Hillside View

(Click on the photos to enlarge)

I went to a housing development on the Anchorage hillside a week or two ago. I was talking to a contractor about installing stone cladding on and in a multimillion dollar home up there. The view was fanstupolis so I took a few photos. I could see all the way from Mt. McKinley in the north clear down past Mt. Spur to Mt. Redoubt (both of which are active [at times] volcanoes) in the south. The Alaska Mountain Range was gorgeous as was the sun glistening on the waters of the Cook Inlet at low tide. Our world is so beautiful.

Thanksgiving

Here be a photo of our quiet Thanksgiving dinner at our house with Don & Georgia Rogers, Julie's parents. Looks like one on the far left could do without any of the delicious pumpkin pie we had later, much later. Well, today is Sunday and I've already finished off the pumpkin pie. It's history. Still working on the homemade chocolate chip ice cream. Someone's got to eat it and Julie just doesn't eat enough of it fast enough!

We enjoyed a rousing game of Bridge wherein Grandpa and I won the evening by only 200 points. After that we played 7up-7down and chubby there won that game. It was a very nice day and evening. The best holiday weekend of the year. Four blissful work-less days... ahhhhhh. BUT! Now it's another 360 something days before the next one. I don't know if I'll be able to keep up my figure. Oh yeah, Christmas.

We both hope your Thanksgiving was great. We appreciate that our children had wonderful places with wonderful people to spend the day. We haven't heard about Kevin but he told us before that he had an invite to a nice family he likes a lot for T-Day.

Winter To Me ...

... is SNOW! Currently we are having a snow storm and I AM LOVING IT! My humble opinion is that if it is going to be cold it better be snowing. I admit that I am a strange Alaska creature. I do not downhill or cross country ski. I can count on one hand the times I have been on a snow machine. I seldom fish and hunt less than that. Camping and bicycling are activities few and far in between. I'm not much into hiking. And climbing mountains? HA! I did that once, okay maybe three or four times, but once was enough. One might ask why do I live in Alaska?

Well... I do like snow!

I like the way it looks all clean and white. I like to drive in it all clean and white. I really, really like to watch it fall, all clean and white. Falling snow is magical. It makes me feel like cozy fireplaces and warm chocolate on a sledding hill. Alaska is a gorgeous land. It is home. And it snows here. Alaska is a great place to be.

Anniversary

November 29, 1978
November 29, 2008

Today is the thirty year anniversary of my baptism into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. 30 years! It was truly a "fork in the road" decision, which has led to everything good in my life today. Because of that decision I have a wonderful husband (of 28 years) and 3 children who have brought nothing but joy and happiness to me. I have a life with meaning and purpose, the association of so many outstanding people whom I never would've met without the church, a network of friends and loved ones, and an understanding of things bigger and more important than my little world around me. It is the biggest blessing in my life, along with my loving parents and my family. It's great to look back at a fork in the road, and know, without reservation, that I picked the right way. I'll always be grateful for all the happenings that led to that point in time, 30 years ago!