Family time

I certainly can say we have had some family time this summer. After 5000 miles and over 2 weeks in the car together we are still "on top" of each other in this TLF unit. I am very blessed to have this family time. Families today come and go, run here and there barely having time to say hello, much less get to know each other. We have been given this time to relax and be with each other. The children are growing everyday. Last night we found the BIG, nice mall in Anchorage. Walking around, Jacob decides to walk BEHIND us a few paces. I guess we have become the uncool parents. I found a heavenly floor with only SHOES on it, but I laughed out loud and to myself remembering when I wouldn't walk next to my parents. I was a bit younger than 5th grade, but I am glad we have lasted this long. Hopefully, I haven't lost my "coolness" all together. I guess this year at school I won't get my normal mama hugs in front of friends, especially since these are new friends.

In Colorado, spending time with our dear friends the Herrings on our way up here, we were able to have a family night. I love game nights with the children. Ashleigh loves to play board games and card games. Playing these types of games with your children you get an insight into their cute little brains! We played a game called "Apples to Apples" I hadn't played that one before so the night was full of laughter. Jacob and Ashleigh seem to have a twins connection when they play games together. Who knew that Canada, aliens and Romeo and Juliet could be so funny.

I can't complain. They have been playing together so well. I am afraid when school starts they will miss each other. I am asked all the time if they are twins.

My friends, take the time to spend some time with your family. These few weeks have been a treasure to be with family. There are the days I want to run away, but all in all spending time with friends and family has been a treasure. I guess that is why "they" say, today is a present.

with love,
Angela

Thunderbird Falls

I, of course didn't remember to bring my good camera... We went for a hike to Thunderbird Falls. The exit is actually only 3 exits north of the exit from our new house. The hike is only 2 miles but WELL worth it. Do bring your glutes of steel, you are going to need them. I am going back with my camera. The flora was so wonderful and I imagine during different time of the year it will be just as amazing each time. I saw some of the coolest looking mushrooms, orange, brown, white, big enough for Hobbits to live in or small enough for ants. Ferns, trees beauty all around. I think Scott thought I was tired but I was thinking of all the books I have read set in places like this or stories I could write in this beautiful place, trying to take it all in seeing all I could see. The wind was talking in the leaves, the water whispering to the rocks. I was thinking of Ludo from Labyrinth and how he would howl and call the rocks. The mud, the moss all ewwy and gooey seemed to encapsulate you as you walked towards the falls. The trail is well marked but one could lose your step and take a doosey of a step off the edge. We had a nice time of walking in nature, with each other and watching the children run and play. I will post more on this place. These pictures are from my camera, not the best.
With love my friends,
Angela

House!

All the waiting paid off. The very next day, we found a house. God is good all the time. As much as I love the yellow house on the mountain, the road just didn't work out in more ways than one. We went to see the lake house right on Mirror Lake. Would have worked ok, but the current occupants weren't sure of their orders so the move in date would have been iffy. Right on the lake would have been nice, tell Jacob to go and catch dinner. The Mirror Lake is full of trout. So no yellow and no blue house.
But Bonnie, the realtor did say I have a house on a mountain with a landing strip. And hence we have a house. They are working on the 3rd and 4th car garage so no pictures right now BUT... more to come when they get it done. We are waiting for our things to get here now. Please Please don't be all smashed up. Luckily, our TLF unit is a 3 bedroom with a kitchen and washer and dryer in unit. I can do my normal Mama stuff everyday.

With love my friends. Remember God has a plan and as I tell the children all the time, he doesn't usually tell Mama what it is. I just see it unfold and go, "oh, okay"...
Angela

Waiting...

Those of you who know me well, know I don't like waiting. I am an early person. I arrive early for everything and don't like waiting on folks. I joke often that I am going to be early for my own funeral. Scott and I are both very type A people. Which in most cases works well for us, however on occasion can drive others crazy. Being so proactive, we tend to have a list, a plan of action with our eager tick marks waiting to be marked. Map to Alaska-marked... Drive to Alaska-marked... Arrive-marked... FIND A HOUSE....not marked. I know I know it takes time. I am reminded of several verses on waiting. I know that God has a plan and his eager tick marks are marked in HIS time. I was telling Jacob the story of how Scott and I first wanted to come to Elmendorf. It was 14 years ago. As it was time to leave Tinker AFB, Oklahoma friends were leaving for Germany and we... we were going to Mississippi. Both of us wanted to go to Alaska, but it didn't happen. I told Jacob, God knew he would be born in Mississippi and how much we would love him and what a cool boy he was. God's plan, God's timing. I don't like waiting on folks to call me back. I don't like not knowing. I can't chose a school until we know which house we are getting. But just like we didn't know what was in store for us in Mississippi, I know there is a house for us if we just wait and trust in the Lord. Psalm 130:5 "I am waiting for the Lord, my soul is waiting for Him, and my hope is in His word." Isaiah 40:31 "Those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall rise up with wings as eagles."

Hope this was an encouragement my friends. If you are waiting on an answer for a decision, trust in the Lord and make your informed decision.

with hugs and love,
Angela

No Name

You know you see in the grocery store the coffee cans that are white and say COFFEE. You know the coffee that will grow hair on your feet it is sooo strong?? Well, Canada has a similar brand. It is yellow and black. The coffee comes in a big bag and reads COFFEE No Name and the Cola as pictured comes the same way. Neither tastes bad, but we thought they were interesting and decided to give them a try. The "Real Canadian Superstore" sells them. So, my friends, don't judge a can by its cover it may seems plain on the outside but be okay all around. You just may need to give it a try.

With love,
Angela

Tok, Alaska

I have to say, not much there, but a neat place to visit. The Mooseberry Inn, is a wonderful little B&B hidden in the trees. Maggie is the owner and Alexa is the granddaughter. Jacob and Ashleigh ran and played in the yard and Scott and I drank tea on the patio. Quiet and relaxing before our LAST day of driving! We were in Alaska and only had one day of driving left. While we were "supposed to be sleeping"(3:30a it was too bright for me to sleep), I heard this noise, that almost sounded like a dog. However, it wasn't a dog. Think bigger, hairier. I am thinking wolf. The howl was eerie and interesting at the same time. The views from Tok to Anchorage are stunning. The mountains greet you with a smile! The snow kissed tops make me smile. The Matanuska Glacier and the Tazlina Glacier glide so quietly down the mountain.

I did manage to get some great pictures of the mountains. I wish I was able to get the funny shot however. We were crossing this very scary bridge, hence, I didn't get the shot with my fear of bridges and cliffs! . There was this really cool sign, school bus stop! School bus stop on the top of a scary bridge, on a cliff, REALLY?! So what or who does a school bus pick up on this bridge??? Scott thinks a troll. We all had a funny laugh about the troll under the bridge until we saw the mail box and the drive way under that led to the house under the bridge. So, there must be a troll family under the bridge along the highway to Anchorage. You know that child gets teased at school. Poor child...

With love my friends,
Angela

Bison!!!

My friends... I forgot to tell you about the herd of bison on the road! I have been soo upset there have been no Moose I forgot about the bison that stopped traffic. The boogers didn't even care, just moved as slow as mud and ate.

Until then,
love,
Angela

Nugget City

Cabins in the wilderness of the Yukon. Started as a mining camp and has grown to a cabin and RV lodge and restaurant. The Wolf it down cafe! They cater to truckers and motorcyclists. The portions are HUGE! Ashleigh and I shared a plate and both were full. There is a trail behind the property they advertise as a great after dinner walk to a lake, BUT take at your own risk! hahaha...You are in the Yukon wilderness after all and there are, moose(yeah right), wolves, bear, and HUGE MOSQUITOES!!! We made it to the lake after a 25 minute walk through the woods, down a bit of a "scary" trail. And I say scary because I wasn't sure we would make it out. I knew we would make it out because Scott would get us out but if I wasn't with Scott, I am not sure I would have!

The trail was fun, the mosquitoes I could have done without.
With love my friends and a few Canadian mosquito bites...
Angela

Ugh!

Well, my friends, I have learned that 15 days in the car is my limit. Problem is I have one more day to go. The Lord has placed a peace on the children. I couldn't have asked for better children. They are a blessing. Jacob and Ashleigh have played together, with their electronics, watched movies and all together been wonderful. I started to get cranky yesterday when after all the silly "WARNING" signs for moose, we have only seen one and I had no batteries. Scott rolled down the window and I just look at the moose and say "hey moose" and we drive on.

We have 320 miles to go to Anchorage and we are there. Today we crossed back into the States. Uneventful, I might add. We did have to show him our apples because we bought them at the Safeway in Canada, but turns out they were American apples after all.

We have been warned of the roads. The AlCan is terrible, take precautions... so we've been told. Well, yes and no....parts of it have been an interesting go of it. I am reminded of Phineas and Ferb and the Frosty guy who goes "follow me". In Canada, the pilot truck for road construction is a follow me truck.
The follow me truck doesn't go very slowly to make sure you are right behind him, he just goes and hopefully you are there. Turns out the road has to be repaired each summer because of the snow and ice from the winter. The whole road isn't like this just sections. Other sections feel like a roller coaster going up and down, making me a bit whoozy and yet other parts are smooth and lovely. The views no matter what section you are on are amazing. The history of the road, the First Nations and the folks who settled this stretch of territory is a wonderful read.


The Milepost book was a great book to have to tell us of the next road side turn out with trash bins and toilets (well, a hole in the ground with a toilet seat on top). I thank the Canadian people for the rest areas, but I can't get that smell out of my nose! I wish I had thought to take a picture on one of these turn outs.

More to come my friends.
love
Angela

more Canadian Rockies

Canadian Rockies

My friends,
Enjoy the pictures. I was so white knuckled. I held my breath so many times. The majesty of the Lord was all around. The views were just unbelievable. I was able to keep my eyes open, but the cliffs, the drop offs WOW!!
With love,
Angela

Out of order

You know the feeling when you really really need to use the facilities? Well think of that and read in your little guide, Prophet River- gas, lodging and Indian Reservation. Next stop for facilities close to 100 miles away! We pull into the station go in and the sign on BOTH doors reads OUT OF ORDER! Ashleigh and I are wide eyed and worried. The kind First Nations man says I JUST got the far left one fixed try it. The Lord was with us because it worked. The mist, rain and mud were about so our daily picnic was a picnic in the truck. Ashleigh and Jacob were in charge of getting the lunch basket out and feeding everyone. However, being children they made their lunches and forgot about us... hahaha.. We did end up eating and fun was had by all. We pulled into Fort Nelson, BC early, with time to get settled and enjoy a nice Boston Pizza dinner. Fort Nelson is one of the only non-native settlements along the AlCan. The "town" was settled by the fur traders. Today folks from the natural gas sector and the railroad live here.

With love,
Angela

Sasquach found....

Well, folks.. I know where bigfoot lives and the moose must live there with him because I have NOT seen one!!! There is a place called Sasquach crossing. The only thing there was a lodge/pub and this large billboard with Bigfoot running carrying beer and chips. So, I think bigfoot has parties with the beer and chips and he and the moose play poker or something because they aren't where the "WARNING MOOSE" signs are located.

I was able to take some beautiful pictures today. I did hold my breath a few times because of the height and cliffs but was able to get the shots. Image being up 2300 ft. and the only thing between you and certain death is a small slab of concrete. I know my shots didn't capture the enormity of the mountains, the grandure of the trees nor the sheer drop! The temperature took a dive again today. The high was 12C with rain and wind. Tomorrow should be better at 22C.

This bridge was first as suspension bridge back in the 1940s. I am happy to say today it is just a regular bridge with grating as the road. Still, my heart was racing. I have this fear of bridges, especially ones with a 1800 ft elevation! Although I can appreciate the beauty of my surroundings, still doesn't make me breath easier.

With love,
Angela

Mile "0" Alaskan Highway

My friends we have driven over 3000 miles and have made it to the start of the Alcan. The Alaskan-Canadian Highway that leads you to Anchorage. If you would like to read more about it, just google Alaskan Highway or Alcan and you can see the origins of this highway. Seems it was a military road during WWII built by the Americans and maintained by Canadians. We went to the museum today and took some great pictures. The sign says "Dawson Creek, BC mile "0" of the Alaskan-Canadian Highway-Where the Adventure begins" Well, dear friends, our adventure began about 3000 miles ago, but I am sure it will continue along this road. I have been reading about it and it will test my knuckle strength as we cross the rockies on our next leg of the journey.


Canada is turning out to be a nice place to be. I love the weather, the folks are all smiley and friendly, well minus the border agent, but I don't think he meant to be mean, just serious. This hotel the Pomeroy is awesome. There is a waterslide inside with a real heated pool as opposed to the one hotel where the heated pool was at 64 degrees! Enjoy the pictures.



Until we meet again,
love,
Angela