Kodiak Island

We left King Salmon on the 30th of Dec and spent less than 24 hours in Anchorage before traveling on to Kodiak Island. I must say that's the best way to have a birthday, right in the middle of travels, I got cake and ice cream 3 times! :) Then Julie had a birthday just a few days after mine so there was another party and more yummy cake. Also my mom and siblings sent me about 20 cards (Is that the right number mom? I lost count), it's been 22 days since my birthday and they're still arriving. 

Kodiak has been wonderful, the fellowship is so special and we've had some beautiful days. Well i guess the whole day wasn't beautiful, but there were often little windows in a rainy day, so while everyone was at work  Julie and i would hop in the car and go to the beach or for a hike. Yesterday on our way home from our adventures we discovered the best ice cream shop, good thing we didn't find it until just a few days before we go.

beach bums

 Fort Abercrombie Beach

 These cows just roam free, wandering in the road, across the road, to the river or ocean, wherever they want to go. They aren't right in town so it's not a problem, but you do have to watch for them.

 The city of Kenai.

 Top of Pillar Mountain (the wind was about 45 mph that day)

The Airport. Best not miss the runway!

 We found ourselves a nice little batch with an ocean view! :)

 If you look closely you can see our footprints and an eagle. We were the only ones there that day.

Pillar Mountain again.

Flight to King Salmon

New field car :) there were 3 of us in there and 140 lbs luggage!

It was a beautiful flight! I enjoyed every minute until it got bumpy and then I fell asleep for the rest of the trip. 

King Salmon!

I think I will be very happy here! :)

Bethel

This winter Julie (my coworker for the year) and I get to go out to a few of the remote areas of Alaska. First we spent a few weeks in Bethel. Bethel is a large native village of about 6000. There isn't housing for 6000 so I wondered where everyone lived until one day I was out walking and I saw a truck pull into a driveway and 13 people fell out. Then I heard about a house that our friends visited where there wasn't room to walk because there were people sleeping on every inch of floor space. So that's life in Bethel. Julie and I had quite a bit of time on our hand while our friends were at work so we spent a lot of time exploring the tundra and getting caught up on projects. We also had two Gospel meetings a week and a couple of the neighbors came and listened. We were so thankful for the warm welcome we received from our friends and enjoyed the time we had with them. 

Our little group on Sunday. Missing one

Sorry!

It has been brought to my attention that i haven't blogged since i blogged about how i was planning to blog at least once a week, that was about 4 months ago. Sorry for the long blog break, it will probably happen again :)

We've been really busy these last few months in SE Alaska. Lots of dear friends to visit, and meetings to be in. It's been wonderful. I'm so thankful for all the blessings and privileges i know when i am found in my place with a willing heart. I can't say we've had any grand adventures, or done anything super exciting, but we've had many special visits and wonderful fellowship.

Now I'm in Juneau and it's preps time! I love preps, I love being with my brothers and sister everyday and i love the morning studies and i learn so much. It's a special time. I also love that Juneau has shopping, it's not Seattle by any means but there is a Joann's and a Fred Meyers and a Safeway! Yep i was even excited to see a grocery store with a name i knew.

I would love to post some recent pictures of the last few months but i'm not sure where i put my camera, i'm hoping it's just misplaced and that i didn't forget it on the ferry. It's hard to get off a ferry at 3 am and remember everything because my brain is just dead! So i'll see if there are any pictures on my computer right already from the last little while i can post.

Also i'm now an honorary auntie once again! My cousin and her husband welcomed a sweet baby girl a few days ago!

 I was a little terrified that it would attack me and also it was really slippery and hard to hold onto.

 We found this super cute tiny little starfish.

 My sweet little friends and i out for a walk

 The newest baby in our field. She has the cutest little button nose!

 Salt and pepper shakers!

 Feeding the swans

 Brown bear Yoga

Beautiful day along the coast!

Welcome 2013

Happy New Year!

My good friend, and co-worker Kari and I started out the new year in Ketchikan, AK with a Polar Plunge! 

The water was freezing! Thankfully it wasn't snowing, but it was windy. We jumped (actually we ran in, there was nothing to jump off of) in once then everyone ran to huddle up around the fire and as we were all starting to feel warm again along comes the newspaper man. He was late and still wanted a picture so a few of us brave (foolish, dumb, still in shock from the first jump) people went in again. The second time was much colder than the first! It was really fun, and i think i'd do it again next year if i got a chance! 

So on to New Years Resolutions

* remember birthdays~ and not just write happy birthday on facebook, but send a card or pick up the phone

*re-connect with old friends~ pick up the phone and make a phone call instead of just sending a text.

*figure out a suitcase option that really works for me, and that will help me to be organized.

*run at least 3 times a week, and spend a little bit of time everyday outside.

*not let fear of the unknown stop me from doing what needs to be done.

*eat more fruits and veggies, and less sugar.

*go to Target at least once this year!

*learn to cook for preps.

I think that list should keep me busy for a while! Hope you all had a wonderful start to 2013! 

Alaska!

I turned on my computer just now with the goal of doing the Jillian Michaels 30 day shred workout and somehow here i am blogging....I think that might be the story of my life. I'm always planning to do one thing and then getting distracted by something else.

So here i am in Alaska and loving it! It's such a different world but it's amazing and soo beautiful! Not that i've been here long enough to really know what it will be like but so far it's been perfect. I feel like i'm home already. That's something that always amazes me no matter where i am, just how quickly i feel like i am home in a new place. I feel so lucky that I've been given the place I have, and that i have the privilege of meeting and staying with so many wonderful people.

Anyways not a lot to write about just yet. We're on special meeting rounds right now which are always wonderful! I get to speak on Sunday with Ed and Joyce (i think it's Ed, it might be Tom i can't remember). It's kinda weird to think when i was just a little kid i used to sit in meeting and hear Ed and Tom speak and now i get to be in a meeting with them.

We've gone on a few little walks around town, and the we went along the Totem Pole trail, it was beautiful. I don't have the pictures from that because i don't have the cord to my camera with me right now, but i have a few pictures from the Wednesday. The town of Sitka is where i'm staying this week and then next week we'll be going on to Ketchikan for specials.

Ok no more delaying the workout, i'll post again soon. I'm really going to try to be good about posting at least once a week so that you know i haven't been eaten by a bear or anything! :)

A day with Jocey

Yesterday I spent the day hanging out with Jocey while her sisters were at school. We had a tea party, played dress up, read lots of stories, and made puppets! It was a good day!

Jocey's family live in an older building downtown that has offices in the bottom and the top floor was recently made into apartments. It's a super fun place to stay!

Sorry the pictures aren't really in order I still haven't figured out how to put them in order when I blog from the iPod.

Wisdom

Well last week I went to Moscow to get my wisdom teeth removed. They decided to only take out 3 the 4th one was way impacted and very close to my sinus and they felt there was more risk in taking it out than leaving it in. So after a two hour appointment I was done! The bottom two were difficult because the bone had to be broken off from over them. Anyways here are some pictures!

Sorry when i post from my ipod i can't really do anything about the picture order, and i haven't figured out how to label them. So here is what is in the pictures 1. Icing my face immediately following surgery (yes those are peas and an ace bangage) 2.Icing on the road trip back to Seattle (more peas tied to my face with a scarf) 3.My face a day or two after extractions. 4. Seemingly random picture of Kaiden. See one day i sent Kevin a text and told him my face was hurting from having my teeth pulled and the only thing that would make me feel better was a new picture of Kaiden so this is what he sent me! :) Anyways i'm healing really nicely everything looks good so far. I'm on a basically baby food (yogurt, smoothies, applesauce, protein drink, and pudding) diet for at least the rest of this weak then i can slowly start introducing real food again. I'm thinking i want a cheese burger! :)

Green Gables

You can just call me Anne with an "e" if you'd like! My little porch bedroom here at Chelan has me feeling like I'm lucky enough to live at green gables! Here are some pictures. See I have the lake of shining waters out one window (please forgive the horrible picture, you see i have two screens on the window and not a very good zoom on ipod camera but in reality its beautiful!) and out another window the most beautiful tree. it's just a quant gable bedroom. The perfect happy room I think. With a letter writing desk included. Some of you just might get a letter soon!

Update

Well the last while has been BUSY! :) We've been finishing up the time we have here in Seattle before we go to Spring Preps. This year i go to the same preps as last year, Chelan. It will be wonderful to be back there. I'm super looking forward to it. So the last week and a half i've had a little break from the normal. Phoebe came to see me for 5 days and we had so much fun! Just a few pictures from that for now because i haven't edited them all. We had a great time, babysat twins babies and their 2 year old sister, went shopping, sailing, and visited some of the fun places in Seattle. Now i'm sitting in a cute little cabin with a beautiful view of the ocean just relaxing and getting caught up on some things. I leave for preps on Monday and things will get busy again, but so wonderful. Hope to see some of you at Chelan, Post Fall, or Olympia? Ok pictures will come later...internet is too slow right now! PS thanks grandma for the letter. yes this is still the blog i use, i just haven't updated for a while. Also Chantal and i sometimes update a different blog that's fun to read it's ohthethingsthatwethink.blospot.com.

Window

Today's picture : a window

 the view out the window of my bedroom this morning


And now some picture from the last few days

 The awesome, fun cupcakes we made for all the kids at meeting. Them was St Patty's day

 We're beginning to see signs of spring (in between the snow showers...)

 The craziest cat i've ever seen...this picture didn't do it justice. It looked like a small cheetah the colors were so bright and beautiful!

 Went hunting for the Northern lights they were supposed to be showing up in Seattle but no luck just pictures of the moon