Early Winter Updates

In case you're wondering if we're surviving winter (aka "The Dark Time"), yes we are.  Actually we're doing great.  Of course our winter photos aren't as colorful as our summertime lives, but we are still alive. 

 

I do a lot of sitting on the couch with a hoodie and a blanket.  Actually, this is the first year that I've lived in AK that I've incorporated exercise into my winter life.  And let me tell you, do I ever feel good about myself.  I don't physically feel a lot better, but I have rid myself of the anxiety of NOT exercising.  It's been so impossible in the past that this feels like a huge success.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not really exercising hard or long, but 20 min a day, 4 times a week, I am elevating my heart rate and sweating a little bit.  I've done it since it got too wintery to ride my bike to work.  I keep telling myself something is better than nothing.  Every little bit helps, right?  I'm not aiming to run a marathon (unlike EVERYONE who reads this blog!), but I would like to ward off early onset dementia.  Here's hoping.  

 

So here's random pictorial update of some of what we've been up to.

 

Paul's sweet Grandma Bert sent us a box of Halloween treats.  Paul made good use of his ever-lengthening beard and dressed up as a Duck Dynasty guy, much to my Dad's delight.  

 

Yep, we're still cooking.  This was our attempt to recreate Griff's thai veggie wraps.  I think we made them about 7 times our first week back from her house.  I do love them so much.

Finally, after being neighbors for a solid 5 years, we scored some treats from next door.  Almond Croissants.  Oh my... delicious.

Paul's work got the museum to themselves for a family night.  We went to the planetarium and learned about...I'm not really sure...but it was cool.  And of course we made big bubbles.

Sometimes it's been really cold, but we haven't had a lot of snow.  This was Thanksgiving weekend and it was so cold that all the lights were shooting far far up in into the sky. 

I made Paul buy our tree this year because I am a huge sell-out.  We compromised and purchased a tree this year to save on time and we are SO HAPPY with how it turned out.  Very well may be the best tree I've ever had.  We really enjoyed putting up all the ornaments our Grandma's sent us throughout our life.  We (Paul) also decked our ceiling with Christmas lights and they are FANTASTIC. (I held the ladder, so as not to be completely useless.)  Christmas glow is the best way to get through the winter here.  They will be staying up FOREVER. I love Christmas and this year's Christmas season has been absolutely perfect. 

Last week we Christmas Partied it up with my work party, Paul's work party and our Relief Society Christmas Dinner.  This week is our ward party and then my birthday party.   (That's right!!!  My birthday is on Sunday!  I went and had my free Red Robin burger tonight!)  Non-stop fun for the Rigg family!  We love our work parties.  They're always fun.  This year we scored on the door prizes at Paul's party.  A $25 gift certificate to Starbucks! This is me by the door prize table, feeling lucky.

They had games out on the tables, which was really fun.  So I smoked Paul at Trouble (which was really nice because I haven't won a game at our house in a really really long time!) and then we built the largest Jenga tower I have ever seen.  It had some serious lean long before it toppled.  I'm really good at that game.  

And then finally it snowed last weekend.  A lot.  Which is just as it should snow.  Who wants a skiff here and there when you could have several feet at a time?  It was awesome.  So we went and walked through the woods on Monday for some fresh air.  And so that Paul could get some good use out of his beard.

I have a secret.  I kind of love how dark it gets here.  Because it's ridiculous.  Completely ridiculous.  It's absurd and I wouldn't want to miss it.  We are having around 5 hours between sunrise and sunset as we head into solstice this weekend.  Thank goodness for a lingering twilight.  This place is crazy.