Hope in Hope, AK

Friday following Thanksgiving, we rented a cabin in Hope, AK through the Nordic Ski Association. Hope is a really cute town about 90 miles from Anchorage on the roads (5 miles as the crow flies across the Cook Inlet!). We went during a snowstorm - driving to Hope we noticed the snowflakes appeared as big as pringles.

We cross country skied two days. Hope is part of a program that teaches kids to cross country ski. She skies Tuesday and Thursday evenings after school and Saturday mornings. It's pretty low key when you're 6, but many of the kids just a bit older can out ski me pretty easily. I have a glimpse of Hope out skiing me pretty soon!!

On the trail, this friendly dog (we nicknamed Dumbo Dog due to the size of her ears - not because of her intelligence since she was very bright and silly) adopted us and played with Hope

the evening and part of the next day. In the photo above, the sun is setting (it's 4:30) and the sky was the most amazing rosy pink. The picture doesn't capture it well, but it was so beautiful.

Sunday night, my friend Callie and I took Tatum and Hope to see the Nutcracker performed by a ballet company from Oregon with the Anchorage Symphony. Our favorites were the Russian dancers.

Fall Fun

LABOR DAY, SEPT 2009 (Above) -- We had an amazing fall trip to see our nation's largest National Park -- Wrangell St. Elias and the small town of McCarthy, Alaska. The weather and jaw-dropping scenery couldn't have cooperated better! Hope has proven herself as a worthy hiking partner, hiking 10 miles without complaint. We saw the most amazing technicolor bear scat - hot pink from the abundant currants and other berries (but no bears on this trip). We spent two nights at cute (i.e., tiny) historic hotel in McCarthy. We ran into quite a few people we know and we have decided to try to make this an annual Labor Day Trip.

NEW ORLEANS, OCT 2009 (Below) -- In October, we headed to New Orleans to celebrate cousin Vanessa's fun wedding and visit with friends and family! First stop was Lake Fausse State Park outside of Lafayette (Cajun Country). We experienced alligators (oh no cocodrie!) and mega-mosquitos and crawfish etouffe and canoes and Banangrams and a lot of fun with Grams and Grumps.

Next on the agenda was the wedding and its preparations. Hope was the flower girl - she's quite a pro and loves all the fuss surrounding weddings. The wedding reflected Vanessa's and Teddy's traditions and families and we had all of the cousins in one room for the first time in several years. We passed a good time yeah cher.

We had a 7-hour layover in Chicago on the way home. No better way to end a trip to New Orleans than adding on a little deep dish pizza and Millenium Park lagniappe.
WOLVERINE PEAK, AK, October 2009 -- Returning from New Orleans, the following weekend we took a hike up to Wolverine Peak (one of the ones in the Chugach Range that you can see from Anchorage). We didn't make it to the top because we got blueberry sidetracked. Good thing since the frost came the very next day. We got the last of the 2009 Alaska blueberries and we are enjoying them still!


HALLOWEEN 2009 -- Hope was a Snow Cheetah this year. Not to be confused with the Baby Cheetah in 2005, Plain Cheetah in 2006, Leopard in 2007, and Alaska Cheetah in 2008. We have had 3 Cheetah costumes in the past 5 halloweens. Alas, in 2009 it was not a white Halloween for the very rare Snow Cheetah (which was just fine with me!).