AK to VA Trip 2013

Since we haven't had wi-fi or time to sit and use the wi-fi on our trip, I haven't been able to update you all on our progress!  However, I have been writing every day, so please enjoy this "data dump" (if you will) of our trip over the past few days.

Melting

Isn’t it strange how things melt? They get to a certain temperature and suddenly can’t take it anymore and their entire composition changes.  Have you ever seen butter melt on a pile of mashed potatoes? Or ironed Crayola crayon shavings into some useless decoration before? The colors mesh with each other, becoming one.

Life can melt, too.  Today, my life is melting from one solid into the next.  Today, my life will change composition, never to look the same again.  Today, I become different.  We will be different.  My husband Jordan and I, that is.

Today we said goodbye to our dear friends, a town we love, mountains that will always put us in awe, traffic that we fondly hated, restaurants we blew a lot of money at, trails we conquered, a church we adored, record breaking sunny days… one after another after another…the land of the midnight sun and Moose’s Tooth pizza, a place we grew to love each other even more than we thought possible, and most importantly, a place where we experienced faith that could move mountains…

My heart went from solid to liquid today as I hugged my last hug and cried more tears than I knew were in me. 

I’ve been planning and looking forward to writing blog entries for this trip for months now.  I love documenting my life in writing.  Recently, I traveled back to my parents in MA and discovered journals I’ve kept dating back to first grade (1992!). I seriously have every year of my life documented from age 6. 

We now embark on a five-week road trip, A-Liner in tow, cute puppy panting in the back, and all the snack food we could desire.  We have roughly 15 states, two countries, 5 national parks, and 7000+ miles of time to melt one life in Alaska into a new life in Virginia, where I am most certain we will literally melt.

I hope you all enjoy taking this journey with us.  We know many of you are praying for us and we are so incredibly grateful and humbled. Thank you!

Moving day! We got 8,000 lbs of stuff into 16 ft of trailer. The guys were super heroes that day figuring out how to make everything fit efficiently!

Saying goodbye to Mindy and her boys... her and Mike have been the best neighbors ever!

Me and JuJu. May the laughs keep on comin' dear friend!

Day 2: Tok, AK to Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada

Today’s drive has been very rough.  I’m thankful for the sunny skies so we can see scenery we didn’t have a chance to see last time.  I think it rained our entire way through Canada two years ago. But I do not remember the roads to be this bumpy.  Maybe it’s because we are also towing a camper now and traveling with the Whitney family who is towing their camper. It took us a painful 4 hours to drive 120 miles today.

Our stay in Tok was brief as we hit the road again to continue our journey.  We stopped at the Alaska state sign to take pictures. It was nice having someone else with us to take our family picture!  Thankfully we won’t have as many “selfies” this trip.  Layla has been great… riding in the back like it’s her home.  She has her bed back there, and just curls right up and enjoys the ride.

No wildlife yet on the roads today.  I texted my mother-in-law, Helen, this morning to ask for prayer in that area.  Moose crossing the road is a scary reality and one we don’t want to encounter!  Thank you if you took the time to pray for that specific request today!

I still feel like I’m on a vacation and it hasn’t sunk in yet that I’m not returning to Alaska at the end of this trip.  I think I’ve read each card given to me before we left about three times.  The thought of not seeing my sweet friends breaks my heart.  May this road be one of healing as we prepare to open our hearts to new relationships in Virginia.

Later on…

It’s been 9 hours and time to stop for dinner.  Sandra and I got to work in her camper while Clint wasted no time pulling out his fly-fishing rod and Layla ran the kids ragged chasing after them.  Jordan took pictures of it allJ Sandra heated up her sloppy-Joe meat and I fried up some pork chops in the skillet with some broccoli-cheese rice on the side and apple sauce for dipping, just the way my mama taught me!  We enjoyed our dinner with the beautiful Kluane Lake as our backdrop.  Then we quickly washed up and got back on the road to finish our trek to Whitehorse.

One of the most fun parts about the trip so far has been our walkie-talkie communication between our two vehicles.  Today, Jordan decided to play a game with everyone.  We all had to guess what time we’d arrive in Whitehorse, including the kids.  The winner was the one with the closest time without going over.  Sandra, Clint, and Noah were out pretty fast with their optimistic hopes of a pre-10 o’clock arrival.  Jenna was the proud winner with a time of 10:30 p.m. and she will be awarded with the last slice of Jordan’s birthday chocolate cake his boss gave him before he left Anchorage!  Since we arrived so late tonight, she’ll get to enjoy it tomorrow… after she “kisses it and kisses it”, as she so eloquently stated. I hear ya kid.  Chocolate cake on the Alaska Highway is like gold!

Nothing much to report except that it’s late and time to shut ‘er down so we can get some shut-eye!

Noah and Layla chasing stretching their legs at Kluane Lake.


There's more to come, but we gotta get going on the road, so I'll post more the next time we have wi-fi! 

Faith inside a fish.

I started this blog two years ago as a way to keep people informed of our whereabouts and experiences traveling up to Alaska. I just realized the last time I posted was over a year ago. Clearly, Alaska is just too fun of a place to be wasting time sitting at a computer writing blog entries.

I thought about titling this entry "Where to even begin?", but that's so ironic, as really this entry is about an ending, not a beginning.  We've been in Alaska just one week shy of two years today. In three weeks we'll be hitting the bumpy roads to travel out of here and be on our way again to a new place, a new home, a new city, a new church, new friends, new favorite restaurants, new. everything.

I remember writing an entry before we left NE about how sad I was that our wonderful friends in Omaha were going to become just more people we wrote Christmas letters to. I just couldn't fathom leaving them all behind, while we moved on to make new friends. I pretty much cried all the way to Seattle on that road trip. It was devastating.

And now?  Really? Again, Lord?  Really, US government? REALLY?!? We have to move again?  For the third. time. in. four. years???!!! That list of "Christmas card" friends has grown immensely since we've been here, and stamps are getting expensive!

I don't even want to think about not being able to meet my friends for coffee in the sunshine, or take my pick of which mountain I'd like to hike this weekend. It's unimaginable to me to think that I'm not going to wake up to beautiful, majestic mountains that still steal my breath away every day I look at them.  It's inexcusable that I would have to leave our sweet, homey little church with genuine friends, and amazing students who have blessed me more than they could know. I don't want to go back to dark nights in the summer.  I don't want to give up cross-country skiing in the winter. I love the variety of salmon, halibut, moose, and caribou that have graced my freezer all year.  And I mean, come on... I just  bought a Skhoop skirt last winter.  What the heck am I going to do with a snow skirt in Virginia?

Oh believe me, there is plenty to gripe about.  I'll spare you the rest.

And then the Lord speaks to me and reminds me what a weenie I'm being and what a big God He is.

Remember Jonah from the Bible? He's the guy most famous for being swallowed up by a big fish. Some might remember it as a whale.  Well, Jonah has been on my heart the past few days. So I opened up his story and read.

Jonah was a guy who God told to go to Nineveh to announce to the people God's judgment against their wickedness.  Jonah immediately turns and runs the opposite direction of where God told him to go, thinking he can escape this task given to him. Along his journey, he ends up on a boat with some other men, there is a huge storm, and the men decide to throw Jonah overboard because they blamed his God for the storm.  As soon as Jonah is thrown off the boat, the waters calm and the men become believers.  And Jonah is swallowed by a fish.

Ok, I've had my fair share of fish being up here. Growing up, I didn't eat a lot of fish, mostly because my dad didn't like it, so Mom never cooked it.  I also had this aversion to fish because it usually reeked the house up for days after cooking it. But in Alaska, the fish is so fresh (once I ate salmon literally caught in the creek by my house), that it is unmatched by any fishstick or McFilet you'd have elsewhere.  It doesn't smell. It just melts in your mouth.

Depending on how you've grown up around fish, you may be thinking at this point in Jonah's story, "Ew, he's swallowed by a fish."  But really, God saved Jonah's life with that fish.  He gave Jonah time to think about his loyalty to the Lord, of which Jonah eventually did travel to Nineveh to deliver God's message and save those people.

I am Jonah.  God has called me to another place and I just don't want to go. Every ounce of my being wants to stay here, right where I'm comfortable and pretend like God didn't say "go" at all. But I know that if I obediently, willingly go where God is sending me, there will be great blessings and plans for me that are higher and wiser and more exciting than any plans I could possibly come up with for myself.

Right now I'd say I'm sitting in that fish's mouth, contemplating which it's gonna be. Run away or walk forward.  Truthfully, I know that no matter what I choose in my heart, my physical body, husband, and everything I own is moving to Virginia. But my heart can choose where it will go or stay without those things. And if I choose wrong, I might miss out on an incredible experience that could bless many people and save lives.

I think it's time to step out of the fish.

"As my life was slipping away,
I remembered the Lord.
And my earnest prayer went out to you
in your holy Temple...

I will offer sacrifices to you with songs of praise,
and I will fulfill all my vows.
For my salvation comes from the Lord alone." -Jonah's prayer while in the mouth of the fish, Jonah 2:7,9

Angry Doors.

No, it's not a typo. I didn't really mean to type "Angry Birds", although I appreciate you all putting the game down for five minutes to read this blog. Just a few thoughts I had as I woke up this morning...

Isn't it funny that the door used to let people into your home is also the same door used to keep people out?

We use doors for privacy in our homes.

We use them to keep the cold out in the winter and open them for cool air in the summer.

We slam them when we're angry.

We open them slowly so as not to wake the sleeping baby but just check on them.

We shut them at night to keep the light out of our bedrooms (well at least in Alaska). 

We lock them at night and when we're away.

We even teach our dogs how to shut them so we don't have to get back off the couch. 

We tell knock-knock jokes with them... (maybe this is a far stretch...)

Well, what does the Bible say about doors? I recently attended a Bible study that talked about the story of Cain and Abel in Genesis 4. Cain offered part of his harvest to God but God refused it. Abel offered his fattest, firstborn lambs and God was pleased. Cain was obviously hurt and God gives him this warning: "You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master." (Gen. 4:7) 

Quite a scary thought isn't it? That sin is crouching outside my door right now, just waiting for me to let it in and destroy my life? It's like a pesky neighbor that won't go away or the neighborhood cat that you fed once and now thinks you are its master.  Just waiting. Waiting. 

This lesson came at an opportune time, as when I'm angry, I like to think slamming doors will make me feel better (it doesn't). And I realize that in my anger, at that doorstep, ready to slam, I am inviting sin right into my home.  As I walk away in haste, with unresolved issues, I leave the house open for Satan to enter. 

So how can I protect my home from this crouching sin? Ephesians 4:26-27 warns us, "Don't sin by letting anger control you. Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil." Anger is the open invitation to your heart, your marriage, your friendships, your relationships at work, in your church, in your casual run-ins at the super market... an open invitation for sin to creep in and take over that relationship like a cancer. And it can happen suddenly and spread quickly without you even realizing it. Settle your differences, square things up with those you've wronged or have wronged you, create harmony in that broken relationship... heck, I'll even be so bold as to tell you to apologize and forgive. I'm not saying it's easy, but clearly we are warned of the consequences if we don't.

And so, with that said, I think I'm done slamming doors for awhile. 

Run-ons.

Ever had someone ask you where you're from? Usually the response is quick and easy like, "Toledo, OH" or "a small town in Vermont."  However, I am quickly learning (although maybe not so quick as it has been three years now) that once you become a military wife, your sentences get longer and longer.

I've learned that being asked that question by Native Alaskans holds a little more weight than when asked by others. For them, where you are from describes what heritage and culture you come from, who your family is, and how you were brought up. It is not just a location on a map, but a definition of your very self. It is living up here that has really made me reflect on my answer to their question, and I always feel guilty when I am not able to give them a definitive answer like, "Hooper Bay" or "Unalakleet." Because then they would just nod and understand the unspoken. But I am not from a village in Alaska, and I have lived many places in my short, young life.

I had this revelation today, as I pictured my life over the next 20 years and thought to myself, "Wow, at 26 it's already a long-winded story of where I'm from and have lived, so what is it going to be like when I'm 46?"  I feel bad for people who ask me that simple introductory get-to-know-you question.  "Uh, well, do you mean where am I from right now, or like where I'm originally from, or do you mean where did I go to college, or do you mean where is my husband from, or do you mean where have I lived over the past 10 years?" You see my dilemma... it's not an easy question for me, nor is it for any military family that has traveled from Timbuktu and back.

We have only been enlisted for three years (this weekend is Jordan's anniversary actually). But already we've lived in three different places, and we know we are being moved to location number four next summer. If this live-in-one-place-for-less-than-two-years pattern continues, I've calculated over 10 homes we will have settled into and moved from by the time we're 42, add a few if Jordan stays in a little longer than 20 years.

I realize most of you who are reading this already know "where I'm from", so you would have no need to ask me this question, but I publicly warn any poor polite person who doesn't know what they're getting into that this simple question is never going to have a simple answer. You might get something like this:

I'm from a small town in MA called Southwick no not from Boston at all yes I realize I don't have the accent because Southwick is in western MA if you look on a close map of MA you'll see a little jog that dips into CT that's Southwick just north of Hartford but I went to college in Keene, NH where I met my husband who is from CT we lived there after college for a year before we got stationed in Omaha, NE where we lived for two years and then moved to Anchorage, AK which we thought we'd be in for six years but the military loves to surprise us so we're being moved next summer after only two years here yeah it's a bummer because we really love it here but yes this is the life we signed up for thanks for pointing that out to me hopefully we'll be moved to VA or CO or CA but we won't know for sure for another six months and yes we kinda get to choose but again, the military owns us so thanks again for pointing out that I have no control over my whereabouts. (Breath)

So if you're thinking of asking me or anyone else this simple question, don't say you haven't been warned.

Sugar cookies and apple pie...

During my trip back east, I spent an entire week with two of my favorite people in the world, Gram and Grampa.  I feel so blessed to have gotten to spend so much time with them, all to myself. It was a week I never want to forget, and what better way to document in 2011 than through a blog posting:)

My childhood memories are packed with visits to Gram and Grampa's house.  We used to spend every Columbus Day weekend there, even through a couple college years.  I remember when I got my first car and my first "road trip" was to drive the 50 miles north to Grange Hall Rd and pay them a visit.  The sound of their gravel driveway beneath the tires of the car was met with shear excitement as I knew they'd be waiting for us on their porch to greet us. I was always given a great big hug and kiss by both of them as we rejoiced at seeing each other again. 

Sadly, most of my visits over the past few years have been very brief.  A Christmas afternoon here, a Summer House lunch there, as Jordan and I have lived so far away.  I have always struggled with the distance because I remember promising Gram as a little girl that I would take care of them when I was older. So this time, I decided to do something I've wanted to do for a long time.  Take seven whole days and soak up every bit of them I could. 

Gram and I enjoyed "reliving" all of our favorite things to do together when I was a kid. We made the famous and umatched raspberry jam-filled sugar cookies, an apple pie (Gram makes the crust while Gramps peels the apples), and ate at our favorite diner for breakfast every morning. Grilled bagels with cream cheese and a half order of home fries never tasted so good!  Before breakfast, I'd find Grampa sitting at his kitchen table reading the newspaper.  He likes to separate the sections and line them up neatly on the table when he's done reading them.  He quickly caught on that the only "news" I cared about is the jumble word and crossword puzzles, so he'd have them out and waiting for me before I came downstairs.  Every night we'd sit and watch "Pawn Stars" or "60 Minutes". But let me not forget the most important time of day... Happy Hour :) About 3:30 every afternoon, Gram and Grampa make it a point to stop whatever they are doing, make a drink, and sit on their porch for awhile to relax.  Now this is truly what we all need in our lives! Relax I did, and reminisced with two amazing people.

Gram told me all about her family and for the millionth time, I poured over her photo albums and asked questions. She even shared with me her diary from when she was in high school. She shared with me her poetry, her deepest thoughts and desires. I am so thankful for that special time we spent together in her bedroom, swapping secrets like we were two high school girls at a sleep over. 

Just a couple of things I simply adore about them that I want to record so I will never forget:

When Gram is getting ready to go to bed, she always says she has to "Go brush her tooth". Love it. 

When we went out for breakfast every morning, Grampa always paid.  But he always pulled out a new $50 bill! One morning I asked him where he gets all his fifties and he says "Oh, I just go down to my cellar and make some every morning before you get up". He was so matter-of-fact I think I might believe  him:) Haha. 

One afternoon Grampa said he saw a hawk and he thinks that's what is keeping the birds away from their feeders.  The next day Gram asked Grampa where he saw the hawk and Grampa dryly reports "Up in the sky, Glory". HAHAHA. No need to dress things up for Grampa; he likes things as simple as they get. 

Lastly, I truly love how everything in their household is "Grampified". He must customized everything to fit his needs.  And yes, by everything I even mean putting glue on the back clasp of his base ball cap to keep it from falling apart.  So cute.

Gram and Grampa are definitely creatures of habit and hard work.  They put away their pennies to buy what they needed.  Grampa built their house with his own two hands, and Gram filled it with love.  They have been there for me my entire life.  They've come to concerts, field hockey games, graduations, recitals, and weddings. They've supported me when I've made tough decisions, and they've loved me for who I am.  I am so incredibly blessed to know them, have them in my life, and call them my grandparents.  In fact, Gram and I both agreed that there should only be granddaughters and grandmothers in the world... to spoil each other, laugh with each other, and make memories together.

Gotta go... I just made a batch of sugar cookies:) 

My sister Julie and I making Gram's sugar cookies on her counter (she was 4, I was 2) 

Same great counter, same great Gram!

At Kelly's Diner eating my favorite breakfast with my favorite people.

$1.10

Last week I took a walk with my mother-in-law, Helen, on a beach in Rhode Island. This beach is her favorite spot to take us when we come home, and she's made a point to bring all three of us (Jordan, his brother Chris, and me) to this place this year.

Helen and I talked a lot on this beach, as well as took over 400 pictures. I should mention she loves to capture all of us on film, too :) She asked me about everything: our new life in Alaska, new friends, new job, and grad school.  I shared with her how peaceful I feel about living up here and how much God has blessed Jordan and I since we moved. Although it has been such an emotional year, looking back, I definitely see God's provision through and through. I shared about how much my trust in God has grown this year as I've left a job, moved across the country, and started a new job that doesn't pay until I fundraise.  In every aspect, God has placed me in situations where I am left with no choice but to trust Him with the next step.

As we were walking back, I started opening up about how sometimes I feel pressure from outside sources to get a teaching job, to earn a retirement, to start "thinking about the future".  I feel inward pressure that I'm not doing the right thing because I am not earning any money, and yet I want to go to grad school debt and loan free. I sometimes feel guilt in my gut that I am not contributing to our marriage financially, and I should be. I'm sure some of you have had these feelings before, as they are valid to the world we live in today.

But if I am truly going to claim I am a Christian and minister to people, I need to ignore all doubt and guilt in my life. They are not from God, they are from Satan. Point blank. So as we're walking I share with her how I am just trusting that God is going to provide for my future.  That He is leading me to places that are good and fruitful, not harmful.  He is opening my doors, as I ask Him to, and He walks beside me as I go through them. I have no reason to doubt that fundraising support will come in, that people are praying about CYAK right now and deciding whether or not they want to give, that tuition is going to be taken care of, and some day, so will my retirement. I just have. to. trust.

And then Helen and I look down in the sand... and there is a quarter.  Not a shiny quarter. A quarter that has clearly been soaking in the salty ocean and washed ashore. I pick it up, thinking, "huh, that's unusual" but not really anything more. Until about 20 feet later we find another quarter.... and then a dime. "What is going on?!" we say to each other.  Helen grabs my arm and tells me we have to stop and pray right now.  That God is showing us something and we need to pray for God to open our eyes and hearts to whatever it is He has in store for us.  She prayed for prosperity, that God would bless us, that we would be faithful and trust. After she finished praying we continued our walk and found two more quarters.

Friends, let me be so bold as to say that I do believe God was with us on that beach last Monday and He was listening to our hearts and showing us how much He loves us.  I know that $1.10 we found that day will multiply beyond imagination in my lifetime.  And I am so joyful that He is walking beside me today, tomorrow, and every day. And He can walk beside you, too. You just have to invite Him.

Yes, I realize this is only $.60. Helen kept the other two quarters.  

Helen and I on the beach

Let's catch up, shall we?

Before reading, I suggest you grab a coffee, sit in a comfy spot, and prepare to be informed! Haha, just kidding. I just feel like I have so much to write about today that it might come out in one big long paragraph. Forgive me ahead of time for that!

Where to start? I guess I'll begin with my job. Over the past couple weeks things have really picked up with CYAK. I have been taking a couple students out for coffee/frozen yogurt and it's been SO great to get back into the swing of things. I love meeting students and getting to know them. I also got to teach my first lesson at youth group a couple weeks ago and was just really encouraged and affirmed that teaching is what I'm good at! I've always known I love to teach, but it's taken me a little bit to figure out what I love to teach. I can't tell you enough how awesome this job is for me.

Speaking of my job, I got to go to the young-adult retreat last weekend in Big Lake with a bunch of college students that go to our Arigaa ministry program on Thursday nights. We had a blast and the camp was just SOOOOO gorgeous that I took tons of pictures! I loved hanging out with my co-staffers and canoeing around the lake! 

Jordan came back from Japan in early September and I LOVE having him home. It just feels right. He also gives me someone to cook for, so I have been doing a lot of that in the past few weeks, too! I've made salmon, chicken tortilla soup, six loaves of oatmeal bread, spinach sausage meatballs with spaghetti squash, a carrot cake, and a blueberry pie (made from my berries I picked in the tundra!). Anyone want to eat at the Kimbles' this week? Haha. I love cooking, and am always thinking of my father-in-law, Tom, while I'm in the kitchen and wondering... "would Tom approve?" Or, "What would he do to this salmon right now?" Needlesstosay, I'm thoroughly enjoying the "Alaskan" way of cooking up here, which is basically to live off the land, forage for yourselves, and be thrifty and homemade. I encourage you all to try it!

Jordan and I got to explore Anchorage and its surrounding a bit this month, too. We took a couple bike rides on the coastal trail, and we've also been running a ton lately. Anchorage has this really cool fall race line up on Tuesday nights, so we've been a couple times to that to run a 5.3K and a 6K. I'm really enjoying feeling in shape and challenging myself to run harder, run faster, just run.  We also hiked a really popular trail in Anchorage called Flat Top where you can see a 360 view of the city. The first time we took our friends with us that had small children, so we didn't get all the way to the top, but Jordan took Layla up last week by himself and said it was beautiful!

I am currently back on the east coast now for a couple weeks visiting family and doing a little fundraising for my job. I flew into Virginia last night to spend the weekend at my sister's with her little boy and husband. Our parents drove down, too, so I'll drive north with them on Monday. I'm so excited to see my family and friends... living so far away makes it hard to visit, but well worth the trip!

Enjoy the pics!

Biking the coastal trail!

After and before Jordan reupholstered our new dining room chairs!

Hangin out with Edna at youth group:)

Newly painted wall and new dining table! Woot woot!

Looking up a verse at the retreat last weekend.

Shakin things up with the girls at the playground on the retreat! So fun!

Jord and Layla on their hike!

Julie and I at the retreat- she works with me for CYAK and the church in Anchorage.

Ah, so beautiful. Heart Alaska.

What I like to call "a lucky shot".