29 December 2010

Merry Christmas 2010


Usually I start a Christmas letter around the beginning of December. But I just can't even believe Christmas has already come and gone. Wasn't it just summer like yesterday?

This year has gone by so incredibly fast that I'm not even sure what happened. I think this will be more like a little recap than an actual letter. Usually I will go back and check my blog to see what had happened in my life the last year. But with 5 post it doesn't look like a whole lot went on. And yet I was so busy.

In January of last year I was one month into cosmetology school. Was going forty hours a week and then working a waitressing gig part time. It didn't leave much time for anything else, but I was still able to squeeze a couple trips into my schedule. Nothing foreign or exotic, but Alaska was definitely on the list, along with California, Nebraska and of course Arkansas.

It was my fifth trip to Alaska, the most beautiful place in the world! And I was so blessed to have my dad come along with me. We did a little halibut and salmon fishing, bear watching, site seeing and we got to hang out on the boat I fished on the previous year, the Early Dawn. Even though I didn't get to commercial fish this past year, I did get to show my dad a little bit of what it was like.

California was awesome! I had been to Los Angeles a couple times but this was my first time to San Fransisco. It was beautiful! I made some new friends, got to check out the Golden Gate Bridge, and went wine tasting in a limo. I felt like a rockstar! And I'm pretty sure I saw Matthew Maconahay too. But if it wasn't him, I'm going to pretend like it was. :)

I finished cosmetology school in October and am now working at a salon in Missouri. I've been there almost two months now and already am working by myself. I still feel like I need supervision of some sort, but so far I haven't messed anyones hair up or waxed anyones eyebrow off. Cross my fingers. I'm really loving it though, I think in about a year when I get more comfortable with everything it will be even more enjoyable. It is nice not to dread going to work, since a majority of your life is actually spent working.

Still trying to get my cosmetology license transferred to Alaska. This has been a bigger ordeal than I had originally thought. I'm not in any hurry to go anywhere right now though. Missouri is actually starting to grow on me. I'm thinking about getting back into dance. Not ballet this time, I think I'm going to try a couple different forms of dance and see what I like. There are some Zumba classes starting the beginning of January, so if I can get my sister Sarah to go with me I think this will be fun.

I hope that this next year is full of blessings and joy for every person I know.

Love always,

Danette

A little song and dance from the Bjornstads:

http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/c5ZFTZi1o7vBPMi9?cmpid=ey_fb_self



My dad fishing his heart out in Alaska


My friend Kelley and I at the Golden Gate Bridge


The older sibling

30 October 2010

I'm a Cosmetologist!



Hello! It has been so long since my last update. Life isn't quite as interesting to write about, or I image read about, when every day is pretty much the same.

It is one year today that I moved to Missouri. Had never cut a persons hair in my life! Didn't know a thing about coloring or foiling. And definitely didn't know anything about perming or waxing. Now, a year later, a have a cosmetology license and I really think I'm going to love the work! I am so excited to get a job in a salon and continue learning.

I'm looking for a job right now in Alaska. But as of now, I'm just hanging out in the south until after Christmas. Still working as a waitress in Missouri. Getting pretty excited to get on with my life now that I'm finished with school.

Fall is Here Again











29 September 2010

San Fransisco!



I don't really have an update except to say, I love California! And here are some pictures from my week long trip to San Fransisco!



Grapes =]



Chris, Kelly, myself and Abe at a beautiful winery!



Abe and I at the Golden Gate Bridge! So beautiful! I love bridges!

25 July 2010

Trip to Alaska #5

I have officially broken my record of "not being able to stay in one spot for more than three months at a time". I have lived in Missouri now for NINE months! It seems crazy to say, because it honestly feels that I've just moved here.

I only have 2 1/2 months of school left and I then I will actually be a cosmetologist. (If I pass my boards that is. :D) And then I'm going to have to make decisions about where I want to go and what exactly it is I want to do. That's always a bit scary for me.

But, as you all know, love and miss Alaska and fishing. And because of school I wasn't able to fish this year so I was very excited just to take a two week trip up and hang out. My dad had never been to Alaska so I was very blessed to be able to bring him along and show him the most beautiful place in the world. And he got to see what I did fishing.

So, we'll just skip right to the pictures. :D



My dad and I on our way to Alaska.



Snug Harbor. This place is amazing! It's across the inlet, away from town and the world. The most perfect place in Alaska to be able to take it all in! There's salmon fishing, and halibut fishing. Bears, mountains, fossils, history, crabs, boats, awesome people and an awesome hot tub. I mean, it's all here.



Dad, Abe and Aaron. Bear watching.



Drifting. Gill net full of fish.



Abe and his deckhand Aaron picking fish. (I would like to pretend that I made the best deckhand ever.. But I must say, Aaron probably did everything just a little better and faster than I. As much as I'd like to think that I work as hard as a guy, it's just never going to happen. Guys will always be able to give just a little more than me.)



There wasn't enough room for me to help pick fish. So I just pitched them in the hold for the guys.



A boat full of fish!!! I have never seen this many fish in all my life! The hold is plumb-full! The deck is overflowing with fish! This was a great day! (Even though I was a bit sick...)



A happy moose

04 May 2010

Cosmetology School

Hello to anyone that might still be reading my blog! I have not died, just been super busy.

There's not been too many exciting things happening in the past six months. I definitely haven't gotten to travel anywhere exciting. And though I did take a trip to Nebraska for a couple of days, I'm pretty sure that does not fall into the "exciting places" category.

I'm going to school full time, then work nights and weekends. Only about five and a half more months to go and then I will be finished with school! I don't think just saying the word "excited" could really get my point across. But I am super excited to be over half way!

I think there are about sixty of us girls packed into one building and I'm pretty sure I've heard enough drama to last me the rest of my life... I love cutting and coloring hair, waxing, pedicures and all that jazz but I was not expecting the drama that came along with it... What was I thinking?

So... I thought I'd put a few pictures up for you...


My School BBF Jessica. :D


Cutting Jessica's hair. (And as you look through these pictures, you may notice that it's basically just Jessica and I... Jess really is my only friend... I'm not even kidding. I find it's much easier to stay out of all the drama this way. :D)


Jessica and her awesome red hair. I totally did that. :D


We made a Jack Sparrow doll out of a bald mannequin. Each group had to make someone when we were going through the "Design Decisions" chapter...

Jessica, myself, Stephinie and Lydia.


And my first set of acrylics! (Jessica's hands, but we felt she needed a little bling for this hand model picture... So that is my ring. :D)

05 February 2010

Happy 3rd Birthday Joseph!



Joey's third birthday!



Blowing out his candles



Joseph, Rebekah and Emma



Little Helper