Saturday, October 11, 2008

My Hand Gesture




You Are an “A-OK”



Your life philosophy can be summed up as, “Whatever will be, will be.”

Your greatest wish is to live each day a little better than the last.


You are naturally calm and stable. Some people would call you a rock.

You feel one with the world. You are a spiritual person, though no one who knows you would guess it.

A Meme of 7's

I got tagged by Kendi so here goes:)

7 things I can do:
1. plan and pack for a 3-day weekend for 4 in less than an hour
2. eat a whole roll of oreos in one sitting
3. make cute babies, and keep em alive
4. manage a crisis
5. clean house all day and still have mess when the day is over
6. a kayak roll
7. eat with chopsticks

7 things I can't do
1. stay at home for more than 1 day at a time
2. eat slimy textures
3. keep my kids clean and dressed
4. manage a schedule
5. grow a successful garden... I planted 72 seeds in the spring and harvested only 1 pea... and the dog ate it. I've got plans for a new garden location and a better methods next year.
6. enjoy getting out of bed in the morning
7. color my own hair

7 things that attracted me to Ben
1. his silly giggle
2. his natural leadership
3. his integrity
4. his kisses
5. his wink and cheesy grin
6. his outdoor savvy
7. his groundedness and manliness

7 things I say most often
1. You're so silly!
2. Kaia, leave your sister ALONE!
3. One, Two...
4. Are you ok?
5. SHHHHH! Use your inside voice!
6. Good job!
7. Watcha doin?

7 Celebrity admirations
1. Oprah-- gives back and inspires others
2. Lance Armstrong-- overcome great odds
3. Susan G. Koman-- dedication for a cause that makes a difference
4. Dr. Oz- knowledge of health and fitness
5. Sponge Bob Square Pants-- sincere love and appreciation for the simple things
6. Alison Vincent-- the biggest loser lost 112 lbs mostly on her own.
7. Ekhart Tolle-- inspirational author with a positive message

7 favorite foods
1. chocolate
2. ice cream
3. grilled salmon
4. cheesecake
5. gourmet pizza
6. Tillamook caramel corn puffs
7. pit fruit (nectarines, plums, peaches, apricots, avocados, olives and all nuts)

7 people I tag
Well, if there are 7 people who read this blog that haven't been tagged... you're it.

Monday, September 15, 2008

We Won The Lottery!!!

Well, we technically didn't win, but our friends did and gave us all the gold! Each year Denali National Park only allows 400 personal vehicles to travel the entire 97 mile length of the Denali Park Road and they hold a road lottery to determine which 400 get to go. It's outrageous! It costs $10/ ticket and you aren't guaranteed the specific date you request as only 100 cars are allowed each day over a 4-day "weekend." Even if you win, you still have to pay the $45 for the day pass and redeem it by 12pm the day of your lottery winning. But it is WORTH IT!Ben's friends had somehow scored 12 tickets and won 2 passes and invited us to join them for a spectacular journey through one of the most amazing places on earth. I can't imagine enduring that trip the way everyone else has to... by 16-hr-super-expensive-and-crazy-bumpy bus ride. It was nice to have the privacy, comfort and pace of driving our own vehicle. I'm certain that we wouldn't have another chance like this and we took full advantage.
It was incredible, almost like something out of a Dr. Seuss illustration. The bushes were purple, the trees were the most amazing golds and fluorescent greens, and the contrast of the fresh snowfall over the turquoise glaciers and black craggy cliffs were out-of-this-world SPECTACULAR! Photographs never do it justice, and the grand scale of the place is just unbelievable.I love being in places where I feel so small and yet so much a part of everything. The beauty of the wilderness always gives me a sense of connectedness and gratitude for life and the creator of it all. What an amazing experience to share with the family! Well, Kaia may remember it for all the wildlife we saw. But, I am sure that Mekayla just hated being in the car that long. I just hope that I get to bring both my girls back here someday to enjoy it how I enjoyed it.
We started the trip with keeping a wildlife tally in our heads. It didn't take long to discover that paper would be a much better method. At the end of the trip we had the luck of seeing 1 Red Fox, 1 American Beaver, 1 North American Porcupine, 2 Collared Pika, 2.5 Snowshoe Hares (one road kill that was being eaten by ravens to account for the .5), 3 Bald Eagles, 5 Mountain Goats, 6.5 Arctic Ground Squirrels, 8 Moose, 9 Grizzly Bears, 13 Dall Sheep, 18 Caribou and countless unidentifiable birds of prey riding the thermals along the steep mountainsides.

I did get a few wildlife shots, but my zoom isn't powerful enough to tell what is what. For more info and photos of Denali National Park, click here