HELLO ALL! Sorry for the hiatus, we just got the internet up and running! Alot has changed since the last time I blogged. We finally got out of a hotel and moved into our new house just a few days before Bubba left to get underway. Since he has left they delivered all of our household goods (furniture, tv, cookware, etc.) and I unpacked/moved/arranged/decorated everything so I am really excited for him to see it! Like I said before, Bubba is underway right now and because of OPSEC I cant post where he is, how long he will be away, etc... but I can say he is doing fine and defintely learning lots of new things. We are both learning new things...... I am learning how to be self-reliant, how to cook without making a huge mess. I am learning how to work dvr, handle bills and navigate a truck that is just a "little" to big for me. But the main thing is, I am doing ok! I miss everyone at home so, so much but I am "OK" at being by myself, and I guess Im not really by myself because I have Frank who is ALWAYS into something..... he keeps me busy! I start classes this Thursday, hopefully I can finish up my degree while Im here. I cant wait to be a teacher, just wish I didnt have to go to school.... lol, sounds like an oxymoron huh? I am thankful to being able to go to school, some people never get the oppurtunity to go to college and choose what job they have for the rest of their lives and so I am thankful that I can do that, I have great parents that help me out and Bubba supports me 100% so I should be thankful ... and I am! Anyways, school is gonna keep me busy and so is Frank, Im thinking about working into a part time job if I can find one that works with my schedule... we'll see! I tell you one thing though, you should all appreciate the prices at HEB!!!!!! You never know what you have until you dont have it and let me tell you it is PRICEY up here! Whoo-whee! Luckily, the military helps us with the cost of living here but still it is a sad day when a can of green beans cost 2.19... or a bag of frozen chicken breast cost 30 DOLLARS!! Its a big, big difference............ but it is BEAUTIFUL here! Oh and I saw bears, they were not in the wild but in a refuge that they have in Sitka. It is made from the old water tanks and the bears are contained inside of two of them. It wasnt like a zoo because they try and keep it very much like their natural habitat and the bears looked very happy. In one water tank they had two old bears, about 3-4 years old and in the other water tank they had 3 cubs, about a year old. The cubs were resting when we got there but the older two were out and about and it was just amazing to see them! They are HUGE! We were under the impression that Sitka only had black bears and than we got to Sitka and learned that they only have brown bears, also known as, grizzly bears! The town is very big on living in harmony with the bears. They have some issues with bears getting into the garbage and I even heard a story of  a bear breaking into a car... lol but they are potentionally very dangerous animals, so they say the key is just to show them the respect they deserve and to just be smart, whether your hiking/fishing, etc. It is just so cool to me though, to look at the mountains and think of all the wildlife that is living in there. Before Bubba left they had what was considered a "heat streak" at a whopping 70 degrees lol, I thought yall might get a kick out of that considering the 100+ degree weather yall have been experiencing. You should have seen this place, everyone was out at the beach swimming, soaking in rays..... you couldnt pay me to get into that cold water! That day Bubba and I went to the shooting range and I shot a pistol for the very first time! And I was pretty dang good at it, if I do say so myself ;) We also saw salmon -which by the way, is pronounced "sam-men" here, anways we saw what seemed like hundreds of them swimming in this huge swarm and they were probably as long as my arm, it was the coolest thing! I brought my camera that day but as I went to take a picture I realized that I left my media card at home so..... no pictures :( SORRY! I have learned my lesson though and next time I will take my camera WITH my media card inserted, promise :) .............it is truly a beatufil place here, just wish I saw the sun more! I sure do miss it but not as much as I miss everyone at home, I hope you are all doing good and know that I think about you all everyday, love, love, love.... until next time xoxoxoxox

P.S. I have now mastered the art of biscuits and gravy, rice puff balls (which are like honey, peanutbutter and rice krispes clusters) and sloppy joes! tonight... enchiladas, wish me luck :)



Here are a few of my favorite pics of the bears...........

Climbing up the tree to see what everyone was looking at...

Checking us out...

This bear is HUGE!

Chomping on a fish

Just yawning...

                                           AND THE SCARIEST BEAR OF THEM ALL...

As of yesterday we have been living here for a week! WOW! I can't believe I am LIVING in Alaska! It is absoltuely breathtaking. The ocean is gorgeous, the trees are gorgeous, the mountains, are gorgeous (some even have snow on top-which is so cool to me!) Some mornings I wake up and the sun is out and the moutains are picture perfect and HUGE and some mornings I wake up and the fog is so thick that the mountains seem to have completely disappeared... it is amazing! It defintely is everything they say. I have met some very nice ladies here, that have been very sweet and helpful and it makes me feel a little better to know some people here. Sitka has a very small town feel, similar to Troy, so that makes me feel better too, thats what I'm use to afterall. Bubba is underway for his first time on a cutter and my first time by myself in Alaska-and it has not been so bad, the week is almost half way done and he'll be home before I know it! I tell you what though, this weather has me a little "thrown off" because it feels like it does in Texas around Thanksgiving time and anyday now my body is expecting to be eating some of Zini and Aprils good cooking! Man, am I gonna miss that. But considering I will have alot of time on my hands I plan on being an expert cook when I leave this place ...haha, well Im going to try anyways. If I can master boiling eggs by the time we leave, than Ill be good -right April? ;) No seriously, I really am going to try to expand my horizons as far as cooking goeswhile Im here (lucky Bubba is gonna be my guinea pig-or poor Bubba depending on how you look at it ;) ) I miss home but Im really enjoying this experience so far. Well Im sure after reading this you'll have a good taste of how my mind jumps from one subject to the other BUT, Im not to worried because luckily those of you that are reading this probably already knew that! xoxoxo... until next time



I dont have any pictures of Sitka yet, but here are a few of Alaska from the ferry ride....

Wait for it...

A whale! Me and Bubba were so excited to see this!

Canadian Coast Guard in Canadian waters

Looked like a ghost town

Petersburg, Alaska; one of our ports on the ferry

Wouldnt want to be that guy... I've seen whales do belly flops on to

guys like him before on youtube and that guys looks like he's about two

 paddles away from 2,816,840 views-if ya know what I mean

Seals sunbathing on a bouy!

Woke up to see this... even better in person!