Jeweliah

shaken

“Is everyone okay?” flooded my phone and social media as the 7.0 earthquake hit Anchorage, AK at 8:29 this morning. The news reports the epicenter was 7 miles north of Anchorage, but it felt like we were right on top of it. I had experienced earthquakes in Japan & Dominican Republic, but this was theContinue reading “shaken”

moose on the loose

Tonight, we saw our first moose outside our apartment. My husband was coming home from church around 10:00 pm. He texted and then called to let me know there was a bull moose right in front of our apartment door. I slowly opened the door and saw the big moose licking the sidewalk. He lookedContinue reading “moose on the loose”

winter wheels

Shortly after arriving in Alaska, conversations about winter tires followed. All season tires work well here in spring, summer & fall. Winter tires are recommended, but not mandatory in the snowy season. These tires may be studded or non-studded. “It is unlawful to operate a motor vehicle with studded tires on a paved highway orContinue reading “winter wheels”

2 x 4’s

Yesterday, our lil’ Sweet Pea turned four! She is a princess in every way, but also carries a few traits of tomboy with her avid love for adventure and discovery. She recently pointed outside during the first (and only so far) fresh snowfall and told me, “There is my home, in the snow!” On herContinue reading “2 x 4’s”

treatment

After 13 days of quarantine, all the red spots from Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) disappeared! Many friends and family didn’t know what HFMD is or what to do. This diagnosis was new to us as well. I spent hours searching websites, reading blogs and talking to other mommas. CAUSE The Centers of DiseaseContinue reading “treatment”

quarantined

On our 12th day in Anchorage, Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) visited our family. We were putting our little ones to bed and I found 25 red bumps around our son’s (aka “Big”) face. Our daughter Sweet Pea complained about having a sore “neck.” That was the beginning of a long night full ofContinue reading “quarantined”

home snow home

We completed our first week in Anchorage, Alaska while settling into our temporary home, a cozy 795 sq ft two-bedroom furnished condo. New streets, new grocery stores, new weather, new culture, new people, new languages and new friends filled our days of exploration. Warm welcomes from our new church family greeted us in various fellowshipContinue reading “home snow home”

day 15: trek to ak

We started out dark & early with lots of snow. Out of our 15 travel days, this last day was the toughest. Our 326 mile drive from Tok, AK to Anchorage, AK took nine hours. The snow was dry and thick. It was beautiful but difficult to drive through. The visibility was poor and freshContinue reading “day 15: trek to ak”

day 14: trek to ak

We woke up in the dark on our last day in Canada. We were surprised to find an espresso bar in the fuel station in Haines Junction and that the sun didn’t show up until nine in the morning. The sun continued to follow us throughout the day with a chilly 28-34 F degrees. OurContinue reading “day 14: trek to ak”

day 13: trek to ak

We left Watson Lake in the dark early this morning. As the sun came up, the rains began. The sky was full of clouds much of the day. The rare glimpses of scenery we saw were beautiful lakes, rivers and mountains. The distance markers in today’s stretch were marked 2 km apart, rather than 5Continue reading “day 13: trek to ak”