Spring Break @ Deep Creek

On Saturday afternoon, Mike, Meghan, and I jumped into the truck with dogs and headed to the beach. Meg came from Anchorage on Friday to spend her Spring Break with us. Granted, 22 degrees in Alaska is not what most would consider the warmest spring break around, but it's still gorgeous! With Daylight Savings beginning on Sunday, we also have an extra hour of daylight in the evenings. Spring fever has really hit me! I want to be out in the garden! I want to ride my 4-wheeler! I want to break ground on my house! I'm ready to see some green. I think I'm beginning to understand why I've seen so many houses with house plants in the window. It helps! I think I'm going to paint my walls yellow! And green! And RED! Oh, wait, I already did that. The colors brighten my mood and lift my spirits when the winter blahs tend to grab at me.

Don't get me wrong, I still love the incredible beauty of Alaska. I'm constantly amazed that God created this incredible place. I wish that I could wrap the majesty of the place into the same space as the grandeur of the red rocks of southern Utah. Every day is a different view and a new experience. How blessed we are to live in such an incredible world. To quote one of my favorite people in the world, "What a nice Heavenly Father!"

Love

I was contemplating my day a little while ago. I guess the winter finally caught up with me. I'm not totally surprised that it happened, just that it took longer than usual and then when it did, it hit me hard. I found myself, however, realizing that I brighten up when I get to come home from work and when Mike is around. He is truly my best friend. I'm grateful that he's my husband. Grant started having us look at the miracles in our lives each day. One day recently when I'd had a really bad day at school, I came home to Mike's grin. It is really difficult to be sad when Mike gets going. Some of his corny jokes and his contagious grin are just not easy to ignore let alone maintain a frowny disposition. Anyone who has been around him knows what I'm talking about. I love Mike’s smile! It seems that no matter what has gone on during my day, when I look up and see Mike smile at me with all the love that he has for me in his eyes, my world is all right. I know that Mike’s smile for me is special – mine. I love his mustache and the way that it frames Mike’s mouth. Between the length of the mustache and the wideness of Mike’s grin, he always looks so jolly. I’m grateful that he loves me and shows me how much he loves me with his smile.

Tonight as I was putting dinner away, my eyes glanced over a quote by President Hinckley that I have on the fridge. It states, "I have since come to know that love is more than a paper heart. Love is of the very essence of life. It is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Yet it is more than the end of the rainbow. Love is at the beginning also, and from it springs the beauty that arches across the sky on a stormy day. Love is the security for which children weep, the yearning of youth, the adhesive that binds marriage, and the lubricant that prevents devastating friction in the home; it is the peace of old age, the sunlight of hope shining through death. How rich we are those who enjoy it in their associations with family, friends, church, and neighbors."

We are indeed blessed to know love. Our greatest example of love comes from our Heavenly Father and our elder Brother, Jesus Christ. That love is what life is about and I'm grateful that I am able to experience the joy of love as a wife, a mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, aunt, friend, and teacher.

Volcano Alert

Since last Saturday after our earthquake, the big topic of conversation wherever you go is speculation on when Redoubt will erupt. Redoubt was placed on yellow status last fall, then was moved to orange status this past week which means 24-hour watch. Mike and I have been making sure that we have the things that we need to be prepared to time spent at home in case it erupts. School was canceled on the southern peninsula a couple of years ago when Augustine erupted, and the kids at school are hoping for a repeat this year. The volcano observatory reports higher than usual seismic activity. This has been an interesting thing to watch. A lot of the elementary kids at school have been pretty concerned, but for those of us in the high school, we're all hoping that it will erupt so that we can watch it from my classroom window. This picture was taken from my classroom window -- I do have a pretty awesome view for watching the show!