Sledding

First with Mommy



Then with Daddy






Flying solo.





This girl loves to eat snow.

Really loves it.

Enough to do this

This was around 10am, about when the sun rises these days... we don't see the sun at our house anymore because it never clears the mountains. But, the sky still gets nice and bright, as you can see it's starting to in the background.

 

November in Alaska

The seafood here... amazing. Nothing like picking up your own king crab legs, so much cheaper than at a restaurant and just as tasty.


The first snowflakes fell back in September, but we didn't see anymore until the end of October when it snowed just in time for the first of November. We were at our ward's Trunk-or-Treat when the snow started falling. Since Halloween was on Sunday, they made it a tri-ward Trunk-or-Treat so the kids could get plenty of candy. The chili and cornbread were perfect with the snow. Oakley was a monkey (thanks to a nice fleece costume from Old Navy that kept her toasty) and Brighton was a lady bug... and angry lady bug. She cried the entire time I passed out candy. The parking lot was so icy, kids were slipping and sliding all over the place. On Halloween, not many kids were out. Lots of them weren't wearing costumes, just winter coats, not that you'd blame them with all that snow and cold. After that, it snowed for a week straight. Temperatures in the teens and single digits were common, but really the weather was all over the place. We even got a huge warm up where temperatures reached 40. It was truly awful.

First, we got three days of freezing rain. The atmosphere was warmer than the ground, so it came down in liquid form and froze on contact. The result was inches and inches of smooth, solid ice covering the roads and creating quite a mess. You couldn't even walk across the parking lot without cleats. In one spot of the highway, a pickup truck got into an accident with a sanding truck. Then, a semi came along and slid off the road, right into them. An ambulance showed up at the scene and slid off the road in the exact same spot. They shut the road down after the firetruck slid off as well. They don't cancel school for snow, but they actually canceled it twice that week because people just couldn't stay on the road.

Next, the 40 degree weather melted the top layer of everything. (There was way too much snow on the ground for it all to melt off). Then, it got cold again and it froze ice rink smooth. The neighborhood kids broke out their skates and had a blast ice skating in the streets. Our driveway has just the slightest incline, but it took Dan three tries to get up it one day after work in the little car. I took the girls out for a walk and slid all the way down the driveway with the stroller. Thank goodness my cleats were in the stroller, I never would have made it back up without them. I strapped on these bad boys and we enjoyed a great walk in the warm weather:



They double as self-defense. So convenient too. Just stretch them over whatever shoes you're wearing and go. Those metal spikes will grip anything. Kind of like chains for your tires, only for your shoes. Definitely a necessity here, I've discovered.

Every person in southcentral AK was desperately praying for some snow to cover all that treacherous ice. It finally came... for Thanksgiving!

Dan got a four day weekend for Thanksgiving, and it was the most relaxing holiday with kids ever. We woke up to snow falling, turned on some football and the kids played while I cooked. Thanks to the fabulous idea of the open floor plan, I was able to cook, watch the games and be with my family all at the same time. After the girls napped, we ate dinner with one of Dan's co-residents and his family. The kids played so well together we hardly saw them. Brighton slept. And we were left to enjoy the evening with Jeff and Olga. By the end of the day there was a good six inches of snow on the ground. (Which, of course, no one here blinks an eye at.) Driving home, everything was silent, still and beautiful. At home, Oakley ran straight to bed and fell instantly to sleep. The end. I couldn't believe it. Nothing like a perfect Thanksgiving Day to make you even more grateful for all the blessings in your life.

More Winter Pics

2:00pm Nice and Sunny
One of these days I'll take the camera out with us and get some more interesting pictures. Until then we just have the ones I can take from the house.

Dan came home last week, after it had been snowing all day, and said, "I really like it here." The cold is so bearable that you hardly feel it, which allows us to really get out and enjoy the snow. They even plow the trails and sidewalks. The snow provides never-ending entertainment for Oakley and she loves sledding, as long as we go down the big hills. The small ones are apparently boring.

I actually like the darkness. During the summer you go, go, go-- enjoying the long days and warm weather. During the winter, life slows down. You spend the evenings snuggled by the fire with your family instead of outdoors. For me, the dark winter is the perfect complement to the light summer. Of course, it helps that there are so many winter activities to get you out of the house while it is daylight. This really helps prevent the winter blues.

It's official, we LOVE Alaska!

 

 

 

 

Winter Wonderland

10am and the sun's getting ready to peek between the mountains:

 

 

By 11:00 it will have moved behind the mountains again. Technically, the sun is rising around 9am and setting around 4:30, but that doesn't mean we actually see it for long. It is so weak that the slightest clouds block it out.

The snow is here to stay. It came late this year, and we didn't get any serious accumulation until the end of October. Now, everywhere you go it's a winter wonderland. Truly beautiful. The trees are all frosted white and it looks like you are walking through Narnia. It has snowed almost every single day for the past week. Good thing it's light and fluffy. We'll be snow-shoveling experts by the time Spring rolls around.

They do not salt the roads here. They would have to use so much for so long it would cost a fortune. Plus, all that salt melting off into the rivers and streams would be bad news for the fish, not to mention the wildlife (bears) and people who eat them. Fishing is a way of life here, and a huge tourist attraction. So, instead they throw down sand and gravel. Your car won't corrode, but you might lose a few windshields. Our street has been an ice block for weeks. They plow, but it only scrapes off the top layer of snow and does nothing about the inches of ice beneath. Now, it's obvious why Alaskan drivers are so slow. Six months of driving on ice and snow will do that to you.

Baldy with Kids

 

Man Date

 

Dan finally took a much-deserved break to hike to the top of Baldy and across the ridge with his co-resident Steve and his dog Hank. If you wanted to, you could hike something like 25 miles all the way to Girdwood. Fortunately, they kept it to 7. The weather was perfect and the views were gorgeous. In the bottom right picture you can faintly see Mt. McKinley, located 135 miles as the crow flies from Anchorage (240 by car). On very clear days, it's visible from various parts of Anchorage and Eagle River. McKinley is the highest mountain in North America, but what makes it so spectacular is the way it towers above the rest of it's range and makes them look miniature in comparison.

Wildlife Conservation Center

So behind- these pictures are from our Labor Day trip. The brown bear was breathtaking- not the kind you'd want to meet on a trail. The black bears are so much smaller, you actually have a chance of fighting them off. The huge brown ones, however, are another story completely. You aren't supposed to shoot them, unless you happen to be carrying a shot gun, because anything smaller will just make them mad. That's why bear spray is supposedly better. If that fails, they tell you to play dead. Once you are no longer perceived as a threat, they will usually leave you alone, although some have found out the hard way that they will wait around to make sure you are good and dead, so don't get up too soon! Of course, if you play dead and they keep attacking you, you have become dinner and should fight for your life. They actually teach the kids this stuff in elementary school- Bear Safety.

The trees in the center picture at the bottom are called Earthquake Trees, created in the 9.2 magnitude earthquake of 1964. It was the second largest earthquake ever recorded, and the largest in U.S. history. The ground dropped 8 feet. This allowed the water level to rise significantly. These trees were submerged and their roots absorbed the salt water. The salt killed, but preserved them. As you drive down the highway you can see many of them, as well as random overgrown structures sticking out of the ground- remains of the abandoned cities destroyed by the quake.

The other day we were on a walk when a moose came out of someone's back yard. I was about to take a picture when a car drove by and startled it. It took off running, in our direction, so I got the girls out of there fast. See how small their eyes and head are? Not much room for a brain. They charge first and think later. It didn't follow us. A couple in our ward was charged by a moose while hiking. She was able to get away unharmed. He survived, suffering multiple broken bones, thanks to their full-size poodle who lost it's life defending him.

 

 

Sisters

Sure, mom and dad aren't bad, but only one person can change the tears to smiles every time. These two love, love, love each other. They play together, laugh together and cheer each other up better than anyone or anything else can. Oakley can't pronounce Brighton yet, so she calls her Baby B. Brighton is finally on some refulx medication and doing much better. I cannot believe she is 7 months old already!

 

Life in AK:

In August, we had highs in the 50s and 60s.
September: 40s and 50s
October: 30s and 40s

The cold hasn't bothered us at all... so far :) The fact that we've never felt anything warmer than 70 makes 30 still feel nice. Walking to church, you check the temperature. If it's over 30, no coat necessary. Under, I grab one. Don't worry, we're more careful with the kids! The heated garage doesn't hurt either. All of the houses around us have them. You jump in a warm car, walk into a warm store... you're only in the cold for a minute. We do have emergency blankets etc. in case the car breaks down :)

It takes awhile to warm up these days, so when we go jogging with our neighbor it's often in the high teens/low twenties and the girls don't mind a bit. The key is dressing right. We wear polyester/wool baselayers and wool socks which provide excellent warmth while wicking away moisture, keeping us dry and toasty. It really makes a huge difference. The air is very dry, which is no fun for skin, but makes the cold much more bearable.

It has been slowly getting darker and darker. We really haven't noticed it until this week. For awhile, it was just getting "normal", you know, not staying light until 2am or midnight anymore. But all of a sudden, the sun doesn't rise until 9am, and it sets at 6:30pm. The sun is never directly overhead now, it rises and seems to just barely clear the mountains where it hangs until it goes back down. And, winter is just beginning...

We had snow at the end of September, but since then the snow's been staying on the mountain tops. If we get a cold week it will creep down closer, but we've had a warm, beautiful October, so it keeps melting back to the tops. The sun makes a big difference between a warm day and a chilly one, and even on a warm day areas that stay in the shadow of the mountains stay frosted. The Fall leaves are gone, they were almost exclusively yellow. Except the evergreens, of course. There are many more deciduous trees here than I ever expected.

When we first moved here, it felt like we lived out in the country in the middle of nowhere! Now, it feels like a normal suburb, just a bit closer to nature. It's funny how your perspective changes. Wal-Mart is less than 5 minutes away, but most any other store we have to go into Anchorage for, which everyone calls "going into town". The strip of road known as "Downtown" Eagle River (they really call it that, which makes me laugh every time) has two grocery stores, some fast food, and lots of little mom and pop shops.

I love driving here. There is only one highway, and so few streets that it is nearly impossible to get lost. Even for someone like me, who is seriously directionally challenged. Everyone goes the speed limit. People will actually drive 45 in a 65 zone in perfectly sunny weather. I am not kidding. In Philly, everyone expects you to do 15 over. Here, people generally just aren't in a hurry. It drives Dan crazy.

We thought Philly was pricey when we were there, but now we'd gladly take those prices back. Anchorage has been ranked the 4th most expensive city to live in, in the U.S., after New York, Boston, and Juneau. Gas runs between 3.30 and 3.40 for regular here. Our rent is about $350 more a month than the payment for the house in Philly (similar in size). Our electric bill here, for just using the lights/small appliances, is the same as it was in Philly when we ran three electric space heaters most of the day and night. They don't even measure how much water you use. They just charge you a flat $75 a month. In Philly our highest water bill was $40.

Of course, there are some things that help to make up for the high cost of living. Okay, one thing: the oil companies. Alaskans enjoy some benefits thanks to big oil, like no sales or income tax. There's the PFD (Permanent Dividend Fund) payments made to each resident each year, including children. This year it was $1281 per person. Basically, the state gets money from the oil companies and puts it into this fund. Each year, the dividends from this fund are distributed to AK residents in the form of the PFD check. Unfortunately for us, it takes a year to get residency, so we missed out on $5124. Did I mention it's tax free? The last benefit I am aware of, is the fact that natural gas distributors aren't allowed to make any profit off the gas. They charge a service fee for distributing it to you, but they can only charge what they paid for the actual gas. That makes heating with natural gas quite affordable despite the cold.

We are LOVING the opportunity to live here. The beauty is breathtaking. The people are friendly. The outdoor activities are endless. We feel safe here. I can jog with friends after dark. Our neighbor left their kayak sitting out on there driveway for a week and it didn't go anywhere. Of course, nowhere is completely safe these days, but most of the people in Eagle River are very good people and the area is very family friendly. Alaskans are generally down to earth and while there is money, they aren't competing to see who can drive the most expensive car or own the largest house. I would live here forever, but Dan tells me I can't say that until we've survived our first winter. Besides, we aren't quite ready to settle down yet and wouldn't be upset if there were more exciting moves in our future.

A Must Read

Here is an inspirational and invaluable resource I will be sharing with anyone who asks about homosexuality and my religion.

www.gaymormonguy.blogspot.com

Labor Day Drive Back

After visiting the Wildlife Conservation Center we headed back towards Anchorage. We stopped and had the most delicious BBQ in the world. The restuarants up here are very hit and miss. Almost all of them look a little... run down. Sometimes you go in and the food is incredible. Other times, you don't even want to finish your meal. This is the best place we've been to so far. The area we were driving down/back is called the Turnagain Arm because of the shape of the land and the way it juts out into the water. Put that together with BBQ Pit and you get the name of the restaurant: Turnagain Armpit. Love it.
P.S. See the glaciers?

 

Labor Day Drive

Now that Dental School is over, Dan actually gets holidays off, which we couldn't love more. For Labor Day we took a drive down the Seward Highway, south of Anchroage. It has to be one of the most scenic drives in the country. They have spots all along the highway to pull off and take pictures, enjoy the scenery and learn about the area.

 

Eagle River Nature Center

Eagle River is located on the benches and mountains on both sides of this little valley, which has, you guessed it, the Eagle River running through it. The Nature Center has a network of fabulous trails to hike through the Chugach National Forest. On the day we went, some of the trails were closed because they went right along the river. The salmon were running, and that meant feast time for all the bears that call this area home. As we hiked our "safe" trail we noticed a bear sign. There is a universal bear danger sign here. It is neon orange with the shape of a bear in black on it. Then, they always list the details of the incident. In this case, just two days before, on our trail, a brown bear charged a hiker. At least it didn't say the hiker was attacked, or mauled. Just charged. Plus, between the two of us walking and talking, the girls babbling and squawking, and Max jingling we had zero chance of taking any bear by surprise. And, I like the think the stroller makes us look large and intimidating. So we continued, and didn't run into a single bear. I have since purchased bear spray, however, just in case.

 

Alaska State Fair

Oakley loved the animals and, as you can see, tried to climb into their pens, Dan tried a funnel cake for the first time and the weather was gorgeous. It was your classic State Fair with an Alaskan twist- Native style gifts and clothing, snow machines for sale, and lots of salmon and halibut mixed in with your everyday fair food. The Bird Man flew up from Las Vegas with the coolest eagle I've ever seen (bottom picture, yep, that's an eagle.) Oakley liked the reptile house, I did not... all the creepy things I hope to never ever see outside a cage. After some rainy weather in August, we've had a beautiful, long Fall and this day was no exception, perfect for being outside! With weather in the 60s and so much sunshine we took off our jackets and were still hot!

 

Otter Lake

 

Mt. Baldy

This is by far the hardest hike we've done so far. As we walked up to the trailhead, we saw an old sleeping bag, some blankets and garbage bags. My first thought was that we were approaching a homeless person. Clearly, I have lived in the city too long because a homeless person in Alaska would obviously not choose to sleep up on a mountain where it is cold and there are bears (as evidenced by the big sign with a vicious looking bear on it that read, "Do you really want to gamble?") The trail was steep most of the way, and it had been raining all week so the ground was very muddy making it nearly impossible to get any footing in some areas. (Picture Dan trying to push the stoller from behind as he slips down the trail, me pulling the stroller from the front to keep it from sliding down with him, and Max praying he wouldn't go down with us.) We almost made it to the top, but had to turn around because it became too dangerous. The view was stunning, but of course by the time we got around to taking pictures the clouds had moved in. With all the fresh berries around I was just happy we didn't run into a bear, because on this trail there was absolutely no getting away. It really was a fun trail despite the mud, we'll have to back when it's dry. And not cloudy.

 

See all that mud? Mt. Baldy overlooks Eagle River, and you can (kind of) see Lower Fire Lake and Eagle Bay in the pictures.

Fall is here!

The leaves are changing and there's a chill in the air! The kids started school several weeks ago. It is definitely Fall in Alaska!

This waterfall is right here in Eagle River and it's more of a walk than a hike up to it. So, afterwards we decided to hike down the mountain to the river. Dan and Max could hear all kinds of animals running through the woods around us. I guess I am deaf. We did see some fresh bear scat (that is apparently the word for bear poop). We stopped for a second to look around. Dan turned around and all of a sudden, right in front of us, maybe 20 feet away, a moose comes walking out of the woods, goes right across the trail, then back into the woods. I almost had a heart attack. It was SO big. I didn't want to startle it since they can be pretty dangerous (thank goodness the girls were in the stroller!), so I stayed completely still and didn't say a word until it was out of sight. Dan turned around and all I could say was, "MOOSE! MOOSE!" Poor Dan completely missed it! (And he had the camera so we didn't get a picture.) It is amazing and just a bit scary having wild animals so close to home.

 

Blessings

Hiking at Alyeska Ski Resort on our 6th Anniversary
The chilly rain made it hat and coat weather in August! Brighton is bundled up in there somewhere, I promise.

Captain Oakley

First solids... which she absolutely refused to swallow.


Sunset on the Mountains


(See the church? One thing I love about living here- all we have to do is walk across the street every Sunday. Will we walk during the winter? We'll have to wait and see. Is a 20 second car ride really worth it? Maybe, when it's 20 below and you"re in a dress.)