Winter FINALLY takes a hike!

ALRIGHT ALREADY, we get the point! We love winter in Alaska as much as the next family, but come on! At the end of April we were hammered with a record late-season snowfall, and just as it had been steadily warm, too. Malcolm decided Mother Nature was on vacation, and Old Man Winter and Santa Claus hijacked the show in her absence. It seemed as good an explanation as anything we could come up with. Thankfully, however, it's finally all behind us now. Spring is most definitely here, and we've started getting busy with all our usual trips, chores and assorted family outings. This time of year in Alaska is magical, and we always do our best to make the most of it.

It's something of a miracle we've survived as well as we have this year, considering the recent superfund site that was our bombed-out home. Once the renovations were complete, we received a "notification of non-renewal" from Safeco, our insurer. We had discovered the hard way that two claims, back to back, landed us on CLUE, a national insurance blacklist database managed by ChoicePoint, the outfit that can't seem to keep its confidential customer information, um, confidential. Alaska law requires a homeowners policy with every mortgage, yet we were faced with losing our coverage in a matter of weeks. And thanks to CLUE, no other insurer wanted to pick us up. We did eventually find a new carrier, though, and life is back on track. In fact, we were somehow able to save money on both our homeowners and auto policies (and with no geckos involved).

The kids are, as always, terrific. Chloe has been loving her new dance class, and goes every Thursday. Angelina Ballerina has likewise become her favorite new show. Malcolm recently started t-ball, and is enjoying every minute of it. Brandon also chaperoned Malcolm's kindergarten field trip to the Alaska Zoo the other day. Both kids are really excited for their new sibling, Blueberry, who is due in just about a month now, around June 17th or 18th. Things are pretty happy-go-lucky these days, despite the recent insurance scare.

Stephanie is at last free of the clutches of her old employer, and with several coworkers has now helped establish a new company, Acacia Personal Care Services. She's happier than ever, and we're very proud of her. She's also feeling great, and has been coasting along this pregnancy. Boy or girl, there's a healthy baby in there, and Mama's doing very well.

Today we took the dogs and had a picnic up near Hatcher Pass. Later in the summer we're planning to camp on the beach in Seward. Brandon hopes to get Malcolm out on the Alaskan Rover, a 54' schooner that sails around Resurrection Bay. We may even buy a (used) new canoe sometime this summer. There's also the Kesugi Trail that Brandon wants to tackle, if there's time between the baby, the kids, the property and (sigh) work.

Oh, almost forgot. We got a new car! Well, new to us. Turns out three car seats don't fit in the back of a Subaru Forester, so we bought a 1998 Chrysler Town & Country. Yes, you read that right - a minivan. However, it's got all-wheel drive and leather and power everything, and has enough room for whatever we choose to lug around. We even managed to sell our Subie on Craigslist in two hours, literally. It may be horribly suburban and dorky, but we love it.

That's it for now. Enjoy the photos! :)

So long, Winter!

Although the difference between Winter and Spring up here is often semantic, there's no denying that Alaskans can feel the changing season, even if a glance out the window still shows snow and ice on much of the ground. As such, we've been getting outdoors a lot lately, with some days hitting 50 degrees. We're also getting busy with our usual host of work projects, like putting up a new fence, cleaning the house and property, and getting ready to start cutting next year's firewood. Speaking of the house, it's coming together very well now. We have new vinyl floors downstairs, and most of the wood trim has been replaced throughout. Now just a short wait for our carpet, and everything will be finished. It will have been a very long four months!

One of our recent excursions included the Alaska Native Heritage Center, where we got to inspect examples of indigenous homes, and even saw one of Brandon's coworkers and her family perform a traditional dance. We also hiked a portion of the Eklutna Lake Trail, located in the Chugach Mountains, between us and Anchorage. It's an easy hike, so we were even able to take our bulldog Emily - not exactly the thoroughbred of dogs. With the quickly warming weather, it's anybody's guess when break up will officially occur. We haven't bet on the Nenana Ice Classic this year, but 2008 seems warm so far.

Malcolm has also started attending Mad Science classes every Thursday afternoon, and he loves it. The workshops are taught in conjunction with NASA. He's a big science buff, and is having a great time with it. Chloe is as wonderful as ever, and had her hair dyed pink again yesterday. Our next blog post will likely have a shot of her new 'do. The kids also had a great Easter, and that evening we all went to a Japanese restaurant for dinner. They ate like champs! Malcolm even asked to try some of Brandon's sushi. They enjoyed it so much, they asked for Japanese again the other night. Looks like we'll have to start making it a regular treat.

Stephanie has started this year's vegetable garden in small planters in the kitchen. We're planning lots of camping and hiking trips this summer, and we'd like to catch a ride on one of the whalewatching ships out of Whittier or Seward. Chloe may join a dance class, and Malcolm wants to try t-ball. And of course we're expecting the biggest joy of all this summer, with the birth of Blueberry, who should be joining us around the middle of June. Both mama and baby are doing great, by the way. Stephanie is beautiful and feeling good.

Finally, Brandon's brother Ryan is a daddy! His wife Heather and he are the proud parents of their first baby, Jack Brandon Markheim. He's beautiful and healthy, and they're all doing very well down in Charlotte. Congratulations, guys!

As always, take good care of each other.

Love,

Chloe, Malcolm, Stephanie and Brandon

Two Months of Living Dangerously

It was the best of times, it was- well, you know the rest. As mentioned previously, we were the unlucky recipients of a pre-dawn (okay, winter in Alaska is nearly all pre-dawn) downpour of water, which had collected in the spaces between our two floors, the result of ruptured heating pipes during a cold snap (again, that's a relative term up here). That was December 23rd. A couple weeks of repair and renovation work ensued, and it looked like our little home would finally be coming back together.

Until it happened again. Some time on Thursday, January 31st, our upstairs cold water pipes in the bathroom burst, again due to recent drops in temperature. The coldest we would see it this month in Wasilla was -29 at the local airport. Stephanie and the kids had done a great job cleaning up much of the standing water and packing our clothes before Brandon showed up from work. That night we hit the road, having contacted our plumber, insurance company, local adjuster and renovation company, and spent the first of eight nights in two different motels.

The latest damage ruined much of the renovation work that was already underway from the first disaster, and the renovators had to largely start from scratch. Now half the floors have been or are being ripped up, and several walls and half the kitchen ceiling have been removed. The upstairs bathroom floor is a raw quilt of jagged splinters, yet the downstairs bathroom is completely without walls, so either way going to the bathroom in our house is a risky venture.

Adding insult to injury, the motel where we spent the majority of our evenings made huge mistakes with our credit card, placing three "pending charges" at different times. The result was to rack up over $2,000 in charges (for a final bill of only $600), which maxed out the card, triggered our account for penalty fees, set us up for a credit rating headache and had Brandon only finding out when he was picking up pizza for the family one night. After enough wrangling, the motel manager corrected the mistakes with our credit card company. However, the Iron Dog snowmachine race, and local wrestling and hockey tournaments are all descending on our little part of Alaska this weekend, and the motel was booked in advance - they were kicking us out, just when we thought our problems were waning. Stephanie had to race to find us one of the remaining rooms in the Mat-Su Valley. After we moved in for the final night, we found out the hard way that the room's heater was broken.

Throughout this past week, temperatures have stayed below or near zero, with occasional wind gusts of over 35 MPH. While Brandon was starting the cars in the motel parking lot one morning to warm them up, the temperature was -19. The next morning was -13. Unable to cook, or even microwave, we were forced to make do with fast food and the simplest of breakfasts. As a certified breakfast family, this has been one of the more difficult aspects. At a restaurant one night, Malcolm ordered breakfast instead of dinner, because he was missing eggs so much.

However, even the most trying times come to an end. Our house is in shambles, and yet relatively clean, so we have decided to give up the road and move back in. Water and heat have been restored, and a cord of seasoned firewood was delievered this morning. We still have a few weeks before our house will finally and totally be back together, making these two of the most, um, exciting months we've ever experienced.

And while in the end we'll be responsible for the deductibles (because the ruptures were two separate events, resulting in two separate claims, we're being forced to cough up two $1,000 deductibles), we will have all new floors, walls, ceilings, plumbing and paint to look forward to. The total bill, including motel and eating expenses, will amount to somewhere over $20,000, all of which, save for the deductibles, is being covered by our insurance company. And not to be overlooked is the renewed appreciation we all have for our modest little home, which despite its many flaws, is a far more welcoming place than any motel could ever be. Malcolm and Chloe have both been superb throughout the ordeal, relishing the motel's cable channels (nothing soothes after a tough day like SpongeBob SquarePants or Fairly Odd Parents), and playing in the occasional jacuzzi bath. We're extremely proud of them both. We were even able to work in an evening with the Moscow Circus last week, who played the Atwood Concert Hall in downtown Anchorage. The kids loved it, and it couldn't have come at a better time for us.

Not to be outshone by bad news was our most recent sonogram of Blueberry, our upcoming daughter or son. Those amazing images, and the news that both baby and mama are very healthy and progressing perfectly, has helped put all our troubles in perspective. We now return to our home, a bit shaken up, but no less thrilled to call ourselves Alaskans, and looking forward more than ever to welcoming our next child into the world.

Love,

Chloe, Malcolm, Stephanie and Brandon

Too Long Since Our Last Post!

Boy, is that an understatement. It seems like life for us has been on fast forward since Halloween, which turned into Malcolm's birthday, then Brandon's birthday, then a visit from Brandon's brother Ryan, which became Thanksgiving, which became Christmas, which is now turning into the New Year, and finally beginning to settle down. And throughout the past two months, we've had winter to work with (trust us, it starts earlier up here), plus soccer, kindergarten, preschool, work and of course, the next little Tucker! It's more than enough to interrupt our blogging intentions, but our apologies all the same.

Halloween was great this year. If climate change has an upside, this had to be it. Our first two Halloweens in Alaska were eye-openers, to say the least. By the end of October there's usually snow and ice all around, and temperatures are well below freezing. 2007 was the exception. The weather was merely cool by our shifting standards, and the kids had a blast once again visiting the retirees at the Pioneer village. Living to old age in Alaska is something to be celebrated, and the Pioneers at the local retirement home put on a terrific show for trick-or-treating kids.

Our big boy turned 6!!! It's hard to fathom how quickly they're both growing up. We had a great turn-out at his party, and the weather was beautiful - bright and sunny, with enough snow on the ground for all the kids (and Brandon) to play outside.

As always, it was wonderful to see Ryan. Now that the kids are out of their toddler years, they know very well who Uncle Ryan is, and we all had a terrific time during his visit. Brandon is likewise preparing to fly out to see Ryan and Heather in Charlotte for the birth of their son Jack in March. We're separated only by geography, but are otherwise very close.

Thanksgiving was quite the feast, and we continued our tradition of hosting Brandon's friend Don and his son Justin. None of us have extended family up here, so it's always good to surround ourselves with people we care about, especially during the holidays. Speaking of which, Christmas was great this year. Malcolm wrote a letter to Santa at the North Pole (AKA North Pole, Alaska), asking for a new saucer sled. Sure enough, the big guy came through! And in Malcolm's favorite color, no less! The kids had an absolutely marvelous time ripping through their presents, and all despite the near catastrophe that eupted in our house only 48 hours prior...

At about 3:30 on the morning of Sunday (12/23), a downpour suddenly started inside a closet. It turns out that what began as a bitter cold spell the week before was now manifesting itself, thanks to several burst hot water pipes upstairs. Over the course of the next two days, nearly 20 gallons of water dripped, trickled and outright poured from our downstairs ceiling, having collected over the days in the crawlspaces and insulation above our heads. Stephanie and the kids had to spend that night in a hotel, while Brandon stayed behind with no heat or water to keep up the vigil. We're now in the midst of the repairs and renovation (our heat and water have both been restored), all of which will end up costing thousands. Fortunately, our insurance policy is covering everything. And yet we were still able to enjoy a truly happy Christmas, so we're thankful things weren't worse.

Stephanie's pregnancy has progressed perfectly, and "Blueberry" is growing up right on schedule. We expect to greet her or him around June 17th. Malcolm's soccer season has come to an end, and he's decided to work on his ice skating now, in the hopes of joining a hockey team in 2008. Chloe's undecided whether she wants to try soccer, or follow what seems to be her true passion and take dance classes.

It's the small things that we really enjoy, though. We spend most of our free time together as a family, just having fun. We do a lot of sledding and playing in the snow. A few weeks ago we took the kids to Benihana for dinner. Brandon had been showing them online videos of Benihana chefs doing their stuff, so they were excited to see the real thing for themselves. We want to take them to one of the many local dogsled camps, where visitors can meet the dog teams, eat a meal with the drivers, and enjoy a day of mushing through the woods. We've been ice skating a lot now, and lastnight we all went to the indoor pool at the high school. Brandon recently spoke with a local dairy farm about setting up a tour, and we're eager to take Chloe and Malcolm soon. Anchorage's Fur Rendezvous ("Fur Rondy") starts February 22nd, and of course the Iditarod begins on March 1st. Winter in Alaska isn't for the faint of heart, but it's fun!

We hope you've all had a wonderful holiday season, and we wish you a healthy and joyous 2008. Take care of each other!

Love always,

Chloe, Malcolm, Stephanie and Brandon

Where do We Start?!

First, the big news: STEPHANIE'S PREGNANT!!! "Blueberry", as we're calling the baby, should be about six weeks along by now. As with Malcolm and Chloe, we won't find out the sex beforehand; we like the mystery. If it's a boy, he'll be Calvin Islay ("eye-luh"), and if a girl she'll be Molly Anna. If they're twins, um, we're in trouble. :) Stephanie feels great, aside from occasional nausea in the morning and after eating. We have our first appointment (and perhaps a sonogram) in early November, and we'll keep everyone posted. Oh, and the due date for now is June 17.

Otherwise, we have been BUSY. Malcolm started soccer recently, his first team sport. He loves it, and says defense and goalie are his favorite positions. He plays at the Wasilla Multi-Use Sports Complex, a giant indoor facility that features both a soccer field and a hockey rink, along with a running track, shop, cafe', etc. As he started playing, Autumn replaced Summer. Alaska's Autumn is beautiful, if brief. In the few weeks since the leaves began to turn and fall, it has already snowed twice, and a couple inches of white slush currently blanket everything outside. The quickly lowered temperatures mean Brandon has spent much of his time working on getting the house ready for Winter, and we're now keeping a fire in the wood stove going throughout the day, with about a cord and a half already stacked outside, and another cord on the way. For the uninitiated, a cord of wood measures 4'x4'x8'. It's surprising how quickly you go through wood when you rely on it for heating, and with six months of Winter to look forward to, we'll use it all.

In other big news, we just got back from our big trip to the City by the Bay, San Francisco. Stephanie's parents Barbara and Joe live down there, as does the rest of her family, and we were able to spend some great time with both family and many of our friends. Malcolm and Chloe stayed with Stephanie's nieces Monica and Amanda one night at our hotel while we partied with old friends at Baytoberfest, our version of Oktoberfest. We were visited by the boys in blue from the San Carlos Police Department, so we knew the party was a success.

With the kids, we visited every Bay Area icon we could: the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Pier 39, Fisherman's Wharf, Ghirardelli Square, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Palace of Fine Arts, the San Francisco Zoo, even a cable car. The weather, with the exception of rain on our first day, was beautiful. We also took the kids to the beach in Pacifica, where Stephanie's parents still live. Alaska may have the longest coastline in America, but our beaches aren't exactly sunny and warm in October. After a whirlwind week of great food, great fun and wonderful times with family and friends, we were all exhausted. Nonetheless, our little vacation was still too brief, and we were sorry to say goodbye to everyone we love. Hopefully we'll see some of them next Summer. Mean while, we'll be welcoming Brandon's brother Ryan in just a few days!

Now, back in the beginning of another Alaskan Winter, we're settling in for a fun season, looking forward to the next member of the Tucker family and missing all those who mean so much to us. Enjoy the photos!

Love,

Chloe, Malcolm, Stephanie and Brandon