snow
Frost sticking to the trees We finally received snow! It’s always super exciting when the snow comes. It’s so beautiful as it majestically floats down from the heavens and covers the ground with a sparkly soft blanket of white. Okay, that feeling really only lasts for a little bit, until we remember how cold it is going to get. Togiak is only 65 miles away, so winters in Dillingham are not much different than there. Our temperatures usually range from -10 °F to 30 °F. Since we are up river a little bit and not directly on the coast line the winter storms from the Pacific Ocean won't affect us as much as in Togiak. Don’t get me wrong; we will definitely feel the weather, but just not as much. So far, we’ve had a week of snowfall and a week of clear skies and cold weather⎯cold enough that we had to start plugging our car in at night.
Even though our weather will be very similar to that of Togiak’s, our winter will be drastically different than in years past. This year we have a car! We loved driving our 4-wheelers around. We actually miss it quite a bit. It’s amazing how nice and quick it is to just jump on your 4-wheeler when going somewhere. However, it really is only nice for short distances. We feel so pampered now. We have a car that is fully enclosed with a heater; can’t say many 4-wheelers have that option. We recently switched over our car tires to studded winter tires to help with snow and ice. As nice as it is to have a 4-wheeler, a car is nicer.
Even though our weather will be very similar to that of Togiak’s, our winter will be drastically different than in years past. This year we have a car! We loved driving our 4-wheelers around. We actually miss it quite a bit. It’s amazing how nice and quick it is to just jump on your 4-wheeler when going somewhere. However, it really is only nice for short distances. We feel so pampered now. We have a car that is fully enclosed with a heater; can’t say many 4-wheelers have that option. We recently switched over our car tires to studded winter tires to help with snow and ice. As nice as it is to have a 4-wheeler, a car is nicer.
sickness
It feels like not much has happened in our house recently because sickness has been present for the past two weeks. Both Kaitlyn and Kaylee got sick after getting Flu vaccines. Kaitlyn was only sick for a day or two; Kaylee for much longer. Kaylee had a cold about two weeks ago then received a flu vaccination last week. The next two days following her vaccination Kaylee was miserable. She wasn’t interested in eating or drinking, she had a horrible deep cough, she slept very little, and was super cuddly (which is out of the norm for her). After two days she developed a bunch of red dots over her head and torso. Tuesday morning we took her to the hospital (which doubles as a hospital and walk-in clinic) and got her looked at. The pediatrician who saw Kaylee gave us a list of illnesses that she had. Kaylee had Roseola, an ear infection, and bronchiolitis (not to mention she was cutting a tooth). Talk about a wake up call. Thursday morning when we took her to get a Flu vaccine she was fine; Tuesday morning she was a mess. It’s amazing how fast things can change. The nurse at the hospital/clinic told us that Kaylee probably didn’t get the flu from the vaccine, but it may have weakened her body a little. Kaylee was given Amoxicillin (anti-biotic) and a nebulizer with albuterol for her cough. The Amoxicillin is a 10-day process and the nebulizer is just until she begins breathing better again. To say the least, things have been strenuous. To top it off, the Amoxicillin gave her diarrhea, which resulted in horrible diaper rash (with lots of screaming). I guess sickness is part of growing up, as well as training first time parents.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to give Kaylee Priesthood blessings. A Priesthood blessing is truly one of God’s great gifts to man. It’s surprising to me how surprised I am when I give a Priesthood blessing and it works. I know it will, I have participated in many; yet there is always a little bit of me that stands back and thinks, “Wow, that was amazing. It was instant!” My testimony is strong, yet without fail, it is strengthened each time I am part of a Priesthood blessing, especially to my children.
Giving a Priesthood blessing reminds me of a scripture in the Book of Mormon. Alma 37:6, “…behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass…” Giving a Priesthood blessing is such a small and simple thing. It takes only a moment, however, such great and miraculous things come because of it. I know that our Heavenly Father looks out for His children, and I am grateful for the experience that I have to be able to give a Priesthood blessing to my daughter.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to give Kaylee Priesthood blessings. A Priesthood blessing is truly one of God’s great gifts to man. It’s surprising to me how surprised I am when I give a Priesthood blessing and it works. I know it will, I have participated in many; yet there is always a little bit of me that stands back and thinks, “Wow, that was amazing. It was instant!” My testimony is strong, yet without fail, it is strengthened each time I am part of a Priesthood blessing, especially to my children.
Giving a Priesthood blessing reminds me of a scripture in the Book of Mormon. Alma 37:6, “…behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass…” Giving a Priesthood blessing is such a small and simple thing. It takes only a moment, however, such great and miraculous things come because of it. I know that our Heavenly Father looks out for His children, and I am grateful for the experience that I have to be able to give a Priesthood blessing to my daughter.
Thanksgiving
We spent Thanksgiving with some good friends of ours, the Calverts. They are members of the Dillingham LDS congregation with us. They have four kids, two of which are close in age to Kaylee. Kaitlyn and Kaylee spend a lot of time with them playing. They are a great family and we are very grateful they are here and friends with us!
We had dinner at their house. They made the turkey, potatoes, stuffing, cranberries, gravy, and a slough of desserts. We brought homemade rolls (three varieties), 24-hour salad, Watergate salad (both of which are Phillips family favorites), and sweet potatoes (which really should be categorized as a dessert, rather than a side dish). It was great fun spending time with them. After dinner we played fat-dog and laid on the couch moaning while we watched Cirque de Solé.
Thanksgiving always brings great time off from work too. Kaitlyn and I got some chores around the house checked off our list, but mostly laid around watching movies and putting up our Christmas decorations. It has been a great weekend to be home with family. We’re sad that we are not closer to our extended family down in the states, but this time together has at least made the three of us closer.
We had dinner at their house. They made the turkey, potatoes, stuffing, cranberries, gravy, and a slough of desserts. We brought homemade rolls (three varieties), 24-hour salad, Watergate salad (both of which are Phillips family favorites), and sweet potatoes (which really should be categorized as a dessert, rather than a side dish). It was great fun spending time with them. After dinner we played fat-dog and laid on the couch moaning while we watched Cirque de Solé.
Thanksgiving always brings great time off from work too. Kaitlyn and I got some chores around the house checked off our list, but mostly laid around watching movies and putting up our Christmas decorations. It has been a great weekend to be home with family. We’re sad that we are not closer to our extended family down in the states, but this time together has at least made the three of us closer.
