Our first two weeks in Anchorage - posted January 13

Hi friends and family! We are trying this blog thing again since we have so many things that are fun to share. We arrived in Alaska December 30, 2007 to make sure we were here at the beginning of the year so we could particpate in the 2008 Alaska Permanent Dividend Fund. (Some of you may have heard you get paid to live in Alaska - and this is what they mean. Every man, woman, and child gets anywhere between $1,000-$2,000/year for being a resident.) As we were taking the angel off the top of the tree December 26, we weren't sure that it was worth the post-Christmas rush to get here. But, now that we are here, then I guess it worked out just fine.

We've been busy figuring out our way around town - Hope's school, the best grocery, where to buy warm socks (never knew my feet would get be so cold all the time!), the way back to our cubicles from the bathroom at work, our hotel, our apartment, etc. We are getting it down, a bit. It'll change some more when we actually move into our house which is scheduled for February 1.

This photo is of the entrance to Nic's work. It seems weird to see a BLM sign with snowy trees in the background.

On the weekends we have made it a priority to get outside and do stuff - nevermind the dang cold (and today was the coldest it's been all season - the high was zero and when we returned from pizza tonight, the thermostat on our car said minus 4).

Here is a picture of Hope and Nic skiing last weekend at Hilltop Ski Area. Hilltop is the little ski area in town that is about a 10-15 minute drive from our house. Can you see the ski jumps in the background? Hope really wants to ski off of those, but we are explaining that she has to learn how to ski first. She seems kind of exasperated at that fact. (Mom - we had her in the car right before this picture. Don't worry - we are keeping mittens on her when we're playing outside!)

Notice the frosty face on Nic? Check out the bear sign behind him...

I skied here yesterday (I had frosty eyebrows and eyelashes). It's great because Nic and I can cross country ski while Hope takes her two hour downhill lesson ($25 including lift ticket - you can't beat that price!). Nic and I took different trails yesterday (mine was flatter). My trail was probably groomed within the previous 6 hours, and there were more animal tracks (moose, coyote(?), etc.) than ski tracks. I was trying to make a lot of noise without completely embarassing myself just in case I came across another skier (I didn't). I swear that one of those tracks had rrreeaallllyyy long nails (I was thinking bears - but maybe I have an active imagination - and I did see that sign before I started skiing).

Today is Hope's 5th birthday. Where did the time go? We got her ice skates for her birthday, but they were kind of a bust since they're a little uncomfortable. Novice Alaska parents didn't see how they fit BEFORE we got out of the car at -1 degree, and I admit we didn't do a real good job of getting them adjusted to her feet. She doesn't complain much usually, but she could hardly walk, let alone skate. So, our plan this week is to get those skates figured out. I, however, did skate for about a mile just enough to feel like I did something, and Nic skied around the lagoon (where Hope and I skated). Here are some photos from our adventures today.

Hope and me on Westchester Lagoon (close to downtown). This is before we had to extricate the skates.

Below is a photo of all of us with Anchorage in the background. We are near the airport (on a little excursion following ice skating).

Here are some candles (blowing out and subsequent licking of chocolate icing) from a few hours ago in our little rental apartment.