Hello, again! It's been too long...

Well, Guys, I promised way back in February that I'd write another post.  It's been on my mind that I'm way overdue on an update for you.  The fact is, we've been extremely busy!

I'll put it all down in bullet form for you:

• The most important thing is that we are together as a family again, and will be for the next 3 years!
• I counted up the months, and since the beginning of 2010, Phillip has been away from us for a total of 20 months, and home for a total of 9 months.
• He returned to Fort Wainwright, Alaska from Afghanistan in late February.
• I spent a week in Alaska visiting him while the kids stayed with his parents, and then we came home to Louisiana to be together as a family for about 2 weeks.
• Then Phil went on to Pennsylvania to LUH (Light Utility Helicopter; the UH-72) training, so that...
• We could accept a new non-deployable assignment at Fort Polk, Louisiana.
• We bought a house just north of Deridder, LA.
• I had a full-scope done by a gastroenterologist, sometime in March, to try to figure out why I have IBS-C (ummm...look it up); nothing was found but a small polyp.
• I learned in early April that I had Carcinoma Insitu of the Cervix (cancer).
• A HIDA scan of my gallbladder was also done in April, and it determined that the gallbladder is useless; it only "dumps" at 7%, which is way below the norm of about 35%.
• Phil and I decided that it was best to go forth with a partial (cervix and uterus, the ovaries stayed) hysterectomy on April 10. 
• My Dad had a scan done to see if the hemorrhage/stroke that he suffered in December had been absorbed; his doctor told him that there was no sign that it even happened!  Great news!!!
• Gabe earned his orange belt in karate.
• Sarah is growing more and more into a beautiful little girl.  She no longer has the body of a toddler.  She is lean, muscular (she LOVES ballet), and petite; and is a graceful little ballerina.
• Phillip finished LUH school in late May.
• The four of us took a 5 night cruise to Mexico, and got back yesterday.
• The movers will be here on Monday to pack up the apartment, and move us to the new house in Deridder.
• I will have my gallbladder removed on Wednesday of next week, to hopefully alleviate those major gastro-intestinal problems.
• I will try to upload some new pictures for you to view in the "Our Story in Pictures" album in the next few days.

I'm sure there is something that I'm forgetting to tell you.  As I go through the pictures, something might come up that I think should have been added to this list.

As for the cancer, it was caught early.  There will be no further treatments, and there is only a 10% chance of it coming back (my doctor said that it has only happened to one other patient of his).

Things are looking up!  I feel blessed.

I hope that you are doing well too.

J~

Thanksgiving...

Right now, to me, it's more than just a day of eating turkey and watching football.  In fact, yesterday, I stayed in my pajamas all day, and ate leftover spaghetti.

I have a LOT to be thankful for.  I am truly one blessed woman.  I'm a firm believer in everything happening for a reason, and I am thankful for the experiences of this past year.  I'm slowly learning...

As you could tell from previous posts, I was not doing so well with being back in Alaska (from summer vacation).  Ever since I was a teenager, I've dealt with clinical depression and anxiety.  The Black Cloud comes and goes.  It especially reappears when a I go through any major life changes; I do best when I have a routine to follow, and once that is broken, my brain goes haywire.  (I am thankful that I have a husband who does his best to understand this...illness).

I tried my hardest to not fail myself or my family.  I saw living in Alaska as a challenge that needed to be conquered.  I was determined to have a positive outlook, and enjoy the adventure.  Truth is, I knew that I was in trouble when we crossed the Canadian border.

Having grown up in small town Louisiana, and having been a lonely (almost only) child, I quickly learned as an adult that I could never do well in any near state of isolation.  I need lots of people.  I need lots of things to do.  I think I've mentioned before that I'd most probably be at my best if I lived in a big high-rise near the ocean (Miami maybe...I dunno, I've never been there).

When I returned to Alaska after our summer vacation, I lost all motivation.  I didn't want to go back, and hid my tears from the kids on the last leg of the journey home.  We came home to a cold empty house (Phil is overseas at the moment), and I knew right then and there that I could not do it anymore.  I'd purposely left Alaska and spent so much time in the Lower 48 during the Summer, to shorten the time that we had alone in Alaska without Phillip; waiting for him to come home from his second deployment in the year and a half that we'd been there.  Even though I enjoyed the trips to New Jersey/NYC and Washington D.C., and then Louisiana and Gulf Shores, Alabama, I regretted that I left Alaska at all.  Because leaving, and then coming home was so difficult.

I got so sick.  I wouldn't eat.  I did my best to take care of myself and the kids (and to hide any negativity from them).  I couldn't fathom spending the Holidays in Alaska, and away from family in Louisiana.  I couldn't see going through another harsh winter there either; I saw our first winter as adventure, the upcoming one...not so much.

I went back and forth, on a daily basis, on trying to decide what was best for all of us.  Should I try to stay?  Should I go home to family?  I had my children to think about.  Should I uproot Gabe from his school and friends?  Leaving meant that when Phillip came home from his deployment, he'd come home to an empty house, and then we would have to spend more time without him, waiting for him to fulfill his commitment in Alaska.  I didn't want to put any of us through more time, than necessary, apart.  After weeks of worry on everyone's part (Phillip and family included), during a conversation with Phillip one morning, we both decided that it was best that I just go home.

Hardly anyone knew what I was going through.  I hide my feelings well.  But, a good friend of mine who knew what was going on (partly because of what I wasn't saying, she said), told me that the Peace that I was feeling at having made a decision, was proof that I made the right one.  A close family member reassured me that it sounded to him like my decision was not a selfish one; if anything, I was doing it to be a better wife and mother. 

It was a long process, but the kids and I finally got the Official Orders to leave Alaska on Early Release of Dependents. 

On Halloween night, I took the kids trick-or-treating.  We came home and got ready for bed.  Usually, at around 9 pm, we would go upstairs and cuddle for a bit in my bed before going to sleep.  On that particular night though, I told Gabe that we would have to stay up later to wait for a special packet of information (that Daddy was sending over via UPS) to be delivered that would help us with the move.  When the doorbell rang, I asked Gabe to get the door (as I was fumbling with my camera, and pretending to look at Halloween photos).  He fully expected to see the UPS man.

I was able to get video of two very surprised and incredibly happy children, as Phillip walked through door; he'd come home on Emergency Leave to help us with the whole sticky relocation process.  I can't tell you how Thankful I was that he was there to help us, and that we got to be together for that brief (but very busy) amount of time.

Shortly after midnight on Wednesday, November 9, the kids, the cat, and I said goodbye to Phillip and to Alaska. He went back to his duties overseas soon after we left Fairbanks.

The three of us are content to be back home.  Even Pichou, the cat, who wasn't so keen on airplane travel, seems excited about, and comfortable with her new surroundings. 

This evening, I'm so very Thankful for having the support of family as the kids and I make a new life here in South Louisiana, until the four of us can be together again on a new assignment.   Gabe is in a new school, and adjusting to new classmates.  Sarah will start a new pre-K next week.  We'll getting back into the swing of things with karate and ballet classes soon.  I've found an awesome apartment with a lake view, and fountains to listen to.  And, the kids are with Phillip's parents in Texas right now, visiting family for the holiday while I get some much needed mental and physical rest.

I can't totally poo-poo on the whole Alaskan experience.  I made some genuine friends there that I will miss dearly, and hope to see again in the future. 

As for the "Black Cloud", it's still there.  It's just not hanging directly over me.  It's moving off to somewhere out in the distance, and hopefully won't return again anytime soon.

Hey There!

Pictures have been added to the Alaska Bound photo collection. 

The kids and I have been carrying the camera around more lately, so that we can capture images of life in Alaska while we are still here.

More on that last statement later...

Take care everyone!

J~

Short to String you Along...Whales a Swimmin'

I'm posting a video for you today of a whale doing his thing off of the coast of Seward, AK.

 You'll have to listen carefully at the 16 second mark, but if you do, it's really cool to hear him.  
 (I've heard Gabe make the same noises while he plays with his Star Wars stuff.)
There were some porpoises playing with him too. 

We've been busy lately.  We are all getting ready to go off on different adventures.  

I'll have to start packing soon, and I'm not looking forward to that.  I'm excited about getting out of this area for a while but, I'm not excited about Phillip not being able to come with us. Que' Bummer!

May this post find you all Safe, Happy, and Healthy.  

I'll get back to writing as soon as I can.

J~

Shorts to String you Along...Dogs a Mushin'

This was taken a few weeks ago, while we were on the Riverboat Discovery Cruise here in Fairbanks with Phillip's parents.

One of the stops on the river cruise is at Susan Butcher's (Trail Breaker) kennels, where you're treated to some education about the dogs, and you get to see them run.  Also, at the end of the cruise, at the Native Village stop, you can meet someone from the kennel for a question and answer session about Susan, the Kennel, and the dogs, etc.

Her partner, Dave Monson, takes the engine out of the 4-wheeler, and beefs up the brakes.  At the command, the dogs are finally (because they are so eager!) allowed to do their thing.  So, please watch until the end, because those dogs can GO!

"I do not know the word 'quit.' Either I never did or I have abolished it."

   - Susan Butcher, Iditarod Winner, 1988

Here is another link to learn more about Susan.  Go...Here.

Have a great day, everyone...

J~

Seward... Part Two

"So, the yellow marker is the route we took Pa-Paw.  Things got really rough around Cheval Island. "

"You got really sick, didn't you?"..."Yep, but, I sang my Dora the Explorer song to keep my mind off of things."

I just realized that I can scratch #52 off of "Janet's List"; I didn't get the prize winning whale tail photo that you'd see in say, National Geographic, but it'll do for me for now.

I've also shared the photo of Sarah and Pa-Paw with the amazing ladies at Communal Global.  When you get a chance, swing on over to view some beautiful images from around the world.  I've also shared this picture with Supermom, because...well, I think it's a pretty cool picture.  But, I'm biased!

J~

Seward and Sea Sickness!

The above collage are some of the pictures that I took on the Major Marine wildlife cruise through Kenai Fjords National park this past Monday near Seward, Alaska.  You can see more pictures in the Drive to Alaska photo album included in our Photo Collection.

It was a full day (6 hour) cruise with a Prime Rib and Salmon lunch included, but unfortunately, not many of us wanted to eat that day.  We were warned that the seas would be especially rough, and were even asked if we wanted to reschedule for the next day, but time didn't allow, so we took our chances. 

I had gotten sea sick off of the coast of Puerto Rico while visiting my older brother when I was sixteen years old, so I was prepared to deal with it this time (ride the waves, deep breathe, focus your eyes on one thing, get fresh air, etc.); I ended the day without getting sick, Thank Goodness.  But my poor mother-in-law and Sarah were both starting to feel it in the first hour...

To make a long story short, I counted at least six people losing their breakfast at one time.  I do have to give lots of credit to the Captain and Crew; the Crew was right at your side to help, and the Captain even cut the engine a few times to try to cushion the blow on huge waves.

All in all, it was an incredible experience.  To see wildlife (and hear it) as it is, in it's pure form, was simply amazing.  The pictures don't do the trip justice. I don't think it's necessary to book a luxury, week-long cruise anymore to get to see what I did that day.

I think we can go on ahead and spend the money and miles on another trip instead (because we'd entertained the thought of taking an Alaskan cruise); most probably our traditional we-survived-another-deployment-Disney-celebration trip to the new Disney Aulani resort in Hawaii.  (ask someone who lives here in Alaska about the AK/Hawaii connection...maybe one day, I'll blog about it.)

But, then again...Phillip and Gabe didn't see what I saw that day, though it was similar, so....hmmmphhh...What to do?  What to do?

There were many times that day when I cursed myself for telling my husband to hold off on buying a new SLR camera for Mother's Day.  I had to deal with digital delay.  As I've said before, I'm not a photographer; I just love taking pictures.

On a side note, I don't have pictures of the guys fishing trip (I wish I did).  From what I understand, the sickness was much worse for them because they were on a smaller boat.  Gabe managed to catch three sharks, but was sick for pretty much the whole day.  Phillip got sick at the end of the day; my father-in-law came out without a scratch.  As for the fish that was caught, there was lots of it (halibut, rock fish, etc.), and a bit of it was sacrificed to the grill last night.

Yum!

J~

"Hello! How are you doing today?"

"...I hope I find you feeling healthy.  I'm so glad our paths crossed this time today...".

(Those two lines are from Granny, one of my favorite Dave Matthews songs, by the way.)

We've been busy!  Phillip's parents flew in last Monday evening, and we've been visiting and having fun ever since.

We went down to Seward, Alaska this past Sunday.  The boys went deep sea fishing, while the girls went on a wildlife viewing cruise through Kenai Fjords National Park.  We also spent some time in Anchorage, visiting family and shopping, etc. 

So, today we're unpacking and getting settled back into life here in the Interior.

Give me a day or two, and I will have details and pictures to show you from our mini vacation.

Until then...

take good care of yourself, and go hug someone.

J~

What a beautiful, lovely mess we have here.

The backyard.

Another view of the backyard.

The dark area in the middle of this picture is actually a lake of melted snow.

 

The neighbor's house.  Maybe one of these days, I should introduce myself.  On dark evenings (or mornings), I sometimes forget to close the bathroom blinds, and one of these days, they might get a "show".

The front yard, and bird bath.

The slushy, funky driveway where I got stuck a few weeks ago.

So, at this time of year, people around here rise from the dark, cold of winter and REALLY enjoy the sunshine and warmth.  I have yet to hear though, of people celebrating the actual "ick" of snow melting, mud puddles, etc.

These pictures were taken last week from my upstairs windows; you can see my reflection in the window if you look carefully at some of the pics.

Hey, I am no photographer. I just like taking pictures.  There is a difference.  

Today, there is barely any snow left in the yard.   

Maybe I should take more pictures.

After having to drive carefully (slowly, with great caution) on the roads of Winter, everyone realizes that they can drive like teenagers again (tsk, tsk), and traveling around is actually quite fun...and quick.

Living out here is like living on a whole other planet.  I'm not the only one that will tell you this.  The sun goes down later and later, and it gets dark around 11 pm now.  It will continue to get worse.  I say that (because I don't like the continual daylight) to people around here and they give me strange looks.  Seriously, it can freak a girl out when she wakes at 2:30 am to use the bathroom, and it's light outside.  I'm always on a lookout for moose at that time of night, like maybe they find it safer to come into the yard when we're supposed to be sleeping.

I mention to people that I'm leaving for a while this summer, and I tend to get the comment "But, you're leaving at the best time!".  Summer is valuable here. The beauty of it is....WOW!

As for me, I'm going to the Lower 48, where there is proper night and day.  More on that later...

Janet

Where is he?

This sign is just a mile or so from my house, and every time I see it, I imagine a moose to be looking both ways, waiting patiently to cross the road not far from the sign.  Maybe he'll give me a nod as I pass, and mouth something like "How ya doin', eh?".  I'm actually disappointed when I don't see him.

On a more serious note, someone in the family (not me) was recently pulled over by a state trooper not far from this sign, because the speed limit on that road is 40 mph.  If you hit a moose, it can be a pretty nasty thing indeed; for you, your car, and the animal.  The good thing though, from what I understand, is that if you do hit a moose, you or the local food bank gets a freezer full.  I think (almost positive) that it's against the law to hit one, and not salvage the meat.

And this is another reason why I like living in different parts of the world...because you learn something new everyday.

J~

On the Wish List...

A weekend here:
Click on these words

When I think of "going off the grid", this is what I mean.  Just me, my camera, no watch, and a good book!

Okay...that's it. Just thought I'd let someone know.

I think...

...that I owe Alaska an apology.

I realize that in an earlier post, I may have painted a minor dismal picture of the life out here. And for that, I apologize. Especially to those fellow military wives whose husbands have dreams of dragging them out here.

Big, FAT, snowflakes fall as I type. I look out of my window, and I see a postcard come to life before my eyes. I never get tired of the view from my windows, and it would only get better if I lived high on a hill somewhere, so I could see a snowy forest below me (which is really weird, because I'm a "city girl"). I do a daily "track check" in the snow, to see what animals have come to visit recently. And where else can you eat breakfast on a Saturday morning, and look out of your back door to see a moose standing just 15 feet away? I've seen a fox carrying off some small animal for a snack; we have a snowshoe hare living in our yard.

It is quite peaceful out here. The only sound from where I am is a near silence. I check my news apps everyday, and I'm kinda thankful that we are apart from the bad news coming from the Lower 48. Over here, there is not much need to lock your doors (though we do). I feel safe here. There is no traffic, no fuss to get somewhere.

At first, one of the things that annoyed me about moving out here was that there seemed to be no places to shop for the things that we're used to, or that there weren't any good restaurants to eat at. As I've mentioned before, Amazon.com has become a great place to find things, and there are quite a bit of unique specialty shops out here. A major problem to me was that there was nothing to do! I came from the Austin area, where if you were bored, then you had a problem. The new way of life out here has forced me to look at things from a different perspective, and to use my creativity more. As far as the restaurants, well, I can only think of one nice chain eatery here, but we tend to favor going to the local places. We have our favorites; lots of them. When it comes to choosing a Thai or Asian place to eat, we've got lots of DELICIOUS choices, and the Italian, Greek, and Mexican places are really good as well.

Still, I had to laugh this morning when I went into Gabe's room to wake him. He was talking in his sleep, and asking his school teacher where the Olive Garden was!

We do have to deal with such things as extreme cold, snow, critters in the woods, the whole day light/night time thing. Really though, a person just adapts. I'm all cozy and warm in my house right now. Driving in the snow is like driving on gravel (I've learned to pull out and stop slowly). And yes, I do worry about what will happen in the spring, when our neighborhood moose and her new baby will be out looking for food; it's a dangerous thing to come between them. But, all I can do is teach the kids to be aware, and to always make some sort of noise (as Gabe walks through the woods on his way home from school) so as not to sneak up on them. But really, it's kinda a unique thing to have to worry about. Don't ya think?

The people out here are also really wonderful people. The majority are so helpful and welcoming. I say this, because there are a few that like to keep to themselves (mostly the natives or long-timers). Everyone, I can truly say, is GENUINE. And I like that.

I can also say that I'm happy to live, and raise children, in a place that people sometimes save up for their whole lives to see. I mean, this is the Last Frontier and it certainly feels that way. Summer time is approaching, and the cruise line tour buses will soon be out (and then we'll have to fight a tourist for a space in line for a cookie from The Fudge Pot).

I've realized that I've become a bit of a different person since I've been here. The very things that depressed me and had me wanting to run South when we got here, are the same things that I'm going to miss when I leave (I didn't want to mention my negative thoughts to any of my fellow military wives, because I wanted to give it a fair chance first). Always looking for something to do, I've slowed down a bit. I can go days without feeling the need to leave the house now. I read more. I cook more. I exercise more. I've learned that I don't need my husband to teach me how to survive my first winter here; I did it all by myself.

They say it takes up to a year to see if how you really feel about Alaska (and to get over the initial culture shock); it took me 3-6 months.

Overall, I like it here. Not enough to retire here, but enough to look back on this experience with fond memories.

And to my Husband's and Brother's disbelief, I'm a little excited about the snow that will have to be shoveled (I like doing it) after we're done with this latest shower...

A little shopping and Seasonal Affective Disorder...

I feel the urge to shop for semi-needless things. Well, I can't spend too much money since I did the major once-every-few-months grocery/supply shopping on Monday. And we did spend a good amount of money on our trip home to Louisiana last month (though the money we spent there on all sorts of needless stuff was still less than the cost of living out here).

I've been saving money and snow-balling bills since we've moved to Alaska, and it feels good, so every bit of extra money that I do spend, sends me down a guilty path. But, right now, I'm thinking that I "need" to go onto Amazon.com (Sarah needs a new pair of Keds). FYI, there are not many places to shop out here for the things that we were used to in the Lower 48, so Amazon.com becomes another best friend to a lot of people who end up living out here.

I'm in a funky mood this week. If you refer to the post below this one, you'll know a major reason why. Phillip is out of town for a few days, and I'm having deployment flashbacks (I hate it when he's not home). I'm also starting to look forward to the Spring/Summer.

My close friend, CW, calls this the "frozen hell I live in". To me, it's not so bad. I almost prefer the winter here, because the snowy scenery is absolutely beautiful, and you have genuine darkness to sleep in (getting up to use the bathroom at 2 am to see sunny bright sky can freak a person out). As for the cold, you just have to dress warmly, and give yourself time to adapt (to the cold in general, but I don't suggest standing out in subzero weather to try to get used to it!).

But then, if you talk to a lot of people here, they will gladly admit that they are more than ready to get out of here. After 3 years here, I'll be ready to leave too, but for now I can live with it. Still, even though we just came back from a wonderful trip back home, I hear of people going off on vacation to all these interesting places, and I get a wee bit jealous. Hey, I LOVE to travel!

One downer is that because there is not much sunlight at this time of year, we are all pale like vampires, and all we want to do is sleep. I'm always tired (for numerous reasons). Gabe and Sarah are always tired. How much Vitamin D can you pump into a system without overdosing?

This won't last too much longer though (4-5 months, but I'm trying to be optimistic), and then we'll have so much sunlight that our body clocks won't want to shut us down until about midnight.

C'est la vie. It is what it is. I'm still glad to be able to say I've "been there and got the t-shirt".

At 40 degrees below zero, you find a new appreciation for staying home (and other news).

It's COLD today. I think it's the coldest that we've had so far, and just like you may guess, it's not fun to have to go out in it. This is our first winter here in Central Alaska, and I'm learning new things by the day. I absolutely LOVE to stay home now. Housework, reading, playing with toys, and trying to empty the DVR cache is our fun for the moment. (But, we do try to get out for a little while to prevent the winter blues.)

I've been bringing Gabe to school lately. Usually, he walks; but with the sun rising at around 10:30 a.m. now, the short walk to through the woods is a bit scary for him. I have him properly armed with a flashlight, cell phone, and enough winter gear to keep warm, but I can understand that bringing him the short distance in the car will put less stress on both of us if I continue to do it for the next month or two, or until we see daylight at the beginning of the school day again. I also see that a pair of snow shoes for him might be a smart purchase in the near future.

The kids and I were supposed to fly out to Lafayette tonight, but with Phillip coming home any day now from his latest mission, I decided that it was better to get our tickets changed so that the four of us can fly home together. Because Sarah and I have been a bit sick this week, I'm very glad that we're not leaving tonight!

In the past 12 days, someone over here has either gotten spayed, de-clawed (leather couches, and I can only put us both through the torture of nail trimming so often), micro-chipped, had a double-ear infection, sinus infection, a hole under the tongue where exposed salivary glands were inflamed, stuck his tongue to a basketball goal to see if it's true (and it is) that your tongue will freeze to it, caught the common cold, or had strep throat.

It's time for the husband to come home. Thank Goodness that this was only a short deployment (about 4 months). It seems as though it never fails that when he's due to come home, someone is on their last leg. I imagine it as a jet coming in for a landing with only one wheel down. When there is only one parent around, the kids need extra reassurance and attention, and I'm the one to provide it; after a while, that can take it's toll on me.

I do my best to stay positive, and not complain. I know that my situation could always be much worse. If I were not the wife of such an awesome man, I'm not sure what life would be like, but I know that I wouldn't have what I have now...and it is a beautiful life.

We all can't wait to have Phillip home. The weather and landscape sure have changed! And, in just the short time that he's been gone, Sarah has begun to hold complete conversations with us. Her vocabulary amazes me on a daily basis. And she is Conais (Cajun for mischievious) with a capital C! Gabe has gotten so much more mature. He and I had a short conversation last night about how when he was a "little" boy, he wanted so much to be a "big" boy, and now that he feels that he's there, he wants to be "little" again (that's how he put it). I had to remind him that he shouldn't want or need to grow up too quickly; his job is to be a kid, and he should leave the grown-up stuff to me or Dad. I do NOT want him to grow up too quickly...a kid should be a kid.

Oh, lovely...just got a call from the doctor, and this morning's strep swab on me came back positive. Well, that makes two of us since Saturday. Welcome Home, Babe! Here's a Z-pack!

I've been busy with lots of different things lately. I made some major changes to my blog. I've felt for quite a while that I needed a change. We needed a new look. And I wanted to do as much as I could to prevent certain invasions of privacy. Although I put lots of personal information on here, I do try to be discreet and not lead the common criminal, etc. to our front door, so I deleted some things.

Also, I've come to the realization that there comes a time in deployments (when I know the end is near), that I do extra things around the house to keep busy to make the time go faster. I also get into a sort of a "nesting" mode. And then I get tired and frustrated from the extra work, and then the kids get sick...

The roller coaster never ends!

Until next time,

Chena Hot Springs

Just a short post...

Phillip left last week to go to Pakistan to help with relief efforts out there. We dropped him off on Sunday, and 8 hours later, he texted me to ask if I'd go pick him up (Did I mention this before? I think I did...). His flight finally left at 1 a.m. on Wednesday morning.

The kids and I are getting along much better than we thought we would. We miss him, it's true. But, we have a routine and that helps.

This past Sunday, I took the kids on a small road trip to visit Chena Hot Springs Resort. The pictures are included in the Alaska album for your viewing pleasure.

It really is a nice place to visit. The ride to and from is really beautiful (especially with the fall colors coming out). And the resort itself, is really peaceful. I hope to go back once it snows to go dog sledding!

Choo! Choo!

Phillip will be leaving soon to go on his humanitarian mission, so he's spending a lot of time at home with us (just waiting on the word "Go"). This past Friday, he, Sarah, and I were running errands when we came up with the idea of going down to Denali National Park on a train for a fun Saturday trip.

We'd planned to surprise Gabe (since he loves trains), and were gonna tell him that we were going to drag him out shopping for truck tires, but ended up telling him anyway about the trip when he came home wanting to make plans for a sleepover with a new school friend.

He kept telling us on Saturday that he was glad that he didn't press the sleepover issue.

Enjoy the video above of little sister helping herself to big brother's ice cream. Don't forget to watch for the little dance of attitude at the end. And, I've posted pics in the Alaska album too.

By the way, please keep us in your thoughts and prayers. We are not sure how long Phillip will be gone for, but we do know that when he's not here, time can really drag on. Loneliness can really get to you, if ya let it...and it's a constant fight, I tell you. Most importantly, we want Phil and his friends to be safe until the mission is complete.

Updates and Notes...

We've been in our new house for about a month and a half now. Like any new place, the surrounding area and the house itself is taking a little time for us to get adjusted to.

Here's the lowdown:

• The restaurants around here are mostly non-chain. Our favorites so far are The Base Camp, The Cookie Jar, Mambo Grill, Sunday brunch at The Pump House; all have something unique that make it a special place. There are many more restaurants in the area, these are just a few of our favs.
• We got a new kitten! The guy who owns the house that we're living in, found some strays. We've chosen a female creme colored kitten with Balinese markings. Her eyes are the most beautiful blue! And she's soooo tiny. I'm guessing that she's about 8 weeks old at the most. I truly believe that she is an angel in disguise; she's playful, cuddly, and she purrs! (our old cat, Pandora, did not)
  
• I think I've mentioned before that things happen around here at a much slower pace. I'm still waiting on some service people to give me a call back...
  
• If one more person says "Welcome to Alaska!" (if there is a problem with something, like waiting for service) or "Have you been salmon fishing yet?", I'm gonna scream at them.
• Gabe participated in Cub Scout camp a couple of weeks ago at Birch Hill recreation area. It was a cowboy themed camp and I think he loved every minute of it. Camp gave him the perfect opportunity to make new friends.
• I put Gabe in another camp this week; a non-denominational Bible camp with a high reputation for fun. We pick him up tomorrow after having dropped him off on Monday. He said that he'd sleep over on the first night to see how it goes...so far, we've not heard from him...I think he's having way too much fun to miss us or his new kitten!
  
• Sarah had her first Alaskan ear infection in both ears a couple of weeks ago.
• Both of the kids' allergies have gotten 100% better since we left Texas! No more allergy meds!!!
  
• I'm ready to get back to work. I think it will be the best way for me to adjust to being here, and it will be nice to get out of the house. Fortunately, one of the little scouts from BSA Camp has a mom that is the recruiter for one of the local hospitals, and after we got to talking....well, you know.
• Living here after being in Texas is like going from 90 mph to nothing...it is a whole new lifestyle that can really be lonely and isolating. We are all trying to get used to it, yet glad that we will be able to tell stories in years to come about living here. As the days go on, it gets easier to adjust to the slower pace, but I admit that in the beginning, it was a shock to my system.
• The weather has been a bit dreary and rainy...the locals are calling for a harsh winter.
• We still need to winterize our cars and were told that we need to "jump on it".
• On Tuesdays, we go swimming with Ruthanne and Katie (her grand-daughter)...Ruthanne is a total sweetheart and really energetic...we look forward to spending time with her. If I haven't mentioned her already, she and her husband, both retirees from Pennsylvania, spend the summers here with her daughter...then they go back to PA for a couple of months and then winter in Florida. I met her while she was watching Katie take soccer practice in the schoolyard...and now, when Katie has practice, Ruthanne will walk on over to the house to visit, and drop off homemade cookies.
• Gabe will be able to walk to school from our house in about 30 seconds.
  
• I've posted some new pics in the "Alaska Bound" album to the right of this page...look for the link and click on it.
• We've been doing some exploring when we get the chance; last weekend, we went to the World Eskimo Olympics hosted every year in Fairbanks.
• I have been asked to post pictures of the inside of our house, and I will do that as soon as I get a chance to take the requested pictures...I'd like to clean up a bit first. We were lucky enough to find a nice two-story to rent out here in North Pole, AK.
• Berry picking seems to be a huge thing out here.
• So far, we've only seen 2 moose...one in the schoolyard and another bathing in a creek on the way to Chena Hot Springs.
• I've already warned Gabe on what to do if he sees a moose while going to or from school. Encountering one who is protecting her babies would not be a good thing...at all.
  
• Haven't seen any bears yet, and that's fine with me!
  

I'm BACK!

We just got hooked up to the internet yesterday. Over here in Alaska, things can take a while; it's kinda like "island time". AND, it's taking a bit of time to get our boxes unpacked etc...it would have really helped if the house we're currently renting was actually cleaned for us BEFORE we got the keys.

I will post as soon as I can to fill you in on what's going on with us.

Right now, I'm just posting to tell you that I'm back in business.

In a few minutes, I'm going to take the kiddos for a swim with a new friend(s) that we've made (a retiree and her husband from Pennsylvania who spend the summers here with their grandchildren)...she's quite a fun character and I consider her an Angel, because on the day that I met her, I really needed to make a new friend...

For me, adjustments can be a challenge.

Later Ya'll!

Hurry up and wait!

I'm writing to tell you that I have not much to tell you.

Right now, we're waiting on housing. We've just closed on the house in Texas, and are both hesitant to buy over here for many different reasons. We are really low down on the waiting list for Post housing, and the benefits to living on-Post FAR outnumber the cons of living off-Post. Finding a house to rent out here is like looking for a needle in a haystack! And by the time a decision is made on what we'll do about buying or renting, if the "perfect" alternative to living on Post comes up, then you can bet that they'll be calling to tell us that something has come open on Fort Wainwright.

I'm about to go crazy after living in hotels for at least a month now...

The kids and I are doing a bit of exploring and getting to know the area while Phillip is at work.

And that's about all I have to say about that.

(But...however glum this post may sound to you, things will get better after the dust settles...they always do. And I really like Alaska!)

How to Pan for Gold!

We went to the El Dorado Gold Mine just north of Fairbanks this past weekend.

If you look to the right of this post, you can find pictures from our trip to the Mine in the collection of "trip to Alaska" pictures.

I'm really glad that we took the tour, because it was quite informative and just plain fun. We spent some money (it wasn't cheap) to tour the Mine, but got it all back when we panned for our own gold. Phillip and I had so much fun during the panning process, that we used our pans to scrape the bottom of the panning troughs to get more residue to look through, and sure enough, we found more gold!

Enjoy the video below!