This is it! Here are some of the photos we took this morning of our new home in Wasilla, about 45 minutes north of Anchorage. The property is 1.2 acres, and the house sits in the northwest corner of it, facing south. The lot is surrounded by land undeveloped since at least 1982, when the home was built, so we've got forest and wetlands all around us, with our own cul-de-sac at the western terminus of East Escondido Avenue (the "avenue" is actually a sleepy residential road). The other homes in the area are all 80s-era suburban types - definitely the swankiest neighborhood we've lived in so far. We're paying 168k, but it was just assessed at 172k, so we've already made some equity. :-)The first thing to go will be the Smurf-blue paint. We've opted for a more tasteful light mocha color, but will keep the white trim. The interior will get a host of new colors: light and medium orange for Malcolm's room, light and medium teal for Chloe's, and an offwhite with light mocha trim for the rest. We'll replace the carpet too, as well as add a new fridge, washer/dryer, range and water heater. After that, we'll invest in Top Ramen for a while.There's no garage, so Brandon will be busy building a carport, as well as a backyard fence. There's a large entry mudroom (a must in Alaska), and the kitchen, dining room and living room are also big. The kids will have their own rooms for the first time, complete with Cape Cod-style windows recessed into the walls, with slanting ceilings. One bathroom with shower upstairs, one with bathtub downstairs.The front deck is huge and faces the beautiful front yard. There's a dilapidated treehouse in the front, which will be replaced with something of Brandon's cunning, but the awesome steel cable ripcord running at least 60 feet from the treehouse, across the front of the yard and into a stand of woods will certainly stay. Brandon tried it this morning, and can't wait to coax Malcolm into riding it. And for all you coming to Tuckerfest, you can rest assured we'll make good use of it at the party.We'll both be getting new jobs in the area. Stephanie has already begun applying. Brandon is staying with the state, and will commute to Anchorage until he finds a new position. We found the preschool we'll enroll the kids in this morning, too.Thank you everyone for all your recent warm wishes. We look forward to welcoming any and all guests (though there's no official guest room), especially as Alaska shows off it stuff with the coming of Summer.Love,Chloe, Malcolm, Stephanie and Brandon
When winter lasts five or six months, Spring is a pretty big deal. In Alaska the onset of Spring is referred to as "break-up", because of the thawing and melting of the snow and ice in the millions of creek, rivers, lakes and glaciers. Break-up has real effects, too. Brandon spoke with a guy by cell phone the other day who couldn't get out of his home area in the bush because of the swollen creeks surrounding him. In the town of Nenana, south of Faribanks, the Nenana Ice Classic has become the largest single gambling event in the state. It's a lottery based on when the Tanana River will start flowing during break-up. Now that the snow is mostly gone and the weather has warmed up to the 40s, everyone is out in force. RVs are again everywhere, as are motorcycles, and the spirit of getting outside is like a virus. Brandon was shoveling the last of the snow from our driveway the other day in a t-shirt and shorts.
Chloe is talking more than ever. She can say any word if she thinks about it, and understands nearly everything we tell her. She's also taken to wearing clips in her hair, and loves to show them off. Malcolm, also known as Spiderman, is much like his daddy, and loves spending time outside. Both have grown completely accustomed to the cold, and much faster than we'd expected. They're 100% Alaska kids now. Some of the photos here are from our recent second trip to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, like the San Diego Wild Animal Park of the north.
Stephanie and Brandon went house hunting again, and found what they hope to be their next home. We're not yet in escrow, so we don't want to jinx anything, but the 3 bed/2 bath house is about 1600 sq. ft. on over an acre of wooded land, at the end of its own cul-de-sac (no other houses around). In fact, standing on the property, you can only make out the silhouette of a cabin on the other side of a stand of woods, and that's it. Otherwise, it's trees and more trees, with only dense forest to the north. The kids would get their own rooms for the first time, too. And for all of you attending Tuckerfest V, the large south-facing deck and big front yard will host the best little beer festival in the Last Frontier. Wish us luck, and we'll keep you posted.
Stephanie is looking for a new position in the Mat-Su borough, where we're headed, and has already found some very promising possibilities. Brandon has started doing the same, but will stay with the state. The commute from Wasilla to Anchorage is about 45 minutes on a good day, so we'll work to find jobs closer to our new home as quickly as possible.
We miss and love you all, and hope to see many of you this summer. Take care of each other.
