BELLA!!

Bella loves to burrow through the snow. We were on our way to take Christmas pictures .. which I can't wait to share, but I'm waiting until the cards are sent out! She comes up out of the snow covered, does a big shake and dives back in. She LOVES the snow, and will be quite sad when it leaves.

Finding new things...

What?!

She has been such a trooper with people in and out of our home lately. Friends are fighting over where she will stay when we go to Tahoe; everyone loves her. Currently she weighs 50 lbs. and is in perfect shape. We are hoping that she will have fewer hip/joint problems as she gets older because she is so petite. I'm loving having something that is alive to come home to each day while Tyler is gone. She is passed out beside me and we're off to bed. I hope y'all have enjoyed a little insight into life up here. We miss you and love you more than you know.

Homemade Pie Crust

This is a little out of order, but I forgot to include my magnificent new undertaking. I decided to make the pie crusts for Thanksgiving from scratch. Of course, I practice the Sunday before Thanksgiving with an apple pie for Tyler. The crust turned out perfectly!!

Wonderful cookbook from my Aunt Pat. This is where I got the recipe.

Rolling dough and making crust!

Into the oven...

Perfection.

Kicking Off the Holiday Season!

Woo hoo for the Christmas season; we have had quite an exciting holiday season already and it is only December 7!!!

Beginning with Thanksgiving, we had 18 people over for dinner. Tyler dressed in his dress blues and served Thanksgiving to soldiers at the Dining Facility (D-Fac). Our first guests arrived at 12:30, Tyler arrived home shortly after. We had a few floating guests, and the last friends left at 11:30 that night. I cooked a 22-lb turkey, and I'm sad to report that I don't have a picture...it was beautiful and delicious!! I think some people ate three times while here, we played games and Wii, and just enjoyed company. My biggest prayer in life is that people feel welcome in our home, and I most certainly think they do!!

On Friday we went downtown with our friends, Amanda and Dan Fox, for the Anchorage Tree Lighting. Santa and his reindeer were there. After visiting with the reindeer we went to dinner at a local pub that was delicious.

Us with Comet.

The Anchorage Tree. This picture was taken at 6:00, notice how dark it is!

Close up of T & G

Everyone's favorite reindeer.

Rudolph's nose only lights up on Christmas Eve ;)

On Saturday, we got a Christmas tree, did a bit of Christmas shopping and went to dinner at a friend's house. Sunday we decorated our first Christmas tree!! Last year we were in transition between Winston and Missouri and did not have a Christmas tree of our own.

On Sunday afternoon we were treetopperless because I could not find a decent youtube video to teach me how to make a bow. Tyler told me to close my eyes, then he put one of Bella's tennis balls on top ... one that she conveniently had chewed a hole in. Everyone at Bunco LOVED the story.

But now ... we have a bow!!!

Up-close picture of my bow. It isn't perfect, but it isn't bad for a first attempt. My friend taught me how this weekend, and I was so excited!!

Again, the bow!!

Outfitted for the Arctic!

Tyler went up north to build an ice bridge recently. We thought that he would be gone for a week, but surprisingly, and much like the Army and our Battalion, was called back on the 12-hour convoy up. So, in reality, Tyler drove 12-hours north in a 12 vehicle convoy, of which he was in charge, only to come back the next day. He called me at 1:30 AM and asked me to come pick him up at the company area. I was quite confused, but happy to have a few extra days with him at home. Fortunately, he was all snow-bunnied up upon his arrival from the -50*F temperatures he experienced up north. This is what kept him warm ...

His whole outfit. Forgive his face mask, it was 2:00 in the morning and he was not too thrilled about pictures of his Army Snow Bunny Get-Up

Face mask, gator, turtleneck, longjohns and big coat.

A smile and his big gloves.

Check out those mittens ... they are connected with a string and can hang around his neck when he needs to use his hands for seconds before returning them to the warmth of the mittens.

BUNNY BOOTS, really they are called bunny boots! These shoes are SO HEAVY, I slipped them on to venture into the backyard one day. Basically your foot slips into a big area surrounded by air; somehow they keep your feet super warm. Some civilians wear these around town, but it hasn't really been cold enough here for them.

Winter Wonderland!

These are pictures on the afternoon of one of our first snows. We were so excited to finally get snow. After experiencing a cold snap ... highs in the negatives ... it finally warmed up and we got a little snow. The snow actually brightens up the dark afternoons and keeps us warm by insulating the space around us. Many believe that we get right much snow in Alaska, but we really don't, the snow just sticks around forever.

The trees immediately behind our house.

Looking down the neighborhood.

Amazing sight ... a convoy of four vehicles shoveling the snow out of the way. There is a pan that scrapes the snow to the side, a snow sucker-upper that blows the snow into a dump truck and then a truck that sprays gravel on the ground.

Still going ... this is on another street in our neighborhood.

Long Ago on A Clear Night...

These pictures were taken quite a while ago, but I just thought the sky was so beautiful. Typically the sky is very clear and the moon shines bright, as in the bottom picture. I still am fascinated by the beauty and majesty of this place I call home.

I Remember ...

Tomorrow we will only have 5 hours and 55 minutes of daylight. We are loosing 3 minutes a day, still, but come December 21 we start gaining light!! :)

Enjoy the sun friends!
g

Promise...

Hi Friends,

I PROMISE to blog this weekend with lots of pictures about life up here in the Last Frontier! We have had so much going on, and I can't wait to share.

I just had to let you know that Tyler got to Japan safely. He is enjoying his journey there, and excited about the job he gets to do. Bella and I are doing well. We've shoveled the driveway twice since he's been gone, walked a lot, and just finished hosting neighborhood Bunco; I've worked a little, too.

There was something super exciting that I wanted to say, but I forgot. Maybe I'll remember later. Until then, take care!

Love,
G