Journal from our trip

Day 1 – Brandon got through with his outprocessing at Eielson AFB around noon and we hit the road. Unfortunately, I caught a cold and feel pretty lousy,  so we decided to cut out our plan to dip down to Glennallen. We stopped at a gift shop in Delta Junction, where I could have bought everything in the store. It was called the Smiling Moose. Brandon got me a Realtree Alaska hat and Kaylee a pair of sunglasses, since hers don’t stay on well. We then made it to Tok, where we washed the truck, ate at Fast Eddy’s and had our last few miles of cell service. The drive is pretty. We decided to keep driving a little farther. The Mile Post had a suggestion about 70 more miles down the road for a free camp site. This is where we stayed for the night and it was beautiful! Right on a lake and bathrooms to boot.

Sweet moment from the day… Me: “Kaylee, is Smokey your friend?”…. Kaylee: “ Friend… Shisha” J (Kaylee loves our friend, Trisha, in Alaska. She talks about her a lot and will sure miss her).

Funny moment from the day … Brandon “So much for those sunglasses” (as he brought his head back in after glancing out the window at the tires)

Day 2 – Stayed nice and toasty. Seems like the truck setup is going to work really well. I got up kind of early and went and watched birds out on the lake. There were so many different kinds. Even 2 bald eagles. It was beautiful. And there were some really cute little ones diving down under the water. Smokey loved running and playing in the woods too. Kaylee and Brandon were sleepy heads, especially Kaylee. Hopefully this will help them from getting sick. We are back on the road now. About to cross the border. Sad to think this will be our last day in interior Alaska, for a while at least. Thankful for the Lord’s provision on our journey thus far. Stopped at a really cute/cool bakery in Haines Junction. Got to call Mom. Everyone was there for her surprise Mother’s Day celebration. The views from HJ are amazing!!! The Kluane range just has to be my favorite, I’m pretty sure. Trying to make it to Haines tonight. Still in Canada now. Planning to stay in a cabin there.

Day 3 – Both border crossings went smoothly. Got into Haines kind of late. Cabins weren’t open for the season so we stayed at the next recommended place, Hotel Halsignland, which is the officer’s courters from Fort Seward, an Army Post back in early 1900’s. It is a neat old building and the bed and shower were much appreciated after our long day on the road.  Today has been a wonderful Mother’s Day. Lots of little moments here and there made my heart smile. We had a picnic out on the old parade field, Kaylee asked to hold my hand as we walked and wanted to give me several extra hugs. We went on a nice Sunday drive and got to see a number of waterfalls, which I LOVE, and we just had fun as a family. It is beautiful here. I told Brandon that it is kind of a hybrid of Oregon, British Columbia, and Alaska. It has mountains going into the pretty bay area, but it also has a lot of deciduous trees and waterfalls. There are also lots of bald eagles which is cool, but they are hard to photograph (I decided today that I need a better camera J… Brandon hasn’t concurred). Other than that we picked up some groceries for the ferry ride, talked to our dear moms, and had a nice, relaxing day. By the time we made it out for dinner, all the restaurants in this little town were already closed, so we stopped at a convenience store and heated up some burritos and stew to go along with our sodas. It was a fun, memory-making ending to the day. Staying at the hotel another night before we board the ferry. I love my sweet, fun-loving girl and my kind-hearted husband. I am blessed.

Sweet moment from the day… After waking from her nap, Kaylee fell asleep on me, which NEVER happens… I’m sure she knew it was Mother’s Day.

Funny moment from the day…. Kaylee thinks it is HILARIOUS when we swat at and kill mosquitos. In between belly laughs, she has started attempting to get these annoying creatures as well.

Day 4- Today we got on the ferry. It has been an adventure. I was telling Brandon that I was feeling weird going into it, because I felt unprepared and didn’t know exactly what to expect. Normally I have researched and stuff, but there wasn’t much you could find out nor did I have the time. I didn’t know if there would be security screening or safety briefings like an airplane, I didn’t know how big it was, what it looked like, how we would load our car, or much of what would be on there. Friends had told us a few things, but for the most part, it was a learn as you go thing. So it was kind of fun just hopping in line, not knowing what was ahead. Everything has gone well. There are 5 levels; car deck, a level of births, a dining area/activity area, a level with a bunch of recliners and a deck, and the top level, where people can set up tents under the open sky. It’s pretty cool. Brandon is kind of worried about Smokey, but hopefully he’ll be ok. I really enjoy setting up house in new places, so I had fun making our little birth feel homey and organized and comfy for the next few days. We have it set up where Brandon and I have two twins together on the floor during the night, and then Kaylee is in the bottom bunk in her tent. Beyond that, there is a closet, a little sink area and a bathroom with a toilet and shower. I think we will get along just fine. We will be on for a little over 4 days. Kaylee is sound asleep now. She has not been doing well with her naps and it really affects her attitude (along with all else that is going on). It is hard knowing how to parent. Earlier today, we had another picnic, let Smokey run and play all afternoon, and drove around to finally get Kaylee to sleep. Saw more pretty sights. In fact, it was really nice here, borderline hot. Speaking of hot, we had some delicious Mexican food at Mosey’s Cantina, but it was spicy. Things are going well and we are thankful. We know we are being prayed for.

 Funny moment: We were getting the truck and the trailer ready to board and we open up the door to find Kaylee (still strapped in her carseat) munching on a stack of graham crackers that she had managed to get out of one of our bags.

Sweet moment: As Kaylee watched out the window as the ferry left the dock, Kaylee, with a concerned look on her face, started saying “Sowsie” (which is Smokey). We tried to explain where he was, but she was still pretty worried that he wasn’t on board.

Day 5 – Kaylee had another rough morning. I just really want to know how to help her calm down and use her words. She and Brandon took a morning nap and she woke up happier, thankfully. Then, we got off at Sitka. We started on a walking trail with Smokey, but a local stopped and said there is a really aggressive Brown Bear in the area that killed a dog the day before, so we didn’t continue in that direction. Once back on board, Kaylee and I layed down for an afternoon nap. She hasn’t been wanting to nap well, though. I think we nap better than her, which helps us deal with her better. We’ve met some other families, one with a sweet little 10 month old.  A lot of them are PCSing. It’s been pretty rainy but it’s still pretty. While Brandon and Kaylee were napping, I spent the morning out on the deck. I saw a tail fin and a blow hole fairly close and then I saw a 4 legged creature running along the bank of an island fairly far off. Looked like a wolf, if I had to say. It’s been fun being out on the water, but it gets a little boring being on the boat.   

Day 6 -It’s easy to lose track of the day when you are on the ferry. It’s Wednesday and we will have our last stop today before Bellingham on Friday. It feels like Kaylee is a newborn again, crying all the time. In all reality, it’s just for a while every morning, and then throughout the day when she doesn’t get what she wants.

We stopped in Ketchikan. It was rainy but pretty. We were able to go on a nice walk with Smokey and we stopped at a grocery store to grab a couple things, including a new toy for Smokey that he was pretty thrilled about. It has been really nice that they have hot water and a microwave on board for us to use. We’ve been eating our soup and drinking tea. We also have a cooler in our room with sandwich makings and milk. 

Praise God; Kaylee got a good solid nap this afternoon. First one in a long time. She woke up happy and obedient. Since then we have prepared and eaten dinner, walked around on the deck (it stopped raining and is a little warmer), and made some laps inside. In a few minutes, we are allowed to go be with Smokey, and then we will head to bed.

Fun moment: Kaylee and Papa playing hide and go seek after dinner. It was so cute and she caught on pretty well.

Days 7-11: I unfortunately started journaling on my Ipad so I don't have those entries with me. I will try to add them later. Day 7 we were still on the ferry with no stops. Day 8, we got off the ferry and had a long drive to Missoula, MT, where we stayed in the back of the truck. Day 9, we started into Yellowstone National Park, where we saw lots of wildlife and some beautiful sights, but I was way drained. Day 10, we continued to explore Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. We stopped in a small Wyoming town for the night and then Day 11 we made it to Colorado Springs, with a quick visit with family along the way. It was a long trip but contained some great memories. I also have some pictures from the trip, but of course, I don't have those with me right now either. : (