Sitka: We made it!

I just realized that I never posted upon completion of our winter Alaskan adventure!  We made it! After a 4-day ferry ride, with snow in every town that we stopped, we made it to Sitka on Tuesday afternoon. 

It has been snowing on and off in Sitka for a week, which has left an unusual amount of snow in the ground for this area. The kids and dog have been loving it. 

We really like our new home, which is set back in a nice surround of Sitka spruce and has mountain views from every window. The people in town have been very welcoming. We have gathered tips on just about everything while wandering through the fabulous little shops in town, and even had an offer to stay at someone's house while we are waiting on our things to arrive. We have word that they are on the barge and should be in town next week, though. Hooray for that. 

The kids started at their new schools on Wednesday, and so far we are very impressed. They really love their new teachers and smaller classes. Next week, they are already starting dance, Girl Scouts, and karate. This transition has been pretty easy so far! 

In the new backyard. 

View from Totem Park, which we walk to from our house:

Early Winter

Just a quick update for those who like to stay in the know and aren't on Facebook!  I have several posts outlined in my head...but finding the time to get down to writing them just hasn't happened lately.

The LT has been gone for nearly 6 weeks.  By the time he gets back from this unexpectedly long trip, he will have been away longer than he was over the summer.  He actually missed the entire fall season in Homer.  He was able to come back home for two quick weekend trips last month (and we had some professional pics taken, below) while the ship was drydocked in Seward for emergency repairs, but when he returns he will find all of the mountains covered in snow and most of the trees bare.  Here's a great article about a rescue they helped with while on their way west.

We got our first real snowfall on October 16, over two weeks earlier than last year.  Most of it has melted away in the sunshine, but there is still enough left for the kids to find ice chunks to throw to the dog (and at each other).

Along with the early snowfall, we were treated to an early display of the Northern Lights last Friday.  I pulled into my driveway after a late evening at broom ball (at which I think I have improved since last year--thanks to some pretty intense circuit training classes) and found a spectacular display of green and red right from my own yard.  Last year, we didn't get our first peek at the lights until December, and we had to drive away from the lights of town and up the mountain to see them clearly.  I took these pics from my front porch.

Our time left in Homer is now numbered in months.  I don't even want to think about leaving.  But we have our list turned in to the detailer, so the waiting game is on until spring.  The LT got word that he made the list to be promoted to Lieutenant Commander.  It takes awhile for them to work down the list, so he will see the actual promotion sometime next year.  But at least it's guaranteed!

I have been sewing right along since he's been gone so much.  I have started doing more things for myself rather than to sell in my shop, and I've entered some of them in contests.  One of them, a laptop sleeve for Art Gallery Fabrics, even won!  I have 10 yards of fabric heading my way for that win.  I'm also up for another right now.  I'm in the top ten, and you can vote to help me win more free stuff to support my habit, em, hobby.