March Madness

It has been a crazy busy March.  If you have not already heard Sam is leaving his job. But....WE AREN'T MOVING!!!  We are opening our own veterinary clinic.  Hopefully, we will be able to open early this summer.  This is Sam's last week at the clinic he has been working for the past nearly two years.  Stress is a relative term at this point.  There is so much to do before we open and yet we feel like we are in a constant cycle of hurry up and waits.  Sam will be doing some traveling work throughout SE AK this spring as well as mobile work here in Juneau until our doors open.  He is traveling to Gustavus, AK next week then will be back in Juneau for horse work and will then head up to Haines, AK for a week.  Hoonah and POW Island is also on the list to hit in late April early May.

For now it will be small and will definitely stay on the smaller side.  We are very excited and anxious and a whole lot of other emotions.  We are thrilled to have this opportunity.

Smith Equine, LLC has been changed officially to Tongass Veterinary Services, LLC and will now be providing care for dogs, cats and horses.  Equine work will remain mobile and the small animal clinic will be opening hopefully sooner than later.  It is named Tongass after the temperate rainforest, Tongass National Forest, that makes up nearly all of southeast Alaska. 

I have just done a blog for our website.  It is really basic for the time being.  I wanted something easy!  So a blog it is. Check us out: www.tongassvet.com

Happy Valentines Day!

We had a fun Valentines Day.  Avery woke up to a bag of goodies.  She got the Disney Peter Pan and some new paints from us.   She also got some fun surprises from my folks and my inlaws.  She loved everything.  I made pink waffles topped with chocolate syrup for breakfast, they even had purple sprinkles mixed into the batter.  She could have cared less :(  Ohwell.

We then headed over to Turf 4 Tots where we met up with our friends the Keiths.  Avery and Keegan played while I got to hold two week old Ainsley!  Avery met Ainsley for the first time today and even got to hold her for a minute.  While there we got a text from our girlfriend Susan who gave birth this morning to Kristin.  And another friend of ours had her baby girl, Joyanna Monday morning.  So 3 new baby girls here in Juneau.

We spent the rest of the day hanging out.  Avery played with her new paints and some stickers and walked Tasha around on leash throughout the house for awhile.  Poor Tasha, she puts up with so much!  Now we are just waiting for Sam to get home and we will pick up some Chinese take out and watch a movie.

Tomorrow, we have Avery's Parent/Teacher conference and I will go see my friend and her new baby in the hospital.  We are really ready for March even if it is the longest month of the year...spring is approaching.  Our snow pack in our yard has shrunk at least a foot if not more over the past 2 weeks.  I expect more snow, but it is nice to see the streets asphalt and the majority of our drive!   I can't wait for long days and rain gear and the beaches.  I have already entered lowest tides of the month into my calendar for this summer.

I have not really written about this and I am not really sure why I feel like writing about it now.  It has been 2 years now that we have been trying to conceive a second child.  Secondary infertility is isolating and confusing.  I go from being hopeful, to being sad, to being mad and then content.  Over and over, but I will say it is getting easier.

We decided about a year ago to start to let go and let what happens happen.  I am getting over it and trying to be content with how much I have and the one beautiful and amazing daughter I do have.  I am truly thankful for her.  It just hurts my heart when she asks for a sibling or speaks of them as if they are coming.

We have tried some drug therapy for a short stint (6 months).  I was diagnosed with PCOS,  poly cystic ovarian syndrome.  We stopped because mainly of the cost.  Our health insurance is basically catastrophe insurance and we just getting started at digging ourselves out of the debt we had obtained while in school and decided throwing thousands at this was just not worth it.  Maybe if we lived somewhere where they had specialists and I knew I was getting my monies worth, but Juneau doesn't have anyone like that.

Maybe it will happen and maybe it wont.  I am tired of the comments.  "It will happen when you stop trying." or the "You guys should try this (insert)."  or the "At least you have one."  It all just really is useless small talk that I don't care to hear.  It always comes from those who cannot relate.

Anyway, we have Avery!  She is awesome and loud and ridiculous.  I don't want sympathy, I just don't want to really talk about it with people who have not been there.  It sucks and it is what it is.  It is the first time in my life that I have not gotten something I really wanted. It is the first time I have failed where I really tried and it hurts and there is nothing I can do.  So this is me letting go.  We are parents of an only and I am okay with that.

Tea parties, porcupines and ice safety

Every time I look to see what day it is it seems to be Friday.  Except today, today is Wednesday.  Weeks have been flying by and we have been having fun.  I have managed to keep running this winter.  Not as much as I had wanted but still averaged over 40 miles in December and about the same in January.  One more month and things should start to be easier, it is just really hard in the snow and when the ice gets all bumpy to push a stroller.   I have spent that little extra time working on trim again. Blah. I hate painting with a passion.  I have managed to get both bathrooms done, the hallway and the garage entry.  That leaves the bedrooms (windows are already done), the closets, the laundry room and the 2 door frames in the garage. 

Avery having a tea party with her blankie, Lala and Bearie.

Sam had the other Thursday off and we got to go on a breakfast date while Avery was at school.  That was nice! We also almost hit a porcupine that couldn't make up his mind whether to cross the road or not.  He has been busy.  I keep waiting for things to slow down a little, but I don't see that happening anytime soon.

the confused porcupine

They were practicing how to throw a buoy and pull someone in while staying stay safe on land.

Avery got to attend her first field trip with her preschool  They went to the glacier.  It was way too icy to do any walking, but they got a lesson in ice safety from a forest ranger and practiced some ways to help people who fall through the ice or what to do if they hear the ice cracking.

 

Avery is getting excited about Valentine's day and parent teacher conferences for preschool are also next week. Hopefully I will get around to blogging before March is here, but it's coming fast...

What I did this week

• Run
• Family walk on the Dredge Lake trail system (Avery was pulled in a sled)

Avery in front of Mendenhall River and the glacier is in the background.

• Movie with a girlfriend
• Run
• Smith Equine work
• Preschool board meeting
• Preschool!  I was Snack parent so we prepped that and I had to work at the school that day.

Avery and her preschool friend Taylor

• Took Avery to her first ballet class

Avery at her first ballet class.  She was worried about having to hold her water bottle in this picture.

• UPS run for Smith Equine (our UPS is only open from 9am-10am weekdays, lol)
• Took Avery to gymnastics
• Run
• Book club, drove puking pregnant friend home
• Took Avery to Preschool
• Shopped for friend's kid's birthday gift (what could I get Keegan that Avery wont throw a fit about and insist on having herself....I failed, she already asked my mother for it, but at least no tantrum was involved...)
• Took Avery to get her hair cut

Avery really excited for her hair cut this time!

• Prep for All School Meeting and get my stuff in order
• All School Meeting aka harass parents to do better and get them to sign up for work days
• Work on Preschool work day calendar, harass parents who didn't show at the meeting
• Haircut for me.
• Walk with friends pulling kids in sleds.

Avery fell asleep in her sled as I pulled her.  It was snowing pretty hard too.

• Run
• Took Avery to her swim lesson

Avery @ her lesson this morning.

• Attended friends birthday party.

This was my week in a nutshell. Next week should be a little less hectic and Avery will get settled more into our routine.  She is having an off day today.  I hope it is just a day and not a new phase...

My scanner went rogue and we are not getting another until we use our ink up in this printer so I had to take a picture of our Santa picture.  Avery kept pulling her hat down over her eyes and would not look at him.  She really liked the older lady taking the photo though and she was able to get some almost eye contact.  I really thought this year she would be brave and go for it.  Maybe we will try again in a couple weeks!  Funny kids all excited for Santa, but terrified when able to meet him!

Cheese Face

Avery has become a master of the cheese face.  I ask her to smile nice and the smile just gets even more ridiculous. What can you do?  Looks like we will have lots of photos with Avery looking like she is in pain for the unforeseeable future!

Avery and her cheese face at preschool.  She is spraying snow with colored water.

We had a fantastic visit from my folks.  They came in on Tuesday and left today.  They were able to take A to preschool and gymnastics and we even went to the turf for some rambunctious time.  They took Avery shopping for some early Christmas presents and built a gingerbread house.  They even convinced her to get a real haircut at a salon. She got some hair bling tied in as well as a bribe, but it fell out (her hair is too fine). Sam and I got out most of yesterday leaving the 3 of them up to their own devices.  She apparently told them at bedtime she HAD to sleep with them.  When asked why she said she had to because they were leaving tomorrow :(  She misses all her grandparents!  Today was hard.  She was whiny and misses them.  Even though they spent most of today in town stuck at the airport waiting for their flight to sneak out in between weather! They made it out and lucky they did too because they are calling for 14 inches of snow by tomorrow evening.  I like snow, but I am starting to feel like I am getting snowed in.  Not all parts of Juneau are like this, but because we live within 2 or so miles of the glacier we are just a tad colder and the snow is sticking around.

Cheese face showing off her new hair do and hair bling.  The bling is the pink tinsel.  Her hair just naturally looks highlighted.

 Avery is VERY excited about Christmas.  I was hoping she would sit on Santa's lap this year, but our first attempt was a fail. If I can figure out how to get my scanner to work I will get this years Santa visit attempt up here.  Sam is scheduled to be off so it should be a nice little holiday for us.  Avery's big gift is a little lame, we got her a twin bed and I made her a quilt.  But, she wants a cat really really bad.  Santa will definitely have to work his magic with that wish!

Happy Turkey Day!

First, wow has it really been nearly 2 months since I sat down and blogged?  We have been busy and I have been crafting away, so yeah it has been awhile.  Thanksgiving is tomorrow and we have a lot to be thankful for.  We have a beautiful home in a great small town and we have wonderful family and friends.  We are healthy and happy and have an awesome little girl who is really excited about life and curious as heck about the world around her. We are truly grateful and thankful and very content at the moment.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! Have a wonderful weekend :)

Winter is Coming

It really is coming, everything is dying and the rain and winter chill has started. Well, the rain never went anywhere, but it is starting to feel gloomier and our days are shortening.  Avery turned 3 last week.  We had a small party with a few of her friends.  She was thoroughly spoiled and had a blast.  It was a good week.  She also brought cupcakes to preschool and they all sang to her there. 

My inlaws were here for a short visit and Avery loves having company.  She loves her grandparents and had so much fun.  We get to see them again in just a week along with lots of friends as we are heading to CO for a week of fun.  Sam has been busy with work and I have been busy with the house.  Finishing the trim really sucks and tedious and slow work, but slowly the house is coming together.  A fence should be going up in the next week to contain our mutts, this will make life with dogs much less annoying.  Preschool for Avery is fun.  My "job" on the board is a lot more work than I expected, but I am getting to know quite a few people and that is nice.  I left Avery at school for the first time yesterday and it was awful.  She pitched a giant screaming/punching/kicking fit.  I got a phone call 10 minutes later that she calmed down and was playing.  She was totally fine when I picked her up.  I know tomorrow will most likely be the same story.  She has already told me today: "I will cry when you leave me at preschool tomorrow, but one day I will be brave at preschool and I wont cry, but tomorrow I will cry when you leave me at preschool."  She often speaks in run on sentences.

 

Avery's 3 year check up was our best to date.  She actually let her doctor examine her!  This is huge!  She was 26 pounds even, which puts her in the 10th percentile and was 34 3/4 inches tall putting her in the 25th percentile.  Finally, after 2 1/2 years of being at 0 for weight we are on the chart and the doctor is satisfied and happy with our 5 pound weight gain over the past year.

Other than that we are starting to get excited for winter and the holidays!

and we have a preschooler!

So today was Avery's first day at preschool.  She did pretty good considering I had to stay.  I think she is often better behaved when I am not around.  It was just half her class today, the other half went on Tuesday. Next week all 20 kids will be there and from what I heard of the Tuesday class it is going to be rowdy.  There are LOTS of boys! I have to go with Avery until she turns 3 so she is stuck with my through the next 2 weeks, then she can start going on her own.  I hope it will be a smooth transition for both of us.

Avery eating her yummy breakfast!  Cinnamon rolls are her favorite :)

Avery all ready to go!  The first of many 1st day of school photos on our porch!

Avery with Miss Angie at the science center, they were playing with magnets and sand.

Miss Sheila explaining the rules of Duck Duck Goose.  They kind of got it ;)

It was a fun day.  I definitely think Avery will thrive in the environment once she gets her head wrapped around their schedule and way of doing things.

Big Week in the Making

Avery playing dress-up with a new classmate at the open house :)

Avery will be starting preschool!  I can't believe it, but in my heart I know she is ready. Luckily I have chosen a cooperative so I get to be a big part of the process.  I was also talked into a board position so I will get to be really involved. It's going to be fun.  She will start this Thursday and then will go T/TH's for 3 hours.  The preschool has a play-based learning philosophy and we love the teachers, the set up and the school.  We think she is going to have a blast and I can be present as much as she and I need me to be. 

Other than that.  We have just been crazy busy.  I am on a major purge binge.  We have little storage in our new place so things we don't use or need have to go! Sam has been working a lot.  He has been back and forth between Juneau and Haines and Skagway, so he is busy busy busy.  His cousin Courtney was here doing an externship for a couple weeks with Smith Equine and the small animal practice Sam works for.  Avery adored her and definitely wore her out :)

I am still in denial I am going to have a 3 year old here in a couple weeks.  How has it been that long?

August!

It has been a pretty busy couple of weeks for us.  We closed on our house! We are mostly unpacked and need a couple more pieces of furniture, but we are finally feeling settled and comfortable!

We have had quite a bit of company!  First, my FIL, Tony, and his girlfriend, Kit, came for a quick visit. We had to scramble, but we were unpacked for the most part before they arrived.  Avery adored Kit right from the get go just like the last time we saw her and she was a little shy right off with Grandpa, but it didn't take long for her to warm up.

Grandpa Smith reading to Avery!

She had fun playing kitty and wolfy with Kit.  It did take a few days for Avery to come out of her role as a wolf after they left...  It was a great visit and we hope to see them again soon!  

Sam and Tony at Nugget Falls

 

Avery and Kit watching a duck (it went under for a minute).

Next, Avery got to meet her Great Grandma Lil!  Lucky us!  It was a short 3 day trip, but Avery and GG Lil hit it off right away.  It was a wonderful visit and I am so glad that we got to spend some time with her.

"Super me to the rescue!"

"

playing out at the Shrine of Saint Therese

The weather was not great for her visit. We did make it out to the shrine one afternoon :)  It was so cute how they connected! 

Now, Sam's cousin, Courtney, is in town. She is a vet student in Texas that is up here doing an externship with Sam and the practice Sam works for.  They are currently up in Haines, AK doing some horse work.  She is here until the 25th!

Then we have a bit of a break.  Avery will start preschool and then Sam's mother and Rick will be here near Avery's birthday.  I can't believe she will be 3 in just over a month!  It is going WAY too quickly!

a sunny morning on our back deck.

best recipe EVER!

Okay so I don't really consider myself a good cook.  I can follow a recipe really well and I usually succeed with baking.  I have attempted not using a recipe a few times and it has ended in basically feeding the trash.  I made a carrot layer cake for a dinner party the other night and it was flippin' fantastic.  Like better than any carrot cake I have ever had, including Rock Bottom Brewery's carrot cake and Whole Foods' carrot cake.  I have to share this awesome recipe!

Carrot Cake

The cake:

• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1 cup brown sugar (packed)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tsp vanilla extract
• 8 oz can crushed pineapple (drained)
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg (optional)
• 3 cups grated carrots

The frosting:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (make sure it is soft enough)
• 8 oz  cream cheese, softened (make sure it is soft enough)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

 Directions:

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9 inch cake pans.
2.) In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, applesauce, sugars, vanilla and pineapple. Mix in flour, baking soda. baking powder, salt, cinnamon & nutmeg. Stir in carrots. Pour into prepared pans.
3.) Bake in the preheated oven about 40-45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let pans cool for 10-15 minutes on a baking rack, the turn and remove cakes from pan and cool on wire racks until completely cool.  Cool them completely!  Don't even make the frosting until they are cooled!

4.) Frosting: combine butter, cheese and vanilla until smooth.  Slowly beat in sugar.  Beat until smooth.  Frost your cake and top with pecans :)

Enjoy and be ready to want to make another!

settling in

It is long story that has way to much to it to explain, but we were able to move into the house before we actually close.  We should be closing in the next week or so!  They still have a few small things and a few larger things to finish before we can do that, but things are getting done.  The last 2 interior doors were put in and remaining trim was finished late this afternoon.  We are still waiting on our actual kitchen counter tops to be installed along with a handful of other things to be done. It is frustrating (as we are now officially 1 week late), but happy to be about 95% unpacked at this point.  Avery is loving her bedroom and going to sleep and sleeping in there all night!  We are on night 3 of this routine and I am in shock at how well she transitioned.  So awesome to have some chill time with Sam for the first time in a long time.

I'll get some pictures up eventually.  Things still aren't done all the way.  But, after pestering GCI 3 days in a row, they finally got it together and got us set up and we got a free month out of the deal since they were being ridiculous and a huge hassle to deal with.

Kowee Creek Trail

  

 Yesterday we decided to head all the way out the road to hike a new trail.  Kowee Creek (pronounced: Cow-ee)  It was around mile 38 of Glacier Hwy and the trail was only about a mile until it ends at a T going one way to dead end at the creek and the other to a massive field of wild flowers that is part of Echo Ranch.  There was a road we walked along boarding the massive wildflower field and we walked that for another mile or so.  Avery can only really tolerate 1 1/2 to 2 hours of hiking so we opted to turn back after 2 miles.

Avery hiking.

 The trail followed a beautiful creek with gorgeous light blue clear water.  There were quite a few people fishing.  We were ready for bears, we saw nothing but a LOT of poop and one foot print. It is July and that means berries are ripening. We got to snack on fresh blueberries along the way.  Avery thought this was VERY cool.  

blueberry bush!

 Wild Iris

Sitka Burnet

We are have been searching for chocolate lilies and unfortunately we still have not found any.  I think we may have missed them this year.  We did find some beautiful flowers.  So many wild iris, fireweed, Alaska cotton, Lupine and so many more.

Wilson in a field of Wild Iris

 We all had a great time.  The drive was a little long because of construction, but it was sunny and beautiful!  The dogs are taking the day off.  They had a busy week and I think poor Wilson is sore.  Getting old sucks sometimes :(

Fishing in the Rain

Nerves!

Things are wrapping up with the house, but I am so flipping nervous it is driving me insane.  I am stressed that the finishes we've picked will look terrible, anxious about moving again and when we will close and most of all I am really nervous closing.  The what ifs have me stressed to the max and the fear our loan for some reason wont go through is gut wrenching.  I need these next few weeks to fly by!

On a good note, things are finally moving again.  Those dang drywall guys sure do take their sweet @$$ time.  But, it was painted yesterday and when I did a drive by earlier today the cabinets had been delivered and are sitting in the garage.  Our appliances also arrived and are sitting @ Sears waiting for the builder to pick them up!

Avery is finally back into her own routine after our visit to Wasilla.  She is going through a couple of obnoxious phases that both Sam and I hope will pass quickly! Repeating, not in the "that is a new word and still learning way".  She has been speaking in full sentences since the beginning of this year.  Now she is just repeating me and I am not really sure why.  When I ask her to stop repeating me she gets upset and yells either; "Stop repeating ME!" or "I am not repeating you!".  She also has become SUPER physical. She is constantly jumping on us and rough housing.  It is fine when we are playing with her, but it is constant.  So I am trying real hard to keep her engaged, but it is a full time job to keep this girl occupied!  Needless to say, preschool this September cannot come soon enough!

KNOCK ON WOOD, but I think potty training has finally clicked!  Our fingers are crossed, but she is finally letting me know BEFORE she needs to pee that she needs to go.  "My butt" is code for I need to pee and "My tummy" is when she needs to poop.  Not sure where she got this, but she obviously is under the impression she pees from her butt, but whatever she is making it into the toilet.  I wont bother confusing her with an anatomy lesson at the moment ;) 

Just Some Pictures

Playing outside!

Making Grandpa do the hard part ;)

Evan teeing up!

Lillian "cheering" on her big bro!

Lillian looking adorable and Avery being Avery.

Avery getting into Lillian's bubble.

Clapping for the golfers.

Avery wanted to try out some golf.  She DOES NOT have the patience required for this sport!

Kooka teaching Avery naughty habits!

Running in to the sprinkler!

Belly bumping.

Cuties

Avery making a BIG bubble!

Kooka & Avery @ the reindeer farm.