Anchorage, Alaska

Anchorage, Alaska

September 21-23, 2014

Remember how I slept in that one morning until 8:00AM which was really 9:00AM my time?  We did not do that on Sunday morning.  Nope, we totally redeemed ourselves and got up at 4:30AM for our 6:00AM flight.  Not my favorite!  But the rest of the day was amazing because of that small sacrifice.  

See those sharp white things sticking up above the clouds?  Yep, those are mountain tops.  I love the look above the world.  Don't need first class to get this view.

We landed at 9:00AM and headed straight for a drive on the Kenai Peninsula. We had to make a quick stop, though.  Here's the deal.  I am a minimalist packer.  I will literally pack the smallest bag I can.  I don't even carry a purse, it's packed right in with my carry-on.  I just don't like too many bags.  Too much potential to lose one, cause we all know there's a few screws missing here, can I get an amen?!

Anywhooooo... I made a huge error in judgement that cost me dearly.  These babies...

Are SO cute!!  I love them!!  Until I walk in an airport with them.  Or more than 30 minutes with them.  I don't remember this, however, until I'm actually in them for that amount of time.  I mean, come on, I only wear them a few months out of the year, it's not a constant reminder.  So, in my minimalist mind, I thought, "Hey, it's going to be cold, these go up my calves, they are super cute with jeans and dress, these will work for the whole trip."  Not!  I was dying before we even left Pasco.  We looked around in Sitka, but oh.my.gosh, the prices there were murder.  I pretty much passed out right there in the store.  So, I became the martyr in the cute boots.  Until Anchorage with it's saving-grace Walmart.  Where I bought these gems for $16.97.  Oh yeah, that's better!!

And because I played the martyr card already, I don't feel the least bit guilty reminding you about the hikes we did on Sitka.

There were parts of Anchorage that actually reminded me of Utah.  Driving down I-15, you have mountains close on all sides for as long as the eye can see.  Beautiful, majestic mountains that shoot straight to Heaven.  That was how it was for a while.  Until the scenery opened up to the ocean.  Utah feeling's gone!

I loved the deep greens of Sitka, but I loved the Autumn colors of Anchorage even more.  It was pretty much glowing.  I wanted to capture every turn.  It seemed that it just kept getting better and better.  I could have easily taken 1,000 pictures of just one section of this drive.  Each would have been more beautiful than the last.  It was just stunning views.

 I'm not sure if you can see it very well, but there are three strips of water, close to the brown before the mountain, that are small.  Those are whales.  My camera missed the shooting water, of course, but they were distinct shapes.  I even saw a slight portion of the back.  No big flipper tail, but they were definitely whale.  And just look at the mountain and the colors.  And the blue sky.  We had the most perfect weather while we were there!!!

 Seriously, I try to look at these pictures as if for the first time, but I see the whale spots immediately.  Maybe you don't.  But I do.  Stupid camera should have zoomed the second I pushed the button.  It's all about timing, my friends!

As we were getting back in our car after our "Whale High" I was taken aback by the colors.  I LOVE fall!!!

 Portage Glacier was a place we were told was a must.  It was SO big and SO blue.  Funny thing is, when it melts, it makes the water white.  We went to White River in Mount Rainer Forrest with the Burch's last year, so I've actually been in a glacier river.  This feeds into a lake.

 It looks a little gray from this vantage point, but it's a white lake.

Portage Glacier.

Because Randy is always working when he comes to Alaska, he only goes to the towns that are needed.  Since we had a free day on Sunday, he decided that he wanted to see Whittier, Alaska.  There's a catch (or maybe this is the reason).  You can only get to Whittier by going in a one-way tunnel.  One that is also a train tunnel.  It has very specific times that you go each way.  This is what it looked like for miles!

 

We thought we'd grab some lunch at a local place and make it back for the next hour drive time.  Nope.  We drove around the tiny town that had one big building where everyone lived/worked, saw the ferry depot, and headed back for the tunnel.  Tiniest town ever.  Worth the trip just to see the tunnel, in my opinion.  I would not live there if it were free.

So we continued on to Kenai Peninsula.

 We had plans to make it all the way to Kenai, but ended up just making it to the spot that Randy saw two bears wrestling the last time he was there.  He was certain we would see more wildlife.  As it turns out, we only saw five moose, three whale holes/water strips, a squirrel chowing down on a pine cone, and a sprinkling of bald eagles.  Randy was super depressed.  Below is the spot that he saw the bears.  We didn't see them, but I got my favorite picture of the whole trip.

 The water is just so turquoise.  I could not get enough.  And like the fall colors closer to Anchorage, I wanted to take 1,000 pictures of every body of water.  It was just so stunning!

 

Incredible, right?!

We were almost back when Randy spotted this beast.  Which turned out to be three.  I like upping the animal count when Randy is so dead-set on seeing wildlife.  

We decided to walk from our hotel to the Hard Rock Cafe, just one block away.  Big mistake.  We waited for 15 minutes just for someone to bring us a menu, another 15 minutes just for our waters and to order, time for our food, and then the waitress never came back to refill our waters.  Randy is a huge water drinker with his meals, so he was done before they even brought his meal.  Then he finished mine half-way through the meal, which left us high-and-dry for the rest.  Then it took her 15 minutes after we had our plates, silverware, napkins, cups (which had been on the edge from the beginning as a little hint-hint, nudge-nudge) and anything else we could use to signify that we wanted our check and to get the heck out of there.  Needless to say, she got a $1.00 tip.  And that was only because I begged Randy.  He was steaming mad.  This was another time that because of all of the driving, I didn't get a meal  It would become a theme of Alaska, for me.  Drive a ton, see a bunch, eat dry toast or nothing.  Meh, I needed to lose a few pounds anyway.

Monday, Randy went to work in Palmer and Wassila.  I LOVED Palmer.  The small-town feel of the place was infectious.  If it weren't for the distance to Utah, I would love to live there.  Richland is even a bit too far.  And to visit Ashlee in Dallas?  Forget it.  Alaska is just too far.  But I would love Palmer.

 I had to get a picture of this type of tree.  They were everywhere in Anchorage.  I don't know what kind of tree it is, but I loved the contrast of the deep green leaves and the vibrant red of the berries.  It added to all of the other splashes that Anchorage had to see.

 Mount McKinley.  Tallest peak in the United States of America.  It is 20,300 feet high.  That is tall!! 

I didn't get many pictures of this drive.  I could say it was because I had gotten enough of the glowing yellow trees, but let's be honest, it was because I had my eyes peeled for wildlife for Randy, or I had my eyes closed with motion sickness.  Again, no dinner.  I had one small meal that whole day.  Denali Nation Forest was beautiful.  Please, all that we saw was beautiful.  It was the most relaxing trip.

Randy dropped me at the airport on Tuesday morning at 6:50AM, I made it home at 2:50PM, and was met with squeals of happiness.  

As an update, Randy text me this morning telling me he was in an earthquake.  The epicenter was where we had visited on Monday.  He was 103 miles south, as the crow flies, so it wasn't as bad, but still.  6.1 on the Richter scale is not what I want to hear.  All is well, but still.  

Alaska is wonderful.

We can check Alaska off of our USA magnet board.  Florida will come November 30-December 6 in Disney World with Make-A-Wish.  We can NOT wait!!!

Sitka, Alaska

Sitka, Alaska

September 19-21, 2014

Because Randy had some appointments the next week in Alaska, he booked his trip to include the weekend before, and I got to tag along.

Our flight took of from Pasco for Seattle at 11:00AM on Friday.  As we were flying over Seattle, I got the biggest pit in my stomach.  A few tears were secretly shed, even.  I just don't have a love for Seattle anymore.  Seattle = anxiety.  I was all-too happy to leave.  Randy got upgraded to first class from Seattle-Ketchican-Sitka, so he gave me his seat.  I have never ridden first class before, so it was a first time for many things this vacation. I can see the pull to pay extra for more room.  I am so spoiled!

We made it to Sitka at 6:30.  This is the view from our room on the 5th floor.

I love the boats, the water, the mountains, and the atmosphere of this hotel view.  The word that I think describes Sitka best is Enchanting.  It was wonderful!

Because of all of the flights and time difference, we headed to dinner later than most places stay open.  It seems like half of the town is open one day, the other half the next, and all of them close exactly at 5:00.  We got to dinner at the Larkspur to find all the tables full.  Instead of turning us away, they asked a couple of gals if we could share their table.  So we did!  I wasn't super hungry, so I thought I'd be safe with a Panini.  Turns out, the island is small, but their portions are not.  Look at this meal!!!

So they bring out the big guns for me and two small crab cakes on a bed of fresh greens for the hubs.  Yep, I felt like a fat cow at that moment, I tell ya!!  Good thing Randy polished off his own meal and helped me with the other half.  It was a fun night!

The next day was a day of sleeping in.  Till 8:00AM.  Which makes it 9:00AM our time.  Does that make me feel guilty at all?  No, no it does not!  Since the town is one that operates from 10:00-5:00, we decided to drive around and see the sights.  Since we were downtown, we had 7 miles of coastal road to the left and to the right.  We chose right first.

 This was a view of downtown.  Danielle asked me if it was anything like The Proposal with Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds.  Kind of, but not exact. I, personally, think they should have just filmed it here.  I like this town more!

 This was a state park.  I love the colors and the beauty of a gray ocean. 

 We tried to take a self.  Randy needs to work on his camera skills- look at the camera, Randy!!

I love the feel of the forest here!

 

 We literally drove to the end of the road.  I love how the street ends and the cliff begins.  We later went to lunch with a man that Randy wants to buy his product that said that this is probably one of the most taken picture spots of the whole island.  Everyone thinks it is so funny to just see the end of the road.

We took a few different roads to just check out the "island."  To our great surprise, we found this...

 Naturally, Randy wanted to drink.  It was pretty dang good water!

 

As we were leaving this spot, Randy thought he caught a glimpse of a fish jumping in the river.  It turned out to be a salmon run.  It was amazing to watch.

 We stayed in this spot for about 10 minutes, just watching them splash around, swim upstream, and just chill.  Sad to think that all of them die after spawning.  We saw a lot of dead fish!

There were some even bigger salmon swimming under this bridge, just a few yards below where we watched just moment ago.  It was so cool.

After our morning drive, we went back to the hotel to get ready for lunch with a potential client, as I said before.  We originally were supposed to meet with two men with their spouse/partner/girlfriends, but one of them ended up getting sick.  We had such a good time with Don and his girlfriend, Ros.  It was nice to talk to her about the island while Randy talk business with him.  We had a great lunch!  Then it was back to our sight-seeing!

 The bridge from the airport to the mainland

 Look at all of those islands!!  There were a few homes built on them as well

 And a lighthouse that would be cool to visit.  If we had the time

 This is the whole of Sitka.  14 miles from one end to the next.  Ros told me that they have a K-1, 2-5, 6-8, and 9-12 schools.  She said they have no more than 20 kids in a class, that they offer small motors classes (which explains the 10 boat motors we saw in one of classrooms as we drove around the High School) and that she has seen graduating classes as big as 175 and as small as 75.  I loved hearing her story about how she got to Alaska.  She was born and raised in New York, went to school in Massachusetts, back-packed her way to Colorado, hitchhiked to California, got on a boat with some people she met there, and made it to Sitka.  She loved it so much, she stayed and raised her five kids there.  I would use the same word to describe her as I do for Sitka, Enchanting.

 Trying our Selfie skills again.  I made sure to tell Randy where to look.  And guess what?  I got three good ones in a row!

And just like Casper and Richland, there was wind.  I just can't escape it.

 We went to the Sitka Visitors Center next.  We learned about totems, the discovering of paint, and talked to an actual bead worker and carver.  We also watched a 12-minute video of how Sheet'ka came to be, about how Russia owned it, how it was purchased and considered Seward's Folly, and eventually became Sitka.  It was fascinating.

 I love the colors of this one.

  These are 200 years old.  

While there, the bead worker told us that we should check out the 20th anniversary of their dance school.  She hooked Randy with "food."  He thought it would be authentic Native food, but ended up being hot dogs, hamburgers, and pot luck.  However, it was the dancing that made it totally worth it!!

 We were able to see three dances, along with the exit dance.  There were mothers with their babies strapped to their bellies, little kids, and grandmothers.  No matter the age, they were either singing, dancing, or banging the drums.  It was loud.  It was beautiful.  It was emotional.  I enjoyed every moment!

 By the end of the show, they had sang and danced to the back of our row.  The drums were so close, I blinked every time they hit it.  I felt apart of the celebration, I felt the joy these people felt to be showcasing their legends.  It was a very spiritual thing, for me.  I am SO glad we got to experience this.  And it just so happened that we were there on the exact day, just moments after the girl recommended it to us.  We were lucky!

 The stage was beautiful!  And the fire pit was hidden, you can see it in the middle.

If I liked the end of the road on the other side, I love this one even more!!  It was incredibly peaceful and serene here.

I could have stayed for hours.  If not for the rotting fish smell.  I tell you, we saw a lot of dead fish.  

We tried to find another local place to eat, but like I said before, everything closes at 5:00.  We headed back to the Larkspur for dinner.  This time we found the place practically empty.  I had had such a large lunch, I didn't get a meal this time.  However, with it being less crowded, Randy took a picture of the restaurant.  If you can call it that.  There is a recording studio, rooms upstairs, and a projector hanging from the ceiling.  We're still unsure what else it is really used for.

 

We didn't want it to look like we were really taking a picture, hence the weird pose.  We are so sneaky!  You can see it is just an eclectic assortment of chairs, tables, and instruments.  I counted 6 tables, with an undetermined number of chairs.  It just feels local, ya know?!

With all of the walking, exploring, and sights, we headed back early to our hotel.  Oh, who am I kidding, what else was there to do after the sun went down?  Everything closes at 5:00, remember!  That's just another charm of Sitka, in my opinion!  We flew out on the 6:00AM flight for Anchorage.  I'm not gonna lie, I was sad to leave.  I loved the feel of Sitka, Alaska.

Home

I made it home yesterday in time for the busy after-school activities. I was able to just jump back into life with my babes. Man, I sure missed them!! I had such a GREAT time, which I will blog about when I can, but I couldn't wait to share my favorite picture of the whole trip. 

Look at the colors!!! This was on the Kenai peninsula. The Kenai river was this turquoise color for MILES!! It was magnificent!!

I miss Randy and his semi-undivided (he was working, remember) attention. I sure love being together. 

Alaska is so gorgeous!! I have decided that I would live in Palmer, AK in a heartbeat! More pictures and stories to come. 

Or just pictures if you're sick of my words!!

Tattle-tail

Brennon was all in a huff about how everyone calls him a tattle-tail. 

After Brennon and Shelby finish gymnastics, they each get a stamp on their hand or foot.  Yesterday Shelby said that she didn't want a stamp, only a high-five.  I sent her to grab her shoes and to wait for Brennon.  She took this to mean that she needed to make sure that Brennon didn't get a stamp, and came straight to me.  As we were walking out to the car, Brennon asked me why I wouldn't let him get a stamp.  I said that I didn't mean for Shelby to come and get him, that I didn't mind if he got a stamp, that he could get one next week, and apologized for his hurt feelings about not getting one today.

When we picked up Keilie from her activity directly after, Brennon went into a big story, telling Keilie how Shelby made it so he didn't get a stamp.  His voice was very much that of a tattle-tail.  And Shelby made sure to say it as soon as he was done.

"SEE!!  Everyone always calls me a tattle-tail!!"

I explained that when you tell on someone, about anything that isn't dangerous but could potentially get them in trouble, it is a tattle-tail.  I don't think he even realized what the phrase meant, only that it made him feel bad. 

My poor little B-boy!

To be honest, he is the kids that will always tell on others.  He has been tattle-tail from birth, it seems.  If you don't want anyone to find out, don't say or do anything in front of Brennon!  Just to let you know.  On the flip side, this makes him the most honest as well!

Alaska

Randy is going to Alaska this week for work.  And I get to tag along.  For FREE!!  He had enough points for me to fly for free, will have the hotel and rental car paid for by work.  I guess, technically, it's not free with the meals we will purchase for me.  Bur compared to our other vacations, this will be cheap.  And wonderful.  And beautiful.  Four days of just Randy and Stephanie in beautiful Alaska.  I can't wait!!

Although I am sad to leave my kids, once again, with a babysitter, this time it's different.  Happier circumstances that find Mommy and Daddy away.  I'll miss them.  But I won't, at the same time. 

Here's to a desperately needed break after 7 months of hurry!!

Sheltered

I am so in love with my sweet Keilie.  She has such a pure mind and sweet innocence.  She is loving Middle School (gasp! my baby!!) but has had a hard time with two issues: Bus stop and Gym.  Although I never rode the bus to Elementary or Jr. High (which I wish they had here) I can relate to the Gym issue.

We teach our children from infancy about modesty.  Even as toddlers, my girls have worn white shirts under tank tops, one-piece swim suits, and shorts/skirts down to their knees.  There are many reasons for modesty, so it is instilled in them from the very beginning.  So, when the gym teacher had them change into gym clothes, Keilie was shocked appalled that some of the girls were so willing to get "naked" in front of each other.

"Mom! This school is so inappropriate!  They don't even care if you see each other in your underwear!!  I go into the stalls, for sure!  I don't want someone to see my underwear!!"

I had to explain that this was a normal experience in life.  I remember the first time I saw women walking around naked at a spa.  I think my eyes might have actually popped out of my head, face flame-red with embarrassment.  I have never had a good body image, so it is unimaginable that someone would actually walk around naked.  I commended her for choosing the stalls, but made sure to explain that if there weren't stalls, to just avert her eyes and concentrate on getting dressed.  This is an experience that I can't shelter her from, no matter how much I want to shelter her.  The bus stop was one way I could choose to shelter.

From the first day of school, Keilie came home agitated from school about the bus stop.  First it was the language.  I made sure to help her word things correctly to ask them to refrain from using foul words.  She was prepared for the next day's encounter.  When she got home, she was almost in tears.  Not only did they not stop, they asked her why they should, and continued to almost flaunt their horrible mouths.  She could not believe that someone would actually be so rude.  Caden started in with his own stories and said that it was basically a Rated R movie every day at the stop.  The last straw came when they started to bring their awful music and blare it.  It was almost as if they were trying to upset my kids.  Probably not (that is how I like to think about the world), but it was quite rude.  They both came home upset; Keilie almost in tears.

I know that I can't shelter my kids from everything, but I can with the bus.  They don't need to ride the bus like they need to go to school.  I can't shelter them from the words they hear at school, but I can from the words they hear before it.  I don't want my kids to start out each day with kids that don't respect them, that bully them, and that do things to be particularly cruel.  One day they will learn that things are hard, that people can be mean, that life isn't always easy.  But, for now, I am enjoying the extra 45 minutes I get to spend with them.  30 between the time they would be on the bus to the time we leave, and the 15 minutes in the car.  I LOVE being a stay-at-home mom!!!

House

Tyson's best friend (outside of the home) is Cassidy.  They play together all the time.  Mostly, they play Dad and Daughter.  Cassidy has the amazing talent of getting everyone to play "house."  They may say no to begin with, but will inevitably end up playing in the end.  She even got Caden to be her dog once.  Not only does it show that Cassidy wields her adorable cuteness, but that Caden is such a good kid.  He may not have followed her around on his hands and knees, but he did give a few "ruff-ruff's."  He is so good with kids.  That is why they love him!

Jamie and I are always sending each other cute pictures and quotes when they play together. 

"Let's play Mom and Dad with a baby."
"Kay, but let's have the baby be a robot."

Or

"Let's play Dad and Daughter."
"Kay, but this is going to be my gun."

They have never fought a day in their life.  They play together better than if they were siblings.  I wouldn't mind if they kept up the friendship through their married years.  Cassidy Burch Dirks-  I like it!

They other day, Jamie was watching him so I could get some housework done.  Cassidy's cousin, Eva, came to join in on the serious game of Mom, Dad, Robot Baby, and Daughter.  Tyson was excited to tell me that Cassidy's cousin came to play.

"What did you play?"
"Dad and Daughter with a baby robot and Mommy."
"What is Cassidy's cousin's name?"
"Mom."
"What?"
"No, her name is Mom.  I don't know her real name."

And that's how it goes.  No formal names are needed when you are four.  You become your character from that time forth. 

And you must speak fluent 'robot' as well.

Footprints

As the day of Caden's first post-cancer appointment draws near, I can feel a little bit of anxiety creeping into our lives.  It's like a pressure cooker, almost.  A little bit is added each day, each week, until the day of the Scan that will have us either letting off steam or blowing our gasket.  It isn't the front-and-center thought of our minds, but it is always tickling our sub conscience, bring us to a stand-still when we allow the fear to cripple us.  Thoughts like, "Are we going to have Holidays this year?" or "Is our Make-A-Wish Disney World trip in December going to have to be postponed?" or "Will we really be able to get all of the Burrell family together for Christmas?" or, the most heart wrenching, "Will I have to witness my son suffer again?"

Randy asked Caden yesterday what he would do if he was told on October 17th that he had cancer again.  His response, like so many throughout this whole ordeal, surprised me. 

"I think cancer was harder on Mom than it was on me."

His demeanor almost suggested that it wasn't really that bad for him.  He's moved on, not really talked about it, but I just thought it was kind of a coping mechanism.  So I asked him to honestly tell me if cancer had been that bad.

"Mom, I don't remember that much about it.  I remember the feeding tube, and that was hard, but I don't remember a lot about it.  It sucked, but I had a lot of support."

There is that amazing attitude that he's had the whole time.  The attitude that guided my own.  As I reflect back on the months of horror I witnessed, I am so thankful my son doesn't really remember.  Or understand.  It was hard on me.  It still hurts to think about.  I have blocked many memories, and try hard not to think about it too much.  I don't want to think about it.  I don't want to remember.

Caden endured a very physical pain, beginning with a internal-bleeding tumor pushing his tiny body to the breaking point.  Starvation at the beginning to ensure surgical priority.  Surgeries.  Needles.  Chemicals.  Feeding tubes.  Loss of movement, muscle, and endurance.

He also was attacked emotionally, but with honest conversation, it wasn't as bad as I thought.  Or expected.  I think Caden is right.  It was harder on me!  I will never forget, never truly get over what I just went through.  What our family went through!  He may have suffered, but he had drugs to help him forget.  We are not so lucky.

I do not look at this scenario with anger, though.  What an amazing miracle it is to hear these words from him, the boy in the bed.  We have been given, yet another, tender mercy.  We are still being guided and protected.  We are loved.  We are not forgotten.  And as it says in one of my favorite childhood poems, Footprints In The Sand, He is still carrying us.

Old phone

"Mom, when you die, can I have your phone?"

"Mom, I love you until you die and give me your old phone."

I feel as if I am being replaced for number one spot in his heart. 

Bitten beauty

Shelby came to me in a very serious state the other day. 

"Mom! Do you see those two dots on my neck? The ones that are sort of close together?"

"Yes."

"Mom, I'm serious, I think that is where I was bit by a vampire. That is why I have vampire teeth!"

She was dead serious. I had to tell her the truth. If you don't sparkle in the sun like a diamond, you are not a vampire. What else could I say, really?! I love my serious, crazy-teeth sweetheart!!

Five

Before we even began our photo shoot, Jamie said she had an idea that she wanted to do with me and Tyson.

I love it!!

 After that, each child wanted a picture with just mommy.  I was all-too happy to comply!

 Sometimes, it seems impossible that I have five kids.  At times, it feels like a lot.  Most times, though, it is easy.  How can you look at any of them and not think I am the luckiest mom in the world?

 Time has definitely made things easier.  My kids are getting more and more independent, they are starting to listen more and more, and for the most part, they look at the camera and smile when prompted.  Gone are the days of tears at a photo shoot because mommy was too stressed!  I only got frustrated once this whole shoot, and it was because they weren't holding the THANK YOU letters perfectly.  We all celebrated my screamless success with ice cream!

I miss them like crazy when they are at school.  I find myself looking at the clock, counting down the hours and minutes until they get home.  3:30 used to be the most tense time at our house.  It is still stressful trying to get homework, practice time, dinner, reading, and activities done before bed, but I now enjoy it more.  It brings me happiness to spend time with these kids!!!