I hope you all had a blessed holiday, I know we certainly enjoyed ours. Scott and I went into Seward for church and then took the pup to the beach to run wild and free. She sure did enjoy chasing all the birds. Scott also made some fresh shrimp he got from a guy in Whittier yesterday for East supper. YUM!
I'm FINALLY sitting down and writing a new blog. You guys need to get on me for slacking!!! It's been a pretty hectic last few months. Between moving in our new place and settling into a new job I've had my ups and downs. Starting a new job can always be a challenge, especially with the learning curve. Though it's been difficult transitioning from an outside animal husbandry job to an inside office job in HR, I'm learning a lot of new skills I know are useful. Now that we're getting closer to spring its the time of year to hold interviews and find our interns for the summer. That has been both fun and hectic. I've never interviewed someone before so it's a bit strange to be on the other end. I have to say, some of these applicants are crazy impressive. I definitely didn't have interviewing skills like some of them when I was applying to internships. Going through the process has made me really excited to meet the group of interns. My favorite aspect of the new job is my main responsibility, managing the internship program. I think I'll enjoy it that much more once the interns arrive, which crazily enough is in just TWO weeks!! Another new skill I'm getting into with this new position is grant writing. I was able to go to a free seminar held at the library by the Seward Community Foundation and it was great! I'm excited at the opportunity to try my hand at this sort of writing. Finally, I've been able to participate in scuba diving class at the SeaLife Center and have now finished all the pool sessions. Up next are open water dives! I'm no longer volunteering in the mammal department and have instead started volunteering in the vet services department and more recently eider laboratory. It's been fun getting a new experience and learning new information. I've really appreciated learning all about what the SeaLife Center has to offer. Especially all the research! Check out our website www.alaskasealife.org to find more information on our eider research and other cool things we're doing at the center.
Over the holidays I was able to go on a trip to Mexico with Scott and his family. It was a blast! I hadn't been there since my mission trips back in high school. O how I missed queso ruffles. I had a really great time and can't tell you how nice it was to get some sun and warmth. While on vacation we were able to take a trip to the Mangroves which was pretty amazing. So beautiful. Besides our bus driver Jose I think the most interesting part was the very long and bumpy road. It was an adventure : ) We also had lots of beach time, games, and relaxation. All in all it was a great time with great company. Thanks to the Michaelis family for letting me be a part of it! My last night there was new years eve and we all went to dinner and then walked the streets of the down town area of playa del carmen. Sarah, Eric, Scott, and I ended up walking in the crazy crowded roads looking for something to do because all the clubs/bars were so expensive! We ended up in front of the main strip of clubs and at midnight the club we were in front of set off a bunch of sparks! It wasn't times square but one of the most memorable new years I've ever had.
Moose I saw on the side of the highway the day we left!
Scott and his mom
My favorite part of the boat ride was seeing the wild dolphins swimming
Woo! Patty and I
Sarah and Eric on NYE
Speaking of the Michaelis' we also just recently did a long weekend in Vegas! I had never been so it was a pretty exciting trip to see all the sights and sounds. Did I strike it rich? Well, no. I actually won the most money on the quarter slots! I did learn to play black jack and roulette so that was fun. But darn that wheel of fortune ; )
Ceiling at the Bellagio
Scott with his childhood hero Emmit Smith
We stayed at Caesar's palace
Something very new in the last few months has been our new addition to the family! Alyeska, Aly for short, named after the Aleut word Alyeska meaning "great land" and where Alaska got it's name from. She's a siberian husky and we got her in Nikiski, AK. Her parents are hobby sled dogs so we're very excited to get her training in skijoring. She, like Rufus, is very smart and we just love her. It's been so long you'll be able to see her transition in these pics from itty bitty to quite the big girl.
Walk on the lake in Moose Pass
Very first picture on her ride to her new home!!
Our regular co-pilot. Since we both commute 45 min everyday Aly is car training
She actually fell asleep this way....or Scott's slipper knocked her out.
Ready to play frisbee with Uncle Aaron!
Much has happened since I last blogged so I think it'll be easier to post all my pics from the last couple of months and go from there!
One of my last days at the AWCC.. showing off Bert the reindeer at the winter expo in Anchorage
One of the local radio stations donated a ton of pumpkins for our bison!
He can cook! A keeper ; )
Kara, Scott and I went to the ceremonial start of the Iditarod
Kara and I!
Crazy lynx fur hat
The big fur auction
So these next few pics are the animals I watched for 3 weeks house sitting in Seward, I got pretty attached. Mr. Whitesocks!
Tank
Lucy
Wiley and Sierra
Aly enjoying the Resurrection Bay in Seward. We've been spoiled rotten with the weather lately
Ok if there's one thing that's changed since I last blogged it's my appreciation for birds. I've never been a big bird person, in fact, they kind of scare me. But I always make a point to try and put myself out of my comfort zone so I've helped catch Adonis our eagle and since then have done a puffin encounter at the ASLC (I recommend to everyone btw, you get to hand feed them!!) as well as starting to volunteer in the eider department and from that am starting to actually really like/appreciate them! This little guy is from Bird TLC, a bird teaching and learning center in Anchorage. He was so dang cute, I didn't know owls could be that tiny full grown!
