Today

The day is here—not sure how this came so fast.  Today we say goodbye to 1601 Birchwood.  In between the goodbyes, the packing, the cleaning, the closing and the moving of the kids to different caretakers we suddenly found ourselves with a few minutes of waiting before the final walkthrough.  Paul and I just laid down and looked up at the blue sky from the backyard.  So peaceful and proud of all the work that we’ve done and just having a moment to reflect on the spirit of this place.

Our house was filled with love, parties and memories of friends and sharing meals.  Friends painted our house when I was on bedrest before Claire was born.  Claire and Neil both took their first steps here. We had so much fun gardening and harvesting.  Airport Heights will always hold a tender place in our hearts as our friends made it truly a home. 

Ten Years

Ten Years.

Wow, can’t believe it and now with two kids in tow.  

For 2016, we are set to say, “I do” to an entirely new adventure.  A gap year of sorts, a time to really celebrate who we are as a family,  to lay out plans for the next ten while using the skills and strengths we have gained from the past decade..

When Paul and I came back our honeymoon of six months of European wanderings, we said let’s do this every seven years!  Well that time passed but we feel the time is right, right now to pull up our roots in Alaska (not without real pain) and take this precious time that we have with our babies and do something that we will always remember.  Something that at times tugs against our risk adverse selves, is not the most financially safe thing to do but is the thing that we will always have.  

The one thing that comes clearer are clearer each day is that time as they say just marches on. 

Our family has spent a lot of time thinking of what our core values and have decided that our key drivers are:

Serve

Adventure

Learn

Together

So for the next year we will use these values to guide us on this most undefined journey.  We plan on taking trips, spending time (loads of it) just BEING with the kids experiencing new things and setting the foundation for a new journey…that will end in South Dakota. 

We are excited to see where the next year takes us and how this will all work!

Uncle Roger's Visit

Denali Highway Labor Day Trip

Two Years

I love this picture. One of my favorite places is sitting on the patio the garden and seeing Dad here walking back up to the house it is peaceful.

I can't believe that two years have passed. Two years, I feel like I am still recovering from all that happened so quickly. What an incredible time though. Each time I think about the weeks leading up to Dad's death I am amazed by the love and support we received.

Summer Zoo Night

Paul and I took the kids one night to the zoo while Ken and Sue went out. We had a great time! The zoo has live music on certain nights and the kids loved it! We packed little snack bags--seeing Jack eat Pop Rocks was the highlight! I didn't remember them being that messy or know that it was possible to get them up your nose.

South Dakota Visitors

Rain, Garden, Rhubarb and Ferns

July has been rainy, very, very, rainy—the 8th rainiest on record. This is an item that will upset Alaskans like no other, poor weather getting in the way of an Alaskan summer.

With all of the rain we have not had to water the plants that we put in next to our apartment, but I think that they may be waterlogged and I know that they are hurting for sun. The Nasturtium seeds that I planted this spring are now about 5 inches tall—our neighbor who gets direct sun has plants that are a foot and a half tall and flowering. This gardening in Alaska is hard—everything must be perfect I feel.

Paul did get some rhubarb from some friends and broke a couple of their shovels in the process—he told me he couldn't control his super farmer strength impassioned by the thought of rhubarb. They have not really taken off but have not died so that is good.

Last year we had planted in the woods some raspberries, most made it through the winter but I am not sure that they will produce this year. One afternoon while we were biking around we found a lady who was selling raspberry plants and ferns from her yard. We dug up a whole bunch and then came back with the car to pick them up and planted them in the wild yard—most have made it but not the bushy ferns that I had envisioned.

The good news is that the plethora of mushrooms that we enjoyed last year are back sprouting up everywhere—no planting just enjoyment and they like rain!

Happy Birthday to Paul

Paul celebrated his birthday in a great way--on the water. We joined a guide and went rafting down the Matanuska in the evening. We watched the sunset over the mountains as they turned an incredible pink. The light was perfect and breathtaking--every color was deep and intense in the setting sun. The green of the mountains, the white of the glaciers, the silty gray of the water, the rock and sand cliffs all just jumped out in the light. Unfortunately, we did not bring our camera because we did not want it to get wet on the rafting ride--which it would have. Even in dry suits, the water was COLD--really cold probably around 38 degrees or so. Running straight off of the glacier--makes for some chilled water.

We saw two moose while we were on the water and then on the way home we saw six more as we were driving. They seemed to be just along the road every mile or so. My one day record for seeing moose was broken after spotting eight of them in one night.

Soo much fun--I love whitewater rafting!

4th of July

A friend from MN came to visit and spend some time with us over the 4th of July weekend. She packed every bit of Alaska that she could into her visit.


We spent the 4th of July weekend touring Whitter—getting some more halibut at my favorite place in AK for fish and chips and hiking down a trial. We saw the local reindeer and met her keeper who creates all of these crafts that she then spends the summer selling. We also were there for the 4th of July parade—lots of sirens and about 6 cars—quite the event. Later we kayaked out into Prince William Sound to the Rookery and over to an island for a late lunch of radishes and banana bread. Not your typical 4th of July picnic but delightful.


We camped near Portage at an incredible campsite, so beautiful and pristine next to a glacier fed stream. Paul rafted down the stream one evening as Amy and I read in the tent. We never got to have a campfire as it seemed to be raining every night but the days were nice.

We hiked the Winter Creek Trail in Girdwood through the rainforest and over the falls of a mountain stream then feeling really ambitious we climbed the mountain to the top of the ski resort, up though some patches of snow that still hung to the mountain scrambling up some rocks to the 5 star restaurant for some hot drinks and appetizers--so good and we enjoyed them in our sweaty muddy gear--only in Alaska.

Atlanta to Anchorage

My friend Tanya, her husband Troy and new baby boy Carson came to visit. So exciting! We shared a whirlwind tour of AK from a glacier cruise in Whitter to a weekend excursion to Seward! The weather did not quite cooperate as much as I would've liked--but it has been a bit of a colder than normal and rainy summer here.

The funniest part of the trip was the deluxe accommodations in Seward in the Captain's Cabin. $150 for a cabin tucked in between some long term nonoperational but occupied campers/buses. The pictures that were on the rental website just really didn't capture the essence on the place like mine do. Seriously there was a village of people who apparently have lived at the campground for the past 5-10 years. You can see where they have altered the buses to add wood stoves and added some blue tarps to the roofs. AK living can be quite interesting. A little piece of the Alaska south :)

We did get a bit of clearer skies when we hiked up to Exit Glacier. to see the glacier and visit the National Park and some of Sewards yummy restuarants.

Welcome and Weekend Parties

I headed back to SD to see my new niece and for a cousins wedding. What a great visit--unfortunately Paul had to stay here for school.

Penelope is precious and Chris and Annie spent a lot of time at mom's house so I got to see so much of her! We had a baby shower for her and it was so nice to see the family and friends welcome her. So much fun to see a sibling become a parent. I was able to spend time with both of my Grandma's but as usual not enough. Five days is not enough time.


My cousin Kelly got married to an incredible woman. I am so excited for Kelly and Lisa and was honored to have had a role in their wedding.

Caines Head

Memorial Day weekend requires camping in Alaska. I can't remember not camping on Memorial Day.

This year Paul, Hayden and I set out for Caines Head. near Seward, AK. We hiked almost 20 miles, through the moss covered forest, crossed the river and accross the tidal trail. You have to hike it at low tide--otherwise the water is up to the cliffs and there is no possible land passage. It is a fun hike through a variety of terrain. The rocks though that you climb over at low tide can be VERY slick! There were some definite slides into the water....

We arrived and had the best most picturesque campsite ever. So beautiful. We hiked to the old military defense site from WWII. Some animal ate our lunch as we washed breakfast dishes in the ocean. Hayden says bear--I think maybe it was a blue jay.

Perfect weather--great adventure!

Titana in the Tulips ok Daffodils :)

Last year when my mom visted she planted bulbs for us. It was so exciting to see them come up and I believe that they all came up and blossomed. We have been enjoying them for weeks. Spring--It is May but that is spring in AK!

"We are blessed"

We had come to Chicago to spend time with Memere.

The last day that we where there she recognized all of us. She asked about Ken's youngest kids. Often her words are quiet and hard to discern but she clearly said that we are blessed. I couldn't agree more. Both Paul and I are blessed by families and siblings that pray for us and are there for us. This is an incredible legacy. As we sat with Memere in Mass all of the prayers that she has said for her family became so real to me. She is a woman of God completely immersed in prayer and thanksgiving. Her face lit up as Hayden played the piano and she gripped Paul's hand. Surrounded by family her smile shone. What a gift to us all.