So we are still here in Alaska, they haven't scared us off yet:) We are beginning to settle in and are getting to know the Anchorage area better. Our moving truck finally arrived! Wahoo!!!! And I am very grateful because it arrived just before Travis left for work, so he could help do all the heavy lifting while I stood and watched on:) Travis went up to the north slope for a week and I was able to get a good amount of unpacking done. We are so happy to have some things in our kitchen, and I am sure Travis is happy to have me finally cooking real meals again. (I don't think I have cooked a "real meal" since I started getting sick in my pregnancy, haha that was in March...about 5 months...)ya it's about time to start cooking again, spagehetti and salad never tasted so delicious:) I have felt a lot more homemakerish since we have gotten our kitchen supplies. I made homemade bread and salsa in our blendtec, and I made some homemade dressing. Those are big accomplishments for me:)
Me being a fatty and eating Burger King with a view of all our stuff:)
Trav got a mortar and pestle for his bday. And he really did want one of these, I didn't just get it for myself:)
We made borscht!!
So we feel slightly out of place because there are a lot of real Alaskans up here. They fish all the time, gut, pack and freeze their own halibut and salmon. And they kill their own meat and moose and have enough to last their family for a year. We haven't jumped on the band wagon yet. But I'm sure by the time we have lived here long enough to get fishing and hunting liscenses, we will be doing just the same:) But first we will have to invest in some fishing poles and hunting gear:) It is nice to enjoy the spoils of others fishing and hunting around here though. Everything tastes so fresh. We have heard that the gardening up here is a little harder. Leafy greens and potatoes and carrots supposedly grow well. My favorites, tomatoes and cucumbers, don't grow well at all, and they are quite pricey in the grocery stores, oh well :(
We absolutely love our ward up here! Everyone has been so kind and welcoming. People keep saying our ward is the best one in town:) So I guess we got really lucky and picked the right place to live. I had an opportunity to meet some great ladies in the ward at the annual Sister Splash. We carpooled up to a members lake house about an hour away in Wasilla, and enjoyed a nice, warm sunny day on the water. Well, I myself didn't do any of the tubing or riding of waverunners, but I had fun eating the good grub and talking with the ladies:) Travis also had an opportunity to help out the Elders with a lesson, so that was cool. We will have the missionaries over soon for dinner, so that is kind of fun. Not something that happened too often in Utah.
The weather up here has been beautiful and sunny and warm lately. So grateful its not reaching 100 degrees here without AC, but its been getting in the upper 70's and lower 80's this summer, and in our house that gets pretty toasty. Hence I go through lots and lots of otter pops:)
This is Travis and a view of the mountains south of Anchorage.
We love our home and its location. Just behind our condo is a trail and lake. Supposedly the trail is super long, so we haven't walked close to all of it yet, but it's a nice little area back there to walk (as long as you have bug spray and be careful) Getting eaten alive by misquitoes here is not uncommon, and you often may run into a wild bear or moose on the trail. Alot of people that go walking by themselves on the trails carry not only pepper spray with them, but bear spray too:)
Speaking of wild animals. We had our first sighting the other day! I was cooking in the kitchen and heard some noise outside our window. I went to go check it out, and there was a moose, just chillen right outside our window! It was pretty cool. She was just eating the leaves from the little tree right there(like she couldn't find enough leaves in the forest she came from behind our home, haha) But it was so cool I took lots of pictures! You don't see that very often. I could have actually stepped outside onto our deck and probably almost touched the creature, but I didn't for 2 big reasons: One, you don't wanna mess with a moose. If you get too close or make them mad they will trample you like a little ant. And two, even if I wanted to be stupid and brave getting closer to her, I couldn't because the door to our deck was blocked by moving boxes:)
Baby update!! I had my first appt with my new doc. He seems great and like he will take good care of me. I am now just over 25 weeks along. Little Baby J is kicking a lot more. Well, he doesn't kick like a ton, I think he is pretty calm, but I will feel him every once in a while throughout the day, and he gets most excited at night time. Last night while watching a movie from redbox Baby J was making some pretty hard kicks and punches, and Travis was able to feel the baby really good for the first time:) It was pretty exciting! Things are going well, I'm just feeling bigger. And I guess I walk with somewhat of waddle now, and I walk very very slow for some reason. I am sure Travis gets impatient having to walk so slow to stay with me, haha. But ya, things are good! We go in for our second ultrasound next week to check on the status of fluid in the babies kidneys. We are excited to see how the little guy is doing and see how much he has grown:)
This pic is my baby bump at almost 25 weeks:)
Travis continues to enjoy his job. For now he is doing 1 week rotations (1 week on the slope and 1 week at home). We think it may be that way for a little while, at least until the baby is born in November. But we shall see! He is working hard and learning lots while there. The long days can make him pretty tired, but he makes up for it on the week he is at home:) We could probably sleep in even more if the sun wouldn't keep us up:)
One of the main places Travis works at on the north slope.
We know you all want to come visit us up here! Just know that there is always an open invitation:)
With love from Alaska,
The Jones
