My Life Lately

I have been really busy "living life", as one of my friends put it, instead of writing about it.  I am really enjoying our new life in Alaska.  I have a great job.  I am the school partnership coordinator for our church.  Basically, I go around to four schools in the district and meet with their principals, school nurses, and family coordinators.  I find out what needs their school has and report back to the church.  Then I get to meet those needs.  It is really fun.  I just got to deliver winter gear for about 10 kids.  I also read to two classes at one of our partner schools every Thursday.  God is really giving me a heart for the poor.  I think it is neat how God changes you if you are willing.  It really doesn't take effort to change, just a willingness.  Our church is now feeding 50 homeless or poor kids on the days that they have teacher inservice.  Our family gets to prepare bags of food with enough to keep a child fed three meals.  I am overwhelmed by the response we get from the schools.  I even got kissed by one school nurse!

The weather here is a new challenge.  I am learning how to drive on snow and ice.  According to the locals, this winter is really mild.  I am so thankful.  Our lowest temperature so far has only been 9 degrees.  Last year, all of November was below zero.  We are adapting well to the cold.  I really enjoy the briskness in the morning.  It is really different than the cold in the South.  Here it is really dry, which doesn't chill to the bone like the nasty wet snow and ice I am used to.  We are looking forward to having enough snow to sled and cross-country ski.  Overall, the beauty of our new surroundings has us in awe.  It is amazing that this place exists and that God has allowed people the opportunity to experience it.

Winter is Coming!

It is beautiful here in Alaska.  The weather is more like what you expect from seasons.  Yesterday was Autumnal equinox.  That means that the days and nights are exactly equal.  Yep!  7:30 sunrise; 7:30 sunset.  In kids' books about seasons,  you always see kids in coats during fall with the pretty yellow, orange, and red leaves all around.  Growing up, we were lucky if we saw 60 degrees in fall.  You saw all those cute sweaters in the store and through, "I might get to wear that in December."  Not here,  this morning it is 35 degrees.  The autumn leaves are everywhere.  They even stay on the trees for a  while for us to enjoy.  The girls and I have found our favorite tree.  It is taller than the other trees in its stand.  It is a brilliant orange.  Emily said, "That can only be our family's special tree, not anyone else."  

The beauty brings with it a little fear.  Every day, as the clouds recede off the mountain tops, there is a little more snow, a little further down.  The tops of the mountains are completely white.  We are told that by October, which, by the way is next week, we will probably have snow.  Others say that snow may not be here until after Halloween.  One thing Alaskans agree on is that the weather can be unpredictable.  I am used to that being from the South.

Today I am going to the girls' school to help in Samantha's class with a book club.  I hope she isn't embarrassed by me.  I think it will be fun.  I always like to meet her friends and classmates.  

I have a blog!

Believe it or not, I have created a blog!  You know, everybody's doing it.  I wanted to have a place for people to come see what we are up to here in the far north.  It is beginning to get colder.  There is what they call Termination Dust on the mountains.  Mark and I think it is called that because summer has been terminated.  It is beautiful but scary because my body is not ready for the sub zero temperatures we are bound to get.  I heard it is supposed to snow this weekend.  I hope not.  More to come later when I figure this whole blog thing out.  I will post pics when I get up the nerve to fiddle with my computer for something other than email or word processing.