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