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Spring in Alaska is known as breakup. It’s literally what it sounds like. After months of snow and ice building up, the weather warms up, the days become longer and longer, and all that is left of winter starts to melt away. Rivers that were frozen over begin to break and flow again. The inlet becomes a traffic jam of massive chunks of ice that have traveled their way down.

Even though it’s not even February, and spring is far off in the distance, Saturday felt like the turning point. We have had a spike of warm sunny weather lately, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. It seems like all we’ve had lately is never ending gloomy sunless days. It starts to wear on a person.

Yet, all our snow is starting to melt. Most roads are bare. Yesterday it hit 50 degrees. 50! It felt amazing.

People’s green lawns are starting to poke through. My neighbor’s dog was out barking and scavenging the yard. I swear he was hibernating. And I woke up and opened my door to take this beautiful scene in.

It was gorgeous.

You hear so often, you don’t realize how much you care for something, until it’s gone. Sunlight definitely falls into that category. We don’t live in a part of the state that has total darkness for any period of time, but we do have several weeks that have extremely short days. Every so often, those days are just over cast and grey.

The happiness that fills you when the sun returns is almost unexplainable. I took it all in, as much as I possibly could.

My plants took a vacation from artificial light and got to enjoy the real deal. They look happy. To me anyway.

My house in general feels like a season is changing. The Christmas tree was taken down and stored and replaced with a tent. Not a teepee, as my toddler corrects me every chance she gets. Not a teepee mom. TENT.

All the holiday decorations have been boxed up and put away for next year. My shelves are finally unclogged and free of Christmas spirit. (I’m totally that person that decorates earlier and earlier each year, so by the time Christmas rolls around, I’m just OVER IT.)

Andy and I laid a sidewalk and patio this fall, what seemed like only a matter of days before it snowed. So we haven’t seen it in months. With the exception of a few patches of ice, it’s looking rather appealing. I might just head out for a picnic soon.

Wishful thinking.

My favorite part about our faux spring. My boots are getting the boot. Hayden and I had errands to run. She was adorned in a cute little sun dress. I, of course, went with the cropped pants, my ankles need some fresh air people! A little floral to brighten the mood, and last but not least, FLATS! No socks. Socks are my frienenemy. I need them occasionally, you know to prevent fungus or blisters or whatever, but I really loathe them.

Hayden wasn’t fooled by the sun. There was still snow. She opted for a hat as well.

We baked on the front porch for a bit, soaking in as much of that glorious Vitamin D as we could. My flower beds were doing the same.

We did our errands and enjoyed the sun shining on us through the windows. It was short lived for Hayden and she was fast asleep by the time we got home. With her snoozing the rest of the afternoon away, I took to unloading the groceries. Only to find that I wasn’t the only one basking in the spring like weather. Our favorite furry friend was getting his fill too.

I luckily had a bag of carrots to share. The weather is getting nicer, but don’t be fooled, it’s still just dead sticks out there to eat. He polished those off and came back to see what else was in the fridge.

I was making spaghetti, but had an inkling it would go untouched if I shared. But hey, maybe that’s where the story If You Give a Moose a Muffin, came from. She probably ran out of carrots too.

It really still is winter though, so the reality set in and by 4:30 my sun filled Saturday was coming to an end. The sun had already set and night time was upon us again. Everyone on the radio and the news keeps saying that it won’t last. More snow is ahead of us, winters not over, don’t get your hopes up, blah, blah, blah.

But I woke up this morning, and the sun is starting to sneak through the morning clouds and it’s already close to 50 degrees and not even 11 am yet.

Faux spring, stay as looooong as you want.

 

I’m going to fill you in on a little secret of mine. It goes something like this.

This time last year, I was lonely. The holidays were over. The snow was still piling up at my doorstep, making it seem like spring weather would never show it’s face. Andy was on his usual schedule of two weeks home and two weeks off. I had my group of friends I hung out with, but they also had their own busy schedules to occupy them. I was the only one at the time being within our group that was a stay at mom, with a toddler. So I came up with a plan. Make more friends.

This is what led me to “the secret”. I went online looking for friends.

GASP.

 I went into it with the thought that perhaps I would find a group to join. A playgroup to take Hayden to. Meet some local moms. I’ll even break down and tell you that I might have scanned some ads of people on the lookout themselves. Scary to say the least. It amazes me the information people put out there. I can’t be the only one that assumes most people are serial killers.

Mat- Su Moms. A group of stay at home moms who meet up several times a week for play dates with the kids, coffee, or even a crafting day. Sure, why not? Hayden and I packed up one Tuesday morning to meet the group for an indoor play date at a local sports center. Everyone was very friendly. All the woman I spoke to were welcoming and kind, and Hayden seemed to be enjoying herself. Yet, it just didn’t fit. As a newbie, I was separated from the small groups of various moms chatting it up. I got an occasional question here or there from someone who came to introduce themselves, but it just seemed everyone had their own agenda, and I wasn’t part of it. Guess that one was a bust. Mat-Su Moms.

Reading Between the Wines. How adorable is that name? This happened to be the only book club that was listed for the entire area. They were brand new and due to spacing could only accept a small number of applicants. 12 that is, which had already been met. I emailed the organizer of the club asking if they would be accepting new members at a later time. A few days went by, then a couple of weeks and no response. Guess I’m 0 for 2. Reading Between the Wines.

Life continued on as normal. I lost interest in the prospect of finding new friends via the Internet and was frankly put off that I might end up out of desperation joining some type of cult. I’ve been known to get myself into some pickles.

Then low and behold, I got a response from the organizer of the book club. There had been a miscommunication with her co-organizer and some requests had not been handled yet. Long story short. I was in. Our first meet up would take place at her home in Anchorage, the first weekend of March. We would all need to bring a dish in relation to the book chosen for that month.

It was a perfect first book. An easy read. Intriguing and kept you interested the whole time. It takes place during World War II on the Channel Islands. The Germans forbid the reading of books and discussion, yet a small group of people formed an underground book club and would meet weekly to discuss books, cook meals together with their limited supply of food, and be there to support each other during this grievous time.

I chose to bring an English Tea Cake. It turned out so delicious, I nearly ate half of it before I could finish wrapping it up. The meeting started at 6:30. I left Hayden with my sister in law for the evening and made the drive into Anchorage. The house was lovely. In a nice part of town, at the end of a cul de sac. I double checked the address and parked on the street in front of her home. Grabbing my cake, I headed up the driveway. I had only made it about half way when it suddenly hit me, this could potentially be the dumbest move. I’ve agreed to go to a complete stranger’s house along with 12 other people that I don’t know the first thing about. But then the thought popped up that I’ve already driven all this way, and I actually showered and got presentable today. I made it up the steps and knocked loudly.

A short, extremely friendly, blonde woman with a huge smile opened the door and welcomed me in. She introduced herself as Jennifer, the organizer and owner of the home. Only a few other ladies had made it so far, so introductions went fast. Her house was decorated so incredibly nice. Everyone was so kind, the food that everyone brought was incredible, and by the time I finished my second glass of wine, I was hooked. The night was a huge success and it began so many wonderful friendships. I’ve continued on with the group, missing only a meeting or two, reading so many great books along the way.

I’ve been lucky enough to host on several occasions. I just finished hosting in December, and was fortunate to be asked to host again in February. A lot of the other women choose books they’ve read or a friend has read and recommended. I always just pick randomly and really hope it doesn’t flop. How embarrassing. I went with one that was suggested on my Amazon account.

It’s one that can be enjoyed by many. It’s considered young adult, so even one you can read with your teen. I would recommend high school age since there are a few intimate moments in the book. I started it one night at 10 pm, hoping that if I read for a short while, I would doze off sooner than if I opted to glue my peepers to Hulu. I read the entire thing in one sitting! I immediately fell in love with the main characters. They are both witty and sarcastic. Funny and smart. It’s a love story, with deep roots. It revolves around death, being in that most of the characters are battling some type of life threatening disease. It’s real life. It’s not a fairy tale story of boy meets girl and they live happily ever after. It’s reality. I laughed, a lot. I had moments with tears and sadness. By the last few pages, these people seem so real to you, their lives spread out in front of you. In my opinion, it’s a coming of age, must read.

So in retrospect, my little secret, turned into a wonderful addition to my life. I’m thankful to have added so many amazing people to my life.

Sometimes we have vulnerable, scary moments in our life. If we give in, and turn around, all we are doing is returning to the darkness we were trying to get away from. But when you push forward, towards the light, it’s only then that you will grow and bloom.

Both kinds. Today I’m going to share some big news with you. This included new people we met, new offices we went to, and a whole new experience for my little family. Let’s start with the big news. We’re having a baby!! This little peapod is set to arrive on August 23. I just typed 2014, then deleted it, because then I realized “Duh, Amanda.” Anyways, we are currently 8 weeks cooked and our newest little guy has progressed from sesame seed, flown by lentil and is full on kidney bean sized.

A little back story. I got pregnant with Hayden and gave birth at St Joe’s in Lewiston. I had the pleasure of having Dr. Berg as my ob-gyn and she was amazing. Her office staff was fantastic as well, and the whole experience was just a breeze. So moving to Alaska and realizing I would have to start from scratch again and find a new doctor eventually was a bit daunting. I’m sure some of you critics out there are wondering if we even have recent technology in the arctic or if I’m going to have to give birth in the back woods with a wolf hovering by, ready to pounce on my newborn baby, all while I’m fighting to stay warm in my igloo. Luckily, I’m due in the summer so it will just be bugs that I’m fighting off of me as I lay in a green meadow. Just kidding.

After some research and inquiries to friends and family here, we chose the lovely Dr. Harrison. To my relief, she was so nice. Friendly and encouraging. They are in the process of moving to a different office so the one they are currently in isn’t the classiest to the say the least, but who am I to judge. At least their staff was great. With the exception however of the receptionist. As my husband put it nicely, he was struggling with his paperwork AND his sexuality, making his job of helping us, somewhat difficult. There were a lot of uh’s and um’s involved in our conversation, some struggles with explaining the paperwork and any question I had for him, resulted in a complete blank stare at me, until that marble rattled around long enough in his head to give me an answer. Let’s give you guys a visual.

Imagine this cool cat, with a little more hair, in a smedium (meaning he could have used a medium but squeezed into that small anyway) light purple shirt, in a small cubicle style corner behind a glass window adorned with the smallest curtains I have ever seen. At least when I’m that giant pregnant lady waiting impatiently to be called back for my bajillionth check up, I’ll be able to get a laugh in. Sorry it’s at your expense, receptionist man. It was that bad, we don’t even know his name!

The fun part came next. Picture day! And I didn’t even have to worry that I was having a bad hair day. We took a quick drive a few blocks down to another office, where we met an even nicer doctor who would be giving me my ultrasound. We managed to get a receptionist that knew what she was doing this time, but we aren’t giving her a standing ovation considering she still spelled my name wrong. Seriously lady, you entered that paperwork seconds after I gave it to you.

This was Andy’s first experience with an ultrasound and even though it wasn’t mine, I can imagine even if we have 17 children, that first time you see your tiny human, it makes your heart skip a beat. It’s absolutely amazing to witness something so itty bitty move and see it’s little heart pitter pattering away. We were lucky enough to walk away with some great pictures and even a DVD of the whole ultrasound. Better yet, we walked out with some amazing memories of this milestone. Meet the kidney bean yourself.

We made a quick stop to the lab to have my blood drawn and it really was my lucky day, because my fantastic sister in law was working today, and I got to have a friendly chat while she poked me. With a needle. Just being clear.

After a day filled with news, it’s time to be home and enjoy all the things we love. They might not be shiny anymore, or be that exciting, but they still make each of our days something worth being around for.

There are ice sculptures. Every winter, in the city square located next to the performing arts center, large blocks of ice are brought in to be sculpted by local artists competing for a grand prize of $500. The blocks of ice, weighing a total of 160,000 lbs,  are brought down from Fairbanks, which amazingly were carved out of a local lake two years ago, and kept for this very occasion. Ten teams of two people went to work this last weekend to finally finish on Sunday and reveal to the surrounding crowds their Crystal Gallery of Ice. This will be the competition’s eighth year. We took a stroll in the afternoon light but to witness them at night is a different story. Each ice sculpture is set up with lighting so that at night each one takes on a whole new face. We hope to make it back before mid February which is usually when each one will start to melt away, leaving behind nothing but good memories and beautiful pictures. To all the local artists who came together to bring us this masterpiece, we are utterly impressed and grateful for your talent. Thank you.

Someone got the best view

We attempted to recreate a sculpture but our young model wasn’t cooperating.

This one was by far my favorite. Those spiked balls were out of this world!

We made our way through the passerby’s and gazed at all the art pieces. After the chill got to us, we packed it in and of course made a quick stop for cocoa with lots of sprinkles, which I think is a perfect way to end any day. Hope all of your weekends started out as magical as ours.

Alaska. Population : 731,449. That’s 1.26 people per square mile. The smallest density in the United States. My household makes up 4 of that count.

Now, sadly, I had to google that little tidbit. I’ve lived here almost 3 years, yet I’m not sure what our state flower is. Who the governor is. Or really, what the population of my city is. You ask yourself, what do I know?

I know that we have snow from November through April. Lots of it.

That summer almost seems never ending because it’s light, for a period of time, for 24 hours. Side note: you would think you couldn’t sleep but it’s easier than you would expect. This next picture was taken around midnight at the end of May.

 

The surrounding streams are amazing and one of my very favorite things. It’s like some of them aren’t even real because they are so blue. Most are glacier fed, so they are this beautiful clear, bright blue. I’m not sure something can be clear and bright. Whatever. Look for yourself.

Which brings me to my next point. We have glaciers! Like enormous, I’ve been around for a million years, dinosaurs possibly roamed on me, glaciers. Insert super awesome picture here. I have one, somewhere, so I’ll get back to you on that.

Next up, I’m convinced I will find a unicorn here. There is way to much mist and eeriness in some places for there not to be. Example:

Our wildlife is breathtaking. You’ll see bald eagles on your way home from the store. Witness salmon migrating up rivers. Thousands of them at a time. Moose frequent everywhere! You see a moose in your yard almost as much as you get the neighbor’s stray dog.

These are just a few of the things that seem to trump knowing information I would most likely never use. Unless of course I was on Jeopardy. But’s lets be real, I’m more in the Price is Right class. I could spin that wheel like nobody’s business. Let’s get back though. Alaska. The common misconception is that Alaska is all that you see on shows like Alaska State Troopers, The Last Frontier or Flying Wild. You want to know what’s true to life on those shows? The scenery. Those bushes really are there, and yes that road exists. It’s always painted to be so vast and remote here, and that we are all on the verge of being consumed by a polar bear. Guess what people?! It’s called reality TV and ratings.  We have malls and ritzy restaurants. Large airports and schools. A zoo. An indoor water park and nice department stores. Movie theatres and museums. You know what my favorite part of all that is? Having peace and quiet.

We can enjoy the city life and when we’ve had our fill of the hustle and bustle, we get in the car and 15 minutes later can be enjoying this. It’s a place filled with fresh air and moments that you get to sit back and enjoy your very own thoughts.

We have days, sometimes weeks where we are all homesick. When we can’t stand one more day of snow. When all we really want to do is hop in the car and drive to the river for a float trip. Be able to take a road trip to visit friends and family that doesn’t involve driving across Canada. When I stop and think though, of all the adventures we have and the beauty we encounter every day, it’s something that some people may never get to experience. All of this makes it easier to say, that for now, it can’t get much better than.

I’m sure in our time spent together there will be countless stories and pictures and never ending business to involve you in. But until then I’ll spare you an extremely LONG drawn out post about the how and why this blog came to exist. Soon enough, you’ll know our whole story, who we are and what we’re about. You’ll meet the crew over time and get to see what living in the vast arctic is all about. There will be changes to how the blog looks and feels as I get the hang of this. I mean it can’t be that complicated, or so I think.

So until those magical moments that I’m sure your all waiting on the edge of your seat to arrive, I’ll leave you with an introduction to our best cadet. She’s super cute. Super silly. Super weird. Like I sometimes wonder if toddlers are supposed to do the strange things that she comes up with. With that being said though, she is so irreplaceable, and utterly loved. You’ll be seeing a lot of her I imagine. Like tonight. Before we head to bed and return to our normal selves, we’ll eat a snack as royalty.