end radio silence

Sigh.

I am back.

I should have given some sort of advanced notice that I wouldn't be blogging for a few days. We went to Homer and then across the bay and spent a blissful four days with no internet and spotty cell phone reception. It was so relaxing, I can't even begin to describe how healing it was for all of us as a family.

With Steve working so much and Riggs and I being sick for the last three weeks, we were all pretty run down. Spending four days sleeping, eating fresh-caught food, playing dice games, kayaking, walking along the beach and visiting with old friends and family was simply the best medicine for us three.

Friday was Steve's birthday, he's 27 years old now.

We laid in bed until about 8, and just soaked up being home together.

I made French toast and sausage, my guys gobbled it up like starving people.

Steve had to unload some old power line arms he brought home from work for projects around our home.

Then we packed up some essentials and got in the truck and just started driving. No plans, no time constraints. 

Steve did have to run some work-related errands in Anchorage before we could keep on driving, and I'm so proud to say he is now a Journeyman Power-Lineman...it's been a long time coming and he's worked so hard to get to this point.

By late-afternoon we were finally on the road to Homer, and we had a beautiful, sun filled drive and a nearly perfect late evening at the lodge we stayed at. We really couldn't have asked for a better ending to our day. The lodge was right on the water, and we were the only guests that evening. Our room was spacious and had a lovely soaking tub that we all enjoyed. It was truly a magical evening, just what we needed. 

Our morning was nearly just as nice. We walked down to Two Sisters for coffee and breakfast with some of Steve's family, and then walked back to relax for a bit before catching our water-taxi across the bay to Steve's dad's house. 

I have so much to share about our time across the bay, I just can't do it all justice in one post! 

Stay tuned for another post (or probably two) about our little mini-vacay in Kachemak Bay.

part two
part three

an emotional day

I haven't gotten much sleep over the last two weeks. The worst thing is, there's not any real reason that I haven't been getting sleep. I just can't sleep, it's so frustrating! Either I can't fall asleep or I when I wake up in the middle of the night I can't go back to sleep. Last night Steve was so sweet and rubbed my neck and back to help me fall asleep, and I slept so well for about six hours. It was the longest stretch of sleep I've gotten in at least two weeks, and it felt so good!

I felt amazing when I woke up, and got dressed up and even had my hair curled and some make-up on before Riggs woke up (that is a true miracle). I had to run a few errands in town, so I decided to eat breakfast with Riggs at Turkey Red in Palmer. It was fun to have a date with my little man, and we were the only ones sitting down to eat so it was really quiet and relaxing.

It was a great way to start the day, but I was nearly worn out by the time we got home. I got on my computer to look for a recipe, and to check our local news. I was devastated by what I found there. Early Sunday morning an Alaska State Trooper Rescue Helicopter went down after picking up an injured snowmobiler near Talkeetna, Alaska. I had heard about the crash Sunday evening, but they hadn't released the names yet.

Today I found out that the pilot of the helicopter was Mel Nading, a man whose daughters I went to school with from kindergarten all the way through high school. I can't imagine what they are going through, and my heart is just hurting so badly for them. I remember Mel from elementary school mostly, when he was always so friendly and involved in his daughters lives. His had three daughters, each the same age as me and my sisters, and as a result we've all been sort of inter-connected for as long as I can remember. I haven't seen any of them (in person) in years, but I follow Nichole's blog regularly and I know they are a very close family. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers as they go through this hard time!

I had to get outside and go on a walk in the sunshine to clear my head. It was a pretty emotional day, with lots of highs and lows, and I just feel so tired. When I was putting Riggs to bed this evening, I couldn't keep the tears from flowing as I thought of the families of those killed in the helicopter crash yesterday. And I just prayed and prayed that Riggs won't lose his daddy too early. Steve's job is such a big part of our lives and I'm so proud of him and how hard he works, but it can be very dangerous. I try not to think about that too much, but it's at times like these that the statistics do start to creep into my mind.

pictures Steve texted me from work today

On my walk today by the river I just let the sunshine soak into my soul and warm me all the way through. There was so much beauty all around me that it was hard to remember all the ugly things that happen in this world, that there are so many people hurting very deeply. I'm so glad to have a heavenly Father that loves me and comforts me even when I'm at my lowest.

'God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble'

 Psalm 46:1

these two melt my heart

these two guys

my heart is so incredible full of love for them

crazy busy

I've been a very bad blogger these past couple of days - we've been so busy! It's been a whirlwind for sure...

We went to the official start of the Iditarod in Willow on Sunday, so fun! My friend Lindsey's family has a cabin out there and they set up a great area to watch the dog teams go by with lots of food for everyone who came out. I snapped a few pictures but apparently I was too busy talking to get any pictures of the actual dog teams, oopsies.

You may remember from my last post that we were having washing machine problems, and it's still enough of an issue that we were at the laundromat for a few hours Monday doing our laundry. It was actually kind of fun and nostalgic - it reminded me of when we lived in Homer and did all of our laundry at the Washboard, which doubled as a place to connect to the internet and check email and Facebook, and to catch up on the latest news/gossip with whoever happened to be there at the same time as you. There is something so nice about getting all your laundry done at the same time and folding it all on the big, counter height table and then packing it neatly away for the journey back home.

Coming back to the present, it's definitely a change of pace to try and get all that laundry done while entertaining a {nearly} 14 month old. I was actually very surprised with how well Riggs did do while we were there, especially considering the fact that he had already sat through Steve's doctor appointment earlier that day without really causing a stir. He's such an easy little guy!

We were just pulling away from the laundromat Monday afternoon when Steve's phone rang - it was a dispatch for a big job, that he would need to start ASAP. So we rushed home and I put away all the laundry and ran around like a crazy person to get all his work stuff ready to go while he drove to Anchorage to get all the paperwork filled out for the new call. Steve thought he'd have to show up right away (as in this morning at 7am) but he had already made another doctors appointment for this morning so the foreman at his new job said he could show up Wednesday morning instead. Sometimes being a lineman's wife is just crazy, when a call comes in Steve's just got to pack up and go! I'm really thankful that he got another call so soon after finishing his last class and Journeyman test - it really is a blessing.

Today's been another crazy day of medical tests and last minute errands, but I managed to squeeze in a mini-photoshoot with Riggs in the early afternoon. Last night during his bath I noticed that he his top molars had just broken through the skin - which explains a lot as he's been waking up one or two times a night out of nowhere the last three or four nights.

I wasn't too successful in getting a good picture of his new teeth though, this is the closest I got:

he wasn't a fan of me trying to photograph the inside of his mouth lol.
but you can just barely see one of the new molars up on the left...

Tutka wanted a picture too :)

Riggs also got some new shirts in the mail from Lineman Rock. I had to try them on him right away and they are even cuter than I thought they would be - I just love 'em. Although I am a little bit distressed about the fact that size 2T fit him so well, I had thought they would be bigger on him! Why do they have to grow so fast?!

Wordless Wednesday

I've been doing homework since 5:30am (eek!) and still have more to do (OK, yes, I threw about two hours of cleaning and organizing in there), so I thought today would be a good day for a wordless post.  And guess what?  Then I realized it was Wednesday!  Perfect!

I'll give you some hints about the pictures...My husband the lineman, Ski 4 Kids, Fur Rondy!