My little granddaughter do very far away..thank you Dawn for your gift to capture her essence so well that I can enjoy her even with all the miles between us.
Back in January my sister and niece came to visit for a few days. I love these pictures! And even more so, the people who are in them. =}
Isn’t she gorgeous??
Today! Today is a Sunday when most people wind their way to churches. To sit and listen to an inspirational sermon, or maybe one of conviction. Both to try to bring us a closer understanding of who God is. To ease our conscious of this that we did wrong or we perceived were wrong. To right a wrong.
Others finish chores before their work begins. Dishes done, laundry folded, kid’ homework finished for the next week.
Always something to do, to keep us distracted. Distracted from what it truly important. And I ask what is important. What are we missing in the time when work and school is put on hold for two days. How bout a little peace?
How bout a little down time to reflect on what we did this past week?
Not so much on what we accomplished but did we help someone.
Did we even notice if someone needed something?
Did we hear their pain when speaking to them? The pain etched around their eyes that they tried to hide with a smile and “I’m fine.”
Or in our own pain not see someone else’s. Did we let our own worries and fears cloud us from seeing someone else’s? I know that there are days that I can diffidently say I did not see or want to see. So all-consuming was my own pain.
But this is not to beat us up but to offer a way of peace.
Nature! In all its glory!
It is there for us to pause a moment to reflect that there is something more than all the pain.
Something that is beautiful and breathtaking. All we have to do is open our eyes. Maybe look up to the sky; even down to the ground.
God’s creation is all around us. We only need to open ourselves to this beauty and then the worries fade for a moment, the pain is eased for a while. Maybe a hurt can be soothed and allowed to start to heal. If we only look. Look at the trees, the ground, the rocks, the ants, the spiders, the sky, the snow, all around us is a beauty that is there waiting to be appreciated.
I have tried to capture some of those things here. Take a moment and reflect on God’s creation.
So here I am 5 weeks since my son left for Operation Enduring Freedom. I have gone through many emotions and have come to terms with most of them. I have also come to figure out why people say “We walk through deployment.”
It is not something that you can put aside you have to literally learn to live with it and see it all the way to the end. My hat is off to all who have to “walk through deployment”.
Anyway, I have taken the camera out and here are some of the pictures I have taken.
I hope you enjoy them!
Winter!
In Alaska you are never assured what the winter is going to bring. Sometimes it can be warm, little snow, and windy.
Other times there can be lots of snow and sub zero temperature.
This winter of 2011/12 seems to be filled with snow and sub zero temperature. Valdez and Cordova had a record 10 feet of snow within 24 hours. Now that is alot of snow.
Here north of the city of Anchorage, we have had snow but not the 12 inches the forecasters were saying we were suppose to get.
Now today, January 15th it is -17 F. Now that’s cold.
Official Temperature for 1/15/2012
In the following days I will be posting pictures of this marvelous wonderland.
STAY TUNED!
This new year is starting out with SNOW!
In the City of Cordova, the new year brought 15 inches of new snow. The guard was called in to help clean it up before the weather warmed up.
In Wasilla, there was about half of that. Snow makes the landscape beautiful but the roads hazardous. Anywhere else life would come to a halt. Not so here. Kids still have school, adults still need to make it to work.
Ah! Living in Alaska is never without adventure.
A Story I just have to share!
My second son joined the army in November 2009, during his senior year of high school. In May, 2010, he graduated.
In July, he was off to basic. Being raised an army brat gave me an advantage. So I knew things and of course my mom filled in the blanks.
We went to graduation at Ft Benning and of course I believed that would be the last time I would see my son for awhile. I do have to say that going to the Basic graduation is a must for any parent.
Then the most amazing thing, what I can only describe as a true blessing from God. It only happens like less than a half a percent. My son was stationed in his home state of Alaska. Not 40 miles from where he grew up. I was amazed and felt so blessed.
During his year at Ft Richardson he was able to come home on weekends and nights if he wanted. He also brought home the most amazing young men.Those young soldier who were far from home became part of my family. They would come out and stay on weekends. One of them was married and hiswife arrived here in September. She is like a daughter that I never had.
The Gang!
The Weekends!
Anyway, I knew my time was limited, I knew this young battalion was going to be deployed this December. But it seemed so far away in the
summertime of Alaska’s long days. Then the days grew shorter.
Finally after many false starts: dates were set. Ceremony was held.
Casing the Color
The first were sent.
Then came my guys turn.
That night in December is a night I will never forget. The pride, the fright, the struggle to keep it together. Not just for my son but for the other guys and my family who had grown to include not one but four young girls.
That night I watched my son became a soldier. I watched as he checked his gun and gear. And I wanted to yell and scream but I stood with pride. Because he was proud. Proud to be an American army soldier as his grandpa, my dad, was. All my guys were proud to be serving their country.
I’m so glad I had a year to watch this transformation to get to know the other four so far from home. Proud sons of proud mothers.
Now we walk through this thing called deployment. But for me, I still have fear, I still don’t sleep much waiting for that call. But I rejoice in the
blessing that I was given. I know God is in control.
God watch over the Task Force the Spartans. The 3/509th task force gold Geronimo. Keep them safe. But most of all keep them focused.
Please enjoy this slideshow of that night.
This summer my garden of flowers did the best I have done since moving to this property in 2007.
Some survived the long winter, being frozen in ice. These were the pleasant surprises.
After May 15th, I would plant the plants that I had chosen for this summer. I am not one who remembers names of the plants. And frankly some of them I cannot pronounce. But they are gorgeous thus finding a place.
As the summer marches on so grows my flowers. Enjoy these pictures.
This next one was the crown jewel this year!!
Here are more photos that I have taken through the years of this beautiful state. I hope you enjoy them.
A Heart for Alaska 