The Rings

Goodbye alaska...

...okay well maybe not goodbye, because as of jan 5 I will be back. Right now it is 8:30am and it is pitch dark, the sun isn't rising until sometime after nine and the sun is setting around 7. We had snow fall for the first time in September, but the weather has really been all over the place. I think the lowest that I have known it to be is around 19 degrees. The mountains are full of snow and already everyone has hibernated. We haven't seen our neighbors in days and the sounds of children playing outside has stopped. Moose are the only ones seen taking strolls around the neighborhood.

Last year Josh and I had a 'white' Christmas, and this year I will have a sandy one! I am so excited to swim in the water and feel the sand in my toes for the first time in 11 months. Sundresses, swim suits, warm weather. All my fellow Floridians keep telling me how miserable it is, so hot and humid, and that I will die from the heat. Well I can't wait to have the option to actually be 'hot'. To get goose bumps when I walk outside and the sun touches my skin. To see the beach and the beautiful water. To fall asleep to a thunderstorm. I love FLORIDA! Goodbye all my Alaskan friends, I love you all and can't wait to have a tan while shoveling snow in January.

WORK

Some of my babies from work!

ONe last time...

So I am heading down to Florida next Tuesday! So I didn't think it would hurt to post moose photos one last time!

Where has the time gone...

It is Oct 6...and I can not believe that we have lived in Alaska for ten months now! I think back to when Josh told me that we were moving to Alaska, at this point I didn't even know what a Parka was! I had gone away to college, but I have never moved half way around the world to a state where I didn't know a sole. I'll never forget sitting in our hotel room the first night, no car, no house, no friends. I had left everything that I knew behind and moved to the Arctic.

As I am typing this now, we have a house, two cars, and tons of friends. I wouldn't choose to move here, but we are loving the adventure. I have learned that time moves so fast, and that the only things I regret are dwelling on things that I cannot change. I have learned to accept what is thrown at me, adapt to it, and live.

When you have everything taken away from you, and have to build your life from the ground up you learn what you want to use as your building blocks...god, family, and friends. We are so thankful for all the support and prayers that we have received over these last ten months. We hope that when we come down to Florida this winter that we will be able to spend time with you.

I am flying home October 26, and Josh will be flying into Orlando December 5.

Life in the Fast Lane

Technology...we wouldn't be able to live with out it. I have grown up with all of it...once you finally buy something there is a new, better, smaller product out there. Though it has recently come to my attention that this is not the case in a certain area.

So it all started on my lunch break when I forgot to pack something to eat. I decided to drive to Burger King to grab something quick. As usual the drive-Thur line was long, but I was able to get much done...
1. Pay Bills
2. Check my grades
3. Email my mom back
4. Talk to my sister
5. Up load new photos to the blog...I was able to do all these things through my phone...I mean wow technology. My turn came to speak into the box as I was greeted by...

-Drive Thur Lady: "Hi...Welc..to..Bur...Ing..Tak...Order?" Well this isn't my first rodeo and I knew what the lady was trying to say...
-Me:"Um yes can I get a number 7 with a diet coke"...(1 min delay)
-Drive Thur Lady:"Did you say 6?"...
-Me: "No number 7"
-Drive Thur Lady: "Number 6"
-Me: "NUMBER SEVEN WITH A DIET COKE"
-Drive Thur Lady: "Okay number 6 with a coke...that will be 7.35"

All I can think of while this is taking place is that the lady is literally like 12 feet away from me and somehow communication is impossible. So tell me why I can skype somebody in Florida and I can't place in order in fast food. Bad technology in the fast food industry is like the panda bear...nobody knows how it has managed to survive.

Otter Lake/ Chugack

Last weekend I went out to Chugack and hiked around by myself. In the park they had the river trail closed off because there were bears fishing for salmon. This is turning into one of my favoirte spots.

Josh, Kingston and myself headed to Otter Lake yesterday. This is actually located here on base, which gives you an idea of how much is located inside the base. While we were here we let kingston swim around for a little bit. Josh found a huge piece of wood and tossed it into the water, Kingston swam after it to save it... which then turned out to become kingstons new toy that he carried around.

Earth Quake Park

This is the furthest part in Anchorage, and my friend Carrie actually introduced me to this spot during the winter. I hadn't had a chance to get back until now, and couldn't believe how different it looked without all the snow. I was able to take my shoes off and walk along the beach...until the water touched my feet and I ran away screaming and put my wool socks back on.

The Blue Sea

So last Saturday Josh and I headed to the grocery store, which we do every other Saturday. It is a really a big event and we never miss an isle...though some are favored more than others. Especially the cleaning products one, 509, Clorox wipes, carpet cleaner, swifter, I mean we really love it all...and by we I mean Josh, but I am extremely supportive of his OCD for cleaning. So like any other great couple I am now active in his hobbies...which includes shopping for new cleaning supplies.

Well I was looking at the more creative items that are on the market when I came across toilet cleaners. '2000 FLUSHES' caught my eye...you know one of those blue tab things that you put in the back of your toilet...and yes your bathroom is instantly turned into a fancy truck stop when your toilet water turns blue for the first time.

Regardless I bought it and rushed home to get started. Put it in and flushed it once...1,999 flushes to go. I became instantly committed to this product when the water rushed in blue again. Later in the week I even caught myself trying to think of ways to pack this back up when we leave Alaska in two years, zip lock perhaps?...I mean 2000 flushes!

Well I think we know how this story ends...27 flushes later little girl got played...the bright blue turned to light blue by flush 16. The light blue turned to a strange green by flush 26. The strange green turned to regular old toilet water by flush 27.

I mean really, lieing would have been '50 FLUSHES'...why so extreme toilet-blue-tab-product-company?

Fun while it lasted

Over the last week and half I have tried to take some photos outside when it wasn't raining. We are losing our summer and fall will only last about two weeks. Summer...it was fun while it lasted.