Volcano Alert

Since last Saturday after our earthquake, the big topic of conversation wherever you go is speculation on when Redoubt will erupt. Redoubt was placed on yellow status last fall, then was moved to orange status this past week which means 24-hour watch. Mike and I have been making sure that we have the things that we need to be prepared to time spent at home in case it erupts. School was canceled on the southern peninsula a couple of years ago when Augustine erupted, and the kids at school are hoping for a repeat this year. The volcano observatory reports higher than usual seismic activity. This has been an interesting thing to watch. A lot of the elementary kids at school have been pretty concerned, but for those of us in the high school, we're all hoping that it will erupt so that we can watch it from my classroom window. This picture was taken from my classroom window -- I do have a pretty awesome view for watching the show!

Not Much To Say

I set myself a goal to try to update my blog each week. Well, not much is running through my head right now. I probably should do this when the thoughts strike me.

One thing that just hit me. This morning I was watching a BYU-I Devotional entitled "Angels in Waiting." The speaker quoted a line from President Monson, "You never know whose angel you're supposed to be." I've heard President Monson speak along those lines before. The idea that we're here to be of service to others is something I think that more of us need to act upon. I know that I need to do better about being of service or more importantly, acting upon the promptings that I receive to do something for someone else -- even if it's as simple as just saying hello and meeting another person's eyes. I've found that even the grumpiest person can be soothed with a smile, a hello, and a meeting of the eyes. There's just something about looking a person in the eyes -- it's the peering into another's soul, I guess, that can bring out the best in each of us. At least that's the attitude I want to take.

What can each of us do to lift others around us? Can we ask how someone is and genuinely mean it enough to stop and listen? Can we drive out of our way on a coveted day off to find a coat and socks for a child who goes to school without any? Can we mow the neighboring church's lawn (not our denomintation) when we don't think anyone else is paying attention? Can we handwrite a note to someone when we suddenly think of that person out of the blue, just to let him or her know that we're thinking of them? The things that we do for others don't have to be spectacular. I think the greatest challenge is to just do for others. There are so many examples of service to others. Why can't we all emulate our Savior who was the greatest among us yet served the least of us by His loving sacrifice? Humans have such great heart, but too many are becoming jaded by the world to allow Christ's spirit of service to enter into their hearts and lives. Just yesterday, I mentioned to my beautiful daughter that it's not just about serving others, but allowing others to serve us as well. This is a difficult concept to handle as well, especially when one is accustomed to trying to do everyone for oneself.

These are just some rambling thoughts, I guess. Maybe there is more in my brain than I thought. What I do know is that we need to be a more loving people and share more of ourselves with those around us. When we share a part of ourselves with another human being, we actually gain more back than what we gave.

My challenge to everyone is to be someone's angel. Look and listen for opportunities to lift another person each day. Pray for those opportunities, and remember that they don't have to be monumental tasks. Even a smile can brighten someone's day.

Response to Grant

Something that I've learned over the years as I've been trying to "grow up" is that the concept of being an adult was created by unhappy individuals. We find ourselves so consumed with doing the grown-up thing, that we forget to take the time to enjoy the simple things -- stomping in mud puddles, dancing in the rain, floating down a river in 100+ degree weather. We're so worried about meeting deadlines and working so that we can take a vacation. Instead, we should be taking advantage of the moments that are presented to us throughout a day to laugh and to appreciate all that God has given us. I understand that some things are necessary -- providing for our family's needs is the most important -- but there is joy in that journey as well.

I've also learned that it's important to not compromise who I am in order to be who I think I should be. Music, books, movies, and such that I've enjoyed in my life are every bit as important to me as everyone else's enjoyments are to them. I found that I put my interests aside too many times throughout my life in order to make sure that others were happy. I found myself denying that I enjoyed certain things simply because I didn't want anyone to mock me. And you know what, I missed out on so many simple pleasures because of this need to please others. I feel that at times I lost some of myself. But, thankfully, age allows for a little wisdom. I have come to realize over the years, especially the past 10 years with Mike, that I need not take myself nor life so seriously. I CAN take the time to play. Digging in the dirt, riding my 4-wheeler through ginormous mud bogs, rolling on the grass with my granddaughters, eating cookie dough, simply stopping along the highway to ponder a double rainbow, or a moose, or the mist rising from a pond -- these are things I need to make time for each day.

Laugh, my son! Play, love, and learn, but remember to stay balanced in all that you do. You will lose yourself if you don't maintain the proper balance.

I dug out some of my old poetry. I wrote this is 1992. I wish I had been more avid about living this concept, but I'm learning. I guess it's another one of those moments in my life where I want my children to learn from my mistakes, but recognizing that they need to make their own mistakes so that they may learn from them as well.

Anyway, here it is...

PLAY COUNTS!

Remember the child inside
who strives to come out

Don't forget --
recognize your innocence.

Adulthood should only be a
figment of Imagination.

Responsibilities labeled "Adult"
should only be addressed by

Children who have mastered
the art of Childhood!

Then, can one truly understand the
necessity of stress-free living.

Christmas Finally Arrived!

After arriving in Seattle, we found that our flight to Salt Lake had been canceled and we’d been rebooked on a flight for the following evening. We could wait around on the standby lists and hopefully get out of Seattle on an earlier flight, but the chances of that were pretty slim. We did stick around for about 10 hours, hoping to get on an earlier flight, but finally, after being bumped from number 2 on the standby list to number 23, we decided to head for the hotel room that we had thankfully reserved earlier in the day. When we arrived at the hotel, we found that ours and one other reserved room were all that were available. In fact, the only hotel that the manager knew of with rooms available was across town. Everything was booked because of the huge storm that had hit Seattle. Even the Amtrak trains had canceled trips and the bus lines weren’t running either. Seattle isn’t used to getting the kind of storm that it had that weekend. Mike and I were a day later getting to Salt Lake than we had planned, but the advantage was that we were more fully rested for having spent the night in a comfortable, warm hotel room, and we were bumped up to first class for the trip to Salt Lake. We’d actually been able to fly first class from Anchorage too. I could get used to that.

When we arrived Monday night at Mom and Dad’s house, we were surprised to find Chad, Cory, Fiona, and Mia waiting for us. They were all so excited to see us and the feelings were very much reciprocated! I miss my children and grandchildren so much. I’m happy to know that they’re all living their lives and doing well, but I miss the interactions on a regular basis. Fiona and Mia spent the night with Papa and Gramma that night and then the next day they went to spend time with their mother. That gave Mike and me a chance to get the Christmas shopping finished that we needed to do on Tuesday – well, some of it

Poor Mom and Dad – the invasion only got worse! Meghan had been in Utah since the 16th visiting friends and her dad’s side of the family. Meg was dropped off at Grandma and Grandpa Grant's house on Tuesday, and then Mike’s mom and step-dad, Lorraine and Lloyd Berezay, came by with Chad and Cory later on that afternoon. There were people everywhere!

Bright and early Christmas Eve day, I was out grocery shopping for everyone and finishing up the last of the shopping. It was quite strange to not have everything finished before that. We also weren’t as elaborate in our gifts this year, but that’s ok. The greatest gift of the season beyond the birth of our Savior was the gift of being together as a family. Watching Meghan, Cory, and Chad banter and bicker as we played cards together was so fun. I’m grateful that after 10 years as a family, our children love each other and have grown to truly be brothers and sisters. I’m always thrilled when I hear someone comment about how neat our family is and that it’s difficult to tell which siblings are blood siblings. To me, that’s the success of our family.

Christmas Day was a beautiful snowy day. The only hitch to all of the snow was in knowing that Nicole and Jason were driving in it. Their normal three-hour drive from Twin Falls to Salt Lake took over eight hours on treacherous roads. Grant and Kristin came from Vernal after spending a few days with Kris’s family. They had some rough roads as well, but made better time than the Idaho kids. My sister Michelle and her family made the trip from Moab, so now the house was truly loaded! We had a great dinner which included the last of the homegrown turkeys from our house. Mom and Dad have a lot of room in their freezer now without that big bad boy in there. The turkey was too big for Mom’s oven, so we thought we’d use the roaster, only he was too big for that as well. I had to cut his legs off and pack them in around him in order to fit the entire bird into the pan. Boy was he tasty, though! When Nicole and Jason finally made it to the house, my world was complete! I listened to all of the noise and felt such a warm glow knowing that all of our children were there; our granddaughters were giggling and snuggling with us; our parents were with us; my sister’s family was there – I was truly content. Mom asked me later if Christmas was everything I’d hoped it would be. It most definitely was! I’m grateful to Mom and Dad for the use of their home. It’s big enough to accommodate everyone and there wasn’t much space that we weren’t using.

Bumped to First Class!

Mike and I are hanging in the airport waiting for our flight out of Anchorage. Our flight was scheduled to leave at 12:45 a.m., but due to the severe weather in the Lower 48, we're delayed here for at least an additional hour. We've had a few chuckles during the past couple of weeks at the irony of life -- we are in Alaska where everyone assumes it's dark all the time (a misconception I had until a year ago) and it's the land of the igloos. The reality is that Mike and I are actually doing pretty well. After today, the days will get longer, and it should only take roughly six weeks or so for us to be caught up with everyone in Utah. Ninilchik also doesn't have much snow. When we left the house today, I think there was MAYBE two inches of snow on the ground. Maybe we're making up for the unusually wet summer. I hope that for the sake of the sanity of my students, however, that we do get some snow soon. They're going bonkers because they want snow for their snowmachines!

So, we're going to Utah to see the family. I'm excited to see everyone. Today Mike commented, though, that he doesn't want to leave Alaska as much as he wants to see everyone. I reminded him that this time he gets to come home to Alaska. We still call Utah home, but this is home too.

I can't believe that one year ago today, I was walking out of the Holiday Oil in Soldotna when I had one of those hit-me-over-the-head moments. I realized then that I could live here. I sent Mike a quick text asking him what he thought about moving to Alaska. Of course he replied yes, but he really didn't take me serious until after I'd found out what I needed to do to get my teaching license here. When I didn't bat an eye at having to take additional classes and continued with the plans, he knew for sure that we were coming. And now, we've been here for six months! Time sure does fly. I only wish we were flying now!

Technology & Where is My Child?

Technology rules! But, at the same time, technology adds to our worries. I should be getting ready for work, but it dawned on me that Meghan's flight should have landed in Salt Lake City 45 minutes ago. So, I check my phone. No text from Meg to confirm that she landed safely. I check the online flight status at the airport -- flight in the air; estimated arrival 9:25. I glance at the clock. It's 9:35. I notice another box on the flight update page. It's a radar map outlining where the plane is. Then I notice several circles in the flight path between Rupert and Twin Falls, Idaho. They circled three times! Somewhere near Brigham City -- another couple of circles. I hit refresh, only to see know that the flight has been updated to land at 9:52 and that the projected flight path is taking my baby girl to the Point of the Mountain and then back to Salt Lake City. I can't wait to hear what Meg's side of the story is. Where is my daughter? This is nerve-wracking. I sent my beloved baby girl on a plane BY HERSELF to navigate Seattle-Tacoma Airport alone. Before that, she had to take a taxi from her dorm to the airport BY HERSELF with a strange taxi driver who could kidnap her for all I knew. She aged me a bit when she sent me a text telling me that the driver skidded to a stop in the icy intersection. I sent her to the airport early as the airline website instructed, worried that Meg would have a lot of people to get through to go through security and to get her ticket and to get checked in and and and. Instead, within 10 minutes, the girl tells me that she is checked in, her bag has been taken, AND she is through security. She had two hours to wait. Then I finally received a text at 4:00 a.m. to tell me that she had finally arrived in Seattle.

Oh YAY! My phone just made noise! The plane landed! My darling dotter is on the ground once again. She's off to begin her Christmas vacation, and I can stop worrying and finish getting ready for work.

Technology -- what did we do before Internet and cell phones? How did we survive the waiting for information?

Ode to Diet Pepsi

Fountain fresh, ice cold, through a straw
Mini explosions with just the right combination
-- carbonation and syrup
Bubbles burst through my taste buds –
Just enough to send my eyes rolling in sheer ecstasy.

Fizzy, bubbly sounds of freshly poured Diet Pepsi
Send chills and tingles whispering across my skin.
Golden brown bursts of caffeine earn my undying devotion.

I accept no substitutions!
A purist am I – no cherries, lemons, or limes for me
Raise the glass high!
Sparkling amber glistens on the rocks.

The drink of true Americans proudly wraps itself in
Red, White, and Blue
True democracy sports the packaging.

Indulging in my single vice of life allows me
To gratify my desires for DP.
Heaven must allow a steady supply.

Long live my friend,
My passion,
My desire,
My love,
My Diet Pepsi!