Farewell

Visiting Grandma

and Papa

Caught his first fish

Even more challeng - ing then moving to Alaska is moving out of Alaska, and true to our form we couldn't do it simply.  4 weeks after Simon was born I took him and Luke back to Atlanta to help fend off the Bethel baby blues (a much more potent form of the classic postpartum depression).  While there we visited Grandma and Grandpa and Papa in Kentucky, spent time with our good friends from Charleston, bathed in the sun for a week in Panama City Beach, and danced at an old friend's wedding in Massachusetts.

Georgia Aquarium

Tellus Museum

 Meanwhile back in bush Alaska Mark continued to sell as much of our stuff as we could do without and didn't plan on bringing back.  Simon and I returned to Bethel at the end of May (Luke took turns staying with his grandparents in Georgia and Kentucky).

Panama City Beach

 I went back to work for a week to finish out my contract with the hospital as we boxed up or sold the rest of our stuff.  As you can imagine, moving to Alaska is expensive, as we discovered, moving out of Alaska is even more expensive.  To make sure we stayed within our weight limit for flying our stuff to the moving company in Anchorage, we tediously weighed every box once it was packed.

Kennebunkport, ME

 As we got closer and closer to our max weight we realized we had way more stuff we wanted to keep then weight available.  So began the process of mailing ourselves our belongings.  As is turns out, the US postal service was half the cost per pound to mail then the moving company was to ship.  As it also turns out, the US postal service doesn't care how many times you write fragile on a box.  

Simon's baptism Holy Spirit Catholic Church, Bowling Green, KY

While we pack, he's chillin in the
same basket my
grandmother put my aunt
while she worked in the field

Just less than 2 weeks after returning to Bethel from maternity leave we boarded our last flight out.  But the whirlwind doesn't end there.  We got into Kentucky Friday 13th and on Saturday we got Simon baptized.  Monday we drove to Atlanta and spent the next 2 days loading our storage unit into a 26 foot Penske truck.

Break from all that hard packing

About to begin the trek

 Thursday, Mark and my dad set out for Idaho.  Friday, Mom, the kids and I boarded another plane destined for our new home.  
We've been in Sandpoint now for 2 weeks and things are finally starting to slow down.  I've started my new job and we've even gotten out to do some sightseeing.

Our 2 years in Alaska was a great experience that we will never forget.  Professionally I got to see and do things I otherwise wouldn't have been able to.  Best of all though are all the amazing friends we've met.  
Thanks to all who have been following this blog.  I hope you have enjoyed it.  If you ever find yourself in Northern Idaho, look us up, I think we'll be here for awhile.

Sandpoint, ID as viewed from the summit of Schweitzer Mt