This is all I got so far.

We've lived in Alaska now for about 2 months.
I am delighted that we live in a lovely little home, located just down the street from church.
(The church: also known as "our home away from home".)
So many people put so much time into preparing this place for our arrival. I am ever so grateful, grateful, grateful!
Most of the moving boxes have been emptied, so that's happy thoughts. And my creative space (The Bubblegum Room that was renamed The Jailhouse Barbie Room by the fellas) is my FAVORITE spot in the house right now. It's a pink & white striped sanctuary of giddy & smiles.

 Funny enough, the Mr. hangs out in there quite a bit. He says it's because he likes to be closer to the internet connection. Apparently the couch he usually sits on, fifteen feet away in the neighboring room, presents too much of a network lag & delay. Whatevs. I'll keep his company. And besides, I like the stark contrast of hunky man against this candy coated wonderland of a room.

Due to the recent move, there are still piles everywhere. And partially unpainted walls. And a general theme of "unorganized chaos". It's a bit overwhelming, to be honest. I wonder how long I have until I have to stop blaming the mess on "the recent move". You know, like I blamed my post pregnancy body weight on the babies, until they were well into elementary school. 

Though I'm finding myself more busy than I expected, my routine thus far is pretty simple. In the morning, I look outside at the darkness, waiting anxiously for the light. And then when the sky begins to glow, I run around to all the windows & open all the blinds. It's one of my most favorite parts of the day.
That sounds so sad. But it's not. I'm not sad about it at all.
We are gaining light quickly, every day. The family & I are all very excited to experience the Alaska summers we keep hearing about. Note to self: buy blackout curtains.

In the afternoon I am usually busy with errands or odd jobs on the computer or planning/dreaming/scheming (either solo or in meetings) while procrastinating painting all the trim in the house that needs several coats of white, or the spots in each room that still need to be cut in with paint: where the walls meet the ceiling...& around windows...& around doors...& around closets...& around the baseboards. Seriously, when this house-painting thing is all done: party at my house. You're all invited.

Oh, & for evening entertainment, I'm a moose watcher now. It is so exciting! Twice in one day, two different moose showed up at my Jailhouse Barbie Room window, eating branch snacks & leaves. I was so scared & excited. I hid in the darkness of my room, hoping not to startle it. Can a moose headbutt a window? Because if that were to happen to anyone, it would happen to me. And I need to be prepared.
My moose-watching station at the front window quickly became obsolete as, on the second night of Operation: Here Moosey Moosey, the blinds ripped from the wall & came crashing down. Oops. So now a sheet is tacked in place where the blinds once were & it has been strongly suggested I steer clear from touching any manually operated window coverings. Or windows in general. Or just that side of the house.
#livingtheklutzlife
BONUS: On the same day I spied the two moose, I also witnessed a tiny bit of the Northern Lights for the first time. It was a cloudy night + I didn't even have a great vantage point, but still, the sky did some amazing things. It was breathtaking. I saw a glowing peach cloud softly & gently explode. The color was so faint. Yet I still couldn't believe my eyes. It was like an ebb & flow of pastel. At one point I saw a streak of bright light fall down toward earth. I thought, "Jesus is coming!" Either that, or aliens! Nature magic is so bizarre & fantastic. I can't wait to someday see the Aurora Borealis for reals. Like, brilliant with color & all radiant with light. There are even websites that predict when the Northern Lights might appear, within an hour or two.

My nighttime bedtime habits are a little quirky, & consist of any combination of the following: tucking my pajama pants into my socks (because, cold shins), the warming up of the microwavable heat pack (best gift ever to give the girl that's always cold), sleeping with a small portable heater aimed in my direction (again, heat + cold girl = friends forever), &/or stacking many, many, many blankets high atop me.

FACT: I make the best bed nest EVER.

I was going to brag about how, since living here in Alaska, I haven't fallen at all in the snow yet. But then I went cross-country skiing for the first time last week. That's a whole 'nother story I'm saving for the next blog post.

One thing I have discovered in my short while as an Alaskan resident is that I am convinced wherever I am, there is help around the corner. Without a doubt. I mean, I have heard the stories of these superheroes of The Last Frontier. But I hadn't experienced it for myself. Until the Mr. & I were on our way to a CrossFit workout at the church one night, & our minivan got trapped in the snow, just several feet from the house. Five trucks + six gentlemen arrived on the scene at different times to help us within the 55 minutes we were stuck out there.
It was dark. It was snowing. It was cold.
Help from friends, help from strangers, it doesn't matter. That's how they do in Alaska.

(Pazely, who was supposed to be hopping into bed at the late hour this incident happened, decided to take advantage of the occasion as her parents were otherwise preoccupied. She threw some snow clothes on over her pajamas for a quick play in the snow. The powder was up to her knees!)
It was a beautiful night.

My lack of content these past several weeks on the blog is because I have been waiting for something exciting to write about. I've been anticipating some yet-to-be-accomplished grand adventure that I could describe in detail. I've put a pause on blog composition, in case anything, ANYTHING thrilling might happen, just so I'd have something interesting to share with you.

But the little things are the big things to me. They always have been. They always will be.
My life these days is filled with winter boots at the front entryway & winter storm warnings. Cold bed sheets. Snowman-building. Making pets of wild bunnies. Warm socks, 24/7. Stumbling through the sometimes awkward world of creating new friendships. Happily sacrificing my yard as a thoroughfare for moose crossing. Learning to dream big. Snowy walks on snowy beaches. Discovering new places to retreat & pray. Finding inspiration in the frozen details of my new landscape. Glimpses of the mountains as we go into town. Living life together with a new church family. Wondering how long the icicles on my house are gonna get. Learning to drive in snow.

This is all I got so far.
And I love it.