PSA

 Just a friendly Public Service Announcement from your Alaskan Mountain Millers...

Alaska's waters have leeches.

Note: All the children in the picture lived to tell the tale.

Teamwork

 They road their bikes to our mailbox 1.5 miles away and they rode their bikes home again (several hills involved)... but the real hard work was checking to see if there was any mail.

All Aboard!

All Aboard!

 

Repeat

 I apologize for the lack of attention my blog has been getting lately... I'm not sure if it will continue into the future or not, to be honest.

It just comes down to hours in the day, and the time I do NOT want to spend on my computer.

But, I'm here tonight... I thought I'd clue you in on a song I have been playing on repeat that has been encouraging me and giving me joy every time I hear it.

John Denver's Alaska and Me

I listened to it a few nights ago and shared it with my husband and the song speaks to both of us in an incredible way regarding this move.  The only part of the song we find not really fitting with our story is the second verse about the women who became a bush pilot's wife -- not so much the case here.

The first verse talks about how the man came to Alaska (it echos very closely with my husband), and the bridge at the end has a line about what the couple hopes their children will gain from Alaska.

It is such a wonderful song, and like I said, I've been listening to it on repeat.

Lyrics:

When I was a child and I lived in the city

I dreamed of Alaska so far away

And I dreamed I was flying over mountains and glaciers

Somehow I knew I'd live there one day

Well it took me some growing, and a fair bit of schooling

And a little bit of trouble to get on the move

And I felt like a loser but I turned out the winner

When I came to Alaska the land that I love

Here's to Alaska, here's to the people

Here's to the wild and here's to the free

Here's to my life in a chosen country

Here's to Alaska and me

I was born in a cabin on Little Mulchatna

Raised in hard times but I had a good life

From the first time I flew with my father a singing

I knew that I'd wind up a bush pilot's wife

We sleep near the sound of a slow running river

And wake up most mornings to a drizzling rain

And we face every day like the first or the last one

With nothing to lose and heaven to gain

Here's to Alaska, here's to the people

Here's to the wild and here's to the free

Here's to my life in a chosen country

Here's to Alaska and me

Oh, for the fire on a cold winter's night

And once more to gaze at the great northern lights

For all of the beauty my children will see

Here's to Alaska and me

Here's to Alaska, here's to the people

Here's to the wild and here's to the free

Here's to my life in a chosen country

Here's to Alaska and me

Not Fast Enough

 Brady's second birthday was in May, and by then, we knew we were moving to Alaska and selling many belongings.  So, my parents agreed, at my request, to delay sending Brady a birthday present until we were settled in our new home as I didn't want to have to move the new gift.  They said that sounded great and we all agreed that a toddler basketball hoop would be great for our little man (we had one years ago when Howard was 2, but it was fell apart a few years ago after much wear and tear).

We ordered Brady's hoop yesterday... and if you ask me, it can't come quickly enough.

Alaskans Now?

 As we've walked this path of moving to Alaska, I have found myself asking myself from time to time, "Can we call ourselves Alaskans now?"

Of course, not yet... but moving to a new place, we don't know what we don't know.  So, what traces must we navigate before we can claim this as our home?

We drove the Alcan highway... are we Alaskans now?

We've seen a moose in our neighborhood, just down the street.. are we Alaskans now?

We've caught halibut and cooked it for dinner... are we Alaskans now?

Sign Post Forest

 We saw some interesting sights on the trip...