ice!

Snow Tires!

The Honda reached Alaska and we were able to pick it up yesterday! As soon as we pulled out of the parking lot with our car we soon discovered black ice...no later than sliding all over the roads (good thing we have a Florida license plate so hopefully that gives us a free pass for a few days). First thing this morning we went to get snow tires put on, we are one step closer to becoming "winter proof"...probably will fully be ready for winter when summer comes.

The high today is back to 14 degrees and is suppose to get colder each day, I never thought that I would wish for it to be 30 degrees again, but when it reaches above 25 we are all smiles!

our house/neighborhood

This photo is taken right outside of our neighborhood, our house is located right on the boarder of the mountain range



This is our house! We have the red door, and our house is connected to the one story house on the left.

Merry Chirstmas!

Merry Christmas! Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday, we missed everyone very much.

So sorry there haven't been any new posts this last week, we have been extremely busy and we haven't had Internet. SO much has been going on, we moved into our house. We love it, the neighborhood, the house and everything about it. It sits right on the edge of a huge mountain range, and our backyard is one big snow pile.It also doesn't hurt to have so much room, more than we actually need but we are just closing the doors to the rooms that are empty for right now.

Santa was extremely kind to the both of us this year, the moving truck arrived the next day after we moved in and our car was soon to follow. Everything seems to be coming together, and we are adjusting to life in anchorage, ak. You could actually say that we love it here, each day we fall in love with it more and more. I can't even explain the feeling of walking around a busy store and getting all frantic, though once you walk outside and try to find your car all the frustration seems to vanish because all you see is beautiful landscape and the smell of crisp air. It doesn't hurt that the weather is actually bearable, mid 20s to 30s and it gets brighter outside each day.

Right now Josh is trying to put together the DVD rack and I think he is going to try building the dining room table and chairs. That's all for right now, but keep your eye out for photos of the house, and I'll try to add a video!

walking in the snow

blue sky

Snowed in

These photos of the moutians were taken right out of our hotel window from my iphone! We had no idea they were here because the fog was so thick. This is a typical view you get to see just walking and driving around the base because the moutians surround anchorage, to me the photo almost looks to beautiful to be something that I am able to see everyday.

These photos are of the BX.

Yesterday I took the free YMCA on base shuttle to the BX ( which is basically a super walmart or target). This wasn't a simple task, because of the conditions of the roads due to all the snow we have it takes the shuttle over an hour to pick you up, and the BX isn't more than a mile and half away. So from 10am til 330pm all I have to show for my hard work is one bag. It was fun to get out of the hotel, which seems to get harder each day since it won't stop pouring snow outside.

Today's task at hand is to walk down to the laundry mat, and when its 6 degrees outside this can present itself to be very challenging. Josh has been going to work every morning around 7am and gets home later in the afternoon.

We have a house!

Yesterday we went to the housing office and we were able to get the house we wanted! The neighborhood is called Moose Crossing, seems like just about every other thing up here is named Moose. Josh and I are both very excited, we went and looked at the house yesterday and it has three bedrooms, three bathrooms, living room, dinning room, family room and a full kitchen. We also have a fenced in backyard, but it was about three feet full of snow.
We have to stay in our hotel til Monday 21, because we don't really have any way of getting our baggage to the house. So we decided that whole week we would rent a car, so we would be able not only to move but also to get out during the Christmas weekend.

Its been snowing for two days straight now, and it is suppose to continue through the week, so far there are several new inches of snow on the ground. Last night Josh and I went on a little walk and because of the snow on the ground is so white, all the new snow flakes looked like glitter coming out of the sky, it was so beautiful. Photos don't seem to really capture anything that we are seeing. I will defentaly try posting some more soon, but without the light they turn out so dark. :) Happy Tuesday From Alaska!

Snow Flakes

The fog went away! So while Josh left for work this morning, I decided to adventure out and see what we were missing. And it turns out there is a huge mountian range right next to us. Which probably explains why everyone looked at us strange when we were asking where all the mountians were. Turns out they were in our backyard the whole time!
Sorry I didn't get any photos of them because it has been snowing all day, snow flakes the size of quarters. This is extremely exciting considering Josh and I just saw snow flakes about a week ago for the first time. I think we have gotten a few inches today, and it is going to continue to snow through out the week.

S.A.D.

So over the weekend we're ( happy mom? ) finding out what seasonal depression is all about, or as they call it up here S.A.D.

Yesterday we paid for a taxi to get up to take us to a local favorite right off of base. We found out that it is extremely pricy to ride in one. The resturant was called Mooses Tooth, a pub/pizzeria. After eating we thought that we might save some money and walk to the downtown mall. All odds were against us, 12 Degrees outside, pitch black with fog everywhere, oh and we had no idea where we were going. Josh had believed he knew his way around town, but thankfuly with the help of an 'iphone' we managed to find it to a Barnes and Noble, only shortly after walking outside for over a mile. ( #1 Rule for living in Alaska; Just call a cab).

Today I don't think the sun even gave us a little hope for light, but it didn't seem to stop the former governor Palin from visiting the base and doing a book signing at the BX.

Video of outside the hotel

First Day in Anchorage, AK 11:30am it finally was light enough to take a video.
12 Degrees

First Day in Alaska

Hello!

After 11 hours of flying Josh and I got landed in Anchorage yesterday around 445pm, and it was already dark outside. You couldn't see much further than a few feet.

Once the "sun" finally came out around 11am today I actually got a chance to walk around. Alaska is beautiful, EVERYTHING is white and covered with snow, and today's high is around 12 degrees. Its hard to explain the daylight here because you can't actually see the sun, it looks more like an early morning light. Though there is nothing different about the dark, besides that without any light you feel helpless and can't go outside.

Josh had to go to in processing this morning, and we're trying to get a rental car for this weekend, or else we will be stuck without food or water in the hotel room.

It snowed!!

It turned out to be a beautiful day today, we got to wake up to snow every where! After playing in it we all decided to head up to Gatlinberg for the day and it continued to snow all day! Josh and I are super excited because its a little preparation for the several feet of snow already waiting for us in alaska. 5 days!

Cold... and were only in Tennessee

So were not even to Alaska yet and I am cold! I think I am in for some trouble!

This week we have been getting stuff for the house and warm clothing. We now have wool socks, which I am already getting much use out of, and some long underwear. I am refraining from putting on my snow boots and parka on while were here, but I dont know how much longer I will be able to hold out for. I mean 45 and raining...burr!

The movers are coming to joshs parents house sometime friday morning, so anything that we want to take up there with us we will have to buy tomorrow, the rest of the stuff we will be able to take on the plane, and were allowed four bags each!! On monday were driving the honda georiga and it gets shipped from there, and hopefully we will be seeing it sooner than later.

Made it to Cleveland

Josh and I left Sarasota yesterday and headed up to his parents house in Cleveland, TN. The 8-9 hour drive turned into a 13 hour drive due to all the gator fans on the road, But we didn't kill each other and we finally got here.

Josh's parents cooked an amazing Thanksgiving dinner for us and were so excited to finally be in some cold weather!

Here are some photos from Thanksgiving at my parents house.

Thanksgiving...

Happy Thanksgiving.

Tomorrow is our last day in Sarasota, we are packing up the car and driving up to josh's parents house in cleveland saturday november 28th in the morning. So stop by the house friday or saturday to say goodbye!

the last days

We only have four days left in sarasota before we head up to cleveland to visit joshs family and then fly out to alaska. So were pretty much trying to hangout with family and see all of our friends before leaving.
The bad news is that stella won't be able to come with us to alaska, it just gets too costly flying with her and then bording her for a week once we get there and wait for our house to be ready.
SO for the next four days we will be soakin up the sun, eating and having fun!

3o days til the move

Hello lower 48,

So Josh and I are recentaly engaged and due to the fact he is in the airforce we are being relocated to anchorage, alaska. As most of you know we have lived in florida since we were babies, and can get away with wearing flip flops for 11 months of the year.

We are moving in 30 days, so while were still living in the sunshine state we are trying to gather up as much warm clothing as possible. Including snow boots, and parkas; which I just recentaly found out is a long snow coat.

I started this blog because we will be gone for 36 months and wanted a way to share our experiences with our friends and family back in the lower 48. I will try to upload photos to go along with everything from making out first snow-man to getting the mail when its -20 outside.