Final Leg!!!!

So to back up for just a second. I finished my last post in time for S to start calling for help from the bathroom where he was bathing the girls. The soap had mixed with the jets to create a very unexpected bubble bath. At first everyone was having a blast however as the bubbles grew B started to get a little concerned.

I think she thought she would get lost and we would never find her in all the bubbles. It was quite hilarious to watch so I had to grab the camera first. After rinsing B off in the shower S got the bubbles under control for A to enjoy the tub some more while I put B to bed. Without the bubbles and baby it didn't take long for A to figure out that she could spin in the current caused by the jets. I think she must have spun in that whirlpool for another 30-45mins after the bathing was over. We almost couldn't get her out!!

After another beautiful evening in Homer we fell asleep listening to the waves beat against the shore just below our window. The Tustumena, or "Rusty Tusty" as she is also lovingly referred to, would be waiting on us bright and early in the morning.

I have to admit she wasn't quite what I was expecting. S had described her as a small cruise ship and she really was not!! She was much smaller and there were no endless free buffets. I was a little surprised at how small she really was however their is much underwater that is unseen.

This is one side of the holding bay. This side held the few large heavy vehicles while the other side held about 15 passenger vehicles. The weight and balance is figured out before everyone arrives so that they know who is going on which side and in what order. When we made the reservations they took the height, length and weight of both vehicles in order to determine how and when they would be loaded. Each vehicle enters the boat by way of a very large elevator. It holds two passenger vehicles or 1 large vehicle, such as the uhual we drove down. The elevator is lowered down to the holding bay then turns for the vehicles to drive off into the bay to be parked for the duration of the trip. It was very interesting to watch this huge elevator go up and down turn and go back up again. Due the loading process we had to be at the terminal 2 hours ahead of time, so we arrived at 7:30 in the morning. The girls actually woke up at 5:30 and 6, we should have known then what a long day it was going to be. Its amazing to me how even such small kids can sense when things are going to change!! Due to the early wake up we had a very light breakfast thinking we would grab something at the galley after we got on board however the galley closed before we had a chance. S was able to get some coffee which was desperately needed, we had messed up and stayed up way too late packing the night before. S wasn't the only one that enjoyed the coffee however.

When daddy wasn't looking A helped herself to his coffee. We thought she would spit it out or make a face however she seemed to actually enjoy it. For the rest of the day she would ask him for more "cautchie" aka coffee.

When they weren't enjoying their coffee together they had a blast on deck looking for whales. In case any of you are wandering why she has a jacket on in some pictures and not others it is because some of the outdoor viewing areas were heated or she would play so hard she would come back to me exclaiming "HOT" and taking her jacket off.

We had a perfect day for sailing. It was clear skies, and I mean clear, there was not a cloud anywhere!! This made the views of the mountains and volcano's even more breathtaking. Just after lunch the waves did pick up a little however it was time for nap so no one got sick. While the girls and I napped in the room S continued to look for whales and he finally found them!

If you look very closely in the center at the horizon their is a white dot (you may have to click on the picture to make it big enough to see). It is a whale blowing. That was the only time they were seen until we were getting ready to come into Kodiak. Then one of the galley staff told us that there was a humpback some where but we never did see him.

Our first sights of Kodiak were of Monashka bay. This is a community that sits right on the water and has some of the most beautiful houses

Shortly after we caught sight of Pillar mountain with the windmills on top of it.

Then came Kodiak, situated just under the bridge. It was a perfect welcome. I had been told how much it rains here however when we arrived it was still blue skies and even a little warm, standing in the sun you didn't really need a jacket. While we were unloading and talking to the sponsor some clouds moved in. The weather changed so fast that by the time we got to our room and unloaded it had already started sleeting and gotten very grey outside. However, the initial welcome was wonderful, and S was excited that I got to see the best and worse all within a matter of hours after arriving.

I also noticed the beaches were a little different than Florida's. While they have their own unique charm about them I don't think I will be sunbathing or swimming much this summer in them.

Coming in to dock we got a chance to meet another CG family that had been roomed next to us. The husband will also be working on the C-130 with S and they have a son that is between A and B in age. Hopefully, we will have a chance to get them together and make some new friends. The sponsor was also waiting for us to disembark he was very nice and also has a little girl between ours in age. So far we have met some very nice people and lots of kids for the girls to play with. I think however that my body is sensing we are finally done and has decided to shut down. I started to get a headache on the boat last night and have felt like a Mack-truck has run over me today. I don't really feel sick, its more a lack of energy. If I could just lay on the floor and do nothing but let the girls crawl over me (which I think they would be perfectly happy with) it would be a great day!! However, things must get done so I have to keep moving. I think the girls are also sensing we are finally here. Yesterday was one of the worst days we have had with them. At one point I had to leave the room because neither one was happy unless they were in my lap, and I'm not talking about a little fussy, I mean all out crying heart broken alligator tears. However, holding both had its own challenges as they didn't want to share me with the other one. So I walked in and within a minute A was on my back trying to push B down and B was reaching around from my lap pulling A's hair and both were screaming in my ear, I was literally in the middle of a cat fight. So I left them with their dad and went to get fresh air. Amazingly the crying stopped when I walked out and S said they both got down and started playing very happily together!! Today has been much better!! They were almost back to their old selves, sharing and playing together. Hopefully, as things calm down more they will return to their old sweet selves. B even decided to try to walk again tonight which she hasn't really been interested in since leaving Vegas. While she would think about it if we put her on her feet she didn't initiate it. Tonight however she crawled over to me then crawled about a foot away and stood up grinning, like "I'm ready! how do I do this??". It was GREAT we got one step out of her before she fell but she got right back up again and again and again. One step was about all we really got but at least she's showing interest again and not just wanting to be carried. Hopefully by the end of the next week or two she'll be a pro at it.

One the Road Again. . .Part II

Every time we hit the road for our next destination I get that song stuck in my head, "On the roag again, just can't wait to get on the road again". I can wait I'm tired of being on the road. After tomorrow though it will be done and we will be at our final stop and hopefully be moving into a new home shortly. One thing we have discovered about Kodiak is that most people do not advertise with MLS. We have gotten word that a few houses have opened up on base so with any luck we will have a house to move into by next week!! I CAN'T WAIT!!!!

Homer has been a very pleasant stop. It's a very cute little town that sits on a mud flat peninsula surrounded glaciers and volcano's. The views have been amazing!! From our bed looking out the big bay windows you can see the volcano Illiamna (not sure thats spelled right). It looks like something from a move. It's very faint and mostly covered with clouds however when they clear you can see smoke coming from the top of it. We have also seen more wildlife in Homer than anywhere else I think. The eagles are beautiful.

Ok maybe not this on. This is a picture of a picture at the ocean refuge center. It was just the best picture we had. Several went soring over while we were at a look out however they caught a thermal and got so high so fast the pictures didn't come out.

Driving around the town we also came across these moose (at least I think they are moose, I can't tell the difference between all the animals.) They were enjoying a nice breakfast in someone's front yard.

At the Ocean refuge the girls really enjoyed the sunlight and getting to stretch their legs. I think they are going a little stir crazy with all the riding. The last couple of times we have put them in the car they have seriously complained. The ocean refuge had a great walk around that explored the mud flats. The tide was out while we were there so there were a few areas the kids got to get off and explore the frozen ground. While B still isn't walking on her on she made her best attempts.


She stood up by herself the other day in Anchorage. After finishing off Papa's breakfast she turned around and stood up on the table, she's been practicing ever since.

We tried to talk her into taking a few more steps since she hasn't done it since the other week at my sister-in-laws. However, it didn't quite work for her today.














It is still very chilly outside so after wearing ourselves out at the refuge we went back to enjoy the beach from our hotel. We are staying at the Driftwood Inn which is located on the water. The Inn is more a house that rents the rooms out. We have so far had the whole house to ourselves which has been very nice! Our room has bay windows that overlook Kachemak Bay. We fell asleep last night to the sound of the waves on the beach. It was perfect!!














Aside from the gorgeous views we had another surprise in our room. Since we were just renting a room in a house we were very surprised to find a Whirlpool tub in our bathroom. The girls had a blast taking a bath tonight. They normally jump right in anyways however with the extra large tub they really enjoyed the bath!














B wasn't real sure about it when the jets came on however she came around.














The best was when S got in to help them. The jets were a little strong so to keep a closer eye on them and be able to reach them should something happen he had to sit on side which A thought was hilarious. A finally reclined back to enjoy the "pool".

We have had a blast in Homer today and can't wait to see what tomorrow holds. We catch the ferry, the M/V Tustumena, at 9:45am and will arrive in Kodiak at approximately 7:30pm. We have a sponsor that should be meeting when we arrive in Kodiak tomorrow night. A sponsor is someone that is already at the base that can show us around and help us get set up in and in contact with people on the base that we may need, such as housing. We didn't have a sponsor in Clearwater so I was very surprised when S said that he would be meeting us at the ferry and that his supervisor may be there as well, that never would have happened in Clearwater! So next time I write I will be in our new home, hopefully!!!

Family Vacation

The trip to Anchorage went a lot better than the trip to Vegas for Nana and Papa. Thank you Grandma for the carriers and backpacks. Since we weren't expecting Ak to be as cold as it was for this time of year we spent the couple of days prior to the girls arriving to pick up some warm coats and boots. The average temperature has been around 38 or 40 with some days almost reaching 50 by mid afternoon. After bundling up we headed back to the room for a couple hours rest. The girls slept late the next morning which gave us a little bit of a late start Sunday morning however we still had plenty of time to enjoy the area.

I think A enjoyed the escalator as much as seeing mommy and daddy again. She would take her "tail" to whoever she wanted to walk with or who ever she thought would take her down an escalator. It didn't take long to get back to the room and get everyone in bed. Thinking we would all be tired on Sunday we decided to take the day off and enjoy visiting. Nana and Papa had other ideas however and woke up ready to go Sunday morning. So we took a short trip through Anchorage to show them some of the sights. Then we headed south to check out Seward. There was a great park that we stopped to play at next to the bay. We enjoyed skipping rocks and watching the otters play just off shore. Coming back there was a beautiful rainbow over the water, even though it wasn't raining.

A had a blast picking out rocks for daddy to throw in the water. While b enjoyed being bundled up in Mommy's jacket.

Monday we explored Anchorage some more and did a little window shopping. That night Nana, Papa and S went to find some Northern Lights. Just when they thought they weren't going to see them some finally appeared just off the horizon. The best time to see the Northern Lights is on cold clear dark nights. During the winter the best times are between 10pm-2am, this made for a very late night Monday. However, they were all ready to go again on Tuesday so we headed south again to check out an animal conservatory. The conservatory had a short drive thru to view rescued animals from the area.

The cariboo have lost their antlers for the season already so they really looked goofy.

There were three bears that were very entertaining. This one walked over sat down in front of the viewers and started posing for the cameras. The other two smaller ones were enjoying tussling behind her.

Finally this eagle had been rescued up north. It was shot in the left wing which had to be amputated. Since it couldn't fly it has permanent residence at the conservation.

One of the guys taking photos of the bear offered to take our picture with it so of course the bear had to walk off. I think B is getting use to riding in my jacket like that. Leaving the conservatory we went to have lunch at the top of a mountain. Taking a tram to the top we had a beautiful view for lunch.

The restaurant was approximately 2900 ft and overlooked seven glaciers. The resort was beautiful and would be the perfect place for a weekend get away. S can't wait for the chance to get back to do some skiing, I'd love to try some snowboarding as well.

Since we reached Anchorage much sooner than we expected we have had a full week to enjoy a short vacation before we finish our trip to Kodiak. We leave tomorrow for Homer where we will wait for the ferry and enjoy a few days in a fishing town. Saturday morning we catch the ferry for Kodiak and will finish our journey on the 10hr boat ride to our new home. I can't wait to finally get our home, get settle in and get unpacked!!!

Family Reunion

The girls arrived around midnight Sunday night. We were all very glad to be back together! I think S missed them as much as I have and just won't admit it. We had thought we would relax around the hotel room Sunday and just enjoy being back together. However, Nana and Papa had different plans. They woke up as excited about being Ak as the girls were, although I think some of the excitement wore off when Nana realized how much snow was still on the ground and all she had was sandals. So after bundling up, we had bought some warmer shoes and jackets the day before so Nana borrowed S tennis shoes that are several sizes too big, we left to check out Anchorage. We found a nice park and walking trail just along the water however it didn't take long to get cold and hungry and we were on the move again. After lunch we took a quick trip down to Seward to check out a sea life museum. We didn't make it in time to really get to check out the sea life so we enjoyed the beaches and wildlife from the road. There were several otters playing and eating just off the shore that were very entertaining. We have now sent Nana and Papa off to explore Anchorage by themselves while the kids nap. today has been a little more relaxed and the past several weeks are definitely catching up to me. I can't wait to have a home again and get out of my suitcases!!!

Anchorage!!

We spent last night at the Skky hotel in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory which is around 800miles from Anchorage. The hotel is across the street from the airport, which was surprisingly bigger than the other airports we have seen. Toad River’s airport was a landing strip that followed the road on the other side of a ditch. The approach had you coming in between 2 mountains and I didn’t even recognize the run way until S pointed it out. So the fact that Whitehorse has an international airport was amazing. The airport was also clearly marked with this plane. However, I was a little surprised to find that it is for more than decoration. Any guesses on what it’s used for?? Ya’ll think about it and I’ll tell you next time.

The trip from Whitehorse to the Alaska border went very quickly. We had thought that it would take most of the day to get to Tok, Alaska. However, we crossed the border just after lunch and Tok was only an hour away. The road through Canada has been surprisingly smooth going. Major potholes and frost heaves had been repaired to the best of their ability.

However, at the Alaska border we got to experience two first. The first was SNOW!! It has not rained or snowed our entire trip. So we weren’t sure coming up to the International boundary if it was actually snowing or raining and if it would actually hit us. The international boundary divides Canada and Alaska. It started snowing just on the Alaska side of the boundary which made a very cold but beautiful Welcome into our new home state.

We have seen rain in the distance before but it has always stopped before we got to it. The snow didn’t. While it was only little flurries we got our first snowfall. This made the trip even better because everything had a light blanket of snow on it that made it look like a winter wonderland.

Our next experience was gravel and dirt roads. The roads were still being repaired just after the border so we had a little bit of gravel then dirt roads. The road is generally paved the whole way however, each year they repave or at least fix damage done the year before. This section they had started to repave and so had torn the road up however they hadn’t laid down the new pavement when we got to it. Even so it was still smoother than Arkansas paved roads!!!

After driving pass all the fresh snow S couldn’t stand it anymore, he had to get out and play for a minute. There had been snowmobile tracks all along the side of the road so we didn’t realize how deep it was until he stepped in up to his waist. I stood on the side and took pictures it was too cold for me to get wet.

Yes, he was just a little chilly when we got back in the truck. He did at least get that out of his system so he didn't want to stop anymore.

A couple hours outside of Anchorage I saw another first. It was my first Glacier, it looks like a frozen river. This one is rather small, so I'm told, I was expecting it to look bigger than a mountain. This one probably is actually bigger than the mountains around however it's flatter which makes it look smaller. It was amazing the destruction that a floating piece of ice can do. There were areas in the mountains that looked like they had been dynamited however the damage had been done by the glacier.

So we ended our trip through a winter wonderland at Anchorage last night. There isn't really much snow here compared to what was in the mountains. We are going to get a better look at the city today and run some errends. Hopefully the next couple of days will fly by and the girls will be here before we know it. Then starts our next leg of the trip to Homer and the ferry.

The Adventure has Begun!!

We left Dawson Creek right at lunch time yesterday. We got a late start as our check oil light came on before we got to there, not wanting any problems on the Alaska Highway we had uhual send someone to check. With much confusion we finally got someone to come out and add some oil to the truck so we got a late start.

Dawson’s Creek starts milepost zero of the Alaska Highway. The Highway was constructed during WWII to provide a supply line into Alaska for troops. It was nicknamed the “Alcan” Highway (Alaska-Canada Military highway) by the military at its completion in 1942. While many of the main towns were already established by natives, traders and miners for the Gold Rush there were no direct roads to get through the wilderness until the highways completion. The highway travels north from Dawson’s Creek British Columbia to Whitehorse, Yukon Territory then west into Alaska by way of Tok Alaska. It is now approximately 35miles shorter than the original highway however it still totals around 1800 miles from Dawson’s Creek to Anchorage. Even with the many advances and improvements to the road, conditions range from poor to excellent. So far the road has been MUCH better than I expected, as there were some states that had worse roads. However, as I type the roads are getting a little bumpy and we’ve had several tell us that the worse section is between Whitehorse and Tok, Ak, which we should hit tomorrow. Towns are an average of 100-150 miles apart so we fill up every time we see an open pump.

Leaving Dawson’s Creek the first surprise we got was when the road suddenly disappeared. We saw one sign warning of a steep grade ahead then the road was gone as it dropped then turned to follow the mountain. It reminded me of the first hill then turn of a roller coaster!!

This rollercoaster brought us into Ft. St. John. It overlooked a wonderful river with gorge. The gorge was the reason for the sudden deep and turn.

Shortly after, we came to a lake on top of a mountain appropriately named Summit Lake. None of the facilities were open and the lake was frozen over however it made for a very scenic drive along the lake front.

We traveled a whopping 400 miles (approximately) in 7hours which put us pulling into Toad River in time for dinner.

The towns restaurant, motel and gas station are located in one building ran by the same person, she was our gas station attendant, motel clerk, waitress, cashier and cook. It was very interesting! Finishing dinner we decided we still had a couple of hours of light so we would continue driving for a little while.

The sun finally set around 10pm and we reached Liard Hotsprings (aka: mineral springs) about 10:30. Being exhausted we decided to head to bed and check out the springs in the morning.

Wanting to get a head start and not let enjoying the spring put us behind, S woke me up at 5:30 to head down to the water. While I wasn’t thrilled about being woke up, ya’ll all know I’m not a morning person, the springs were definitely worth it. The temperature ranges from 108-127degrees, with a children’s wading pool that is much cooler. The spring actually consist of a hot spring (shown above) where water is carried underground heated then brought back to the surface, carrying with it several minerals. Where this spring comes to the surface it meets with a stream of melting ice from up the mountains. This stream cools the water to temperatures that are just right for everyone. Those that enjoy much hotter water simply sit closer to the Hotspring. Those that want it cooler sit closer to the stream and every one in the middle sits anywhere downstream from the two. It was interesting watching the two mix, while the water only came to about your middle standing up it was so clear that you could see your feet and the rock in front of you. The colder water settled at the bottom of the pool, making your feet chilly, with hot water around your shoulders. If you have ever dropped ice into a glass of HOT water you know the waves that go through the water that look like heat waves, you could those waves in the water. If you've never seen those heat waves before it would make an interesting science experiment so you could kind of see what we saw sitting in the Hotsprings.

Another interesting thing about the Hotsprings was its ability to knock you out!! While I had slept fine the night before I don’t think I have ever been so tired and I didn’t get in the hottest spots! We were in the road by about 8 this morning and I think I fell asleep by 8:30. I took a morning nap, an after lunch nap and then another nap with S around 2 when he couldn’t stand it anymore and finally fell asleep. I don’t know how he lasted so long!! One of the truckers we talked to at the springs said that it is believed that the minerals cause you to become sleepy so truckers will stop just to get in the springs then get a good night’s sleep. I don’t know if it has to do with the minerals or the heat but it definitely puts you to sleep! Finally waking up enough to finish the drive we have arrived at Whitehorse the capital of the Yukon Territory.

We decided to go ahead and get a hotel tonight so we can get the sulfur smell off from the springs. We also enjoyed a wonderful dinner and I am about ready to fall asleep again, S already has. So far we have averaged about 500miles every 8hours so hopefully we will make Tok, Alaska tomorrow and then finish the last few hours to Anchorage on Friday.