Wednesday, June 29

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

First off I'd love to wish my godchild/neice Kadance Marie a very happy 4th birthday!! I hope you love the presents we sent to you and wish even more that we could be there to celebrate with you!!!

So today is the first day we've gotten a plane in since the 14th!!! They brought over a good amount of mail but not even half the amount that they have sitting over in Dutch Harbor!! I got some movies in and my prenatal vitamins but still waiting for the rest of everything to come in!! I did get in Roni's Hello Kitty order!! She got in some really cute HK Vans (shoes) and a couple bathing suits for when we go on Vacation!! I'm excited every day is another day closer to enjoying a relaxing vacation!!

Ohhh I recieved my grades for lessons 1 & 2 of my ENGL 111 course!! I got a 88% (B) on lesson 1 and 96% on lesson 2!! I am currently working on getting lesson 3 completed and sent in before Monday!! That made me excited know that I did great on the first couple lessons!!!

Nothing much has been happening around here. The island is slowly but surely turning green. The berry plants have sprouted flowers and some are already shedding their petals and turning into small berries that will ripen into sweet bites of heaven!! The fish haven't really shown up like they did 5 years ago... so it's been a slow season for salmon once again. Hopefully I get some this year, I just used up the last of my salted salmon in the latest batch of pickled fish I whipped out!! So my buckets are empty and ready to be filled again!!

I can't believe how fast this month went by!! Next thing I know I'm going to be in Anchorage waiting to give birth!! I will be 8 weeks pregnant this Saturday!! I haven't experience any morning sickness like I did when I was preggo with Roni... so that makes me think if I'm having a boy this time around. I do have the usual heartburn though, so I'm stocked up on Tums!! I can't believe that they don't make Rolaids anymore!! I can't find them anywhere!! I'm thinking it's time to start looking at the next size up pants/jeans.... when I got pregnant with Roni I had lost almost 60 lbs prior to getting preggo, so all my clothes were big on me to begin with. This time I'm not so lucky and I know here soon my clothes won't be fitting me anymore. Wish it was easier to shop for clothes other than online!!

I joined Netflix a couple weeks ago. I love how fast they are able to send out my movies when they recieve the one I just watched! Just wish the weather would let us get planes as fast as they ship! I tried to use their instant on your computer/blu ray player option but the internet here is way too slow to deal with that! I was hoping that it would work but I guess not... I love how they offer bluray DVD's too!! This should be cheaper than buying the movies myself!! At least I hope so, at least they offer a 30 day free trial!!

We went to Dutch Harbor on the ferry this past weekend. Got some shopping done, loaded up on Gerber lil crunchies in Veggie dip flavor for Veronika, she just can't get enough of those things!! We also picked up anything else we saw that we needed. I'm always picking up those Starbucks double shots energy + coffee in vanilla flavor, even though I know I need to start cutting all caffeine out of my diet for my growing fetus! We tried to pick up a new broom - we paid for one - but the hubby completely forgot about it and left it at the checkout stand and he didn't remember about it until we were half way home on the ferry!! I couldn't believe he forgot it! Oh well, there is 12.00 down the drain!! I love to load up on fruits for Veronika and me to munch on!! I also picked up some ice cream since I've been craving some Rocky Road Icecream (same ice cream I craved when preggo with Roni)!! I picked up some heavy whipping cream to make my own icecream too!!!

Tonight we are going to cook up some burgers and fries, then I'm going to whip out a couple sea gull egg custard pies before my eggs go bad!! I wanted to make a pumpkin pie too but I think I'll wait on making that!! I also want to make some banana bread!! The damn company that we order from for the store sent us yellow bananas instead of green ones... so by the time they got here they are all getting dark and "bruised" - perfect for banana bread!!

Oh I also picked up my Scentsy Bring Back My Bar samples from Penair Cargo when we went over to Dutch!! I am in love with a bunch of them!! I can't wait to load up on them on Friday (they are only available in the month of July). My top 5 would have to be Red Delicious, Grape Granita, Watermelon Patch, Orange Dreamsicle and Root Beer Float!! Next would have to be Fresh cut cantaloupe, banana flower, coconut palm, irish cream and exotic vanilla!! There are only 20 scents total that will be back exclusively in the month of July! I am taking a list of orders for locals here in the village and will get an order out on Friday!! So if you'd like me to order them for you ASAP get a hold of me before Friday!! You can order them all month but the earlier you order them the faster they can get to you!! :D And as always I have my Monthly drawings I do on the 1st of every month for every order made in the previous month!! The person who gets drawn wins a brick of your favorite Scentsy scent!! Order at: aprilpelkey.scentsy.us I always appreciate any business, if you'd like to have a catalog sent to you please get a hold of me and I'll get that out ASAP!!

Also we had a Tsunami warning the other day. I guess there was a 7.2 earthquake inbetween Nikolski and Atka. The warning was canceled but wow what a feeling of being worried over it! We were in the middle of frying up some fresh cod when we got the call and stopped doing everything to pack an emergency bag then went back to cooking and eating dinner. I always say it's a matter of time before we shake and move since everywhere else on the Pacific plate is moving!! Plus AVO (Alaska Volcano Observatory) is here in town replacing and fixing some of their seismic stations. So it's only a jinx if it shakes while they are here!! I'm waiting to feel the ground rumble and shake. I love the power Mother Earth holds, it just amazes me!! Like I said only so long before we get a good shaking!!

Ok well I'll try to update this again in a couple days or so with anything I might have left out!! Take care bloggers!! Much love to you!! Until next time TTFN!!

Tuesday, June 14

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Wow has it really been that long since I last wrote in my blog, I feel disappointed about trying to keep this updated :(

The island is slowly turning green! The sea gulls are laying their eggs and I made my first custard pies last night (BTW they tasted awesome!!!). The red salmon are slowly showing up, the bumble bees are back checking on all the new flowers that have bloomed over the last week or so! The salmonberry bushes are budding and some even have their delicate pink flowers fully bloomed! I mowed my yard 3 times already, and it's due for a mowing again! I went on a dandelion killing spree the other day and ripped all those ugly yellow flowers out of my yard! Still debating whether or not I want to spray them with weed killer now....

The temps have been staying in the mid to high 40's and we've actually haven't been hit with too many summer storms. The plane is busy moving processors back and forth for the upcoming fishing season - so there goes hoping for mail!! Pen-Air does get some mail over to us once they finish moving the people, but at least mail is making it out!

The state ferry Tustemena is on it's summer run, making it here every 2 weeks. I like to try to jump on it once in a while for a day trip to Dutch Harbor to go shopping and for a change of scenery! Roni is a great lil sailor!!

My pups are getting big and a handful at times! They range in size from 7lbs to 2.5 lbs!! The long haired females are my bigger pups, so they will probably be the ones I breed with Dante (He's 5.5 lbs). The rest of them I'm going to have to get fixed since they aren't in a safe breeding size! Veronika loves playing with them and playing in their water dish!! They are all so lovey and have great personalities and temperaments. But I do have to tell you they are the greatest door bells!! Although they do like to bark when a 4-wheeler goes by the house, not knowing that it isn't coming to our house!

I harvested a couple bell peppers off my plants! They turned this beautiful red color and were the sweetest peppers I have ever tasted! My canary was happy with the ones I chopped up for him!! Now the rest of the peppers on some of the plants have less competition and hopefully grow big like the ones I harvested!

So I have some great news to share with everyone.... Akutan's population is going to go up by one this coming Valentine's Day, for I am 5 weeks pregnant!!! My hubby and I couldn't be more thrilled!! We put off trying for a couple months until last month and what do you know! Roni is going to be a great big sister! I just went thru Veronika's clothes the other day and put away all the stuff she don't fit and hung up all the bigger clothes that she's going to grow into! I am saving most of her clothes in case I have another girl - if we end up having a boy I think I might sell most of some of it on eBay! Try to get back some of the money I spent on all the clothes I got her... if not I'll find a baby I can hand them down to... I am super excited to be pregnant again though! I had my first prenatal appt yesterday - I hate getting my blood drawn.....

The boat harbor project is zooming along, and they have a lot done up there from some pictures my friends posted on FaceBook when they flew over it! I haven't heard much about the airport project but that is going along smoothly from what I do hear about it! They are pumping away night and day getting stuff done over there! I heard that they had to get rid of a bull cow that has been harassing the workers over there... so they are probably enjoying the fresh meat from the kill (depending on how tough and old the bull was).

Scentsy has a great looking warmer for this month's warmer of the month. It's called Star Spangled and it's the shape of a star with the American flag on it!! I think it's cute! The Scent of the Month is Peach a la Mode! I love how it smells!! And remember next month the Bring Back My Bar sale will be going on, where 20 discontinued scents will be available only in the month of July!! I am excited to stock up on some of them and try ones I never seen before!! Remember you can go to my website: http://www.aprilpelkey.scentsy.us/ to make your orders!! If you'd like to join and sell it yourself you can click on the join button from my website!! I appreciate everyone's business, not to mention for every order you place you get put into my monthly drawing for a brick of your favorite Scentsy scent!! (A $20 value) One winner gets picked on the 1st of every month for the order placed in the month prior! I also offer free light bulb replacements for your warmers! Just let me know if you need one and I'll get it off to you!! Also if you order with me I will send you the monthly Warmer and Scent of the Month fliers with a "Rub and Smell" sample of that month's scent!! Please pass the word on to all your friends and family! If you want a catalog just let me know and I'll get one out in the mail for you!!

So I am awaiting the grade to my first Lesson in my ENGL F111X class... I am hoping I did great, but you never know! It's been 10 years since I last took an English course and the only writing I really do is here on my blog and my FB posts! Other than that I don't really write much, especially academically! I hope to do great on this class, I am currently working on my next lesson which is a reflection resume explaining my objectives for taking this course, my past writing experiences and any out of school writing activities (such as my blog). And I have to start keeping a journal that compiles my thoughts and reflections about my completed writing, my activities during pre-writing and so forth about my journey to improve my writing skills!! I think I confuse myself and make it seem hard when really it isn't.... I just have to change the way I think about the course and do my best to get my stuff together and on paper! I do enjoy the challenge I get for trying to complete everything in timely order!! Feels good to know that I'm taking a college course again!

Well I have some stuff I have to get done here in the office. My co-worker is out for medical and won't be back for a month or so... so it's just me in the office, not a problem for me just more work to do! I will try to get a couple pictures uploaded later this afternoon!! Until then, TTFN!!

Wednesday, May 25

Bell Peppers and Veronika

Store bought pepper on the left, my homegrown pepper on the right!


Another plant comparing store bought to the ones I grewMy Pretty Princess in her cute Hello Kitty outfit!

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

So we're debating whether or not to go to Dutch on the ferry again this weekend. I just don't like having to wake up around 4AM to get ready and by 5AM be down at the dock ready to board the ferry, then hoping they have staterooms available so I can lay Roni back down to sleep. But I am running low on my 16oz Starbucks Doubleshot Coffee+Energy Vanilla Flavor! I still can't find a vendor who will ship them to our store for us!

My bell peppers are about store bought size, so I was thinking of harvesting a couple and making stuffed bell peppers for dinner! I still don't understand why they are green and not yellow or orange when the seeds are from yellow and orange bell peppers.... I was thinking maybe they would change as they ripen but nope they are all still green.....

So I am stuck on what to write in my Personal Essay for my ENGL 111x course. I have to write an essay about an experience in my life where I learned something about my strengths or weaknesses. So I was thinking about writing about how no matter what you read, advise from other or watch on tv, nothing will have you more prepared to give birth than actually going thru with it. I am working on my patterns of organization, brainstorming and trying to figure out just how to get it started and send it in to my instructor. I'm excited to get my class started!! Looks like it might be a bit challenging but I hope to get a good grade on it!

I hope the weather dries up and starts to warm up, I'm jealous of the weather that Anchorage has been having!! It's nice and warm up there with sunny weather, while it's cold and wet down here... at least it's not as windy as it usually is! Not sure when we last got a plane in, going on a couple days now at least! I'm patiently waiting for CODs to come in from Wal-Mart (Cash on Delivery), I am running low on diapers for Roni so hopefully those come in and soon!! What I don't get is my mother-in-law got her chain saw in before I even got one COD in, and I did hers last before we left! You'd think that the ones I did before that would have made it in by now.... oh well "hurry up and wait" as my father-in-law would say!!

So Veronika is learning who she can wrap around her little finger! She knows I won't budge to her demands but both sets of grandparents and her daddy will not let her cry and lets her get her way! I won't let her rule me over though! She's a great lil girl but can get bossy at times! I still can't believe she has around 12 teeth in her mouth! I think it's time to start weaning her from nursing. She loves to brush her teeth and brush her hair and is starting to learn how to put her clothes on! One day she had her coat and hat on like she was all ready to go somewhere!

I'm looking forward to finally going to steam bath, taking bubble baths and long showers! For the last 3.5 weeks I've been caring for my new tattoo I got begining of the month, but pretty soon it should be fully healed and I can get it wet! Not fair that the hubby is cooking steam bath today and I can't go! Sounds soooo good too!

Oh and did I forget to mention that I think I have the flu that's going around? My stomach doesn't hurt and I'm not throwing up, but I have a fever and hot/cold chills and my body is aching really bad... I know a steam bath would help relax me but I can't be going (see previous paragraph). This is my first time getting sick since before I got pregnant with Veronika! Not to mention I strained/pulled a muscle in my neck and was told that it's going to take 10-14 days for it to heal! And since I'm still nursing Roni and I have ulcers I can only take so much medicine to help me, tylenol doesn't seem to be helping me much with the pain but at least it knocks the fever down! I just hope I'm feeling better and soon!

Ok well I hope all is going great with you bloggers and blog readers out there in the world! Until next time take care and TTFN!!

Monday, May 23

Signs of summer


Akutan as seen from the ferry on May 14, 2011


A special effect (sports shot) on my phone's camera

Roni on the 4-wheeler!


A little daisy popping up in my yard!

Humpback whale in our bay, May 22, 2011

Monday, May 23, 2011

Well it’s getting to be more and more like summer out there!! We had our first humpback whales come thru the other day, looked like a mother and a calf. The weather is warming up and the dandelions are starting to sprout up everywhere. I am trying to pluck them all out of my yard, speaking of which we mowed for the first time this year last Wednesday!! Today is the spring clean up and there are bunches of people outside picking up trash then they are going to have a little bbq afterwards at the ball field! Too bad I’m stuck inside working and I can’t go out and help!

So I am officially a college student once again! I am registered for English 111X thru UAF’s Distance Ed course! I am excited, I just got my booked and class schedule in on Saturday! Going to be interesting to be taking a class again! My first lesson is a Personal Essay about an experience I had that I learned from and shows a strength or weakness. I am trying to figure out what to write about now…… I know for sure I can’t be using that many periods when I turn in my essay!

So we went to Anchorage for the APICDA community conference beginning of this month, was really good to see all of my APICDA family members!! Too bad it’s only once a year that we all get together!! I got a new tattoo from the Inked Monkey Tattoo Shop!! I won a $60.00 gift certificate to them from participating in KWHL’s (radio station in Anchorage) picture caption contest on Facebook. I am really pleased with the work Isidra did!!! She’s an awesome artist!! I recommend all my friends to go see her if you plan on getting a tat in Anchorage!!!

Also while in Anchorage, my hubby got me the new Galaxy S phone for my birthday! I love him lots and I love my phone!! It’s awesome!!! I think the main thing I love doing on it is playing games and getting online!! Right now I’m hooked on playing Angry Birds!! LOL I got my hubby hooked playing that game too!! I loved spending time with my sister Ivy and my niece Aaliyah!! She is and always will be auntie’s baby!!! She even stayed the night with us one night and we got to go swimming and spend a lot of quality time together!! I love and miss them both lots! Wish it was easier to see them instead of having to take a 3.5 hr flt that costs an arm and a leg!!!

Veronika is growing and growing everyday! She’s starting to get some words out and knows what certain things are when you ask her. She’s getting good at putting stuff in the garbage but she’s still to learn that not everything goes in there! I have to keep an eye on what’s in the garbage before I take it out to be picked up! She loves going out and playing in the yard and running around on the boardwalk! She doesn’t really like hard shoes but I have her some of those all leather shoes that doesn’t bother her feet. Soon though I will get her used to regular shoes since the leather shoes only go up to a certain size! I got her the cutest little Extra Tough boots when we went to Dutch Harbor on the ferry!!

On May 14, 2011 – My hubby’s 28th birthday, we went to Dutch on the state ferry Tustemena! It was a little rough going over but we slept thru it all! We got a lot of shopping done; when we were checking out I couldn’t stop and think of that extreme couponing show!! I loaded up on the 16oz Starbucks Double shots Coffee + Energy in vanilla flavor!!! I can’t find a vendor who sells those drinks and I only seem to get them when I’m off the island, so I made sure to clear their fridges of them when we were over there! Those are my morning pick me ups M-F!! It was a nice ride coming back home, I took my hubby and brother-in-law Don J to halibut burger dinner…. My mom could have made a better burger but hey it was still good!

My puppies are getting full grown, they all have their own personalities and I love them all so much! Cleaning up after them is a different story but it has to be done! I hope to maybe build a small fenced in area in my yard for them to play in – going to for sure make sure it has a roof on it so eagles don’t get any smart ideas!!

My bell peppers are almost ripe for the picking! I was comparing some store bought bell peppers to the ones on our plants and ours are about the same size and bigger!! I always tell my hubby “that one is perfect for stuffing” and he always laughs at me! I got my flower and vegetable seeds started and hope they sprout here with in the week so I can get them outside. I believe we are past the danger of frost (crossing my fingers). I also think my apple tree is ready to be planted outside with a support system of course so the wind doesn’t tear it apart! I’m excited to see my flowers growing! I need to get the hubby going on making me flower boxes to hang off the porch now!! Some of the flower seeds I’m going to just sprinkle over my back yard and hope they sprout!!

The airport project is in full swing! They have a full campsite set up! They have cable tv, internet, and telephones!!! It’s pretty exciting to see them getting everything going!! The boat harbor project is progressing faster than I thought it would! They have a lot of work done up there! From the plane you can really see how fast they are moving on that project! I was surprised when we flew home and got to see it! I want to go to Akun now and see what’s going on with the airport project!!

School is out and we have kids returning back for the summer! Always great to see all the kids our town has, too bad most of them leave end of the summer to attend schools elsewhere! I still can’t believe how fast the year has gone by and it’s already around the end of May!! Gosh my baby is going to be 14 months old!!! I am ready to have another baby!!

We are planning our vacation end of the year… budgeting and looking for places to stay and what to do! I want to go on vacation before I have to start paying full fare for Veronika’s tickets! After we come back I will tell everyone what we did and where we went…. Until then this is as much information I will disclose about our trip for security reasons! :D

So my Scentsy project is going great! I love having new customers and hearing feedback from people about the products! I can’t begin to explain how much I love their products and I am excited to get other people hooked on it! I think I have a Scentsy pot in at least half of the households here on the island. I also do a monthly drawing for a brick of your favorite scent. To enter all you do is make an order! Last month my winner was Shannon Williams!! I also offer free replacements on the warmer’s light bulbs! This month’s warmer is called Magellan and the scent is Amber Road: Open a box of treasure, hand-picked from exotic lands, to discover glowing red cedar and resinous incense. To order visit my website: www.aprilpelkey.scentsy.us I thank all of you who checked out my website and ordered from me! Also if you’d like to host a party let me know!!

I can’t wait for the fish to start showing up and the warm sunny days to come! Picnics and going out in the skiff!! I still can’t believe that summer is here already! Oh I saw my first bumble bee the other day, geeez they are huge! Makes you wonder how they even fly?!?
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I still can’t believe that I’m 28 years old, married with a child and my dog pack living in my home town working hard and trying to make time to enjoy all the little things in life!! Time has a way of slipping right by us and next thing we know it’s been 10 years! This year marks 10 years since I graduated from High School, which I remember like it was last year! Next thing I know I’ll be attending Veronika’s graduation…. Gosh!!!

Ok well bloggers until next time, take care and keep in touch!!

By the way I’m still trying to upload pix from Veronika over the last couple months and from her birthday! Our internet went out for about a month so I wasn’t able to do anything online!

Wednesday, April 13

Veronika pix from Sept, Oct, Nov, and some from Dec

Veronika Raelene

Pix from Sept, Oct, Nov and some from December 2010

Months 6, 7, 8, and 9

I will get around to captioning these pix, but I'm working on uploading pix from Dec, Jan, Feb and March.....