Okay so I've been ignoring you all shamelessly. :( I really have been trying to get everything done, and I have to pick and choose, which stinketh. And I don't even have any pictures for you because my camera is in the car (oops) but we've been having fun. Last Saturday the Christmas in Ice park opened up. It's one of my favorite things about Alaska. So we bundled (although, we really didn't need to so much, it was 30 some odd degrees, I ended up taking off my outer coat) and it was really dark so I didn't get any pictures, flash ruins the look, and I don't have nor did I want to cart around a tripod to get good night pictures, next time we go, we'll go when it's light outside (all three hours of it). Anyway, we slid for a couple hours, the girls had a ton of fun, so did mom and dad. We were all a bit sore the next day though. Speaking of the next day, it warmed up to a whopping 47 degrees! I know what you're thinking, "Awesome, enjoy the warm weather!" well let me tell you a little something about Alaska, if everything melts, it WILL all freeze again, this time as solid ice instead of mostly harmless snow, and that ice will stay coated on my driveway, the roads, the sidewalks, the parking lots, ect, until everything melts finally in MAY. We had something similar last year and let me tell you, it was terrifying every time we got in the car. I had hoped that last year was a fluke, but two years in a row equals major suck. I can honestly say that I will be very happy when we finally move. Speaking of, our future is kind of in flux right now. We're trying to decide between re-enlisting for 4 years and going overseas (REAL overseas this time) which would be so awesome to live somewhere in Europe and get to go see all the incredible stuff over there, the Roman coliseum, the Louvre, the Neuschwanstien castle, all the wonderful things that I loved learning about. Another option is dropping into the reserves and going to law school, there's also this Law Clerk program in Washington that is basically you're an apprentice for 4 years with an experienced lawyer and then you can take the bar exam, law license without a degree, which would be limiting, if Tyler wanted to practice anywhere but Washington, he'd have to go to school when he's already a lawyer =suck. BUT it would let us live in the Tri-Cities, Tyler have a full time good paying job with benefits instead of being a starving student family for three years. Another option that just opened up is a reserve opening in a small post in Salt Lake, they want him now though so he's thinking about the "Palace Chase" program (don't ask me why it's called that, I have no idea) and getting out of here as soon as May, but the downside to that would be that he wouldn't have his degree yet and most schools won't accept his military credits so not only would it set him back in his bachelor's degree about 18 months but he wouldn't have a degree to be working as a paralegal, which means he'd be in some stupid menial job doing who knows what for a year and a half. I vote that we DON'T do that one. I'm trying to "go with the flow" but it goes against my personality and I'm having a hard time not being worried/frustrated/terrified/annoyed with having absolutely NO idea where we will be even 18 months from now but I'm preparing as well as I can and putting my faith in the Lord that he will help us know what the right decision is and that we'll be okay no matter what happens. Anyway, when Tyler gets home from lunch, I'll put up a couple pictures, until then, I'll be working on Christmas presents (as usual). I'm hoping to get my packages out by the end of this week though so I really have to pick things up. Later everyone! Miss you all.
