A month of 1s

The first picture is without any distortions, but not the rest

November marks an entire year we've lived in Alaska. Heather started her job last year 11/1 and about a week later we moved into our apartment, (about 11 days later did our furniture show up). And it's been, I have to say, a pretty amazing year.

We skied more last season than ever before. Heather took several lessons which improved her skills on the slopes considerably. I can't wait to see how she continues to improve this season.

We've seen and driven in more snow than ever in the last year. The snow showed up early November last year and didn't completely melt around town until sometime in April, I believe. It didn't disappear from atop the mountains until July.

Talk about a tight pucker

Trying to get some corn out of my teeth

We've gone and done so many new things in the last 12 months. From several boat trips to view glaciers and Ak wildlife in Seward, we biked to a glacier, I hiked up to the Harding Ice Field (a vast expanse of ice sitting atop numerous mountains some 700 square miles in area), I hiked up Flat Top for a beautiful overlook of Anchorage, we spent a day catching halibut from Homer, we spent a day catching nothing in Soldotna, we took in gorgeous views of Mt. Mckinley and an assortment of wildlife, we biked all over town all summer, we tried out cross-country skiing, we watched sled dog mushers and the Iditarod, we saw enormous ice and snow sculptures, and we discovered that the Turnagain Arm is the most beautiful drive in the world.

We discovered that Lola loves the snow! I mean LOVES it! We discovered that Dakota loves eating snow...LOVES it! I surprised Heather with pretty new dog booties. Dakota surprised Heather by throwing up in the truck. Lola got bit at the park and we paid for minor K9 surgery. The pups discovered what a moose is. They made a new friend-dog named Dannie-girl.

We made a few new friends in people that we've worked with (most notably, Janelle who is Dannie's momma).

Lola, helping me with the corn thing

Also during this year, Heather became licensed in her second state and has worked for a year now. I took on and completed a second CPE residency as a hospital chaplain, which increased my experience, padded my resume and really firmed up my professional identity as a chaplain. After the first residency, I ended it feeling like a minister/pastor with chaplain training; but after the second residency, I really feel like a trained chaplain.

I officiated my first wedding. (Turns out they're easy!)

We paid cash for two cars. (Here's one of them.)

Oh on, turning into alien form...

We were visited by my parents and went skiing together. (Dad had a glorious wipe out and left his phone at the resort twice!) We were visited by Heather's mom and went to Seward. (Heather always feels better with her momma.) We were visited by Anna and Robert-o with whom we went to see Denali. (We almost killed Anna with an allergic reaction, and Robert almost killed Nathan for testing his fear of heights.) In a few days we'll be visited by my sister and her bo and have plans to go snow-shoe hiking. (We shall be braving the bitter cold as the high today was 2 degrees and where we're hiking it will be much colder.)

I said goodbye to my great grandmother. 

We said goodbye to a friend and marine who was killed in Afghanistan. 

We adopted a girl named Indah from Indonesia through Compassion International.

We vacationed very near that child when we ventured to Singapore and Bali with Hannah and Greg, marking our first independent international travel together, but surely not the last (because I want some more Mi Goreng and that skewared chicked with the peanut sauce; Hannah what's that called again?).

We gazed awe struck out of an airplane window as aurora borealis danced for us.

We celebrated out 5 year marriage anniversary. And the other set of 1s that this month marks is the 11 year anniversary from when Heather and I became a couple (Nov. 18th).

All in all, we've had a blast. I'm hoping the pictures convey this as well. My friend Robert would start crying and looking for a job up here if I said we planned on staying another 10 years, or even 5 years. Both our families would probably disown us if we said we were going to have kids and raise them up here so far away. (Actually, both the moms would probably take off work and come up for a month.) But I can't say any of these are the long-term plan. In fact, for those of you wondering, there is no plan. We're here, we're loving life, and that works for now.

So, thanks 11/2011 for being a month of 1s. Our 1st year in AK. Our 11 year dating-versary. I potentially land my 1st long-term big job (more on that later). Here's to another year, just as great!