tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55471704910452865652024-02-07T13:41:55.574-08:00Our Alaskan AdventureRandom thoughts about our life and what it's like living in the Last FrontierKristiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08042610844127347137noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5547170491045286565.post-84901873001458164612011-12-27T00:28:00.000-08:002012-02-17T22:37:42.671-08:00Max and the True Meaning of Christmas<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; text-align: left; ">I wanted to write this Christmas morning, but when I woke up at 7:30 in the morning to write it, the power to the laptop was not available. Laying back down, I woke back up 2 hours later my small little family of 4 furkids and hubby waiting for Christmas to start. With yesterday as hectic as it was in the morning and on top of</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; text-align: left; "><span>the beginnings of a migraine that took a turn for the worst yesterday, the blog would have to wait. It's an important one though that I couldn't leave unwritten as it is a</span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; text-align: left; ">bout the true meaning of Christmas. Yes, I know I am an adult and should already know the true me</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; text-align: left; ">aning of Christmas, which I do, however there are events in one's life that changes his or her life forever. This is one of those times...this is the story of Max and the tr</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; text-align: justify; ">ue meaning of Christmas (and really of life in general)</span></div><div><div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWQmgUqn57ASZmbis_xKhN3EWiw4BMXqHmvxSSDwJqnujs6zCsr3FRQqmbfB3RbvvO4v45uLP9pKNWoxLAwkLOZc8OVCVcUb7NXyYxg8Ss7IC1BtuvQnjGDcu3jxt3EwWHLvqYLP9T1I_C/s1600/Max-6.jpg"><br /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "></div><span ><span style="font-size: 100%; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmhrR_OiEauEnberNhxKrltroAt6GIl82rTQLe8YiUABlJs-8dpk9woVd715PVnMTvtsg9fyzYBJYaob-HZ5BpVz2u64N4o89fGBP1f66OGuNqcvApUrCYSDqS1xMNP44ooyNoxYnpLpYq/s200/Max-3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691054636644917266" style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 132px; height: 200px; " /></span></span></div><div><div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: left; "><br /></div><div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; "><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left; ">As a photographer, I take pictures of anything and everything that inspire me in life. There are many things that inspire me, the landscapes God has provided for us to the unique and beautiful architecture designed by man. There is n</span><span style="text-align: left; ">othing more precious than seeing a newborn's parents </span><span style="text-align: left; ">proudly snuggling and comforting their </span><span style="text-align: left; ">newest little one that I am then able to capture in a photograph. To me, all these subjects are inspirational and a sign of unconditional love in some way. Last week, I had the hardest assignment of all though of all si</span><span style="text-align: left; ">nce I started my photography career. Capturing the last few moments of unconditional love between man's best friend and his family.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCkPnLM2mlcbtIr2Zn_-yGFXcCZyhp1smAn-K_kuSKuwFWWk_DjIFHXCJ7HI9EQofh7qV7pg1JLkROpce-fh_4k2qwB9uAyIKI9HvEqgQRi2wBsSSfe_TpN2azsqP_u00E0W6QEjEBpFc7/s200/Max-11.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691057334783025122" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 160px; " /></span></div><div><span><div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="text-align: left; "><span><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">It all started around Thanksgiving. A good friend of mine was taking in a new foster dog. This was not your typical foster dog placement however. Max was being taken in because his owner who he'd shared many good years with was being moved into a new assisted living home where she was not allowed to have any pets. Max was also in poor health himself. They ha</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />d both taken care of each other for a very long time and kept each other company until it was time for them to part ways. His owner was hesitant about euthanasia for him just yet, but did not know what else to do. She knew if she took him to the pound they would almost immediatel<span style="font-size: 100%; ">y put him down. This is where Maria stepped in along with her husband Paul. They decided they would see if they could help Max buy a little more time by caring for him themselves.</span></div></span></span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><div>After several weeks of trying medications and Max's condition becoming worse, the inevitable decision was made to proceed with the euthanasia. We had already entered into December by this point and Daniel and I were busy preparing for Santa Paws pictures that we do every year. Maria had asked if we could get some Christmas pictures of Max to send to his previous owner so she would have something special to remember him by. The two different times we </div><div><div>were at the Santa Paws events, Max was not able to attend. His poor joints had just completely given out on him and he could barely stand let alone walk into a store with somewhat slippery floors. So we decided to go to him. Often times with my photography that is what has to happen, I have to go where my subject is, this time would be no different. If Max couldn't come to us, then we <span style="text-align: justify; ">would go to him. Simple as that.</span></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6M5wtCPNL_OylSGhpi-L0qHv3unJ7hNtWRYv1O4FIFIw35ZYP58LeE09bb00mYYI9KI5nG0qcBWIjb1fvS-5i0OW5JJ-Ewxy7-fqdDIPJQURbNMZPrCX9HLhp3TbW0Lg_l0LWwg_BXX4F/s200/Max-15.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691059942375184930" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 160px; " /></div></div></div><div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center; "><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="text-align: left; "><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left; "> We went over the Tuesday morning befo</span><span style="font-size: 100%; text-align: left; ">re Christmas. Paul greeted us at the door. As we entered the apartment, there lay Max. He was laying on his blanket and trying to stay as comfortable as possible. He wasn't able to get up and gr</span><span style="font-size: 100%; text-align: left; ">eet us, but he started giving us kisses and tail wags as soon as we came to him. There is a reason why dogs are called man's best friend. They do love you unconditionally, without regard to how you may treat them. All they want is love and attention from those around them. You could tell that</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkJvYnqICwnU_Q5t3l7y-8tjY6rmmwsOvABeEWjt1sy5crmD2TCaEroBBTSvXG54wxJDe1nU__6q3Wo7vjxO_2S8qQmOiobmvEeTyUztelY1SffSdfpsStm1TdBFmgeNI6ckQcc0titYZc/s200/Max-12.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691072174512441234" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 160px; height: 200px; " /><span style="font-size: 100%; ">is all Max wanted too. He was definitely getting it from Paul and Maria and their kids, the</span><span style="font-size: 100%; ">y loved him so much even though they had been</span><span style="font-size: 100%; "> taking care of him f</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left; ">Max was very sweet and very patient while we took photos of him. He even managed to give us a funny grin now and again showing off his playful side. When he felt well enough to hold his head up for us he did. </span><span style="text-align: left; ">In between takes was more petting, kisses and telling him what a good boy he was. He was growing weary and tired so we didn't want to push him more than he was able to handle. We left him resting on his blanket.</span></div></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: justify; "><br /></div><div><span ><span style="font-size: 100%;">The next day I got the news from Maria that Max had crossed the rainbow bridge that morning when they took him in to be </span>euthanized<span style="font-size: 100%;">. We both cried at his loss, but I can only begin to imagine her sorrow as I went through it several years ago when I lost Buttercup and then after my miscarriage. Those losses were different though, those were mine. To take in an animal you barely know and grow to love it like your very own pet only to have to make the most painful decision ever is heartbreaking to say the least. Many people would not have done what Paul and Maria did. Many people who own their own pets would not have done what they did. I used to think that euthanasia was "cruel" in some ways, but after going through it and having seen what Max had to go through, I now realize that it is the most humane thing to do for an animal who is in so much pain and is suffering. Max crossed the rainbow bridge knowing he was loved and can rest now, rest in Heavenly Peace.</span></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; ">You may be asking yourself how this relates to the true meaning of Christmas? Well, when I first began to write this blog it was 7:30 Christmas morning. I had been able to sleep for about n hour <span style="font-size: 100%; ">thinking about Max and the fight I had had with my husband on Christmas Eve about a broken picture frame and so many other things. Christmas shouldn't be about the commercialism, the trinkets you buy that will only be broken or lost a year from now. Picture frames can be replaced and rings can be found, but the loss of loved was cannot be replaced. It is about being with family and friends (those that know me well enough know my friends are my family). It is about seeing a good friend return from overseas unhurt while remembering those in your prayers who will never get to come home and making sure their families are cared for. Today is the day after Christmas and was suppose to be a day my husband had planned for my birthday celebration. While a massive migraine prevented those plans from being carried out, I got the best birthday present of all. The unconditional love and support from my husband being there for me today and caring for me for 8 plus hours while I coped with my migraine.</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; ">While <span style="font-size: 100%; ">this time of year is called the "season of giving" my challenge to each of you that may read this is to make every day a day of giving. I heard about about 4-5 dogs that all had to be put down this past week, and while it is sad that it had to happen at this time of year, the reality is that it happens every day. People are sick every day and need prayers every day and someone checking in on them every day, not just at Christmas time. If you would like to donate your time to being a foster parent, please do so. There are many children out there that need a good home and there are many four legged "children" that need a loving home to call their own too. Food banks need volunteers year round, not just at the holidays. Senior citizens love company any day, not just Christmas Day. When you give yourself and your time to others you will be rewarded in more ways than one, I promise. I know I have. I may not have known Max but for a few brief hours, but he has left a paw print on my heart forever.</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; ">***Update to this post**</div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; ">It actually took me quite awhile to even post this blog due to many of "life" activities getting in the way, etc (not to mention making sure I was blogging correctly). The story of the Hass family continues, yet is bittersweet. A new furry addition will be added to their family tomorrow. A little female PBT they have been fostering that loves the kids and is very sweet. The hope was that the new dog and Pepper, their little Jack Russell would be good companions for each other. However, due to sudden turn of events (my guess is sudden illness but I am not sure yet) will also cross over the rainbow bridge tomorrow. I add this part to pay tribute to Pepper and her family. As a pet photographer, I have come to realize that sometimes the pictures I take may be the last pictures of that beloved family member. This was the case with Maria and Pepper at Christmas time when I took their photo. I had no idea at the time that just a short time later we'd be saying good-bye to such a sweet dog. You will be missed by your mama Pepper!</div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="text-align: left; "><span><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidHL7Fd6vzfejCpFS9T0pXeyAKiYqEapUC20aFU5GXr6bGPC64fT7CzIclSv8jBDyz9bekfIhMozATckm3VBk_MIodJ7rAWfhJUJdt8GobKkVdHt8_gXAN0K1GHyzwbovL4s03Xbe5HnlE/s200/4x6-6161.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5710359556489064754" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px; " /> </span></span></div></div></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><span style="text-align: left; "><span><br /></span></span></div></div></div></div>Kristiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08042610844127347137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5547170491045286565.post-79032944997529834552011-12-09T20:45:00.000-08:002011-12-09T21:08:33.011-08:00Santa's Little HelpersIt's time for Santa pictures again. It's a pretty big event that Dan and I have been in charge of for the last 3 years to help a local dog rescue group we are involved in. It's a very stressful project because well, we usually end up doing about 90% of the work by ourselves. Dan loves doing it though and we love helping the dogs out. <div><br /></div><div>This year has been especially stressful since my doctor has restricted me to bedrest to help heal my pressure sore...can we say really bad timing! Without getting into specifics since I have no idea who will read this, let's just say that this year it seems like one thing after another has happened to almost make this Christmas year not happen for the wonderful dogs and puppies. </div><div><br /></div><div>A month ago I ordered all the backdrops and other props I knew I wanted to use. Backdrop outlet was having a great 11-11-11 sale. How could I resist right? Lots of great Christmas stuff on sale! So...credit card in hand, I placed my order. I waited about a week or two and still no order. I contacted the company only to be told they had received a lot of orders (geez, you think!) and they were making stuff as fast as they could. Now, call me crazy but if you are offering stuff shown in pictures and putting it on sale, I would venture to assume that you'd at least have some of this stuff prepped ahead of time! Then again, we all know what assuming does?! So after explaining my dilemma to their customer service and why I needed my order so fast, I was told they would get it out as soon as posssible. A month later it still isn't here! My best friend got hers yesterday so I figured mine would be here today. Nope! Today's email was that they delivered it to the wrong post office...3 hours away! So I called that post office and they said that it was on the truck and headed to Anchorage. I will get it sometime tomorrow. Guess when the shoot is? Yep, tomorrow! Luckily I should have everything ready for next week's second shoot. </div><div><br /></div><div>By the time Dan got home, given everything that happened with the post office and other issues that had gone wrong, I'd just about lost it. Then as Dan walks in he has his new Santa glasses on. Now, yes they still had the tag on them so that when I looked up I was trying to figure out what that funny thing was in the middle of the glasses was. When I asked and he responded rather irritated like I should have known it was a tag! Well, that got the water works going! Yeah, it's also that time of month for the hormones and moods to be all over the place! TMI....yeah, but you read this so that's your fault! LOL....okay, so back to the story. </div><div><br /></div><div>I guess posting all my frustration out on facebook must have concerned a lot of people. My friend Kathy offered to bring me a pumpkin pie blizzard from Dairy Queen! She is so sweet and plus she knew where a lot of my frustrations with this project was coming from so she was good to vent to for a bit. Thank you Kathy! Then my friends Marco and Becky called...well, Becky called but I could hear Marco in the background so that still counts. Becky offered to help be a second photographer tomorrow! I also got in a couple of more volunteers tonight too! </div><div><br /></div><div>Even though this afternoon started off really bad and I was feeling really down, it's as if God could hear and see my frustrations and sent several Santa's helpers my way! Now all I have to do is finish getting things ready for tomorrow and leave it all in their hands since I am not allowed to be up for more than 20 minutes at a time. I'll probably break that rule a bit just to make sure things get started smoothly, but I have awesome photography friends and several other friends who have pitched in at the last minute and I can't thank you all enough for your love and support! </div><div><br /></div><div>In the end, I don't care if I do get thanked, I do it for the dogs. I do want those that have helped me though to know I appreciate all of you for helping out! </div>Kristiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08042610844127347137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5547170491045286565.post-85320728311439401822011-11-24T19:45:00.001-08:002011-11-24T20:18:57.836-08:00Happy Thanksgiving!I had intentions of writing a very funny post to go along with today's Thanksgiving well-wishes to everyone. I had it all mapped out. See, I get my best "thoughts or ideas of the day" while in the shower. I had one today in fact. I even told Dan about it when I got out of the shower.....do you think I could remember it now though? Nope! This leads me to the conclusion that I suck at blogging funny stuff like others are able to do because of my short term memory loss. Yep, that has to be it. Otherwise, you guys would be reading the funniest stuff ever! Trust me, there is really never a dull conversation around here at our house. Dull moments maybe, but not dull conversations. <div><br /></div><div>Today was Thanksgiving 2011. Given that it was just the two of us and no family in town this year and nobody had invited us over, we decided to hit up Golden Corral. I mean, what could be better, an all you can eat buffet on Thanksgiving? Heck yes! We were not the only ones with this idea apparently. When we got there at noon (mind you they opened at 10:30) it was already packed! People were fighting over parking spaces and by the time we got through the line it was a fight almost to get to the turkey and other dishes! Still, it beat not having dishes to do this evening and we spent much less than most families do on a regular turkey dinner and we got much more! Bawahahah! (or however that is spelled...Dan has boycotted now helping me write my posts all because I said it makes me nervous to have him watch me write....geesh!) . </div><div><br /></div><div>The hightlight of dinner had to be two-fold. First, the fire alarm went off right where we were sitting. Luckily it was just the emergency alarm that went off, no sprinklers or flashing lights. The last thing I needed was to have a seizure on Thanksgiving! After about five minutes of that going off, Dan had finally come back with the seconds I had sent him off for, he didn't even hear the alarm go off. That tells you how loud it was in there! Okay, so second highlight was funnier and I literally laughed for about 5 minutes straight! Peach cobbler was the "highlight" dessert of the afternoon apparently as they kept running out of it before we could get any. Well, a lady with her family that was sitting across from us was coming back with a small bowl and I overheard her say it was the peach cobbler! In my excitement of starting to act like a small child telling Dan "now, go get it now, must have peach cobbler now!" I saw that the woman carrying the peach cobbler while trying to get back into her seat tipped the bowl ever so slightly that the oh so yummy dessert began to drip.....straight down into her daughter's hair! I tried to say something but they couldn't hear and I just began laughing to hard! The little girl did too and the dripping finally stopped but all I could think about was that poor girl and trying to get that out of her hair since her mom was totally oblivious to what had happened! I did at least mouth to her to ask if she as okay and she nodded back and we both had a good laugh about it! Only at Golden Corral, right?! </div><div><br /></div><div>After stuffing ourselves silly at GC, we went to go see "Hugo" at the theater. Great movie, highly recommend it! Don't want to ruin it for you, just trust me, go see it! Then we came home where the dogs overall seem upset that they did not get any turkey for Thanksgiving...greedy brats, they must have forgot that Dan gave them an extra helping of kibble this morning! </div><div><br /></div><div>Now time for pie! HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE! </div>Kristiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08042610844127347137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5547170491045286565.post-56325008634749468662011-11-22T22:18:00.001-08:002011-11-22T23:19:00.242-08:00I can't believe this year is nearly over and I've only posted once this whole year!I've been actually reading a lot of blogs lately to inspire me to keep up with my own personal blog. It just occurred to me that I've only posted once, maybe twice this whole year! My excuse...I don't have one! I am admittedly the world's worst blogger! No wonder nobody ever reads my blogs...well, for the most part. <div><br /></div><div>So a little update on life here in Alaska. We are STILL here. Feels like forever now. However, things are going well and we really like it here, minus the frigid cold temps in the winter! I have been on bedrest for the majority of the year due to a pressure sore. It's official, my body hates me and doesn't want to heal! I've had actually quite a bit of time on my hands...so why haven't I been blogging? Ugh...yep, the thought of not keeping up with my blog is slowly now driving me insane! I really have no excuses for not posting anything. Okay...letting it go...for now at least. </div><div><br /></div><div>I have been busy getting the photography business going. It's slowly getting off the ground and I had my first gallery showing of sorts back in Septemeber (yep, should have blogged about that too...did I? Nope!). I am really enjoying learning new portrait techniques though and getting more and more business. </div><div><br /></div><div>This past weekend was quite chaotic and fun! Since I am "technically" not allowed out of bed for any long length of time, my husband who has been wonderful since I've had to be on bedrest did a marvelous job getting the house ready for Christmas portraits that people have been requesting. I had a newborn shoot to do as well as my first of several family Christmas portraits to do. Silly me thought I could do them all in one day. I did, but I'm regretting it a bit now....okay, digressing yet again. </div><div><br /></div><div>So...the night before the day before the shoot, Dan got the house all decorated with the Christmas tree and other Christmas decorations that made the house very festive looking. I did also have to send him out to the store to get a few other last minute prop ideas I had for the newborn shoot. Here is how the following conversation went regarding the shopping trip: </div><div><br /></div><div>Dan (calling on the phone) They do not appear to have any cornacopias at Michaels. Thanksgiving isle is pretty much picked over or we totally missed the holiday...any other ideas? </div><div><br /></div><div>Me: Pine cones, do they have those? </div><div><br /></div><div>Dan: Kinda, they have glitter on them though....you know, the herpes of craft products</div><div><br /></div><div>Me: Okay, those won't really work either...just don't forget the ribbon I need. Try Walmart or Fred Meyers for the cornacopia</div><div><br /></div><div>Dan: Okay....still don't know why you are insisting on stuffing a kid inside a cornacopia...remind me to shoot Ann Geddes later! </div><div><br /></div><div>Me: Just see what you can find....oh, and dont' forget the stuff I need at Anita's place. </div><div><br /></div><div>Dan: Okay...see you soon. </div><div><br /></div><div>30 minutes or so later.......</div><div><br /></div><div>Dan walking through the door walking in with much more than I needed and or asked for but I was not going to complain. He did awesome! As he is bringing in everything and putting the bags on the bed for me to go through....the best line of the night came next:</div><div><br /></div><div>Dan: I don't think I have ever felt so gay in my life! </div><div><br /></div><div>Me: Why? </div><div><br /></div><div>Dan: Well, when you are at a store like Michaels or Walmart in the craft areas or more "female" aisles and saying things out loud like "oh that's cute or oh that would be a fun prop, oh I like that one, etc." the women around start looking at you funny...as they are pulling their children closer to them. </div><div><br /></div><div>I LOVE my husband! And just for the record...he IS NOT GAY! LOL! </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Kristiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08042610844127347137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5547170491045286565.post-26963984903163027182011-03-09T14:40:00.001-08:002011-03-09T15:33:44.067-08:00Iditarod 2011!Living in Alaska there is an adventure for me practically every day, around every corner. There have been several highlights and this year so far that highlight has been attending Iditarod 2011. The only other highlight that has topped this experience (and it's a near tie actually) is when my dad was able to get me a glacier flight landing on Denali. <div><br /></div><div>This past weekend Daniel and I got to attend the ceremonial start and the re-start in Willow of Iditarod 2011. This year was extra special as I was able to secure a press pass and go behind the scenes a bit! Saturday was the ceremonial start and began rather early! We stayed at the Howard Johnson downtown which is right on 4th ave. so that we wouldn't have to fight with traffic. Our day started at 6 a.m. to get ourselves and camera gear ready. Four layers of clothing later, we were out the door by 8:30 or 9 a.m. Walking out onto 4th ave, the streets were already packed with excitement as fans from Alaska and around the world gathered to see 62 mushers make their way down 4th ave and through the streets of Anchorage only to finish at Campbell airstrip. This is the traditional route the mushers take for the ceremonial start. There were 10 Iditariders this year, individuals that spent quite a bit of money (or through charitable contributions) who got to ride with various mushers on Saturday. This year the Iditarod Committee put up a special wheelchair section or platform right near the start for those with disabilities who were invited to sit there so that we would have a better viewing of the start. While we had great seats and got some amazing pictures, it wasn't exactly what I had in mind for my press pass! It was a new learning experience and next year I think we will be better prepared to be where the rest of the press will be.....right down next to the snow berms! I guess people volunteering with the Iditarod don't realize that just because someone is in a wheelchair doesn't mean that they are a professional photographer and there to take amazing pictures! Oh well, next year! I've got it all mapped out already! </div><div><br /></div><div>Dan and I decided to only stay at the start till after seeing Lance Mackey. He is the superstar of the Iditarod so pictures of him are a must of course. Shortly after he left the start line we gathered our stuff and headed toward Campbell airstrip. This is where the fun begins! We got to park in the press area finally and got to get up close to lots of the dogs and made our way over to the trail that they were coming down. Now...for those who have taken sled dog pictures you will understand this next bit of insanity! Shooting the dogs coming down the trail is somewhat tricky in a wheelchair. Sometimes they turn out well, sometimes...most times they can turn out a bit lopsided and/or I miss the shot! Well, after about 20 or 30 minutes of trying to shoot from the chair, I begged Dan to spread the blanket down and lower me to the ground. My wonderful husband, not wanting me to get cold and or hurt at first refused...drat. What next? Okay, continue shooting from the chair....okay, if I must. Nope, still not getting the shots I want. I take matters somewhat into my own hands and put the blanket on the ground. Ha! Dan now has no choice but to help lower me to the ground :) Success! Now, one would think I would be freezing, but it was actually quite comfortable and I was able to use the snow berm as a stablizer almost like a tripod! From then on I was able to get some pretty good shots! </div><div><br /></div><div>After we finished in Anchorage, we shifted gears and headed to Wasilla to spend the night there since we were attending the Alaska Dog and Puppy Bow Wow Ball and doing the photography for that event. After a really long day, we ended up back at the hotel we were staying at and I pretty much fell into bed and asleep at midnight! Early Sunday morning we got up and started getting ready to head to Willow for the official start of Iditarod 2011. Not knowing exactly what the weather was going to be like, I decided to add one more layer today, turned out to be a slight mistake. I was roasting! When we got to Willow our friends Rhonda and Julia made it possible for Dan to park down on the ice where the mushers got to park. The whole day was absolutely wonderful and would not have been possible without these two ladies helping us out! Thank you to both Rhonda and Julia! </div><div><br /></div><div>While down where the mushers were getting ready we got to meet and see many of the mushers. Lance Mackey was already there and giving interviews so getting to chat with him was impossible. Newton Marshall was next to Mackey as he is using some of Mackey's dogs. Newton is the musher from Jamaica and you can tell he really loves his dogs and loves racing the Iditarod. We also got to meet Wattie McDonald, the musher from Scotland and his buddy Dean who have invited us to come to Homer to see the dogs in the off-season and take a sled dog ride! That was offer #2 as G.b Jones also made us an offer as well. G.b Jones is a good friend with our friend Mimi so we got to meet him on Saturday and spend some time photographing (or trying to at least) his dogs. He's got one dog, Mick, who was very friendly and curious of the chair so we played more than photographed! After seeing most of the mushers, we made our way to the press area to watch the start. It was great getting to be right next to the start and seeing all the mushers head out of the start chute and onto complete the 1,000 mile race to Nome! Mush on! </div><div><br /></div><div>I've begun work on the pictures and they can be found on my website at kristielentphotography.com it may still take me a day or two to get them all up so keep checking the website and facebook to see when they are posted. </div>Kristiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08042610844127347137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5547170491045286565.post-60241966549860872412011-02-10T23:19:00.001-08:002011-02-10T23:32:21.638-08:00I've been Published!Last spring I was invited by my friends Jessica and Justin to go watch Justin in the lead role of "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" at Alaska Pacific University where Jessica works. As usual, I took my camera along to take some pictures. I wanted Justin to have some pictures of his "big" debut ;) (For those that don't know, Justin is extremely talented musician and singer!)<br /><div><br /></div><div> As luck would have it, a good handful of pictures turned out pretty well. I was quite happy given that it was pretty low lighting. I gave the best 4 or so pictures to Jessica for her to be able to use for APU promotional use including their newsletter. It was pretty neat knowing that my picture was going to get published with my byline. Justin and Jessica have been so good to Daniel and I and we are such good friends that it was a pleasure to do it for them. That was last spring and I figured that was the end of that set of pictures for the most part. </div><div><br /></div><div> Today though Jessica let me know that my picture now is appearing in an article featured in U.S News & World Report in their online site. APU is apparently one of the top grad schools in the country. While none of the photographers whose pictures are featured were credited in the article where their picture appears, I still consider it a huge step forward in my career to becoming a real professional photographer. Here's the link to see the article and all the pictures. My photo is #6 in the series. It's the theater one in case it shows up differently on your screen. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/alaska-pacific-university-1061/photos">http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/alaska-pacific-university-1061/photos</a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; white-space: pre-wrap; "><br /></span></span></div>Kristiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08042610844127347137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5547170491045286565.post-66418495373541452182011-02-04T00:22:00.000-08:002011-02-04T00:49:33.301-08:00My thoughts on EgyptOver the past week we have all been hearing about the upheaval in Egypt from those who are still able to report from over there. Now, even though I have studied Political Science and other governmental studies, I will be the first to admit that it's an area of conversation that really does not hold my interest. For this, tonight I was called insensitive. I consider myself a great patriot of my own country, the United States of America and while I do care about the rest of the world, I've just always been one that if it does not directly affect me (quite frankly immediately) then I have a harder time staying interested. The reason for this may at first sound like a lack of empathy. Yet, I ask those reading this where other countries have been when the US has been in need of aid?<div><br /></div><div>Right now over 20% of our nation is suffering from a severe ice and snow storm. We are not talking a few inches, we are talking enough snow and ice to halt entire school systems, shut down the trucking industry or at least delay it and people dying from the extreme temperatures in areas that they are not used to getting. A good friend of mine was not able to get to her doctor's appointment because the office closed so that their pregnant patients would not have to risk their lives and their babies lives to come in for their appointments. My question to the individual that called me insensitive tonight is this - is your country reporting on the status of my country in any way shape or form? I highly doubt it. Yet, for some reason the USA has to feel like it has to stick its nose in everyone else's business. Yes, a lot of the time it is warranted-to an extent, but I would also like to see us step back a bit and see if these other countries can actually for once stand up for themselves. </div><div><br /></div><div>I for one am very proud of the Egyptian people for demanding the reform they want. I don't recall in any of our history books any other country (except maybe the French) coming to our aid when we wanted freedom from England. No, instead we got together as patriots and said enough is enough we want our own country. This is no less than what the Egyptians are doing in a sense. If they ask for the USA's help then that is one thing, but I think it is highly presumptuous for us to nose into their business with our own news reporters and basically rubberneck a potential trainwreck if that is what it comes to and "report" on it for all hours of the day and night when there are other matters closer to home I would like to hear about first, especially since nothing substantial has happened as of yet. He agreed that he would not run again, now that was substantial and made sense to report on. What happened today I don't think warranted a "special report" </div><div><br /></div><div>Yes, I was a bit miffed that a daytime show I was watching got interrupted today all to report on this news reporter getting to interview the Egyptian President, oh and also that she got to see his family. Was that really a call for a "Special Report" when that is something that could have been reported on the nightly news that airs at least twice in most of this country? To me, a special report would be a high official getting severely injured, the Chilean miners finally getting rescued, or another county getting bombed. Not to come on the air for ten minutes talking about an interview that they weren't even giving the specifics of at that time and waited UNTIL the nightly news to give. </div><div><br /></div><div>My life might be impacted by what is going on in Egypt, only time will tell. If it does, can I please have a "special report" on the news about how one individaul's life has been changed by something a world away? Oh please say I can! OH, did that sound insensitive? Perhaps...then again, some people just can't take sarcasm! </div><div><br /></div><div>I find it funny how people I know both very well and maybe some not so well always have such nice compliments about how kind and thoughtful I am, etc yet when I choose to speak my mind it's a different story. It's not because they don't really know me, it's only because I don't speak my mind very often because I am one that doesn't like conflict. Well, I've decided that is going to change in 2011. I am planning on speaking my mind more. This does not mean I am not going to be the same caring and thoughtful individual that I always have been and always will be, one that I know my parents would be proud to say they raised that way. Anyone that knows me well enough knows that I will lay down my life for those I care about, which happens to be a lot of people - my family and more friends than I can count. It simply means that I plan on expressing my opinion, my real opinion and not the one you want to hear, a lot more. If you don't like it, then you don't have to, that's your opinion. We can agree to disagree! </div>Kristiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08042610844127347137noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5547170491045286565.post-3226351605501136882011-01-27T18:34:00.001-08:002011-01-27T19:12:43.865-08:00Changes for 2011<div>We went to visit my parents this year for Christmas. It was wonderful to get away from the cold and regular routine here for a bit. Although I must say, the St. Louis area was actually colder than what it has been here in Anchorage! It must have something to do with there being more wind chill there and also they are not near the ocean at all like we are here in Anchorage so the moisture is quite lacking. Still, I had a wonderful time visiting my parents and getting to see a part of the country I really hadn't seen much of yet. I spent an extra two weeks after Christmas there while Dan returned to Anchorage so he could return to work. He had to put in his 2 week notice at Tekmate! He started a new job on January 17th. He is working now at NBS, not to be confused with NBC :) He is still a network engineer and does the same thing he did at Tekmate, just with higher pay and benefits! </div><div><br /></div><div>Even though I loved being with mom and dad for those two and half weeks, I missed home and missed my furbabies! Now that I am back home, it is back to life as normal. Sophie's hyperness, Mac's mopeness and Cassie's bossiness was something I actually did miss. My mom came back with me to help out for a week. On the flight home, we were discussing my writing skills and she was the one that has encouraged me to write/blog more. When I mentioned that I have a hard time "blogging" because I don't know what to write about about in my life as I have no idea who would be interested in hearing about my day to day boring life. She quickly reminded me my life is not boring and writing would be therapeutic for me. So, that is what I am going to do. My postings for this year and hopefully for years to come will be about not only my photography, but also about the day-to-day antics of the dogs....and even the cat I suppose! I'll throw in some stuff too about Daniel and I when it sounds interesting. </div><div><br /></div><div>For example, now that I am back home, I have to get used to the barking again....the almost constant barking! Yes, we do have bark collars and use them frequently. The first week I was home wasn't so bad because my mom came back with me for a week. That week was a bit unusual for the dogs because mom was back, but their normal routine wasn't quite back yet as Nana was here! Sophie LOVES nana....the feeling is not quite so mutual! They were all so happy to have me home and someone "new" in the house that they forgot to run in and out of the house as much, barking! Week two is now here and things are back to normal. Sophie actually has settled down and stays right by my side again and sleeps more than she did last week (thank goodness!). Then there is Mac. Today he decided to pull a "mommy I'm sick,stay home with me today please" routine. He threw up something this morning. It's just that, something, as neither Dan nor I can identify it yet. I was very worried about him as he was a bit lethargic and not eating that well this morning. I cancelled all my plans including a lunch with Nina, a fellow photography buddy and decided to stay home to monitor him. </div><div><br /></div><div>For most of the day he was fairly mellow, but then about 4 o'clock decided to perk up more. There was some noise outside that had them all riled up and barking. I looked out the window and saw nothing. About 5 minutes later, same thing. I figured I would just peek out the front door and show Mac that there was nothing out there. Just as I was showing the dog nothing was there...there it was, a couple walked by with their chihuahua. There was no holding him back at that point. I tried to shut the door as fast as I could, but his pent up energy that he'd been saving up all day won out and by that I mean, out the door he went! He went right up to the couple and their dog greeting them friendly and all. Now, you would think that me sitting in my wheelchair right there at the door calling him back would have just grabbed his collar and walked him back to the house. NOPE! They did ask, but I guess they misunderstood me as they kept on walking! I stayed at the door for a few minutes calling him back. When I realized that that he wasn't going to come back immediately, I went out into the garage of which Sophie and Cassie were not happy about being kept inside. I opened the garage door to see if I could see him. He was just right next door sniffing the roses so to speak. He ran across the street to that neighbor's yard all the while snubbing me as I was calling him. Then he looked at me with that total 2 year old toddler face he sometimes has as if to say "nope, I'm not listening to you" and then ran down the street. I raced to get into the van to see if I could get him back. As soon as I came down the driveway and looked down the street, there he was...at NANA's old house! As soon as he saw me coming down the street he came running up to the van. I stopped, opened the door and made him get in. </div><div><br /></div><div>Now what amazes me is that every time he pulls such a stunt, he knows that he has gotten away with it for a bit and ends up having the biggest doggie smile on his face! Who can stay mad at him for being so happy! </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Kristiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08042610844127347137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5547170491045286565.post-32124255249474269162010-06-06T10:51:00.001-07:002010-06-06T13:14:26.968-07:00Our little angel has returned to be with Heavenly Father<span style="font-family:georgia;">This was the one blog I hoped to never have to write. Our journey to become parents has been postponed for now. On Thursday we went into have a second ultrasound. I was very excited because I had been feeling pretty good this past week despite a bit of cramping on Wednesday that had me concerned. When we arrived for the ultrasound, I found out that Gary would be doing the ultrasound. Now, most women would have an issue with a man doing a vaginal ultrasound, but Gary is very professional and is actually the owner of the facility. I had begun to refer to him as our good luck charm (not something Dan liked mind you) but it always seemed that whenever we have been remotely close to being able to conceive and then this time around when we actually did, he had been the one to perform the first round of ultrasound that led to conception. </span> <span style="font-family:georgia;">Thursday was a different story. Gary was unable to find the baby's heartbeat on the ultrasound. The news was beyond devastating. He kept trying but just was not able to find one. He also said there had not been any fetal development in the last ten days and where I should be measuring at 8 weeks pregnant, I was still only measuring at 6 weeks as I did with the one 10 days ago. It was news he hated to deliver and news we hated to hear. I was unable to speak, all I could do was lean against Daniel and sob. The news just seemed so surreal. I could not believe that our precious angel was not going to enter into this world. Worse yet, I had not officially miscarried yet and would have to wait it out over the next few days for the bleeding to start. I still don't know what is worse, unexpectedly miscarrying and knowing it is over immediately or waiting for it to happen and building up false hopes with each passing hour that perhaps the ultrasound was wrong. </span> <span style="font-family:georgia;">No words can describe what I have been feeling over the last three days. I have gone from feeling empty inside to angry that something so unfair could happen to us, to me after everything I have been though. Then, a very dear friend of mine sent me an email that contained some very comforting words from a talk given by Elder Wirthlin:</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;"> “I think of how dark that Friday was when Christ was lifted up on the cross. On that terrible Friday the earth shook and grew dark. Frightful storms lashed at the earth. Those evil men who sought His life rejoiced. Now that Jesus was no more, surely those who followed Him would disperse. On that day they stood triumphant. On that Friday the Savior of mankind was humiliated and bruised, abused and reviled. It was a Friday filled with devastating, consuming sorrow that gnawed at the souls of those who loved and honored the Son of God. I think that of all the days since the beginning of this world’s history, that Friday was the darkest. But the doom of that day did not endure. The despair did not linger because on Sunday, the resurrected Lord burst the bonds of death. He ascended from the grave and appeared gloriously triumphant as the Savior of all mankind. Each of us will have our own Fridays—those days when the universe itself seems shattered and the shards of our world lie littered about us in pieces. We all will experience those broken times when it seems we can never be put together again. We will all have our Fridays. But I testify to you in the name of the One who conquered death—Sunday will come. In the darkness of our sorrow, Sunday will come. No matter our desperation, no matter our grief, Sunday will come. In this life or the next, Sunday will come.”<br /><br />How ironic that it was only a day before Friday that we found out our precious angel, our gift from God was not going to make it. Today is Sunday, the day we remember the covenants we have made with our Heavenly Father. It is also the first Sunday of the month, the Sunday that members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints are encouraged to bear their testimony and proclaim their love for our Savior, Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father. While I was unable to attend church this morning, I would like to bear my testimony to all who read this that I know our Heavenly Father is mindful of each and every one of us and the trials that we each must go through. While at first I did not understand why this had to happen to Daniel and I and admittedly was angry (not at God, but at myself), and there will still be times I will question if it was something I did, I received a very strong answer to my prayers last night. Last night, while I was praying, pouring my heart and soul out to my Father in Heaven asking for strength and peace for what was about to happen I heard the answer. In the stillness of the night I heard my child's voice speak to me "mommy it's okay, I am with Heavenly Father now" and I felt the loving arms of my Savior wrap around me and I felt at peace.<br /><br />There will be dark days ahead, but knowing that my baby was so special that she did not need to come to this earth to receive an earthly body and go through all the mortal trials so many of us on earth go through gives me such peace and joy. I know Dan and I will be reunited with our baby one day and raise her ( I truly believe we were to have a girl). Knowing that she was conceived with such love and under the covenant and that we are an eternal family means more to me than words can describe. Even though I did not have the chance to hold her in my arms, she has already taught me more than I thought possible. She gave me hope for the future that becoming parents here on earth is possible for Daniel and myself and that it will happen one day. She also taught me that I am stronger than I ever thought possible and to trust in the Lord more for through him all things are possible.<br /><br />My favorite poem "Footprints" has been going through my mind as I write this. Many of you know it so I will not repeat it. I know though that the Lord has walked before me and has laid the path down for me to follow should I so choose and will walk beside me as I go throughout this mortal estate and when I just simply am unable to hold myself up even on the darkest of dark Fridays, he will lift me up and carry me into Sunday.<br /><br />Daniel and I greatly appreciate all who have lifted us up in prayer and offered words of encouragement as we deal with our loss. The healing process will take time and I appreciate all those who have given me space and time to myself over the last several days. Everyone grieves in their own way and I hope that nobody takes offense to an unanswered phone call or email, but my head and heart still is swarming with emotions as I continue to find peace with what has happened.<br /><br />I admit, I have always had difficulty turning to the scriptures, yet I know that I will need to over the coming weeks and months as I cope with this loss. There is a promise in the New Testament that I recently read that I shall leave you with today.<br /><br />“I will not leave you comfortless. … Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (</span><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://scriptures.lds.org/john/14/18,27#18" onclick="newWindow('http://scriptures.lds.org/john/14//18,27#18')" target="contentWindow" class="scriptureRef">John 14:18, 27</a><span style="font-family:georgia;">.)</span><br /><br />With Love,<br />Kristie and Daniel <span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /></span>Kristiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08042610844127347137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5547170491045286565.post-17944427417778422582010-05-29T12:09:00.000-07:002010-06-06T13:14:13.223-07:00Sad day for the mommy-to-beThis morning my parents and I said "see you later" as they headed out on their drive to St. Louis. I know my mom didn't want to get me upset and cause any undue stress on me or the baby so we kept everything as light as possible. They had stopped off at Target before coming over here and brought us a surprise. It's our first baby gifts. Mom said she had a hard time finding anything gender neutral so she just had to get us two things. I of course have to take pictures of both because they are so adorable that words just don't describe them. For now, her nickname for the baby has been pea (as in sweet pea) but she couldn't find anything that said "pea" on it so she had to go with a very cute blanket that has a green elephant on it that says "little peanut".<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeBajzDbPlUKcudMeIyp-VvUfjhXGq5rxJUXd88GIrQmB2QB8CxGxl5FdyInuN8CoJRKked5gVsNSCoCH2Sw3BQ4yzNMruMzdKOJL1Mx0zDMtuQ4f6y0qVZ6XfpwkWXW9rMxY1wX3zJiu7/s1600/Baby-4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeBajzDbPlUKcudMeIyp-VvUfjhXGq5rxJUXd88GIrQmB2QB8CxGxl5FdyInuN8CoJRKked5gVsNSCoCH2Sw3BQ4yzNMruMzdKOJL1Mx0zDMtuQ4f6y0qVZ6XfpwkWXW9rMxY1wX3zJiu7/s200/Baby-4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477502963323930146" border="0" /></a>Kristiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08042610844127347137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5547170491045286565.post-76887918562297649592010-05-24T11:09:00.000-07:002010-06-06T13:13:52.882-07:00You're going to be Grandparents Mom and Dad!Today was a very emotional roller coaster type of day. Yesterday, Sunday the 23rd I started bleeding a bit heavier again. I've been spotting a bit here and there all week so I've been trying to take it as easy as possible. I spent all day yesterday in bed after calling Joy. She was a bit more concerned because there was a small blood clot yesterday that I passed. She suggested we move the ultrasound scheduled for Tuesday up to Monday (today) just to be on the safe side. After getting off the phone with her and Dan helping me to get calmed down, he put me back to bed and made me some more tea and also made me one of the Betty Crocker Warm Delight Desserts that I had been craving but hadn't yet tried yet. That actually tasted really good and was the first thing that I've had since being pregnant that I really truly enjoyed. I'm going to have to be careful about eating too many sweets! I don't want to gain too much weight during my pregnancy.<br /><br />At 8:00 this morning I called to see when I could come in for the ultrasound. They had an opening at 9:15 so we took that appointment. We still got there a good 15 minutes early to try and get in as soon as possible, but we still ended up waiting till almost 9:20 to see the ultrasound technician. She brought us to the back and confirmed my last menstrual cycle. She told us that there was a chance with the baby still being so small that we may not see much if anything today and not to worry as that happens quite often. As soon as she started the ultrasound she was able to see the gestational sac which she said was a very good sign. Now we just had to wait for her to locate the embryo. It seemed like an eternity before she found any sign of the embryo, but in all reality it was probably about 5-10 minutes.<br /><br />I think now that I have seen my baby on an ultrasound I can honestly say that I now understand why pregnancy is such an emotional time for parents to be. Seeing that little tiny diamond ring size dot and knowing that is going to be our baby was the biggest moment of my life. It finally set in for both of us that we were going to be parents! As soon as the technician left the room for me to get dressed, Dan leaned over and kissed me and told me how much he loved me.<br /><br />After we got done with that appointment we went to a celebratory breakfast at IHOP. Dan finally was feeling optimistic enough to call his best friend Shannon who was let into the small circle of secrecy. Next it was off to the store to buy groceries for tonight's dinner where we would make the big announcement to mom and dad. We decided to go with a "baby" theme. We got baby carrots, baby corn, baby potatoes, baby greens and decided to make Dan's ribs since he uses Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce. I also invited my best friend Nikki and her husband over to share in the good news.<br /><br />Dinner was a bit nerve racking but luckily the conversation at first centered around both my parents and Nikki and Bruce moving and they were so caught up in that conversation that I was able to relax some. It was funny that nobody really noticed the theme to dinner. We even used our nice china for the occasion. Right after dinner we brought out the cake that we had purchased that said congratulations on it. At the same time I handed my dad an "early" father's day card. On the front of the card it said "#1 greatest dad and #1 greatest grandpa..." and on the inside of the card I put one of the first sonogram pictures in it. He read the card outloud and then took a look at the sonogram and started to stutter asking what it was (I think he knew he just wanted to pull my mom along). I told him to pass it to mom and that she would know what it was. Just as she did, Dan winked at Nikki and she figured it out and almost started to cry. Mom took the card and it took less than a second to figure it out. To really see their reaction, here's the link to the Youtube video:Kristiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08042610844127347137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5547170491045286565.post-239027879253530282010-05-17T11:02:00.000-07:002010-06-06T13:13:38.342-07:00Our first scare in the pregnancyLast night I started to experience some bleeding. I have heard this is normal some during the first trimester, however it doesn't help the already paranoid mother-to-be to see it when it happens. Daniel made me some chamomile tea as he had heard that was safe for pregnancy and helped calm the nerves. I'm not quite sure it did though! This morning I called the doctor's office right away and talked with my provider. Joy said that everything should be fine and to just take it easy. She also said I could come in for labs just to double check on everything to help relax my nerves. Of course I took her up on her offer. The labs came back just fine though so now I just have to relax and keep my hopes up for a healthy and safe pregnancy. I think once I have that first ultrasound I will feel much better as to how things are progressing. My biggest worry right now is that I might have pushed things too much this weekend or last night with my other medical procedure that I have to do on a regular basis. I can't help but think that if I were to miscarry that it is going to be my fault. I know it wouldn't be, but I think that is something every expecting mom goes through especially those that do have a miscarriage.Kristiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08042610844127347137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5547170491045286565.post-70171541788860566552010-05-16T10:44:00.000-07:002010-06-06T13:13:23.740-07:00Mother/Daughter Weekend in DenaliThis weekend mom and I took the Alaska Railroad train trip up to Denali. It is something that we both have always wanted to do and she wanted to do it before leaving for St. Louis. It was such a great weekend. The train was incredibly comfy and there were only about 6 people total in the car we were in so it was very laid back. The train conductor, Steve, was incredibly nice to us as well and had so many great stories to share with us. On the way up we got to see lots of wildlife too. Mom saw a moose shortly after we left and then we both got to see a black bear, several beavers and trumpeter swans. On the way back mom missed seeing all 4 black bears (I only got to see one of the 4), but I guess that's what you get when you chance using the restroom! The scenery was absolutely spectacular. We even got to see Denali some on the way back. That is the interesting thing about the mountain, in the summertime it can sometimes be harder to see because there tends to be more cloud coverage. We did get lucky though and did get some pictures of it.<br /><br />When we got to Denali, 8 hours after leaving Anchorage, we were both ready to get into our hotel room and rest some even though the train ride was pretty relaxing. However, when we got off the train and met the hotel escort, we found out that they did not have us listed as needing a wheelchair accommodating room. We boarded the bus to the hotel and were assured by the staff that we would have a room by the time we got to the hotel. As you can guess, they were wrong as well. We had to finally have the manager come out and work things out. It took us nearly 3 hours from the time we got off the train till we could get into our room. The good thing that came out of it though was that we got free dinner provided by the hotel while we waited for our room to become available. The room was nearly down at the other end of the resort, only accessible by you guessed it....another bus! I was so tired of buses by the time we got to our room! Luckily my morning sickness hasn't set in yet and I was able to cover up the pregnancy during the whole trip. It was incredibly difficult though. Mom kept offering me Dr. Pepper and I am sure she wondered why I kept turning it down. I also tried eating as healthy as possible and stashing saltine crackers when I could.<br /><br />Now, if you are asking yourself why I didn't spill the beans or how I was able to keep the secret for the whole entire trip, it wasn't and I nearly did. I really wanted both my parents to find out at the same time though plus also make sure that we were progressing well in the pregnancy for a bit longer and get some more questions answered before breaking the news. It has been incredibly hard now telling the whole world our good news but I know it is for the best right now.Kristiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08042610844127347137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5547170491045286565.post-76223320560883830712010-05-12T10:40:00.000-07:002010-06-06T13:13:01.634-07:00Round 2 of Labs Today<p>Yesterday morning I went to get my progestrone level rechecked since it was a tad on the low side on Monday. The good news from those results are that all my levels have sky rocketed! So no more labs for a couple of weeks at least. I am still taking the medicine Joy prescibed to me though just to ensure that the progestrone levels stay where they should be. Joy also scheduled me for my first ultrasound! On May 25th we will hopefully get to hear the baby's heartbeat for the first time! They call it a "viability ultrasound". It's funny how technical everything with Joy seems to be. It makes it seem like everything you always hear about or see on t.v. and in movies is just being romanticized. After hearing when our first official ultrasound and OB appointment is going to be, I think it has finally hit that I am really pregnant! I am definitely starting to feel a bag of emotions all at once. Up until now it still didn't seem real and it still doesn't a bit. I am sure once we go to that first ultrasound it is really going to sink in!</p> <p><br /></p>Kristiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08042610844127347137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5547170491045286565.post-86206379850251879252010-05-10T10:37:00.000-07:002010-06-06T13:12:40.227-07:00It's Official - We're Having a baby!<p>This morning we got up early to make it into the doctor's office as soon as they opened. Daniel has been so wonderful to me (as he always is I might add) since we found out we were expecting. He makes sure I am taking my vitamins and made sure I ate a well-rounded breakfast this morning. Other than already starting to have cravings, I am feeling great.</p> <p>We didn't have to wait long at the doctor's office to get the blood workup that she had ordered. The test included a pregnancy test to confirm, a check of my thyroid level and a check of my progestrone level. All in all it was somewhat anti-climatic. However, as we were waiting for me to get a shot, boost rather, of progestrone, my arm started bleeding where they had drawn the blood. It wasn't anything major, but I just thought it was funny because I hardly ever bleed like that! I guess all those hormones are really kicking in! I was told I'd have to wait till toward the end of the day to get my results.</p> <p>Well, when we left Joy's office (she is the fertility specialist we've been seeing for awhile now) I really wanted to stop by my primary care doctor's office and see if they could move my appointment I was to have on Thursday to sooner just so I could let her know and discuss things with her. As luck would have it, when we got there to talk to her office staff, they had an immediate opening! So of course we took it. I also had an extra incentive to go in earlier. I knew she could run a urine test and confirm the pregnancy within 30 minutes!</p> <p>As soon as we got to the exam room, the nurse asked what we were being seen for today. When I told her the news she was very excited! She knew we'd been trying to conceive for awhile and was one of the few people who actually did know. I went ahead and completed the traditional urine test despite Dan wanting me to just wait for the blood results instead...something about killing rabbits? I think it's an old wives tale he has heard somewhere. However, I went ahead and took the test.</p> <p>We didn't have to wait long to get the results either. Within about 15 minutes the doctor came into the room with the announcement "Well here's the first piece of paper for the baby book" and was all smiles. It looks like my due date is around January 15th. At least I avoided a December baby, just barely though!</p> <p>We spent the rest of the day doing research on the computer to start preparing for our first OBGYN visit and other health insurance related matters. Dan took the day off to celebrate himself. I believe his comment was "I just found out I am going to be a father, I think I deserve to take the day off!" I'm glad he did too because it gave me a chance to rest while he did housework for me and we could just enjoy the day together. It was great being able to relax and take a nap while he cleaned the yard. I could definitely get used to being pampered like this!</p> <p>I called the fertility specialist later in the afternoon. She said that for the most part things looked good but that my progestrone level was a tad lower than what she would like. Mine is at 15.9 and she really likes it to be over 20. So I have to go on progestrone for the next 5 weeks just to make sure that everything is going to stay stable and hopefully get those levels up a littler higher for baby's safety. I have to go back on Wednsday to have my levels rechecked.</p>Kristiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08042610844127347137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5547170491045286565.post-15324328960233211852010-05-09T00:33:00.000-07:002010-06-06T13:12:14.169-07:00What a Mother's Day!Today is Mother's Day, May 9th 2010. It's a day to celebrate all the wonderful mothers who do so much for their families. I have to admit, despite having a wonderful mother and a great mother-in-law, since I have been married, it is the one holiday I haven't really looked forward to as it is just another reminder that Daniel and I still have not been able to have children despite our best efforts. We really did not want to do any extreme measures and have left it in Heavenly Father's hands as to what size our family will be.<br /><br />I figured that this Mother's Day would be similar as to most others since getting married. Dan's mother always sends me a card celebrating my "mothering" her grand furbabies as she calls them. It usually helps me get through the day. We then take my mom (and dad if he is in town) to either a brunch of some sort or dinner.<br /><br />This year was a bit different. Dan had to go to work in the morning so we couldn't do breakfast with mom this year and opted for dinner instead. When he got home, he had gotten me a beautiful teapot shaped ceramic teapot flower pot and a beautiful spring bouquet. We or rather I joked about how it really should be called Happy Primary Caregivers Day to honor those who are not necessarily "mothers" but still take care of their little family/home just the same. We needed to go to the store before dinner to get a couple of things. While we were there, I decided that since it was Mother's Day and I already knew I was "late" with a certain female ritual, to pick up an EPT test. I honestly didn't think it would be positive since it hasn't ever been. Then we went to dinner with mom and had a very nice dinner.<br /><br />Am I leaving you hanging like this on purpose? Of course not. This time next year I will be celebrating my first official Mother's Day! By the time this posting is made public, I will be 12 weeks pregnant! We will have told my parents and Dan's parents by then. I'm only hoping that mom is not too upset that we didn't tell her on Mother's Day. Honestly, I was still in shock (yes I for some reason took the test before dinner in case you are wondering) and we wanted to wait to get official confirmation from my doctor first and get past that risky 6-8 week period that I have read so much about in the last 24 hours. I also really wanted to wait for my dad to be back in town so we could tell both of them at the same time. I am extremely nervous and scared right now about miscarrying and just don't feel as though I can take having to tell people twice if something were to happen.<br /><br />We love you all and look forward to taking this journey together and sharing it with all of our family and friends that we love so much.Kristiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08042610844127347137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5547170491045286565.post-44397898270698032172010-04-08T22:21:00.000-07:002010-04-08T22:26:38.833-07:00The Blogging CrazeI know, I know, it's been forever since I have blogged. Okay, you would think as much as I have always loved to write, I would be a more active blogger. I don't know why I am not though. Maybe I have some deep seeded fear that what I write will be taken the wrong way by whomever ever read this thing. Maybe I just am not as "blog crazy" a other people seem to be. Well, whatever the fear or hesitation my be, I have decided to no longer sit idly by watching the days pass me by without remembering to record as many a possible. I know my life might not be as interesting as others, but if other people can write about their "everyday" life and have tons of followers, then I figure "why can't I?" Afterall, I know I am a good writer!<br /><br />So, I just figured I would make this my small little post for the day and renew my already renewed commitment to blog every day! Thanks for stopping by!Kristiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08042610844127347137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5547170491045286565.post-80035392269182184582009-10-15T22:24:00.000-07:002009-10-22T22:51:12.471-07:00Our family has grown and it has been a fruitful summer!I thought that I would start to get bored after quitting work, but God seems to have definitely shown me he is in charge and when one door closes another one opens. Our summer ended on a high note with a lovely trip down to Homer. We stayed at a quaint little cabin with a beautiful view of Mt. Redoubt. I had hoped to see more wildlife than we did, but the best we saw was a couple of moose and some beluga whales on the way back into Anchorage. We get to see those all the time though. Still, I marvel at the beauty of Alaska and how God seems have a hand in every aspect of this beautiful land.<br /><br />A week after we got back we adopted a new addition to our family. Her name is Sophie and I came across her picture while doing work for Alaska Dog and Puppy Rescue. It's a rescue organization that Dan and I have been volunteering for now since last April. It's a wonderful organization that helps dogs and puppies find their forever home. It has been wonderful being part of something I feel like I can finally make a difference in the world. Sophie is a sassy little girl that looks a lot like Macintosh. She is a Lab/Australian Shepherd mix. Mac wasn't sure of her the first couple of days, but now they can hardy stand to be apart. I've started going for morning walks with some ladies from church. It's wonderful being out there in the fresh air (getting a little colder now though) and having some time to visit and fellowship with other Christian women. Sophie loves our walks too and it is nice being able to finally have a dog that will stay right by me and come when called! Dan thinks she is still insecure, I think she is loyal and is showing her appreciation for being given another chance at a good home. Her last home was very loving too, they just couldn't afford to keep her due to rising medical bills of their own. She definitely has some more puppy like behaviors that Mac never really had so we are back in training classes with Theresa. She graduates next week and has done pretty well.<br /><br />Heavenly Father must have been laughing at the time he decided to bring Sophie into our lives as we were already planning to get a Welsch Pembroke Corgi from Daniel's sister who breeds adn raises them. I had hoped to get it for Dan's birthday in July and surprise him with it, but we had to wait a bit longer. Well in the process of Dan coordinating things with his sister is when Sophie came across the radar. She just looks so much like Mac (Dan will disagree with me on that statement, but she really does). Well after having Sophie for just over a month, the arrangements have been made for "Corgi Day". I'm not sure how ready for three dogs I am and I am worried that Dan's dog will still become "my" dog. Next week we'll find out I guess!Kristiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08042610844127347137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5547170491045286565.post-54262009404059013062009-07-05T00:59:00.000-07:002009-07-06T11:40:55.778-07:004th of July weekend 2009This past weekend was the 4th of July. Since the whole family had Friday off and Thursday was my last day at work any way, we decided to drive up to Denali National Park. We headed out Friday morning after getting everything and everyone, including Mac situated in mom and dad's Expedition. Our first stop was right as we were leaving Wasilla. It is really the last good place to stop and potty before the long 4 hour or so drive. I say "or so" because if you are me and want to take lots of stops for pictures then it can take a bit longer. We continued driving until we got to Cantwell which is another two hours from Wasilla. Macintosh did such a good job the whole trip. He of course was very excited every time we stopped because he couldn't wait to get out and stretch is long legs and take a much needed potty break of his own. He did very well though in the car and never once got car sick or misbehaved at all. Nana says she is very proud of her grand doggie! By the time we stopped in Cantwell we were all ready for lunch and decided to try some of the homemade BBQ that they were making. There really is only about two places to stop there in Canwell and about the last place to stop before hitting Denali and Fairbanks. The BBQ was very delicious as were the onion rings that Dan and I had with our sandwiches.<br /><br />The hotel that mom had gotten for us to all stay in was only about another half an hour up the road. Before we hit the hotel though we stopped at the new veteran's memorial in Denali. They have erected five monuments, each one dedicated to the different branches of the military. Dan stood in front of the Navy and Air Force one to represent his dad and brothers who have all served and then mom and I stood in front of the one dedicated to the Marine Corps in honor of Mike and Howard and Uncle Alan and all the rest of our Marine friends and families that we've come to know and love. I should have taken Dad's picture in front of the one for the Army, but I forgot. I think mom got a picture of it though. It's a beautiful tribute to our men and women who have given their lives to serve and protect our country and it put real meaning to this holiday weekend we were celebrating.<br /><br />We arrived at the Grizzly Bear Resort about a half an hour later. It is a newer hotel that the owners had decided to add on to their campgrounds and cabins they already had on site. At first I was a bit worried about what their idea of handicapped accessible was going to be like while we waited for mom to check in, however once we got to the room we were pleasantly surprised! I wish I would have gotten a picture of the whole inside of the room so you could see just how nice it was! Each room has a balcony attached to it and all the rooms are built to look like log cabins with very nice cedar wood. Dan and I's room was huge. It had to be the biggest handicap hotel room I've ever seen. The bathroom was also very nicely contructed. Mac was very happy to be out of the vehicle and finally ate and drank something substantial. He didn't eat that much or hardly drink the whole way to the hotel.<br /><br />We rested a bit before heading to dinner. We decided to go to the Alaskan Nite dinner theater show. The actors were very talented and the food was very good. They served everything family style too. Each table could fit around 10 people and since there were just the four of us we got to meet two other families. One couple was from California and the other family was statioined here in Alaska at Ft. Richardson in Eagle River/Anchorage. He had served in Iraq and we thanked him for serving and protecting our country. They served ribs and salmon and corn and baked beans for dinner and then blueberry cobbler for dessert. After dinner is when the show started. I had taken Mac in with us since I didn't want to leave him in the room or car. He did so good throghout the whole show. I was worried he might start barking when the show started, but he didn't. Even when they turned out the lights for part of the show and did some gunfire type noises, he just stayed right by my side. It was pretty late when we got back to the hotel so we tried to get right to bed. The Alaskan sun combined with the fairly hard mattresses made it difficult to sleep. We all woke up pretty sore the next morning. Oh, I almost forgt to mention Dan and Mac's run in with some wildlife. After we got back to the hotel from dinner, Dan took Mac for a quick walk and bathroom break. He came back in fairly soon afterwards which I thought was strange until I noticed he was limping and that the leash was broken. Apparently two squirrels decided to run across the path right where Mac and Dan were walking. Before he knew what was happenng, Mac had broken free of his leash and had ran after the squirrels and cornered them in a tree. Dan climbed down to get to him when Mac went the other way and was higher up than he was apparently. Mac managed to help his daddy out and back to the room. Dan was limping a bit but otherwise was okay. Squirrel-1 Mac-0.<br /><br />The next day we got up and had breakfast at Subway (quite tasty if you haven't tried their breakfast sandwiches yet). Then we watched the rafters get started on the river and took more pictures of the mountains...yes, I took tons of pictures and plan on scrapping all of them! Then it was off to Denali National Park for the 14 mile drive into the park. You can only drive your personal vehicle the first 14 miles into the park. There is a visitor's center there that we stopped at for lunch and did some touring of the center to learn more about Denali. Mac did pretty well in there until he saw a stuffed wolf with a bone in it's mouth and started to bark! That was it for Dan and I as far as the visitor's center. We waited outside for mom and dad. This is where round two came in with the squirrel. Now mind you, I doubt it was the same squirrel from the night before, but this one was definitely looking to pick a fight. He came around at least three different times trying to antogonize Mac. This proved though to be good training for Mac to work on his submission toward prey so he doesn't go chase after things! I would say that this one ended in a tie overall! We had a very nice lunch on the patio at the cafe there and then packed up to start the drive home.<br /><br />The drive home seemed to go much faster then up, probably because we made less stops. We arrived home around 8 p.m. just in time to see some fireworks on t.v. since it is still daylight outside until 1 or 2 in the morning it is very hard to see fireworks so I just watched the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular on t.v.<br /><br />Yesterday we all rested up from our trip. I did want to catch the last hour or so of the Girdwood Forest Festival just to say that I had been at least once. It was rather interesting! I'm glad we went to Denali instead of hanging out at Alyeska all wekeend! It definitely is for those wanting to relive Woodstock! Well, at least now I can say that I've been to such an event and made fun of a bunch of hippies!<br /><br />All in all it was a great weekend and tomorrow I get to relax some and enjoy my first day out of work....yay!Kristiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08042610844127347137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5547170491045286565.post-41585559682414658402009-06-21T03:01:00.000-07:002009-06-21T03:17:46.789-07:00It's 2 A.M and I'm still awakeIt's 2 a.m. in the morning and I once again can't sleep. Why you might ask? Well it all started about a week ago. Last Sunday I woke up at about 6 in the morning with the beginnings of what I thought was a cold-scratchy sore throat. I spent all day in bed trying my best to feel better with no such luck. I still went to work for most of the week. They were giving me a farewell lunch on Wednesday so I was trying my best to stay well for that. By Wednesday afternoon however I was feeling worse than ever yet thought maybe I was also getting over my symptoms. The congestion seemed like it was going away and the sinus drainage had started. By Thursday morning I woke up feeling like I had gotten hit by a Mac truck (not the dog mind you, literally a Mac Truck!) I stayed home reluctantly since I had started running a fever. I went to the doctor on Friday and she said it had turned into Bronchitis. I came home, fell right into bed and wanted to die! I took the cough medicine she had prescribed, but the codeine seemed to only keep me awake longer than I wanted and I finally fell asleep around 1 a.m. last night. <br /><br />That brings me to today. I spent all day in bed while my loving husband did as much as he could to clean the house before Delaney and Leslie arrive on Monday. I decided to take a bigger dose of the cough medicine around 1 p.m. and it decided to really set in around 4 p.m. not really good timing since Dan was just getting back from the store getting dropping Mac off at the groomer's, getting Father's day stuff for dad tomorrow and more juice for me. It was at this time he decided to fix the closet door frame...thanks honey! So while I tried to sleep then and get over the heaviness left from the codeine, it never happened. I did however take some Excedrin which seemed to help tremendously. It helped so well that most of my symptoms seemed to start disappearing around 8 p.m. That should be a good thing except now I am wide awake and for the second night in a row unable to sleep. Macintosh is trying to sleep right next to me as well but also seems restless. His breathing seems a bit odd since he came home from the salon (he went to get a good bath and summer haircut today). He seems to be settling down now though and hopefully whatever was in his nose or throat making him breathe funny is now gone. My cough seems to be coming back though. I am going to take some cough medicine again and hopefully it's the right dose to send me off to dreamland rather than keeping me awake much longer.Kristiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08042610844127347137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5547170491045286565.post-26917567615191968042009-06-04T21:48:00.000-07:002009-06-04T22:19:43.232-07:00Time to check inI've been so busy over the last three months that I have completely forgotten about updating our blog! I really need to try harder to keep this updated as so much has happened lately and will be happening over the next 6 months or so that I want to keep everyone posted on how we are doing.<br /><br />We visited our Utah relatives back in late February since I needed to have a check-up with Dr. Schmidt at the same time. We also took this opportunity to fly with Mac for the first time. We decided to book a nonstop flight at night in hopes that this would be a better time for him to fly. He did magnificent going through airport security and even stood still while I had to be scanned by the TSA person. We had about an hour before our flight which gave me some time to see how he would do in the terminal. He did fairly well. There was a baby that was close by with her mom and other family members that kept wanting to come over to pet Mac and he handled her crying and all rather well. We boarded first and got settled. Mac fit perfectly in the bulkhead area just in front of our feet. He dropped off to sleep even while everyone was loading and wasn't bothered by them at all. I guess I must have dozed off as well because the next thing I remember was waking up and it was nearly halfway through the flight. Mac had panicked a bit during take-off and Daniel was trying to console him and keep him calm. His poor little puppy heart rate was through the roof! He finally calmed down a bit and decided that he would take treats which was good because it helped keep him occupied for the remainder of the flight. The return flight went better as we got some medicine for him to take beforehand, although he was still quite anxious during the flight. I am really hoping that the next time we fly he will be more used to the turbelence.<br /><br />We enjoyed seeing everyone for the two weeks that we were there. The best part of the trip was having Mac with me. For the first time, we really had a chance to bond to one another. The hotel we stayed at was in the Sugar House district. Everything there is within walking distance of the hotel. Mac and I took walks to the park or to Petco nearly every morning. It was so nice to not have to worry about work or anything else. Dan usually accompanied us, but I did actually like the times I got to go by myself and just be with my puppy! We also had the opportunity to take some training sessions with Gateway for Canine Partnerships while we were there. We even made the news! That's a whole other story though that is too long to post here. The trainer we worked with is wonderful. While we were there they tested Mac on his Canine Good Citizenship test and he passed with flying colors! Lord only knows how because an hour later in the car he definitely was not acting like the same dog! Some days I do think he is bi-polar, LOL!<br /><br />We went to the Gateway several times with Mac and I even went one time with my brothers for a shopping spree courtesy of Mike and Howard. I felt very lucky to have such wonderful brothers that waited on me hand and foot while in Coldwater Creek, which by the way is my new favorite store.<br /><br />I didn't want our trip to end. It was so nice being there for almost two weeks and not really having anything that we absolutely had to do. The only thing we had to take care of was having a spinal tap done at the hospital. I can honestly say that I will never again have this done in my life! It was very painful and really didn't offer any insight to Dr. Schmidt as to why my legs still feel weak and why I can't seem to regain much more strength back than what I have. That being said, I'm glad we got to spend so much time with family and friends and just relax. I think I finally have Dan talked into moving to Utah because we both like the Sugar House area so much and it is really close to the hospital.<br /><br />We got back and I immediately started work on paperwork needed to get Mac to be able to come with me to work. He has now been an official working dog for a month and a half. He picked up so many new skills while in Utah that I wanted to keep up his training as much as possible. He is with me nearly every day now. Everyone loves him at work and has the hardest time resisting their urge to pet him. He now has 100% profiecency in operating the push buttons for opening doors. That task really only took about a week for him to start learning consistently and as of todday he can and does do it for the most part without treats. He comes to work with me 3 days a week, Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays and by Thursdays he is pretty worn out and it can be a bit harder to get him to do things. I'm so impressed though at what all he has learned. He now retrieves pretty much anything I ask him to pick up and get. He recently learned "keys" and knows to pick those up when I drop them. Today I taught him to help me take the sheets off the bed. This task will prove to be most useful among all the household tasks that I am teaching him. I now affectionately call him my "Saturday helper" because if he is really hungry then he'll do anything I ask just so he gets food. It is very cute to watch to see what he will pick up next and hand to me. He handed me a bottle of Frebeze last Saturday. He earned a big reward for that given how heavy it is. I am also teaching him how to carry things, especially the important items such as my Dr. Pepper bottle that I purchase on my breaks from the cafe and also his water dish. He now has carried that twice all the way to the fountain. Everyone loves watching him at work too.<br /><br />Dan and I just had our fence built. Well, as of the date of this posting it isn't quite done even though I was assured by the contractor that it would be done by today. I'm hopeful that it will be done by tomorrow. We are trying to do as many household projects as we can to get the house ready to sell when we are ready to move. We still are unsure as to exactly when we are moving, but it will be within the next 6 months to a year is my hope.<br /><br />Pixel is doing fine as well. She just had her first medical procedure done. She needed to have her teeth cleaned. She is still recovering a bit from the anesthia and where they had to shave her arm to put in the I.V. she looks a bit funny right now.<br /><br />We are hoping to get out as much as possible this summer and hopefully have some visitors this summer. Anyone who wants to come to visit is more than welcome especially since this may be our last summer here!Kristiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08042610844127347137noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5547170491045286565.post-66140370532584131622009-02-21T23:34:00.000-08:002009-02-21T23:42:38.584-08:00Mac's big Saturday out<div class="moz-text-flowed" style="font-family: -moz-fixed; font-size: 13px;" lang="x-western">Okay, okay so I know I brag all the time about Mac, but today was such a great day I just had to share.<br /><br />We started the day off at the vet to get his pre-flight checkup and make sure we had everything in line for the flight. He did so amazingly well this time at the vet. He is usually good at the vet, but of course has always been a bit rowdy going in and has had a hard time just relaxing especially if other dogs are in the waiting room. Now that he has his official vest though he just radiated with obedience for the most part in the waiting room. Everyone commented on how well behaved he is for his age. It made me feel good knowing that I've been doing well with his training despite still having to work (hopefully that won't be the case soon!). It's a good thing we went to the vet after our morning training session anyways. Someone (I won't say who..cough, cough <b class="moz-txt-star"><span class="moz-txt-tag">*</span>hubby<span class="moz-txt-tag">*</span></b>) left the hot dogs on the counter. Well I was distracted on the computer and Mac was in the living room I thought chewing on a chewbone....nope, he was downing 8 hot dogs! So needless to say he has had a bit of a tummy ache today too! The vet said he will be okay. <br /><br />Then we went to Costco for a quick trip. Things went great at Costco. We came home for lunch and a bit of a break. Then we needed to go get my husband's haircut so we took him there too. When we first came in there were two little kids there with their mom and of course the first thing the little girl asked was if she could pet Mac. I told her that he was working right now but maybe in a few minutes. Her mom also tried to rein them both in. When we checked in for the haircut Mac was very good to the receptionist who of course thought Mac was very cute. I got him to do an "up" command and practice that for when he is ready to start handing things to cashiers and that went well. We went and sat down and I thought maybe having the kids come over would be a good idea to help socialize him to kids more. He really likes kids plus I was wanting to practice with some distractions. It went pretty well. The kids were a bit bratty. The little boy about drove me nuts! So I don't think I'll do that again. Mac did great though. He did a very good down, did some good eye contact with me when I did "watch me" and then actually fell asleep for a bit. I'm surprised he was able to with that kid being so talkative and walking back and forth. The one thing he did there and at Costco though was more of what I would call a neat sprawl. He was pretty close to the chair laying down, but definitely not in like a curled position. I worry still that his tail or paws are going to get stepped on. He curls up here at the house when he is really tired and I've been trying to reward that behavior, but I don't think he gets it as he is half asleep when I tell him good curl.<br /><br />After the haircut we took Mac to a small field for some play time so he could run around and get some exercise. Then we went to the airport. Mac did very well. He had a slight bit of hesitation going in because stupid me forgot about the main thing you see at the Anchorage airport at the Delta terminal....a BIG STUFFED POLAR BEAR...as in the real kind! It's in this big glass case. It's like 9 feet tall, bearing teeth and kinda scary for just a regular person! Mac didn't bark, but you could definitely sense his stress level going a bit higher. So we side tracked that area for a few minutes, toured the rest of the terminal and got his stress level back down. He never barked once while there so that was a good sign. He was also very interested in the escalator so I did some sit/stay commands there to get him comfortable with that and then took him into the bathroom with me because I've not yet taken him into a public restroom. I figured he wouldn't like it because he doesn't really care for the bathroom at home as far as laying on the floor. It went okay after coming and going a few times. He was a bit unsure about being in the stall with me and doing a sit or down. I think he'll get used to it soon enough. Then we went and circled and got used to the polar bear and he was much better. He also did a very good under when my husband sat in one of the waiting chairs in the area. He got under the seat that they have there in the terminal areas so I think that's a good sign if we can get him to do that while waiting to get on the plane. I think going out there one or two more times and he'll be all ready for the airport. Luckily when we went tonight it wasn't busy at all. There weren't any flights coming in at all so it was nice and quiet. We'll go back tomorrow night when it is a bit busier to see how he handles it when it is more crowded. Monday we are doing our bus training and potentially going to the courthouse to see how he handles going through security. My brother is a TSA trainer and said that they are only suppose to do a visual inspection of the dog unless they have longer hair and then they get searched closer from what I understand from Mike's email.<br /><br />I was just planning on us being there for a few minutes or so, but since it was fairly quiet and he wasn't really distracted we went with as much as he tolerated and then called it a night. The vet did say he wouldn't recommend any kind of tranquilizers or anything like that and that most dogs of his breed do very well on planes. I am wondering though if it would be okay to give him his allergy medicine? It makes him a bit drowsy so I thought maybe it might help him sleep on the flight? It does make him pretty thirsty and since I don't want him to need to drink that much during the flight I am thinking of just waiting till after the flight. I'm really excited now for the trip and I actually think he is going to do very well!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div>Kristiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08042610844127347137noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5547170491045286565.post-18970597725719280842008-12-27T14:54:00.000-08:002008-12-27T15:09:47.492-08:00It's a little late, but here's this year's Christmas letterI didn't get our Christmas cards out in the mail this year like I wanted to and I am so mad especially since we have the best picture ever this year. So I am just going to post it here for everyone to read and enjoy (if you don't like it, blame Dan he wrote it!).<br />So without further ado u:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Twas the Friday before Christmas<br />And all through our home<br />All the creatures were stiring<br />while I tried to write this poem<br /><br />Black and white fur was flying just past my head<br />with the cat finding safety on top of our bed<br />It seems that Mac had awoken from his short little nap<br />and thought to seek revenge from the last claw filled slap<br /><br />Its difficult to write with such this clatter,<br />specially when you have to move to protect grey matter.<br />Just as pixel came in, she left in a flash<br />and with her, the dog ran out to continue the clash<br /><br />Although not much happened in 2008 that I can name<br />However there is one event that unfortunately came<br />Buttercup passed away from us all, all too dang quick<br />The Feline Leukemia just had made her too sick<br /><br />We got Mac to train as a service dog, just so you know<br />Although the puppy inside him still has some time to grow.<br />Guide books and trainers say this will take more then a year<br />I still say it could be shorter if we beat it through his rear.<br /><br />Kristie and I are still doing the same old, old work<br />But hey, as the economy goes, a paycheck is still a nice perk<br />Maybe some day we will move where the snow no longer flows<br />but till then we're waiting to see where the market goes<br /><br />I've ran all out of words and interested in this tale<br />and feel no need to continue until it is stale<br />So, as always, may your Christmas be jolly and bright<br />and to all our friends and family have a wonderful night!<br /></div><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuuqXuJGgor3EgC2hF1hb8PyU8NcuVRo9VEC2K30vZG9pPSllkto2hQTiIBGPWVq504GWBoR8rrFnZuovSmL9USqW_yNVSTx0VqidIFvu8yQCr5_SWzaDmLrFZm0f-EdpqJ6cjrqhavm_H/s1600-h/christmas+pic.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 143px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuuqXuJGgor3EgC2hF1hb8PyU8NcuVRo9VEC2K30vZG9pPSllkto2hQTiIBGPWVq504GWBoR8rrFnZuovSmL9USqW_yNVSTx0VqidIFvu8yQCr5_SWzaDmLrFZm0f-EdpqJ6cjrqhavm_H/s200/christmas+pic.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284610503002384754" border="0" /></a>Kristiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08042610844127347137noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5547170491045286565.post-10916352672235335802008-12-27T14:09:00.000-08:002008-12-27T14:51:24.434-08:00Christmas 2008Christmas at the Lent household this year was one of the best ever since we've been married. Christmas Eve we spent at mom and dad's for a few hours. I hadn't been feeling well since the day before so we took Christmas Eve easy so that Christmas Day I would hopefully feel better from my cold or whatever icky thing I came down with. We got home around 9 p.m. and worked on getting the rest of the house ready for Christmas morning. I still had a couple of presents of Dan's to wrap. I was also going frantic trying to find the present I had bought for my mom. We'd been looking for it all afternoon! Dan even went to several stores before we went to my parents just in case we needed a plan B gift. Yeah, funny thing...all the stores around here closed this year at 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve! Yikes! Finally at around midnight we were ready to give up and go to bed....that's when it happened. Dan went to straighten out the sheets on the bed and found my mom's gift! Dan saves the day yet again :)<br /><br />Christmas morning was so much fun this year, mainly because of the puppy. Mac did amazingly well. I had been training with him for the last couple of days to stay calmly on his mat when people came over and were at the house. He actually did it! He got a little nosy at first, but after we gave him his stocking treats he was happy as a clam and chewed on his rawhides and stayed out of the way while we opened gifts. Mom played Santa this year. Everyone got great gifts. Dan got me the wide-format printer I had been wanting for my scrapbook addiction. This way I don't have to spend as much money printing through Costco and can print out more pages than I usually do. Then he got me the one thing I didn't expect him to get at all (I already had figured out about the printer and knowing how expensive that is I didn't expect anything else from him). I got the new G1 android phone from T-Mobile! This is the best phone ever! It has more internet capabilities than any other phone I've seen or had. It can display 4 different browser windows/tabs at once on the screen. It has an application where I can scan a barcode using the camera and it will bring up where else you can by that item and at what price. I can go on and on about this phone! Mom and dad got me the IRobot Roomba too! We've used it a bit this morning and so far I'm impressed. It's charging right now so tomorrow will be it's first run for the whole house. The dog and cat are a bit leary of it which is funny.<br /><br />Dan, mom and dad had some surprise gifts as well. Dan got Guitar Hero 3 and Wiifit from "Santa" which so far he seems to love...at least Guitar Hero. He played it so much Christmas afternoon that his eyes started to blur. Wiifit is hopefully going to be a great exercise motivator for him as well as me if we can figure out how to get me to use the balance board. My mom got a pretty jade necklace from us and my dad got a new power drill which is apparently one he didn't have and "needed"...LOL! Mom also got him a stationary bike which he was very surprised by and really wanted so he can continue his therapy from his hip surgery. Since they can't use their treadmill anymore we are going to take it off their hands and turn it into a doggie treadmill for Mac.<br /><br />Dan and I went back down to mom and dad's for Christmas dinner. We had some very yummy turkey that Dad picked out. Apparently if you buy a fresh and not frozen turkey a day before Christmas it turns out very tender and juicy. Some of the best turkey I've had. Mom made her famous dressing that I could just live off of! She's going to finally teach me how to make it....yay! We had some candied sweet potato souffle (however that's spelled), mashed potatos and rolls. For dessert we had the chocolate cherry cheesecake Dan made for me for my birthday. It was the best homemade cheesecake I've ever had! We were talking last night about how he can go into business being a pastry chef or at least specializing in cheesecake! For my birthday I got more gifts from mom and dad...yay! I got some pretty new clothes and accessories and a very nice new jacket with a fur hood that is very warm. That will definitely come in handy up here!<br /><br />Dan took me to see Marley and Me for my birthday. We were going to go see The Curious Case off Benjamin Button, but the theatre showing that was very packed at 7 p.m. so we tried the other theatre. I'd been wanting to see that one anyways for my birthday. It was a very good movie and despite the ending I would recommend it to anyone who is a dog lover. There were so many scenes that reminded me of Mac! I can say though that Mac is much more behaved than Marley is!<br /><br />So that's the Christmas report from the Lent home. Pictures will be added when I can get them all sorted.Kristiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08042610844127347137noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5547170491045286565.post-37405490058107615152008-12-12T00:52:00.000-08:002008-12-12T01:13:56.663-08:00Nothing too new, but figured I'd write somethingSo it's been over a month since I've written any new blogs. November was a fairly uneventful month so I really had nothing new or exciting to post. It's mid way through December and we are gearing up for Christmas, or at least trying to. This past Saturday we had family pictures taken with Mac (for those that are reading this for the first time Mac is the new dog). Mac also got to have his picture taken with Santa. He's not quite sure what to think of Santa, but was happy that he got treats for being such a good boy.<br /><br />Dan was suppose to go out of town on his first business trip at the beginning of December, but due to weather it got canceled. I think the Lord was trying to tell us something because that same week he started getting sick. My back and legs also have been getting weaker and around Thanksgiving time they started getting really weak and I started to fall more again. So I guess you could say it was a good thing Dan didn't go out of town. The last few weeks seem to be one doctor's appointment or another for someone in our family. This past week there's been doctor's appointments for either me, Dan or the dog. It's been kinda nuts. Dan still isn't feeling too hot and now has a sinus infection. The neurologist still does not have a clue as to what is causing my leg weakness and wants to send me back down to Utah so I'm just waiting to hear back from him to see what the next step there will be. The latest update is a CAT scan that was done last week didn't show anything too new other than the start of degenerative disk disease at L4-5 which could be the reason for some of my lower back pain I've been having since April. If I do have a tethered cord or anything like that, they might have to do a spinal tap to make sure because the CAT scan isn't showing it. The neurologist doesn't want to do that until hearing from the neurosurgeon first since it is a fairly painful procedure.<br /><br />Our poor puppy is on lots of medication right now. We took him to the vet on Tuesday after our doctors' appointments and he had a whole workup done. They did skin scrapes again to check for mites which they finally found this time so he is on medication for the next month for that. I am really hoping that it helps clear up his poor little face where he has been losing hair. He also has a small yeast infection. The vet has no idea how that happened and said it's rare to have that and mites at the same time. She gave us these medicated wipes (Dan calls them stride-x pads) to rub over his face and neck and any other effected area. He also has to take his allergy medicine again. Poor Mac really doesn't like the medicated wipes but at least he takes his meds like a good puppy. I think so far the allergy meds and the medicated wipes are helping. He just started on the other medicine for the mite problem tonight so we have to watch him closely for side effects from that.<br /><br />That's pretty much it. I just figured I would ramble a bit since I have a few people who actually read what I write. More to come as we get closer to Christmas and my birthday!Kristiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08042610844127347137noreply@blogger.com1