one can believe that there is still NO snow here. It's actually quite warm today, no frost or anything. It feels great. I can't believe that it's already November--October just flew by with the absolute JOY of going home to Iowa and Kate's wedding. Things have been very busy up here! I'm trying to stay afloat in school as the second half of the semester flies by. I also have taken a new job, which is an absolute dream of an opportunity. I'm working at a small clinic called Midwifery and Womens Health Care, which is part of Geneva Woods, a grouping of small medical clinics. There are 4 midwives, a nurse, lactation consultant, and then a few of us who do billing, administration, birthing assistants etc. I'm doing administration, and will soon train to do birthing assistant work and maybe learn to draw blood and such! So things are really great on that end, it's a full time position and they are willing to cover my internship if I stay for a minimum of a year-- how perfect could it be? Job security, paid internship, in a setting that I love that will help spring me toward my next stage of schooling. I feel very lucky for having landed this position.
Today is an exciting day for me because I have Ted and our friend Troy over putting a new clutch in my car--which I have not been able to drive for months. It has been quite a juggling act trying to switch cars and borrow cars, and find the right part and everything, but it is happening as we speak!! I simply cannot wait to be in my own vehicle again. Weekends have been full with halloween activities, and home improvement projects. Ruth (Eric's mom for anyone who doesn't know) is up here visiting for about a month, and she is helping us retile our showers. Quite an undertaking, but Eric and David have really been on top of it, and we're about half way done with David's bathroom. Then on to ours... That is pretty much what is going on around here, everyone just trying to balance everything and get things done!
I have had a very large desire lately to get out of Anchorage and spend a little bit of time in other towns in Alaska. Sometimes the drives are the best part, and you only have to get about 15 minutes out of Anchorage and it just feels entirely different. Everything else makes you feel so much more remote, and it is just beautiful in every direction. I am hoping we can all take a little day trip to Palmer to walk around and go to the coffee shop there one of these weekend days. With all of the tiling I'm not sure how much time we'll find ourselves with, but now that I'll have my car back I can buzz there anytime I want to! I think that would feel wonderful. I'd rather do it in the company of Eric, but I like the idea of having my car and therefore the freedom to go any time I feel the need to get away from the normal routine.
I have also started babysitting for a family, about one day a week just to help out and get a little kid fix. An 11 year old named Andy, and a 3 year old named Jessica. They are both very entertaining and energetic children, and their mom Karen has really tried to make me part of the family which I have greatly appreciated. It feels nice to connect to people in so many different ways and babysitting is one of those that is a great feeling.
I was sitting in class the other day, and reading old love letters of former presidents and musicians, other well known figures. There were letters from Bethooven, and Mozart, and Reagan, and John Adams, Victor Hugo, Catherine the Great etc... They were so enjoyable, even after class I couldn't stop reading. I think it is the way they wrote back then that I love so much, though it was also sweet to see how they just spilled their every thought, and though only writing a letter, they were so poetic in the way they did. I want to share one that I really enjoyed. It is a letter written by Abigail Adams to John Adams. Eric, Jonathan and I watched a lot of the series about John Adams back in Iowa, and I felt close to them again through the letter. Written December 23, 1782
My Dearest Friend,

...should I draw you the picture of my heart it would be what I hope you would still love though it contained nothing new. The early possession you obtained there, and the absolute power you have obtained over it, leaves not the smallest space unoccupied.

I look back to the early days of our acquaintance and friendship as to the days of love and innocence, and, with an indescribable pleasure, I have seen near a score of years roll over our heads with an affection heightened and improved by time, nor have the dreary years of absence in the smallest degree effaced from my mind the image of the dear untitled man to whom I gave my heart.

I can't explain all the ways I love this letter, but I find I have many thoughts in common with her in these past few months, and it makes me feel good to read it.

I just skyped with my friend Whitney, who is currently studying in France and I miss very much. It was SO great to see her and actually hear her voice, at it has been way too long since we have been able to.

I'm off to shower and grab something to eat, so until next time...