Fall in Fairbanks

Wendi came and visited The Last Frontier. We went to the local state fair, but beforehand had to buy boots that will keep our feet warm and dry. At the state fair we saw a 6 pound bunny (the ball of fur picture). The weekend Wendi was here there was nothing but rain, rain, and rain! The next weekend was absolutely breathtaking. Will and I took advantage and went on a hike. I borrowed my boss’s walking sticks to see if it would help me get to the top easier, but quickly realized it was more of a breathing problem. Will kept coaching me with breathing techniques that made me realize that there will be no need for Lamaze class in the future (NO I AM NOT PREGNANT!). I also included pictures of the changing of colors. Fall apparently comes and goes, so I wanted to capture it before the opportunity disappeared. One of my favorite pictures is Will taking Mattie potty and she proved to be as stubborn as me and still wouldn’t go. Ha. I still haven’t taken any house ‘after’ pictures…maybe soon?

August Catch-up!

Over the past several weeks, we have done a variety of things. We went to the Golden Days festival, hiking, and helping our new family members’ transition to their new home. During the Golden Days festival there was the longest mustache contest. George, the winner, actually won 2nd place in the world last year in London. There was also a Rubber Ducky race. Neither one of our duckies won. However, it was entertaining to watch. The following day was a race involving homemade rafts. The primary material needed to be duck tape. Will and I took notes because next summer we will be competing with our friends, Marisa and Joe.
I also wanted to include a picture of a raspberry because they grow all around our property. We haven’t tried one yet because we weren’t sure if they were poisonous or not…maybe next year.
Our new family members, Oscar and Mattie, have come to live with us. They are amazing and we couldn’t be any happier. Will and I drove 40 miles to go to Angel Rock. On the way there, I saw my FIRST MOOSE! A very exciting moment! We took Oscar and Mattie with us hiking last weekend and they held their own. They walked the entire two hours without giving up. On the hike I noticed fall colored leaves. I have no idea if we are in fall, but I took a picture of it.
Something Will and I really hate about Fairbanks is the smoke that comes in from nearby forest fires and it stays. It blocks the sky, it smells, and it’s difficult to drive in. People walk around in surgical masks because it’s so bad. The picture is down our street of the smoke, not fog, thick stagnant smoke.
Finally, FINALLY, I got a job. It is with Fairbanks school district and my title is the Secondary Curriculum Coordinator. Funny thing, I have no secondary teaching experience. But, they keep telling me that I do not need to know content, just how to facilitate. I just finished my fourth day and I’m completely overwhelmed, but am hoping that each and every day I learn the procedures and routines and allow myself time to get down to business. One of the downfalls about this position is that I no longer follow a teacher schedule. I work 12 months and get two days off for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Spring Break. I am thankful for really nice and patient people in my office. Also, Will is slowly but surely getting cases. He’s working on four cases right now and loves it. I’m hoping to go see him in action when he goes to trial.
Next blog I will be including “after” pictures of our house. Wendi will be visiting us next Thursday-Sunday and I will need to clean for her arrival.
Until next time!

July Fun

On July 4th, we went kayaking down the Chena River. It was a beautiful two hour trip. Today Will wanted to go skeet shooting. It was quite an adventure. We both had 50 rounds each. Will was a natural and giving credit to his Boy Scout training. Me? I was able to shoot 2. Yup, I had three men (including Will) giving me great support. At least I had a nice, "sweep." We are almost through with unpacking. People we meet keep encouraging us to enjoy the weather before the cold begins anywhere from the end of August through the middle of September. We'll get the final 6 boxes unpacked one of these days...

Moving in Fun!

We got the great news last

Wednesday that our household goods would be arriving Thursday. We were so excited that we were not only getting out of hotel, but into our own bed! When the items arrived it was a bitter sweet moment. Item after item was broken. Some of our broken things are: both TV stands, dining room chair, bookshelf, dresser, etc. Even though they are just things, I think we are somewhat frustrated with having to go through the ordeal of claiming these items and getting them fixed or replaced. We are still in great spirits though! Will and I are getting used to rural living. I freaked out because I thought I saw a lizard on the floor, it was only tape. These are our top 3 favorite stories so far.

Washer/Dryer:
Will hooked up the washer and dryer out in the garage commenting how easy it was. After he was done I had him come inside for a much needed break. After awhile, we started hearing sounds. Not sure if it was the sounds of the house, dishwasher, or washing machine, Will went to the garage to further inspect. Next thing I heard was Will screaming, “It’s FLOODING! It’s FLOODING!” I scrambled to put on my tennis shoes went out to join Will and half of the garage was flooded with water. Will is running around repeating, “It’s FLOODING!” I grab a broom and start repeating to him, “TURN IT OFF…TURN IT OFF!” While Will was turning off the water and inspecting, I’m sweeping water out of the garage. He then commented that he would never forget to hook up the drainage tube. I asked him if he had ever hooked up a washer and dryer and he replied, “Nope, but your dad showed me and it looked pretty easy.” Side note, as we were cleaning the garage we heard the baying of a wolf in the distance. I gave Will ‘The Look.’

Pickles anyone?:
Will and I are truly experiencing the lack of storage in our new home. We decided that we would take a break at 7:30 pm and go get some storage items and dinner. By 8:45 we were starving in the grocery line. Will and I went into the “Family Friendly” line and were stuck in line behind someone “less fortunate” and not paying with cash…. Of course, we have no problem with people with WIC services, but we were frustrated with the amount of coupons and conversations she was striking up with the cashier. Finally, by 8:50 we were out of there heading home and yes, starving! We came inside, Will decided to start arranging shelves in the fridge BEFORE we ate and a fridge shelf dropped and the pickles fell down on our carpet. Thank goodness, it only opened, the juice poured out, yet the pickles remained. I’m hungry, grumpy, and now frustrated. Will grabs a paper towel and starts wiping off the dill seeds off the carpet onto the kitchen floor. I am looking at Will like he is crazy, I grab the carpet, and Will and I take it out on the porch. I take this 5 x 7 rug and shake it out. So now pickle juice is not only streaming down the window (look closely at the window picture), but a nice bit of vinegar gets into my eyes! Will is trying to get me inside to wash them out, I cannot even open my eyes to figure out where to go, and again, we still haven’t eaten. Around 9:15 p.m. we finally ate and eventually got the rug cleaned and put back into the kitchen. Another side note: Will said the pickles were just fine and returned the liquid-less pickles back into the fridge.

Will the Tool Guy:
Will has now decided he is an experienced handy man. He put in another wire shelf into our closet above the other one. After realizing he measured wrong and needed it cut a little shorter he also decided that he needed a tool belt! Man, Will loves his tool belt. He successfully installed the shelf (second time’s a charm). We unpacked all of our clothes and made the closet our space. This morning, I went to open the closet and had a little bit of a struggle. I turned on the light and low and behold…a bent shelf. Luckily, it is NOT the one Will installed. So the good news is that Will and I will be looking for an armoire today.