Happy Birthday!!!!

Happy Birthday!To the cutest boy I know.

13!

2009, Hello!

i'm so excited to welcome the new year, to turn over a new leaf, and to wish happiness and blessings upon all. i haven't put much thought into new years resolutions because lets face it...they are hard to keep...but i did happen upon a few things that i'd like to accomplish.

1.) most importantly, study the Bible more often.
2.) organize my home and re-arrange my furniture.
3.) take more pictures of my children and anything that inspires me to be creative.
4.) spend more time with my best friend, Carla. we both are very busy women and don't take the time to have dinner to talk about girly things.
5.) take in a deep breath when dealing with stressful situations.
6.) look at everything with a positive attitude and use it as a learning experience.
7.) have fun with my kids.
8.) sort through all my junk and donate to salvation army!
9.) be a positive role model to my peers at work.
10.) paint my bedroom.
11.) get new bedroom furniture.
12.) paint my son's room.
13.) eat more fruits and vegetables. I signed up online with full circle farm to receive a variety of yummy fruits and vegetables.

14.) continue to save $$$

with that said, i'd like to recap the much busy year, 2008. here are a few highlights:

1.) mother: my mother had a successful heart transplant in january. my daughter and i were able to spend time in seattle with mom during her recovery. i am grateful for family leave. my son had to stay behind because of school. he was in good hands with my best friend carla and my dear friends patty and harry.

2.) son: my son started jr. high school.....(and turns 13 in one week) i can't believe that he will be a teen in a short week.

3.) mercy me: went on my first mother/son date to see mercy me in concert (woo hoo!) we loved it.

4.) college: successful completion of two classes. i loved my english professor.

5.) brother: he's the best. he played a big part in sending me and my daughter to be by my mother's side in seattle.

6.) carla: carla is my best friend, the sister i've never had. we can talk about anything and everything. she is the only one i can tell my secrets to. during my mother's recovery, she helped care for my son & daughter. i couldn't ask for a better best friend.

7.) harry & patty: i am blessed to have them in my life. in july when my ex-husband passed away, they made it possible to fly to kotzebue for his funeral. they also cared for my daughter abigail while we were gone. i love them so much.

12 years: my twin brother

Lowell Lark Nelson

10/23/1973 - 10/15/1996

Rest in Peace!

My twin brother passed away 12 years ago today and this day has always been hard for me.

I love you!

**Frozen Little Eskimoes**

This afternoon I had taken my little Eskimoes out for a drive on the Seward Highway. We didn't get too far, just past Bird Point. It was very cold and gray, but God's grace filled our souls with light. The bitter wind made our noses and cheeks fill with redness as we laughed and posed for pictures.

"Just another picture, hold still," I'd say.

At Bird Point I took pictures of my little monsters while a couple shouted with excitement, "There are Beluga Whales out there!"

I ran towards the couple to see what they were seeing. There were Beluga Whales swimming through the Inlet. God's Amazing Creation, so perfect, so close.

The wind kept us chilled as we loaded into the Jeep. I almost went in the direction of home but decided to go on further, just to capture the whales a bit longer.

We stopped at the next pull off and it was so amazing, the whales were so close. They gracefully swam by as their backs peaked out. The white distinction against the gray waters, it was beautiful and exciting.

Because of the cold air and the slime dripping from Abigail's nostrils, we loaded up once again into the Jeep, this time to head home. As I pulled onto the Seward Highway I turned the radio on.

We sat in the car trying to warm up as the car drove us home. At that point I had an overwhelming feeling of God's love pour out on me. He reminded me of the story I read earlier today to Abigail, the Book of Jonah. We had talked about the whale and about Jonah's disobedience to God as he tried to flee from God. As these memories came flooding out, "God with Us" was playing on the radio. Flashes of the Beluga Whales swimming by engulfed my memory. God spoke to me with boldness, all that had occurred to me today was no coincidence. Each and every detail had been in His perfect plan, to remind me that God had not left me. To remind me of His plan, of His love, and His Grace. All this had occurred within minutes and an outburst of emotion came whipping out of me through tears and laughter. Tears of joy with laughter proceeding.

My children sat in silence, not knowing what Mommy was crying about.

For so long I had felt abandoned even though the Word tells me otherwise. With every sense in me, I knew God could never leave His child but the overwhelming feeling of abandonment took over.

He used the Book of Jonah, Beluga Whales, and the song "God with Us", to remind me that He will never leave me, nor forsake me. God in his infinite wisdom, showed me His love on this cold Alaskan day and filled me with joy unspeakable.

(Before writing this I prayed that God would use me to bless others through this experience, for writing is not my strong suit. Forgive me for any grammatical errors.)

Mercy Me!

Originally uploaded by official mercyme.

I was looking on Mercy Me's page and found this lovely shot!

Mercy Me

Last night marked the first official Mother/Son date night. I took Nathan to the Mercy Me Concert at the Egan Center. It was absolutely fabulous, best first date ever. There is only one thing he complained about and that was standing for four hours. We arrived at the Egan Center fairly early to stand in line but it was worth it. We stood right behind the first row of people and were able to see the band perform at their best. It was a terrific concert and I can only imagine the day that we can attend another worship session with Mercy Me.

Aside from being a great singer, Bart and the guys are hilarious. While reading through the Mercy Me Blog I found a section called "Cover Tunes Grab Bag" by request. If you need a good laugh go and check it out, it is good stuff!



I don't know what I was thinking but I had left my camera at home. Bart, if you're listening, send me an autographed pic of the group. I'm just saying man!

Fall: Times of Change.

Fall time is hands down my favorite time of year. The crispness in the air, the beautiful colors that surround the earth, and the signs of snow. Okay....okay...so the last part isn't one of my favorites but I can manage. This morning I woke up to bring the kids to school, oh yeah...I had the day off, and there it was....plain as day, frost covering my vehicle. Where did the time go?


One of my favorite past-times is going to Portage Glacier. When I was a little girl, I remember seeing the huge icebergs that filled the water. Now, because of global warming, the glacier lacks the blue chunks of ice that was reminiscent of an Alaskan landmark. My brothers and I used to play with the chips that floated close to the bank. It gave us chills but made us feel inferior, for we have boldly taken on the frozen chunks into our tiny hands. I love those memories.

Before the snow comes in full swing, I will enjoy the glorious fall colors that splash the mountain side. My children love taking little adventures so I took them out this weekend on a little ride to capture their happiness, to bring fresh air into their lungs, and build some memories. We had a blast. I absolutely love taking pictures of my little worms. They are absolutely wonderful when it comes to posing and giving me their best. We went out a little late, as the sun started to hide behind the scattered clouds. I managed a few great snapshots before the sun hid behind the mountainside. I was in my eliment, with the cool air hitting my cheek and the orangeness of the sun hitting them just so, it made them glow! God is an awesome God!

I absolutely love the engery that my children exude, especially when we are out and about. I only hope that this joy continues on in life as they grow and experience new things. My son is going on 13 and I am absolutely devastated; at the same time I am happy that he gets to experience this new change in life. He is my oldest and the emotions that he is experiencing is new to me. I often find myself asking him, "Why are you cring?". I suddenly realize that I will be the mother of a teenager very shortly which will be marked by emotional outbursts and confusion. He always responds with, "I don't know!". This leads me to believe that he is reaching the stage in his life where he transitions from boyhood to teenage hood and I can honesly say....I AM NOT PREPARED!!!

I am, however, prepared to take on the icy road conditions (I pray that it isn't near), for I have purchased a new vehicle and sold the old one. My dear friend Carla owns a Jeep Liberty and she loves it, so I went and purchased one. My car salesman was absolutely wonderful and I am so thankful that he gave me a great deal, I honestly believe that God had his hand in this because of how the market is going. Out of all the dealerships I visited, he was the most sincere and I had a good feeling about him. Thanks Al!

in Seattle a little longer...

The kid and I are still in Seattle with my Mother. We had high expectations of returning to Alaska by the middle of April but that may change. Last Thursday she had her routine labs done and her White Blood Cell count was very low. They told us that we may have to stay another two weeks. We are hoping that the labs that were done on Monday will be alright. Mother has been looking forward to going home after her appointment April 11th, and so have we.

She has been able to do so much since her transplant and is determined to be able to go home on the expected return date. We are beside ourselves as to why her cell count was down. We haven't spent too much time in the public eye. If so, she wears her mask, regardless of all the stares. Mom once told me of a lady who flat out asked her, "Are you wearing that to protect us from YOU or to protect you from US?"

Upon explaining herself, the lady turned away without showing any interest in what Mother had to say. It makes me laugh really, the behavior of someone who just doesn't know the situation. Mother has to wear the mask to protect herself against any infections. Since the transplant, she has to take a lot of medication. Most of which lower her WBC's to keep her body from rejecting the new heart. If she gets any infection, this could be a harmful thing for her and the new organ.

It seems that Mother has a lot more energy nowadays. We go for walks with Abigail and she keeps up. Sometimes I have to keep up with them. Of course, Abigail always wants to hold Grandma's hand. She is doing this little thing where she hides behind Grandma when she gets a scolding. This drives me a little crazy, she can be so rambunctious. I tell her when she gets into trouble, she cannot hide behind her. I doubt she'll grow out of this anytime soon. She has a mind of her own and isn't afraid to show it.

I am missing my son terribly, but I know he is in good hands. My brother is taking good care of him now and when he goes back to work, he will be with my friend Carla. So good of them to care for my child. I know he is missing me, it shows in his studies. I am feeling guilty about having to leave him but he needs to be in school. He will be entering the 7th grade next year and cannot miss any school.

I am just hoping all the snow is melted when we return home. That is the part I hate most about Spring time. I am sure my home is missing me. The last time I came to Seattle, when I returned home, I found that my water heater had leaked. It was easy to fix, but I wasn't home when it happened and soaked into the carpet. I feel that I have neglected my home, I've only been home intermittently within the past 6 months. The first time I left my home alone, I had my brother checking on it. He was gracious enough to unplug my toaster. Which led to the disagreement of electricity thus causing it to trip. Yes, it tripped the safety switch discontinuing any electrical paths to the refrigerator. By the time I returned home (a month later), my fridge had thawed and molded up pretty good. I cleaned it up right away but I haven't gotten a new fridge since because of all the medical issues with Mother and the time and financial constraints. I'm hoping and praying that my home didn't have any hiccups while I've been gone. Time didn't allow for proper planning so I don't have anyone checking on my house. My brother drives by once in awhile. I guess it's good to have a nosey neighbor.