We're Here!

We survived the oh so LONG 5 hour and 15 minute flight from LAX to Anchorage with a really fussy, unhappy, teething girl! She was the most miserable I've probably ever seen her, next to a 103 fever she had at 10 months. I alternated between children's advil and tylenol every 2 hours and that's what got us through! Whew! It was so good to be on solid ground. 

After a few recovery days spent at my parents we moved into Todd and Kim Hopkins' home where we are housesitting for the majority of our time here in AK. A few nights after moving in we heard some noise outside the house after Reese had gone to bed. We looked out the window to this awesome sight! I've never seen a calf this small with it's mama! And I've lived here many years. Matt and I couldn't pry ourselves away...it was so neat to watch this baby explore but all the while staying really close to it's mother. We think this calf was only a day or two old.

We've been able to enjoy a few days of glorious sun and warmth and when that happens we stay outside as long as we can!

Enjoying my siblings too...on this day Tom and Joe competed in a badminton game to see who got to eat the Moon Pie. Tom won! Joe's consolation prize was an apple strudel.

My sister Elise took this video of Reese. It's a little choppy and not edited but I thought it would be fun to get a glimpse of Elise and Reese together. :)

We're thankful to be here, basking in the slowness of life in the Last Frontier and waiting for when Allie decides to make her appearance. Today marks 37 weeks and Allie and I are considered full term! So thankful to be at this point without the concern of going too early to birth with the midwives.

Catching Up: Flight of a lifetime

When you're packing your bags and thinking through exactly what is necessary to bring with you, does it ever cross your mind if you'll see your bag again? When you're getting in the car, do you wonder if your flight will be on time, if the weather will cooperate or if you'll make your connection? And if you're running late (by some small chance) do you hope that maybe the flight might wait for you because you're trying your best to get there?

As a PK (no, not pastor's kid but pilot's kid) ALL of these thoughts and thousands more have run through my head. Flying has been a way of life for me and my siblings since my dad got hired by Alaska Airlines in 1992. It was the reason we moved from Florida to Alaska. It's how we managed to stay connected with all our beloved family on the East Coast. It's also the way I was able to get back and forth to college for 4 years. 

In all those dozens of trips, though, nothing has happened quite like it did when my little family left Alaska from our Spring Break trip.

It started out as a hope, then a possibility, then some major shifting around of schedules. Sunday night we confirmed it and Monday at noon not one of those concerns I mentioned above was a thought. That's because we knew we'd make our flight, we knew we'd be on time, that our bags would go through and our weather was picture perfect. The reason all my worries were eased...sitting right in front of me in my parent's gold Chevy Avalanche were our captain and first officer of the flight we were about to take. Never has it happened in my life that I was in the same car as the men who were about to fly my plane. But that special day, it was my dad and brother-in-law who worked it out so that we could fly with them. Will laughed when he got in the truck, turned around and said, "So when was the last time you drove to the airport with your pilots?" Umm...Never!

Of course we had to get pictures! Reese didn't think it was so charming to sit with her Poppy in the cockpit. Oh well. She'll see it one day and laugh at herself. It made me the proudest/happiest girl to hear my dad's voice over the loud speaker on the plane. He announced that his granddaughter just happened to be on his flight and how special that was to him. Special for this {me} daddy's girl, too!

It was something small and yet so meaningful...thanks Dad and Will for getting us to Seattle safely! You were/are the best pilots and we love you!

Catching Up: Spring Break

For Matt's spring break this year we headed to Alaska to visit my family. We hadn't seen each other since September and 7 months was just too long to not make the trek home! Time in AK consists of catching up with one another, playing with aunties and uncles and Nana and Poppy (of course), great food, rest, hanging out with just my parents when children go to bed, being at Wasilla Bible Church and seeing dear friends, a midwifery appointment, celebrating a best friend's birthday and Matt having lots of time to run, workout and do all things boy with my brothers! :) Here's a few pictures from our visit.

The joy of being with Poppy...a whole apple all to myself!

Meeting Daisy

This chair is kinda special...before Reese, I had it as a girl
and before me it was my mom's!

Playing kitchen with Aunt Elise

Reese and daddy

Happy girl and her spaghetti!

Attending the Easter Tea with Elise and mom

Visiting the Iditarod museum as a family...
I felt like a tourist! :)

Easter 2011

Trying to figure out what to do with these colorful things!

The plane ride home...a much nicer experience than going to AK.
Good job, Reese!

God is so kind to give us memories that we can look back on and cherish. This trip was one of those times. It was hard to say goodbye but so much easier knowing we'd be back in only a few short weeks. And that's right around the corner now! 8 more days and we'll get on a plane to wait for Allie to arrive. :)