I feel like I'm constantly going one step forward and two steps back with this blog, but I'm just stubborn enough to not give up on it. I think it helps that I just recently ordered my blog books for 2011-2013 and I just LOVE them. It's such a great way to see our life through the years and I really want to catch up.
It's crazy to me that I'm just now writing about our trip to Alaska... not this last summer, but two summers ago. It could almost seem ridiculous to even bother at this point, but for the continuity of the timeline and more importantly for the books that I get made from this blog I am trudging on and once again trying to commit to getting caught up. I completely understand if no one finds what we did 18 months ago interesting. The few people that might have read this blog at one time probably gave up on getting anything new awhile ago, so at this point I'm doing this for myself ☺
So...in the summer of 2014, just a week after Elly graduated from Strong Beginnings pre-school, she and I left for our annual trip back home to Alaska. These trips are a mixture of emotions for me. I love going home to Alaska, seeing my parents and siblings and giving Elly the opportunity to know my side of the family and her cousins. I HATE (or strongly dislike), the long, long flights, leaving Sam for a couple of months, being away from my Gabby, and being away from my home and Germany for most of the summer. It seems there is never the good without the bad too. I guess that's life. At this point the good outweighs the bad though because if I didn't go home it might be years without seeing my family and that's just not ok with me.
Anyhow, I'll quit rambling and continue with photos from our time there.
Even if we take the Condor flights that go directly from Frankfurt to Fairbanks, it's still exhausting and we're so tired by the time we reach Alaska. Mom and Dad and Kristy's family met us at the airport. Elly had fallen asleep on the last hour of the trip, so she was really out of it and super shy when her cousins came running up.
Elly and Mom are two peas in a pod when we're home. Elly loves all the projects Mom gets into and loves joining in on the adventures. Whether it's going out to the greenhouse in the rain or counting how many walking sticks Mom has Elly is up for the challenge.
I got to meet my newest little nephew. Such a sweetie!
One day when Kristy's family was down to Delta we all went out to Rika's Roadhouse. We love going there for lunch and to just walk around. Elly was finally warming up to her cousins and had fun with them.
Another day and more projects with Mom. They were loading up the 4-wheeler to go to the end of the driveway to plant some flowers. Elly loves doing things with Mom.
David and Kristy were getting ready to move, so we wanted to spend as much time with them as possible. Elly has always loved babies and she really loved having the freedom to love on this little guy when we were together.
This is a site I love and never get tired of seeing when I go home. At some point we always see moose. We don't, however, always see twin babies and have such a nice opportunity to get photos.
Sometimes a weekend at home requires a run to the dump. This was the excitement for the day What can I say? We're easily entertained.☺
The 4th of July we spent in Fairbanks with David and Kristy. We spent the night before in a hotel. Elly enjoyed taking Sweetie for a walk the next morning.
Here's another one of Grandma's ongoing projects. Working in the garden. I think Elly was Mom's shadow whenever she was outside.
Riding the 4-wheeler is always a fun way to spend a day.
Playing around in the greenhouse.
On their way out of Alaska, David and Kristy came and stayed a couple of days at Mom and Dad's. It was nice spending some time with them. It's too bad they won't be in Alaska next time we come up. It's been so nice being able to see all my family when I come home in the summers. The kids had so much fun playing together. I just wish we all lived closer together so they could stay close.
This was after church on Sunday. Too bad Sam wasn't there.
One day we saw this stray kitten by the shed in the back yard. He was the nicest cat. Very friendly and of course we couldn't just ignore him. The kids loved playing with him, but since Dad is allergic to cats they had to wash up good before coming back inside. We did end up finding someone to take the cat. I'm always glad when an animal gets a good home.
They left Mom and Dad's and planned to spend the night in Tok. Just for fun we got up early and drove down to eat breakfast with them before they headed out of Alaska.
Chopping wood with Papa.
Our beautiful Alaska Range in Delta. I love these mountains. They look like home to me.
This was under Elly's bed. She's such a little packrat. Everything she found went under her bed.
Going to the parade and fair in Delta is always fun. Elly had fun getting candy.
We start them young in Alaska. I love seeing her learn about guns at this age and there is no one I would rather teach her than my brother. He was so good with her, although Elly was frustrated because she wanted to hold the gun all. by .herself. Not quite yet, my impatient little girl ☺
Leaving my home and family never gets easier, BUT the time comes when I have to return to Germany and to my husband. I'm so thankful I'm able to go home and spend as much time as I do. I'm so thankful for my parents. I love them more as the years go by and it's so hard to be away from them. I'm still hoping the time comes when I can live closer to them and not just have a visit once a year. Visit are great, but I always say it's not enough. I want the everyday interactions, the holidays together, the game nights and dinners together, not just the few weeks I visit. I'm glad that when we go I've been able to stay long enough that Elly makes herself at home and gets to know Mom and Dad very well. She loves her Mom and Papa ♥
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