october 28, 2014

Apparently hibernation is only “socially acceptable” for bears. As much of a problem that I have with that statement, I have to get on with my life. And by “get on with my life” I mean write a new post. The fact that it has been 33 days since my last post is almost as embarrassing as having conversations with people explaining why hibernation should not be just for bears. It has happened people. “Hibernation for Humans” is what I like to call it; the petition will get started soon! Before I continue I will post this picture of a bear my sister took while she was here.

How cool is this picture! Two things about this picture:

1.       My sister is crazy talented with an iphone camera

2.       Yes, there is a fence between us and the bear.

Since it has been 33 days since we last talked, you need to know that I have forgotten most everything that has happened in those days. I am sorry, but it is what it is. So, that being said, whatever is written about in this post, you will know it is worth remembering!

The biggest event of the past 33 days obviously was my sister and Sam visiting. Can I just tell you, I have had a lot of emotions towards my sister in her 17 (sheesh) years of life, but I have NEVER been happier to see her than I was seeing her at the airport. Well, I take that back. Once, she hid in Goody’s behind a coat rack and we had to lock the store down and I was roaming the aisles yelling her name and crying. I was pretty pumped to find her that day. Then I wanted to beat her because that was the moment she knew I actually liked her, and no older sister wants that to happen. Anyways, back to the airport. This was the second most excited time I have been to see my sister!!!

We left the airport and directly went to get food (gotta have priorities). We went to a place called Moose’s Tooth. Over a big pepperoni pizza, I caught up on the adventures of flying from Memphis to Anchorage. (If you know my sister and Sam, then you know EVERYTHING is an adventure). After we ate, we went on to base. Bless my sisters’ heart, she showed her relation to me big time as we drive thru the gate onto base for the first time. Her first words were “OMG There are STREET LIGHTS ON BASE?!?!” She had no idea what to expect and apparently a small town wasn’t what she was expecting at all haha. It was so fun showing them around and where I shop and where I saw a Moose for the first time and Burger King (WHICH I WILL TELL YOU ABOUT BK LATER!!!) and finally where we live. We got all settled and then the talking, catching up, and planning continued, poor Justin. That was, until my sister discovered our ping pong table. Justin and Sarah “played” ping pong while Sam and I laughed our heads off and dodged ping pong balls every single night they were here. My sister is a HORRIBLE ping pong player (sorry Sarah but it’s the truth), so it always turned into a death match between the two beating each other with the ping pong balls. It’s funny to me how my favorite memories of their trip is not the hikes we took or the places we visited, but the laughs and the stories told at home. During their trip we went and visited the same animal conservation place that we went to with my mom, we went to a Chocolate Factory with the world’s largest chocolate fountain, hiked Flat Top, shopped downtown and attempted many other things only to arrive and then turn around and go back home because it was WAY TOO COLD. Honestly, most of the time we stayed in our pajamas, watched TV, laughed and talked, and ate junk food (duh). It was the greatest trip. Having Sam and Sarah here gave me a sense of back home and I can’t tell them how much I appreciated it enough. Here are some pictures of their trip:

At the Chocolate Factory

On top of Flat Top

At the Animal Conservation

We got matching "Alaska" socks.

These two acted like brother and  sister this trip. Not that they always haven’t but holy moly. They argued and fought like siblings but then they went out on their own one afternoon for starbucks and to get a movie and they were all sweet together.  It was adorable. Then the ping pong balls started flying again and the adorableness left…

 Unfortunately, my parents and Bryant expected them to return soooooo they couldn’t stay forever. *Cue tearful goodbyes at the airport* I was so grateful Justin was able to go with me to drive me home and tell me to breathe as I cry. He is good at that telling me to breathe thing and all (story more about that in a minute, keep reading).

Sarah – Thank you for coming and spending your fall break with me. Thank you for still acting like my sister and saying things like “Anna, you have no food in your house” and “OMG watch one more episode, you are so boring and old  going to bed so early”. Thanks for loving my husband. Thanks for being the coolest sister there is.

Sam – Thank you for leaving Bryant for a few days to come visit me. Thanks for always making me laugh and always telling me it’s ok to say whatever I am thinking (even when it’s not). Thanks for being so cool and so thoughtful. You make me feel so special.

People that don’t know my sister and Sam, you should. Well, not too well though cuz I have a weird jealousy/sharing thing, im working on it.

Moving on to another big event that has happened, and like most events in my life, tears were shed….I had to get Alaska license plates.

Why were there tears shed you ask? Well because I have huge attachement issues, and the thought of losing my Tennessee plates was devastating to me (ok devastating was dramatic). On top of it all, in Alaska you have to have plates in the back and also plates in the front. My car did not even have a mounting to put plates in the front. Justin is in the field at this time and of course I waited until the day before they expired to do this. Luckily, my Tennessee still got to shine through. I used zip ties to hold my plate onto my car! Classsssyyyy.

 Y’all I really want to get to my big announcement, but I have to get everything else out before that, so bear with me….

Something big happened on October 20, 2014. Our first snow. Yes, you read that correctly, SNOW ON OCTOBER 20^th!!!!!

The song is “I’m Dreaming of a White CHRISTMAS” not “I’m Dreaming of a White HALLOWEEN”. Alaska has GOT to get it together, I’m tellin’ ya.

That leads into my next problem with Alaska. I see all of y’all at homes pictures of you and your honey at a pumpkin patch taking pictures saying “pumpkins with my punkin”. Really cute, right?  I want to do that, I want to caption my pictures that even though I have never and probably never will refer to my husband as “Punkin”. I asked a coworker where the nearest pumpkin patch was. The answer I received “Anna, you are in Alaska, we don’t grow pumpkins here.” Instagram, you will not get a pumpkin patch picture with me and my punkin, I am so sorry.

Footnotes:

Above I mentioned two things I would tell you about later on in the post. Here are those two very traumatic stories:

1.       Burger King: I drove thru ordering my beloved Chicken Fries, only to hear THEY HAVE BEEN DISCONTINUED. Justin LAUGHED AT THIS. Burger King needs to understand that they cannot play with my heart and bring them back then snatch them away two months later. Now add trust issues to the list of issues…

2.      Justin reminding me to breathe : Saturday is football day at our house. What y’all may not realize is that could start as early as 8 or 9 in the morning for us up here with the time change. We are watching the Mississippi State game (GO DAWGS!) and halftime comes around and I decide I want to run to Bass Pro Shop to look at some flannel shirts for our Christmas card pictures. After we leave there, Justin wants to take me somewhere and not tell me where we are going. We pull into the animal shelter……I can see your heads shaking from here. Yes, we all know how this is going to end. I text my mother (of course) and she sends me texts like “I knew Justin was brave – but I never knew he was THAT brave. Underprivileged puppies + anna = a lot of tears”. She knows me so well. Picture this:

We walk in. I see the first dog. I love the first dog. I cry about the first dog. I want the first dog. We continue to look at all the dogs, but I love the first dog. Her name is Lacey and she is a Rottweiler mix. I love her. I lay in the floor and play with her under the fence door. I love her. Justin loves her. Justin wants her. I cry about her. Justin goes to talk to the people about adoption. They say “Rottweiler’s are not allowed on base”. Justin returns to his wife SOBBING on the bench. We walk to the car. Justin has to proceed to do breathing exercises with me because I am crying so hard. I cry all the way home. I cry through the rest of the game. I cry myself to sleep. I sleep through the TN/BAMA game (thank goodness). Justin is so good and so patient to remind me to breathe.  The end.


Here is Lacey

             

Big Moments:

The Military Ball was during the time my sister and Sam were here and so Justin had to attend by himself. Lucky for y’all I snapped this picture real quick before he left. Look at this stud muffin! (Justin is drying of embarrassment as he is reading right this second)

Mississippi State is #1, so that’s really awesome.

I got to Facetime with two of my favorite friends. Noah and Lily. As cheesy as it sounds, they were my sunshine on the snowy day. They absolutely can brighten any day. They make me laugh so much.

Justin got his wisdom teeth taken out Monday. I love my husband but we handle surgeries COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. I am a perfect patient. I don’t argue or fight, I let whoever is taking care of me take care of me, and then I sleep for a solid 48 hours. Justin……Justin does not. I love him though. (Thanks dad for taking my bloody gauze out of my mouth when I got my teeth taken out. I really appreciate it and not sure if I told you).

Justin was gone for a while doing a mission or operation or something. I am not really sure what it’s called or what I am allowed to call it. So I will just post the video they posted so y’all can see my studly husband. (He is the one holding a gun, ill post the screenshot of it in case you can’t pick him out)

 Here you go for those of you who can't pick out my husband in the 2 seconds he was in the video :

Obviously the most handsome one in the video!

And here is our picture when he FINALLY got home!

Y'all, he smelt really bad. But I still love him

 HALLMARK CHRISTMAS MOVIES ARE STARTING THIS SATURDAY!!! I REPEAT HALLMARK CHRISTMAS MOVIES START THIS SATURDAY!!!

Are y’all ready for the big announcement…..

WE ARE NOT PREGNANT however, we did become parents Sunday….to a 1 ½ year old…...small horse aka a Great Dane/Lab mix. Her name is “Roo”. She is the apple of Justins' eye (well behind me) and I adore her. She is super cuddly and so smart.  She came to us from a family who has a human baby that is just starting to walk and Roo would knock him over. So Roo is now our baby!

She is so cute and she makes me do weird things like buy this:

 We are now a family of 3 and we are a pretty cute family if I do say so myself

Always,

Anna (and Roo)