Friday, August 28, 2015

First Frost August 28th

Daddy making a rope swing for Cyrus


      That’s white, we awoke to a ground covered in frosty white. Crispy cool in the mornings, with leaves scattered in mowed lawns. I drove to Chadd’s jobsite today and realized I miss seeing mowed yards J The immediate area where we are now it doesn’t seem to be a high priority. But there are some very nice and cozy neighborhoods in other places of Palmer and Chugiak. The chill is actually very refreshing and not bad if you dress for it. Autumn in August. I actually like it. Unfortunately, all our winter clothes are in unknown depths of our storage unit.

My grown up boy!

Chadd and I must have planted these together...



















       My apologies for a silence of postings in quite a while. I have been dealing with some health struggles ever since Cyrus’ c-section 2 ½ years ago, and this is now largely compounded by a much more nauseous pregnancy than last time. Basically I’ve felt like I have the flu nearly every day. It is rare that I feel well, and so noticeably different that I exclaim constantly, “WOW! I feel so good!” So that is my reason. At least it should be reassuring that it is a “strong” pregnancy, so we midwives try to console. Which is a bit, as we haven’t heard the heartbeat yet. My doppler is buried in our storage unit with the sweaters and gloves or I would try more on my own.
Our abundant harvest!
Park date with our friends at Wasilla Lake
 It has been a challenge taking care of an uber energetic toddler while feeling like @#$%. How do you do it when you are pregnant with your fourth or …. ninth!!   All applause to you my friend mothers.  And this is the challenge of a the Christian walk, exerting enough Love with a capitol L, to smile and serve with a joyful heart when your body hurts and churns and wants nothing but to crawl back in bed and sleep all day. Easy is not part of this task. But God’s grace surpasses all. When I actually selected minutes that could be spent sleeping or completing important tasks and placed them at the foot of Jesus, it really does make a difference. Man, do I praise Him when I feel good. But I also repeat the truths of His saving goodness when I feel bad. He does not change, though my experience does.



Chadd's black water tank invention for our Camper home. 




 So we have entered into contract and begun the 45 day process of closing on a HOUSE!!!!! That is right! We finally found an abode that fits our fancy and my construction husband’s qualifications. It is a three bedroom 1 ½ bath with over 2,400 square feet. We have great plans of improvements, it will look better in a month and fabulous in 2 years. And most importantly, it will be a home. So if we do indeed close, we will have a place to host our expressly welcome guests!! I will post pics in the next post.


The picture does not even resemble the beauty that was before our eyes.
 The great expanse, the colors, smells, sounds...







My husband as Sushi Chef! 
Gourmet dinner in our camper!


APPLE picking in Alaska!!
Wow, I thought I'd have to give up fresh apples living here.
They have grafted trees to a super hardy crab apple root stock
making these apple trees cold hardy down to -40 degrees! 

Pretty big! But not as huge as the 108lb winner at the Alaska State Fair.


Opening day of Alaska State Fair. More pics to come!

Sunday, August 9, 2015

Life in a Camper- With Soon to be Four!

Awaking to the pitter patter on our camper sun roof I rolled over to taste an attempt at a healthy nut bread morning nausea cure and decided instantly it was an awful failure. I went for the moral-breaking non-wholewheat cinnamon raisin bagel toasted in ghee instead. Ah, a little relief. Improved even more by a long walk in the cool fresh morning with my stroller and bundled toddler, gazing at mountain ranges and looking out for moose. Much better.

Yes, I’m pregnant!!! Woohooo!!!

We are so excited!! All three of us J  A long awaited answer to each of our prayers. I am honored to receive God’s blessing of carrying one of His precious children in my womb a second time. We shall become a family of four, joining the realm of most of our 2-kid family friends.



And this has hence brought our housing search to a higher peak. Even though I love our camper home! It is so convenient. Everything is nearly within arm’s reach, a light just where you need it, a cubby for every corner, and it takes me 10 minutes to clean my whole house! It doesn’t feel cramped at all. With the pullout we have quite a nice little living room with just enough space for wrestling J

I have lots of pictures but this blogger won't let me post them!! I will attmpt again later.

Saturday, August 1, 2015

Family Visit!

Success! Our first visiting guests survived their Alaskan adventure! Chadd’s parents and Cyrus’ cousin Dante had a week chock full of fourwheeling, hiking, fishing, and canoeing. With our new 28 foot camper home we finally have  four walls to call our own but it’s a bit small for hosting. But it worked out great, we rented a house by a lake owned by a man Chadd did some work for the first two days, packed up the horses and fourwheelers and headed up to Dick’s homestead for the next three, then ended at our friend’s off-the-grid ranch where we are house sitting for the remainder, and continuing until the 4th. Popop and Nana (as they are to Cyrus) showed their stuff on much fourwheeling. We careened up Bald Ridge trail with three to a wheeler. They have grand tenacity through very rough terrain behind Dick’s homestead for the greater part of the day two days in a row, each with a grandson, while Chadd and I waltzed over the moguls on horseback. To liven up the story I’ll provide you some of Chadd’s Mom’s facebook photos and updates:
 


Fun day 4 wheeling. So very very steep and rocky. Some points it was hold tight or jump and run. I will be sore tomorrow.

Quote, "Alaska IS civilized! Starbucks!!"


 Ok leaving to go to the dry cabin. Only using horses and 4 wheelers. Won't have internet till Sunday night! No running water, electricity or bathroom.TTYL
 






The over-the-top-mount the top was better... You shoulda been there... Man if I'da had my phone videotaping!














Wild Alaskan Blueberries!







 "Ok now heading to a house that Chadd and Sabrina are house sitting for awhile. The house that we are going to is off the grid. Hopefully a hot bath tonight! Last night I wanted a bath so bad after 3 days in the mtns eating dust. So after the boys were in bed PopPop and I got on a four wheeler and went looking for a pond. Found one with a beaver dam. Sunk in the mud to our knees(yuk). And I came out with 2 leaches on my leg!!! 😳 PopPop got them off before they attached...they were huge! Gross and gross. Also kept in mind the huge grizzly tracks of today on the trail...made it not a very relaxing bath time😁 did you know you can get leaches in your mouth, nose and ears!(yikes)"




 The very first morning at our friends 70 acre Alaskan ranch Dante and Cyrus and I took the reindeer, Jenny, out for her daily walk while picking willow and aspen leaves for her salad. Well, Jenny got her oversized antlers all twisted up in her lead rope then Cyrus and Dante both got stung by a yellow Jacket. So I had two screaming kids and one freaked out reindeer trying to get us all back to the house. Just a normal day...!








Mom and Dante at one of the zillion Esspresso drive up shacks on the wheeler.

Chadd Mom and Dante went on a fourwheeler ride while Cyrus and I napped and Chadd and Popop were working. They got so stuck... Thankfully they were on the side of a road and a kind truck with a wench stopped to pull them out. "I got stuck there before too!" He said. 3 hours, two coffees and two hot chocolates later, they returned!




Our new home! We love it. So convenient, everything is within arms reach! :)


It was great. We love sharing our Alaska with anyone adventurous enough to come! Blessings!