Back from the lower 48

We had a wonderful time visiting family and friends in Montana and Wyoming over Christmas. It was a great trip even though it was colder in Montana and Wyoming then it was in Alaska most of the days!!! So much for getting to soak up some warmth on vacation.















Some of the highlights included a great Christmas, snowmobiling into a cabin for five days, taking the cousins downhill skiing twice, and visiting with family and friends.






































The flight home was long and we ended up being stranded for days in Anchorage. It really wasn't that bad and we were able to keep our spirits up, especially when we were able to meet Captain Sig and his crew from the Deadliest Catch. He was nice and even signed Jeremy's Deadliest Catch hat that he just happened to be wearing! I was lucky Jeremy did not just sign up and head off to Dutch Harbor.



Isa in this picture has no idea why we are taking a picture with a complete stranger!

Christmas Decorations Unalakleet Style

Like many others at this time of year our family likes to drive around town looking at all of the beautiful Christmas decorations people put up. There are only a few differences here as opposed to the other places we have lived. The first is that we don't have anywhere to drive too and the second is the type of decorations you might find.

Here is one of our local Christmas decorations. Look close, this is a real reindeer hide and antlers on a wooden frame covered in lights!

I think someone might have eaten Rudolph.







After looking at all of the decorations we went for a walk on the beach. We could see a few seals bobbing up and down in the little patches of open water. The girls had fun climbing on the ice being ice princesses.

Yoga Kids

As the days are shorter and shorter we look for new ways to get exercise.

Lately Isa has really been into a yoga tape that I have. Here she is with a friend doing the "monkey". The funny thing is that she will only do it if I don't.

Maybe my form really is that bad!

Warm tempuratures and playing in the SUN?

This week has been exceptionally warm. 30 degrees ABOVE. This is at the same time as all of our friends and families are having below zero weather and storms. It just does not seem right.

Here is a picture of the sunset at about 3:30.

The sunrise/sunset is beautiful....the darkness is well dark...



Here is Isa looking more and more her heritage.
Look at the open water behind her! This never happens in December.

















Here is Isa doing a very village activity...looking at a frozen skinned fox, legs sticking straight out of the snow. After someone "catches" a fox and skins it they just throw the carcass down to the ocean and wait for the waves to take it out to sea.
















Here is Isa enjoying the sun for the last few seconds before it sunk beneath the waves.

Unalakleet sunset 3:00 December 6th 2009.



I don't quite know what to think! It is December 6th and it is 30 degrees outside. We are warmer then all of our friends down in the lower 48.......I feel all confused. Not that I am complaining.

It is still darker then a goats belly up here most of the day. We get about 3.5 hours of sunlight right now, but it has been cloudy most of the week so I am not sure we can even claim 3.5 hours.

Unalakleet, Alaska (Airport)

Updated: 7:56 AM AKST on December 07, 2009

37 °F Clear

Windchill:	26 °F
Humidity:	52%
Dew Point:	21 °F
Wind:	24 mph from the East

Winter activities

So the days are getting shorter and darker. The wind is blowing and it is below zero. We are starting to spend more and more of our time inside the house.





How, you might ask, do we spend our time?

Well here is Isa reading a book to her little green turtle. He seemed to like the book.

Winter is here!
37 below is just too &%$#$# cold!

Updated: 27 min 56 sec ago

-17 °F Clear

Windchill:	-37 °F
Wind:	10 mph from the SE

The sun is rising at 11:00 and setting at 4:00!