Today my hubby and four older children are headed to camp for a week. Our children have attended this camp for the past several years. Our travel schedule worked out perfectly for us to stop for two weeks back in our beloved Washington state so they could attend. I am staying in town with the four younger children and we will find plenty of fun things to do! We all miss living here! These next two weeks is something we have all longed for during the past year!

Labels: Alaska, journal

Thank you! Thank you! To my readers!!! I am so encouraged to check in here and see all of your comments! It is difficult being gone from my blog and not checking in every single day but it has also been a bit relaxing at the same time. I thought that since I had a moment that I would share with you what has been going on the last week! A LOT!

We have been busy and things have been a bit hectic and we are tired. Before leaving San Antonio we learned that a friend had died. Please just pray for their family. This occurred while we were packing out. Her funeral is today and I know her family needs prayer.

We left SA and drove for two days and my ankles were swollen and sore! I am so glad that we are dividing this trip up. I had not anticipated the swelling this early on in my pregnancy. The pregnancy is going well though and I am beginning to feel this little one move more and more. We have reached the half way point!! Yeah! Oh yeah, and I did get that ultrasound before we left. We are having a ........................... well, maybe I will make you wonder a bit longer.
Here is our pattern so far...

boy
girl
girl
boy
girl
girl
girl
girl

What do you think we are having??

On another note...
We are currently in Colorado. We had a chance to visit our friends here. Our son decided that he was going to ride their ATV. He rode without a helmet and rather fast. He was thrown over the handle bars and the ATV hit a tree. Needless to say, he spent some time in the emergency room. He is a little banged up but no broken bones or anything. Praise the Lord! The ATV on the other hand is badly damaged and it may take all or more of my son's car savings to repair or replace it. Other than that it was such a great visit. Our children have had a chance to hang out with their grandparents and the friends who live across the street from them. We visited Focus on the Family and to the Rock Ledge Ranch. We also went to the Air Force Academy for the fireworks show. After the fireworks our older five children decided to take turns wrapping up in a sleeping bag and tumbling down the hillside. As one tumbled the others acted as a wall to stop them before they ran into the cars in the parking lot. It was almost more entertaining that the fireworks and gave several onlookers a good laugh.

We are off to see Kung Fu Panda today, after hubby gets back. Where is he??? Well.....
One of our daughters has been having trouble seeing so we took her to a optometrist for a regular eye exam. They told us she needed bifocals and that her eye pressure was very high and that we should have her seen for possible glaucoma. Well, hubby is on his way back now from the Opthamologist. All I have to say, now that the appointment is over, is that Walmart is NOT the place to go if you want an accurate diagnosis!!! She is fine and simply needs a new prescription. Of course there is the wrangling we have to do with TriCare to actually get them to pay for the medical expenses they are supposed to cover! Why people LONG for socialized health care is beyond me.

We are having a great time though and will hit the road again on Thursday after trying to fit in a few more fun things! I miss "seeing" all of you in blogland but I simply do not have the time or the access to stop by every one's blog and say hello. Please know that I am thinking of you though and hope to be back "on top of" my blogging life soon!

Labels: Alaska, journal, travel

Finally, today is the day! We are headed out of town today for our 4700 mile trek northwest! We are so excited to be heading to Alaska and for the fun things we will do in between! I will check in and update you on our where abouts and what is going on and will have other things posted between stops with computer access. (I just love that scheduled posting feature!)

Please pray for us as we travel! Leave me a note here too! *grin*

Labels: Alaska, travel

Well, the crates are on their way and we are left with an empty house. It is a bit sad because I absolutely love this home that the Lord has blessed us with this past year. We need to do a quick clean and then we are headed to the TLF (military temporary lodging facility). We will stay there until we sign out of here and begin our move. Please pray we all get a good night's sleep, we are pretty tired over here!

Labels: Alaska, journal

Typically they simple load our stuff onto a semi-truck from a moving company but since we are headed to an overseas assignment things are a little different. Yesterday they began loading everything into large wooden crates on a truck and they will finish up today. Everything will be sealed in the crates for the duration of the move. Maybe I can get a photo to post at another time.

Once we are finished and the packers and our earthly goods are all gone, we will need to do a quick clean of the house, have the carpets cleaned, the exterminator to come and spray, and our final walk through. We will definitely be ready to fall into bed at our temporary quarters!

Labels: Alaska, journal

Labels: Alaska, children, Family, journal, Preschoolers, Quiverfull, Wordless Wednesday

Boxes are piling up and things are beginning to look bare! The packers are trying to get us all packed in two days instead of three (this has never been done before) so that they can load us tomorrow and finish a day early. They had better send some more people today if they want to accomplish this task! It will be a very busy next couple of days. I even have an OB appointment tomorrow in the midst of all this.

As we travel, I will be in and out of places with free internet access so I can keep you all updated on our travels! Oh, and remember, blogger has that great scheduled posting now! Make sure you pop in here often it looks to be an exciting month as we move north & west. I already have a great post scheduled for tomorrow, guaranteed to put a smile on your face, soooooo come back regularly and see what is going on here!

Labels: Alaska, journal

That time has finally come! YEAH! The packers have arrived. They will be here for about 3 days packing. On day four they are to load everything into the crates and take our stuff onward to the great Pacific Northwest!

I always shoo them away from the computer for at least the first day and most of the second. I like it to be one of the last things they pack up! That way I can hold off internet withdrawal for as long as possible! Ha!

I really do enjoy having someone else come and pack my things up. We have moved ourselves plenty of times to be able to appreciate NOT having to do all that work. We simply keep an eye on everyone and make sure fragile things and important things are wrapped and packed properly. We always provide a cooler full of drinks, snacks, and pizza for lunch. The packers seem to work better and do more of the specialty packing without complaint if you treat them well!

Here we go...boxes and tape galore! Pray for us today! It looks to be a busy but wonderful day!

Labels: Alaska, journal, Military

Well, the time is nearing. Our packers come on Monday and we have a few more things to do before they get here. This is our checklist that needs to be completed in the next few days.

1. Power wash the drive way.
2. Take Turkish rugs outside and clean them.
3. Wash all curtains.
4. Pack suitcases for a family of 10, enough to make due for the next 3 months of suitcase living and including stuff for camp.
5. Salvation Army pick up.
6. Donations to else where need to arrive else where.
7. Get older son's schoolwork mailed off to the auditing service.
8. Clean out other children's school things from this past year.
9. Laundry, Laundry, Laundry.
10. Give plants away.
    
11. We still need to make kenneling arrangements on the other end.
12. Cut & edge lawn then clean and empty the mower and edger.
13. Clean BBQ grill.

Are you tired yet???? I definitely am! It is 10 am and I am ready for a nap!

Labels: Alaska, journal

1. Clear out stuff we do not really need.
2. Replenish the grass the dogs wore down in the yard.
3. Find a reputable realtor in Alaska.
4. Check ferry schedules, availably, and make reservations.
5. Figure out how and what to pack in our suite cases for the dramatic change in weather.
6. Get dogs ready for international travel.
7. Study to transfer our driver's licenses, we will actually have to take a written test.
8. Take a quick trip to Missouri and Iowa to visit some family before we move that far North West!
9. Find a home to live in once we arrive in Alaska.
10. Finish homeschool lessons on schedule.
11. Work ahead on blog posts so when we are traveling I have something to post with limited time. I can post about our trip when more time allows. You just never know when you are using library and hotel computers.
12. Find someone who will take and love my plants since I am not going to move them with us this time.
13. Remember to enjoy life where we are while tending to our future location.
    

Labels: Alaska, Thursday Thirteen

Can you guess where we are moving this time? We just moved to where we are last summer and we are moving again this summer. It will be a much longer stay this time though! I thought I would give you 13 facts about where we are moving and you can comment with your guesses. It really should not be that difficult! Just as a side note, we are all very excited and doing the happy dance about this move!!! Dance along with us as we rejoice!

1. There are more than 3,000 rivers and over 3 million lakes.
2. There are more than 5000 glaciers.
3. About 5000 earthquakes occur each year.
4. Three of the world’s ten strongest recorded earthquakes occurred here.
5. The coldest temperature ever recorded in was -80 degrees F.
6. Its name comes from a Russian version of an Aleut word meaning “great lands.”
7. The place's motto is “North to the Future.”
8. The actual city has an annual snow fall on 70.6 inches. Good thing we love snow!
9. The actual city temperatures are: January, 20° F; July, 65° F; annual average, 35.8° F.
10. The city is embraced by six mountain ranges and warmed by a maritime climate.
11. You can see the “aurora borealis”.
12. Be careful, you might have a moose on your front steps because more than 1,600 moose live in the city.
13. Did you ever want to see The Last Great Race, the Iditarod?

I couldn't resist...
Here are a few pictures of downtown in the city where we are going, isn't it beautiful???

Labels: Alaska, Family, journal, Military, Thursday Thirteen