Sledding in the Chugach

Like an idiot, I took the camera with us yesterday when we all went sledding in the foothills of the local Chugach mountains, but forgot to take any actual pictures. At any rate, Malcolm is a fearless sledder and Chloe enjoyed walking (with help) in the white stuff. We all had a blast. And when we were finished, we checked out three moose having lunch a stone's throw from the road, including one bull with massive antlers. So far, we've collectively seen about ten moose, four bald eagles, one black bear and an assortment of Dall sheep, spawning salmon and other birds and small mammals since we arrived in Alaska.

It's almost 8 am at work on Monday, and 15 degrees outside, with an inch of snow on the ground. Happy Halloween.

ps. We're going to brave the weather tonight and try trick-or-treating at some houses. Wish us luck.

Winter's Getting Closer

It's about 20 degrees as I write this, at 11:30 on Saturday morning, with a bright sun over the Chugach mountains. A thick carpet of frost is on the lawn today, so we took the kids out in their snow suits for the first time. Malcolm loves the fact that he can roll around in the ice and not feel a thing. Chloe complained. But she looks so cute, like Maggie Simpson in her "star suit". So we let her complain for a bit. Call it tough love.

When we're not out freezing ourselves, we do tons of different projects inside, like art. Chloe enjoys drawing more than Malcolm does, but he's getting into painting now.

Tonight we're headed to Trick or Treat Town for some early Halloween fun. Tomorrow it's sledding in the Chugach.

Check out the awesome weather in store for us. Hopefully we'll start seeing the aurora soon, which I will definitely post pictures of. And in case anyone's wondering, the Iditarod doesn't start until March. But we will be there for the kick-off.

We hope everyone is doing well. Love always,

Chloe, Malcolm, Stephanie and Brandon

Our First Day in the Snow

Sunday Malcolm and I took Simon to a trailhead of Chugah State Park that overlooks Anchorage. As we drove up into the foothills above the homes, we hit the snowline. By the time we reached the park, we were in a few inches of snow. We got to throw snowballs, slide down hills and climbed a steep, slippery trail to the top of a windswept hill with amazing views of Anchorage, Cook Inlet and Turnagain Arm. We're heading back there this weekend with Steph and Chloe, plus our trusty sled.

Unfortunately, I didn't have the camera with me, so no pictures. We'll post some this weekend. We're also gearing up for Halloween, which we'll be celebrating at one of the malls, where kids fill the entire mall and go trick-or-treating at all the shops. We'll share pictures of that, too.

NEW PHONE NUMBER!

Stephanie and I are simplifying by ditching our cell phones and going back to our home phone. As of today, we can now be reached at:

HOME: 907-569-2858
BRANDON'S WORK: 907-269-5511
STEPHANIE'S WORK: 907-677-7031

Sorry for any confusion. And remember, we're an hour behind Pacific coast time. Thanks!

The Newest Tucker

We've added a new family member, and an important friend for Malcolm. For reasons known only to him, our new kitty's name is "Jolly". It could've been worse; my brother Ryan once named a cat "Razzle", only to be replaced upon expiration by none other than "Razzle II". We can only hope never to have a sequel for a pet.

Anyway, he's great. Malcolm and I adopted him yesterday at the Humane Society, and he's already a loved addition to our home, as you can see. Included here is also a great shot of Chloe that Malcolm took. Those are his fingers framing the composition. He's such an artist.

Fall's Here, Winter's on the Way

We had our first guest recently when Brandon's mom Anna flew out from Maine. She even survived the frostbite and bear attacks to tell about it. Everyone is doing well. Stephanie and I just celebrated 11 years of togetherness and 6 years of marriage, and she isn't sick of me yet (I think). We also discovered a Belgian beer bar here, with about 100 varieties - just more more reason to make your summer travel plans now.

The four of us took a drive to Soldotna on the Kenai Peninsula, and saw two bald eagles on the way (once when Malcolm had to make a roadside pit stop and accidentally peed on daddy's shoe). It was a gorgeous trip. We took a hike at the National Wildlife Refuge center to walk off our oversized lunch.

Do yourself a favor and go see Wallace & Gromit.

Chloe is great (albeit impossibly loud) and Malcolm is turning the big 4 soon (complete with yet another Thomas-inspired birthday party). She's going to be a unicorn/Pegasus for Halloween, and Malcolm is dressing up as a knight. We're going as sleep-deprived parents. The weather is sunny or partly so, with highs in the 30s and 40s. We get plenty of frost in the mornings, but no snow yet. We did buy our first sled, just to be prepared. And the Scout has been parked and tarped on the side of the house for the winter, to be rejuvinated when breaking down doesn't mean freezing to death.

We hope everyone down there is happy, healthy and safe. Take care of yourselves. We miss you all.

-The Tuckers