Holiday Bliss

LOVE the holidays. Wanted to share a few little snapshots of our winter holiday season :) We spent the winter in Alaska with Tony's fam and our Alaskan friends. Hope yours was full of joy as well!

Ice Skating, Potter's Marsh

Thanksgiving Dish #1: Deviled Eggs

Thanksgiving Dish #2: Seven Layer Dip (+ lots of tortilla chips)

Thanksgiving Dish #3: Pecan Pie

Thanksgiving Dinner 

We had a snow day off! :)

Our Christmas Tree

Sagey Girl

Tony + Drew Downtown

Youth Group "Make A Human Christmas Tree" Game

Youth Group "Make A Human Snowman" Game

Gifts Galore from my students :)

Christmas Card Time

Caroling in the Snow

Gingerbread making and present wrapping

Luiken Christmas

Holly Loves Christmas!

Puzzle Time 

Got to see my bestie Steph! And we went skiing

Ice Skating with Stephers

Christmas Dinner Table

Love Alaska :)

Hope you had a wonderful winter and holiday season! 

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2013 Fitness Friday: Weeks 43- 52 + 2014 Vision

 So, 2014 is officially here and it came upon me in a flash! I love the excitement that a new year brings and the time it brings to reflect on the last year and get excited about what is ahead.

I never had time to post my last Fitness Friday posts in the craziness of the end of 2013. November and December were super busy but what I love about Alaskan winters is all of the fitness you can do outside. We found some time to do some cross country skiing, downhill skiing, ice skating, and snowshoeing. I loved being able to do some fitness outdoors and I am even more excited for the Alaskan summer (because with teaching, I'm able to have the summer off!) :)

We used to have a membership to the Alaska Club, which is a gym here in Anchorage. But, with working at a private Christian school, we decided we couldn't afford that gym membership anymore. We cancelled our membership and are now trying to focus more on getting outside to do fitness.

Some of our fitness adventures this past winter:

Downhill Skiing at Alyeska Resort with my bestie Stephanie

Ice Skating at Winchester Park in Anchorage, AK with Tony and Steph

Cross Country Skiing near Earthquake Park with our puppy Sage :)

Snowshoeing with Sage Girl at Powerline Pass

It was motivating also when we bought our dog Sage and she helped get us wanting to get outside to go walking.

As I reflect on 2013 and the goals I made, I know that I definitely did not work out as much as I wanted to. But, I did feel like making my New Year's resolutions helped me to stay motivated to keep working out and having to blog about it did help me stay accountable to knowing that I needed to keep healthy.

Some of my goals from 2013 including wanting to spend time in the Word every day and update on the blog about how it was going. I do feel like 2013 helped me to journal more, and my resolutions helped me to stay getting in the Word and reflecting on what the Lord was teaching me. I did not update as much as I should have, but I loved being able to look at my journal and see prayer requests that were answered and lessons that were learned.

2013 was an incredible year. Tony and I bought a house that we LOVE. We love our new dog Sage. I also got my dream job: teaching :) I love being a teacher and a coach and I am thankful to the Lord every day for how He answers prayers in His timing and how we learn incredible lessons as we wait upon the Lord. Tony and I learned a lot in 2013 about how to budget and eat in and learn how to communicate. The Lord has taught us so much. I can't wait for 2014.

For 2014, I just want this to be my vision: to desire the Lord. I want to update when I can about what I am learning as I walk with the Lord. I want to learn to be a better listener. Tony and I want to learn how to budget well. I want to keep getting outside in beautiful Alaska to walk, run, ski, hike.

I am so thankful to the Lord when I look at 2013. And I can't wait for what 2014 will bring.

Happy (Belated) New Year! :) Pin It

Top 20 Lessons of a Texan Cheechako

So, as 2013 comes to a close and 2014 has come a' ringin in, I am reflecting on the fact that this last November marks 2 years for me living in Alaska. This is my third winter to spend in this incredible state.

I have learned a LOT about living here and I love it here! But, it has taken awhile to learn the ways of the Alaskan life.

What is a "Cheechako" you may ask?

Urban Dictionary defines it as: A new-comer to Alaska, ignorant of the terrain, the weather, the animals, the culture, the necessary driving skills in the winter. (opposite of the word "sourdough" which  is a veteran Alaskan)

I have complied a list of 20 Alaskan lessons learned from a born and raised Texan (lived there for 23 years). These include new vocabulary that Alaskans use as well as the lifestyle... here we go.

1. A "snow skirt" = a waterproof, warm skirt typically worn over pants just to keep you nice and toasty in Alaska (point being if you are going outside you don't need to change all the time, just throw it on). Another included lesson: Fashion is NOT a priority in Alaska. Being warm is. I have found myself wanting this skirt. Don't judge. It's cold here.

2. Learning how to drive in Alaskan winters. Necessary items: snow or studded tires, four wheel drive. Also, an understanding of what a "round a bout" is and how to drive in one.

3. Best shoes for Alaska:

           Bogs                                                        Sorels                                                          Xtra Tufs

Bogs: www.bogsfootwear.com            
Sorels: www.sorel.com      
Xtra Tufs: www.xtratufboots.com

4. You can only get to the capital city of Alaska, Juneau, by boat or plane.

5. "Bush Alaska" = a term Alaskans use to to generally describe regions of the state not connected to the road system or that have access to the ferry system (the majority of of the Alaska Native population live in Bush Alaska). Examples include: Barrow, Nome, King Salmon, Dillingham, Kotzebue

6. "Lower 48" = a term Alaskans use to describe the 48 contiguous states (not including Alaska and Hawaii)

7. Salmon can survive in freshwater and in the ocean. They also can swim upstream. And you better be ready to catch some if you live up here :)

8. There are lots of microbreweries in Alaska that are amazing. Love the beer here.

9. "Dip netting" = a kind of fishing that only Alaskan residents can partake in where a hand net or scoop net is held open by a hoop and is used to scoop fish near the surface of the water.

10. "Break up"= a term Alaskans use to describe the spring season, when the ice and snow are breaking up. It is the nastiest of seasons, lots of dirty snow everywhere...

11. Alaskans say "snow machine" not "snow mobile". 

12. In Alaska, school only gets cancelled for icy road conditions, not snow. (Snow pretty much always meant no school for this Texan)

13. You can see reindeer in Alaska! Reindeer are also yummy to eat as sausage or reindeer dogs. In the summer, there are reindeer dog stands all over downtown Anchorage. This last Christmas Eve, Tony and I ate ale cheese soup with reindeer sausage. Ironic. Sorry, Rudolph.

14. "Heli Skiing" = off trail, downhill skiing that can only be accessed by a helicopter. 

15. There is a town called North Pole, Alaska. There is a Santa Claus house and each year, the town receives hundreds of letters addressed to Santa Claus. There are also Christmas- themed streets.

16. "PFDS" = Permanent Fund Dividend. It is a divided paid to Alaskan residents who have lived in the state for a full calendar year and intend to remain a resident indefinitely. The money comes from oil revenue from the state and is given to all residents who apply every October. The lowest amount ever given was $330 and the highest amount was $2,000. Read more here: https://pfd.alaska.gov/

17. "Snowshoeing" = footwear you can use for walking over snow that helps to distribute your weight more evenly and allow you to hike in super deep snow.

18. The difference between cross country and downhill skiing. And I love both.

19. "Iditarod" = a long distance sled dog race that happens in early March and goes from Anchorage, Alaska to Nome, Alaska, included in this lesson is also the term "skijoring" = where a person on skis is pulled by a dog and the term "musher" = the athlete directing the dog or team of dogs

Sled Dog Racing                                                                                                     Skijoring

20. And lastly: The Mexican food here is not so great. I once ordered queso and was asked, "What's that?". There are no Chick Fil As. Noone here knows what a kolache is. Shame. BUT on the other hand: the seafood is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. KING CRAB, Salmon, Halibut. So good. Had to trade in my good ol' Texan love for Mexican food and Barbeque for the amazing fresh seafood. But, it's a good trade :)

So there you go. My top 20 lessons from living here in Alaska. Hopefully, I am moving from a "Cheechako" to a "Sourdough". I do love the outdoors. I believe Alaska to be one of the most beautiful places on earth and I feel lucky to live in this crazy, kind of weird but breathtaking state. I love being able to go hiking, camping, kayaking, fishing, skiing, snowshoeing, and sledding. And I still have so much more to explore. 

Happy 2014!

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Thoughts on Forgiveness

Today we have a day off of school because of road conditions in Anchorage! So what better time to write and think?

I've recently been exploring exactly what forgiveness is. How do you know when to forgive? How do you know if you have truly forgiven someone? Should you always tell someone that you have forgiven them? How often should we forgive someone, even the same person and same situation?

I had an enlightening conversation with my sister in law Holly this summer about this topic and later explored it further with my mom.

Some basic conclusions I am coming to:

1) The need for forgiveness exists when someone has hurt you or wronged you. This seems simple, however, it is an easily forgotten step one. You know if you need to forgive someone when you begin to dwell on a wrong done to you. This wrong could make you feel angry, sad, or self righteous. Whatever the feelings are, forgiveness is needed. In my own life, I begin to think over and over situations, and how exactly what that person said or did was wrong. I ruminate on the situation and often this leads to anger. This is sinful.

2) The bible tells us that we should seek PEACE as believers. It also tells us that our relationships and friendships should be marked by our love for one another and that this sets us apart as believers. 

3) Our desire for forgiveness should spill out from the core of our understanding of the character of our Father and the sacrifice made by Jesus. As a believer, your understanding of the gospel starts with step A: I am a sinner and step B: I need a savior. Jesus forgave us our sins. The understanding of that sacrifice is what should lead us to a heart of forgiveness towards other people and the hurts they have inflicted on us. We are not in any way, shape, or form BETTER than anyone else. So holding on to bitterness is only hurting us, not the other person. Forgiveness is one step away from all of us. One phone call, one touch of the hand, one visit back home, one simple word. 

Colossians 3:13: "Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive."

4) I have found that true forgiveness does not ever happen once. You don't just say to someone, hey, you have hurt me, but I forgive you. End of that. No, it never happens that simply. I believe that true forgiveness is an over and over again, every single time the sinful, self righteous feelings come up kind of thing. You have to have an understanding of forgiveness that leaves room for the fact that your every day life may be affected by something another has done to you. Every time you feel angry, sad, upset, self righteous, you need to ask the Lord for the heart to forgive that person. It is a daily, sometimes minute by minute battle. 

My dad committed suicide on March 23, 2003 when I was in the 8th grade. He had a cancer that was eating him away inside and wanted to end his life. The decision he made has forever impacted my life and the life of my Mom, sister, and others around him. 

Mostly, I just miss him. I wish he could meet Tony. I wish he could've seen me graduate from high school, college, and I always wonder what he would've said about me moving to Alaska. 

It is a process of forgiving him that I encounter every day. I think about him often and wonder how different our lives would be had he not made that decision. My anger bubbles up, but mostly I just miss my Dad. Forgiveness is something that has to take place in my own heart, on a minute to minute basis. He is not alive today, so I can't talk to him about his decision.

I believe forgiveness is precious enough to fight for. I do believe that if there is someone in your life that you need to forgive, that it should be your number one priority to work through those feelings and get to a place where you can confront that person about the hurt they have caused you, and forgive them. I do believe that if you feel a hurt from someone who is still living, you should confront that person. I think you have to be careful not to come out of a place of wanting retaliation or revenge or just to tell that person how much they suck. It has to be a from a place of true forgiveness, of wanting the best for that person and also for wanting to work through your own feelings and not hold on to bitterness.

"Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." Ephesians 4:32

How incredibly hard this is. But, we serve a Father who as the Word tells us, makes things possible that are impossible for men. And I believe that forgiveness is about looking outside of yourself and your hurt and turning to the cross, where we are forever forgiven our sins. God is a God of miracles, of wrongs made right. He is making all things new. And I believe it starts with us. And forgiveness. Beautiful forgiveness.

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Texas Time

So, at the end of October, I got to take a trip to Texas to see my bestie Mandy get married!! It went by WAY too fast but was SO good to catch up with old roomies, friends, and my sweet momma and sister.

I CANNOT believe how fast this year is flying by and that it is already December. Whew! Where has the time gone?

Wanted to put up some pics of these sweet memories :)

Chick Fil A: My first meal back in Texas. SO good. My mouth is watering.

Sweet Nephew Brannon. The BEST ever was holding him :)

My friends who are like family to me. My Hilly, Liz, Mandy, and Lindsay.

Mandy got married!! Mrs. Spring!

Texas A&M Roomie Reunion!

Loved this look that I found on Pinterest and tried to redo it for Mandy's wedding.

Sweet time with Branny Boy

These four have changed me forever :) Love them.

Beautiful Mandy on her wedding day!!

Getting ready to head to the church

Hillary!! :)

Mandy looked SO BEAUTIFUL!! :)

Family time: Mom and sis at the wedding

Love my family. Such a blessing.

Alexis!!

I loved getting some good time in Texas this October. Sometimes you just need family, friends, and Chick Fil A.

I always love the reminder that weddings bring of the covenant that marriage is and what it represents. Of course I teared up as Mandy walked down the aisle towards Evan.

Miss my Mandy already but SO SO happy for her.

I am enjoying so much the holidays and this time of blessings and family.

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Clean Eating Meal Plans: Spicy Pork Tacos

Spicy Pork Tacos with Celery & Apple Slaw, Mexican Corn and Sauteed Peppers

So, my sister introduced me to "E meals" about six months or so ago. AMAZING. I seriously can't rave about these meal plans enough. Basically, you go to the "E meals" website and sign up to get weekly meal plans sent to your email. My sister has been sending me hers which really helps me, but I know that she was able to use a Groupon.

Here is the link to the website: http://emeals.com/meal-plans/?gclid=COjUnJC427oCFel_QgodNigAeg

They have lots of different kinds of meal plans: Classic Meals, Clean Eating, Paleo, Mediterranean, Slow Cooker, Vegetarian, Low Carb, Low Fat, etc.

You can also coordinate with the size of your family, or eating for two. You can add a breakfast or lunch plan also and you can choose which grocery store you normally shop at that helps coordinate with the coupons of that store for the week. I just use the E meals that my sister sends me, but when I run out of those, I am definitely going to sign up.

So far, I have tried Clean Eating meals and Clean Eating Slow Cooker meals and they have both been super amazing. I have really loved the slow cooker meals because I love being able to throw it all into the crockpot and come home to dinner being ready.

Something that I really love about the meal plans is that the meals have the recipe there and there are also great side dishes that go along with the recipes. Also, there is a grocery list that is attached to the weekly meal plan that separates the shopping into: produce, meat, canned food, etc. I found this to be SUPER HELPFUL when shopping.

Some things that I didn't like so much about the meal plans: 1) With the clean eating meal plans, the recipes call for a lot of grocery items that you may not use all the time and have to buy for example I have had to buy different kinds of vinegars and oils. 2) Certain kinds of vegetables or produce are unfamiliar to me and I end up spending a lot of time in the grocery store trying to find some off the wall item and end up trying to just substitute it. 3) Another thing is that for every plan there is a price listed with it. The prices for Alaska really don't match up so the meal plans are a little bit more expensive than I would like. But, normally I try to pick like 5 meals out of 7 and go from there, saving money by not purchasing the other 2 and eating leftovers or something cheap like breakfast or soup.

One thing I do like is that the portions are very well done for cooking for two and that has been really helpful in saving money. I also love that these recipes call for lots of cilantro, spinach, and olive oil. I also love rice dishes and there are lots of yummy rice dishes.

I wanted to share one recipe that I really enjoyed and then there will be more to come! :)

The picture is above. The recipe is for Spicy Pork Tacos, Mexican Corn, and Sauteed Peppers. It's super easy to make!

Meal Ingredients + Recipe:
(The pork is a crockpot recipe)

Spicy Pork Tacos
- Canola Oil
- Salt and Pepper
- 1.5 lb boneless pork shoulder
- 15 oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed
- 4 corn tortillas

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium- high heat. Sprinkle salt and pepper over pork. Add pork to skillet; cook 5 minutes or until browned on all sides. Transfer pork to a 4 quart slow cooker. Top with tomatoes, paprika, and garlic. Cover and cook on Low 6 hours (I cooked it for 7 and was fine).

Warm tortillas in microwave. Put some pork in the tortillas and top with celery apple slaw (see below). Serve with the other two side dishes (Mexican Corn + Sauteed Peppers).

Celery Apple Slaw
- 1 Apple, cored and shredded
- 2 Celery Stalks, thinly sliced
- 1.5 teaspoons olive oil
- 1.5 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Combine apple, celery, oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Divide apple mixture evenly among tortillas.

Mexican Corn
- 2 ears corn, shucked (although I used thawed frozen corn)
- 1 tablespoon of butter, melted
- 1.5 teaspoons fresh lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (Tony doesn't love feta cheese so I may consider a different kind of cheese for the future)

Cook corn in boiling water 10 minutes; drain. Combine butter and lime juice; brush evenly over corn. Sprinkle corn with salt and pepper and feta cheese.

Sauteed Peppers
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 orange bell pepper, seeded and sliced
- 1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and sliced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium- high heat. Add bell peppers; cook 12 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in cilantro, salt, and pepper.

YUM! Enjoy. :)




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His Mercies are New Every Morning

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul, 'therefore I will hope in him.' The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord." Lamentations 3:1

I have been so blessed by rest, community, and time with the Lord this week. As I am seeking the Lord, he continues to teach me, grow me, and astound me. One very real blessing is my Monday night bible study that my sister in law Holly is leading.

Last week, surrounded by a group of women, many shared that they felt their time with the Lord was lacking. For myself, I shared that this lead to feeling of guilt and shame that the Lord was not a priority. This led to a discussion about how the Lord is a "functional parent", in other words He knows how to reach us according to the specific way He designed our personalities and the way we think and feel. We were assigned a homework assignment: How does God best communicate with you?

After thinking about the times that I feel God speaking, I came to realize that while my journaling and quiet time WERE important ways that God communicates with me, I also felt like God speaks to me through other people. I am definitely an extrovert and so talking and speaking with other people about my emotions and thoughts are so important for me. I realized that God uses other people to speak to me and He does this often. I also feel like the outward way I express what God is speaking to me is through writing (and talking it out with other people).

All this to say, if you feel guilty about not having quiet times with the Lord, don't allow the enemy to use that. Seek time with the Lord, and be thankful when you have it, but realize that God uses many avenues to speak to his children, just like an earthly parent would. This was such a huge realization for me. I love the time I get to sit with God, but I don't need it to be quiet. I like to talk out loud to other people what I am learning, or talk with God out loud about it and this is OKAY. My quiet time does not need to be literally quiet. God reaches us in so many ways.

In other life updates, I got to take a trip to see my family and my best friend Mandy get married. This was such an encouraging time.

Mandy on her wedding day! :)

Also Tony and I have been working with our dog Sage with separation anxiety and I am learning a lot through the process. Funny to see fears of being alone in a dog kind of teach a lesson to me.

Sage whose nicknames so far are: Sagey Girl, Sageicle

Teaching has been BUSY, but I am enjoying my students so much. Teaching is definitely a passion and I am beyond thankful to wake up every morning and go to a job that I feel totally aligns with my calling. I try to take time to thank God for this every morning. I am learning a lot in teaching about letting control of my expectations and allowing God to do his work in my students and myself during the day. Through his grace, I am growing and (hopefully) getting better as a teacher each day.

House progress is slow going but home finally feels like home. I no longer picture our apartment when I think of home (this happened for awhile). I am getting excited about decorating our guest bedroom and we are looking into adding a wood stove (gotta be toasty and warm for the winter).

I am looking forward to the holiday season! Tony and I are staying in Alaska this year for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Our first snowfall came yesterday- Hello, winter!

Thanking God for his steadfast love and mercies that I know are new EVERY morning.

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