It's official...

This past week, Justin signed all of the documents committing us to serious debt...he bought us a practice in Corsicana, Texas. Now where in the world is Corsicana, Texas, you probably ask?? It's an hour south of Dallas. I am not quite sure what to think about this whole transition. I am not quite yet ready to leave Alaska. I finally have gotten used to the cold and the dark, as unbelievable as that sounds! (And no, I wasn't being sarcastic.) I really have enjoyed living here, which is shocking, given how much I cried the first couple of weeks. This place makes you challenge yourself and rely a little more on God (at least for a wimp like me). Maybe for others they go the other direction and think that they are now tougher! If I can survive in Alaska (The Last Frontier), then I can survive anywhere! I can see why one would think that.

But seriously, it has been an adventure to live, play and work here. I am thankful that God brought us here, even if was just for a short year. I have begun to reflect on that time since we are leaving for good in one week. Here are my top five memories:

1. Climbing Flat Top in the dead of winter (February): Nick decided that we needed to climb this famous summit. Ignorant and full of optimism, we agreed. It wasn't too bad (esp since I put my yak traks on over my tennies) until we got to the last 100 yards or so...which was on an 80% incline. Now, climbing up the side of a mountain doesn't really faze me, even if it is at a steep angle. What scares me is an 80% incline on ice, with no ice climbing equipment. I'm no ice climber, but aren't you supposed to have like a pick ax or some kind of ice pick!!?? So, I started up this incline trying to use the handholds of previous climbers. However, when you have stubby legs, you can't quite make the same moves as your predecessors. So, in my thin cotton gloves with my life flashing before my eyes, I punched holes in the ice, screamed at Nick for putting me in such a situation, and prayed fervently. Since I'm typing this post, you know that I didn't lose my fingers to frostbite and that I didn't die. But, that was one of the few times in my life, that I really thought I might die in the next 5 minutes. I won't forget this moment or how we slid down the mountain (since we definitely couldn't just walk down that incline once we got to the top!) until we fell head over heels (literally) a couple of times, and I lost my cell phone as it fell out of my pocket into the depths of the powder. Thanks, Nick.

2. Flipping our raft on the Kenai: This was another moment where I didn't know what I was getting myself into. Justin didn't want to teach me how to fly fish, so he pawned me off on our friends, Joel, Robbie, and Matt, who all thought it was a great idea to let me row the raft while we meandered down the river. Who knew you actually have to know how to row a boat?? I thought I could just sit there and let them all fish while I enjoyed the ride. I noticed a large tree had fallen right over the river. I assumed (you know what they say about assuming) that we would bounce off the tree like we were a bumper car. The only part of the physics of the situation that I didn't process is that we were not just a bumper car like at Six Flags!! We had a raging river under us that when the boat is thwarted from forward movement by a large spruce tree, the river keeps going! So, the boat totally capsized, and I was caught underneath as EVERYTHING went flying! What a disaster!! Thankfully, no major injuries considering how dangerous this was! The only loss was once again my cell phone (and camera this time too). Thankfully, the guys weren't too mad at me and all are better planners than I. They realized that their stuff could get wet and had it all protected in special, overpriced REI equipment. Thank you, Robbie, for the show shortly thereafter!!!

3. Mount McKinley: no major calamity with this one. We got to see it up close and personal, and all I have to say is that our God is a very big God. Truly awe-inspiring.

4. Moose and fox on my birthday: now, I know what you're thinking. Justin killed a fox and moose, so you could eat it on your birthday! No. But, good guess. We had been living in Anchorage for a little over a month. I really was not too crazy about the place AT ALL. On my birthday, we didn't go to work; we just stayed home and relaxed in our sun room. Out came a beautiful red fox in our backyard and let us watch him suspiciously saunter around. Later in the afternoon came out a teenage moose in our backyard! How cool. It was one of those moments that I began to appreciate more about Alaska and our time here. (Our maybe just because we had over 4 hours of light by then!) :) It was a very different and memorable birthday.

5. Bears and Fishing - I'm not much of a wildlife guru, but it was really cool to watch a wild brown bear (grizzly) playing with and then eating large quantities of salmon along Bird Creek, just south of Anchorage. I had never been so close to something that could eat me before. (At least that I know of! You never know in Alaska!) Also, catching a halibut that was bigger than me!! Never in my life did I think that I would EVER do this. I felt a little bit tougher after that day.

There are others- seeing a wolf and lynx in the wilds of Denali National Park, rafting in glacier suits on the Nenana, skiing in 3 feet of powder, countless hikes with friends and family, country-western dancing in an underground club, learning how to drive and slide on ice, shooting at targets along the side of AK-1, where all of the passers-by could see us shooting my Glock, the vibrant yellows of fall, etc. Man, this really has been a ride.

As I reflect back on this past year, it all seems so fun and crazy. I know that God has another adventure for us in Corsicana. I've got a feeling that it's gonna be a totally different kind of adventure....I hope that means one that will allow us to really give back to our community more than I feel we have here in Alaska. We shall see....it's gonna be fun!