Kid Friendly Chicken "Marsala"

Ok, so I'm fully aware that Marsala is a wine, and because this recipe does not include the wine, then really it can't be called Chicken Marsala! Right? True, but it reminds me of a kiddie version of Chicken Marsala, so thats what I'm going to call it; wine or not.

You basically coat and cook the chicken like you would for chicken parmesan (which is why its SO good)(also the secret is the dusting of flour before dipping in eggs and then the breadcrumbs)
but instead of making a wine sauce or using tomato sauce you use chicken broth and top with sautéed mushrooms, onions and garlic. I kinda threw this together so Im guessing on the amounts for everything, but exacts aren't important in cooking, only in baking, right? :)


Enjoy!


Kid Friendly Chicken "Marsala"


4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

salt and pepper to taste

2 eggs 

2 cups Italian bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 TBSP flour, or more if needed

1 cup EVOO, plus 2 TBSP 

1 package sliced white mushrooms

1/2 diced yellow or sweet onion

1 TBSP minced garlic, or more to taste

1 cup chicken broth

Mozzarella or Pepper Jack Cheese for melting on top

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. 

Begin by warming 2 TBSP of EVOO in a pan for sautéing. Add sliced mushrooms and onions and cook over medium heat until onions are almost translucent, then add garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Take off heat and set aside. 

Place chicken breasts between two sheets of heavy plastic (resealable freezer bags work well) on a solid surface. Firmly pound chicken with the smooth side of a meat mallet to a thickness of 1/2-inch. Season chicken thoroughly with salt and pepper. 

Beat eggs in a shallow bowl and set aside

Mix bread crumbs and 1/4 cup Parmesan in a separate bowl, set aside

 Sprinkle flour over chicken breasts, evenly coating both sides

Dip flour coated chicken breast in beaten eggs. Transfer breast to breadcrumb mixture, pressing the crumbs into both sides. Repeat for each breast. 

Heat 1 cup olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat until it begins to shimmer. Cook chicken until golden, about 2 minutes on each side. The chicken will finish cooking in the oven.

Place chicken in sprayed 9x13 pan and top with mushroom and onion mixture. Pour chicken broth on top of chicken and place in oven for 15 minutes. 

Top chicken with shredded or sliced mozzarella (or pepper jack for adults) and heat in oven for 5 more minutes or until melted and chicken is cooked through. 

Serve with cooked rice or mashed potatoes and veggies of your choice! My kids gobbled this up and they normally complain about mushrooms :)

Let me know if you make it and how it turned out! 

~Susan

Be Still And Wait

Yesterday was a big stepping stone. I gathered our completed application, a check and a copy of our homestudy and headed to the post office. All our hopes and dreams of what the future addition to our family will be like was in that envelope. Once this packet arrives at their office (in FL) we will be on their active waiting list, which means at any time we could receive a call. I'm realistic; I know the estimated time is 12-24 months, but I also know that our God has His own timing. Because we are estimated to move in a year, time is of the essence in this process.
Without going into too many specifics; we did open ourselves up to either gender, any race and age up to 18 months old. One thing I have wanted to do was leave it up to God. We want the birthmother to read our profile and pick us because she wants her child to be in our family for who we are, that she sees us and just knows that are THE family for her child.
We have had discussions on who we imagine our child will be, but ultimately it's up to God. He knows the desires of our hearts, His plans might be different then ours, but that's why we trust Him as the final decision maker. We are praying that because we have a broad spectrum of check marks on our application that we will be matched sooner then later.
We also know that this might not be God's plan for us at all either. The foster care offices in Alaska still have our homestudy on file, we could receive a phone call from them any day. We are also still open to a private adoption, like if a friend has a friend who is looking to place her child for adoption locally but not through an agency. We know that God works in many ways, which is exciting!
 I just felt like we needed to get our foot in the door elsewhere if we wanted something to happen before we move. I'm happy that we are being proactive and getting the ball rolling somewhere.  Now I feel like we are at a place where we can be still and wait.

~Susan

Southwest OK Newborn Photographer | Baby L

My sweet friend recently welcomed her first baby into the world! We were able to get some fun shots of him at 8 days old. He was such a little trooper and a fantastic sleeper! Thanks baby for making it easy on me :) He is one blessed little boy because you can tell just how much mommy and daddy are in love with him through these photos!

Here's some of my favorites!

Susan Wetlesen Photography specializes in newborn, birth, family and lifestyle photography in Southwest Oklahoma and surrounding areas including but not limited to Lawton, Wichita Falls and Altus.

Now What?

The fingerprints have been rolled, our backgrounds have been checked. Our finances have been picked through, and we have answered over 12 pages of questions about ourselves. We've submitted over 60 pages of paperwork, made it through two house visits, and endured nerve wrecking one on one interviews about our reasons for adopting.

This microscope we have been examined under is called the homestudy; and it is DONE!

So now what? Where do we go from here? I feel like because we are in the military and we are on track to move in a years time (or sooner or later...really, who knows!) we are at a huge disadvantage in this whole process, because adopting, in general, takes TIME! Of course there are circumstances where it can happen sooner then you'd think, but for the most part it's months if not years worth of waiting before being placed with a child. Originally we had thought we weren't  going to use an agency, but now we are opening our options to that as well. I have submitted our homestudy to a few of the foster care offices in Alaska; I've asked them to review it and keep it on file just incase there's a child who is in the age range we have submitted that becomes legally free and needs to be adopted. I was told they don't have any children they can think of right now that would fit that bill, and that they try to keep their once-foster-care-children in the state of Alaska so they can have some security and be close to relatives (if there are any), but that they would "keep us in mind."

We have been talking with a few agencies, getting all their details and weighing our options. The local agency here won't accept our homestudy (since we didn't originally sign up with them and use their choice of a social worker to complete our homestudy), so that is pretty much out of the question. There is another agency in Fairbanks I am talking with too and have been compiling their information as well. Right now we are considering working with an agency in Florida. To me Florida is a great idea because we have family and friends there. We would have the moral support, as well as rides or a car we could borrow and a place to stay, which would be a huge blessing during the placement process.

We thought we had a lead with an agency in a particular state, but after some research and some scary findings, we decided that wasn't the route for us; even though they promised a baby in just a few months (talk about pulling our heart-strings and playing with our emotions). Ethics are huge to us and this agency, and state as a whole, seems to lack in that department. So on to the next route I guess...

We are also open to private newborn adoption as well, but have yet to encounter any leads in that area.

Since we are open to any path I feel like we are making it harder on ourselves. We can't decide exactly which way we want to pursue a child thus we haven't picked a plan and gone 100% in. I know research and decisions are important, but I wish we knew which way we were headed. It's all a blur right now and I'm ready to put my glasses on and see the clear picture. But, I know that God has it under control. His timing is perfect. Just because people (like me, stated above) don't think it's possible to be placed before we move doesn't mean we won't get a child soon. God has no timelines. He has no limits. He knows our situation, and He knows that we started this process when we were 100% ready. We didn't jump into it right away; even though we have talked about it literally for almost 10 years. We made sure we were ready in every aspect, and because of that, I know the timing is right. Even if it takes longer then I'd really want it to, it will all come together when it's supposed to.

My verse for this season of our lives is Philippians 4:6:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

I AM anxious (I am working on that)....but I am excited, I want to get this show on the road and add to our family! I would love to bring a child home yesterday! The Lord knows this. He knows the desires of our hearts (Psalm 37:4). He knows about the child we've dreamed about welcoming into our family. He knows that we, as a family, have prayed for this child. He knows every word we will speak to each person involved in this process. He knows every thought of excitement and doubt that will go through our mind. He knows the path we will ultimately venture down in receiving this child, and He knows exactly which child that will be; and this is what makes the whole tiring and taxing process ultimately....perfect! 

~Susan

Southwest OK Family Photographer | Botanical Gardens

This past Sunday I had the privilege of meeting a (fairly) new-to-our squadron family! What a pleasure it was to work with them! Very sweet and kind people for sure! We both had conflicting schedules for a while but thankfully they waited it out and we were able to get together and get these photos done!

Their main focus was their active and adorable 18 month old boy. Let me tell you he is quite the cutie! He warmed up to me quickly and towards the end was taking my hand and showing me the way!

What a great family; easy to talk to and super laid back! Thanks for the fun time and choosing me to capture your handsome little man's adventurous personality!

The Botanical Gardens in Anchorage was the perfect place for a session! If you are interested in booking that location, please email me at susan.wetlesen@gmail.com.

Here are some of my favorites!

Happy Weekend Ya'll!

~Susan

Susan Wetlesen Photography specializes in newborn, birth, family and lifestyle photography in Southwest Oklahoma and surrounding areas including but not limited to Lawton, Wichita Falls and Altus.

Home Study Update

March 4th we got our fingerprints done and dropped them off at the Department of Public Safety to be processed for state and federal backgrounds checks. Normally the background checks take about 6 weeks; so when May came around and the checks still hadn't been sent to our homestudy writer, I made some phone calls to DPS to see what was going on. The lady on the phone assured me the checks had been send off on March 10th, but our writer said she hand't received them. So, two weeks later when she STILL hadn't received even the newly sent ones, we knew something was wrong!
That brings us to today; I just received an email from our homestudy writer and apparently our fingerprints and background checks were processed in March, but sat on someone's desk at DPS and were put into a file of prints that were submitted with missing or partial information and were just never put in the mail!

So finally, she has all our paperwork (about 60 pages we worked on!) and our fingerprints and background checks. Next up she will come and do a home visit where we will do an interview as a family; then the following week she will come back and interview us individually; and that should be it!

Hopefully in the next 2-3 weeks we will have a completed homestudy that we can submit to the foster care offices in Alaska; and then we wait! (We are also open to a private newborn adoption too.)


Since the child has to be in our home for 6 months before we can go to court to officially sign the adoption papers; we would need to be placed with a child by Dec or Jan time frame (because we are most likely moving June or July of next summer). I'm praying for His perfect timing, and I ask that you pray along side with us too.

Honestly, I have no idea what's going to happen in the next few months; but I know God has a child or children already hand picked for us, and knowing this brings peace and ease to the whole process :)

Scaling It Back

I've been thinking a lot lately about how I am spending my time; and honestly I am not happy with the answer. I am wasting precious moments I could be spending engaged with my kids in a craft, a project, a recipe, a game, a book, a Bible verse or story or helping with homework. I could be investing this time in their interests and ultimately their futures.

I love technology and think it's amazing that we can keep in touch with people at any second of the day and in so many different ways; but this can be dangerous. Mom's (and Dad's), I'm sure you can relate to this: how many times have your kids said your name and you don't even look up but automatically say "just a second" because you are too intent on checking Facebook on your phone? Or they ask you for help on their homework and you say "hold on" because you are texting someone the details of your day? When did keeping informed about the outside world every-other-breathing-second become more important then being there for our kids when they so desperately need our attention (especially at such a young age)? Our kids pick up and learn from every one of our actions.

So, what is it that you want to be teaching your children? What do you want to input into their hearts and minds that will eventually come out in their actions as they grow up? For me, I want my kids to know how important family is; and I think they already do (thankfully). I want them to know they are much more important then when my phone is dinging. I want them to know that I want to spend time with them. I want them to learn that investing in others and leading people to Christ is much more important then how popular you are. I want them to know that real relationships take time and energy; that they are hard yet so rewarding.

So how do we implement these values into our children's everyday lives? We evaluate where we as parents are struggling, failing or maybe even drowning. We pinpoint what we can scale back or maybe even get rid of all together. It's different for everyone. Some might spend too much time on Facebook, texting, emailing (or their phone's in general) a game they are trying to beat, a set of books they can't put down, slaving themselves at the gym for that perfect body, putting in overtime at work to get to the top instead of going home and having dinner with your family, investing more time in growing your business then spending time with your kids on the weekends, putting all your extra time and energy towards that personal record, that really in the end, is just a title. Any area in your life that exceeds time spent with God or with your family, could use some cutting back.

With all this said; I've decided to deactivate my Facebook account and also scale back on my photography marketing. Obviously, Facebook just takes up time-too much of it. Photography on the other hand is exhausting. Starting a business in a new area is going to take time; that's a given. But when marketing and worrying about branding, trying to find new client's and always searching for new ideas becomes more of a focus then spending those after-school hours with my kids, then it's a problem.  I'm not saying I'm straight up ignoring my children, not feeding them or changing diapers, but there are definitely times where I am on the computer working on photography related things when I could instead just shut the laptop, hang out with the kids and let the business worry for itself. I am not completely shutting down the business. I still want to gain new clients, learn more about my camera, and keep the business growing, but I am going to scale it back a bit. I'm not going to waste time worrying about when my next client will come along, or how I can gain new "likes" on my page. I'm not going to constantly be trying to come up with ideas or ways to "get my name out there". There are enough people now that know I have a business, and can pass along the word for me. I am still going to keep my photography business page and remain active on it; but I'm not going to worry about my admin stats and post a photo to my page "just because it's been a few days". I want to spend all this extra time investing in my children who are our future. I want them to be secure in the fact that they are more important then any job title I hold, or any comment I receive on Facebook.

I don't know if you are struggling with this as well, and if you are then I encourage you to take a look at what you are spending most of your time on. If you find that more time is spent on a certain area of your life then with your children/family, then you need to ask yourself how you can cut back to make more room and time for the more important things. After all, your children are our future. What we teach them today will affect how they react tomorrow (or years from now). All these other things that seem important now, really aren't. We can't take our phones with us when we die, we can't have a Facebook account in Heaven, we aren't going to be worried about having the biggest most booming business when we are dead, and being popular won't even exist because our eyes will be fixed upon Jesus. But, our children's actions and relationships will live on after we are gone. So spend time focusing on them and what/who God wants them to become. After all, this is our greatest calling as a parent.


*On a side note; I am not saying it's bad to a Facebook account or to have a business and a family. If you can balance both, then more power to ya! I however have lots of time in the future (God willing) to spend on this business, so for right now, I am putting more focus on my kids (and future kids as we are trying to adopt:)
 Like I said, I am not closing up shop. I am still booking sessions and working on growing as a photographer, I am just scaling back the time I spend on the business and putting forth more time towards my children. 

If you want/need to get a hold of me, my email is suzychapstick1@gmail.com. You can email me and I can send you my phone number as well, I also LOVE to get snail mail :) I'll also be keeping up with my blog; so be sure to "follow" it, and you can also follow on Instagram; username: suzychapstick1

~Susan

Southwest OK Newborn Photographer | The M Family

When this sweet little baby boy was born, I was out of town for Christmas vacation. The plan was to do a newborn session with him as soon as I got back from Colorado. But, life happened. This baby boy had jaundice, then his sisters came down with a super contagious illness, then he developed baby acne and THEN his family went out of town! So, two months later we were finally able to schedule something!

Since we were including his sisters and mom and dad in the shots as well, I went for more of a lifestyle type of session. I have been wanting to try "lifestyle" for a while now. I am at the point where I am ready to narrow down what type of photography I want to specialize in; and lifestyle was one of those types of sessions I had yet to try. Lately, (for me) the more natural the smile, the more appealing it is. When searching out other photographers to follow and admire, I have been more drawn to the lifestyle sessions as opposed to the posed ones. Now, I do think it's important to have a few where everyone is looking and smiling at the camera, those are great to have too!

It was so much fun hanging out with this family for a bit! These girls loved showing off for the camera, especially in their pretty dresses!

Thanks, M Family for allowing me into your home and being so relaxed and easy to work with!

Next up, I REALLY want to try birth photography...any takers?!? :)

~Susan

Susan Wetlesen Photography specializes in newborn, birth, family and lifestyle photography in Southwest Oklahoma and surrounding areas including but not limited to Lawton, Wichita Falls and Altus.

Autobiography

As I'm starting to fill out the paperwork for the home study, one of the biggest documents is the autobiography. 12 pages of questions about yourself; from where were you born, to how did you and your spouse meet, to what are your motivations for adopting, to how do you resolve conflicts with your children? As you move further along in the questionnaire the questions get "harder" and more personal. I'm only on page 1 question 4 and I'm already stumbling.
"Are your parents still living? If not, how old were you when they died?"
My answer: "My dad was killed in a motorcycle accident when I was sixteen years old."
This fact is not new to me; obviously. But, the fact that I have to physically write that down, makes me realize how hard it is that my dad is not here to see us take on such an exciting, challenging yet rewarding process. Gabriel and I are in fact taking on the same calling my parents did when they welcomed me and my brothers into their home. If it weren't for my dad coming home one day saying "Well, lets put down boy OR girl on the paperwork", I might not have ever had the privilege to become his daughter. They were planning on adopting another son, but something special happened that day, he was able to help a little lost girl find her mother, and because of that, his heart and mind was changed.

Thank you Lord for sending that little girl into his life at that exact moment. Thank you for allowing him to help her out and to place that possible desire for a daughter on his heart. Thank you Lord for my father and the amazing man he was for my family, all his students and the community. Even though he can't be here today to love on his grandchildren, I thank you Lord for placing him in my life and for all the wonderful memories that no matter what, can't be taken away from me.

~Susan

The Beginning Of Our Journey

Since Gabriel and I got married we've talked about adoption; 9 years and 3 biological children later we have finally begun the process! This will be my first post about our journey! 

A little back ground info...

When we lived in Delaware (our previous station) adoption was a subject that we had started to seriously talk about. Soon after doing some research and learning about a really neat agency (that we were excited to possibly use) called Bethany Christian Services we found out my husband was going to deploy for 4.5 months. Well, at that point the idea of adopting anytime in the near future went out the door. Completing a homestudy, taking care of 2 young children and a house while my husband was gone was not feasible. 

After returning home from deployment we became pregnant with baby number 3 (along with quite a few other squadron couples; deployment babies are the best:) With this pregnancy we knew it would be a while before adopting would fit into our lives....

We then made the cross country move from Delaware to Alaska for our new assignment! Since moving here a year and a half ago we have talked about adopting on and off. It seemed like for 2-3 months we would research, talk, pray and attend meetings about adoption; then life would get busy, my husband would leave for training or go fly missions, kids would get sick, and I'd be engrossed in starting my photography business that adoption would once again take the back burner. Then a spark would bring up the conversation again and we would spend a few more months talking and contemplating this life altering decision. With so many avenues for adoption, the hardest decision is deciding which is best for your family, and where to start! I believe that this was the biggest reason why we had such a hard time getting the ball rolling. We just didn't know where to start. Foreign? Domestic? Agency? Private? Foster? Newborn? So many possibilities with really one outcome...to give a child a home, a family, love, security and to show them the unconditional love of Jesus. 

Here are some Bible verses about adoption:



A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,
    is God in his holy dwelling.
⁶ God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing;
    but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.
~Psalms 68:5-6

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
~James 1:27


Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.
~Isaiah 1:17


Defend the cause of orphans. I love that verse. If we won't fight for them, then who will? These innocent children didn't ask to be abandoned, abused or neglected; they are not unloveable or hopeless. Unfortunately they believe they are because of the situations they have been put through, because the people they were naturally supposed to rely on and trust let them down. 

Since moving to Alaska it has really been on my heart that God has a specific child (or children) already picked for us and I believe we will be blessed with this child while living here. Now, we just have to do our part in obeying His will and get the ball rolling! 

We have picked out a homestudy writer (someone who performs the homestudy, compiles all the paperwork and concludes whether or not we are suitable to adopt) and now the process begins! She has emailed us a lot of documents to start filling out and we will be going to Anchorage to be fingerprinted soon. Even though we are not technically fostering, because we want to adopt a legally free child out of foster care; we must also become foster care licensed. Once the homestudy is done we plan to submit it to all the Offices of Child Services in the state of Alaska...then, we wait. We have not ruled out infant adoption, but have decided to try this route first. With the infant adoption, we would need a homestudy done too, as that is still an option for us. 

I know this is a calling for us. A special way we can make a difference in another person's life, forever. With my love for children, my husband's true compassion for others, and our love for Jesus, I know we can change the world; one child at a time! 

Please pray for us during this time. We will need wisdom to prepare our own children, perseverance to get through the mountain of paperwork, assurance to push through the doubt and strength to make it through the wait. I look forward to keeping you all updated on our process, and am already excited for the day we can announce the newest member of our family to you!   

I want to leave you with my new favorite song by Audio Adrenaline. Every child has a dream to belong and be loved.... 

Kings and Queens


Blessings,

~Susan


All posts related to our adoption journey will be under the adoption tag at the top of the page. 

Southwest OK Newborn Photographer | Baby B Session

Saturday I was able to photograph a sweet 6 day old baby girl. She loved to be held and had the biggest brown eyes! Even though she was born at 8 lbs, she seemed so tiny to me, probably because my youngest is now two and a half and not a baby anymore!

Here are some of her best photos!

Nothing like a soft squishy sweet newborn to put you in a good mood on a Tuesday! ;)

~Susan

Susan Wetlesen Photography
Susan Wetlesen Photography-Facebook

Susan Wetlesen Photography specializes in newborn, birth, family and lifestyle photography in Southwest Oklahoma and surrounding areas including but not limited to Lawton, Wichita Falls and Altus.

Yesterday At Church

Yesterday was an emotional day at church, and let's admit it, sometimes it just is.

 Looking over and seeing/hearing my sweet 7 year old daughter sing "How Great Is Our God" was definitely a happy moment for this parent. :)

Then the pastor spoke about some loses we have recently experienced in our church. He explained as a reminder to the congregation that through Jesus' death, our death is not the end of the road. His death replaced ours, He accomplished His death so that we wouldn't have to experience death to the fullest. Yes, we leave our physical bodies, which are not perfect anyway. We have pain, hardships, we get our feelings hurt, we struggle with thoughts of inadequacy/self doubt, we feel lonely, we suffer from loosing those closest to us; we have physical pain from childbirth, accidents, sicknesses, or just growing older. But, because of the death that Christ suffered for us, we don't have to be scared or sad about our deaths. We get to leave all of these pains and troubles behind....

After communion we sang the song "It Is Well." I leaned over and whispered to my husband, "I can hear my Dad singing this." Even though it's been 12 years, I can still hear his deep voice belting out his favorite songs at church. Then the tears came. Christ suffered his death for MY dad. He encountered the worst death possible so MY dad could spend eternity with Him. What an awesome God we serve. Even when it's not always easy to see "why"something as happened, we have to step back and remember God knows the bigger picture and the ultimate plan is authored by Him. He suffered and died for MY father, MY brother, MY brother-in-law, MY friend's husband, MY friend's mother, MY friend's father...who in your life has He died for? The answer is clear and the answer is true, Christ died for everyone...He died for me and for YOU!

~Susan

You liked that rhyming sentence at the end, didn't you? :)

The Last Frontier

Alaska: The Last Frontier. The 49th State. The Mainland. The Great Land. Land of the Midnight Sun.


It has suddenly hit me that we have been here for half of our time on station! I finally feel like we actually LIVE in Alaska! When you move somewhere new, it always takes time to come to terms that you live there and you aren't just visiting. It seems like our move to Alaska has taken longer to feel like a reality then most moves. I remember last year we kept saying to each other "I just can't believe we LIVE in Alaska! This is just so crazy/cool!" And now that we are are predicted to move next year I suddenly find myself in a panic!

I can't believe we have been here for a year and a half already! Our first winter here was apparently of the "worst", with record breaking (in the last 50 years) snowfall of about 150 inches, but, we got through it! We came from a state that practically shut down if there was more then an inch of snow and you were stuck in your neighborhood for days waiting on plows to come to your cabin fever rescue. Here though, there is no such thing as a snow day. It can snow a foot over night and no need to worry about being stuck in your neighborhood for a week, people don't rush out and buy up all the milk/water/canned goods off the shelf because a snow storm is coming. Nope, they do quite the opposite. They get excited for the snow, they gear up, go out and rough it in the negative temps.

One thing I have realized about Alaskans is that they love life, and to the fullest. Sure, they are a bit different when it comes to the way they dress, hold a conversation, spend their money, protect their family and property and just their overall demeanor, but man, do they know how to have a good time! I'm not talking about getting dressed up, going out, getting drunk and partying. No, that's not Alaskans at all (you could go to the nicest, most expensive restaurant in town and wear jeans, no problem).  It's camping, fishing, ATVing, snow machining, ice fishing, hunting, hiking, running, snow shoeing, skiing, dog sledding, flying and living off the land. I know people who never buy meat or fish. They shoot a moose and have meat for the whole year. They dip net once or twice and have a freezer packed full of salmon for the winter. They have chickens for eggs and grown their own garden, they live off the land! It truly is the Last Frontier! There are so many things people can (and are willing) to do here that you just can't in the lower 48. Owning an ATV or UTV or a snow machine is like owning another car. Carrying a gun is like carrying your wallet. It's essential and it's just what people do.

Living in Alaska has taught me a lot. People here know how to really enjoy and appreciate their home state. They don't waste time, or sunlight for that matter. In the summer the sun is out until after midnight, and so are the people. They pack as much as they can into the summer days because they know it only lasts a few months. In the winter they take advantage of the snow and all it has to offer. They don't sit at home and mope because of the dark and the cold. Yes, it is easy to get stuck in a rut over the winter, but if you want to survive the winter with minimal amount of depression and weight gain, you gotta get out there and have fun! Really, if you dress properly, you don't realize how cold it is!

There are just so many cool opportunities to do things here you just can't find in other states. Have you ever seen Santa and his real reindeer downtown during Christmas time? Have you ever had to forgo the fireworks on the 4th of July because it just doesn't get dark enough to do them? Have you ever had to break for a moose crossing the street in your neighborhood? Have you gone out ATVing until midnight because it was still light enough so, why not? Have you ever watched the Northern Lights from your bedroom window?

I'm in a panic because I want to make sure we push ourselves and enjoy this state to the fullest before we move. I don't want to look back and wish we would have done more. With realizing we have half our time left I am eager to take full advantage of this gorgeous state now, while we can. I've had this "aha" moment and it has left me excited and eager for this summer and even next winter to come!

Even though we were supposed to move here 4 years ago, got it taken from us and went to Dover instead, God had a plan. His timing is perfect. He knew Alaska was going to be a part of our life, even if we didn't know. Now that we are here, I don't want to waste another day!

Alright, time to bundle up the kid, hop on the snow machine and go shoot tonight's dinner. Ha, just kidding! But it is almost time to get the kids from school and enjoy those gorgeous mountains on the way!

~Susan

Friend: A person who _____?

Friend:

n.

1. A person whom one knows, likes, and trusts.

2. A person whom one knows; an acquaintance.

3. A person with whom one is allied in a struggle or cause; a comrade.

4. One who supports, sympathizes with, or patronizes a group, cause, or movement

How would YOU define a friend? If you could describe a friend in just a few short words, what would they be? And, would your phrase be a completely different one for each one of your friends? Maybe some of your phrases would be something like: a good listener, someone who can keep secrets, someone I can count on, a person I can trust, a person I like to be around, someone with similar interests and/or beliefs, a person I care for, someone I go to for advice, a person I have connected with because of similar circumstances, someone who is there for me when I need it...I could go on! I bet with each of these phrases someone in particular came in mind, or perhaps they all describe that one person in your life, possibly your best friend? Of course a friend can be described on more simpler terms as well. Maybe someone you have met just a few times that you can hold a conversation with, but  you wouldn't necessarily tell them your latest and greatest secret. This word has been on my mind a lot lately for many reasons, but I won't go into detail about that.

One of the neat things about being a military wife is all the many (different kind of) friends you make along your journey of moving here and there and everywhere across the globe. It's scary at first moving somewhere new. Most of the time you do it all on your own, without family and friends to hold your hand as your jump into a new town (or state or country!), a new schedule, new schools, new jobs, new church, new people and really just a whole new life. For the first few months you are unpacking boxes, organizing your house, figuring out schedules and where to go for this and that, learning the new street names and where the best place to get a cup of coffee is, because honestly, a good cup of coffee is a major priority if you want to keep your sanity.  Then once shop is set up and a few months go by and you settle into your routine and you feel like you finally have a hold on this new life, you realize, you are in desperate need of a friend. And the whole cycle of making new friends starts all over again. Sure, you've done it once, or twice, or like me, 7 times, but it never gets any easier.

The thing about friends is that the word really is a broad spectrum as far as how close you are to someone and how well you really know them. You can have just met someone a week ago, ran into them twice and from there on out start referring to them as your friend. Or, you can have known someone your whole life, know all their secrets; the good, the bad, the ugly about them and call them a friend too. This is what I love about friends.

With all the moves we have hurdled over and successfully accomplished, I have found that God has brought to me a specific friend or a couple friends that met my very needs at that time. It can become really lonely as a military wife when your husband is gone and you still have all the duties of taking care of the kids, the house, the cars, etc, and then you are also picking up the slack and are responsible for all that he is when he is home. Life goes on when they are gone. It doesn't come to a complete halt. Diapers still need to be changed, the bills still need to be paid, the dishes still have to be done, the kids still have to get up for school and so on. This is where the importance of a friend comes in. One thing the military life has taught me is to put yourself out there and make friends! It's really hard and awkward at first, but we need all sorts of friends in this time of our life to meet our different needs. When it comes to needing help, or someone you can vent to; you may have one or two friends, or you may have twenty. Take a moment and think about these friends. What would life be like without them? How would you cope with certain situations? Who would you talk to, lean on or ask for help?

What's awesome about the military is having friends (literally) all over the world. Yes, I have many friends, some closer then others, some who know things about me that others don't, some who have been through certain situations with me that others might not even know about, some who would get that inside joke and some who wouldn't. But what's really cool about the word friend, is that because of such a broad definition of the word, I get to call a lot of people "friend". I'm so thankful for all my friends. They have all helped shape me into the person I am today. I have memories of each one that I get to cherish forever, or continue making memories with right now. I get to call each and every one of them a friend for a different reason.

Sure, being in the military is hard, it's emotional, it's stressful, it's painful, but all of these awesome people in my life I get to call a friend make it worth it! Friends are an amazing gift. I know I am very thankful for the people that God has brought into my life.

So, how would you describe a friend? Or, better yet, how would YOU like to be described AS a friend???

Goodnight,

Susan

Shredded Honey BBQ Pineapple Chicken Sandwiches (Crock Pot)

Thursday nights are gym nights, and because we don't get home until 6:45-7:00, I knew I wanted to do dinner in the Crock Pot. I didn't want to go to the store and buy ingredients to make a meal; I wanted to use what I had on hand. So, I was going to just throw some BBQ sauce over chicken and call it good, but then I saw this recipe and since I already had everything for it, I figured I'd try it! I halved the ingredients since we didn't need to make as much and it was the perfect amount with some leftovers for today (which I've already had, and it was so good!)

*below is the recipe already cut in half*

Shredded Honey BBQ Pineapple Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (slightly thawed and cut in half)
3/4 bottle Kraft Honey BBQ
1/4 cup Italian salad dressing
1/8 cup brown sugar
1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
1 (big) can pineapple tidbits (drained)
Hawaiian Sweet Rolls
Cheese slices for topping

In a bowl mix the BBQ sauce, Italian dressing, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce. Place chicken in slow cooker and cover with sauce mix. Cook on high for 4 hours or until chicken is cooked through and pulls apart easily. (It will look really saucy, but once the chicken is shredded and the pineapple is mixed in it will be the perfect amount) Shred chicken in the sauce and pour pineapples over and mix in. Cook on high for 30 more minutes while prepping rolls and cheese and sides.

Place mixture on rolls and top with cheese and watch it melt into yummy cheesy goodness!

Like I said, I made these for lunch again with the left overs, and today I used Pepper Jack cheese and also topped with dill pickles-SO good!

Hope you enjoy! And don't forget the napkins.

~Susan