Winter Wonderland

Snow. Sigh. It finally came to Anchorage, later than usual but too soon for my tastes. The girls LOVE playing in it and it's nice that now they can play in the yard without my having to be out there with them. Maia is a wonderful big sister and helps and watches over her sister well. I do love watching them play in the snow together. Any time they are happy and enjoying each other's company is heavenly!

The darkness preceded the snow and the days are still getting shorter. As a child growing up in Alaska, I never minded the darkness. I didn't mind the cold and loved my childhood here. Adulthood has brought out my inner wuss, apparently. I want to be able to wear t-shirts and shorts outside and not feel cold. I want to wake up with the sun and not have that be at 9 a.m.! The dark and cold feel oppressive now. But, when the sun does shine on the "new-fallen snow", it sure is gorgeous. I love seeing the mountains in their winter coats reflecting the bright sun...it's breathtaking. And it is nice seeing the stars again since it never gets dark enough in the summer to see them. It's just too bad that it's too cold to spend more than a minute or two outside star-gazing. :)

And, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I have to say that there are many things about Alaska that I love, such as:

It has a healthy, strong economy in which my husband has a great job.

The proximity of wilderness and how quickly I can escape suburban/city living and be somewhere that seems completely untouched by man (i.e. no paved hiking trails, Utah!).

Seeing moose in my yard on a regular basis.

The Glacier Brewhouse (one fine restaurant that holds wonderful memories for me).

Our temple and that I was able to be married in it.

Alaskans are generally kind, laid-back people.

Living right next to mountains and the ocean (unparalled beauty!).

And, because it's freakin' cold here and we're trying to lower our heating bill, I need to go put on another layer or I'll start whining again. :)