David's thoughts...

I really enjoyed our trip to Kansas over Christmas.  It was great to spend time with family and friends and on December 27, we officially welcomed our daughter-in-law, Kayla, into the family.  Ethan made a great choice. I just hope she can put up with him.

During the trip to Kansas, I made a few interesting discoveries.

• We have a lot of stuff in storage that is never going to see the great state of Alaska.

 •When you figure in the wind, Kansas is much colder than Kenny Lake, Alaska.  On Sunday in Alaska, we enjoyed an hour of snowshoeing at temperatures in the -20s.  However while working in our storage unit in Burns, blocked from the 20 mph wind, with temperatures 15 to 20 degrees, we were miserable.

•I can send a lot of stuff through the mail for the $3,000 in gas it would take to drive down and get it.

•I was excited to see family again, but after a week in Kansas, Alaska was starting to feel like home.

•”United” should be considered an airline of last resort. Every flight was either canceled or late on the way back.

•Chicago has spent an insane amount of Taxpayer dollars to make their airport fancy….Kansas City needs to find a few dollars to make their airport less of a dump.

When we got back to our home, we discovered the moose had moved in and made themselves at home in our yard.  Moose are so big and fearless that it is now more important than ever to look around the yard before going outside. 

I decided that my new years resolution would be to not let the Alaska cold confine me.  So yesterday, Shawna and I strapped on our new snowshoes and went for a little hike around the house.  It was really fun and a good work out, even though the temperatures were in the -20s.

We are beginning to hear from people who are thinking about coming up this summer.  We are quite excited about the prospect of visitors.  In fact, we remodeled this house to be visitor friendly and still give Shawna and I our own private spaces.  So, give us a call or send us a message and let us know if you are thinking about coming up.

Some Considerations:

•It is best to fly into Anchorage and rent a car there.  An SUV type vehicle is probably best if you want to drive to McCarthy and see the Kennecott mine.

•Before heading out of Anchorage, plan on stopping at a grocery store and getting food that you will enjoy while staying with us. 

•You will likely fly into Anchorage late at night.  Plan on getting a motel room before heading out.  We have discovered that America’s Best Inn is a good place to get a night’s rest at a reasonable price.  It is far from fancy, but it is clean and the beds are comfortable. Plus, it is close to the Airport.

David's thoughts...

Winter Solstice

It is 7:30 a.m. as I sit down to write this.  Looking out the windows in our living room it is still pitch black. I know that I still have at least two hours till the sun comes over the mountains. I find myself looking forward to the 21^st of December like I looked forward to Christmas when I was a kid.  The 21^st is winter solstice in the northern hemisphere.

Solstice in Alaska is the magical date when the minutes of daylight start increasing each day.  I’ve never given it too much thought before, but up here it is a really big deal. 

The Alaska we fell in love with and dream about is green and beautiful, with more hours of daylight than a human can handle. It is a place with trails to hike, rushing rivers and streams full of salmon and mountains too big to describe. That Alaska seems like such a distant memory that I have to remind myself what it was like to keep my spirits strong. The Alaska of winter is mostly black and white.  It is still amazingly beautiful, but in an Ansel Adams sort of way.

 

If my calculations are correct, by the 21^st we will have lost about 40 more minutes of morning light and another 40 minutes of evening light.  That should put direct sunlight times somewhere around 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., give or take.  That doesn’t mean it is completely dark after those times.  There is twilight, the time right before the sun comes up and after it goes behind the mountains.  It doesn’t seem to get “nighttime dark” until 4 to 5 p.m. Since the ground and trees are covered with snow, there is a serious amount of reflected light all night long from the moon and stars. However, when it is cloudy, it is seriously dark for long periods of time each day!

David's thoughts...

Life is full of perspectives.  How you choose to look at things, your opinion, your point of view, all point to whether you see the cup half full or half empty…Here in Alaska a “greenhorn” has to change his perspective mighty quick or that cup won’t be even half full, it will freeze and break. 

As a teacher in Kansas, I got irritated every winter when the kids weren’t allowed to go out to recess because 32* was too cold or when people ignored the real temperature and talked about the “feels like” temperature. Looking back, I can see that people in Kansas, including me, judged the cold by how close the thermometer was to the 32* freezing mark. Any number approaching that freezing mark was COLD.  On those rare occasions when it dipped down to 0*, it seemed too cold to do anything, inside or out.

When I got up this morning, I glanced at the thermometer as I was fixing my pot of coffee. (It is always nice to know whether I need to put a coat on to move Shawna’s car out of the garage. Negative numbers often times earn a coat.)  This morning, the number I was looking at was 21.  I looked closer to make sure that I wasn’t missing the little "-" that has been in front of the numbers lately. Nope! “Heat wave!” I yelled to Shawna.  While she scurried off to find her cooler shoes and decide if her sweater was going to be too warm today, I debated whether I really needed to warm up her car at all.

I guess my point is, that our perspectives are changing as they relate to the cold.  Already this winter, we have seen more subzero temperatures than I have seen in all my 48 years combined and all the Alaskans are telling us to enjoy the mild winter weather.  My view of warm has changed also. To me, if it has that little “-“ in front of the number it is cold and anything above zero is pretty nice.  Temperatures rising above 32* are exciting to think about and toasty warm in my mind.  I have noticed that the moisture in my nose hairs starts to freeze at anything lower than -15 and I prefer mittens instead of gloves at all temps below 0.

I am also realizing that my view is going to probably continue to change about this topic as the temperatures get lower.  Shawna tells me that kids go out to recess until the temps hit -20, maybe lower and the locals were operating as normal on the day the temperature bottomed out at -19.  I find I must continue to remind myself that life up here is built to survive in the cold and God didn’t bring us all the way up here to live in fear of what the weather each day may hold.  I remind myself that God is in control and when I place my focus on him, there is happiness and reassurance that life will be fine. Perspective.

Random November Pics

On the road to Chitina

Copper River, Chitina

Valdez, Alaska-Taken by Teresa

Pippin Lake on my commute home

Shawna's Thoughts-Adjusting

When we first arrived in Alaska, a seasoned resident told us that Alaska is always trying to kill you. I thought he was talking about the animals and elements, but I believe there is an emotional aspect to that as well.

Although we are blessed to have family here, have met some wonderful people, live in a warm house with electricity and running water via a holding tank which David hauls in from the nearby fire station, adjusting to our new life in Alaska has been neither quick nor easy. I’ve kind of got the hang of going to town once in a while (a four hour drive to Anchorage) for the bulk of our shopping. I make lists of what we need, sort them by the store, and map out our route. So far I’ve been able to handle the weather, however I know winter has yet to truly occur. My car is stocked with a warm coat, snow bibs, boots, ice cleats, blanket and I make sure my cell phone is charged so that if I have trouble during the 40 mile commute, I can get help. I’ve got a plethora of wool socks on hand, a great supply of snuggly throws, and the pantry is stocked with food and lots of tea so my evenings at home are warm and cozy.

A difficult aspect of relocating has been moving into an unfinished house, living out of boxes for months and waiting to pull out the few knickknacks, baubles and windows treatments that make a house seem like a home versus a construction zone. David has done an incredible job on the renovations and has put in countless hours getting the most crucial tasks finished before winter. He’s been able to do some cosmetic touches lately and we are both enjoying the results.

 

I knew that there were going to be challenges at my new school. A counselor’s job is all about problems, if there weren’t any, I’d be out of a job. I was hired to do several tasks that typically don’t fall under the “counselor” category, but that’s the way it usually is in a small district and I have the credentials to tackle the jobs the principal needs me to undertake. I was aware of the demographics of the school and knew that I would be helping kids who have challenging home lives. Hang around any school long enough and you’ll also find kiddos who have significant issues with behavior and it’s my job to assist if I can. What I was not prepared for was the adult factor.

The elementary side of the building does not have space for my office so the Jr./Sr. high principal graciously gave me a spot to work in his end of the building. I am grateful for my space, however I am physically not a part of the elementary, which makes it difficult for the staff to get to know and trust me. Communication is hit and miss and mostly occurs via email which can be one-sided thus creating confusion or miscommunication. I’ve learned this the hard way and it can be a lonely lesson.

Learning to live and work in Alaska has presented its challenges, but the greatest challenge has been dealing with extreme homesickness. There are many times I’ve wanted to call and visit with friends and family, but knew if I did, I would cry and not be able to carry on a conversation. The pain of who and what I’ve left behind has almost consumed me at times and it’s been all I can do to breathe and press on.

I know God called us to come to Alaska. We have story after story of how he blessed us and paved the way for our move, and I have no doubt we are meant to be here. That is what I’ve held onto during this painful period of adjustment. My mom gave me a devotional book right before we left Kansas, and every single time I’ve hit the emotional wall I’ve been comforted by the words in that book and God’s word has sustained me. It’s been spooky, but more times than not, the words address specifically what I’m going through. The fact that Gods knows exactly what I need to hear on a specific day is humbling and although I do not know what the future holds for me, one thing I can be assured of is that the one who called me here will always be by my side and I will not be forsaken.

“I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lords’ great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

Lamentations 3:19-23

David's Thoughts

Notes from Alaska

1. Alaska has amazing beauty at every turn. It is worth slowing down and taking a picture. Just don’t kill yourself backing down the mountain highway when you realize you passed the perfect picture spot.

2. People in Alaska tell it like it is. They don’t worry about hurting your feelings by treating you like a greenhorn.

3. The amazing beauty of fall only lasts two weeks, but if you can, come and see it. It is indescribable.

4. When the nights start getting cooler the mosquitoes disappear, but the gnats come out. Gnats don’t taste as bad as mosquito spray.

5. Bears are attracted to meat smokers.

6. Keep good lists. Town is a long way away.

7. Lots of people who live in Anchorage have never been out of Anchorage.

8. It is impossible to accurately predict the weather here.

9. As the trumpeter swans gather on the lake preparing to begin their migration, they sound a lot like a fifth graders warming up their saxophones and trumpets before band practice. Only a few are in tune.

10. Kansas is a long way away. It is impossible not to get homesick for family and friends.

11. All work and no play is not a good way to live for an extended time.

12. David needs a snow machine so he can play.

13. Letters from former students are priceless.

14. When picking up family from the airport, it is impossible to keep my eyes from leaking.

Shawna's Thoughts-Living

I feel like I’ve been living my life in a holding pattern for weeks.  When we were working to get everything moved out of the house, I found myself thinking how nice it would be to finally be out and not have to deal with our “stuff”.

Then we moved in with my in-laws for a week. It was wonderful to be in a home with food, other necessities and love, but we had the truck and trailer to prepare, a vehicle to sell, possessions to ship and still had to close on the property. We were busy, busy, busy and I found myself thinking how nice it would be to finally be on the road and not dealing with the tedious details of relocating.

Finally the day came when it was time to hit the road. The days were long, but God protected us and we didn’t have any major issues, a true blessing, indeed. However, as the week wore on I found myself thinking how nice it would be to finally be in Alaska and off the road.

We’ve been in Alaska for 11 days and are currently living with my wonderful niece, her husband and 3 cute kiddos. We’ve been to town to get supplies, pick up the load of our outdoor manly supplies (insert grunting noise), buy a car and open a checking account. We’ve also been fixing up the rental house.

The downstairs consists of a kitchen that is getting a complete overhaul, living room, bathroom and 2 bedrooms. (There used to be third bedroom, but a wall was removed to enlarge the living room.) There is an arctic entryway, a small enclosure with four doors; one to the outside, one to the greenhouse, one to the upstairs and one to the living room. Upstairs there are two bedrooms (one master, one dressing room for me) a bathroom, office, tinker room for David and a big room for exercise, watching TV and hanging out. All of it needs to be painted and the floors all need to be repaired and/or cleaned. (Hardwood downstairs, plywood upstairs)

While David’s been working on major renovation projects downstairs, I’ve been working on getting a portion of the upstairs ready to paint. First I vacuumed the floors and part of the walls. Then I had to remove decals, stickers and a room full of glow-in-the dark stars, comets, and planets. A blow dryer on low heat worked well on the celestial work of art, but not so much on stickers and decals that had been there for years, so taking the advice of a good friend, I used a mixture of fabric softener and water, soaked the decals and then was able to peel or scrub them off of the walls. Once I was finally finished with that messy project, I began patching holes. I patched, and patched and patched. There were thousands of little holes from thumbtacks and nails as well as bigger holes from kids living life to the fullest.  

The past few days I’ve worked on painting primer on the walls and ceiling of the big room. It has a lot of character that I love, but makes it tricky to paint. There are also two little red circles that keep appearing through the primer. It’s like the wall is bleeding. Spooky…

As I’ve worked on the house, I’ve found myself thinking how nice it will be to finally live in the house and be settled in Alaska.

Have you noticed that seems to have become a pattern in my thinking? However, each time I’ve thought “how nice it will be when…” another thought gently blows across my narrow mind and reminds me that I don’t need to think about “when”, rather I need to focus on “now”. Right now, THIS is the life I’m living. I need to focus on the blessings and appreciate my life instead of waiting for the ideal situation that I’ve conjured up in my head.

So today, I get to do laundry. Yes! Clean socks and underwear are on the way!! And, because I have to do laundry, I can sit in the quiet loft and type out my thoughts for this blog, and that will satisfy a certain gentleman in Kansas who went to the trouble of figuring out to how locate my blog only to discover that I hadn’t written anything new in awhile. This afternoon I will head over to the house to add more primer to the walls and hopefully, stifle the bleeding in the wall. All of this, I get to do, while surrounded by a forest of trees, white capped mountains and crisp, fresh air.

I love my life…right now.