One more day

I am working my last full day in Alaska! Wow, the last month sure has gone fast. I can't believe that this week is here already. I am planning on leaving work at 2 pm tomorrow and then we are hoping to get on the road by 4 pm. Why did I say that I would work a half day? Now I just want to go! I'm sad to leave all the amazing people that I have met here but I am getting anxious for the adventure ahead! Axel poped one of air matresses last night so the three of us had to snuggle on one matress together. (luckily they are big queesn size and double high) But still not that big. Axel thought it was great geting to sleep with both of his parent's. One more night then the crummy hotel bed will feel amazing! Can't wait. One week from tomorrow we will be in MN! I have been trying to remember the smell in AK. When I first got here I could smell it-not so much any more. I hope I don't forget the smell of the mountains.

On a another note- Abel is 15 months! When did that happen? Slow down little one. He is so not a tiny baby any more. He has really started to get his own personality. He loves his big brother and doing any thing he does. He likes to tickle us and chase his brother around. He pulls up on everything and walks along the furniture but is still working on standing and walking-he is close. He has learned to drink from a straw. (I know right?!) Thanks to Jill for his new cool straw cup for the drive. He loves his bathtime again. (he had a short time when he would cry in the tub) He is a pretty good eater-fruits and veggies any ways. The only meats he likes are chicken nuggets and hotdogs. Overall he is a pretty cool little guy :) I can't believe how many people haven't met him yet. I'm sure he will be overwhelmed with people when we get home. He is not use to being around any one but us. Don't worry Abel we'll take it slow! And Mom gets a almost 2 months home with you before she starts her new job. I can't wait for the time with my boys!!

Off the grid

Our house is all packed and all of our belongings are in 6 crates headed to MN. We won't see them for 4-5 weeks. Yikes. I hope every thing makes it in one piece. I just have to remember they are just things and things can be replaced-right? It was very interesting to sit around the house as some one else was packing all of our stuff. It was still stressful but much easier then doing all the work. Now we are hanging out in a empty house with air matresses to sleep on. Axel thinks it's fun and loves sleeping on the air matress-Mom and Dad not so much. We will be happy to when we make it to our first hotel on Wednesday night. So I'm blogging from Mc Donalds and watching the boys play. The internet connect is slow but at least there is some. I'm not sure what will be available the next couplde of days. I'll try to post if I can other wise we'll be off the grid until we get to the lower 48!

snacking and packing

Abel learning how to work a spoon

He thinks it's so much fun!

Humm...does he like broccoli?

He will try it-just like lettuce but shaped like a tree

The moving company is coming to pack up our house tomorrow! Yikes and Yeah! I've never been moved by some one else before. I should be very interesting and hopefully not as stressful as packing the whole house by ourselves. They said it would take two days to pack the house. Then we will be "camping out" in our house until next Wednesday. Sleeping with airmatress and a pack-n-play, having minual dishes and no TV or internet. Should be a intertesting week. I hope the weather is nice so the boys can play outside.  As soon as I get off of work on Wednesday of next week we will start to drive. We hope to get at least 6 hours in the first night to start it out. I'm starting to get nervous about the trip. I hope I get a chance to blog on the way- I'm sure we will find some where with WiFi right? Here's hoping every thing gets packed and arrives in MN safely. :)

Little change of plans....

this is us when we moved to AK

So the plans have changed a little. We all are driving back to MN. After many talks and running the numbers it just seems like a good  decent plan. I feel better about Brian not driving alone and the flights were not that inexpensive. I've been jealous of everybodies roadtrips this summer so why not end our amazing adventure in Alaska with a crazy long roadtrip! I'm sure on the third day I'll be looking back and saying why are we doing this and why didn't I fly home with the boys? I have a few plans on keeping the boys happy during the drive-which I'm sure will fail but we'll take it slow and try to enjoy the adventure that it'll be. Lifes all about making memories right? I'm sure we'll be pulling our hair out and be sick of kid music but with a few cliff bars and a moutain dew we'll start another day and hope to get back to MN safe! Our house is going to be packed up this Thursday and Friday. Scarey and exciting to have the move really coming up now.

Eagle River hike

 It was a beautiful weekend in Alaska. We couldn't help but get out side and go for a hike. Axel is becoming such a great hiker. We went close to 3 miles and he did wonderful the whole time. All you gotta do is talk about dino's or nature and he could keep hiking all day! Abel loves to come along for the ride.

On top of the world!

Abel fell alseep during the hike and Axel crashed about 2 minutes after we got back in the car. I LOVE hiking in Alaska. I sure will miss this part.

Starting to get ready

Tried to get a shoot of Abel's new tooth on the bottom-3 in all!

Loves Matchbox cars

Vroom....

Axel helping dad test out the car for the up coming trip

Abel had to help too!

Such a goofy big brother

Happy boy!

The count down to moving back to MN has really begun! We are down to three weeks. Wow.. it'll come up fast. We did a run through of all the stuff we are going to pack in the car. (to see how much we really don't need to bring) The one issue for me is that once our stuff is shipped we won't it in MN for 5 weeks! Yikes that's a long time with out our stuff.  The boys thought it was fun to play around inside the car. Brian and the dog will be driving home to MN and me and the boys will be flying. I'm very nervous for Brian's drive. It's a very long drive. I remember coming up here and nothing compares to the drive to Alaska. The roads are crazy, the stops are few and far between and it takes for ever! My new job is going to cover shipping all of our house stuff back to MN but they won't cover to ship a car. Bummer. We thought about all driving but 5-6 days of driving an average of 10 hours per day does not sound like fun for Abel. So poor Brian will be doing the drive...alone. We are going miss him so much when he's gone. We all have never been apart that long.

A quiet dinner.....

                                                   Nothing beats a quite dinner at home!

Rainy day fun

 On a rainy day Axel likes to remind me that it's "boring" to stay inside all day. What a way to brake it up- go to the bouncing bears place.

 Abel had fun exploring the toddler area. Kind of sad...is he old enough to play in toddler areas!?

Brothers taken a brake