BABY SIT UPS

Look who's sitting up all by herself! The past 1-2 weeks she's started to really be able to sit up more and more without any help. She's almost mastered it - she has a hard time "saving" herself if she leans too far backward - but she's getting better everyday. I can't believe it - she's growing way too fast!!!

IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE...

CHRISTMAS! I know it's time for Halloween, but it's looking more like Santa should be coming instead of goblins around here. But I do have to admit - it is very pretty.

Last week, Justin was getting his military winter gear ready for work and was trying on his coat. BTW- Poor Justin, he works as a weapon instructor and teaches people to shoot every day. So in Utah they have a really nice indoor range to shoot in, but here in Alaska where it gets a whole lot colder, they have an outdoor range - Um kinda stupid if you ask me. But anyways he thought it would be funny to put up his furry hood and scare the dog. I do have to admit it was really funny watching him chase Alley around the house - she was terrified. But it wasn't nearly as funny after when the zipper got stuck and he couldn't get his coat off. Oh it makes me laugh even as a write this! :)

Hopefully he won't kill me for posting these pictures. :) Love you babe!!!

DIRTY PEOPLE... EEEWWW!!!

So the past week we've been cleaning out the other half of our duplex getting it ready for the new tenants. All I can say is YUCK!!! First off it's bad enough to have to clean up your own dirt, but cleaning other people's dirtiness is just plain gross. But these last tenants were super duper gross. I always knew they were trailer park trash, but they just stunk - literally. I think we've finally got the stench out after shampooing the carpet and many many bottles of carpet fresh. I mean you know it's bad if I complain - because everyone that knows me, knows that I'm not a clean freak, so I can understand normal dirt. (Chantel would run screaming in horror at this place! :) ) So my job has been washing walls for the past 3 days, which has been a chore. I know we have a lot of mosquitoes in Alaska and they sometimes get in your house and you have to kill them. But who smashes bug guts all over the wall and then doesn't wipe it off afterwards? Really, who does that? Not just one or two here or there either, I mean a TON all over the house - Nasty! Justin has been working with a contractor fixing two big holes in the wall - one of which was made by one of their friend's head, who was drunk and fell into the wall. I wasn't kidding about the TPT. But whatever, at least they're gone for good - they even finally towed their truck out of the drive way yesterday that hasn't started in like 6 months.

Sorry for this complain fest! People just annoy me too much. On a good note the new tenants move in on the 15th and I'm pretty sure they're going to be a whole lot better. Not Trista and Ryan good, but better - Come back, we miss you!!! (Those were our first tenants that totally spoiled us into thinking this job was easy) But they're a young military couple who just got married and have no kids. (Not that I don't like kids - it just means less wear and tear on your house - I sound like some business woman - HA!) So, yes I think we've learned our lesson on letting anyone "help" us find tenants - if you want something done right - do it yourself!

BULLWINKLE PART 2

I was talking to my mom last night and she was wondering why I haven't posted pictures of Justin's moose. I've been meaning to do this ever since he got back, but just kept forgetting - so here are a couple.

Now the frustrating part of the story. So last year when Justin went moose hunting he waited for the "big" one, passing up on 4 or 5 legal size moose that he could have shot - so he ended up coming home with nothing. So this year he said that he was going to shoot the first legal moose that he saw because he didn't want to come home empty handed. So the day after shooting his moose he took one of the guy's that he went hunting with out to help him. Now this kid is a totally city boy and wouldn't get a moose unless he accidentally hit it with his truck - he really had no clue. So Justin took him out, showed him a good hunting spot, called the moose in for the guy, woke him up to shoot his moose (yes, he was sleeping on his four wheeler at the time) and then the guy got buck fever and had to shoot the moose 7 times!!! Now as you can see from the picture below that this moose is about twice the size of Justin's - really irritating! I told Justin that he should of charged the guy money for this great guided moose hunt.

Oh well - he came away with a whole ton of meat so I guess it doesn't really matter. So, anyone up for a moose burger? Come on over, we'd love to have you!!!

BRRR... I'M COLD!!!

Okay, so I know everyone is probably so sick of me complaining about living in Alaska, but with that said let me complain some more. :) I'm FREEZING!!! (...already) As I let the dog out this morning I shivered as the cold breeze came through the house. I glanced at the thermometer and saw that it was a "cozy" 19 degrees. And as I sit here and write, wrapped up in a big hoodie, it hasn't even got above freezing yet and it's 2:00 in the afternoon. All I have to say is BRRR!!! I'm so not ready for winter. Not to even mention the fact that it'll get 60-70 degrees colder before it gets any warmer. YUCK!!! Why oh why do these crazy people live here??? The sad part is I really like winter, I do - just not 9 months of winter. Oh well, I guess I'll have to deal with it cause I'm pretty sure I'm stuck here. So be sure to send your warm thoughts my way.

On a different note, I have to brag about the little one - I'm so not a proud mama or anything. But yesterday one of the lady's at church came over to say hi to Brianna and I. She was introducing her husband to me who I hadn't met yet and as she reached out to hold Bri she told her husband that she thinks that Brianna is the cutest baby in the ward. How sweet. I mean of course I think she's the cutest baby in the world - but it was fun to hear that other people think she's just as cute.

And again, on a totally different subject (this is starting to become a really random post), but I thought it was kinda funny (and probably the only one that will think it's funny). But my Miss Daizy dog has been outside for about a half hour under one of the trees in our yard with a squirrel treed. I think she's patiently waiting for her dad to come shoot it out of the tree for her. Hey, she might not be a very good raccoon / cougar hunter - but she's a heck of a squirrel dog. What a goober!

BEWARE... SHE BITES!

Yep that's right - Brianna got her first tooth!!! She chomped on my finger while she was playing as Justin and I were watching a movie on Sunday night and I felt this sharp poke. I told Justin that I thought I had just felt a tooth but he thought I was nuts. So I got up and turned on the light to further inspect and sure enough there's a little tooth on the bottom right side of her mouth. I was actually really surprised because I was expecting her to be really cranky but she's been so good lately that I had no idea that she was teething. I can't believe my little pumpkin is big enough for teeth!

(I tried to get a picture of her tooth, but she was not having any of it - So I just snapped a cute picture of her smiling instead)

WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE? (Warning: Nasty Picture Below)

Now I know that every mom has probably had this happen to them before, but I was just a little shocked at my little girl's magic trick she did yesterday. I was unpacking groceries as Brianna sat watching me in her Bumbo seat. As I finished up I went to take Bri out of her chair and found this...

Now what's wrong with this picture? Yep that's a whole lot of poop that's nowhere to be found in some one's diaper - it was virtually empty when I went and changed her. Not to mention those are the outside of her pants - the Outside! How does this happen? She must have some magical power that makes her poop appear on the outside of her pants instead of in her diaper. Amazing!?!

Well all I can say is that I'm sure glad I picked up these items at the grocery store!