Pics from the garden

Tim built these hoophouses and raised beds this year

cabbages

tomatoes

my flower garden next to the driveway has rhubarb (not pictured), columbines and 5 strawberry plants

How does your garden grow?

6-15-2012

Last night we went geocaching again.  There was a new cache placed this week in our area and we were hoping to be the first to find it.  We were the first to log it, but a couple others had signed the cache log book before we got there.

The mosquitos are much worse around here this year.  I blame that on the wet winter and the marsh that fills the empty property next door :(.

This weekend we will be doing some fun activities with the local state parks.  Today Tim and the children are going on a guided flower walk.  Tomorrow one of us will go with the little ones on a geology tour, and the other of us will go with our 13 yo who loves geology on a more indepth geology tour.

Sunday I think one of my friends from my fellowship will be speaking in a business about Esther from a Jewish perspective.  My 14 yo daughter will start a CSI camp at the Challenger Learning Center.  We also hope to have some friends over for a campfire that evening.

I have some pics from geocaching last night, but as usual I am posting this from work and do not have access to those pics :(.

I hope you all have a blessed weekend.

update 6-13-2012

Life is good on the Peninsula these days.  The following are taken at Bishop's beach in Homer.  We went there with friends a couple of weekends ago to geocache, tidepool and just have fun.

Driftwood teeter totters

The mountains on the other side of the bay are just gorgeous

Joe is pointing out tracks he found

Looking for critters

Making s'mores

Joe is modeling his perfect Alaskan beach clothes:  raincoat/windbreaker, waterproof boots and a handy-dandy walking stick

My husband and I

Tim and Jae tide-pooling

The trees have leafed out, we've had lots of nice days.  It hasn't rained much on the kids playing soccer (unlike our first year where we shivered in the rain all summer!).  Tim has built four raised beds with hoops over them to create a greenhouse-like effect.  We're learning how to garden in Alaska.  It isn't too unlike gardening at 8600 feet in Colorado...  The kids are all home from school.  Two are playing soccer.  One may take swimming lessons.  Three will go to camp (two at the Challenger Learning Center and one at Solid Rock Bible camp).

We have family schedule to visit us in July and August, each for a week long visit.

I started a new job May 29.  So far it is a good change.  I'm not seeing as many patients as I would like to yet, but it is hopefully going to build slowly.  I'm glad to be out of the last situation I was in.  It was time for a change, unfortunately.

Hooligans made their annual Kenai River run

We have been spending our free time doing fun things with our friends.  Sadly, however, I just found out yesterday that they will be moving to Colorado by the end of the summer :(.  I'm so grateful for the time we've had these last 2+ years.  I've never made friends so easily.

Our favorite little bakery in Homer

Musings of Living in Alaska

I've been home for the past 4 days.  The first day I had a meeting with the CEO and human resources director in the morning.  They wanted to know why I was leaving and what it would take for me to consider staying.  I felt that I had an open forum to share from my heart some of the concerning things happening in the clinic.  For the rest of the day I enjoyed studying emergency medicine topics.  In the evening we were hoping to see some northern lights, which we did, but the show wasn't too spectacular.

In the evening I started reading a biography about a woman named Hannah Breece who was a school teacher in old Alaska.  I loved reading what the land and culture was like 100 years ago here.  There were no cars or planes and she did a lot of traveling by boat, dog sled and on foot.  She taught in several schools across the state and took weeks to travel from one school to the next bringing most of the stuff she would need, including food and school supplies for a year away, traveling like this.  She would at times be dropped off by one guide and left hundreds of miles away from civilization before being picked up by the next guide.  She'd just camp out with her gear by herself and wait patiently for the pickup.

On the second day, Friday, my family and I went to Alyeska to go skiing with my 12 year old's 5-6th grade classes.  All the kids had lessons, and I'm pleased to say really enjoyed learning to ski.  Tim and I took turns going up the lower lifts and skiing down on our own.  Some time I'd like to go skiing with some friends maybe, but I really look forward to skiing with my kids when they get better.  I just hope they all don't surpass me too quickly...!

Yesterday we stayed home and moaned all day for how sore our legs were after skiing on Friday.  They seem to be a bit better this time.

Over the whole four days we've been watching the Iditarod online.  I've really gotten into watching Aliy Zirkle take the lead for the first several days.  Right now she is within 4 miles of the leader, and still in the race.  We've been keeping track of the race through www.iditarod.com/race/current-standings/ and through http//:app.ionearth.com/2012/iditarod.  Our local racers, Mitch Seavey, and Dee Jonrowe are also in the top 10.  The current leader is the son of Mitch Seavey, so he also grew up in this area.  I'm glad to be getting a zeal for one of our Alaska sports, because I'm not really all that interested in (dare I write it?)...hockey.  I guess it is because I don't really understand the sport of hockey and the rules.  Dog mushing, on the other hand, is pretty understandable. (I still like basketball, though, and we did enjoy watching both the Cook Inlet Academy boys and girls high school teams win their regional conferences).

I hope to get some pics up soon to go along with this post.  I think my husband may be putting them onto the other computer as I type.

Just when I think all my ducks are in a row...

Last night I went to sleep thinking I've got this job in the bag.  On Feb 22 the board will approve my contract, then I'll turn in my notice to my current job and in two months (May 1) I'll start my new one.  Today I got a note saying that they didn't get me on the right list for the hospital board to approve my contract, so it will have to wait until March 28!  So now I have to make a decision.  Do I put in my notice without a signed contract and risk whether it might fall through, or do I wait another full month before I change jobs?  Ugh!  They sure don't make getting hired at the hospital easy.

Some pics...finally

Soldotna Sunrise

Mount Redoubt

View Not Far from Home (moose on road)

This is me from Becoming Outdoor Women Alaska 2011

T-shirt hanging on a wall in Talkeetna restaurant 2011

This is from a family getaway to Talkeetna last year (that's my family)

Also my family in Talkeetna last year (sorry it's so dark)

Mount Denali (McKinley to those from outside Alaska)

A Random Shop in Talkeetna 2011

I've got more, but these are all more of a winter theme. 

I went to our congregation this morning.  It was really a great time.  We were reading and talking about Exodus 18 and 19.  Ex 19:5 really tugged at my heart where God told the Israelites that if they would obey Him He would make them His special treasure.  When I read that, it makes me long for that and makes me feel jealous of them.  Then I read Titus 2:11-14 and saw where Paul wrote to Titus (a Greek) that if he followed God and obeyed His commands and all that He told Him to do, that He would make Him his own special possession and also that this was a word for all peoples (vs 11).  I am so glad that God opened His heart to the whole world and calls us all to be His special treasure if we will but obey Him and His commands.

On the way home from there, my girls and I sang How He Loves Us, and the song also came to my heart about His Banner over Me is Love.  Sweet times.

I hope you are having a great weekend and draw close to Him also.