March 27, 2016: Easter Shinnanigans

The unicycle lessons are happening!! As you can see on my face, I wasn't too confident.  But Cory is letting me take his unicycle home so I can keep practicing.  

His deal is that whenever I become confident with this one, I have to try to ride the 5 foot one.  I can't even begin to explain how hilarious and ridiculously awesome it was to watch him ride this up and down the driveway: 

Ha! 

This Easter was a really good one for other reasons too, not just the unicycle.  I practiced lent this year, and I am incrediblly thankful for how God worked in me during this time.  I am thankful for people He has brought into my life who have been challenging me, for the opportunities He has provided for me to share my faith with friends, and for the grace He has shown along the way.  He is a good God.  :). 

March 26, 2016: Short Sleeve Saturday

You know you have turned into an Alaskan when you're wearing short sleeves outside and it's only 40 degrees. Alanna and I moved my couch because I am moving in with her this week! Afterwards, we drove to Java Flats to have lunch outside in the sunshine.  I am going to miss my tiny house, but saving about $700 a month in rent is unbeatable.  Plus I get to live with this yahoo.  And I think she's pretty great :)

March 25, 2016: grapefruit beer and good friends

Brewery, it has been too long!!! Happy first Friday after spring break to us! This was the first Friday that our coworker Angie has been able to join us (she was pregnant the whole beginning of the school year) so it was an extra great brewery experience.  Only 9 more weeks of school!!! 

March 24, 2016: three awesomes

Today was such a good day! So many great things happened and at the end of the day I realized I didn't take a picture of a single thing. And I am ok with that.  Sometimes I am enjoying the moment too much to stop and pull my camera out.  And on days like that, I can just doodle the highlights, and my artistic ability is so advanced that it basically looks like the real thing.   Top three moments of today: 

1.  At lunch today I learned that Michele knows how to ride a unicycle.  And she has a couple at her house.  And she and her husband Cory are going to teach me how to ride it on Easter!!!  Riding a unicycle has been one of my life goals for a while.  I can't wait!! 

2.  My friend flies planes here and today he took me along on a flight to one of the villages! It was amazing! The view of the island from a small plane is unbeatable, especially when you have a great pilot who can tell you the name of each bay, pass, and mountain we flew over.  This was one of my favorite things I have gotten to do in Kodiak.  :). 

3.  After the flight, we headed to our Bible study.  Since it was a gorgeous day, we met outside around a campfire.  I really appreciate the friends I have made in this Bible Study group.  They are great people, and I am continually challenged by them. Sitting around the fire, laughing, discussing Martin Luther, and eating marshmallows was unbeatable.  

So, yeah.  A really good day. :) 

March 23, 2016: blooms!

The salmonberry bushes are blooming!! (At least I think these are salmonberry bushes).  Makes for a very beautiful run through Abercrombie.  Alanna showed me this 3 mile loop through the park.  It is TOUGH!! There are crazy hills through the entire run.  My average pace is usually 12:30 miles! That also might be caused by my constant stopping to take pictures of how gorgeous everything is.  Either way, Alanna and I ran the loop again today, and we made it up one of the two majorly monstrous hills without walking.  Some day, we will be able to finish the entire loop without walking.  My quads and glutes are going to be massive by the time my training is finished. 

March 22, 2016: brights and tights

I went for a run today after school. As I got out of my car, an older man walking with his wife exclaimed, "WOW! What an outfit!"  Then he told me how much he appreciated me dressing brightly like this because it's hard for elderly people to see runners in the road.  I was a little self conscious for the remainder of my run, but happy to do my part in helping the elderly not kill people.  

March 21, 2016: training begins tomorrow

I just signed up for the Ludington Lakestride! It's a half marathon in my hometown that goes through the Ludington State Park (my favorite place on earth thus far) and along the Lake Michigan shoreline.  It's beautiful, and multiple people in my family run it each year.  I wasn't sold on the idea of going to Michigan this early (June 11) but then I heard that the ice cream shop in Ludington, House of Flavors, is trying to break the world record for the longest ice cream sundae.  It's going to be a half mile long and 6,000 people are going to be eating it.  So naturally, that was the final push to get me to buy my plane ticket back home for part of the summer.  I officially registered for the half marathon and then checked out some training schedules.  Hal Higdon says I need to start... Tomorrow.  Good thing the weather this week is going to cooperate...

March 20, 2016: Last Ray Day

This picture was taken moments before Raylan jumped into this nearly frozen lake of a puddle.  Why, I have no idea, but the water was really deep, and I don't know that he expected it to be.  Surprised us both.  I definitely enjoyed my last day with this guy! I will miss having an excellent running and hiking buddy, but it's nice to feel like I can take a day off and lounge around without feeling guilty.  Spending the week with him makes me want a dog even more!!! 

March 19, 2016: new kicks and good running pals

Out for a run with this yahoo.  And Kayla.   I just bought new trail running shoes, so I had to test them out today.  Successful! 

March 18, 2016: relentless

Just hanging out with a ball in my mouth.  Just in case Mandy decides she actually isn't too tired to throw it to me.  

March 17, 2016: One more lazy day...

Got a nice walk in with Kayla this morning before the rain hit.  Looks like our stretch of sunny days is over, which is fine I guess.  Maybe I will be motivated to go into school and actually be productive.  But not today.  I'm going to get McDonalds, finish a puzzle, and watch a couple movies. Tomorrow sounds like a better day to work. 

March 16, 2016: doggie besties

I apologize for all the dog and hiking posts from this week.  Actually,  I'm totally lying, not one part of me is sorry about that.  It has been a great week! Sunshine, puppies, mountains, friends, sleeping in, puzzles, podcasts... It has been incredible.  I even noticed today that the eye twitch I have had since mid September is gone!  

Today Laura and I took Huckleberry aka blueberry aka shmuckleberry up Pillar today.  We tried to take a picture of all four of us.  This was the best we could do! 

March 15, 2016: doggy chauffeur

I can't get over how cute he is.  Look at how excited he is for Shannon to get here so we can hike Old Woman! 

March 14, 2016: jet boil!!!

That's what we're so excited about in the picture.  The jet boil.  Rightfully so, because bringing it meant we got to have tea at Heitman Lake.. High class hiking!! 

March 13, 2016: Spring Break! (Woo!Yeah!)

I took Raylan up Old Woman today.  While we were hiking, we ran into a group of guys who are here for 4 weeks on vacation. They chose Kodiak because they heard the mountains here are beautiful.  I sometimes forget that I live in a place that is a vacation destination for other people.  And it got me really excited about this spring break.  I get to rest on my staycation but I am surrounded by adventurous possibilities if I want them (which obviously I do).  I can sleep til 9 and lounge around and not feel like I have to cram a bunch in like I do when I go places on vacation.  And when I feel like it, I can get out and explore parts of the island that I haven't seen yet- or revisit places I have been already and see what they look like blanketed in snow.  I am so grateful that the weather has been cooperating so far, and that I have time to rest, reflect, spend with friends, and explore.  It's going to be a great week!

March 12, 2016: bed hog

It sure is hard to go to sleep when the pup takes over the entire bed!  Once you push him out of the way, he turns out to be a great snuggler.  :).  I hope Catie and Carter know there is a chance that I will dognap their pooch for good.  I am loving him!! 

March 11, 2016: buddies

Henry and Raylan are fast friends! Henry didn't even care when Raylan licked him in his mouth.  That's a real friendship.  My family is heading to Michigan in a couple days.  While I am excited for them to be able to go home and see the rest of our family, I am bummed that they will be gone over my spring break. Ray and I will have a blast, but I will miss these yahoos! 

March 10, 2016: roomie for the week

Catie and Carter went to Michigan for spring break, so I am hanging out with Raylan for the week.  I went into the bathroom to brush my teeth and get ready for bed, and when I came out, I saw this. I think he wants to play?! 

March 9, 2016: twinsies!

You know your teaching partner and you are close when you both show up to school wearing a dress, leggings, black boots, and secret blue socks underneath.  Unplanned twinning is the best :) 

March 8, 2016: We made it through the winter!

Say goodbye to headlamps and reflective bands because it is light outside at 7 PM! This is probably the last week we will need these for our winter walks.  Can you tell we are a tiny bit excited about this?! 

March 7, 2016: trendsetter

I am sensing a new fashion fad on the horizon... 

March 6, 2016: joyride

It still blows my mind that people here leave their cars running, keys inside, for extended periods of time! The last time I even left my car door unlocked in Chicago, a homeless man spent the night inside it.  Shamefully, every time I see a car running like this, I want to just take it for a joyride and hope I get it back to the lot before the owner comes back.  Definitely thought about it today. Except I am pretty sure the owner of this SUV is in my Bible study.  Awkward. 

March 5, 2016: I, I, I, I work out.

Haha! This makes me happy.  We all worked out today, but Henry was not having it.  He didn't want to be put down.  At first we tried putting him in his bouncer seat, and we just did push ups in front of him, smiling at him between each one.  That worked for a little bit but he got tired of it.  So Kyle just used him as weights for the remainder of the workout.  I also love that Arthur was just vegging on the couch this whole time.  Sometimes he joins us for the workout, but today he wasn't into it.  

Working out with my family is the best. 

March 4, 2016: blessings

It's late, and I didn't take a picture today.  So here I am, in bed, reading. My Bible study group has been studying the Holy Spirit, so I have been reading through Acts.  I don't usually give anything up for lent, and if I do, it's usually soda, but this year I actually felt like God was asking me to be more intentional with my time and with my walk.  So I gave up watching TV by myself.  I am still letting myself watch TV with other people, but I am not allowing myself to come home and lay in front of the TV for hours like I usually do.  Instead, I am trying to read the Word, pray, spend time with people, etc.  This season of Lent has been really amazing thus far.  God has been teaching and stretching me a lot.  I was really, really worried about leaving my community behind when I moved here.  I miss them tremendously, but God has really been showing me how much I relied on them to grow in my faith.  I absolutely believe that community is crucial.  My community throughout college and in Chicago has challenged, supported, and encouraged me in ways I can't even explain. And God has provided some extraordinary friends here who have challenged and encouraged me, but I am grateful that He has grown me in ways that I don't think He could have (or more like I wouldn't have let Him?) if I had stayed in Chicago and not moved to a place where I knew so few people.  I am thankful that God is all we need, but He chooses to bless us with one another.  He's pretty amazing. 

March 3, 2016: swing therapy

One of my favorite things about teaching here is that I have outside recess duty every day.  Today instead of just asking me to push him, one of my little guys requested I swing next to him.  I forgot how much I love swings.  Adulting is really hard, and this year especially, I feel like I am failing at it a lot of the time. I doubt I am alone, so if you can identify with me, go find a swing.  Give yourself a break from adult life for 5 minutes. It's not going to fix your stupid adult problems, but for those 5 minutes, you will feel awesome.  Or like a big idiot on a swing, but I am hoping for your sake you feel awesome. I did! 

March 2, 2016: morning sunrise!

I SAW THE SUNRISE ON THE WAY TO SCHOOL THIS MORNING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't think there is any way I can truly make non-Kodiak residents understand how epic this is.   It has been pitch black every morning on my way to work for 4 and a half months.  While I have been remarkably less affected by the dark and the rain than I thought I would have been, it still wore me down.  And then today, this light seemed to come out of nowhere.  

SPRING IS COMING!!!!!

March 1, 2016: beach finds

Went for a walk today and found some cool stuff.  A couple days ago, Tisa emailed me and told me she had some cool stuff I could use in my classroom and she would send it to me.  I told her that I didn't have anything cool to send her except maybe some moss, weird shells, old sea kelp.  I took this picture intending to email her and let her know I found some goodies for her on the beach, but I am fairly certain I never actually sent that text. 

I am really excited about going tide pooling with my kids though. We do an entire unit on tide pools and all the cool stuff you can find. I haven't gone yet since moving here, so I have a lot to learn! The kids will probably teach me more than I will teach them :)