It's snowing!  There's something about a snowy day, even when I am beginning to tire of winter, that just makes things magical.  A fluffy new coat of glistening crystal covering up all the grime and dirt of the old snow, it's wonderful!  I have been watching this tv series on netflix lately called Dexter.  It's about a serial killer who only kills people who are murderers themselves.  I was a bit skeptical when I watched the first episode.  I kind of though, what in the world, this is so macabre...and, well, it kind of is, but now I'm hopelessly addicted!  So, I got through season one and two, but now I have to get the discs for the rest of them because they only have the first two on instant play.  Anyway, in other news, I am proud of myself because I cleaned both bathrooms yesterday including mopping the floors.  I know that sounds silly, but usually I only get one done in a day because I so despise cleaning bathrooms, and I don't usually mop the floor.  I actually got a lot of the house cleaned yesterday.  All that is left is the kitchen and dining area.  The kitchen and dining room floor need to be swept and mopped and that is a job that I don't like.  How exciting, I'm telling you all about my cleaning exploits!  Hah.

This, however, is kind of exciting!  So yesterday, I'm eating my lunch and someone walks up to my front door.  So, I think to myself, who could that be?  I wasn't expecting anyone and I wasn't expecting a package or anything either.  So I see this face try to look through the glass on the door, which is quite impossible because it is that warped, ripply kind that allows for privacy.  Anyway, I'm like what the heck.  So I think about going to get the gun, but instead I decide against it.  They ring the doorbell and I open it a crack to see who is there and it's these two state cops.  So I'm like, uhoh, what could this be about hahah.  I'm pretty sure I haven't been that bad lately.  Anyway, they ask for the guy who we bought the house from, and I'm like, that's the previous owner of this house.  So they ask my name and I tell them (btw having the last name Henriques and looking about as Scandinavian/Northern European as they come is absolutely hilarious sometimes. I swear from their faces I'm sure they thought I was making up a last name).  The one cop is like "Henriques?" and I'm like, "yeah."  So they asked if I am a personal friend of the guy, and I say no, I just know we bought this house from him.  So then they said thanks and left me to ponder what kind of trouble this guy must be in.  Hmmmm...  And why, pray tell, were they looking for him at a house that we've owned for half a year already?  He better not be using this address for some shady, alias type criminal activity.  Well, that was my excitement for yesterday!

So, today I have nothing planned.  If only I had a little more energy, I could take Nathan outside to play in the snow!  Earlier this week I had a sonogram, and we found out we are having a girl this time.  I was pretty sure of that beforehand because I have been sick as a dog this pregnancy.  We girls must be a real drain on people's energy if this is what we do in our mothers' wombs!  We went to Red Robin for lunch that day..Yuuummmm.  I know, not so good for you but man do they make a tasty burger!  Speaking of, I am hungry!  Perhaps I should find something to eat.  Oh heck, I'm always hungry these days.  This seems to be the way I've been ending my blogs recently hahah.

My last post was a bit of a rant, but don't worry, this one will try not to be.  We got some snow the other day, finally!  Believe it or not, it does not seem to snow here nearly so much as it does in Erie, Pennsylvania.  That is a bit disappointing to me because I was very excited about the prospect of living in the far north where I imagined there would be tons of snow and cold and wonderfulness.  Sadly, it seems to be more cold and windy than snowy.  Of course, that does not apply to all of Alaska.  There are many places up here that get far more snow than any place I have ever lived; I just don't live in them. 

Mike was supposed to have a four day weekend this weekend.  Unfortunately he had to pull staff duty today so that kind of put a damper on the whole idea.  I guess it is kind of a 3 day weekend since he had yesterday off and he will be off tomorrow and Monday.  But no, because it is separated by a day so it doesn't really count.  Well, I will make the best of it and take him some dinner tonight.  That way Nathan and I will get to see him at least a little bit today.  Dinner, ah yes, that is cooking in the crock pot right now.  My favorite kitchen gadget besides my bread machine.  I simply love to throw things in there and forget about them all day, then by dinner time it's Voila!  Hahah.  I intend to make a carrot cake soon.  I am not sure whether I will find the motivation to do it today, or if I will wait for another day.  Perhaps it would be a nice surprise dessert for Mike tonight.  I love sweets, I can't help it.  Yes, I know it is not terribly healthy, but in my own defense I do try to keep my sweets consumption to a minimum.  Everything in moderation, right! 

Well, there's not much new to tell.  I had a massage yesterday and some time to myself, thanks to Mike staying home and watching Nathan.  I very much needed that.  Don't get me wrong, I love my son, but everyone needs a little bit of time once in a while.  Yes, even us super moms.  And you moms out there who are reading this and saying "pshh, that is so horrible to say," spare me the crap cause even you need some time to yourself sometimes.  So, I had a massage and I took myself to lunch and did some me shopping.  It was very nice.  Thanks to being pregnant and having no energy, however, I was pooped after about only 4 hours out so I had to come home and lounge for a bit while my super husband made a delicious dinner.  I honestly have no idea how I would have finished school if this is how my pregnancy with Nathan had been.  Seriously, the months of sickness coupled with the crazy hormones and no energy thing is way worse this time.  There's no way I could have been going to classes like this!  I am so thankful I was able to finish college!  I can't begin to explain how important an education beyond highschool is, and I realize that now more than ever.  I just wish that most American youth of today would feel the same way.  But then, I suppose the college setting is not for everyone either.  I do think there is great value in self education, though.  Did you know that President Abraham Lincoln was primarily self-educated?  Can you believe that?  And yet today we basically insist our presidents have some sort of high-priced, ivy league education.  Values have changed over time.  I guess we can't trust people to self-educate themselves to an appropriate level anymore.

Wow, I think I just went from talking about carrot cake to talking about President Lincoln.  This is a very rambling blog, but then I guess most of mine are.  Time for lunch!

I really dislike snobs.  People who think everything they do is right and look down on everything everybody else does with no regard as to people's different positions in life, etc.  I'm sure I am snobbish in ways sometimes, though I try my best not to be.  Ok, so that was random, but some of the things I see just irk me.  What tends to irk me even more is the general ignorance of "normal" people as to the hardships and special circumstances of military life.  So many people just don't get that what works for them or for anyone else in a normal situation is totally unreasonable for a military family.  They can't understand the dedication it takes just to live this way.  And here's the kicker, just because someone you know is in the military doesn't mean you know jack about military life.  I'm no expert, but I've experienced enough to know that it takes a special kind of person to do what our servicemembers and their families do.  Things that most people couldn't handle themselves, but still have no appreciation for.  Unfortunately, this is how it will continue to be because it's simply impossible to understand unless you've experienced it.  So, I guess I shall remain frustrated.  But if there is one thing that I can not stand to hear from someone who has never had to spend a year away from their spouse hoping every day that he or she is still alive, never had to pack up and move their entire life to a new place every couple of years, never had to dread when the next separation would take place...it's "I understand what you're going through."  No, you don't.

   

Ah, the days are getting longer and my mood is rising.  I am feeling better and have more energy to a certain degree.  The house is mostly back in order and I am back to being able to cook meals like I used to.  Now, I'm just waiting for spring thaw.  I keep randomly wanting to do things like go camping or roast marshmallows over our firepit in the back yard, but alas those things must wait until spring and summer.  When spring finally does arrive, we plan to paint Nathan's room and the guest room.  Originally we were going to go for the whole house minus the bathrooms, but at this point I am questioning whether I want to tackle the kitchen and living room.  That is a big job with lots of obstacles and complications, and I will be 7 months pregnant to top it off.  So, I'm thinking we will settle for Nathan's room and the guest room.  We aren't going to be living here for long, so I think having the bedrooms custom colors will be enough to satisfy my aggravation at having had white walls in the past 4 places I've lived and being able to do nothing about it.  Later on in the year we will have to get a separate bed or bunk bed for Nathan when the new little one takes over the crib.  I am hoping to find a bunk bed that comes apart and can be made into two single beds, like I had when I was growing up. 

We are building a toy box for Nathan so that he can actually put all of his toys away when he is done playing with them.  Right now, they are scattered all over his bedroom floor, and that very much bothers me.  Anyway, we are making it out of pine and it is coming along nicely.  We will probably stain it in the summer so that it is closer to the color of the rest of the furniture in his bedroom, but I am not sure.  I've toyed with the idea of painting it as well, but we shall have to see.  I am thinking about sketching some pictures to put up on Nathan's bedroom wall...perhaps Winnie-the-Pooh as we have been reading that to him and he seems to enjoy it.  Maybe nature scenes or sailboats.  I was never one for decorating the super cute baby room or whatever like some people do, but I would like to put something up because his walls are mostly bare and that seems boring to me.  I am also thinking of collecting some family photos to be framed and put along our hallway.  I have two up already of my mom and of my sister, my mom and myself when we were younger.  I was holding off because we were planning to paint the main area this year, but now that it looks unlikely that that will happen, I am going to go ahead and start decorating the walls.  The people who owned this house before us had nails up all over the place and we sort of just took them over for some of our photos rather than putting new ones in.  But, I don't like where they are situated so I am going to take some of them out and fill the holes and put new ones where we want them to be.

So far, I love owning our own home.  It is so nice to be able to make your own decisions regarding your property instead of having to think of what a landlord might say.  Of course it is also a lot more responsibility, which is scary in ways.  Mostly, it's nice to know that it is an investment part of which we hope to get back when we sell the property as opposed to just saying "bye bye" to rent money every month that is twice as expensive and you know you will never see again.  I will be sad to go back to renting after this, since we don't plan to buy at any of Mike's next duty stations until we settle down in one spot for good.  I hate renting!  It's odd to think of settling in one spot, though.  We are so used to moving around every couple years that it's almost a habit and you start to feel like "OK, it's time to move on to the next place" after a certain period of time.  It has its aspects of adventure and new experiences, I guess.  It can be stressful and annoying, but it's weird to me to think of trying to find a spot where we will be happy for the rest of our lives.  Where would that spot be?  Would it be back in Pennsylvania?  Would it be out west in the mountains that I always long for so much when I am back in PA?  How do you choose a house and property that you plan to keep for the rest of your life?  I suppose we will probably end up back in Pennsylvania, though.  In the end, what matters most is family, and since most of our family is back in PA, it would make sense to go back.   

I have this pet peeve that tends to annoy me more than I should probably allow it to do so.  So when a woman gets married, she usually takes her husband's last name, right?  Ok, that's fine, I did and I figure one or the other has to take the other's name or things get too darn confusing; like when people hyphenate names or keep their maiden name.  Too long, too confusing, annoying for posterity and their future spouses to have to deal with.  Anyway, so usually the wife takes the husband's last name.  So here is my issue: I took my husband's last name, but I kept my first name...so why do people still insist on the old fashioned form of address that looks like this

Mr. & Mrs. Michael Henriques

My name is not Mrs. Michael Henriques!  My name isn't Michael at all!  My husband doesn't own me, my identity does not meld into his, I am still a person all my own.  Yes we are One in some respects, but I still exist as Emily.  I guess it bothers me because it seems that since I've been married, more and more my identity (my name) is slipping into the darkness of non-acknowledgement (I've already given up my last name for goodness' sake).  Anyway, it's a pet peeve, and I probably shouldn't let it bother me, but it does.  No, I am not mad at you if you have addressed me in this way before, but here is my preference (I know it is longer to write and you probably don't care, but it makes more sense to me from a linguistic perspective):

Mr. & Mrs. Michael & Emily Henriques
or
Michael & Emily Henriques

I usually prefer the latter as it is much less formal and it doesn't make me feel old ;)  At any rate, I just felt like writing that down, so take it or leave it hahah.