Another day, another dollar!

I am glad to say that we have spent a quiet evening in our apartment...spaghetti, salad, garlic bread...oh yeah!  It was a pretty day and we have spent the evening watching Danny Kaye movies!  How perfect is that?  Tomorrow we are both going to lunch at Natalie's clinic...I've been invited to join them because they are celebrating one of the staff member's birthdays!  This weekend we will be doing more exploring -- so keep your eyes pealed for more fun stuff!

For those who are interested...I have added a small slide show over in the sidebar covering the wedding and all of the proceedings!

Further Explorations...

Sorry that I haven't been as vocal on the blog in the past forty eight hours...we have been working really hard!  But tonight we were able to kick back a bit and do some more exploring!

One caveat to this whole deal where I cook and clean and handle all the chores...I have always been involved in cleaning and cooking on the grill, but never very much IN the kitchen...so that has been QUITE an adventure for me.  So, I am quite proud to say that tonight we had HOMEMADE chicken soup...and that I received a very good grade from my wife!  We also had some wonderful berries...Alaska is known for their blueberries and I added raspberries and strawberries to the mix...and I found a little bakery and got a loaf of cinnamon bread...yum!  That will also be Natalie's breakfast in the morning (she was bored with all the choices in the apartment, so I brought her doughnuts and coffee to work this morning for a bit of a special delivery!)

After dinner we went to a nearby park, and played baseball...one of our new, favorite pastimes!  I think we may seek out a co-ed softball league we enjoy playing together so much.  Although Natalie hates the heat, so we shall have to see...

After baseball, we had a snack and headed out of Anchorage to the south, where we will do more exploring this weekend.

Anchorage is the one reasonably flat place in this part of Alaska, and you only have to be five minutes south of town in order to hit the wilderness again.  We traveled south for about 20 minutes, and stopped at Beluga point, where there are often Beluga Whale sightings.  The tide was just beginning to come in tonight,  so we saw no whales, but the rest of the scenery was gorgeous, and the temperature dropped immediately as we headed into the mountains..Natalie added two layers and was still freezing!

This picture is taken from Beluga Point, and is representative of our lives together.  I truly think Natalie is the funniest person on the planet...she keeps me in stitches day after day.  I couldn't even take this photo, because she had me laughing so hard.

This scene is played over and over in our lives...she cracked me up all day long today!  We certainly argue and occasionally get on each other's nerves, but I have never known anyone I am so happy to be around for DAYS at a time.

On our way back home, we stopped at another turnout and there was a little 'waterfall', which was really just mountain runoff.  I suggested we go see how cold the water was, and Natalie scoffed.  I went and touched it and started hopping up and down it was so cold, so she approached and scoffed again, until she reached in and touched it.  This is her at the exact moment of contact, and she shot out of there like a rocket! Don't think she will say that again!

Deep thanks to John and Barbara for the lovely card and address book...we were awed by your graceful love!

Alaska #2

Alaska, a set on Flickr.

We added a lot more photos, if you are bored enough to check them out!

Seeing the world through Natalie's eyes...

I cannot tell you what a joy it is to view the world through Natalie's eyes.  They are so clear, so passionate, so beautiful.  To watch her be engrossed in something is, I think, one of the truly great wonders of the world. Today we went to see a film on the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) at the Anchorage Museum, and afterward we went to an exhibit called the 'Imaginarium', filled with science exhibits and experiments.

She loves to play with things and figure them out, to take them apart and spend however much time is required to understand the way they work.  She is completely engaged, totally into it, 100% focused, and it is a joy, a wonder to behold.  Here she is sitting in a chair, which you could raise with this rope as you pulled yourself off the floor, and then, when you let go of the rope, it would lower you slowly back to the floor.  Here is Natalie, pulling herself up to the top of the pulley, and then the second picture is her, FILLED with joy and laughing her head off. I cannot tell you what a blessing it is to be able to join her for these occasions!

We spent some time at the weekend market as well...we had a salmon and reindeer sausage quesadilla.  Natalie said 'sorry' to Santa Claus, but where else can you find food like that?  We also had some Russian pastries, some strawberry lemonade and some coffee...Natalie and I love to eat, and we love lots of different kinds of food.  And Anchorage offers them ALL!

We have watched a movie and heated up pizza...are sitting in our pajamas and considering going out to enjoy the evening.  After a cold, rainy day, the sunshine has peeked out and the wind has died, and the evening is perfect...my wife by my side, experiencing our new life TOGETHER!

I can only hope that Sunday has been such a rich blessing for each and every one of you...here is to starting a new and wonderful week off right tomorrow!

Oh my, the sunsets here...

Well, on Saturday unfortunately we both had to work...Natalie was trying to pick up a few extra hours for her internship and I am desperately trying to finish up a project that is overdue.  So the first part of the day started slowly, but after work, we had a lovely evening!

We went to a Byzantine Catholic Church, which is a cross between an Orthodox Church and a Roman Catholic Church, though they do indeed recognize the Pope.  We had no idea what was going on most of the time, but what a cultural learning opportunity!  Afterward the visiting priest (from Slovakia) and one of the women sat down with us for a long time to explain what was going on.  They explained the history of their Church and the history of their movement, and the icons, and everything!  They were so friendly and helpful, and we REALLY liked the priest...he was very warm and engaging.

We also found a live music spot called Taproot, and spent the rest of the evening there.  First up was Scared Scriptless, an improv comedy team, and then came the group we had gone to see, a folk / bluegrass group called Midtown Revival.   They were great, and we got to meet the guys...what a great setting...no smoking allowed, good seating and good food....have no fear, Taproot, we will be back!  They have a great song, called Alaska, My Home -- ironic because the lead singer who wrote the song, is actually from Minnesota.  Click HERE if you would like the link to hear the song!  We were about to leave when a third group came in called the Eternal Cowboys.  We were going to leave, but I recognized that the gentleman who came on stage first carried just a small bag, and guessed he must be a harmonica player...and that piqued my curiosity! Man, were they great!  They were so good that Natalie even coaxed me out on the dance floor!

After it was over we caught a glimpse of the Sun sinking behind the hills (it was about 11:30pm), and I sped to the bay so we could take some photos.  Of course, Natalie was so excited that she grabbed the camera and ran off to snap away, and I think you will agree, this sunset is one for the ages!

This morning, I finally got to make Natalie breakfast in bed!  We aren't very good in the mornings, and I had tried to do this for several days, but it seems that we are always running behind.  This morning it was cold and rainy here, so I made breakfast and served it to my Princess as she arose from her slumber!  A perfect start to our day.  We are going to the Anchorage Museum here in a few moments to watch a movie on the Aurora Borealis...our second astronomy-focused experience of the week.  Have a great Sunday!

Nothing like going to the planetarium and seeing...a MOOSE!

Tonight after I picked up Natalie from work, we came home so she could do some homework...how crazy is that?  Work AND homework!  I try and keep the load light for her, because she is working very hard this Summer.  While she did her homework, I went to mail Nate and Lily a postcard and then we went downtown together for dinner at Tito's Gyros...and what a gyro it was!  We had a fine greek salad as well...truly a memorable meal!  Then we went to our favorite coffee spot and had a Mocha Frappe and wandered around downtown by the bay...there was a nice breeze blowing and the sun was shining (although it wasn't really warm...notice in the photo below that Natalie is wearing a fleece).

I had a surprise after dinner for Natalie (who loves Astronomy)!  I discovered that on the University of Alaska Anchorage campus they have a state-of-the-art Planetarium, where they bring in special shows during the Summer.  So we went to see 'Awesome Light', a movie that shows the images from space scientists are discovering from new, highly powered telescopes in Hawaii...and then the gentleman who was presenting the film (a Ph.D. professor from the department) told us about a huge asteroid that passed 'close' to the earth today.  Natalie had a question about the film, so we stayed afterward to give her the chance to speak with him, and as we were driving out of the parking garage on campus, Natalie suddenly cried out 'Moose'!  Sure enough, as I looked up, there was a moose right in front of us, so we slowed down and grabbed a quick photo.  It just isn't every day you encounter a Moose right in the middle of a city filled with 300,000 people!

And just so you know what we're up against, this is what Natalie sees when she walks out of the doors of her building after work.  Tough stuff, but somebody has to do it!

Ironically enough, her boss is a fellow Buckeye like myself...sorry, Texas, but this may really be the state where its inhabitants say, 'I wasn't born here, but I got here as fast as I could!' Most people we meet weren't born here, but this state really evokes a pride that is akin to Texas.  And of course, Alaska is actually bigger!

Here is Natalie enjoying her Frappé downtown...in addition to all of the real animals there are statues of animals EVERYWHERE!

We have heard about more bad weather coming through Oklahoma and our hearts and prayers are with the entire Lohrey clan!  We saw the photos from John's graduation, and it seemed like a grand occasion...plus, we really liked his tuxedo!

Hope that each of you has a lovely weekend!  Grace and peace and love to all!

A Chocolate...Waterfall?????

Sorry I didn't get this up last night, but I have actually been busy working on some Peripetee stuff.  We had two exciting things last night...one, I cooked us up some fresh Salmon.  It was Copper River Salmon and it was great!  We had a fruit salad, garlic bread and fish for dinner...and then we went to a local concert spot called Taproot to buy tickets for a show Saturday featuring a local Alaskan folk band called Midway Revival...and we are excited about that evening.  Saturday evening we are also going to a Byzantine Catholic Church (not sure just exactly what that entails, but am excited to find out!).

The final fun thing from last night was that we went to the anchor store for Alaskan Wild Berry Products, where they have a 20 foot chocolate waterfall!  No kidding!  I wanted to get something to dip into it, but it is only for show...either way, one of the coolest things I have ever seen.

Natalie and I are both working hard today, so we will see what we can get into tonight...hope you have had a GREAT day...