We finally bought a car seat!

We now own the Britax Roundabout 50 in Pistachio (beautiful tan color with light green dots). I’ve been eyeing it for sometime, but last week I saw it was on sale at Amazon! The seat is like the original Roundabout except for being more adjustable in the seat, and giving Clara 10 lbs and 10 inches more to grow before needing to upgrade to a booster. It could have comfortably held her since birth, since it starts a 5 lbs, but we appreciated our Graco SafeSeat for it’s comfort and convenience many times. We haven’t tried this one out yet in a car, but I think it is going to be a winner.

We are seriously considering buying a second car seat for the other car. We drive both regularly (we aren’t a mini-van family quite yet, my car is more roomy, his gets better gas mileage), and this seat will be difficult to move back and forth. Anyone think we should go for the “Cowmooflage” version? I think it would look terrific against the Saturn’s black interior. :)

May Medley Part 3: Ohio Travels

Finally! Let’s finish up May, okay? Then maybe I’ll feel free to post about my exciting life in July. : ) Oh, and James downloaded a really cool program that might make this blogging thing easier. Let’s hope so. This one is going to be picture crazy!

Grandma Carol and Clara on Clara’s very first airplane ride!

So, the day after Mother’s Day, Mom Carol, Clara, and I flew to Ohio so that Clara could meet her Great-grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins (or more accurately, they could meet her). On the plane, someone had a medical emergency and they called for any doctor or EMT on the plane to make themselves known. We saw a man lying on the floor of the airplane and looked at each other thankful that it wasn't Mom (the man seemed to recover okay).

Clara was a joy on the plane. She slept in my arms, ate discretely when hungry, sucked contentedly on her pacifier during take offs and landings, and hardly let out a peep at any time. I was blessed to have an open seat beside me on the long flight to Minneapolis and only Mom next to me on the short leg to Columbus. All in all, a perfect trip. If Clara hadn't picked up the virus somewhere on the way, it would have been even better. Thankfully, she beat it quickly and we got on with our trip.

The two Clara’s getting to know each other.

Papaw meets his first great-grandchild.

Grandma and Papaw were thrilled with their first great-grandbaby. It got confusing as to which mother and grandmother we were referring to, but great-grandma just isn't a name you can use to call someone. Clara saw so many people! She saw two great-great aunts, one great-great uncle, five great aunts, six great uncles, at least 12 cousins, and many other long-time family friends. Mom loved it. She was so proud to show off her grandbaby at church or to whoever was around. Sometimes, I felt a little like the wet nurse, but at least every three hours, Clara and I got another snuggle in before other loving arms held, bounced, cuddled, and rocked her again.

The Walker Family meets Clara: cousin Hannah, Aunt Susan, cousin Able, cousin Samuel, and Uncle Archie

Cousin Melissa came with her little boys to meet Clara too.

Sunday services: Clara meets Grandma Carol’s kindergarten teacher . . .

And one of our Daggett cousins (on Papaw’s side of the family).

Clara’s great-great uncle Bruce & Aunt Sally (Grandma’s Brother)

When we weren't spending time with family, Mom and I were buying up Ohio! I guess I hadn't realized it before, but my mother is quite a bargain shopper. She had a long list of special stores she wanted to go to and ALL of them specialized in really great bargains. We went to Tuesday Mornings, Marshalls, Home Goods, TJ Maxx, Once Upon a Child, Half-priced Books, Big Lots, and even a fancy dollar store along with Good will, Ohio Thrift, and Ohio's Best Thrift Store. We also made a special trip to Whole Foods (my eyes about bugged out at such a massive organic food store), took a day long detour through Amish country (visiting special stores there too), and one mad dash trip through the mall to see some adorable baby boutiques!

Truly, it was overwhelming: to have specialty stores within reasonable distance that sold just about everything we'd ever want, to go into thrift stores and find rows and rows off nice things priced for only a dollar or two, to find gorgeous antique furniture for the same price you'd find a cheap imitation version at Wal-Mart. Sometimes I'd just have to walk away and remind myself that I love my life in Alaska and do not neat stuff or cheap prices to make me happy. So, we went down with one reasonably weighted bag each and came back with one suitcase and a plastic bin each--loaded with 48 lbs of stuff per container! Plus we shipped two boxes! Phew! I came back with a new summer (nursable) wardrobe for me, a winter wardrobe for Clara, about 20 lbs of Amish cheese, a new stroller, a beautiful pink rosebud wreath to inspire my nursery decorating, a few books, several baby gifts, and a few little trinkets for James.

While in Ohio, we drove up to Sandusky/Castalia to see James' aunts and uncles. The three of us were greeted and made so welcome by the Limberious clan (Sally's brothers and sisters). They even threw a dinner in our honor. Aunt Sharon gave us a room for the night, and everyone showered us with kindness, appreciation, hospitality, and even baby gifts! It was so much fun. I got to meet James' cousin Sarah too, which was a treat.

Uncle Denny holds Clara, and Aunt Sharon shows off a delicious chocolate covered strawberry bouquet made in our honor.

Aunt Jill and Aunt Sue cuddle with our girl—Sorry, Aunt Tanya, we missed out on a photo op. :(

Grandma and great aunts admire Clara.

The “uncles” table

More of the family in Aunt Sharon’s lovely kitchen

We also drove down to Parkersburg, WV to visit my great Aunt Helen and a few cousins. So Clara got to add another state to her experiences—and at only 3 months old!

Aunt Helen and Cousin Verna (plus our borrowed car seat—I do not miss it one bit!)

Clara even got to take a traditional bath in Grandma’s Kitchen sink (where we accidentally scrubbed a bald patch in her hair—oops!).

Three Generations

However, the trip finally came to an end. It had been a lovely and blessed 11 days together, but Daddy was waiting at home for “his girls,” and it was time to go home to Alaska. Even though it was hard to say good-bye . . .

We were soon waiting for a plane back home to Alaska and arrived safely and without problem hours later. God is good.

So, THAT, my dear Readers, is what happened in May. Now, we resume with daily life again. : )

Tag! I'm it!

I was personally "tagged" by Laura at GodShallBlessUs.blogspot.com, who lives in Fairbanks, Alaska, to share seven possibly unknown facts about myself. I've dallied so long because I didn't think it fair to post only about me since this blog is about James and me, but I'll see what I can do.

You may not know that:

1) I was born in Fort Polk, Louisiana.
James was born at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland.
Despite us both living in Alaska for most of our lives, our child will be first generation Alaskan (and, as James pointed out, one of the very few who was actually born in Peterscreek since there are no hospitals in our little town!).

2) James and I were both military brats—my dad was in the army and moved all over, his dad was in the air force and pretty quickly settled in Alaska.
Our children will probably never know what it’s like to see their daddy in uniform or shop at the commissary with Mama.

3) I was homeschooled starting at age two.
James went to public school. I actually subbed at his elementary and high schools while working my way through college. I even stood in for his favorite English teacher!
We both look forward to teaching our own children at home. James and I both love to teach and are excited about introducing our children to God’s amazing world.

4) I spent two years as a missionary in Moscow, Russia.
James spent two years as a missionary in Russian speaking Mariupol, Ukraine.
Even though we knew each other from church, we really became friends when we both showed up to an evening college Russian class while we were 17 and 18. Before the end of the semester, we were sweethearts.

5) On that following Christmas, I scribbled “I love you, James” for the first time in a Winnie-the-Pooh card. We remained best friends for the next five (sometimes rocky) years during which James and I lived in different cities, states, countries, and continents. Then I flew to Mariupol, Ukraine to be with James (and his team) for New Year’s. On New Year’s Day, we kissed for the very first time. It was two years later [Seven years! I knew how Rachel felt waiting for Jacob!], on New Year’s Eve that we finally sealed the promise of that kiss in marriage, but neither of us have ever dated or kissed another.

6) We house-sat for the first six months of marriage and quickly lost track of how many beds we shared our first year. We then spent nearly every penny of our wedding gifts and savings on a special three week trip to Ukraine and Russia to revisit our mission fields as husband and wife.

7) Titus is our out-of-wedlock child—I mean, pug. When my family lost our dear family dog, Esther, of 15 years, offers of puppies came right and left. When my parents were offered a four month old pug puppy, they immediately thought of James who had wanted a pug since childhood. So, Titus, born on January 8, 2005 (Brady’s 20th birthday), was adopted by me and taken care of by my family until James and I married that December, when he moved in with us. We adopted him even before James proposed to me, so it really is true that Titus “tied us.”

~~~

So, that's it. Those are a few facts about our life that you may not know. Maybe this is not as exciting as learning that we used to have a pet turtle as a child that accidentally got crushed by a rock : ( or that James used to compete in AutoCad competitions in high school (and win!), but I hope it gives you a little more reference for our lives.

Please consider yourself tagged! We'd love to learn about you and your life as well. Just leave a comment letting us know that you wrote seven things about yourself so that we can come over and learn about you too.

A Short Escape

Spring break is OVER. Spring break is OVER. I'm just going to repeat it a few times so that I believe it. I think I'm still mentally taking a break from stuff (like decent bedtimes, regular housework, and blogging). Now, I'm back though with LOTS to catch everyone up on.

~~~

For spring break this year, James and I decided to escape the regular routines and familiar sights of our life and escape to someplace far away to gain a rejuvenating and fresh perspective on things. So, we packed up our car, dropped off Titus with his uncles and grandparents, and drove to Fairbanks. Okay, okay. So maybe we didn't have the money or time (nor wanted to brave the airports) to really go somewhere more exotic, but from how much God blessed our few days 358 miles further north of Anchorage, we know it was just what he wanted for us.


Friday, March 7th, with a cooler packed with croissants, chicken salad (the best I've made thus far), pears, Amish cheese, summer sausage, water crackers, Pepperidge Farm mint cookies, and Henry Weinhart’s root beer, we set off on our journey. I love road trips. Maybe it's getting James all to myself, maybe it's listening to music or books on tape while watching the ever changing view, maybe it's the comfort of curling up with a pillow and blanket while the moving car puts me to sleep, or maybe it's the deep heart-to-heart conversations that come out of rolling for hours down the road with no end in sight (very soon anyway), but they are becoming one of my favorite modes of long distance transportation. In fact, I hardly need a destination, but thankfully we did have one, and a little after 10 'o clock we pulled into Fairbanks.


. . .

Alright, I won’t give you the hour-by-hour itinerary. Sufficed to say, we had a lovely weekend in Fairbanks. The Mitchells (A homesteading family of 9) gave us a place to stay, several delicious meals, lots of good advice, plenty of hugs and good conversation, and an offer of a home in Fairbanks should God send us there. The Boswells (a home schooling preacher’s family of 8) left beautiful gifts in our cabin (roses, chocolates, and sparkling cider), invited us into their gorgeous home, made us feel welcome and encouraged, and offered to let us stay in an apartment in their beautiful basement apartment should God send us to Fairbanks! We got hugs and “Welcome Homes” from the Tolls, a sweet card in the mail and a classy picture from Willhelm Austen, warm winter clothing on loan from the McEwens, an invitation to a family birthday party with invigorating, uplifting conversation on our Christian walk with the Young’s (Happy Birthday, Angela!), not nearly enough time with the Sarauers, countless invitations to come to the May 2-4 lectureship (sorry Stickels—we’re going to a graduation that weekend), and love and blessings overflowing.



We also got to keep our cabin warm using a wood stove, hold a 6 week old black pug puppy named Rosie (she nestled into my hair and fell asleep), go to the Fairbanks Ice Park (with a church group) to see amazing ice sculptures lit up with colored lights (we didn’t even freeze), have three adorable shadows in bonnets (named Phoebe, Grace, and Rachel), get involved in a snowball war (James did anyway. It drew real blood and broke a pair of glasses), watch Ben Mitchell do the Sunday night announcements without his glasses (*squint*, *wide eyes*, *squint*), play “name the country’s capital” with the Mitchell boys (we girls didn’t do so great with African countries), and drive home on Monday feeling refreshed, rejuvenated, and thankful for the wonderful people that rallied around us to give us genuine love and appreciation. It truly felt like a “hug” from God.



~~~

The rest of Spring break flew by. James worked and used his free time to catch up on his studies. Tuesday I went shopping on the military post with Mom (we got some good deals). I used most of the week to spring clean the kitchen and bathroom cupboards. On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, Isaac and Adam stayed with us while Dad and Mom took a few days to celebrate their 28th anniversary in Anchorage. Thursday they slept over on our living room floor in sleeping bags with Titus. It was a new experience to wake up to a little boy standing by the bed saying, “I’m hungry. Can you fix breakfast?” We had a fun three days together.


~~~

Now Spring break has been over for a week. The intensity and stress of the final five weeks of school is enormous for James. Thankfully, we’re in the home stretch now. Any prayers on our behalf would be appreciated though. I’ll keep you posted on the updates of our busy spring ahead of us!

Denali

After a stressful semester, James completed finals and moved on to full time work at Rodney P. Kinney and Associates. I was quickly moving toward the end of the high school year and had one "wellness day" to take, a "use it or lose it" free day off for me. We decided to just take a couple of days and get away to relax and reconnect.

After reading on CNN.com (no kidding) about how Denali park (the park in central Alaska where Mt. McKinley lives) was trying to coax tourists up to visit in May and offering nice deals to do so, we decided to call up there and find a nice hotel to stay for a few days while we scouted the area. Everything was sold out or not available, but I finally found a private hotel listed as the Denali Lake View Inn in Healy, Alaska. We booked the Misty Lake room, packed our bags, dropped off Titus at the Catos to play with Snoopy, and left on Thursday afternoon after I finished work.

It had been a long time since we had driven north. I love how you can watch the tree shapes change as you drive and see the tall cottonwoods and birches gradually shrink as the ground becomes shallower due to permafrost. Driving into the Denali region, the mountains seem to grow up around graceful valleys and animal life is plentiful if you keep sharp watch among the trees. Even though I am no stranger to a continual mountain view, seeing mountains that I'm not familiar with from every angle strikes awe into my heart. We laughed as we passed the sign "Welcome to Denali Park" a snowshoe hare nearly did a suicide run underneath our wheels. We swerved in time.

After passing the big, fancy Denali hotels in a little town designated for tourists, we traveled up the road another 10 miles to a little one-horse town, drove off on a dirt track for another two, and pulled up in front of a non-descript building sitting by a lake. The strict rules: REMOVE YOUR SHOES and NO SMOKING were placidly obeyed by us as we entered a pleasant, plushly carpeted home-like hall, descended the stairs, and found "Misty Lake" room.


It was a nice surprise. Unlike many hotels, cookie-cutter rooms decorated in hunter green and brown with ducks or flowers hanging on the wall, this place went out of its way to be as comfortable and kind as possible. The large picture window facing the lake (surrounded by mountains) had an accompanying porch where you could sit at a picnic table and enjoy a peaceful evening. A little table for two had been set with cloth napkins. The fridge was equipped with milk, juice, and a fruit and pastry platter for breakfast. A coffee pot and microwave invited you to make coffee, hot chocolate, tea, or cider for a cool evening. The bed was outfitted with comfortable blankets, sheets, and pillows (including a memory foam pillow that I wanted to take home with me!). Two little moose sat on the bed. A plush recliner rocker sat in front of a television that assured us that all shows were edited to TV ratings, there were no R ratings showing on cable. A little book sat on the dresser where people before us had recorded their positive experiences at Denali while staying in our room (kind of odd to think of too much). The nice sized bathroom was outfitted with a Jacuzzi tub. All in all, it was just what we needed, a soothing place that pampered us just a little.


After a relaxed evening, we prepared to sleep in, but we got a $700 wake up call (as James likes to call it) when the mechanic called to tell me that the simple wheel problem on our Subaru, that we had left at the shop over the weekend, was actually a much more expensive brake problem, which they would fix for $700. No fun. Anyway, we had a relaxed morning in our cozy room, then set out to see Denali.

At the park we discovered that we had come the last possible day to drive 30 miles into the park in our own car. On Saturday, the park would be restricted to paying passengers on one of their shuttle or tour buses and the restrictions wouldn't be lifted until the snow came and prevented travel on the roads anyway. We enjoyed the nice museum at the new visitors center with true to life depictions of animal carcases, bear scat, and fly larvae (no kidding) along with some nicer subject matter. Then we took a leasurely drive into the park.

Although we did not catch sight of "The Tall One" or "The Tall One's Wife" as the native peoples named McKinley and Foraker. We did see 24 caribou, 16 ptarmigan, 3 bear, 2 moose, and at least 30 snowshoe hares (we were sure that we counted the same ones twice after a while). I posted pictures of the first caribou and ptarmigan we saw. The bear was the coolest because even though it was far away, it was definitely a mama bear in a thicket on the river bed. James and I caught sight of two little brown rolly-polly things moving around with her. We wished we had packed binoculars, but a nice lady shared hers with us. It was fun.





After returning to our room for a nap (we told you this trip was about relaxing), we dressed up and went to town. Far above the valley in a hotel/restarant built by (literally, he oversaw the whole construction) one of our brothers from Fairbanks, Raymond Lynch, we shared a delictable house salad with bleu-cheese dressing and a prime rib steak all while enjoying a breathtaking view. In the middle of it all, I accidentlally reset the camera to take low quality pictures, but at least the clear ones remain in our memories. Later, back in our room, we shared a pint of Hagan Daaz ice cream while I beat James at Settlers of Catan (don't let him tell you differently!).



God blessed the next day and our trip home as well. The skies cleared enough for us to view the magnificent Mt. McKinley. We caught view after view from every angle and took our time driving back down the highway taking pictures at every stop. What a trip!

Too Much

This post was originally written 3/29/07. It's heavy material caused me to postpone publishing until I could edit it a little. It really is sharing my heart. I hope you understand.

Dear Friends,

I know if we want people to check and read our blog often, we have to update and add to our blog often. Once every six months or so does not cut it. However, some months seem to be blah months with not much happening while others are packed with way too much to tell or even completely handle. March was a too much month. But, in order to start something a little more reliable, I will try to wrap my words around it and share some of what happened.

This month has been characterized for me by an uncharacteristic amount of tears. The first batch were the best kind when on February 24, when I was home from the Anchorage Ladies' Retreat, my dad called from Virginia where he and my family were visiting his mother. "Andrea, I called to ask for your prayers," he said (causing my heart to quicken), "Your grandmother has asked to be baptized." The fresh torrent of tears after so many prayers (30 years worth) had been answered were soon replaced by happy smiles as we called friends and family for their prayers. We rejoiced with them again when she was indeed baptized the following day by her happy son. I could hardly believe it was true, but I've seen pictures and heard all the details: the cold water, Isaac leading singing, and Grandma's peaceful heart. After 88 years, Grandma obeyed the gospel. Praise God!

One week later, March 5, Dad calls again. "Andrea, Grandma has been admitted to ICU. She's stable now, but she is not doing well. I think you should come to Virginia." A new shower of tears. This time the phone calls were to travel agents and bosses. Four days later, Brady, Aspen, and I fly out of Anchorage for Minneapolis on our way to see Grandma (they had already been planning to go). James was to join me a week later. What a week! Grandma came home from the hospital the next day. She ate well and slept well. We joined her while she sat on the side of her bed with her swollen ankles crossed and sipped her coffee. We talked about memories, she offered advice, we told her of ourselves. In the evenings we watched Jeopardy or old movies on cable and enjoyed butter pecan ice cream with her. Before bed, we gathered in her room for a few songs to God and a prayer. She loved it. Each day that we were there, she was able to do a little less. We brought in a hospital bed and a walker, she fought them, then she loved their support of her independence. One awful day, the medication was particularly high and she was not herself and able to talk or reason clearly, which made us even more aware of her amazing lucidity the rest of the time. I wanted to weep and storm, someday we were going to loose Grandma, I did not want to loose her early to mind altering medications. She came through most of it by that evening.

I loved my role as one of many caring for Grandma. She had a little bell which she rang and we ran to see to her needs: ice water, ginger ale, or coffee. I enjoyed finding softer pillows to put around her, new comforts for around her bed, and preparing whatever I could to make her life a little easier. My mother and Aspen were good role models. It was hard at first to see my grandmother needing any support, but once I got started I found peace in being able to do something. My mother especially was an amazing nurse, untiring, sensitive, but matter-of-fact, gentle, and doing what needed to be done before the rest of us realized the need.

In all this time we did not hover constantly around Grandma's bed. She slept often, and we took a few days to go experience some of the special things Virginia has to offer. We visited (in various combinations over two weeks) Williamsburg, Jamestown, the Williamsburg Pottery Factory, Richmond, and Norfolk. My mother's parents from Ohio flew down (in part to pick up their car which my parents had driven down) to see us. The temperatures soared in the 70s and 80s, and although the trees were still brown, daffodils and crocuses and other signs of green sprouted everywhere. My friend Melody and her boyfriend Dustin drove up from North Carolina. Mom, Aspen, and I went to Goodwill and brought back arm fulls of "new" clothes. We laughed, joked, and smiled. Life was good and active and real, and I think that helped Grandma too, in a way.

Wednesday night, right before James flew in to be with us, Brady, Aspen, and I sat in the family room watching a movie, but our hearts weren't into it. Grandma not doing well. Instinctively, we all knew that things were not the same. She wasn't able to eat, and, for the first time, she seemed to be in pain. However, when Dad called hospice workers for help and advice, they said from their records and his descriptions that she couldn't be in any danger. I sat on the couch crying with Brady and Aspen, but softly, not wanting to disturb Grandma in the next room. As Mom and Dad worked to comfort her through instructions from the nurses on the phone, we sat in the family room and prayed.

Before going up to bed, I went into Grandma to tell her goodnight. Seeing my teary face in the dim light (and perhaps having heard my crying), she held my hand and said, "Your hands are cold." And then, "It's going to be alright." I knew she was comforting me. Knowing that she was my now sister in Christ, from the depths of my heart I said, "I know, Grandma, I just wanted to tell you that I love you. Good night." I bent down and gave her a kiss. I didn't know that was the last conversation I would have with her.

It was an awful night. No one could sleep. Mom and Dad didn't sleep because they were keeping vigil administering pain relief, calling nurses, updating family. After tossing in bed for a few hours, I gave up and sat and read Psalms in the living room. Psalm 139:16 brought comfort.

Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Your book were all written
The days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them.

God knew how many days Grandma would live even before she was born. It was in His hands whether she stayed with us another month or another hour. A little before dawn, my parents and I sat on the family room floor reading old letters and looking at pictures of ladies wearing hats sitting in open buggies and men in ancient uniforms. It made us marvel and smile.

At ten, the hospice worker finally arrived. She was shocked that the cheerful lady full of life who had sat in the family room during her last visit was already not able to talk and having difficulty breathing. She warned my parents that Grandma probably only had another week with us.

Brady, Aspen, and I left to get James from the airport. Our nerves were frazzled. I shook with anticipation of having James with me again. It was a joyful reunion. On the way home from the airport, we decided to stop at the PX to get something to celebrate my parent's 27th anniversary (it was March 15). James got a quick haircut, Aspen called Oklahoma to learn about her brother's surgery, we browsed around for a suitable gift and card. Finally, we returned to the house.

The family came out to greet us when we pulled in the driveway. Papaw, Grandma, Dad, Mom, Isaac, and Adam. One look at my Dad's face told the whole story. "It's all over," he said. "Grandma died at 1:20." We circled up to pray, but the phone rang. I turned to the nearest arms, Brady's, and sobbed. Another hospice worker pulled into the drive to fill out the death certificate. It really was over.

* * *

At that point as at so many along this journey, we saw God's blessings and His hand in everything. I praised God for letting me be there with Grandma the week before we lost her, even though to all appearances she was perfectly healthy. I praised God for her time of suffering to be so brief and her time of health so long and blessed. I praised God for putting my husband beside me when I heard the news of her death and through the grueling days full of family and funeral arrangements afterwards. He is good.

Family came to town. James and I moved out of the house to a hotel near by. People came. More food came than we knew what to do with. I met family members I didn't know I had. The day after Grandma died, the skies wept with a torrent. The day of her funeral was the most gloriously sunny day we had seen thus far. One week later, we flew home.

It is hard. I am sad that the house in Virginia where I spent so many vacations and holidays is being dismantled and sold. I am sad that cards and letters will never fly back and forth from our house to 1845 Pender Ave. I am sad that the matriarch, the hub, the heart of our family is not there anymore, leaving the rest of us to fly off into our own separate orbits. I am sad that my father no longer has a mother, I no longer have a Grandma Kuenning, and I will never give my grandmother great-grandchildren. I will miss hearing her voice on the telephone and receiving her spidery handwriting on my birthday cards. Sometimes memories come to me so clearly of seeing her face screw up in playful concentration over a Skip-Bo game, or hearing her genuine surprised laughter, or smelling her feminine scent, or feeling the soft skin of her hand on my arm, that I gasp and momentarily choke with loss and sadness.

But God is good. Even in the last, Grandma was teaching me about dignity and grace in dying. As much as my young mind cannot grasp it, we do not live forever here on earth, and I was so blessed to know and be with my wonderful grandmother for 25 beautiful years. Sweetest of all, I know she is with our heavenly Father now and will be there to greet me when I too go home.

God bless you.

Love,
Andrea

Happy Merry Christmas!

Dear Friends and Family,

What a wonderful year God has blessed us with! We are just one week away from celebrating the day when the two of us became our own family. Looking back over the adventures of the last year, it is awesome to see how God took care of us every step of the way.

Our first six months of marriage, we lived in six different homes as house-sitters. We cared for 3 cats, 2 dogs, 11 fish, 72 plants, and unknown water pipes as we lived in different locations around Anchorage and the valley. From the time we packed our suitcases for our honeymoon until July 18th, we never officially unpacked them. We stayed in a duplex, a ranch-style home, a three-story house, a cabin, a split-level house, and a log house. We learned about what we like and don't like and what's frustrating and what's nice (no cuckoo clocks, yes jets in the tub). However, when we finally found a cute little apartment in Peterscreek, we felt so appreciative for the means to settle down. We fit just fine in a one bedroom apartment with room left over for Titus (our pug).



In the past year James had two more semesters of Engineering classes (he's set to graduate May '08). He did great, although there were moments ... Andrea officially graduated from UAA with her bachelor's in Russian. James worked for a second year at TNH Engineering as an intern and draftsman. Andrea started work at Chugiak and Eagle River High Schools as a bilingual tutor. Both of us have learned lots this year and enjoy working in our specialty areas. Just this week (much to the chagrin of TNH), James accepted a position at another engineering firm in Eagle River. We are hoping that the smaller, more personal company and shorter commute will be easier for us in the coming year.

Since the beginning of the year, flying to the Mall of America on our honeymoon, we have traveled quite a bit as newlyweds. We helped chaperone the teens from our church on a trip to Lubbock, Texas to visit AIM over spring break. It was so encouraging for us to spend time with our teammates and their wives and other people our age who take their faith seriously and want to serve God in any capacity. Two of our teens then decided to join the AIM program this year, and we are excited for them and their coming adventure. Then, this summer we started this blog to record our amazing trip around Ukraine and Russia. We visited our former mission fields, saw old friends, made new friends, and took a lovely detour through St. Petersburg. We were so blessed to have the funds to take that trip! Thank you for your mission support in the past and your wedding gifts that made it possible for us.

Finally, we have been blessed to actively be a part of the work of the Valley church of Christ this year. James taught junior and high school classes. Andrea taught junior high girls (they're a terrific bunch) and some women's classes. Both of us have worked with the teens and young adults this year and have taken distance Sunset Bible classes offered in the evenings. God is definitely leading us into different areas of growth and challenge. We are thrilled to be able to work with such an alive and spirit-led congregation, and we find that every time we think about moving to Anchorage, Fairbanks, or the lower 48, it becomes even more obvious that God wants us right here for the time being.

We wish you a very merry Christmas (or as Andrea's students would say, a Happy Merry Christmas) and a blessed New Year. Who knows, maybe the next year we will be traveling in your neck of the woods. God bless you!

With love,

James & Andrea