Home and Loving every Minute of it!!!

It is just so great to be home. I have had so much fun the past couple days. Christmas eve I went to Olney to see my family away from family. We had a blast.
Then Christmas day Mom and I got to hang out all day. Looked at Pictures, played Wii, went to eat Chinese.
Today (Friday) I got to spend the day with my dad. We went shopping, and then back to our watering hole. Tonight we went to my Uncle Joeys. Again, played Wii, at way to much food, and just hung out. It was so nice.

Tomorrow (Saturday) I have my Groves' Christmas's. It will be so much fun. I havent seen that side of the family. So I am sure a few tears will be shed, and lots of hugs and kisses will be given out. I just cant wait.

If you want to get ahold of me, just send me a message. I will try to check my blog this weekend. I hope to see everyone around.

I hope everyone has had a great Christmas. The weather is just crazy. But very nice.

Love ya
Ash

I made it!!!

Another update.  I finally made it to Illinois.  I am kind of stuck up north.  I am in Oaklawn.  With Brittany and her parents.  I will be taking the Greyhound bus to Mattoon.  I will be in Jasper Country late tomorrow afternoon.  Just a little delay, but I am so happy not to be stuck in an airport.  And I am safe.

Hope to see you all soon.

Love ya

Ash

HOME TO ILLINOIS!!!!!

Hey Everyone,

I just wanted to give you an update on my travels.  I am in Anchorage right now.  Still at the hotel.  I have to check out at 5:30am.  To get the shuttle to the airport.  Then I leave out of Anchorage at 8am Alaska time.  I fly into Chicago and arrive at 5pm Illinois time.  So I lose my 3 hours in the air.  Thats ok, I will give them up to be home.

Then My Bestest friend Brittany is driving down to Mattoon/Charleston area.  Where I will spend tonight.  Tomorrow I have plans in Mattoon with Amberson.  Then I head south to Jasper and Richland county.  

Hope to see everyone while I am home.  

If I dont see you, I hope you have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.  Stay safe and warm.

Love ya

Ash

Yes, I am counting the hours now!

I am so excited to say that there are only 150 hours left until I land in Chicago.  I just can not wait.  I have so many things I want to do, and so many people to see while I am home.  I am just so excited to be coming home. 

I hope everyone has a great week.  I will be seeing move of you in just over 7 DAY!!!!

Love you

Lots of Love from ALASKA!!!!

Thats me, and Zoey!!!!

and even more package!!!!

I am not done yet.  Here are some more.  :)

Read to the end, there is a twist.... only in the Groves family.

This was my birthday package from Amy, my old roommate.  Who I miss so much, we had so many good time!!  Thank you for all the great memories, and all the great gifts to remind me of ol Chuck Vegas.  The Sadie Dog is on my couch and I cuddle with it every evening!!

PS, I still have not saved my legs... haha - ok thats a lie, its only been a week or so... haha
SOOOOO, he is where the twist comes in. I go to the post office like normal  I have two packages.  I am like, wow, thats great.  I look a little closer the package says "FOR ZOEY"  I am totally serious, this package was for Zoey.  As soon as I set it on her sled she knew it too.  She was smelling it and everything.  Then we got it home and she was in heaven.  She loved it all.  She got this big bone first and it was gone in one evening.  I want to send a BIG thank you to Marty and Lonnie from Zoey and Kerri for the very special thought and care package.


know, to top that, or maybe not quite top it, but Kerri gets a package from Marty and Lonnie also.  She reads the letter, which was so nice, of course I almost cried.  Marty wanted to thank her for being such a dear friend to me.  Marty knows how close I am with my family and friends, and it is so dear to me to have that.  She knows Kerri and Zoey are very important to me, and that it would be so hard up here without them.  So she wanted to share her appreciation to Kerri.  She had a wonderful Care Package and was very thankful.  Marty your the best.  Thank you so much.  It was still ironic to go to the post office and see I had a package but on top of it is says "For Kerri".  I told Kerri she could carry her own package.  haha

More packages

Ok, here are some more... My family and friends were very nice to me for my birthday!  thank you so much!!

Much love from Alaska.

See you all SOON!!!

This is a holiday package I recieved from our speech pathologist.  It is a great package!!
This package from my cousin Marty and her boyfriend Lonnie.  They are so nice.  I love it all, and the letter. It is very ironic though.. She messed up and sent me a Cubs Pez dispenser, when I know she meant for it to be a Cardinals one.  I am glad it got back to the Cubs fans though.  :)
This is the holiday package I received from our school district.  It was a great surprise and a wonderful package.
This is a wonderful package I got from Julie and Harrold Forester, Amber Tonn, and Uncle Rodney.  I want to give 99% of the thank you to Julie and 1% to Amber.  haha  Thank you so much to my other family, I miss you guys to much!!!  See you soon!  :)
My mom also remembered my birthday.  I got a wonderful birthday package from my mom.  It is wonderful.  I have done several of the craft project already, and watched the DVD several times.  Thank you mom.  See you soon!  :)

Care packages!!!

I know I have been slacking on my post lately.  But I have been super busy with school work, and life in general.

So here are some pictures of the wonderful care packages I have received over the past month!

thank you so much for everything.  I know I have said it before, but getting packages, emails, mail, letters, cards and phone calls make it so much easier being away from home.

I will see you all in just over 12 days!!!  I cant wait.

Love ya

My Birthday care package from Amber and Jason.  I love it all!!!  I cant wait to fill the pooh photo book to show pictures off while I am home.  I already have my new wallet filled!  And the chap Stick is a god sent!!!
Birthday care package from Paulina.  It was wonderful all the best things.  All though I dont like Mint they didnt go to waste, Kerri was more than happy to get them.

I great birthday package from Sheryl.  It is wonderful.  She had an Illinois theme!  Thanks so much

16 MORE DAYS!!!

So, if you look back to when I began my blog, I was counting down until I left Illinois.  Now I am counting down until I return in Illinois.  I have 16 more days in Alaska.  Then I will arrive in Illinois.  I know I will only be in Illinois for a few days, but it will be a GREAT few days.

I am so very excited to see everyone.  I cant believe these past 5 months have flew by so fast.  I cant believe I have not seen my family and friends for over 5 months.  CRAZY!!!

While I am home I hope to see as many people as I can, and do many things I want to do.  I have several Christmas events to go to and several other events to attend to... haha.. Some of you know what I mean.  I am very excited that my plans for New Years Eve involve going out with all my great friends from Olney.  I hope we have a fun night out all together again, like we did all Summer.  :)  I miss all the guys from Olney so much.

As most of you know I will have my uncle's car, (Thank you Uncle Joey) so I will be able to have my own schedule.  yey..  Yes, this is the car I sold to my uncle in July.  

I hope to have my dad's cell phone, so I can make plans and let people know where I am going to be when... or where I should be... haha, most of you know I am always late where ever I go... so just expect that.   you have waited 5 months to see me, what's another hour going to make a difference, because I am sure I will be late.

Well I hope all of you are doing well in Illinois.  Things here in Alaska are good.  It is starting to look and FEEL more like winter here.  Okay, so it has looked like winter for months now, but it is even more white now then before.  The cold weather has come to stay I think.  But as long as I dress warm, and I am not to lazy to get dressed to go outside, I will stay warm.

I want to also thank everyone for all of their support.  You have made it possible for me to survive these past 5 months away from the people I love so much.  I don't think it would have been possible without all of the support from home.

Miss you all so much, see you soon.

Lots of love from Alaska.  :)

Love Ash  :)

COLDEST DAY!!! so far.....

Well, 

I guess since it December it is time to start getting cold.  Today is the coldest day it has been here so far for me.  The temperature itself is -22, and the windchill temp is -51.  Yes, you are reading that right and I typed it right, -51 with the wind.  

I have only been outside long enough to go from my apartment to the school, which is right across the street.  About a 35 second walk.  Maybe it was a little faster today.  

We will see what it feels like when I go for a longer walk to the post office this afternoon.  Of course then I will have more clothes on, and my parka.  I will try to get a picture of myself in the weather.  

Here is a website that shows all of the weather details for AKP.

http://www.wunderground.com/US/AK/Anaktuvuk_Pass.html

Hope you are all staying warm in IL.

Miss you so much, see you soon.

Less than 21 days until I am in IL!!!!

Love 

Ash

THANK YOU

I want to thank everyone for the great Birthday wishes.  It was very very hard to be happy and try to celebrate my birthday being so far away from family and friends.  But the emails, care packages, blog posts and phone calls made it easier.  

With my family my birthday has always been a big thing, maybe because I am the youngest?  Maybe because I am loved, or maybe because I am spoiled.... maybe a combination of all three....

Anyway, I just wanted to send a big thank you for all the love....

THANK YOU!!!!!!!  :)   :)   :)

Have a great week!

Lots of love from Alaska.  :)

My Birthday

25 years ago today, 11/22/1983 at around 1:44 in the afternoon, Ashley Marie Groves entered this world to Terry and Brenda.  With sisters Amber and Lisa.......  WOW

Well I am now celebrating my 25th birthday in Alaska.  I knew this would happen, I just wasn't sure what it would be like.  

So far not too bad.  I was able to celebrate with my students on Thursday and Friday.  So that was a lot of fun.  

All week I have been receiving care packages from family and friends at home.  Which is always great.  I have received GREAT things, that I need and love.  Thank you so much for everyone who has sent package, cards, emails, and phone calls.  It really makes it easier to celebrate my birthday 3000 miles away from home.

Right now I am sitting in my class, which hopefully will only last about 4 hours instead of 7.  

After class, I am going to go home and relax.  I know when I left my house this morning I already had 2 phone calls on my answering machine, so it seems like I will prolly be returning calls.

I also want to thank my sister Amber for her dedication to my birthday on her blog.  She is the best sister I could ask for.  I know she misses me, but just think I will be home on Dec 23rd!!!

Lots of love from Alaska.

Received but not forgotten...

WOW, I got this package awhile back, but I forgot to blog about it....

I am so sorry Amber....

This is the great package my sister Amber and her GREAT husband Jason sent me...

OK, for those of you that dont know... I am scared of birds. They just scare me and I think they are gross.... so Jason had this great ideas a while back to give me birds as a gift... Kind of a long running joke with us... Well I gave him the birds back as a house warming gift when they moved into their house... Then somehow I got them all the way in Alaska... Kind of strange... I just forsee that they will end up back in Mattoon some how some way.... and who knows when... lol

Love you guys, thank you so much for the great package - minus the birds...

Lots of love from Alaska...

Care package and first bday gift!!!

Yesterday I got a wonderful care package from Valerie, Everett, and Josiah.  It was wonderful.  She included a lot of things for my students and thing I can bring into the classroom.  Which I know they will love.  

It is so nice to have support from home.  It really makes life away from my family and friends much easier.  

Now saying that I dont mean everyone needs to send me packages.  Just phone calls, emails, letters, and cards, it makes it all so much easier to be away from everyone I love so dearly.

I hope life is well in IL, I am sorry you have fell into the winter weather.  

Cant wait to see everyone in about 40 some days.

Have a great day, lots of love your way from Alaska.

Valerie hit a little bit of everything in this care package.  I plan to start sharing things with my students soon.  It was a great care package, and so much fun to open.  I had not idea what all was going to be in it!!
My first birthday gift.  I really thought about waiting to open in on my birthday next weekend, but....I couldnt.  I opened it....

It was this awesome candle, that smells great.  I love candles, it is now on the center of my table.  thank you so much to the Kitchen family.  Everything in the package was great, and very appreciated.  It will all be used well in Alaska.

Great weekend in Fairbanks

Hey everyone,

I  made it back to the village from Fairbanks.  It was a very good weekend.  We did a lot of fun stuff.  Kerri, Colby, Charlie, Teresa and myself were all able to go out and get a nice dinner.  We were also able to get some shopping done.  

Kerri and I took some time to do some sight seeing.  We crammed a lot into a little time.

We were schedule to leave Fairbanks early Friday evening, however we missed our flight.  No ones fault, it was just the way things happened.  It worked out night though, because we were able to catch another dinner out and have a few drinks.  

Then we headed to Barrow on Saturday morning for a lifeguard training.  We all passed and then caught our flight Saturday evening out of Barrow.  Arrived in Fairbanks, did our grocery shopping.  Then I went to bed, I was exhausted.  We were up early and headed to the airport early Sunday morning to return to the village.

It was a nice weekend, and nice to get out for awhile.  I didn't take a lot of pictures, but here are a few.

I hope you enjoy them...

miss you all, lots of love from Alaska.

Here is a picture from the bush plane out of the village.  It was a clear sunny day when we flew out, so I was able to get a few pictures of the mountains and ground below.
Here is Fairbanks from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks Campus.  Kerri and I went to the campus for a little while on Friday.
We also visited the museum on the campus, which was very nice.  I absolutly loved it.  I could have been there for hours....  I just thought this was awesome that is said Alaska or Bust, and that is what I decided to name my blog.  Very cute!!  I think this was about the gold rush.
Here is the entrance of the museum and me with a HUGE Brown bear behind me...  very very very big brown bear.

This was an awesome totem poll outside the museum.  It looked really cool in the snow.  

Fairbanks BABY!!

YEAH, I am so excited I leave for Fairbanks Thursday at 2:30.  We will be hanging out in Fairbanks Thursday evening and most of the day Friday. Then we leave Friday evening for Barrow, and have our lifeguard training on Saturday.  Then head back to Fairbanks Saturday evening, and have another evening in Fairbanks!!!  I am so hyped up to get out and have a little break.

I was really stressed about the lifeguard training, but it sounds pretty easy, I think I will be able to do it.  I do think the swimming has really helped prepare me though.

I plan to get lots of pictures from my trip, so I will post them as soon as I can.

Hope everyone in Illinois has a good weekend.

love of love from Alaska.

wow, October is over...

It just amazes me how fast time is going.  It seems like it was just August.  Now it is November.  Which this is my favorite month, so lets hope it doesnt fly by as fast as the others.  

I had a great October.  I have accomplished a lot in October, and now I am eager to see what November will bring.

We had a great Halloween up here in Alaska.  The community had a costume contest at the school for all ages, it was great.  Kerri and I of course dressed up and went.  As well as many of the other teachers.  My students were so cute!

Then we handed out candy at my apartment to trick or treaters.  It was fun.  we still have candy left over though, so that is not cool, because I know I will eat it.  I think I am just going to take it to school, out of sight out of mind right.... haha

Other than that, thursday night Kerri and I were bored and panted Zoey's toenails.  It was so cute.  She just laid there and let us paint them.  

Also on Thursday I celebrated Halloween with all of my students.  We had a blast.

I have so pictures from these events, I hope you enjoy them!

Lots of love from Alaska.

Zoey's nails all painted!!!  Very cute, we used Chrome purple!
Zoey laying so still while we were painting her nails.  She is a great dog.  there is noway King would have let me paint his toenails, although I may try it when I come home.  :)
My Jr. High boys having a popcorn eating contest.  They are so funny.  There was popcorn all over the floor.  But it was very very funny.
My 2nd Graders with their halloween presents.  Thank you Aunt Vicki for the cups, pencils, erasers and spiders, they loved them.  And I had enough for all of my elementary students!!  :)
Me and Kerri at the halloween costume contest.  i am a baby ready for bed.  I had on my pajamas, my cardinals blanket Amber made me last year for Christmas, my teddy bear Allen and Stacy gave me for graduation, my Winnie the pooh bath robe and my slippers.  To top it all off I had my hair in pig tails, which everyone told me looked so cute.  

Kerri was a life guard.  She had her suit on, flip flops, a life saver and a whistle.  We were so cute, and we had lots of fun.  We didnt win, but we still had lots of fun.

SUNDAY

OK, I know this is my 3rd post for the day.  BUT I hope you will get a couple good laughs out of this.... 

So I was walking to the school and I tripped over the snow.  I mean seriously... we have had like a foot of snow, and I now trip.  And it was not like a drift or I had to step over something I was just walking and tripped.  WOW, that  is just amazing to me.  And of course Kerri was there when I tripped, granted I didnt fall, but still I tripped and had to stumble to catch myself and Kerri says, "watch out for that white stuff, its kind of tricky".  It was just so hilarious, and for those of you who know the real me.  I am sure it got a laugh of picturing me walking and tripping over the snow....

OK, next....  please, make sure you are not in a public place to laugh at this...

I have lived in my apartment for over 2 and a half months now... And the bathroom, well yeah, thats a place I am in daily.  you know to use it, shower, use the sink... all that fun stuff.

Tonight when I was getting out of the shower, I noticed something with my mirror....

I just realized it was a cabinet.  I have never looked at it that closely before, or even tried to open it.  but i now know it opens and it is a cabinet.  WOW, who really lives somewhere this long and does not notice that they have a cabinet behind their mirror...

Well I am happy now, I have a place to store everything that is on my sink....  :)

I hope you enjoyed me sharing the funny things from my weekend.

Love ya

Recent Care Packages

WELL, Me moving up here has really opened my eyes to how much I am loved.  I have received so many great care packages, letters, cards, emails, and gifts, that I feel really special.  It is amazing how much we take for granted to have a walmart or even gas station right down the road to run and get something.  

Well here in Alaska and in the village I am, I do not have that privilege.  I have to depend on my pantry, refrigerator or friends to provide me with something I may not have.

But with the care packages I have received this month, I feel really prepared for anything.  I also have no reason to not cook and bake now.

Here are a few pics of what I have added to my pantry...

Aunt Vicky really stocked me up on food, baking things and candy.  she also thought about my students and sent some halloween gifts for them. which I know they will love.

She also knows that activities, entertainment and events are limited here, so she sent me a book to read and a couple movies to watch.  IT IS ALL GREAT, thank  you so much!!!

Aunt Sharon and Uncle Bob sent me a great care package from Indiana.  She included a lot of goodies for me.  A note, some halloween candy and a great guardian angel to hang in my house.  Thank you so much.  I love it all!!!
Dad and PJ also got another package to me.  It was full of great bake meals, and dinners.  thank you so much.  I had also asked them to send Zoey some treats.  Kerri and I share dinners quiet often, but Zoey gets left out. so I knew she would love some treats.  Her and Kerri wanted to say thank you DAD and PJ.  Oh yeah, PJ also included movies and my checks.... now I have not excuse to not pay my bills.... haha

It was great, and I am not going to go hungry any time soon.

All is well in Alaska. Hope you are all doing great too.

love ya, miss ha

Random thoughts from the weekend

Well, I had a pretty good weekend.  Saturday I had my ECE class, which is pretty basic... so I am able to get other things completed while I am sitting in class...  To help you understand this, let me describe my class.  I sit in my school library with the ECE teacher here at AKP.  We have our computers and a telephone.  We call a number and have a teleconference with our professor and the other 5 or 6 teachers who are also taking the class.  Our professor is at her house, talking on her phone.  So she does not see us, only hears us talk when we unmute our phone.  so when I say I am able to get some things completed while I am in class, I literally mean get some things completed.  Last class I did my grocery shopping, which also needs a little explaining.  

I grocery shop over the internet, which I LOVE, because I literally only get what is on my list.  I dont have to walk up and down the hallways looking for items and seeing other items that I buy.  I choice items, pick the brand I want and add it to my cart.  Then I check out, pay with my debit card, and the groceries arrive on the plane in 2 to 3 days.  If they are not cold or frozen items they arrive in the mail in 5-7 days.  It is great!!!  Something I would have never thought of if I was still in Illinois.

So anyway, back to my class...

I am also able to work on the homework that the teacher assigns, or do lesson plans for the follow week in my class.

this past class I was shopping for a swimming suit.  YES, I know I am in alaska, and you are thinking what they heck does she need a swimming suit for.   Well we have a pool at our school.  It is 4 feet deep and has two 25 meter lanes.  It is very nice for a good work out.  And I am going to Barrow in a couple weeks to get trained to be a life guard at our pool.  So since I will be seen by several people and students in my swim suit, I thought it was time to throw out the old and get a new.  

I actually had very good luck shopping online for a suit also.  I just hope it fits and looks have way decent when it arrives.... I will bare your eyes and not post of picture of that... no one really wants to see me in a swimsuit... thank goodness for shorts and t-shirts to wear over it... haha

so.... other than my class, I did a little swimming on Saturday, Kerri and I decided we should prolly train a little and see how well we can swim laps and long distances.  WOW three months without swimming is along time. I was a little rusty, but I was soon doing a couple labs in a row without a break.   JUST let me tell you, it was not as easy as I thought it would be...

Then after swimming just a quiet evening at home....

Sunday was cleaning day, laundry day, lazy day and movies... Then a quick swim and posting time on my blog.... YEY

I hope you all had a great weekend as well.  I know the weather in Illinois is finally turning into Fall weather.  I hope you are all enjoying it.  A couple friends of mine emailed me about a hot dog roast, I told her that was something I miss.  We cant really just sit outside and chat, or have a fire here.  It is a little too chilly for that....  but I guess we make up for it... some how...

It was -6 degrees most of the day today.  On Saturday the wind chill was -30.  Now that firetruckin cold........

I was tagged

I've Been Tagged

Tag...I'm it!!

Amber from My so called Wonderful Life tagged me. Thanks Sissy...

The rules go like this:
1. Post the rules on your blog.
2. Write 6 random things about yourself.
3. Tag 6 people at the end of your post(or as many as you want)
4. If you are tagged, do it and pass the tag along.
5. Enjoy


Here are some random facts about me.........

1. I have really grown and became more independent then I ever thought I would, in the past 2 and a half months (dont get me wrong, I still need my parents, sisters, and family).  I have also met and conquered several fears over the past few months. I mean seriously, I have moved to Alaska by myself.... who ever really thought I would.  I think deep down I and everyone at home, just making a big wish, and having a dream.  But I have accomplished this dream of mine.

2. I get scared about my future at times.  I am 24 almost 25 and still single.  My dream is to have kids, what will happen if I never find true love, that just scares me.  I have really thought about having kids without being married.   As bad as that is, I want kids, and I know one way or another that is possible, but finding true love for me may just not be possible.

3. I absolutely love it in Alaska, but I truly miss my family friends in Illinois.  I also have a huge secret that some people know, but not everyone, and it is killing me to keep it a secret from family and friends....

4. I am thinking I may return to Alaska next school year to teach.  Like I mentioned I truly love it up here, and I have a real home, and some friends.  Also the money is great.  And since I was kind of a wild college student I have debt to pay off, and if I could accomplish that in 2 years and return to Illinois with a good savings, that would be great.  But that is all up in the air, so only time will tell.  It is going to be something I will have to talk about with my family and consider for myself.  I dont like making hard decisions, so I wish I had someone to make this one for me....

5. I have went over 7 weeks without a drop of alcohol.  I think moving to Alaska when I did was the best thing for me and my liver.  I needed to get away from the atmosphere and hangouts I was in.  I also do not miss alcohol, or the parting.  It is nice to wake up every morning and remember what you did the night before, as well as not have a head ache or bad breath....  I know thats just totally random, but I am very proud of myself for that. It was something I was worried about.  When I was in IL and got sick, I had to go 30 days without drinking and I thought I was going to have a fit... but being up here I dont even miss it.

6. I am taking a life-guarding class in Barrow Alaska next month.  Now truly, how many people can say that.  To be at the top of the world, and taking a life-guarding class.  Also... I am no where near skinny, or look nice in a bathing suit, yet, I am going to be a lifeguard... wow... very interesting move for me.  we will see how it turns out.


There you go........some random facts about me!!

I agree with Amber, most of the blogs I look at have been tagged, so I am going to tag a friend of mine up here in Alaska.  Kerri, I take you, so Add this to Northwardbound and show us what you have to share....

Hope you all enjoyed this and I hope I didnt share to much....

Have fun!!!

Weekend

Well, its the weekend!  I am at school for an inservice, however, we dont have anything we must do.  So teachers are supposed to work on grades and lesson plans.  Well I have all but 2 progress reports done, and I dont have any lesson plans to do.  So I though I would add some pictures Kerri and I took this week.  I hope you enjoy them.

Miss ya, love ya

Kerri and Zoey found some really deep snow.  haha, it was really funny.
A picture of me by the moon rising.  Very awesome colors in the sky.  And yes, it was really cold and I just had on my sweatshirt... I guess I will learn sometime.  haha
The moon rising and the great pictures around the mountains.
On the other side of the village is the sun setting and the great colors on these mountains.  It was really cool.  you could see the sun setting on some mountains and the moon rising on the other mountains.

I just thought this was funny, summer street in Alaska with the snow covered mountains in the back ground.

Care packages and stuff...

So, I thought I would add some pictures of some recent care packages.  I just want to thank everyone at home for everything.  It make it so much easier to be way from home when I hear from people, talk to people, get emails and mail.  

I hope things in Illinois are going good.  i also hope you enjoy the pictures...

Books and school supplies from Uncle Joey, Candy and Brian.  How great, I will be able to use everything....  :)
Food, candy and chapstick from Mom.  I love it..   

Socks, candy, pictures, letters, signs, and gifts from Scott, Lisa, Kierstyn Aaron and Joanna.  thanks for the care package from NEWTON, it is GREAT!!!
My sign from Kierstyn, I love it!!!
My sign and letter from Aaron, it is great, I love it, even though he miss spelled my name, thats ok, it is still GREAT!!!

DWFOMY

JUST WANTED TO ADD A FEW FIRST FOR ME!!!!

First time away from my family

First time traveling across the US in a train

First time staying in a hotel by myself

First time in Washington

First time in Alaska

First time seeing the Arctic Ocean

First time on a bush plane

First time in the mountains

First time on the tundra

First time eating caribou

First time on a frozen lake

First time in really deep snow, and going for a walk

First time making a snow angel on a frozen lake

First time North of the Arctic

First time seeing the Northern Lights

Just thought I would share a few with you....

Love you all, miss you so much.....

PS. if you want to know what the title of this means, you will just have to wait...  haha, I am so evil.

pictures

So we walked to the lake again today.  It was quiet a work out.  with about a foot of snow in most spots, that had not tracks, it was kind of tough.  but it was worth it.  I was able to make a snow angel on the frozen lake.  I have some pictures to share.  The weather was nice.  About 12 degrees.  We really couldnt see the mountains, so much fog.  But I did get a few pictures.  I hope you like them.

Me making my snow angel.  Again, this was a work out.  The snow was so high it was hard to move it around with your legs and arms.  But it was fun.  I think I was laughing so hard, that I couldnt move my hands and legs at the same time.
Me trying to find a way to get out of my snow angel.  I was covered in snow.  I love it.  Just the thought of sitting where the lake water was less than a month ago is awesome.  I was more adventurous on the frozen lake today.
It is really hard to see, but this is my snow angel.  it was cute!!
I pic of what we could see of the mountains.  The snow is just amazing.  
Zoey found some friends on the walk home.  Two very very cute puppies came to meet us on the road.  they were so cute.  I wanted to bring one home...