Anchorage

Yesterday Patrick, the kids and myself flew to Anchorage for a short trip. We're here to see friends and family and have time together. It is cold in Anchorage, 0 or 5 deg. At the parking lot yesterday Stuey said, "look mom, smoke is coming out of your nose!"

Last week Patrick and I were looking through our archived printed blogs and I realized how I did much more writing back then. Much more writing about things the kids were doing and saying. 

I loved reading about different phrases the kids were saying and goofy stories that happened. I think I have become more inhibited in my writing the last few years and I'm not sure why...but I am destined to change that. I think that I censor myself more, worried that blog readers will be bored by kid writing. Or, perhaps, that since I own my own business, I am more concerned about censoring my thoughts and opinions on the world. 

What I realized when reading those archived blogs was that the writing is the only way to capture those fleeting fun moments, and its the writing which really brought laughter.

Arriving in Anchorage

Bouncy House

Today while Patrick took the kids to the bouncy house, I went to visit a friend and prior doula client who lost her husband in a sudden death last week. I was glad to be in Anchorage to be able to visit her and give her a hug as well as books on grief. As I drove to her place, I thought about how much death is intertwined with life. And how being a doula has exposed to me more death than I had ever imagined. There is death with early miscarriages, late miscarriages, death of hopes or dreams or confronting disability or illness with a child. And now, death of a spouse.  

To attend births means to be comfortable with death and talking about death. Going into birth work 4 years ago, I wouldn't have anticipated death being such a part of working with couples bringing new lives into the world.  Such moments in life make me appreciate the lives of my family and friends around me even more.

In the early afternoon we went to our favorite restaurant, Spenards Roadhouse. It was 1 o'clock on a Monday afternoon and the place was quiet. LOVED it! Typically we go for dinner in the evening, when it is packed and have to wait for a table.

Nora and patrick~Spenard Roadhouse

Oh boy. .. Stuey enjoys a s'more for dessert!

Stuey and I

The vacation has been nice for us to all be together, as the past month has been a busy one for our family...with me moving the business. The dedicated time together has been fun. Also, every trip we take, it gets easier and easier. This time, the kids independently packed their bags, rolled their bags through the airport and have been overall well behaved.

Bumper Sticker from Spenards Roadhouse

The bumper sticker will be my cars first when I get home!

Zoya