1st Snow!

Our first real Alaskan snow!

The view of Potter's Creek on Seward Highway--family and friends out for a day of ice skating and hockey....on the marsh! The dogs love it too!

Look at that smile....really enjoying this snow angel!

Potter's Creek

Buluga point....at the start winter

Seward Highway

The view outside my classroom door...yes those are skiis! The students get to use them in PE, after school programs, and some recesses. We also have iceskates.....they make the basketball court an iceskating area!

Classroom pets! 2 Hermit Crabs, named by the class. Spongebob and Casper! The kiddos love 'em!

My classroom!

Hehe...Halloween party. Chewy (chewbaca) and Princess Leia. Adam played the part well!

Angel's new "thing" is hiding under her cat bed! She still acts like a kitten and loves to play......apparently "we can't see her" if she goes under her bed! hehe!

Snickers is doing well, we are still feeding him through a feeding tube. We are down to three times a day now. He still isn't eating very much on his own---that's our next plan of attack, figuring out why he stopped eating in the first place. (thinking teeth) Since the last visit, he has gained back two pounds!

Well..... we haven't blogged for awhile because life hasn't slowed down and seems to be even more chaotic! And by chaotic I mean FuN and AwEsOmE!!!

Besides work work work....this is what we have been up to........

-Adam is playing basketball every week with a team of pharmacists. He has been enjoying it, but of course- coming home with injuries. He recently tore his meniscus (sp!?) and has been icing that (knee).

-We've been representing the Hawkeyes up here and watching all the games (nevermind last weekend!) Thanks to DVR, we can catch them when we're actually home!

-We will be getting our snowblower going this weekend, we have already shoveled three times this week! We also have some cross-country skiis to try out! (jealous mom?!?)

-We have been hanging out with people from the hospital. Poker tonight!

-We have had two moose at school now, and I have missed them both! Still waiting for one to walk past my classroom window! Adam told me that at some point I have to stop taking pictures of moose---I passed by one near our house the other day and DID NOT stop to take pictures, he is proud!

YOU HAVE TO SEE THESE!...

This is our principal--dressed up as a turkey for the annual turkey trot! Hilarious! After school the kiddos (K-6) have a chance to chase/catch the turkey! A couple of our cross country runners were on his heels and had him running the entire mile!

Check out the mountains! These are the kinders--who were let loose on the turkey first!

Adam's Back! more moose....and a bike ride

The view of the park from our driveway. (our truck) Can you see the two dark shapes on the left side?!? MOOSE! Across the street from OUR house!


just munchin!


They are quiet alright with being near houses and people!




She's gotta husky lil boy!

Angel mama sleeping with me--she always has to be on top of me somehow.

Cuddlin with her toys, on her bed!

Adam took me for a treat-to see the largest chocolate fountain (in the world..I think?) Look at those chocolate bars....yum!

Coastal trail view of Anchorage--beautiful!

Out for a ride!

Of course he had to climb it!

Gettin ready to start out-- hydration pack full of Crystal Lite and a mouth full of BBQ sunflower seeds......perfect! ha!

Please excuse the dates on the bottom right of the photos......I keep forgetting to change that. We have multiple cameras....Adam and I both have one, plus one in each vehicle---we haven't been able to go anywhere w/o a photo opp! Gotta have those cameras ready!

Adam got back from D.C. on Saturday......thank goodness! Both Snickers and I got VERY sick. This is my third day off from school---doctor says "just wait it out"....the most sudden/violent "flu" I have ever had! But feeling much better....so NO it's not the swine. Poor Snickers ended up at the vet from Saturday-Tuesday. He was being hydrated and is now on a feeding tube until his body gets back to its eating routine. He hated it there--always growled at the nurses (purred for us!) and HE EVEN tried biting a couple of the techs. Actually got one!....serves them right for the anal temperature! We got to bring him home yesterday....he is SO happy! He's been sleeping peacefully and purring a lot. He even climbed up into bed with us last night (rare!). He is doing well with the feeding tube....every 4 hours! I told Adam he gets to practice being a daddy...getting up in the middle of the night to feed the kitty! We're also taking turns coming home over lunch. What a cat! (I can just hear my dad grumbling now!) Interesting though....while at the vet, we saw dogs come in whom had been kicked by moose and attacked by porcupines...not the usual IOWA vet visit! (all were okay!) NOW...Adam is one of the most stubborn people I know-he injured his finger practicing basketball on Monday and refuses to get it looked at. It is swollen, purple, and nasty......so give him crap and maybe he'll listen to one of you! (he's at the hospital all day anyway!..... "it's on the bottom of my priority list" he says!)

OcToBeR already?!?!

Hello everyone! Sorry it's been awhile, Adam and I have both been working crazy hours/weekends and haven't had time to update. Adam left for Washington D.C. yesterday morning, he is there for a 2 week conference. He had quite the day of travelling....almost didn't get on the plane, had 20 mins to get from one flight to another on opposite ends of O'HARE airport, his shuttle never picked him up, they lost his bags, he lost 4 hours due to time zones AND he was starving all day and didn't get a chance to eat anything.....kinda glad I wasn't with him! hehe! But hopefully the rest of the trip will go better!

We are getting super excited to come home over Christmas!! OH--and plans for Jess/Grant's wedding are coming along and we will all get together in Sanibel Island, Florida in July for that amazing/crazy celebration! SO EXCITING!!

Adam and I went for a hike last Sunday (much needed time outdoors!). We went to the valley next to Flat Top--where the moose are gathering for rut. So--the mountains have snow on them!!!!!!!!!!!!!.........we went hiking in the ice/snow and had SO much fun! Moose were everywhere, about 3 bulls to 1 cow. A look through the binoculars showed us 20-30 moose at a time. They were on the move and doing their thing, so who knows how many different ones we actually saw! Some people were hiking in the valley, so we decided to cross the creek and get in a bit closer too. We came very close to some--even though they were in rut, they were pretty chill! We had the experience of seeing two mate, then the bull chased off a younger, curious bull. We also witnessed something INCREDIBLE for the "animal" world. The bull went into the brush (just inside so we could still see him) and started pawing/pounding the ground. Then we SMELLED him--like a wet horse! Then he layed down. Before long, the cow came up (I believe he let off that scent for her?!?!) and started grunting at him. So, he got up-she pawed the ground, and laid down on the "bed" he had made for her. Absolutely amazing! We could see, hear, smell it all---only about 30 feet away....and they knew we were there the whole time! We hiked/sat out there for about 4 hours--just watching and having the experience of a life time! We have to take a narrow path back to the parking lot, you can choose the lower, or upper path. Well, we were road blocked by a mama on one side and her calf on the other. NEVER separate a mama and her baby! So we waited, and waited, and waited--finally the baby went back to its mom's side--so we slowly walked by AND were BLUFF charged--a snort and all. We ran adn were safe. Pretty sure the reason she was upset was because of the dogs coming down the path the opposite way. OH--the lower path was blocked by a bull! hehe--what a day and what a rush!

You don't have to go up the mountain to see moose, they are all over town! On my way to class (yes, saturday class!) yesterday, I saw three moose. On my way home from work on Thursday night, a bull was nonchalantly crossing a busy road 2 blocks from our house. CRAZY!!!

Oh--I cut 11 inches off my hair and donated it. LOVE the shorter hair, nice to have a change. My darling neice, Annie, also cut her hair .....herself! The salon had to cut her's 6 1/2 inches to get it even! Speaking of neices, we got an AWESOME package this last week from home--photographs of all the kiddos, including professional ones of Kane (9month) and Heidi/Annie. Plus, all the girls made us pictures---we have glitter ALL OVER THE HOUSE! But I love it! Mom sent some yummy cookies that are pretty much gone and "Snoozer" the moose. It's the most adorable outdoor decoration---a moose napping in a hammock--PERFECT! We also recieved photos of Sadie (my dog) and her new hair cut. If you don't know her....she is a collie/sheltie mix. She just got a hair cut, topped off with bows in her ears and doggy perfume. WELL....she got a LION CUT! She looks ridiculous, but happy! hehe so funny!

Snickers is not feeling well again, so I am keeping a close eye on him. He's such a sweety!

I think that's all on our end....please please please call/email/write--and keep us updated on your end! MISS YOU AND LOVE YOU ALL!

PS: We had 2 moose in our very own backyard! they were pretty strange looking! hehe