Let there be lights!

There are many unique things about living in Alaska (or the far North.) Peculiar fashion trends, lack of defined parking rules, and abundant wildlife are just a few examples. One of my favorite "bonuses" of living in the North are the nights that we get to see the beautiful Northern Lights. Auroras can floor you with a sense of wonder and awe, and make you feel very very small. 

We had a wonderful Christmas this year! We were able to stay here in Alaska, which was so nice. Living far from family and friends we are often the ones that make the trip to spend holidays with those we love, but this year we kept things simple and stayed home. The kids were so excited that they could actually wish for gifts that were larger than a carry-on. :) A couple of days before Christmas Steve's parents joined us in Alaska for a Hallam Christmas extravaganza. The kids love picking up friends and family at our tiny airport where we can watch them getting off the plane and meet them right at the door.

Our holiday was spent baking, doing puzzles, and resting.

Steve's dad flew out of Anchorage, instead of Kenai, so after we drove him into the city, we stopped by the Anchorage Zoo for Zoo lights. Our kids have always loved the Phoenix Zoo lights. This was a very fun experience, but very different from the ones in Phoenix! First of all, it was freezing cold. Next, the zoo is very small, about the size of a small farm (with some polar bears living on it.) These differences just added to the adventure, and I can definitely see this becoming an annual event.

New Years was spent with family and friends. Living in Alaska means you can watch the ball drop at 8pm and call it a night!

The last part of our winter break was spent ice fishing, playing hockey, reading, and playing with the kiddos. It was wonderful to go into the new semester feeling a bit more rested than usual.

After one of the warmest winters to date, we finally got some snow a couple of weeks ago. It seems that snow is here to stay for a bit as the temperatures continue to hover around zero with no sign of change in the near future.

Grace discovered an "ice rink" under the snow from all the freezing rain we had earlier in the season.

Noah is still playing hockey, and working very hard to improve his skills. When he is not on the ice he is in our living room, practicing his "lifties" (what he calls lifting the puck off the ice to score.)
During our recent Peninsula Winter Games, his team won the Mites division of the tournament. He was so excited and wears his "champion" sweatshirt with pride (every day...I have to wash it nightly.)

Taylor....well Taylor is surviving. She does not love winter, and spends much of the day sitting on our heating vents trying to warm up her paws. Our poor Arizona dog.

One thing that the cold clear days bring are beautiful sunrises and sunsets. It is so nice that we are actually getting some real sun these days. Each morning we get a few more minutes of light, and it is starting to become noticeable on the drive to work in the morning. I didn't realize how much I have been missing the sun until it returned after several long dark months.

Steve and I are continuing to love our work at ACC. The library has become a second home for me (can you spot our Valentines day heart made of books?) and we are seeing more and more students use our resources each month. My goal is to make the library a place that fills a need for every student at our school. With our student body growing, one of the recent uses for the library has become extra classroom space! Two of our smaller English classes have been meeting in the library, and Steve is talking about holding his Methods of Biblical Interpretation class in the library a couple of times a month.

While I am thankful that we had a restful break, as we enter what many locals call "Freaky February" when cabin fever usually starts to set in for everyone, I am especially thankful for our busy school-year schedules.  Nothing beats cabin fever like a little hockey/piano/teaching/mentoring/learning.  I love seeing all of your Facebook posts and blog updates, thanks for staying involved in our lives up here in the far North!