Thank You, Alaska.

Thank you, Alaska.
For your rough and wild beauty.

For sunny days and soft, quiet nights. 

Noon, June 12th

Midnight, June 12th

And the twin gypsy spirits of freedom and adventure. 

Thank you, Alaska. 
For an intelligent and big-hearted sister.

And for molding my baby brother into an incredible man. 

 

 One who treasures and protects his family,
and makes no apologies for living life on his own terms.

 

 Thank you, Alaska.

For the sweetest, silliest baby niece  - a tiny pixie with a bold and sunny spirit.
This little one has captured my heart completely with her cheerful, charming ways. 

 

Thank you, Alaska.  
For the peace that came from the sea and the sky.
For the space to find the center of my soul,
and the courage to breathe light into a dusty, neglected corner of my heart.

 

 

Thank you, Alaska.
For letting me walk your mountains, 
Soak in your waters and
Marvel at the wonders you put before me.

You've caught a part of my soul- the part that craves adventure and altitude-
and it's speaking earnestly enough for me to know this now.


I'll be back.

Mid-year check-in: Transitions

On New Years Day, I was having a text conversation with an old friend, and he asked me what 2013 was going to be about for me.  I replied with this statement: "2013 is the year that I hold lots of babies, travel a lot to connect with friends and family, make some changes professionally, and fall in love."

I saved that text, and I refer back to it once in a while to check in with myself- am I spending my time and energy to accomplish those things?

My one New Year's Resolution I make each year is one I will make every year - to hold more babies.  Why?  Because there is nothing quite as joyful as snuggling up with a baby.  It is peace and love and joy in a tiny, perfect person.  And thankfully, my siblings and friends have had the good sense to provide me with several new babies, so I never have to go long without working on my resolution. 

Me and Sylvie- June 12, 2013

Travel has been big on the agenda this year - So far, we've spent time in Colorado, New Jersey, New York City, and Alaska, and there are still some trips to come.  We've been fortunate to connect in-person with friends and family, and have made some very special memories.  (Watch out for my AK pics- I'll get them up this week, I hope.)

Views from the plane - Alaska is breathtaking from everywhere.

 

Falling in love - meh.  Still working on that.  Actually, that's not even true- I'm not working at all on that.   But I am working on caring enough about it to actually work on it.  So that's something.  (Let it be said that I am rather lazy about this part of my life- I'd much rather spend my energy on other things than worry about my love life.  When it's supposed to happen, it will happen.  That's how it's always gone for me, and I'm trusting that it will continue to go that way.)
 
Making some changes professionally is something that I put some serious some effort into.  I have worked for my current department for more than 10 years, and I started to realize that, for a lot of reasons, it was time for a change.  I began paying attention to job openings at the University, and almost immediately, a perfect-for-me position showed up in a department I have already worked with extensively, with people I already know and respect.  I submitted my CV,  interviewed a couple of days later, and was offered the position.  The whole process was rather seamless - it just flowed.  I start that new job this coming Monday.

It's bittersweet, leaving a place I've worked for so long.  This is where I learned to really enjoy the process of scientific research.  This is where I turned book knowledge into real-life, hands on experience. This is where I have met so many amazing people, many I now count as dear friends.  This is the home of colleagues that supported me through a lot of ups and downs.  This is a place where I have always felt at home, and knew I was good at what I was doing, even when everything else in my world seemed shaky and insecure.  It was a hard decision to move on, but ultimately, it is a move I need to make.  I'm excited to take on some new challenges, and for the opportunity for personal and professional growth my new job will bring.  If you are interested, my new job is the senior research manager at UPIQ. 

So there you have it - a mid-year check in on where I am with my goals for 2013.  Overall, I'd say things are moving along just swimmingly.

So far, 2013 has not just met and surpassed my expectations.

So far, it's been a kick-ass year!

What FIVE and 3/4 looks like.

I have a bunch of things I want to blog about here (My new nieces and nephews, trip to Alaska, new job (!), Kindergarten graduation, etc.) but I simply HAD to share these photos here tonight.

I wanted to make sure I caught Riley with her missing front tooth - it's such a quintessential part of childhood - so we headed out for an evening walk with camera in tow.   She isn't always in the mood to let me take photos of her, but this night was a bit of an exception.  She was giggly and silly and hammed it up for the camera, but there were some genuine "I'm happy and carefree" smiles in the bunch, too.    I definitely got a few keepers. 

 

 

 

I know I'm biased, but this girl...she's so much fun.