The blog comes to an end

Well, we have ended where we started...right here in Searcy, Arkansas! Natalie starts back to school tomorrow morning and I return to Texas to be with my kids, Nate and Lily. It was a long, winding road which was filled with excitement and adventure...truly the trip of a lifetime!

Many, many thanks go out to Natalie's Uncle Jay and Aunt Jenna, who housed us in Tulsa on our last night on the road and welcomed Grandpa John, Grandma Barbara, Uncle Bill & Anna over for dinner at like 9:30pm, which was as soon as we could get there. They had hamburgers, guacamole, fresh fruit salad, key lime pie and brownies, among other things...nothing could have tasted better to us at that moment.

It was my first opportunity to be amongst the Lohrey extended family, and I loved every minute of it...here are three of the Lohrey men at dinner that evening...Jay, John and Bill.

Jay and Jenna also made a delicious breakfast for us the next morning, all while they were preparing to go to Hawaii for John's senior trip...thank you SO much for your hospitality! Also, to John, Lily and Molly...thanks for welcoming us so graciously into your home (and thanks to Molly for surrendering her room!). Lily, thanks for singing with us and John, we hope the game night went well! To all three of you we look forward to seeing you again very, very soon!  Enjoy every moment of your Hawaii trip!

For those of you who have followed this blog closely, I am going to leave this site up for a while...it will serve as the basis for some of our own scrapbooking from the trip...and I will try to update the slide show one more time...we have so many photos!

Made it to Denver

Right now road construction is murder! We are OK, and have made it safely back as far as Denver, CO!

Catching Up!

Well, today we were very glad to be greeted by civilization...signs advertising restaurants we know, real towns filled with a variety of eating and shopping options, even CITIES filled with museums and shopping malls!  We could stop anywhere we wanted, and I must say we did stop often to take advantage of all this region has to offer.  I am also happy to report that the weather is still cool here...I think the high was about 62 degrees today, and I am even wearing a sweatshirt as I type this.  We drove through grey, rainy weather most of the day and arrived here in Edmonton, the capital of the Alberta province around 9pm this evening.  Natalie has been nursing a small cold or allergies now for a couple of weeks, so we are trying to get her in bed early tonight.  I poured a bath for her, then went downstairs to get her hot tea from Starbucks (and an Orange Juice to boot -- love that 'ol Vitamin C!).  Then we ordered a kids meal to share from room service and now we are about to get her into the bed...but enough about today.

Back to yesterday, which was such an eventful day. We drove all the way from Whitehorse, which is the capital of the Yukon Province to Fort St. John, in far Eastern British Columbia. When you are driving the Alaska 'Highway', you face many difficulties. Rough pavement due to the terrain (it undulates wildly), a highway which may turn from pavement to gravel at a moment's notice and constant road construction (because they have such a short Summer season in which to do any work on the road).  In addition, animals such as bison, mountain goats, wolves, moose, bears and any number of other animals may be next to, or even on the roadway.  But the biggest difference in traveling here is the lack of civilization and the rarity of finding places to stop and receive services such as food and gasoline.  You may go 150 miles and not see another sign of civilization, when out of the blue, you will come upon a small oasis.  Usually it consists of a motel, café and gas station, all owned and staffed by the same folks.  Whatever they have stocked in their convenience store is what you can choose from, and whatever price they ask is what you have to pay, because there is no competition.  So you stop and get exactly what you need (nothing more), and move on down the road.

I was much more prepared for this return trip and had our cooler packed full of parmesan salami (the outer edge of the salami is ringed with parmesan cheese!), cheddar cheese, pretzels, peanut butter, water, salt & vinegar chips, crackers, some of Natalie's favorite candies and some cherries we bought at a farm stand as we were leaving Anchorage. So we were much better outfitted for this trip down the 'highway'.  Needless to say, if you need to stop often while traveling, the Alaska Highway is not the place for you.

We saw many animals along the way, including 2 wolves at dusk last evening, which was the first time we had spied a wolf.  Twice traffic was stopped by a herd of animals on the roadway -- once for Bison, once for Mountain Goats.  When you talk to Alaskans, they almost all fly in and out of the state, due to the inherent difficulties of getting to Alaska by road.  And when you tell them you did indeed drive to Alaska, there is a kind of recognition immediately afforded to you, as if they are saying, 'Hey, this guy is for real...he was tough enough to drive here'.  For whatever reason, having heard something of this reputation before we left, I determined that I would drive all the way from Mile 0 in Dawson Creek, British Columbia to Mile 1258 in Tok, Alaska, where you take the Glenn Highway another 328 miles to downtown Anchorage. It is a tough test, and I am proud to say that I was able to do it!  Here is a picture of me by the Mile 0 sign in Dawson Creek. I don't know that I would do it again, but it was fun to test myself and finish the job.  It is about 32 hours of hard driving, but worth every minute as far as I'm concerned.

And I will close with a funny story. Probably my favorite thing about Natalie is the passion with which she lives her life.  It is infectious, and I thrive on it.  But, sometimes, I have to reign her in a bit.  Yesterday we were coming up through one of the mountain passes, when we were stopped along with a couple of other cars on a sharp curve by a small herd of Mountain Goats.  I put my flashers on and pulled over as much to the side as I could, and we were honking at these guys to move, so we can get out of this precarious position.  Natalie has rolled down her window and is furiously taking pictures of these wild goats.  Now, several of them have SERIOUS horns.  And, on the side of this mountain, pinned down on a curve and hoping not to get smashed from behind, we have this interchange:

NATALIE: I want pet one...can I get out and pet one?
ME: (Laughing) No baby, you can't pet one.
------------- a few seconds elapse -----------------------
NATALIE: But seriously, I think I am going to try and pet one...
ME: (Distraught) No, Natalie, these are wild mountain goats, you can't do that.
------------- another few seconds elapse -----------------------
NATALIE: Come on, I am just going to try and pet ONE.
ME: (Shouting) Natalie, there is NO WAY you are getting out of this car to try and pet one.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NATALIE: But they're just cute little sheepies
ME: No, they are Mountain Goats, with horns, and I am not becoming a widower this early into my marriage so you can pet Mountain Goats.  No sirree.
NATALIE: (Disappointed) Okay, you are right.  (Smiling) But I am glad you care that much!

These are just the things you get into in order to be with Natalie.  I love to watch the world through her eyes, and I consider myself most fortunate to have a ringside seat as we go through life together.  It just doesn't get any better than that.  We are going down to Lethbridge, near the US border tomorrow and staying with the parents of one of the therapists Natalie worked with this Summer.  We are getting closer!

Still Safe

Made it safely to Fort Saint John, British Columbia last night at about midnight.  Headed to Edmonton today.  Much love to all.

Arrived safely in the Yukon Territory

Well, another day of Alaskan Highway travel complete!  We have arrived safely in Whitehorse, which is the capitol of the Yukon Territory. We had dinner at Georgio's, a very nice restaurant here, and are nestled in our room at the Skky Hotel. Having traveled up through here already, I had kept my eyes peeled for the better places in these tiny places we are driving through, and we are reaping the benefits on the return trip.  It is a very nice, modern hotel, and, wait for it...it has air conditioning!  Probably the only hotel within a couple of hundred miles that an advertise that!

The traveling here is just soooooo different.  You can go 100 miles without seeing more than a handful of cars, and no other signs of life or civilization.  It is idyllic and untouched, but not the easiest territory to travel through. Also, this is road construction season here, and we have traveled over nothing but gravel for long periods of time.

We did find this beautiful lake today, however, nestled in Western Yukon. We skipped rocks across the surface and enjoyed our time, but the bugs are driving Natalie to distraction, so we eventually had to abandon the spot...seems like the warmer weather has really brought out the mosquitos, which are a hot topic of conversation among the locals.  If you don't know what to talk about here, talking about the weather or the mosquitos will open up doors of conversation anywhere you go.  Last night, Natalie asked me if we could find a restroom somewhere, but we were in the middle of NOWHERE! So I pulled off at a little grocery store, which was closed, but the owner opened up for us (people are very, very friendly here!) We then spent fifteen minutes talking about the weather and various bug zapper contraptions that he had tried...amazing!

Tomorrow will be a long day of driving.  Our goal is to finish the Alaskan Highway and return to 'civilization'.  We have about 14 hours of driving ahead, depending upon the road and weather, but we should spend tomorrow evening in Fort St. John, British Columbia if all goes well. That will leave us a short day of driving on Tuesday to arrive at Edmonton, the capital of Alberta, where there are 'normal' roads / freeways, with exits that have, you know, gas stations and things.  Helpful when you travel.  It has truly been an adventure, and we are eager to return to friends and family.  Hope you all are ready and eager to start a wonderful week!

Greetings from Tok, Alaska!

Well, we have safely made it to Tok (pronounced Toke), Alaska, and are settled in quite comfortably at the Mooseberry Inn Lodge B&B.  Hotels are scarce and not always the highest quality along the Alaskan Highway, so I was glad to find a sweet, cosy B&B.

But, let me backtrack a moment...and tell you about the WONDERFUL evening we on Friday night. It began with dinner at The Bridge, which is a new, upscale restaurant right down on the river in Anchorage.  We had a corner table right on the window and were able to watch the fisherman trying to grab one of the 30+ pound salmon that flow right through the heart of Anchorage.

It was a beautiful setting, and a beautiful table and my wife was beautiful.  Here she is, with her plate of Alaskan King Crab Legs -- yum!

So that we got to try a variety of meats, I ordered the skewers...which had Rockfish, Salmon and Reindeer on them, as well as vegetables and roasted potatoes for each of us.

Dinner also came with an appetizer bar with salad, cold snow crab legs (we found that we prefer them served warm), beet salad, cole slaw, antipasta with salmon...and most surprisingly, sourdough rolls with a spread of cream cheese mixed with salmon (awesome!).   Natalie was so full and wasn't going to have the rolls and spread, but I gave her a taste, and she decided she really did need to join me.

After dinner, we went to a place called the Taproot.  Natalie and I aren't big bar people, but we love live music, and the Taproot specializes in acoustic music in a wonderful setting. They have good food, and it is strictly NO SMOKING!  So we saw a band called Alameda, from Portland...and it isn't every day you get to see a band made up of: a male drummer, a male acoustic guitar player / vocalist...a female vocalist / cello player and a female bass clarinetist.  They were great, we scored a front row table and even found an Alaskan Whiskey called Outlaw which was actually quite good.

Today Natalie closed her time with Time For Speech.  They have an annual picnic for the children and families they work with, and we felt very fortunate and blessed that we just happened to be here for it.  Natalie's boss, Kathie, has been a present from Heaven, and gave her an A for her time here in Alaska. Natalie has been desperately wanting an A in clinic.  And she got it from the Director of the Alaska Speech & Hearing Association!  Way to go, Natalie!  It was neat to see the therapists interacting with the families outside of the clinic.  They are very much like family and I was deeply appreciative that Natalie was able to sit at their feet and learn for an entire month.

This photo is of Sarah (on the left), one of the other therapists and Natalie's boss, Kathie, on the right.  Other than a mosquito infestation (I thought we had big mosquito problems in Texas, but they are nothing compared to Alaska!), it was a very successful event, and Natalie and I stayed to help them clean up, then made our way out of Anchorage.

It was an uneventful trip, other than the Moose sightings.  As we were driving out from the party, I missed my turn, and as I was slowing down so I could turn around, Natalie once again cried, MOOSE!  And sure enough, right in someone's front yard, there was a mama moose and her 2 kiddos...right next to the main highway!

Several hours later, we again saw a mama moose and her 2 cubs, and then, not far from the B&B we saw a male moose.  But these are things you get used to here in Alaska...and everyone is thankful it was a Moose and NOT a Grizzly Bear!

We are 90 miles from the Canadian border here in Tok, bound for Whitehorse, over in the Yukon Territory tomorrow evening.  Looks like the weather should be clear and partly sunny for the next couple of days, which certainly makes traveling this far that much easier!

Today's the day...

OK, team...we had a great last evening here in Anchorage, but I will have to write about that later.  I have packed nearly all of our stuff in the car, and am waiting for Natalie to finish her little bit of packing.  Nothing Natalie likes LESS that packing at the end of the trip!

Yesterday it reached a whopping 58 degrees...wow! It was also overcast and grey all day, but this morning has dawned crisp and clear...after we pack up, we are headed to the Mail Cache to check our mail one last time, hit up one more pawn shop looking for the camera, then downtown to the Weekend Market and Solstice Festival, and then finally, we will close with the Time For Speech Annual Picnic.  After that, we leave for Tok, Alaska...and then, to infinity, and beyond!

We will be hard to access via cell phones for the next few days until we reach the United States border once again...coverage is very poor and we don't have an international plan, so it is very expensive when there is coverage.

Much love to all...the journey back begins today!

Fun with family!

This blog post will be especially meaningful to if you are a relation of Natalie's, because we spent the evening with Grandma Barbara's cousin, Paul Moseley.  Our evening started with homemade chicken and potato soup, fresh berries and garlic toast at home.  Then we changed clothes and went to one of our favorite restaurants, called Romano's, where we met Paul and had cheesecake and coffee, while Paul had a dinner salad.

He told us many stories of his time in Alaska, and about the family members he knew so well.  Natalie and I listened with rapt attention, which was quite easy because he is a witty, lively storyteller, and he also asked many questions about the family and about us.

After a couple of hours together, we parted company and headed back to the apartment.  As I was pulling in, I remembered that we had seen, not very far from our apartment, a building named for Homer Moseley.  I am not sure exactly what the building is used for, but I think it might be some kind of Youth House, because there are always bikes parked out front.

At dinner, Paul told us Uncle Curtis and Aunt Margaret's address, which is also in our neighborhood, and we went to look it up.  It is a very cute little bungalow, and the current owners have obviously done a good job of maintaining the property.

We have spent the rest of our evening packing for our return trip, which neither of us is too excited about.  There is something about Alaska that gets in your blood, and it will be hard to leave this place.  But duty calls...I have not seen Nate and Lily in several weeks, and Natalie must start school very soon. Hope your week has been full of blessings...much love to all!

Our Culinary Adventures!

I have cooked a lot of our meals at home, and we have been pretty healthy eaters this Summer.  There is a very nice market close to our apartment called Nu Sagaaya, and it is a little bit like a Central Market (only much smaller) where they have wonderful produce.  So we have had fresh fruit and salads almost every night.  Last night I made homemade chicken teriyaki, and we added some Vietnamese Egg Rolls from the Pho restaurant down the street for the side (I have not been brave enough to try anything like that!)

But, I must confess, we also like dives (I am apologizing to my mother-in-law right now).  Our favorite restaurant in Anchorage thus far has been Tito's Gyros, on 6th Street, right next to our favorite museum.  As you can see from the photo, it isn't much to look at from the outside, and there is only enough seating for 20 folks (max) inside, but the food is AWESOME!  We have been there several times, and the gyro plate and greek salad are magnificent -- good and hot each and every time.  But the most magnificent meal of all came the other day when we were in Seward.

The secretary at Time For Speech is a gal named Ann, who has been here for 38 years (thus making her the closest thing to a 'true' Alaskan I have met) and she knows a lot about all parts of Alaska.  Her husband grew up near Seward, and so she is particularly knowledgable about that little town.  When she heard we were going, she told us we had to eat at Thorn's.  'Try the Halibut basket, you will love it', she said...so when we got to Seward, we were looking at all of these nice restaurants and making our choice (we couldn't remember the name Ann had told us), and we were about to pick one, when we ran across Thorn's, and I said, 'That's it...that's the place Ann told us about.'  But we went inside, and it smelled like cigarette smoke and we looked like tourists, so we walked back out again.  I was planning on taking Natalie to one of the 'better' places in town, but she said, 'No, we want to experience Alaskan culture, and that is where the locals go, so let's try it.'  She really didn't give me a choice in the matter, so I relented.

We went inside and had a basket of fried Halibut that was caught right in the bay next to the restaurant.  And it was glorious.  Plus, we were the ONLY non-locals in the restaurant (we knew this because they greeted everyone else who entered by name).

We had Alaskan beer, french fries and halibut, and I must say, my wife was exactly right...it was clearly the best choice in town.  Not cheap, but very, very good.  And we got to experience a little 'culture' while we were at it.

However, just so you know, tomorrow night I am making homemade chicken and potato soup and Friday night we are going to one of the nicest restaurants in Anchorage, called 'The Bridge'.  We have a 6:30pm reservation for a window table and my wife has requested that we order Alaskan King Crab Legs.  And so it shall be.  We will get dressed up and hit the town for our last night in Anchorage.  Hope everyone is doing well...our time in Anchorage is growing short...looking forward to seeing many of you in the near future!

An awesome day in Seward...

On Sunday, Natalie and I drove South to Seward, which is one of the places the cruise ships make a stop at the coast.  The pictures you are seeing were taking with a very small Nikon camera we got on closeout at Target.  They aren't nearly as good as the ones we were able to take before, but they will at least give you the flavor of what we were seeing and experiencing.

When we arrived in Seward, we went straight to the Sea Life Center, where we were able to get really close to the birds in the Aviary, like these Puffins.  We also saw Sea Lions and Seals, and Natalie was actually able to touch a wide variety of sea creatures.

Natalie loves all animals, and she had been waiting since we got to Alaska to see the Puffins...and what a thrill to be able to get up so close to them. One regret is that we have seen no whales in our time here.  Apparently it is too warm in the bays and inlets now, which is hard to imagine, because every time we are able to touch the water it is freezing!  But that water is not cold enough for the whales...

The Sea Life Center wasn't huge, but it was very rewarding...one of Natalie's favorite moments of the day was playing a game against yours truly in the educational wing.  Now, my Natalie is SUPER competitive, so this wasn't a simple learning activity...this was LIFE or DEATH! Unfortunately, my wife is also a genius, so I stood no chance.  She saw me do play the first move, figured out the entire game and whooped me...

Then. she needed me to take a picture of it, so we could 'remember it'.  Ha!  I will definitely be reminded of that moment in the years to come...

After dinner in Seward (more on that to come later), we went to Exit Glacier.  Here is a real glacier that you can get within 50 yards of the face of it.  We went and spoke to the Park Ranger, put on our bug spray and took off for the trail, which was rocky, but manageable.

We crossed a mountain stream several times on the way to the glacier, and anticipation was really mounting for us to see how close we could actually get.  The answer is...VERY close!  How impressive it was to be next to this wall of ice. The signs told us that it was alive, and indeed you could see water running through various portions of it and you could hear it groan and moan and heave.

I think it may have been a once-in-a-lifetime shot for me, and I was ever so thankful that we had made it down to see it.  It was a very warm, almost balmy evening in Southern Alaska, but as you approached the Glacier, there was a stiff, arctic wind.  It was amazing!  But, stepping just yards away from the glacier, the temperature rose immediately.  It was a little unnerving to be that close to a glacier, as well.  The only thing that separated you from certain death was a very small rope.  Hardly seemed to be ample protection against the danger at hand.  There was a Japanese family there at the same time we were with a little boy in tow, and he made me very nervous, jumping and running and darting around.

On our return trip to Anchorage, we were greeted with some of the most beautiful sights of our trip.  The snow on top of the mountains is quickly melting, and the runoff waterfalls from some of the points farther South are breathtaking...

We stopped for Natalie's favorite treat (Pizza) at the Girdwood turnoff, which is the only place you can stop between here and Seward.  Can you even imagine such a thing?  Two tourist destinations, separated by only about 130 miles, with NO PLACE to stop between them?  Such is the country you find here in Alaska.

As we made the last curve and began to come into Anchorage, we saw the best sunset of the trip.  The mountains were tinged with pink and purple, and Natalie and I found out what purple mountain majesty really means.

It was the perfect ending to the perfect day...the ONLY problem was that it was 11:30pm when we arrived back at our apartment, and it was mighty tough to get Natalie up for work this morning!  Tonight, Natalie made dinner for us, and we started packing our things and I made reservations for us, in preparation for the trip home to Texas / Arkansas.  After that, Natalie needed a snack...any guesses what she wanted?  Yep, Pizza...so we closed the evening with a pepperoni pizza from the Great Alaska Pizza Company.  Hope you all had a wonderful start to your week!

Chockies?

So, Natalie texted me on Saturday from work that she was really craving some chockies...and I had to text back, 'what the heck are chockies'?  She laughed and texted me back that it meant that she really wanted some chocolate!

Well, I had noticed a small café in town as I had been driving around called Modern Dwellers Chocolate Lounge.  They specialize in chocolates of every kind, and especially drinking chocolate, served hot.  We each had a truffle...mine was an Orange Drop and hers was a vegan coconut caramel, made with coconut milk...plus we had a mocha coffee, made with the drinking chocolate.

They also sell beautiful arts and crafts, as so many places here in Anchorage do, and have some of the most comfortable seating of any coffee shop I have ever been into. Needless to say, it was a hit with Natalie, and it earned me a few 'good husband' points for the day!

And a freebie to grow on...

So, you remember how I told you we met some folks up at Mt. Alyeska who were originally from Texas?  And that we went sledding with them?  Well, they took photos of us, as well, and offered to e-mail them to us.

I didn't really expect to get them, but offered my email address anyways.  Then, when we got home tonight after work, I found several emails from them.  The fellow's name is Van Bridges, and he took some GREAT shots of us!  Here is my favorite and he tells me there are more coming this weekend!

More awesomeness here in Alaska!

I finished up the website today for Time For Speech, and Kathie paid me promptly...what a blessing!  It will allow us to go to Seward this weekend...when high temperatures are supposed to be in the 80's here...

With her husband doing the design, Natalie made it onto the homepage for the website...can you imagine that? ;-)  Here is the photo that greets visitors to their website!  It has been such a wonderful learning experience for us both, and can you believe that we ENJOY spending all day together?  She told me tonight how much she loved having me at her work...and the same goes for me, as well...

Plus, I just have to crow a little bit here (my chest is puffed out slightly)...this photo is of such a capable, powerful and graceful young woman. She is far more than I deserve and has reminded me of the best things in life.  You can also see the delightful necklace we got for her in this picture....it has a pine cone charm at the bottom with a very unique pendant above it.  It really reminds us of the spirit of Alaska.

One of the interesting things we have learned is how often clients cancel their appointments with their therapist, or simply fail to show up.  Of course this is money straight out of the pocket of the therapist and has us thinking about how we would handle that if we were one that situation. They had four clients scheduled this afternoon and only one actually showed up.

Thanks to John and Barbara for their kind card...we received it gladly this afternoon at our PO Box!  This is probably the last call for mail if you wanted to send us some...as of tomorrow, we have one week left in Alaska.  We plan to have an EPIC final week, and hope that this finds everyone as richly blessed as we are.

Be proud...be very proud...

The news is that I am also working for Natalie's boss....retooling and redoing their website.  So, I have been able to hang around the clinic these last two days and get to see Natalie 'in action'.

As the month has worn on, Natalie has been given more and more responsibility...by her boss Kathie, as well as the other therapists.  It is a source of great joy and pride to watch her grow in confidence while working with a clientele dominated by very difficult cases...especially because she hasn't been sure she wanted to work in a pediatric setting.  Nearly all of the kids she is working with struggle with autism, and the setting can be kind of chaotic.

Her boss is letting her lead therapy sessions and also having her do the de-briefing with parents after the child's session.  This can be nerve-wracking, because all of these folks are older than Natalie, yet her boss Kathie is also watching while she does it.  But she has performed like a champ, and I think that this experience has been SO beneficial for her.  She told me today that Kathie was the perfect boss for her!

This is high praise indeed, as Natalie likes to run the show, but she and Kathie have an outstanding relationship.  And it has been so awesome to see it flourish in such a short period of time.  All the extended Berrios and Lohrey relations should be very proud, indeed!

Also, many thanks to Kathie, who allowed me to use her camera to get these photos of Natalie...here is my stuff, camped out on the desk at the Time for Speech Office...it was an added treat, getting to be around my wife for the entire day!

Trying to keep it going...

Well, no word on our camera.  Tomorrow I am going to try and hit up the pawn shops and see if it has turned up.  It has been such a bummer to both Natalie and I, because we love taking pictures SOOO much and it was SUCH a nice camera.  However, we feel better (more peaceful) today.  I filed a police report, which will apparently take several days to be officially 'filed', and I will check my auto insurance policy as soon as we get home and see if I can file a claim.  I am not sure what my deductible is, but I will figure it out as soon as we get home.

We will be leaving Alaska on Saturday, June 22nd...to make our way back south...which will give us just enough time to get Natalie back in Searcy for her next round of classes, which begin on July 1st.  I will use a few older photos right now, until we see if we can get our camera back or not.  Tonight Natalie has been doing homework for Harding, and I have actually been working for her boss on their website.

These photos were taken the other day at the Alyeska resort.  After we came down on the tram, we ran into a group of transplanted Texans (originally from Wichita Falls) who were using trash bags to sled down a hill on.  They invited us to join in, and so we did!  It was a real joy and blessing and a moment I think neither of us will ever forget.

The weather continues to be beautiful here, and we are still hoping to make it down to Seward this weekend...although some of the appeal is gone after losing our camera.  However, they didn't break a window getting into our car, and they left some things that they could have taken as well, so we feel grateful and thankful.  Unfortunately, the other main thing they took besides the camera equipment was Natalie's makeup bag, so we had to go to Target tonight and buy her some more.  All in all, we still feel very GRATE-FULL and blessed, and send a special thank you out to my mother-in-law, whose timely gift allowed us to go and quickly replace the makeup.  So a great big hug to Vicki!

A Very Sad Occurrence...

I am sorry to report that someone got in our car last night and stole our camera.  It is an unbelievable bummer to both Natalie and I...and we have no money to replace it right now, so that is all of the pictures we can add add to the blog.  SO sorry you guys...

Ever been touched an iceberg? We have!

Well, yesterday was such a big day, I had to have an extra day to recover and write about it!  In the morning, we left Anchorage and headed South. The high temperature was in the mid-70's and the skies were CLEAR!  So, we got on the Seward Highway and headed toward the southern coast.  It was a nearly perfect day and we had a lot of surprises in store for us!

It has been a few days since we went to the South, and we have had several warm days during that interval.  So, when we came through this time, the runoff from the Mountains was intense.  Every few hundred feet there was another huge stream of water flowing off the mountain.  With the sun shining down, it appeared as if diamonds were cascading down the rocks.  One of the prettiest sights I have ever seen in my life!

I had decided we would go to a little resort town called Girdwood, but the weather was so perfect we passed the turnoff to Girdwood and went on down to Glacier Point.  Obviously, there are many, many glaciers here in Alaska.  But what surprised me is how many of them are within 50 miles of downtown Anchorage, as impossible as that may seem! We wound our way off of the Seward Highway and back towards the Chugach mountains, and suddenly realized we were totally surrounded by ice-capped mountains.  It was sunny, 70+ degrees outside and yet everywhere you looked there was snow!

As we followed the signs we eventually found Glacier Lake. Here is Natalie in front of this lake...you can still see the ice behind her and the reflection of the snow-capped mountains on the water.  The ice floes are actually small icebergs, broken away from the glacier, which is just a little farther back in the mountains. The water was delightfully cold and we found the bottom filled with beautiful little pebbles of marble. It is just hard to believe that there are glaciers so close to civilization, but we have seen the evidence with our own eyes.  We didn't see the 'actual' iceberg, because you have to take a boat tour (read 'more money, please')...but it was still an awesome experience.

On the Seward highway we made another amazing and completely unplanned 'tour stop'. We were driving along and hit a spot where there was a little water and a LOT of people.  So, I pulled off the road.  I had prepared a picnic lunch for us, and we figured we would check out what all the folks were doing.  As we got out of the car, we noticed that most of the people were along the small shoreline and there were buckets lining the water's edge. As I walked closer, it became clear that some of them were actually wading into this freezing cold water, and were fishing!  But they weren't fishing with your usual rod and reel.  They were fishing with a large net, the kind we might help pull the fish into the boat with at home, and they were using no bait!  They were dredging the bottom of this creek filled with mountain runoff for a small fish called a hooligan. Apparently there is a short season here where these are running and folks (many of them Native Alaskans) gather at these spots and just catch buckets of them!

I had been told about a tram which takes you up the side of one of the Chugach Mountains where you can see for miles and miles and miles.  It is close to Girdwood, Alaska, at a 5-star resort there called Mt. Alyeska.  We had received a travel booklet with a buy one-get one free coupon, so we went up the mountain and not only found a BEAUTIFUL resort, but one that had a breathtaking ride up the mountains.  Now, heights are decidedly not my thing, but I just knew Natalie would love this ride so I sucked it up and rode up with her.

From the top, it seemed you were standing on the edge of the world.  Admittedly it took me a while to find my balance, but I finally did, and we were able to enjoy the stunning views from this mountain top.  They have a five star restaurant at the top of the mountain, and while we couldn't afford to have dinner there, we went to the bar and had a real cherry coke, and a cocktail that had rum and hot apple cider, cherry, and cinnamon. Both were delicious and the edges of the bar and restaurant were pure glass where it seemed like you could see forever! No wonder you need a reservation there...every spot was taken.  Here, Natalie has taken a photo of the glasses hanging in the window, with the mountain framed behind them!  I have tons of other photos from yesterday, and I will try and update the slide show this week with more pictures, so you can see and experience what we did.  This was truly our greatest day yet in Alaska.  This morning it was back to work, and we hope everyone has had an awesome start to your week! Much love to all, Ryan & Natalie

WHAT a meal!

Let me handle a few questions that we have been getting along the way of this adventure.  First, how long are we here?  Well, we have exactly two weeks left today (Saturday).  We will close two weeks from today with the annual Time For Speech picnic, and then begin our trip back South.  It will take us about a week to get back to Arkansas and Natalie starts school again on July 1st.  So, that is our upcoming schedule.

Second, several of you have asked via text or FB...are we going here or there, or this other place while we are in Alaska?  The answer is, probably not. We are going tomorrow to do a few fun things just south of Anchorage, and next weekend we hope to go down to the 'actual' coast in Seward, Alaska.

We have hoped to take a ferry out to the glaciers and things, but our money is very tight and I just don't know if that is going to happen.  We have to allow for a very costly return trip, as it sure is a long way up here, and when you are on the Alaska Highway, you don't have a lot of choices in regards to economy. Whatever prices they are asking for gas or food is what you are going to pay...there just aren't other options on the next street corner.  The next street corner, as a matter of fact, may be 150 miles down the road, so we gas up at each stop, just to keep on the safe side.

Tonight we ate at the Lucky Wishbone Diner, which is something of an institution here in Anchorage. After WWII, Anchorage grew from just a couple of thousand people into a real city.  During that growth spurt, the Lucky Wishbone opened up in 1955.

Tonight, Natalie and I shared fried chicken and a chocolate malt, and, while not exactly good ol' fashioned southern cooking, it was a mighty fine meal indeed.  We agreed to make a return trip before leaving Anchorage.  Truly, the Lucky Wishbone is straight out of the old Happy Days show!

When we came out, there was a SWEET Corvette sitting right in front of the main doors...I don't know if it belonged to the owners or not, but, wow, what a ride!

The weather was nearly perfect today, and we hit up some garage sales, seeking some affordable treasures to take home from Alaska with us.  The technical name for these items is 'Alaskana', a term I find most endearing.  We met a lot of nice people and one lady started giving us stuff for free...which Natalie loved, because they were glass vases and things, and Natalie loves glassware!  Plus, we were able to buy Natalie a very unique necklace at the Weekend Market that she has had her eye on for three weeks now!  So, all that to say, we feel very blessed indeed to be here in Alaska.  Natalie had her mid-term review today and her boss, Kathie, told her (and later me) that she was the finest student she had EVER had work for her.  It was a wonderful moment.

It has also been n important time for Natalie and I to learn and grow together.  There is something about being on your own that really teaches you things, and it has been very interesting to come to a place where neither of us knew a soul!  It has forced us to rely on God, as well as one another, and helped us to have the time just with one another to find the best way(s) for us to live together and serve one another.

We hope that each of you are also learning and growing, and that this weekend has been wonderful!

Fun in the Sun!

Well, the big news is...it was sunny here today! Alaska under sunny skies vs. Alaska under grey skies is just a whole world apart.  The temperature may not be very different, but your outlook on the world is when the sun shines through here! Natalie and I went to the Alaska Botanical Gardens tonight and took a lovely hike on their nature trail.  However, I must report that it has NOTHING on the Ft. Worth Botanical Garden...in fact, it isn't even a garden at all. More like a really pretty forest.  But we hiked through the woods and encountered our first real bugs during our time here (and you KNOW how much Natalie likes bugs!).  So that was fun!

Then we went down to the Anchorage Museum (it was open late) and saw an exhibit on the Arctic Bush Pilots who are still prominent here.  Did you know that Alaskans fly 30% more per capita than all other residents of the US?  That's because places like Nome and Juneau (the capital) aren't even accessible by road.  It really is an amazing state...

What a gorgeous day!

I didn't know you could really have sunny days with a high of 70 in June. But it happened here today.  The warm sun is beaming in on us tonight and it is almost 8pm...and the sun is still high in the sky.  I thought you might want to know more about what Natalie is doing in therapy.  I was invited to join the team for lunch today, so I took a photo of Natalie and her boss, Kathie.  I will take this moment to brag just a little bit here before Natalie speaks.  Today, Kathie told her, in front of all the other employees...I would hire you right now.  As a husband, I was VERY proud.  She is learning a lot, but it would be better if she told you, so here she is!

The day before yesterday I realized something inside me had changed. For the first time since I had taken the first steps toward becoming a speech pathologist, I really believed in myself...I thought, "Hey, I can do this!" It was a very happy and refreshing realization. My fantastic supervisor has let me have a lot of freedom with some of the more challenging kids, and I'm proud to say we have received positive results so far.

Most of the kids I see here are on the Autism Spectrum--some more severe than others, and therapy had always been an unfamiliar world into which I was plunged each day...always something new and complicated that I couldn't fully fathom... But I realized you don't have to fully understand everything to do good therapy with the child (or adult) in your care. Sometimes it's all about the small steps, and sometimes you keep persevering to find something that works.