tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70713806410215870422024-03-05T16:25:40.054-08:00Rich and EdiRichard and Edi Halsteadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07081951291151997213noreply@blogger.comBlogger144125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7071380641021587042.post-7919870757415420952014-03-25T12:41:00.002-07:002014-03-25T12:41:23.223-07:00New JobI am so far behind with this blog, so here is a quick update. I graduated with my ABA psychology degree, started a full time masters program for the same thing and accepted a new job at a local treatment center.<br />
I decided it was time for a change, more responsibility and to be honest more money so I started looking around and decided to think about working at the main treatment center here. I sent in a resume, went to two interviews, took some tests, passed my background investigation and accepted a job. The whole process took about three weeks.<br />
The main acute hospital is no Anchorage along with the teen girls, preteen and one boys unit. I did not want to drive there everyday so I was happy to find they have a semi lock up boys unit in Palmer a town about 20 minutes from where I live. The treatment center is up Lazy mountain so it takes about 30 minutes to get to work, it is a gorgeous drive.<br />
The facility I am working at is a 30 bed unit for boys 11 to 17 with a variety of backgrounds. The average stay is 18 months though some may be more or less depending on the circumstances. They have a variety of issues and backgrounds so I am excited to work with them and learn more about each of their cases. The facility does a lot of outdoor therapy with hiking, camping and other such outings. Last week we took a group of the kids cross country skiing that was fun, I stayed in the lodge with a few and another staff took some out, it was a good opportunity for me to get to know a few of the boys.<br />
So far I am enjoying it and happy with my choice to work there, the other staff have been very helpful and I feel like I am using more of my training so that is a positive for sure.Richard and Edi Halsteadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07081951291151997213noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7071380641021587042.post-21473101776325026072013-09-29T17:54:00.000-07:002013-09-29T17:55:04.701-07:00Halloween shoes<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: orange;">I saw a cute glittered up Halloween shoe and thought to myself (as my Mother and Grandmother thought me to do) Hmm I bet I could do something like that. A trip to the thrift store for some plain black pointy toe shoes, my "craft closet" and a few supplies from the store and I was ready. </span><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbORz07nrlSpaTrXFpwzcfAsaAiRHcdvrwWs4RGBHy0anXPVtfF_kMBk2FaY52v8G51C9_pCacs0G7tYoGsNX2gFSwTOLMawIDr-k_CREnMg1Q9wTUYJaFCyzbVg_GgvRIlk9TDpHH_zs/s320/DSC_0105.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;"> <span style="color: orange;">I</span><span style="color: orange;"> painted my shoes using typical Halloween colors, some glue and glitter on the inside made them sparkle. I added glitter to a few spots on the outside, painted a spider web on the heels and glued on some plastic dollar store spiders and here we have it.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: orange;">they took a few days to make because the paint needs to dry in-between and they needed a few coats of paint in some areas.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqa4gL3nZUNc-YKDXw5_BTEX4WTHsD5BfKQCh0EQy3Tu3Ln2IkR4xgoyKBMp6dD0nsBFRicK75-3vr87EgDC2uo4Nrj3m-fALMeNrxllJbnFN_5fIW68Q5ObH0FsBHVZnFDJbGIeVjpH8/s1600/DSC_0154.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: white; color: orange;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqa4gL3nZUNc-YKDXw5_BTEX4WTHsD5BfKQCh0EQy3Tu3Ln2IkR4xgoyKBMp6dD0nsBFRicK75-3vr87EgDC2uo4Nrj3m-fALMeNrxllJbnFN_5fIW68Q5ObH0FsBHVZnFDJbGIeVjpH8/s320/DSC_0154.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="color: orange;">I am displaying mine with a cute witch hat I found that I think matches the shoes perfectly. I think these would be fun in all sorts of color schemes. </span><br />
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<br />Richard and Edi Halsteadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07081951291151997213noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7071380641021587042.post-77855243918171813752013-06-29T10:56:00.001-07:002013-06-29T10:56:55.347-07:00Kenai Fjord dinner cruise <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Some friends of ours came to visit from Northern California and we all took a dinner cruise out of Seward. We picked them up at the airport and drove down the night before. We stayed in the Old Seward Hotel, it was great. I am a huge fan of old and antiques so I loved that this is the oldest hotel in the town and that it is all decorated in authentic antiques. I did spring for a room in the "newer" wing though since I preferred to have our own bathroom and in the old section you still share one with other guests.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiABijHV22i0cY_qzNQp1jKTBVxTLG5mGfOdcvbZsiMlHtOSNP9okrvzVwtmbVL6Dz8oGVuraQ_2lAMGgV4sp_LryWKXumPi3RiHIybQoud3MUez8g-1JjEOUKxg2ohMXtmhMrPZAtM-bk/s1600/Boarding+Photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiABijHV22i0cY_qzNQp1jKTBVxTLG5mGfOdcvbZsiMlHtOSNP9okrvzVwtmbVL6Dz8oGVuraQ_2lAMGgV4sp_LryWKXumPi3RiHIybQoud3MUez8g-1JjEOUKxg2ohMXtmhMrPZAtM-bk/s320/Boarding+Photo.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
We boarded our boat in the morning, I was worried it would be cold since we were going out onto the Gulf of Alaska, but really it was just light jacket weather on any of the decks and inside where our table was stayed very warm. We had a window seat and a great view from inside but still spent a great deal of time on deck. <br />
The cruise was 7 hours and they fed us an all you can eat prime rib and Alaskan salmon lunch.<br />
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We saw several glaciers but this one was most impressive, we stopped an watched it for about 20 minutes and were able to hear and see it calving, it really sounds like thunder and then pieces will fall off, it was great to watch. Big pieces of glacier ice were floating in the ocean and it made me think of how awful it would have been for those on the Titanic to be floating in that freezing water.<br />
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We saw Orca Whales, they were fun one swam right next to the boat but he was to fast and we did not get a picture. It was really neat to watch them in the wild, we saw a mom and baby and several other pairs. </div>
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We also have porpoises come right up and swim next to us, they are playful things for sure. Puffins are cute little birds like mini toucan's there was lots of them, Eagles, Sea Lions, and hump back whales and harbor seals. No big horn sheep or bears this trip, but we did get to hear the orcas talking to each other, that was an amazing sound.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg63_dcmaSC9WITLeQQJclqQd-8f9cMSpqZyqbao9HaU1lh61q38YDb5R_dV-vxMo6zNNnd5_EeX9PAoBLWiFHdsiRYd4aI1QqP4XzFp52JYzP2ByJg7L7ZKLdrXEJDtfIle3jbll3Gmhw/s1600/DSC_0901.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg63_dcmaSC9WITLeQQJclqQd-8f9cMSpqZyqbao9HaU1lh61q38YDb5R_dV-vxMo6zNNnd5_EeX9PAoBLWiFHdsiRYd4aI1QqP4XzFp52JYzP2ByJg7L7ZKLdrXEJDtfIle3jbll3Gmhw/s320/DSC_0901.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Pictures of the glacier ice floating, on some of the bigger pieces there were sea lions just lounging around. There was also several families of sea otters, they are cute little things. On board they had a skin of one, it was so soft I did not realize they were so furry.<br />
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This is one of the Beluga or humpback whales we saw.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyAOhJXxBjsTVcGllVNHZg_8fH1IEFrSNnEIMvBwXRYECjAqUoJQCldtgxSvFCA_qwUwXhls1k7VT1m3Wl0r26TpVgFK5xZeVFYfCdsMjm-2I_Qn0FO4dy0ybH20v9slwk4wO3XEQTw6U/s1600/DSC_1204.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyAOhJXxBjsTVcGllVNHZg_8fH1IEFrSNnEIMvBwXRYECjAqUoJQCldtgxSvFCA_qwUwXhls1k7VT1m3Wl0r26TpVgFK5xZeVFYfCdsMjm-2I_Qn0FO4dy0ybH20v9slwk4wO3XEQTw6U/s320/DSC_1204.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The scenery was gorgeous, so many areas that are only accessible by boat or plane.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglV73Qgg2Hc8hLfRdR7Hk9TDgriVhJRGUTpF6rKKgfi6kKWHVn9GfkhN6B51XnX20GaWZydH0NnYWjpA_rBSoDO4JOW-qKNJj66V5K9o8pO2dB9SsRtdHkCntMZ4-Uxfh51TvaSS7Tj1k/s1600/DSC_0829.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglV73Qgg2Hc8hLfRdR7Hk9TDgriVhJRGUTpF6rKKgfi6kKWHVn9GfkhN6B51XnX20GaWZydH0NnYWjpA_rBSoDO4JOW-qKNJj66V5K9o8pO2dB9SsRtdHkCntMZ4-Uxfh51TvaSS7Tj1k/s320/DSC_0829.JPG" width="320" /></a>The water color in the coves was so pretty. We were very lucky the water was calm, and our crew was terrific, stopping in many spots, explaining everything, keeping a watch out for wildlife to let everyone know etc.</div>
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I would recommend the cruise to anyone coming to visit and we will return for another one at some point as well.</div>
<br />Richard and Edi Halsteadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07081951291151997213noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7071380641021587042.post-65033944778148941972013-05-11T12:00:00.001-07:002013-05-11T12:00:08.583-07:00The grandbabies are here<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I flew Stevie and the girls up here for a visit, I had planned to fly down there when she had the baby, but decided for just a little more I could bring them here for longer and everyone could see them. They will be here about a month and then decide if they are going to move up here later this year...crossing fingers for that.</div>
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We have been having a lot of fun, We spent one day playing out on the deck, my deck was one of the big selling points of this house, I love the size and the view from it. It is big enough for the babies and I to play ball on.<br />
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Izabella and Conner had such fun kicking the ball around with me.<br />
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Sienna and Izabella found our last pile of snow.<br />
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We spent yesterday afternoon at the park, it was a very warm day and there was no school so it was a bit crowded but the kids loved it.<br />
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Even Layci Dawn enjoyed being out in the sunshine.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA77ZRUuIPBhrmyrDkT66mN_qKIqqyJYQtdQju8mXDeztvxUZIAZiM67oe_22tXggw3M2Yj098PiumKhdVuCSqg1LqriX_Pzrrb8PwFvh-0N-T8YBA4wIjrDCXfcLDcaxbwrgvFD7mhaA/s1600/spring5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA77ZRUuIPBhrmyrDkT66mN_qKIqqyJYQtdQju8mXDeztvxUZIAZiM67oe_22tXggw3M2Yj098PiumKhdVuCSqg1LqriX_Pzrrb8PwFvh-0N-T8YBA4wIjrDCXfcLDcaxbwrgvFD7mhaA/s320/spring5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I think little Layci Dawn looks like a Dr. Seuss character, her hair sticks straight up no matter what you do and she has the prettiest big dark eyes, I call her "thing 3"<br />
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Bella found this slide and wanted to go down it over and over, I think she spent the majority of her time on it, she even talked Aunt Staci into going down with her.<br />
Now if Levi were just here this would be perfect. I am so enjoying having the girls here, I have missed them terribly I don't even mind the extra mess in the house much :)Richard and Edi Halsteadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07081951291151997213noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7071380641021587042.post-21414076632055866612013-04-16T11:06:00.000-07:002013-04-16T11:06:12.976-07:00Tea cup bird feeders<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I have such a great yard full of trees, and have wanted to add bird feeders for some time now. When I looked at them at the store I just could not find anything I really loved for the price they wanted me to pay. Then one day I came across this cute bird tea cup and saucer, I bought it even though I really had no need for it. It sat on the counter for a couple weeks and one day I though I should make that into a bird feeder. A little gorilla glue and some imagination and I had a cute bird feeder.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirI0BO9r8IYFBvc4bf6KdgyDfFlNc9ttrLLQfDtIoMPKHhyphenhyphenEqrq5ig8kjeukrULfgadC9-DclYAI7nqpp68IVZ149E8rhmcBUXJN6536MO0mB0SJ0s1g_avJRWp90oMTogtpl_ml2KQqU/s1600/bird+feeder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirI0BO9r8IYFBvc4bf6KdgyDfFlNc9ttrLLQfDtIoMPKHhyphenhyphenEqrq5ig8kjeukrULfgadC9-DclYAI7nqpp68IVZ149E8rhmcBUXJN6536MO0mB0SJ0s1g_avJRWp90oMTogtpl_ml2KQqU/s320/bird+feeder.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
After that I decided I should make some more, after all I have a lot of yard and trees and a lot of birds. Two more are from tea cups and saucers I found really cheap at local thrift stores and one is a plant pot turned upside down on a saucer. They were fun and easy to make, cost very little and so far the birds are loving them.<br />
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I love the Irish clover one, I am able to see it from my bay windows while I am having coffee in the mornings.<br />
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This one is in the front yard and had already attracted some very colorful birds, it will be great in the summer when I am out on the side deck that over looks this area.<br />
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I think I will make some more for gifts and perhaps a few more for the yard as I come across cute tea cups.Richard and Edi Halsteadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07081951291151997213noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7071380641021587042.post-48525024740897077222013-02-03T14:08:00.001-08:002013-02-03T14:08:14.159-08:00Clint's birthday visit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
My brother Clint comes to visit often, whenever he needs a quick break from the "bush" and does not have enough time to go clear back to the states. We always enjoy having him, this time he came for his birthday, he decided he was going to be 28 again thus the candles on his cake. (they are hard to see but it is a 2 and an 8.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8IEOjZ7Ovc8RIfr_y_Ubyp-5M_JOLMBq1RIL2K7XKNyXh_FlHGt6O3mCaig7M_h0UStU1tdjQ2YNStzX3dZyx-UdxSbpFBD5_WtCCo7iOMKjqNGpTjnXZv9J8xcYxT8No7yrwwV-BTg4/s1600/DSC_0959.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8IEOjZ7Ovc8RIfr_y_Ubyp-5M_JOLMBq1RIL2K7XKNyXh_FlHGt6O3mCaig7M_h0UStU1tdjQ2YNStzX3dZyx-UdxSbpFBD5_WtCCo7iOMKjqNGpTjnXZv9J8xcYxT8No7yrwwV-BTg4/s320/DSC_0959.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
I found him this cute doctor nutcracker on the after Christmas sales, it was perfect for him. We also got him some twinkies for fun, he was here when Hostess announced they were closing and we tried to find some at our little hostess store, but they were gone.<br />
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The kids always have fun playing with him, I think it is great they are able to have family here often, and they have such fun with him.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioUIAULQXef83KBUXYxWsJ5L5J4colj7URTIlLmlXaaGi9-_UNvL1_aAUYqpjiBv17G7wWcSJT55YEYIKDOlwfLXvb8N04FYYZfd6lBHwF_e2Jk3KfehFUDpMn0v_Ha-6084YD1y2qtiA/s1600/DSC_0957.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioUIAULQXef83KBUXYxWsJ5L5J4colj7URTIlLmlXaaGi9-_UNvL1_aAUYqpjiBv17G7wWcSJT55YEYIKDOlwfLXvb8N04FYYZfd6lBHwF_e2Jk3KfehFUDpMn0v_Ha-6084YD1y2qtiA/s320/DSC_0957.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I just love this picture he took of him and Conner.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx2vg1QQ4uFphX5FmOWh-LNYut0XWYv_5oIr9inQwebDWWoL1Sc7HnL5kHszwK0ksD1lCpum-_hlEDFZJrkN6j-mp5wC8Vijvx2WO8d_D-PJMPfv7K9KYFGoNAyIpRf-2aoGqadBMuEvI/s1600/Conner+and+Clint.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx2vg1QQ4uFphX5FmOWh-LNYut0XWYv_5oIr9inQwebDWWoL1Sc7HnL5kHszwK0ksD1lCpum-_hlEDFZJrkN6j-mp5wC8Vijvx2WO8d_D-PJMPfv7K9KYFGoNAyIpRf-2aoGqadBMuEvI/s320/Conner+and+Clint.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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The day he had to fly back out we went to Anchorage and hiked Earthquake park, it was fun to get out and the weather was pretty nice. None of us had been here yet, so it was a nice trip. We will take the kids and go back this summer for sure, it leads right down to the inlet so if it was warm the kids could wade in the water.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxfEqGREIsOxT2M82NlkpxjKVmc0lnnlh4Zqo-wwhsRytdBm6afGNune3rogp2s4tsxi9VpX26YWjw4BHWcVc0eDryfb9DoXs730keL03oVP6Ha3IgYawSroCF_YALmcxZqSKzqWlO_qU/s1600/DSC_0967.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxfEqGREIsOxT2M82NlkpxjKVmc0lnnlh4Zqo-wwhsRytdBm6afGNune3rogp2s4tsxi9VpX26YWjw4BHWcVc0eDryfb9DoXs730keL03oVP6Ha3IgYawSroCF_YALmcxZqSKzqWlO_qU/s320/DSC_0967.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I am looking forward to his next visit and hopefully some other family and friend visits soon. We have some guests who are planning summer trips up here now, it will be great to have them.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7YGQ0xBKf_OBjNfclvbxEM-VYNcYYNflCXvDoZVcBqoAv9TcHAcsHoXkcouGELFwnfTdAkVnBSrJzzNXmfqt5zLsaeVhJGfsDP7Af55lJtT1ai91j-_YeKZNU1AjNZeBLMNLkPuYZxSY/s1600/DSC_0963.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7YGQ0xBKf_OBjNfclvbxEM-VYNcYYNflCXvDoZVcBqoAv9TcHAcsHoXkcouGELFwnfTdAkVnBSrJzzNXmfqt5zLsaeVhJGfsDP7Af55lJtT1ai91j-_YeKZNU1AjNZeBLMNLkPuYZxSY/s320/DSC_0963.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Richard and Edi Halsteadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07081951291151997213noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7071380641021587042.post-61372112454298449142013-01-31T09:05:00.000-08:002013-01-31T09:05:21.374-08:00Random thoughtsWe have been in Alaska almost a year now, it has flown by. I had been thinking about some of the things I love here, some of the things that are a bit strange here and a few things I am not so fond off.<br />
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People here drive crazy, and yes I know that happens everywhere but I really notice it here a lot, you can be going down a dirt road and they will fly past you swearing as they go, so much for a nice drive. They spend far to much time talking on their phone while driving so I have had many near accidents with people who simply are not paying attention to where they are going. It makes me a little nervous to have kids learning to drive with these drivers on the roads.<br />
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Also my biggest pet peeve is the trash, you see it all over, especially when we go hike, people just leave their trash like we have miles and miles of wilderness so we do not need to take care of any of it. I get terribly angry when I see it and always take a bag to carry out not only our own trash but what we can pick up as well. A few weeks ago we took some of the kids from work to the park and it was full of garbage, I was so surprised and happy to see one of our little kids (she is 6) get a box and start picking up trash rather than playing, and then see several kids and adults pitch in and help.<br />
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The daylight took some getting used to, when we got here it was light almost all the time, we went down to about 5 hours of light a day and are slowly moving back up. Neither really bother me, I just have to pay closer attention to the actual time since it throws your body clock off.<br />
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It is the end of January and my neighbor still has his Christmas lights up and on, he is not the only one, lots of people still have them on, that is strange to me, we always turned ours off about New Years. I heard someone say they do it to "cheer up" January since it is usually the dark and cold. I don't know if it is really true, maybe they just like lights?<br />
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One very strange thing I have found is all our toilets run warm water in them, I guess it has to do with cold and condensation, I do not really understand it and still find it a bit odd, but ours are set up that way too and we have no problems with them so I guess there is a reason.<br />
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I love that we have very low taxes here, it makes things a bit more affordable. Many things are comparable with other places I have lived, but some are a bit more expensive.<br />
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I love that we have very lax gun laws and in return very little gun crime, the biggest gun crime we really hear about is illegal hunting. From time to time you hear of something, there was a shooting in Anchorage a few weeks ago, but it was a fight between two people does not make it ok, but at least it was not a full out shooting strangers attack. We have no concealed weapons permits, everyone carries, a lot of it has to do with the need to protect against wildlife. I saw a outdoor wedding last year while we were hiking, it was 2 miles back in towards a waterfall and one of the bridesmaids had a built in spot on the back of her dress for her pistol, I wish I had gotten a picture it was clever. I believe our law states we have a couple minutes from being pulled over to inform the officer if we have a weapon in the vehicle, but it is legal to have them.<br />
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We have lots of water here, numerous lakes within minutes, we have a program called kids don't float, at every lake you go to, even the ones way up in the mountains there is a lifejacket loaning spot, they are just hanging there for people to borrow and then put back so all kids who go in the water have a life jacket on, I think it is a great program.<br />
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Our elementary schools teach sign language with all their lessons, I think it is so neat, during singing time or reading time they sign as well and the kids learn it and join in, it is really pretty impressive to see these little kids learning so fast.<br />
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Of course it goes without saying that the scenery here is breathtaking and it is so nice that there are numerous places to hike, camp, or just spend the day in the wilderness. We went out several trails last summer and still did not even begin to see them all.<br />
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The wildlife is amazing, I see big bald Eagles almost daily, and even got to see a nest and baby ones last year, we have an abundance of moose that just randomly walk down the streets, it is really neat to see.<br />
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The Northern lights were one of the most spectacular things I have ever seen, you cannot always see them, but when you can it is a show worth watching.<br />
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We live in a small town, on the outskirts actually so we are in what they call the borough ( I thought they only had those in New York lol) rather than town itself. It's a very community oriented place and they have lots of festivals, get togethers parades ect. It seems there is almost always something going on someplace close.<br />
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The cost of housing here is considerable cheaper then one might think and utilities are comparable so we are pretty happy with that part of the move.<br />
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We are really enjoying being here, exploring's, finding new things and setting down roots in our town. We are excited that a few people are planning trips to see us, we love having company and hope more people will come as time goes on.Richard and Edi Halsteadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07081951291151997213noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7071380641021587042.post-3993167272582086882013-01-21T11:29:00.001-08:002013-01-21T11:29:29.744-08:00Sock Monkey quilt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu4QBdFqVAdTOmETHVCNatSmlCtyLXpOARTTohIqf9796klnVp4V5hVQvziMnmWU9QDgWZ32v-n7qFIFCjPeaXzyHIUGXwWqF4e4oRN0QX3I92UECTXI9ROgI8lWr5WDBy68kZP-0S0BI/s1600/Layci+quilt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu4QBdFqVAdTOmETHVCNatSmlCtyLXpOARTTohIqf9796klnVp4V5hVQvziMnmWU9QDgWZ32v-n7qFIFCjPeaXzyHIUGXwWqF4e4oRN0QX3I92UECTXI9ROgI8lWr5WDBy68kZP-0S0BI/s320/Layci+quilt.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #cc0000;">Stevie decided she wanted to do this babies layette in sock monkey's. When I started looking for material to make her quilt I was not able to find any locally, I did find some on line but it was pretty expensive. </span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;">While I was thinking about how I wanted to design the quilt I got the idea to do an applique quilt, I looked up some pictures of sock monkey's and drew up a pattern, I bought some bright material that I thought was fun. It is hard to see from the picture but the material around the side is colored monkeys.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;">This quilt came together pretty fast, and I quilted it on my new frames that Richard just made me. I like the way it turned out.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">I put the babies name on it, because Stevie really liked the one I did for Conner that had his name on it. </span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;">Her name will be Layci Dawn, Stevie went back and forth on what she wanted to name her, I guess Layci was what she and Daniel could agree on, Staci is thrilled she says she will have a niece named after her. Layci has grown on me, I suggested Dawn as a middle name and she agreed, that is my Mom's middle name and Grandpa's name so Stevie liked that. </span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;">I am designing a owl quilt now for my nieces baby, I think that will be fun as well.</span>Richard and Edi Halsteadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07081951291151997213noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7071380641021587042.post-1182520958881691842013-01-17T22:19:00.001-08:002013-01-17T22:19:57.958-08:00Christmas gifts<div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;">
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I received some really nice gifts this year for Christmas. Every year I say I want a doll house and every year Richard says <em>really, </em>and then we do it again the next year. This year when he said really, the girls laughed at him and told him he always says that. I guess he decided this was the year, he found a doll house kit and built it for me, I was really excited and am looking forward to doing the inside of it now.</div>
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Richard also decided I needed a new smaller hand gun so it would be easier for me to carry when we go hike ect. He picked out a 40 cal Smith and Wesson, I love it, we went shooting last weekend and I am very happy with the way it handles. Along with my gun he bought me a Pandora bracelet, I am a jewelry fanatic, and have admired these bracelets for awhile now, I like that the beads on this one, and have already worn it several times.<br />
He also got me a couple more nutcrackers, I have been trying to rebuild the collection I lost when I got divorced.<br />
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Santa brought me some slippers, fuzzy socks and Starbucks gift cards.
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My Mom sent me this gorgeous black and white shawl/scarf, I love it and the ways to wear it are endless. She also sent me these two pictures of the new Brigham City temple. The temple they just built in the town I grew up in. One is a nice framed picture of the building and the other is a handkerchief with a picture of it embroidered on it,</div>
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My brother Clint had my name this year, he always gives the neatest gifts. He sent me some books on local trails to hike and also some gorgeous wind chimes, I hung them outside the dining room window, they sound incredible as I am sitting at the table.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTf25-yf9F_BlhnfaZgWN7TVM9SEjWasUOIERY7KfQ8L6ZHKByduR48jmvJ-7i0ku57uP3irFbn-IK6l20IlD0fs4aobbEN8OxrFOcl7cGp5RZTiVcfYZAiIftZdID_zOmTiYjssV-sb4/s1600/DSC_0947.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">M</a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ZGEB11Rbg_zKiylbZlGBH6rDPzjsmzsZrzziLZFmoTVppuyTaZDlR-x3hRMXVsRWO73WlmkwyYZLxUJ_I1vyjvZ7iZZH93wUwSm1bMge02Kbq2vg-Op07VtSv5v65fB8EkGBuEoR_Bk/s1600/DSC_0948.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ZGEB11Rbg_zKiylbZlGBH6rDPzjsmzsZrzziLZFmoTVppuyTaZDlR-x3hRMXVsRWO73WlmkwyYZLxUJ_I1vyjvZ7iZZH93wUwSm1bMge02Kbq2vg-Op07VtSv5v65fB8EkGBuEoR_Bk/s320/DSC_0948.JPG" width="320" /></a>
From the kids I received some perfume, lots of bath stuff, a very pretty necklace and a Clarisse (from Rudolph) ornament, Rudolph is my favorite Christmas special.
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My secret Santa at work got me a small nutcracker and a very pretty scarf.<br />
My sister Mandy sent us all bath and body works stuff and My step Mom sends Richard and I Hickory Farms every year, we love it, we cut it up and enjoy it on one of our date movie nights.<br />
I was so happy with my gifts and felt truly blessed to have such a wonderful family.Richard and Edi Halsteadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07081951291151997213noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7071380641021587042.post-52208344111882065722013-01-17T08:33:00.003-08:002013-01-17T08:33:42.900-08:00Christmas 2012I have been terrible at updating on here, things have been so busy with the Holidays, school, work and so on. <br />
We had a wonderful Christmas, I was sad that Stevie and her girls and Levi were not here, that is the first year I have not had all my babies home with me. Levi did go to Saint George with Sage to spend it with my sister, so that made me happy and Stevie had her little family with her, we talked on the phone, so it was nice.<br />
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We were a little nervous that we would not have a white Christmas, but a few days before we got a couple feet in one storm. Conner had such fun playing out in his first real snow. He played nice while I shoveled snow off the deck. (Richard was in Seattle so I got to do it :)<br />
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The kids had a great Christmas morning, they got up very early, Conner was still tired. The girls seemed to like the gifts they got, they received many items from their "wish list"<br />
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Love this picture, he was so excited about everything, made me miss my other two little ones a lot, Christmas is such fun when they are small.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We had a really nice dinner after all the gifts were opened up, it was nice to just spend some fun family time together.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Richard and Edi Halsteadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07081951291151997213noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7071380641021587042.post-23005838736709283532012-09-25T20:48:00.000-07:002012-09-25T20:48:50.443-07:00My worldSo if problem neighbors was not enough I was blessed with more to shoulder. Several of our neighbors were evacuated due to flash floods last Friday, they all lived behind and below us and it looks like the pond from the edge of my property (on the green belt land) might have emptied into their housing area. I feel really bad for them and said many times I am so glad we bought on a hill so at least we do not have to worry about flooding.<br />
Well Saturday Richard got up and we did not have hot water so he went to check the water heater that is located in the sub basement, what he found was about two feet of water that had risen to cover the pilot light of the furnace and water heater. Luckily we already had a sump pump down there, it came with the house since I guess the crawl space flooded once before. <br />
After we pumped out the water we still could not get the water heater to light, everyone told us to let it dry out so we set a fan to blow on it and left it overnight, when it still would not light the next day Richard pulled it apart and noticed it was really rusted so we figured ok we need a new part, maybe 50.00 of course we could not get it until Monday but we could make due.<br />
To condense the story Richard could not get the part without the make and model, when he went back under the house to get that,,,,more water, and water heater to old to get parts for so has to be replaced. There is a leak coming into my house from the well, so we did not flood from the rain it is our well flooding into our sub basement and along the way something broke, most likely a pipe so now I have NO water into the house.<br />
After calling around we are guessing it will cost us somewhere around 3,000.00 to fix, if we do not fix it soon it will ruin our foundation and we have not even closed on the house yet.<br />
I already had a headache that was making me sick, now I am trying to figure out how we are going to take care of this. We used all out savings the month Richard was off work, the VA is still not paying us, so they now owe us 5 months worth of back pay, more than enough but they will not tell us when it will come.<br />
Stress Stress Stress that is how I feel, it is like something new happens every time I get over one mess.<br />
Our contract on the house states as is, with the exception of the deck and leak into the garage, the sellers have one more month to fix it or we will not close, we already pushed closing back three months because we are waiting on VA. If I do not fix it soon the VA will not loan on it, it just goes round an round.<br />
We will take out a loan to fix, we will survive, but somedays I just wonder if it is all worth it.<br />
Oh and lets not forget the whole week I have been trying to keep Conner out of the hospital, his lungs sound crappy, we have his neubulizer and medication left from last year so we hope that is enough to help him get better.<br />
Anyway I am sure this to shall pass and we will have all made it, but when it is happening it really sucks!<br />
If my headache would subside I think I might be able to make a plan.Richard and Edi Halsteadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07081951291151997213noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7071380641021587042.post-11169905188305158882012-09-03T09:13:00.000-07:002012-09-03T09:18:05.035-07:00recylcled record bracelets<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Staci's slumber party guests will be making bracelets out of old records next weekend, we had a trial run yesterday to see how it would work.</div>
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They are a easy and fun project kids can do with minimal supervision. We started with old records, I bought these at a local thrift store for .50cents.</div>
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Place record on pizza pan and draw half circles around side of record (mine are hard to see).</div>
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Put in oven at 200degrees until the record is soft, (I recommend using your oven fan and opening a window to let out fumes). Mine took about 3 to 5 minutes to soften.<br />
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Pull out and cut half circles out, if record hardens while your cutting (they harden fast) just put back in oven for a few minutes.<br />
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once you have cut your shapes out bend them to fit wrist.<br />
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You can use a soup can to help shape them since they will be hot, if they are not small enough or you don't like shape just put back in oven to soften and start again.<br />
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I trimmed the back side of mine so the edges would not be sharp. </div>
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Then the girls decorated with a variety of things, you could use anything to decorate them, we used glitter glue, ribbon and beads, but I am also buying charms and decals for Staci's party so the possibilities are limitless.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirZVUBP02WjeBJeOR4PJi1Vw57EUw3x-bPbbgmUE6Q9INwtWY8F3RvUVP9G3XN8965qj-2fJgOuIYrRacraLP9_5h3TQzBzqjF_9xqGcVtMos1rEGjJ0dTWhg3L-4ozPvBe7SE8fyS_Ls/s1600/DSC_0472.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirZVUBP02WjeBJeOR4PJi1Vw57EUw3x-bPbbgmUE6Q9INwtWY8F3RvUVP9G3XN8965qj-2fJgOuIYrRacraLP9_5h3TQzBzqjF_9xqGcVtMos1rEGjJ0dTWhg3L-4ozPvBe7SE8fyS_Ls/s320/DSC_0472.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Richard and Edi Halsteadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07081951291151997213noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7071380641021587042.post-52630004821284272372012-08-07T22:35:00.001-07:002012-08-07T22:35:58.311-07:00Richard updateRichard and I flew to Seattle last week for some follow up tests, the VA was nice enough to fly us and pay for our hotel room leaving us to only pay for food and some of the cab rides. This was pretty nice of them since they are still saying they have not processed him so technically he does not have VA benefits right now. That is a mess and really makes me angry since they are the ones who held up his retirement and everyone kept saying it would be worth it because he would have his VA rating when he retired....LIES, but that is another story.<br />
He had another angiogram and we saw two of the doctors from his neurological team. The best they can determine right now is the stroke was caused by previous high blood pressure that damaged some arteries and made them weak. The bleed was in a very strange place, his young age and the fact that his blood pressure has been well controlled for the past year puzzled them, but six teams of doctors could find no other explination so that is where we are at. He will have a second CT scan in a couple months after all the blood has been absorbed to make sure there is no tumor, they are pretty sure there is not but want to be safe, I appriciate that.<br />
He returned to work this week, the company was nice enough to allow him to work out of the Wasilla store for the next six months rather than have him drive to Anchorage everyday, his driving is restricted while they make sure he will not have anymore siezures. He is on antiseizure meds and has restarted his blood pressure medications. He is going to have an evaluation with a speech therapist just to make sure he does not need any therapy.<br />
If you see him you would never believe he just had a stroke, but there are some things we notice. He has lost some memory, funny things like he cannot remember some shows we have seen several times, I guess that is nice for him when he wants to watch TV. A bit more frustrating, he said it took him several minutes to remember how to do a certain report at work that he did everyday several times a day, he also could not remember how to write a check today, in fairness he rarely writes checks and he did figure it out. He was having some trouble coming up with some words right after it happened but that seems to have stopped, he passed every test at the doctor with no problems at all.<br />
I am so grateful, this could have been far worse than it ended up.<br />Richard and Edi Halsteadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07081951291151997213noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7071380641021587042.post-71046009525254175652012-07-08T11:33:00.001-07:002012-07-08T11:33:48.016-07:00Please Pray for usRichard began complaining of a headache on Thursday, I should have made him go to the doctor because he never has headaches. Friday he took off work, I knew something was wrong then because he never does that, but he said he did not have any other stroke type symptoms and there has been a virus that includes head ache going around, so he tried to get some rest and said he was feeling a bit better.<br />
Yesterday we took the kids and drove up over a mountain pass that is so popular, but it is a pretty narrow high dirt road with many drop offs and a considerable way from town.<br />
When we got home I was talking to our son on the phone for his birthday and Richard went to lay down , about 15 minutes later I heard the weirdest sound coming from our bedroom. I walked to the door and saw Richard slumped over on our bed making this horrible noise, I thought he was having a stroke and trying to call me but unable to make the words come out, so I hung up on Levi and called 911, once I got into the room I could see he was having some sort of seizure. He would not respond to me at all and he was turning purple, foaming at the mouth and nose, clenching his body, the 911 operator had me get him from the bed to the floor (not an easy task) and do CPR. I noticed his color was getting better but he was still not responding and his breathing was very deep and labored.<br />
The paramedics came and he was coming out of it, he was able to stand on his own and his color was better, but he had no idea who or where he was, we got him to the hospital, I followed in the truck and he said about half way there he came to and was very confused as to why he was not longer in the bedroom.<br />
At the hospital they did a CT scan and found some bleeding on his brain, so he needed to be transferred to Anchorage to see a neurosurgeon, they loaded him back in an ambulance and I ran home to get him some stuff he would need then headed out.<br />
I had no idea where the hospital was, but figured there would be signs, I was wrong, there are no signs, I drove all around trying to find my way, crying, worried, convinced of the worst ect. When I got it together enough to get directions from my phone I made it there and he was fine, sitting up in bed talking to the doctor.<br />
It turns out they are pretty sure the brain is still bleeding, so they need to stop it, the only doctor here who can do it is on vacation, so he had to be flown to Seattle.<br />
I could go on the life flight with him, the VA would pay for that, but they notified me they do not pay for my accommodations when we get there, there is a motel type place for families of Veterans I might be able to get into on Monday, the hospital will not let me stay there because he is in ICU. If he is sent back home on a commercial flight we would have to pay for mine out of pocket, I had no clothes with me ect. I still planned on going until they told us he would most likely be there 7 to 14 days after surgery for observation.<br />
We do not really know anyone to stay with the girls and animals for that long, and so on. I was so worried and torn, should I go or stay. They were giving Richard medication to bring his blood pressure down, because the higher it was the biggest risk he had of more damage, I noticed he was getting upset the more upset I got the higher his BP went even with the medication, he rose 10 points in 15 minutes after meds. He kept telling me to stay and take care of the kids, I was worried about him and them and not knowing what to do to a point I was pretty sure I was haivng a nervous breakdown, the chaplain came and talked to us, that was pretty helpful and then a nurse who deals with this type of brain trauma came in and talked to us, she assured me he was doing well and would be in good hands, so I agreed to stay here, his blood pressure went down and they took him on the plane. He promised to call or text me non stop, I promised to not have a break down. ( am not sure I can keep my promise )<br />
I am scared, I am alone here, and for the first time wondering if this move was the right choice, we are so far from everyone we know, when he was still active duty I had a whole Army family to turn to, I knew who I was supposed to call, I knew what I was supposed to do, now I just feel very lost, very alone and more and more scared.<br />
He made it to the hospital I talked to him twice today, right now they are moving him to a room and running more test to try and figure out why the bleeding is happening, keeping him on pain killers and bp meds to control the amount of bleeding, it is hard to talk to him on the pain killers, it is pretty strong, but I don't care I will talk to him anyway and time I can. It is just hard to get complete information, I hope to talk to his doctor soon and have more concrete information.<br />
As I know more I will let everyone know what is happening.<br />
In the meantime Please pray for us, Please pray he will be ok, I really still need him.Richard and Edi Halsteadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07081951291151997213noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7071380641021587042.post-77041053062206864382012-07-06T22:28:00.005-07:002012-07-06T22:29:57.889-07:00Girls DayI am lucky during the summer if I go into work early or stay late to make sure all my billable notes are done I can take off after half a day on Friday. I try to take that afternoon and do something fun with the girls, today we decided to go check out some of the fun boutiques and consignment shops here.<br />
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We started off at a great boutique everyone had been telling me about, it is quite large but crammed full of all kinds of great stuff, antiques, clothes, shoes, accessories, jewelery, they have it all, and they give all their shoppers pink cotton candy (I don't like cotton candy but the girls did.)<br />
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We had fun window shopping there, it is a special occasion store for sure, one you would go to for a special gift, I thought a bit expensive for everyday shopping.<br />
We hit the perfect shopping day at our second consignment stop, a section of stuff originally marked down to 1.00 but today it was 5 for 1.00, I got these super cute ballet flats<br />
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and the girls picked out an aborcrombie shirt, some earrings, a wallet, and something? for our 1.00, I love that each item was 20cents!!! we found some other cute shirts fairly inexpensive as well, so we were happy.<br />
We made our way to a couple of the new/used book stores after, I am lucky my kids all love to read, I can hardly keep the girls in books, we found some good deals on some books to keep us going for summer and then headed off to our favorite coffee/smoothie shop. They were closed so instead we bought our own fruit and ice cream and made our own super yummy smoothies at home.<br />
It was a really fun day just hanging out with the girls and the whole afternoon cost me less than 30.00 and we made some fun memories.<br />
I am so glad my girls still want to hang out with me even as they hit their teen age years, now if their sister and my sister and Mom were just here it would have been the perfect girls afternoon.Richard and Edi Halsteadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07081951291151997213noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7071380641021587042.post-24226163650282997572012-06-29T23:03:00.001-07:002012-06-29T23:03:52.643-07:00Alaska JobI have been working at a local behavioral health clinic, it is great since I am able to use my education, the office is only 5 minutes away and I am able to see new areas almost everyday.<br />
The clinic I work for treats children ages 5 to 18 in my department (22 for other areas) with SED's (severe emotional disorders). The issues these kids have vary from needing help developing social skills, to much more serious problems. Some have been brought by their parents most of who are great people who want what is best for thier kids, some have much more tragic stories, many are in foster care, lots of trauma in thier backgrounds.<br />
I work in the school based area, so during the school year we do lots of work in the schools with these kids, but for now we are in our summer program. <br />
The summer program is great, we get all the kids together in the afternoons and take them on field trips. We do lots of hiking, parks, lakes etc. we like to get them outdoors. It is great for me since this is our first summer here, I am able to check out lots of areas and get fun ideas for family weekends.<br />
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Hatchers Pass is one of my favorite hikes, I have done it twice with work, the last time my client was a seven year old boy so we stopped and "paned" for gold, he really did find a few flakes and was so excited to take them home to show his Mom.<br />
We spent one day hiking next to a river in Palmer, a couple of us and our "kids" (I had a 8 year old boy that day) even hiked down the side of the mountain so we could play at the river for awhile, getting down was not bad, getting back up took some effort.<br />
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Today I had one of the girls I really like working with, Friday is free time so we get to choose what to do, we walked to Wasilla Lake, it is a mile each way, so a nice walk. She and one of her friends who joined us spent the afternoon, the girls caught leeches in the lake, big nasty looking ones, needless to say my girls will not be swimming in the lake, even though it is full of swimmers when we drive by.<br />
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Even without swimming it is a gorgeous lake to walk along the shore of.<br />
I split my time at work between kids who are in the 7 to 9 age group and teen girls who are 12 to 18, I like the change, it is nice to work with a variety of kids and the different age groups keeps it interesting.<br />
So far I like the company and the people I work with, they are flexible and that is so important with all I have going on, school, my own kids, home, Richard, all the work the new house needs and so on.<br />Richard and Edi Halsteadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07081951291151997213noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7071380641021587042.post-55416627831929868522012-06-07T23:42:00.001-07:002012-06-07T23:43:06.847-07:00Our first visitor<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My brother Clint came for a visit last weekend on his way to Bethel (also in Alaska), he was our first visitor so we were pretty excited to see him. He arrived on a Saturday, so Rich, Staci, Conner and I (Cheyenne was spending the day with a friend) spent the day in Ancorage while we waited for his flight. We did some shopping, stocked up on some stuff from Cosco and then took a nice hike in a park by the airport. The great thing about parks here is they are full of trails so you can park and walk while enjoying the gorgeous scenery. <br />
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Conner loved being out in the sunshine, the rest of us thought it was pretty nice as well.<br />
After we picked up Clint we headed over to the Mooses tooth, the pizza place everyone had been raving about that we had wanted to try, it is popular, we had to wait 45 min for a table. The pizza was very good but not really great, the price was a pleasant surprise, much less than we expected to pay.<br />
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I had a couple options for outing the next day, but Clint was exausted from the move and it was raining so he caught up on some sleep while the girls and I did some errands, then Clint and Richard headed out to find someplace to try out Richards new retirement gift (a new 45) and of course they had to take a shotgun for fun as well.<br />
I worked on Monday while Clint ran errands picking up stuff he wanted to take with him and hung out with my girls, then Tuesday I took off work and the girls and I took him to the airpor.t and hit the mall for some shopping.<br />
It was really great to have him here, and I love that he is only an hour plane ride away from me (there is no road to drive there) knowing he is close makes it seem like we are not so far away from everyone, because while we really really love it here, it is hard to be far from family.<br />
We are looking forward to many more friends and family making their way up for a visit.Richard and Edi Halsteadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07081951291151997213noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7071380641021587042.post-30071677545482445772012-05-09T12:16:00.002-07:002012-05-09T12:16:31.259-07:00Reindeer Farm<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZh5AAyMOIWdxSwdbGF4HxY9MVMBOg9v3eGw8PQnnR2lJVDUngQU6hKIljocof4P8bwv2XZUj3l8tvqOStC3RjZpVw1WWShw0GK6Dk6MvU7NZZUR0BySaNDXc353YaBj2enloEfbmkLRc/s1600/DSC_0517.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZh5AAyMOIWdxSwdbGF4HxY9MVMBOg9v3eGw8PQnnR2lJVDUngQU6hKIljocof4P8bwv2XZUj3l8tvqOStC3RjZpVw1WWShw0GK6Dk6MvU7NZZUR0BySaNDXc353YaBj2enloEfbmkLRc/s320/DSC_0517.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
I wanted to do something quick, and fun last weekend, after checking out the local web site we decided on the reindeer farm. The web site said they did not have a military discount, but when we arrived they gave us one anyway, very nice I thought. <br />
I thought we would get to see them from the other side of a fence, but we actually got to walk into the pens. There were babies, less than a week old, and the older ones are very tame, they run right up to you.<br />
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We found out some interesting things. The difference between a reindeer and a caribou it only that a reindeer is tame and a caribou is in the wild. They have four stomaches, both male and females have antlers, but the males get an extra point in the middle.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGHmu6dhgdS6wYj0ETlx805tZMINl-VB_fVrGI_jXgFoDaAFJjCNx5G8gMzX6DhyphenhyphenxwnhB4B3V02UwCbwPjmmIWFkk3Js7V6xbRvp0W13BeJ_rr5ZARkGz_9MEPHrYn5gdgzRuP_CIV_Kg/s1600/DSC_0513.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGHmu6dhgdS6wYj0ETlx805tZMINl-VB_fVrGI_jXgFoDaAFJjCNx5G8gMzX6DhyphenhyphenxwnhB4B3V02UwCbwPjmmIWFkk3Js7V6xbRvp0W13BeJ_rr5ZARkGz_9MEPHrYn5gdgzRuP_CIV_Kg/s320/DSC_0513.JPG" width="320" /></a>The males on the farm are "fixed" it keeps them tame, but when they do that it changes the hormones and their antlers grow different like the one below.</div>
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It was a fun outing, the farm is nice, we will return this winter for a sleigh ride. What better place to take a sleugh ride pulled by reindeer than Alaska.Richard and Edi Halsteadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07081951291151997213noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7071380641021587042.post-67634569532816123852012-04-16T10:53:00.001-07:002012-04-16T10:56:02.431-07:00LucyOur new house backs up to what we would call BLM land, here they call it Green Belt, either way it means no one can ever build there. We did not know this when we bought the house, but had we known it would have been a huge selling point.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVUy2CjYUqUzQYbmTmQmeJB6lnAeKmghloUirduST0ownDL5hcDVcjgS_1txKjAPk8RnzR9-Vj5uR23SS2ZWSgm3eTcV_jyCCah3GaAwTStDqRxy5YVKDXELk9jwARJIWpVYDZFYeXMEU/s1600/Lucy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVUy2CjYUqUzQYbmTmQmeJB6lnAeKmghloUirduST0ownDL5hcDVcjgS_1txKjAPk8RnzR9-Vj5uR23SS2ZWSgm3eTcV_jyCCah3GaAwTStDqRxy5YVKDXELk9jwARJIWpVYDZFYeXMEU/s320/Lucy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Moose are abundant here, they are everywhere, in our back yard and in the green belt live a mom and her baby, Staci named them Lucy and Brownie, they come to visit often so we have a lot of fun watching them from our window or the safety of the deck.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjOYpYIkL82URrkZ9iuxauQorWLTJAi_QZjel0z-bPmKXFVQh9I4tKKrT8L8zVbIUE_Qwcudfhq3NDP5GNrUFFBm_OdHD3hbl-Irn8QssCHEhgZjqybGR1SfYtMj5AZCDq1MRQjUrzUbs/s1600/Lucy1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjOYpYIkL82URrkZ9iuxauQorWLTJAi_QZjel0z-bPmKXFVQh9I4tKKrT8L8zVbIUE_Qwcudfhq3NDP5GNrUFFBm_OdHD3hbl-Irn8QssCHEhgZjqybGR1SfYtMj5AZCDq1MRQjUrzUbs/s320/Lucy1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>You can see little Brownie in this picture, Lucy was just off to the side and we needed to leave, since they were right by the truck Richard had to carefully walk down and start it in the hope it would scare them off (it worked) so the baby and I could come out of the house.<br />
They are really interesting to watch, one morning we had five total all over our yard, they ate for awhile and then laid down under the trees, they could see me watching them and did not appear at all concerned with me, however I was being careful to stay far away and just watch them.<br />
We also have two squirrels we can watch chase each other from tree to tree, Staci also named them, Bob and Emily, they give us much morning amusement. <br />
A turkey wandered through yesterday, I did not know we had wild turkey here, turns out we don't it was one of the neighbors pets come to visit, I guess that would explain why it walked right up to Richard without any reservations.Richard and Edi Halsteadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07081951291151997213noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7071380641021587042.post-35599664813491752322012-04-09T21:06:00.000-07:002012-04-09T21:06:36.088-07:00CanadaWe made it across Canada, it took four days, a pretty major snow storm and $1500 more than we had hoped (still within our Army move budget). <br />
I have been into Canada twice before but this was a whole new experience, we saw the little out of the way towns that are not tourist attractions, in fact several of them looked like gost towns, fairly deserted, building closed down and boarded up.<br />
It appears the recessions has hurt them as well as us, with gas prices so high (about 7 a gallon there) people are traveling the Alcan/Alaskan Hwy less and less.<br />
Hotels, food, everything is very expensive there, just to take the four of us out for hamburgers one night was 75. We quickly learned to buy lunch at the grocery store and stop at a park for sandwiches etc. along the way, leaving a better budget for dinner.<br />
Even at the high cost of food, gas and lodging it was a fun trip for us, I am lucky that the kids, Conner included travel well,t he girls read most of the way or we played the who can see what animal first game....I won :)<br />
I suppose they are all memories that I hope the girls will think fondly of when they get older.Richard and Edi Halsteadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07081951291151997213noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7071380641021587042.post-59629019050452785842012-02-14T15:38:00.000-08:002012-02-14T15:38:18.390-08:00No newsWe had expected to be out of here by now, we were told we would have orders as early as the end of December but January for sure. Not only do we not have orders, we have no idea what is going on, it seems the VA does not agree with the Army on something in Richards medical file so there is sits while they say they are figuring it out. No one will give us any answers, several people have said why are you still here, we are just playing a never ending waiting game.<br />
It is frustrating, Richard cant put in for new jobs because he does not know when we can leave, I am not sure what to plan for the kids school, and we are at risk of loosing our new house since we do not have a for sure date and the sellers are of anxious to be done.<br />
So I am angry and tired and there is no end in sight.Richard and Edi Halsteadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07081951291151997213noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7071380641021587042.post-86078402362720659802012-01-28T09:03:00.000-08:002012-01-28T09:03:33.495-08:00more ups and downsLife has certainly been up and down the last couple months. We continue to wait for answers from the VA/Army about retirement, basically all we get is a run around so life is up in the air and I feel like I have no control over it at all. A feeling I really hate.<br />
Christmas Eve we found out one of my dear friends was diagnosed with lung cancer and given a very short time to live. Her mom and I were friends in Nevada, turned out in this small world that Steve had known her for years before I met him and since she lived in Colorado we got close while I lived there. She lives in Grand Junction and helped so much with my kids when they would go visit their Dad, I always felt more comfortable about them going because I knew she was there to help. <br />
She had some serious feelings for Steve and I hoped they would get together, she cared deeply for my kids and they loved her and they are already part of her family, her mom is "Nanny" to the kids so I thought it would be perfect. Instead I got a call from her brother telling me she was in the hospital and not expected to live long, my heart just broke, she is a caring, generous person who has been through a lot of heart ache and trials in the last year and I thought she was catching a break instead this....<br />
She is fighting and we have so small glimmers of hope that may give her a little more time, I pray and pray for her but sometimes I wonder is anyone listening.Richard and Edi Halsteadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07081951291151997213noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7071380641021587042.post-33426310968812285332011-11-22T08:16:00.000-08:002011-11-22T08:16:02.694-08:00Things are moving fastWell finally it looks like we are seeing some progress on Richards retirement, we got the initial paperwork back from Fort Lewis, Richard signed it and now it gets sent back to a rating. They tell us this can take up to 6 weeks, but some have been coming back in as little as three, what that ends up meaning is we could be done as early as the end on January. We have stepped up our house hunt and are now actually working with a realtor to have things narrowed down before we get there, with any luck we will only have to stay in a motel for a couple weeks while we look at the houses and determine what we want to do. <br />
I found two perfect houses now, they both had exactly what we are looking for, are in the price we want to spend, but of course we cannot buy one now so I can only hope we will still be able to find what we are looking for once we have an actual move date.Richard and Edi Halsteadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07081951291151997213noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7071380641021587042.post-12710511891650743812011-09-19T10:16:00.000-07:002011-09-19T10:16:18.056-07:00Just to busyI have not posted in such a long time, because I simply do not have any extra time these days. <br />
I agreed in June to take on the GM job at the airport while they looked for someone to take over (my plan had been to quit in June and go to school full time) then I agreed to put in for the job after all my employees kept asking me to, I interviewed, cleaned up the station, helped finish an investigation, worked A LOT, finished up my volunteer position with the FRG, spent a week at the hospital with Richard as he had some health issues, my GPA dropped from 3.82 to 3.60 (not good) and I dropped my next set of classes to concentrate on work with the hope that I would soon get a break. Instead what I got was a phone call telling me they had decided to bring in someone else, I was the second choice and had she not come along it would have been mine, and I was next in line. And they wanted me to stay on and work on some special projects with her.<br />
After I got over the initial shock and hurt I was semi relieved and again thought now I can quit and take care of some family issues, school etc. but no instead I asked for military FMLA to give me a few months to see if I could come up with some balance before I left for good, but they turned it down since the Army is not (understandably) willing to turn over all over Richards medical records to civilians, so instead I worked a deal where I could work a reduced schedule, train the new girl and have more time to take care of my needs.<br />
The best laid plans seem to rarely work and I am now working everyday, even if I am not supposed to be there I am getting called in for something, the new girl is struggling to catch on, most of my employees have either given notice or are actively looking for new jobs, they are upset and unhappy at work, I am stressed all the time, Richard wants me to quit, I want to as well but at the sametime I am concerned about money and making sure we are pretty much debt free prior to his retirement so it is a hard choice, and evertime I think I have made it I second guess myself, I know I just need to make up my mind and stick with it, but I am not a quiter, I am worried about leaving my employees, I am worried about money, I guess I am just worried about everything all the time...no fun!!!Richard and Edi Halsteadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07081951291151997213noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7071380641021587042.post-51431334771648857032011-05-21T14:12:00.000-07:002011-05-21T14:12:51.021-07:00Could the Army give me a break PLEASE!In January Richard decided he wanted to retire, after 21 years in the Army he was ready to move on, leave it to a younger generation, settle down and stay in one place I agreed and so we started the process, our plan was to retire in October of 2011 at that point he would have served 22 years. during the initial process a doctor told Richard he was going to insist he have a med board, based on his medical history, problems developed while in service etc. we were not sure we wanted to do this but after researching decided that yes that would be the best way to go. We were told this takes 230 days, we would still be close to our goal of Oct. and hoped to leave Fort Riley as early as Aug with leave time etc.<br />
About a week ago (on day 132 of the process) Richard got a call that he was to attend a mandatory briefing about med boards there he was told the Army is stream lining, they are going to combine the process and let the VA handle everything from here on out, so all his appointments now have to be repeated and this process takes 295 days, this was day 1!!!! That puts us into March of next year before we can leave, he will have served 23 years by then, the kids will be 2 months from the end of next years school, I am not thrilled about moving them with only 2 months of school left and once the process is done we will loose our house so staying an extra 2 months in not an option. I was pretty depressed for a couple days, everything was based on moving this year and because it is the Army I had figured it may be as late as November but never thought it would take until March! Our plan had been for me to quit working in June or July get ready to move and then go to school full time once we were moved.<br />
After I got over my initial depression of not moving as quick as I wanted I decided to make the best of it, I decided to sign up for some classes here and we went in to see about transfering Richards GI bill over to me, our plan was that would pay for my masters degree.<br />
Well....It seems as now the Army has also changed the rules on that, now if you had served 19 years or less on August 2009 (Richard 20 years was Oct 2009) so he is considered 19, you have to agree to serve one more full year in order to transfer your GI bill, well he can't agree to that because the Army initiated the med board AND he times out at 23 years meaning he would have to promote or get out at 23 years, there is nothing he can do to promote it is all done by needs of the Army at his rank and his MOS is being fased out there are only 230 people in the ENTIRE Army who have made his rank with his MOS so to go above that is next to impossible, and with is medical profile making his non deployable at this time his choices are limited. Without that money we cannot afford a masters program everything was based on transfering that to me, moving, retiring, and finally getting to decide for oursleves what we were going to do, but it seems now that even with retirement around the corner our choices are not our own.<br />
Richard still has to call the VA see if there are any loop holes so I have not given up completaly and in the meantime I do qualify to take free classes at the university here but I have to take the day classes in the classroom, if I want to get them for free so that will make it a little more challenging with work, however we have determined we will somehow make that work, I hope it does!!!!Richard and Edi Halsteadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07081951291151997213noreply@blogger.com1