Tahquamenon Falls and Point Iroquois Lighthouse

If there is one thing the E.U.P. (Eastern Upper Peninsula) doesn't lack it is beauty.  I have never seen scenery as beautiful as some of the sights I've seen here.  The snow just adds even more beauty to these places.  Becca came to visit (willingly) in the midst of winter here from California where the temps are still averaging mid-70's.  I love her for that! We took full advantage of the sunshine here and went to see the Tahquamenon Falls which freeze over in the winter.  Danny and I made this 10 mile hike over the summer to see the Falls and they were beautiful then but to see them this time of year was like nothing I have ever seen before.  You can get to the falls also by driving to them which is what most people do in the winter (obviously weather doesn't permit 10 mile hikes!).  It's amazing to me how these enormous falls freeze almost completely over this time of year.  The icicles along the side were stunning! It was a very fun day filled with adventure (of course).  The day (or her visit) wouldn't have been complete without me getting my car stuck either.  Thank goodness for a good samaritan that just happened to be walking up to from the lake as I was trying to move my car from the deep snow to the other side of the lot.  

Ever since the lakes have become frozen over I have had this strange itch to want to walk on them. They freeze every year to the point of being able to walk/snowmobile/snow shoe/ice fish on but this is the most they have been frozen in 34 years! D gets to do this often for work but I had never experienced it and had been dying to do it! When I first heard that he and other people were out snow moiling and snow shoeing on it I thought they were nuts.  But then I just kept thinking about it and thought, "how many chances in this life after leaving here will I have this opportunity?" probably slim to none.  So while Becca was visiting we made it a goal to find somewhere we could access the lake.  We stumbled upon this by accident, which is also where my car got stuck, and ventured out.  It was exhilarating! As we walked farther and farther out we weren't sure if we were on water yet or still the "shore".  Becca looked down and saw a patch of water below a cut out of ice which was our indicator that we were officially walking on the lake.  My heart may have stopped for a split second and I may have panicked and turned around to run back but realized I couldn't without a picture! I am SO glad I had this opportunity.  

"Lake" Superior

After Becca left D and I made another trip to the Falls because our first attempt together was a bust due to white out weather conditions that we attempted to endure to get there.  Not smart of us, we nearly froze to death...that's only slightly an exaggeration!  Since taking Becca to the Falls just 3 days prior the temps had warmed up a bit and the falls were already flowing a bit more. We also pit stopped at a lighthouse that he goes to while at work and had a stunning view of Canada as well as some great pictures of the lighthouse. 

Just a little side-by-side comparison.  Same location, different season! The left one was taken this past weekend and the right one was taken over the summer.  Pretty awesome right? I love mother nature! 

A few things I've learned lately...

No, these aren't more snow lessons.

1.  When the sun is shining here, it is much colder.  When it is overcast, it is much warmer, and snowier...BRING ON THE SUN! I don't care how cold it is I would take the sunshine over the gloom any day.  It's not like we have had a shortage of snow or anything, we can afford the cold, snowless, sunshine.  When the sun is shining, I am happy.

2.  Living in the moment, one day at a time, accepting where you are and why you are here (i.e. a loving spouse whom you adore and married "for better or for worse" and well, you are currently learning to accept the "for worse" part aka adapting to a temporary tundra lifestyle) makes every single day much better and way more manageable.

3. La Rue Park CDC is the best.  Well, in comparison to any preschool I personally have experienced.  Am I saying it's the best in the world? Negative. Not even the best in the country.  I am not that naive to think it's the hands down best preschool ever.  However, it beats any darn preschool I've experienced here.  In terms of structure, children, lesson planning, theory, etc.  I want to drink, a lot every time I leave from subbing.  While I love being in the preschool setting and working with children, I miss my well behaved infants and toddlers.  I am proud to say my infants and toddlers were better behaved than the preschool aged children I currently work with.  Her program is wonderful but the kids well, they give me a run for my money for sure.  I'm not saying all the kids are the same here.  I've met some pretty awesome and well behaved children, but that group in particular, whew!

4. Running on the treadmill is better than not running at all.  There are indoor tracks here that I can use but this is so convenient and truly, what's the difference between running in a small oval vs. running on a belt? In my opinion, nothing! I wake up, groggily walk down my stairs, drink my coffee, and hop on.  I keep saying I'm going to give running outside another shot but sorry, when it's 15 below, it's just not physically possible for me.  I did see a man running the other morning at 25 below.  I think he may have suffered so long from cabin fever that he lost his mind, just slightly.  Dedication or craziness? I will never know! Anyway, a morning started with a run makes for a good day even if it has to be on a treadmill. I open the windows, turn up the jams, and go to town!

5.  Serious. Infant/Toddler. Withdrawals.  <---- Those are for real, I'm truly experiencing them every single day.  I even dream of some of them! Ahhhh

6.  If you want something of good quality, you are probably going to have to make it yourself.  Bread, tortillas, pizza dough, pasta, salad, breakfast, lunch, dinner, water (ok just kidding, but you get it) but pretty much anything and everything has to be made by you.  Unless you are ok settling for processed products with food labels so long you get tired of reading them and trying to pronounce the additives before you finish them then I suggest you learn to make your own stuff.  Once you get it down, 5 hours isn't really that long to make fresh ravioli just as you like them and the 3 hours it takes to make 100% WW bread (without using your bread maker that is) seems like a piece of cake in comparison to those ravioli.  But hey, at least we know what we are eating, right? It's so worth it, isn't it? Yes. Yes it is.

7. If you're going to eat out, do yourself a favor and pay the $6 in bridge toll to go to Canada.

8.  People in California will always ask you if it's still snowing or if there is still a lot of snow.  Yes, the 6ft snow banks are still here, and yes, it is still snowing.  It is winter.  It is snowing.  Please refrain from asking me again until June when my answer could possibly (possibly I said) be different.  Better yet, let me call you and tell you, "the snow has stopped, the snow has stopped"!  Or a better one, "is it still cold?" oh noooo not at all! We have no concept of weather or seasons there.  This I have learned since living here.

9.  Speaking of California's not having any concept of seasons, I can't believe I have gone the first 25 years of my life never experiencing seasons! I have surely missed out.  We got them but not as dramatic.  I like it.  I really like it.

10.  Apparently it's not normal for people to wear shorts to the gym when it's in the 20's.  If it is 20 degrees, I am not layering to go to the gym.  Even 15, so I'd say above 15. When it was 20 degrees in the early mornings in California, I wore shorts to the gym.  Just because it's snowing, still doesn't change that it is 20 degrees therefore, I will wear shorts to the gym.  "You have got to be cold" is what I often get.  WELL DUH! I'm not insane, just don't like the extra work I have to put into layering and removing when I'm simply walking from my car into the gym or from my car into the store after the gym.  "Hey look there's the California girl in her shorts again!" is what I got at the hardware store a few weeks ago.  I'm famous. 

11.  A good bed will make you a happier person.  Yes, we finally purchased a new bed and a king sized one at that.  Can you say hallelujah? My back sure did.  I sleep through the night (and by through the night I mean only waking up once to pee) and wake up feeling rested and with no back pain.  Happy wife.

12.  Last, but not least, home truly is wherever I am with you. I'm embarrassed to admit that this was not the mindset I had here initially.  While it was nothing personal against him, I just went through a selfish period where I was a miserable bitch here.  I was being selfish.  Home was California. Home was my old job.  I hated that I had to leave everything behind.  I didn't hate this place, I still don't, but I hated that I sacrificed everything.  But I didn't sacrifice everything because I still had him and that truly is the most important thing to me.  I was blinded by bitterness, sadness, anger, frustration, and so much more.  I was pulled from my "perfect" life and thrown into a life where I had nothing to do and felt useless here. I clean my house like a tweeker, my toilets are so clean I could eat out of them, my floors are so clean our socks never show signs of dust, I'm running out of spaces to organize, and I cook and bake enough to start a small business.  However, I may not be in California but I do have everything I need right here.  I will figure the rest out.  I think it may have been a good thing for me to be forced to slow down a bit and enjoy life.

Yes, life is good! <3

Job interviews, below zero temps, and snow shoveling

Phew! It's been a crazy week settling back in here.  I feel like I have been going non-stop every day this past week and it feels good to just relax! Since being home I've had 3 job interviews! Yes, 3.  One is for subbing at the Lutheran Preschool, loved it (finally!), the other was at Early Head Start for the lead infant and toddler teacher, and the other was just meeting with some parents from the school I worked at prior to leaving for California for two and a half months about helping with their kids when their schedules overlap (she's an RN and he is in school working towards that).

The Lutheran preschool interview went great, she immediately asked me to sub 4 full days next week for her while she is on vacation.  Perfect.  There's not too many kids enrolled yet because they just opened this school year but it is quickly growing! I'm excited to be able to have this opportunity so quickly.

The Heat Start interview was interesting because I had NO idea I was going for an Infant and Toddler position.  I didn't even know an infant and toddler program existed in this city to be honest, I had searched and searched and never saw anything so I settled for a preschool interview at Head Start.  When we sat down for the interview it was almost as if she was "warning" me as to what I was getting into when she looked at me and said "now you are aware that this is for an infant and toddler lead position, right?" Pretty sure my reaction was NOT what she was expecting.  I think I wore the excitement all over my face and definitely owned that interview.  They wasted no time calling some of the references I provided within that hour after I left. There was a written portion of the interview as well that I wrote a novel on. I feel very confident in that position. They did say that it would be a long decision making process, it's just the way it is there because it goes through so many people, so it gives me time to think if I really want another full-time commitment here with how often I want to come and go.  I don't want to burn my bridges in this town within the first year by starting and leaving positions, it's not me!

The last one I went to was with a family whose daughter went to the preschool I was at before leaving.  She was a doll and I couldn't stand knowing I was leaving and potentially not going to see her again so I left her parents a card before I left with all my information.  They immediately contacted me about a potentially position helping them out when their schedules overlap.  Few hours here and there...totally my speed right now! While I was at their house, she informed me that she applied for an RN position with the Air Force (she's ex-army, he's army reserve) and she got in so they would be moving in June to where you may ask? VACAVILLE.  YEAH, what are the damn odds of that!?! Her position is at Travis AFB in Fairfield.  I literally choked on my sip of water when she said it and was so excited for them but so sad at the same time.  I knew he was from Southern California, but I never expected her to say that's where she was going.  How ironic is that?

Lastly, adjusting to the temps wasn't TOO bad because when we came back things were "warmer" than they had been.  Lately things have been a bit on the bitter cold side.  Definitely not rocking shorts to the gym and to the grocery store after like I was last week.  The coldness comes from the skin piercing wind.  Ouch.  Thankfully I don't spend much time outside.

As for snow shoveling, yeah, unless it's an emergency, you won't catch me doing that shit ever again. Do I feel like I am "above" snow shoveling? Not exactly.  We all had nice snow blowers provided for us but the CG cut the budget for fixing them so some have broken and we've all been sharing which works fine and my friend's husband has been doing our driveway for me when D is gone at work.  Yesterday the storm had brought quite a bit of snow so when I got home I decided, "why not give this shoveling thing a whirl", yeah no. NEVER. AGAIN. There were FEET of snow, FAR below zero temps, and more snow falling as I was shoveling and the wind blowing the snow that I was shoveling.  I looked at my neighbor who was shoveling her driveway, said "f*** this I am not leaving tonight anyway" walked in the house and that was that.  My friend's husband is on his way down to snow blow my driveway this morning.  Thank Goodness. And thank goodness for a treadmill in my house!

On a brighter note: The snow is beautiful, the cold is bearable, and I'm already planning my next trip out to California ;)

Fall, Butternut Squash Lasagna Rolls, and a government shut down.

Fall is upon us and the weather here since I have returned has been cool and without humidity.  I am enjoying it.  The trees here have changed to vibrant reds, oranges, yellows, and other beautiful in between colors that I wouldn't normally see in California.  They say the first couple weeks of October are the prettiest and I will admit, it's beautiful.  One thing Michigan has going for it! I love fall so it's just perfect in my eyes.  I know winter is right around the corner and I know it's rough up here but what is making me feel better about all of it is knowing I can leave WHENEVER I need to if I just can't hang! I am all set in terms of winter clothes but I know I'll still be cold, not that I'll be spending that much time outside anyway.  :) Anyway, it is what it is and we shall take on the winter as it comes.  Truly our biggest concern is our cars with the salt on the roads.  We see so many rusted vehicles up here and it scares us.  I know it's lack of care on the owner's part but it's still awful to see.  We will do all we can to keep our cars pretty, I know for a fact D won't let them get ruined.

Another reason I love fall us because of all the delicious squash that is in season! I buy tons of it all season and cook it in a million different ways.  One of my favorites is butternut squash chili that I make often.  Tonight I made a gluten free version of Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna Rolls from Skinnytaste...they were delicious! I made a few of the lasagna rolls with regular spaghetti sauce just in case D wasn't crazy about the butternut squash sauce but he actually enjoyed it too.  I will admit, her sauce recipe wasn't TOO full of flavor like I prefer so I added a little extra to it and I'd still probably add more next time but the recipe is a keeper.  It even tasted good with the regular sauce and the butternut squash sauce mixed.

On another note, as we all know, the government is in a partial shutdown.  This greatly effects us as D is a federal employee.  Thankfully as of now they are paying military salaries but a lot of things have been cut, it's quite sad.  They took away their government vehicles, their galley's (the kitchens where they can purchase meals while on duty), the trash is no longer paid for (this goes for us in housing as well!), medical COULD possibly be effected, all military schools have been shut down (unless the training is necessary for national security purposes), and if they don't figure this out by the 15th, they will not get paid.  If they remain unpaid for over 90 days all military contracts are void and all personnel are free to get out with an honorable discharge.  If pay is withheld they will get backpay for however long they weren't paid for.  Also, many military banks are offering to pay the members their salaries (loans without interest) for as long as it's needed then once they start getting the backpay, they will pay back the banks. Not only does it hurt the military members here but all the men and women overseas are taking a hit from this as well.  They cut their meals from 3 meals a day to 2, and they will also lose their pay come the 15th if the government doesn't figure this out. Vets are losing all their benefits and reservists aren't getting paid.  Veterans attending school with their GI bills are losing their funding if nothing is figured out by Friday.  How sad, right!? It's so unfortunate and corrupt in a way.  They are all still getting paid I'm sure.  Dirtbags.  Hopefully they get their business in order and come to some sort of agreement.  I'll tell you one thing, if D doesn't get paid for 90 days, we are outta here! :)

My green thumb.

Ok, ok, so I haven't actually "planted" anything yet but I did purchase this cute little petunia plant and stone base for it to sit on at my new favorite produce stand in town! :) We decided this stone stand will be for our annuals aka "the plants that will die as soon as the freezing cold winters come" and I will get to plant my perennials (the plants that can potentially survive the cold) in the ground very soon.  I did absolutely die over a hydrangea plant (one of my faves) and a peony plant (another fave) that I MUST find a place for...both perennials yay!!!! I also have plans for a garden box with a little bit of produce and herbs...ready, set, GROW! :) 

Little bits of happiness

Pure beauty.

Welcome to "The Soo"!

We arrived in Sault Sainte Marie, MI on Monday the 24th and after one more night in a Hotel in Michigan where they screwed up our reservation and upgraded us to a two room jacuzzi suite, we checked into our new home.  A 2 bedroom, 1.5 bath, duplex.  It's nice.  Same square footage as our old apartment just a different layout and the rooms seem a bit smaller but they will work.  Brand new carpets and appliances (minus the washer and dryer which we purchased our first day here). Our stuff was supposed to arrive on the 26th but we were told that for some unforeseen reason we aren't getting it until July 5th.  OH. NO. Thankfully, we are allotted 10 days for "house hunting" in which they would pay for our hotels and we are given an extra per diem for food costs while we have nothing. PHEW! Oh, but wait, D thinks camping in our new house on an air bed for a week sounds better. Ugh, I GUESS I am sick of living out of my suitcase as well...camping it is! I managed to pick up a few sub-par items at Target before we left Sturgeon Bay such as a pot, pan, and cooking utensils so we could at least cook in our place and not have to eat out.  Sub-par is an understatement.  The pot lid doesn't seal so I had to cover it with foil to cook my rice and the can opener broke after one use.  I also somehow forgot to grab a knife and ended up creating an entire mexican meal (complete with the homemade rice and all) with a dang plastic butter knife. Carpal tunnel anyone? After two meals, and a mild freak out, I finally purchased a knife. Where there's a will, there's a way.

We scoped out the town, I've managed to go to Wal-mart more in three days than I probably ever have in my life and I have found out that "farmer's market" has a whole new meaning up here...I'm not sure how they define it, but it sure isn't the same as Davis' definition.  Thank GOD I found Emerson's produce, a cute little produce stand that has just about everything I need, because Wal-mart just DOESN'T cut it for me.  I also found a grocery store that is *normal*, a small health food store (my saving grace) and ladies and gents....A GYM! I've done a little research and found that a city two hours from us has Target, Lowe's, and well, REAL stores.  I also have to go to this city to get my car serviced so it will become a common trip in the future.   TARGET! YES!

Upon arrival I was greeted with two packages. First, a welcome package from the oh so amazing Becca filled with TJ's snacks, homemade brownies, and my favorite cookies from the farmer's market...Upper crust whole wheat PB and Chocolate chip cookies.  Heaven. Second, a Nordstrom package.  We all know a home wouldn't be MY home without a Nordstrom package waiting at my door.  Turns out, the .com headquarters mails out of IA which means 2 day shipping instead of a week...yippee! :)

We ventured into Canada for a day to hit up Home Depot (which was outrageously priced compared to here) to look for a lawn mower and weed whacker and also explored the Ontario side of Sault Sainte Marie.  Not too shabby...must eat at a few restaurants there before we head out.

Wait, did I say lawn mower and weed whacker? YES! That is right, we have a yard ladies and gents which means I can plant stuff! A garden of yummy produce (probably next season) and lots of beautiful flowers! I can't wait!

I've managed to get a few runs in since being here and quickly found that I am literally half a mile from a beautiful beach. YES! I have lots of area to run around here as well and it's beautiful! I'm going to get all my outdoor running in before it's too cold and I'm confined to my treadmill or the gym and their treadmills during the winter.  Did I mention there's tons of poison oak (or ivy, not sure the difference) up here? I discovered that on my run! Also, the BEES! They love me...guess that choice of lavender body wash and lotion isn't a good one around here. A friend made the comment that lavender to bees is like cat nip to cats.  Lesson learned.  I've been eaten alive by mosquitos (apparently they love me too) and caught in a thunderstorm/downpour on a run.  I guess the sound of loud rumbling thunder means take cover not head out for a run.

We don't have cable or internet yet but I managed to head down to Verizon and had them turn our phones into mobile hotspots. SCORE! So I can now push my data to our computers.  GO ME!

I miss my Babes more than most things right now.  I've been in contact with my friends from work everyday and their parents and I get pictures almost daily.  Last night I even had the chance to FaceTime with two of my sweet girls.  Made my night.  I have been told they are having a little bit of a tough time adjusting (both the babes and their parents) which makes me so sad and feel as if I have let them down so much.  Especially one of my sweet boys whom I know truly misses me and knows I am gone.  My sweet little guy.  My other handsome boy seemed to be a little off too last time I checked and his mom was stressing because she didn't have anyone to text throughout the day to keep her up to speed on how he was..and my baby girl has been looking around for me in the classroom.  I know they will all adjust, I just wish they didn't have to.  I never anticipated leaving this soon and I hope to visit very soon.

All in all, I'm adjusting.  I think the small town life is a bigger adjustment for D than it is for me seeing as I grew up in a town smaller than this, with way less than there is here.  It seems like a big tourist area, the entire waterfront is shops and little restaurants. The worst part about it for me is the RUDE PEOPLE! Everyone seems so miserable...not just to us I mean to each other! Just unfriendly, unhappy, flat out rude.  Not quite sure why but it's ridiculous and kind of comical in a way.  You would think that in a small town people would be more friendly, not here.

Welcome to Michigan! 

4 months of...

Complete and utter chaos.  I mean chaos in a good way, if there even is a good way to live a chaotic life...

As I sit here writing this blog post on the floor of my empty apartment, eating my signature snack of farmer's market fresh berries and fancy cheese and crackers on a paper plate, I can't help but to look around and think, "didn't we just get here"?

As of the Monday that just passed us, we have been stripped of all our belongings except those we deemed "very important" and "sticky note worthy" (my way of marking all my exceptionally important items that the movers weren't allowed to touch), these items included but are not limited to my jewelry, a quarter of my closet, my coffee pot, and my bottles of wine, unfortunately I forgot to tag the cork screw so we frantically searched for one to borrow.  Wine is a necessity in this household. D wasn't amused by the amount of clothing I saved behind but I insisted that I needed it for the two week period between shipping and receiving our stuff.  He has learned to humor my crazy antics and just let things be.  Our belongings are currently on their way to a new land thanks to the U.S. Coast Guard. I am glad they actually make this whole moving process easy, well, sort of. Although my initial reaction to finding out these orders was similar to that of a temperamental toddler, I am coming to terms with the fact that "Hello! It's an opportunity to see new places on the government's dime".  Sure, it's far away, sure it will be cold, but we aren't moving to Mars (even though for a while I felt that we were), and it's not permanent by any means, unless for some reason (still unknown) we love it so much we decide to call it our new home.  His tour here was supposed to be four years but was cut short because he advanced.  Punishment for promoting? I have faith that a similar situation can occur while out there as he is currently in the process of trying to advance once again.  Then it's off to the next place.  Maybe somewhere warmer? We have heard it is beautiful where we are going, cold during the winters, but beautiful.  I can't say whether or not I will hate the snow as I have never lived in it, maybe it's something I will come to enjoy?

While we prepare for our move to the tundra I can't help but to think what a blessing in disguise this may be.  I can't think of the last day we have had to ourselves that I wasn't running around like a chicken with my head cut off worrying about where I had to be next before I was even finished with what I was currently doing.  I have fallen sick more these past couple years that ever before and simply feel exhausted.  I contribute the illnesses to my amazing job full of germ vectors disguised as adorable little people who brighten my days and make every last bit of illness worth it.  I must say, those little people are the ones I am most sad to leave behind.  They are my world! I am also sad to leave behind the amazingly wonderful parents of La Rue.  Upon learning of my upcoming move I have realized how much I am truly loved and appreciated.  I am not sure what I will do without La Rue in my life.  If we end up back here, I know I always have a job to come back to.

I am thrilled to be able to see different parts of the country.  We are prime location to visit Canada on the daily and numerous other U.S. cities in our vicinity. We have begun mapping out all our top travel locations to see while we are there. Some we have to travel a little farther for but it's still much closer than attempting to visit them from here.  Our friends and families are actually excited about this opportunity for us because it gives them reason to travel to new parts of the country as well.  Some of which are already planning out their first trips to visit us.  Loved much?

We will leave our little apartment officially on Wednesday and begin our trip across I-80 to our new "home" for the next couple years.  Did someone say, road trip?