Monday, February 28, 2011

Goodbye February, Hello March!

I cannot believe that February is over already! I have been so busy the last week, that I haven't really been paying attention to the calendar and then all of the sudden, tomorrow is March first! It is a welcome change though, I am looking forward to spring. I am especially looking forward to May 1. Hmmm, I wonder why :)

In other news, registration for the Gold Nugget Triathlon is tomorrow night and I am excited! I bought a punch card at the pool a few weeks ago in preparation and finally went to lap swim this evening. Man, I am a slow/bad swimmer. That was what really killed my time in the race last year. It was about 12 or 13 minutes, and I'm hoping to cut it down to 10 at the most. I also want to work on the running portion of the race, since I did not train at all last year for running. So I guess I have my work cut out for me, that is if I can get registered at all! Usually it is a crazy fest of site crashing wonder.

Swimming tonight felt good, even though I got tired QUICK. But I love the weightlessness of it. Hope you all have a great week and a great start to a new month!
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Thursday, February 24, 2011

New (to me) blog that I'd like to share...


This is Kelly.  She is the creator of Faithful Provisions, a blog about "saving money while living generously".  Her inspiration for the blog and its title come from a passage in Luke that addresses our needs as humans and how God provides for them.  I love her blog.  It is such a resource for those of us out there trying to budget and live well within our means.  When Kelly was pregnant with her first child about six years ago, she felt very convicted about her job status.  She felt God encouraging her to quit her job to be home with the new baby, a change that would be the catalyst for many more changes if this new plan was going to work.  Through prayer and guidence from other women, she was able to cut her grocery/eating out bill from around $1100 a month to just $250!  This is so inspiring, and I just had to share her site with all my bloggy friends and family.  I hope you check it out and utilize the many resources that Kelly has organized so well on her site.  Happy reading (and budgeting)!

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Onions


I tend to cook a lot with onions and I always wonder what the exact nutritional benefits of them are.  I really don't like to include food items in my meals that have no nutritional benefit, so I've been really curious about food lately.  Onions don't look nearly as healthy as spinach or tomatoes, for example, which are so bright in color.  Because of this, I have decided to do some research on onions and have found out some very interesting things!

Onions have been featured in movies and books, like Louis Sachar's, Holes, in which they are an anecdote for the danger Stanley faces.  Onions are in the lily family, the same as garlic, shallots, chives and leeks.  They are used as food and medicine!  It is the thiosulfinates, sulfides and sulfoxides that exhibit antimicrobial properties.  They kill bacteria such as salmonella and E. Coli.  Onions have been used to treat cough and colds in indigenous cultures for hundreds of years.  

But in regards to how onions stack up compared to other veggies, I was happy to find out that they do!  They are a rich source of oligomers, which help suppress harmful bacteria in the colon.  The sulfides in onions are also known to lower blood pressure.  Also, they are a good source of flavonoids , which are known to protect against cardiovascular disease.  

Also, onions provide protection against tumor growth in all parts of the body, but especially in the digestive system, such as the stomach and colon. 


If you want all of these amazing benefits, you should try and get yellow onions, which have a much higher antioxidant content than their white counterparts.  The stronger the flavor the more health promoting properties the onions seem to have.  So I guess everyone had better increase their onion intake to fight cancer and keep your heart healthy :)

My OB said WHAT?!

Umm...this is a hilarious blog!  I had to share it, let me know what you think...

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

The wheels on the bus...


Ever feel like not driving?  Want to reduce your carbon footprint but don't know how?  Or do you just want to save money?  If you live in Anchorage, Eagle River, or the Valley, you should try the People Mover.  I feel like there is a negative stigma associated with riding the bus in Alaska and I'm not too sure why that is.  Yes, there are some crazy and creepy people who also ride the bus, but for the most part, you can just ignore them.  If we want the bus to become more mainstream and feel "safer" to ride, we need to get on there and ride it!

I have ridden the bus pretty regularly for the past two years.  When I first started riding it, people at my work were shocked.
"I thought you had a car?!!!"
"Yes, I do."
"Then why are you riding the bus, did you get too many tickets?"
"No, it just saves me money and I can ride it and bring my bike along."
Silence...."Oh." (Raised eyebrows and sideways looks indicated that I was basically crazy).

But seriously, what is so bad about riding the bus?  In other big cities, it is just a fact of life.  For me, it would be a little ridiculous not to ride the bus.  With my Wolfcard, it is free, and it goes everywhere I need to go (see, there is no excuse for you UAA/APU students to ride the bus - you just can't beat FREE).


I can ride my bike to campus, and then if I'm feeling lazy on the way home, I can jump on the bus (with my bike, remember) and get some reading done for school at the same time!  I am also saved from the hassle and stress of driving on campus, and save $250 thanks to not buying a parking pass.  See the appeal?  Also, besides about two major snow days last winter, the bus has been very close to on time nearly every time I ride it.  There are some delays during rush hour, but it's the same for those actually driving, so it never really bothers me.

If you don't have a Wolfcard, don't worry.  Regular rates are also extremely affordable.  With gas prices so high, it is much more economical to ride the bus.  Here is a breakdown of rates:

ONE DAY FARE:
Adult                            $1.75
Youth                           $1.00 Ages 5-18.
Students 12 or older may be asked to show school ID.


UAA, APU                  Free.
UAA students, faculty, and staff must show WOLFCard.  APU and Anchorage Charter College students, faculty and staff must show their current semester university ID card.
4 and under                  Free


Reduced                      $0.50
Seniors (60+), individuals with valid Medicare card & individuals with a qualifying disability.  Seniors may be asked for proof of age.  Disabled persons must show People Mover Reduced fare ID card.  Check here for reduced fare application.

DAY PASS
Adult/Youth                  $5.00
Reduced                       $1.50

MONTHLY PASSES
Allows for unlimited rides on People Mover bus throughout the calendar month

Adult                             $55.00
Youth                            $25.00
Reduced                       $19.25

For more pass information, click here.


No, this isn't a paid add by the government.  I just feel strongly about supporting good things.  And the service the People Mover provides is most definitely a good thing (one might even go so far as to say it is a great thing).  There has been a big fuss lately about increasing People Mover rates and eliminating certain routes due to budget problems for the Municipality of Anchorage, and I noticed many people claimed to be outraged.  But you know what?  Nearly 70% of those people have never even ridden the bus!  So why do they even care?  If you really care about the People Mover, you need to bite the bullet and start riding it!

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Off to Girdwood...

Well, Steve and I are off to Girdwood for a family weekend of downhill skiing, snowboarding, and xc skiing.  Hope your weekend is fun, whatever you are doing!  

Friday, February 18, 2011

Fail

 As I mentioned in my post this morning, I wasn't too optimistic about making it to work on my bike.  Skinny tires don't do so good in four inches of fresh powder on ice.  
But, still, I tried to have a positive attitude.  

...I made it to where our Jeep was parked...


...but only made it one hundred yards down our street before I fell for the third time.  
My tracks are captured in the photo above.  
At this point, I turned back and walked back down our street,
 brushed my bike off, and headed back inside.  I decided to drive :)

Hope everyone has a great weekend, mine will be busy as usual.  Special thoughts go out there to all my friends, coworkers, bloggy people doing the Susitna tomorrow!  Mike, Bob, Josh, Seth, Jill, you guys are rock stars!

Snow

snow falling in our circle


My alarm went off at 7; I quickly sat up and turned it off. I looked around the room in the dark, then leaned over to open the curtain and look outside. Our neighbors park their SUV a few feet from our window, and it was covered in snow. I raised my eyebrows and slowly laid back down.

Today is going to be interesting. It will be my first time riding my randonee through such deep snow. To be honest, I'm not very optimistic. My little studded tires do great on the ice, but they are going to flounder in the snow. Plus, that ice is still there, under the snow, waiting to sabotage me. And its still snowing...

To look on the bright side, at least it has warmed up a bit. My face won't freeze below my goggles like it has been. But I think it would be prudent to leave for work very early today, in case I end up walking my bike most of the way. Hope you all have a wonderful day out in the snow; its a great time to get out and do something!

Pretty deep snow for my petite 700x40ccs

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Results

So.  Both yesterday and today I rode my bike to and from work.  For those of you who don't live in Anchorage, it is extremely slick out there.  Like the-roads-might-as-well-be-ice-rinks slick.  Where there isn't ice, there is dry pavement, so it is interesting to bike on to say the least.  Many of the sidewalks are much worse, because people walked on them when they were wet, then they froze with footprints in them, which are dangerous to bike over because your tire can slip down into the footprints and voile! You and your bike slam down on the ice.  Because of this I have been trying to go pretty slow and pay attention to the surfaces I'm biking over.  I have also decided to wear my ski helmet instead of just a normal bike helmet for extra protection in case my head hits the ice (which is likely to happen sooner or later, it's just Murphy's law).  Here is a picture of my cycling get up from yesterday morning.  

This was at about 9:20am...and it was 0 degrees.  
Can you see my breath?

For all those cyclists out there, it might interest you to know that the Susitna 100 is this Saturday.  I know quite a few people involved in the event this year, and all but two are biking.  Everyone I know who is doing it is from my work, except one:  Jill.  Jill is a cyclist/ultra-runner who used to live in Alaska and now lives in Montana.  Hers was one of the first blogs I followed and still read it regularly.  I've never actually met Jill, which is sort of ironic since we lived in Homer at the same time, and later Anchorage, but whatever, I love her blog.  You should check it out :)

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Bicycle Commuting Again...

Last night I got my Randonee all set up for winter bicycle commuting because I am completely sick of driving.  Driving to UAA and paying to park is a process, so I decided to make my roadie work for winter too.  I took off the rack and fenders and changed out the 700x35 touring tires for 700x40 studded Nokian Hakkapeliittas.  Here are some pictures, wish me luck on this chilly day (0 degrees).

 Getting the tires back on after swapping them out...


 my bike maintenance helper :)

 studded bike tires, a thing of beauty for us winter bicycle commuters

Monday, February 14, 2011

Valentines Day


It's finally here! Valentines Day, Steve and I's least celebrated holiday :) I didn't end up decorating at all, so I guess I'll have to try again next year. I actually have a lot going on today, orthodontist appointment, errands, cleaning, homework and class. My schedule doesn't leave much room for romance...

But after class at 4:30 I think we might head over to Russian Jack park for the Sweetheart Ski. They have a "lovers loop" set up from 4pm to 7:30pm with free hot cocoa in the chalet. That sounds perfect to me, how about you? Have a happy Valentines Day!

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Silent Saturday

I've got a busy day ahead, so I thought I'd share some pictures from our spontaneous trip to Homer.  Enjoy!

We spent most of the time playing with the cutest niece ever, Morgan

She loves to laugh...

...and to get dressed up for lap sit at the Library


a pretty, happy girl


AND she likes reading with her Uncle Steve in the morning 

It was a beautiful day

So we stopped to take some picture, too bad the sun wasn't a little warmer!

Happy Saturday!

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Speaking of reading...

Now that I have finished Harry Potter, I am moving on to the Earths Children Series in anticipation of the last book finally being released on March 29.  This have been a long time coming and I cannot wait for the final resolution of the series.  The new and last book is called The Land of the Painted Caves.

The Land of Painted Caves: A Novel (Earth's Children)

I am thoroughly excited to read them all again, and then finally get to the read what happens with Ayla, Jondalar, and the rest of their people. I'm sure it will take me until March 29 to read them all, so I'll be busy with that and my children's literature books. So tell me, is anyone else excited?!

Harry Potter Revisited

Steve and I have just finished watching all of the Harry Potter movies that are out on DVD.  We never went and saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 because Steve thought that Harry Potter was "dumb".  He has never read the books because according to him, his mom tried to force him to read Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets when it first came out.  Apparently there were much cooler things for twelve year old Steve to be doing and he just refused to read them.  Now that he has actually watched them all chronologically, he has decided he likes them, yay!  I told him he would so even more if he read the books, but we'll see when or if that ever happens.


I just reread Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in preparation for going to see Part 1 at the Beartooth on Saturday evening.  It is amazing to me how good they are even after a couple readings.  That is the mark of a good book, I think, being able to read it over an over and still love it just as much if not more.  I am excited in advance for Part 2 to come out on July 15; that is certainly a movie we will pay to see on the big screen.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Problems...

Well everyone, I have finally found out what has been causing the nagging pelvic pain (or tingling, or burning, or whatever it decides to be feeling at the moment). I have sciatica. The good news is, I will now be able to work towards solving the problem and getting back to normal. The bad news is, I have to retrain an entire muscle group in order to do so, and if it gets much worse without improvement, I could have to have surgery, as sustained nerve pressure can get so bad that it causes permanent damage to the nerve, which will in turn never relay messages quite right between my brain and my foot ever again. So…I have to start taking prescription anti-inflammatory and begin a psychical therapy regiment 3-4 days a week for four to six weeks. Sigh.

For the last month, I have been feeling pain/burning/tingling in the right side of my lower back/upper butt/pelivs and my whole right leg and foot go numb/cold/tingly as a result. This week it slowly started to get worse, until today I realized I really had to something about it. My right foot has been numb, cold and tingly feeling for about three days straight. I have to say, I am really glad that I went, because I get confirmation that there really is something wrong with me. I have a very bad habit of ignoring pain and thinking, “It’s fine, it will just go away on its own…blah blah blah”. Part of that is because I usually doubt my ability to decide whether or not whatever malady is affecting me is really something or if I’m just being a baby. But once again, I am shown that I really just need to get some help when I am in so much pain. Not that I’m in that much pain, it’s really more of a persistent annoyance, but still.

Brian Jacques

When I sat down at my computer today, I was greeted by some sad news.  Apparently author Brian Jacques died Saturday evening.  He was only 71.


Growing up, I think it is safe to say that the Redwall books were family favorites.  My entire family read them and loved them.  One of the appeals of these books is that they are really and truly unlike nearly any other series I've read, and Jacques was so good at coming out with new books.  Redwall was published in 1986, and the latest in the series, The Sable Quean, came out just last year.  It is sad to think that this will finally be the end of the series.  For anyone who hasn't read these books, I highly recommend them.  


Begin with Redwall, although chronologically, it is not the first book.  This is the chronological order of the books, as listed on the official Redwall website:
  • Martin the Warrior
  • Mossflower
  • The Legend of Luke
  • Outcast of Redwall
  • Mariel of Redwall
  • The Bellmaker
  • Salamandastron
  • Redwall
  • Mattimeo
  • The Pearls of Lutra
  • The Long Patrol
  • Marlfox
  • Lord Brocktree
  • Taggerung
  • Triss
  • Loamhedge
  • Rakkety Tam
  • High Rhulain
  • Eulalia!
  • Doomwyte
No matter what order you read the books, the valiant, yet somehow realistic animals in these stories will charm you as their lives thrill you.  I know I will miss reading each new book as it comes out, and will feel that twinge of sadness each time I read the books from now on, knowing that the creator of such a beautiful world is now gone.  

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Out with the old...

We are finally getting rid of our old Dell desktop computer that has been sitting in a basket in our spare room since we got the new Dell desktop over a year ago.  I didn't really know how to dispose of it, since I had never wiped the hard drive and didn't want our information to be retrievable by some creepy trash digger.  Today Steve decided to dismantle it himself, and I have been watching with fascination.


 Here is a few pictures of the hard drive, crazy to think all the information is passed along those tiny circuits!


Here it is without the circuit board, a 60g hard drive

Pretty amazing stuff!  I love finding out how things I use everyday actually work.  I had no idea what a hard drive looked like before this.  Well, I guess it is true, you do learn new things everyday :)

the sickness of acquiring

Lately I have realized that I have a problem.  A big problem, one that, thinking back about makes me nauseous.  yes, I'm talking about a shopping addiction.

BUT, this is not what you think.  This is not a Nordstrom type addiction or even an REI addiction (honest - I get made fun of there for not having enough coats).  I don't even have a problem that equals up to thousands of dollars spent on clothing piled in my room which I haven't taken the tags off of and can't even get to (hoarders still haunts me, can you tell?).  This problem is worse.

This is the problem of not being able to go a week without buying something, whether it be a peanut butter cookie and milk at Kaladi's or another DiGiorno's Pizza at Fred Meyers.  I hate it!  I think it is the biggest waste of time and money, even if it doesn't add up to as much as many other shopping additions.  And worst of all, it is has a dire cause:  lack of discipline.  This must be my biggest flaw.

As far as public discipline goes, I excel.  I'm always at work on time, I always get my homework in on time, and I'm nearly always early for church whenever I have an extra responsibility there, such as nursery.  Yet even in those areas, there is room for improvement.  In my personal life, its much, much worse.  I eat when I'm bored or stressed.  I don't hang up my clothes after I take them off, but wait a day or two before finally putting them all away.  I clean the litter box three times a week instead of everyday.  The medicine cabinet in my bathroom is disorganized.  I don't feel like cooking at least one night a week so we stock up on pizza, or go get one (the afore mentioned Digiorno's).  I get up at 5:25am instead of 5am and then don't have time to pack a lunch for work and end up at Kaladi's getting my cookies and milk fix.  And all of this laziness and lack of discipline adds up and makes me feel miserable about myself!

I think, just wait till I'm not working and going to school, then I'll be much better about things, yet that is just an excuse.  Wasn't I reading for an hour earlier today when I could have been organizing, cleaning, crafting or meal planning?  This internal battle is beginning to wear on me heavily and I am miserable and stressed more and more often.  I think of my Bible study, that discipline is a major aspect of Godliness, and I know I have to work on it.  It is hard!  But I just have to pray about it everyday and work hard to cultivate my discipline.

This week, I am setting a goal not to spend any random money. This excludes important, planned things, such as our land payment and our Full Circle order and our date night this weekend.  Pray for me and keep me in your thoughts and I'll let you know how it went in a week. Hope everyone has a good week!

Monday, February 7, 2011

Groupon


Wow.  Why am I just getting into this?  Get cool stuff in your area for about 50% off every time?  There was even a groupon for a first box free at Full Circle right before I signed up!  Plus you get $10 for each person you refer.  Pretty awesome if I do say so myself, although just to warn you:  it can be pretty addicting.  Like Nazi Zombies on Call of Duty...

Babies!

Nearly everyone I know is having babies. Literally.  Just in the last week I learned of two new pregnancies, and there are about three babies due within the next two months, and this is just at my small church!  It is crazy!  And the weirdest part?  Nearly every soon-to-be-mama is within two years of my own age...it's like a conspiracy or something!  Just saying.

So I thought I would dedicate a post to the chubby little cherubs who mesmerize most of the female population of the world.  The movie Babies, is a pure joy to watch.
I snuck it into our instant queue on Netflix, and forced Steve to watch it about a month ago.  We were both glued to the television nearly the entire time, which says a lot about the movie, as we both have a tendency to zone out, read, or just completely ignore many of the documentaries available to watch instantly on Netflix.  My favorite, by far, was little Ponijao, from Namibia.  The difference in child rearing techniques is literally astounding!  Best moment, by far, was the "diaper change."  This consisted of little Ponijao pooing, and his mom wiping it on her bare leg, then rubbing it off said bare leg with an old corn cob.  Not even joking.

My second favorite was definitely Bayar, from Mongolia.  The cat dragging that went on in that little home between Bayar and his brother was quite shocking.  Least favorite had to be the American baby, Hattie.  Not because she wasn't adorable, she was.  It was just the way American's were portrayed as parents.  Not every parent takes there child to earth loving sessions and chant "the earth is our mother" over an over again like crazed hippies.  Not that there is anything wrong with that (ahem).  But still, seriously?  For those of you who saw the movie, what did you think?  And is there a baby boom going on in your area?  I think it's taking over the globe!

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Lessons from Little Women

Little Morgan, hanging out with her Auntie

My little ray of sunshine, who always loves me no matter what :)

Jillian's Babyshower...can you tell it is a girl?

It was a long, busy, and emotion-packed day. Ben and Mercedes were here with little Morgan, and they had lots to do before they could actually hit the road for Homer. I got some much needed time with miss Morgan, who is getting cuter everyday. Steve is sick, so he is a little out of sorts. I have quite a bit of homework, but do not want to do it. Unfortunately, procrastination only makes me more stressed, and having a poor, sick husband to take care of does not help. Once the little Homer-bound family hit the road, I got the dishes and some laundry done before showering and heading to the church to set up for a friends baby shower with Kelsey. It all came together just in time, and the party was a successful two hours of fun and fellowship. 
Seems like I would have had a great day, right?'

Wrong. Once I got home, I settled into my recliner to finish Little Women. It is such a good book with a heartwarming story and realistic characters you cannot help but love. And it was written in a different time, and thus gives realistic insight into the day to day lives of women during the end if the 19th century. I cried bitterly tonight as the plot unfolded. Not just for what happens in the story, but also with disappointment in myself. How lazy and undisciplined I am compared to those "little women!" I have been struggling with similar feelings for weeks, and this book brought those feelings to my attention like a knife to my heart. How poorly I feel I do at maintaining my home and my tongue the way God had instructed me to do so in his word. Yet all I can do is feel ashamed, rather than making any changes! I try, but clearly I do not try enough because I know "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." This includes living a life of responsibility and discipline, it must!

It isn't that my house is dirty or that I am often speaking negatively, although that is the case occasionally. It is that I know I could do even better at keeping our home organized, or at planning meals better so we waste less food and feel less tempted to "run to the store" for ingredients to make a certain meal, when we have food at our home to eat. It is that I could speak less and listen more, and save many conversations for my Heavenly Father. It is that even when I get home exhausted from work with school still to do, that I give my husband the attention and love he deserves, rather than expecting it all from him without giving of myself. It is all these things and so many more. I am praying that I may increase in Godliness each day and therefore improve in all these things I have mentioned and in those things I did not mention but that still weigh heavily on my heart. My tears can be shed in conversation with my God, who soothes better than any on earth and loves truer also. With these serious thoughts I bid you goodnight....

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Folklore

This week in my children's literature class, we are studying folklore...yay!  I would say the majority of what I read and have read since I myself was a child are fantasy and folklore themed books.  They are just so, well,  magical, and they are the only books that really seem to transport me out of my own reality into a fabulous imaginary one where there are princesses and trolls and gnomes and such.  But, many authors and marketers attempt to label books folklore that don't really make the cut.  They are just big liars.  One good way to know if something is genuine folklore is if somewhere on the cover or on the title page in the book it says, "retold by" rather than just "by".  For example, on the cover of Jack and the Beanstalk below, you can see that it says, "retold  and illustrated by Stephen Kellog."  That is what you should look for, although it can still be confusing.  Like on the Rapunzel cover below.  It only says "Paul O. Zelinsky" and nothing else.  But if you were to look inside the book, you would see it says, "retold by".  So no worries, I'm not showing you "fake" folklore :)

I thought I would share the books I have chosen to read and annotate, as they are all really good and would be great to reread yourself or read aloud to any children you might happen to know.

1. Rapunzel, retold and illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky
Rapunzel (Picture Puffin Books)
This is a classic story, and is illustrated beautifully.  Plus, with the new Disney movie out (Tangled), interest in Rapunzel is soaring!  It would be nice to demonstrate where those geniuses at Disney got the idea for the movie...

2.  Jack and the Beanstalk, retold and illustrated by Stephen Kellog
Jack and the Beanstalk
This is also a classic.  Yet I hadn't even remembered all of the aspects of the story, so I was especially glad to reread this one.  Any story with a ogre, golden eggs, and magical kingdom in the sky is destined to be a good one.

3.  Little Red Riding Hood, retold and illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman
Little Red Riding Hood
I think we all know this story from birth.  But it is still so fun to read aloud, and this version is full of beautiful, detailed illustrations.

4.  Raven: A Trickster Tale from the Northwest, retold and illustrated by Gerald McDermott
Raven: A Trickster Tale from the Pacific Northwest
This is a great retelling of the Native American legend describing the birth of the sun.  It is nice to incorporate Alaskan stories into any literature curriculum so that kids can learn more about the cultures around them.

5.  The Sleeping Lady, retold by Ann Dixon
Sleeping Lady (Anniversary)
This is a great story and has unique and original illustrations.  I have always loved this Alaskan folktale, as I look at Mount Susistna, or Sleeping Lady, nearly everyday (it is across the inlet from my house and visible from nearly everywhere in Anchorage).

These are just a few really good examples of beautifully illustrated folklore.  I hope you enjoy, and be sure to comment if you have any favorites you think I should read.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

February!

Welcome February!
I cannot believe you are here. Valentines Day is coming up soon, maybe I should decorate. I never have before, but it could be fun (nevermind all the homework, that will get done after the decorating, just like at Christmas). There are lots of other bloggy people out there who do it, I can just get ideas from them.

You are an exciting month, February. January is over, March (springish) is coming, and there are only 28 days! Also, this is the month I met my husband and our first date was 6 years ago on Valentines Day :) The picture up top is from another early date, checking out the ice sculptures during Fur Rondy 2005. We look so so young! We were both 18 :)

So what will we do this year? I have no idea. We aren't really the big-elaborate-plan-put-the-whole-day people. In fact, we don't even usually get each other cards! This may sound really UN-romantic, but I think it us much more special when Steve randomly brings home chocolate, or my favorite magazine, or GASP! even the occasional flowers, rather than robotically going to the store on the one day a year he's "supposed" celebrate his love for me and getting a cheezy card. But still, having a lovey Valentines day can be really fun and satisfying, so I think we are going to this year. Now I just have to decide what to do :)

Anyone else have any to-die-for plans they want to share?
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