Tis the Season

 We got a real Christmas tree this year.  I love it!  Our pre-lit tree that we bought at Michaels about 4 years ago almost started on fire two days after we put it up.  As soon as I plugged it in the morning I heard a buzzing noise, then smelled melting plastic.  I quickly unplugged it and next thing I knew there was smoke.  Thankfully I was there or the thing could have burned that house down!  Just a little word of warning.  Don't trust a pre-lit artificial tree.  Now here is a little taste of our decorations at our house :)

 This ornament was purchased on our first trip to Alaska about 6 1/2 years ago.

I made some gingerbread houses again this year.  This is becoming a fun tradition!!

Kodiak!

Reese and I just got back from a trip to Kodiak, Alaska.  We are packing up and moving there in January!  Going from San Diego to Kodiak will be a shocker, but I think it will be a welcome change.  We are looking forward to a change of pace.  It's a lot more relaxed up there.  I think it is literally a one stop light town.  Reese's job is going to be a lot more mellow too, which will make a huge difference for our family.  Reese's mom flew down to watch our kids, so it was just us for a few days.  It wasn't really a relaxing trip because much of it was spent flying and house hunting.  But it was fun nonetheless.

I think this was Fort Abercrombie recreation area.  This is near to our future home!!!

My first Kodiak bear sighting.  We went for a drive on the last day.  There were people gathering on a bridge taking pictures so we stopped.  There was this mama bear laying on the side of the river.  Her  cubs were laying just up and to the left of her in the picture.  It made me a little nervous once I saw the cubs.  This wasn't the first time I've been in the company of a bear.  Click here for my last encounter

I am so glad we got some pictures though.  Those Kodiak bears are HUGE!

A beautiful view on our drive.

 And here is our new home!  This was taken back in the spring by the realtor.  When we were there, there was snow on the ground.  It is 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms on a 1/2 acre lot.  About 1/2 of the lot is wooded which will make for a lot of fun for Lane! It is probably about 1/4 mile from Lane's new school, which is a small, quaint elementary school.  The house is on top of a hill in a small cul-de-sac of about 6 houses.  I am so excited to have more room and a yard!  I am hoping to build a greenhouse in the back yard.  Apparently you can have some luck growing veggies in Alaska with a greenhouse.  So the inspection is tomorrow, pray that it will go well.  Also the appraisal needs to come in around what we offered for it or the sellers may have a problem.  So pray that that goes well too.  We need to get this house ready to move into the end of January!

 So on our way back we had a 7 hour layover in Anchorage.  So we took a cab and headed out into the 8 degree weather to downtown Anchorage.  We went out to dinner and to a few bars to hang out.  GASP!  Yes I hung out at a few bars... would that be considered bar hopping.  Oh my.  It was good people watching for sure.  So this last place we hung out at has this huge block of Tillamook cheese on the counter.  People would come up and hack away at it.  You can't really tell but I am holding the cheese slicer up in my hand, ready to cut away a slice.  It was really weird and random and quite the conversation starter.  Reese and I had fun just the two of us.  It made us really excited to get up there.  I think it will be a good change for our family and be quite the new adventure.  Like I've said for years,  "Bloom Where You Are Planted."  Whether I am in Washington, California, or Alaska.  I hope that I will do my best to be the best I can be wherever I am.  And I pray that I can show God's love to others in the process.  This military life is a hard life, but I have been reminded time and again that God has chosen to plant me in these different places for a reason.  I just need to TRUST and allow Him to work.