So Much To Be Thankful For...

Day: 132
Date: 11.28.11 

Now that this Thanksgiving Day has come and gone, I find myself reflecting on the day, both for 2011 and for the years past.  Like those before, this year was filled with friends, food, fellowship and football.  However, unlike those past years, our families and some of our best friends were missing.  Oh how your perspective changes when you are 5000+ miles away from the land you once called home and the family you love.  Friends and family who you had spent the past 30+ years with are now only accessible by phone, text, email or video.  Was this a difficult Thanksgiving... the short answer is yes!  However, what this Thanksgiving did provide was a reminder of what the holiday truly is about.

According to Webster, the word "Thanksgiving" is defined as "a day set apart for giving thanks to God".  A question that arises as I consider this is, why just a single day?  We all have so much to be thankful for, how could we possibly cram all that into a single 24 hour period of time?  So in addition to using just that single day, lets take a moment each day to reflect on the past year and the many blessings we have to be thankful for.

As for me and my family where do I start?  God has blessed us so much in the past 12 months.  It's still hard to believe its all real.  What started out as a nudge from The Man upstairs grew into reality and here I sit typing this in Kasilof, AK.  Who would have ever thought this was even possible?  The list of things we are all thankful for is as long as the road we traveled to get here...  A God who loves us and provides for us daily, a family back home who does the same and friends both old and new who have been such a help and mean so much, just to name a few. 

With all this being said, what are you thankful for?  Do you take time to give thanks on a regular basis or like so many other people (myself included at times), do you try to pack it all into a single day?  In the days, weeks and months ahead take a moment each day to be thankful... but more importantly, take that time to give thanks to those you are thankful to and for.

"Thank You Lord For Your Blessings On Me..."

God Bless & Safe Travels!

The Moores


A few pics from our Thanksgiving weekend:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.280643858639800.56985.226179764086210&type=3&l=6b3654eeec

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.280642488639937.56983.226179764086210&type=3&l=be861d0824

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.280640385306814.56981.226179764086210&type=3&l=9ed8494e51

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.280635881973931.56980.226179764086210&type=3&l=6574751802

Another Month Has Come & Gone...

Day: 116
Date: 11.13.11

It has been a while since we've posted an update so we wanted to take a moment to catch-up with everyone.  For those of you who are on Facebook, you've see a few more updates that those who are not.  We've found it's a little easier to keep things updated there given the time constraints of the day.  If you are a member of Facebook and have not liked out page yet, you can find it and "Like" it at www.facebook.com/faithtothe49th

It's hard to believe we have been here in AK for over 3 months now.   The past month or so has been extremely busy.  A new job, new friends and more involvement with our church have kept us hopping during the weeks and weekends! Cole started and finished his basketball season during the month of October and of course we ended the month with trick-or-treating.  This year's trick-or-treating was a new experience... for the very first time ever we took the kids trick-or-treating in the snow!  It was a great night as this was the first snow of the winter here on the Kenai Peninsula. 

The next weekend we awoke to our first large snow (at least by TN terms) which was 8-9".  Later that morning our landlord/neighbors came over to see if the boys would like to help with the sled dogs and take a team of the pups on a run.  Of course they wanted to, so we dressed and headed over.   By the way has anyone ever heard 85+ dogs barking at the same time?  Needless to say, it gets kind of loud.  While we were there we learned how to place the harnesses on the dogs and hook them to the pull line.  After that, the boys took off as the dogs were pulling the 4-wheeler, as there was not yet enough snow yet to run the sled.  30-45 minutes later, the boys returned and were stoked to have had that experience.  We helped unhook and unharness the dogs and then headed home.  Once we were home the first snowball fight of the winter ensued and somehow I ended up as the looser.  3 on 1 has a way of causing that.  :-)  Sunday we had a great church service and then a pot-luck dinner for lunch. 

The past week has been a mix of cold snowy days and cold clear days.  A couple of nights have seen lows in the negative single digits.  Friday evening the snow moved back in and we awoke once again to a fresh blanket of 6-8" of new snow Saturday morning.  The kids spent the day play and sledding in it while I went into town for our monthly men's prayer breakfast at church.  Afterward, I got to witness my very first moose being field dressed and prepared.  Those are some extremely large creatures.

Below are the links to several pictures we have taken over the past few weeks.  Check them out when you have time.  The Lord continues to bless and we are so very grateful.  It seems as though we see some new amazing site or have some new amazing experience every other day.  If you ever get the chance to visit AK, let me encourage you to take the opportunity to do so.  For those who think they will never have the time, let me encourage you to make time.  It's an experience and a land you will never forget!

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.249868771717309.50917.226179764086210&type=3&l=df78b0bdc8

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.250250791679107.50978.226179764086210&type=3&l=d5c6bc49b7

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https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.261462713891248.53732.226179764086210&type=3&l=edfb3ff150

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.266539983383521.54800.226179764086210&type=3&l=217846b995

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.268137213223798.55195.226179764086210&type=3&l=8841cac8fe

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.269357856435067.55448.226179764086210&type=3&l=b43a79d5b4

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.273347939369392.56101.226179764086210&type=3&l=9ee7c220ac

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.273342052703314.56099.226179764086210&type=3&l=e0576a2cd4

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.273335759370610.56096.226179764086210&type=3&l=5399563b78

God Bless & Safe Travels!

The Moores

September - Month End Review

Day: 72
Date: 09.30.11

It's been a while since our last update on the blog, although we have posted some status updates and pictures on our Facebook page (Faithtothe49th).  Fall comes early in AK as the leaves began changing a few weeks ago.  September has been a busy month as the kids began different sports and we began getting serious with the job hunt.  The good news is the boys are enjoying there new hobbies / sports and I have finally landed a job with State Farm.  God is good and He has continued to take care of us even though we continue to pray and seek his direction in what His plan is for us here in our new home. In the meantime we do our best to live for him and find more opportunities to serve wherever and whenever possible.

Last week we took a couple of short hikes... one here at the cabin and another at the Kenai Wildlife Refuge Center.  The hike here at the house produced 4 hawks and a porcupine which, oddly enough, was up in a tree.  I wasn't aware that porcupines spent time in trees until then, which showed me that you actually can learn something new every day.  The boys enjoyed the hike so much we decided to take another one at the refuge center a few days later.  We didn't see any animals on this trip (other than a squirrel and golden retriever) but we did see some fantastic views!  I've posted a link to those pics below.

Today we took another trip to Homer, AK to see what the changing leaves looked like there.  To our surprise we found our first snow of the season although it was in the upper elevations of the mountains there and not where we were at.  As always, Homer gave us some great views and shots.  We ended up driving as far south as possible on paved roads to the very back of Katchemak Bay.  The views along this road were amazing as the fall foliage merged with the newly snow covered peaks of the mountains across the bay.

On our return to Kasilof we stopped to see the Russian Orthodox Church and Cemetery in Ninilchik.  From there we continued on to Johnson Lake, where we happened upon a Moose and her two young ones.  The views at this lake were really nice as the leaves were changing all around.  After numerous pictures there, we continued on to Centennial Lake and then on the Head Waters of the Kasilof River which is fed by Tustumena Lake, the 8th largest lake in AK.  The Kasilof river has pristine blue water as it is fed by several different glaciers above Tustumena lake.  Unfortunately you can not get to the lake by road so we had to postpone seeing it until a later date when we can hike or boat in.  After taking several more pictures along the way, we headed home for the day.

Until next time... God Bless & Safe Travels!

The Moores

Kenai Wildlife Refuge:
 https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.252417864795733.51839.226179764086210&l=335812f21a

Homer Trip:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.255226007848252.52535.226179764086210&l=b4eb6889f1

A Nice Drive Home...

Day #51

Date: 09/09/11

Weather: Partly Cloudy & 58


Well this week we drove into Anchorage for a couple of days as I had a job interview in town.  We stayed with our friends the McMillans those two nights and certainly enjoyed our time there.  Thanks to them and their family for their hospitality and kindness.


Today we left Anchorage around 9:30 and started our drive home around Turnagan Arm.  We stopped several times along the way to see the bay and to take pictures as the clouds were low and the sun was shining through.  Once we were halfway around the arm, we stopped by the Alaskan Wildlife Conservation Center where we got to see Caribou, Moose Ox, Buffalo, Brown Bears, Moose, Reindeer, Bald Eagles & a Lynx.  Everyone had a good time at the center and enjoyed seeing the animals.  From there we headed through the Portage valley where we got to see the Portage Glacier and Portage Lake.  After a stop at the lake, we traveled on to the Whittier Tunnel.  This tunnel is the longest in the US at 2.5 miles and is one lane.  Vehicles travel in one direction every 30-45 minutes and the tunnel is shared not only with vehicle traffic from both sides but also trains.  It was an interesting experience and an interesting drive.   Once through the tunnel, we arrived at the town of Whittier.  Whittier is a very small version of Homer, with a small port and a a few small shops and restaurants.  While we were there we ate and walked around for a while taking pictures and looking and the incredible views.  After leaving Whittier we head home on the Seward Highway making just a couple of more stops to take pictures of a waterfall and a couple of different rainbows.  All in all in good trip to Anchorage and nice trip home.  Below are the links to all the pictures we took during the day.  We hope you enjoy!


Turnagan Arm:
http://s1100.photobucket.com/albums/g414/faithtothe49th/Turnagan%20Arm/

Alaskan Wildlife Conservation Center:
http://s1100.photobucket.com/albums/g414/faithtothe49th/Alaska%20Wildlife%20Conservation%20Center/

Portage:
http://s1100.photobucket.com/albums/g414/faithtothe49th/Portage/


Whittier:
http://s1100.photobucket.com/albums/g414/faithtothe49th/Whittier/


Seward Highway:
http://s1100.photobucket.com/albums/g414/faithtothe49th/Seward%20Highway/


Fall is certainly in the air as the leaves here in AK have already begun to change.  My understanding is this will last only 2-3 weeks before the leaves will be gone and the early signs of winter will arrive.  Tomorrow, we hope to attend our first Fall Festival of the year over in Kenai with our friends the Burrows.  We are looking forward to it and hope to have more pictures to share.


God Bless & Safe Travels!


The Moores

Where Else But Alaska...

Day #43

Date: 09/01/11

Weather: Sunny & 68 

After a couple of days of rain, this morning we awoke once again to clears skies and warm sunshine.  We hung around the house for most of the morning before deciding to take the entire family to the river for some fishing.  We packed up the truck and headed to the tackle store first to pick up a few items and to get Robin's fishing permit for the day.  After that we headed over to Centennial Park, a spot we had not fished before. After driving through the campground and to the fishing area, we quickly realized there was no room for us there as there were folks fishing every 5-10' down the bank.  After seeing this we decided to go exploring for another spot we had heard about.  Unfortunately, we were unable to locate this new spot and so after 30 minutes of driving around, we headed to the spot we had spent our previous days on the water at.  We arrived at the parking area and began putting on our gear.  We had everything on and were getting ready to grab the fishing rods when I realized I had forgotten the boys life-jackets.  After standing for a couple of minutes frustrated and in awe of my bone-headed move, we loaded up the truck and headed back to the house to get their PFDs.  Finally, after a 30 minute round trip, we were back where we started at the parking spot and were on our way to the water.  We arrived at our spot to find we were the only ones there, which was exactly how we liked it.  I rigged everyone's fishing poles and we waded out into the edge of the river.  Shortly after everyone had began to fish a large bald eagle flew by and landed in a tree just above us.  Robin grabbed her camera and began taking pictures as the rest of us continued fishing.  The eagle, as it turned out, had his eyes fixed on a certain dead salmon which a group of seagulls were feasting on, on the island in front of us.  After a few minutes he swooped down and scared off the gulls, taking their food in the process.  He drug what was left of the fish up on the bank, grasped at it a couple of times and then flew off with it in his talons to a tree just down the river.  Needless to say everyone was excited as this was the closest we had come to a wild eagle.  Once the eagle flew back across the river we continued fishing for the next couple of hours without any luck.  Around 6:30 I made one of my many "last casts" and hooked up on our first and only fish of the day.  It was a small trout that didn't put up much of a fight.  I wrestled with it for a minute, let the boys check it out and then let it go to fight another day.  After a few more "last casts" we headed back to the tuck where we took off our gear and headed back into town to get gas and a few groceries.


After leaving the grocery store, we headed home.  We pulled into the driveway as normal and began unloading the fishing gear and other items we had.  I grabbed the life-jackets that had caused me so much aggravation earlier in the day and walked around the back of the cabin to put them in the storage bin.  As I started to lift the lid on the bin, I heard a loud grunt/snort which startled me.  You see the day before we had seen a black bear at the cabin, literally 20 feet from the back door.  You can imagine the different thoughts running through my head after hearing this sound but when I looked up, I saw a large female moose about 30-40' from me.  I was surprised to say the least but she certainly didn't seem to be.  She stood there chewing the grass she had just picked while looking me over.  I slowly walked back around the side of the house and stuck my head in the front door to let Robin and the boys know she was out there and to have them look through the french doors on the other end of the house to see her.  I walked back around the opposite side of the house with Cole and we stooped and watched her for a couple of minutes while she stood picking grass in the edge of the yard.  After those couple of minutes she continued walking through the yard, stopping to pick from time to time, until she had made it all the way around the house to the driveway.  We all stood on the deck watching here, amazed at what a large animal this was.  She stood and watched us too for what seemed like a couple of minutes before slowly walking around the truck and off into the woods between us and our neighbor.  It was awesome to get to see such an amazingly large creature.


Now as I sit here typing this and thinking back over all the events of the day, especially those of the early part, it would have been very easy to have become so frustrated that we simply gave up on our fishing trip and decided not to return to the river after forgetting the life-jackets.  However, in doing so we would have not experienced the blessings of the evening, such as seeing the eagle or the moose, if we had not first endured and overcome those roadblocks and frustrations of the afternoon.  As discouraged and aggravated as life may make us sometimes, we all need to remember that the only way to see the finish line is to actually finish the race.  "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us," Hebrews - 12:1



Pictures:

http://s1100.photobucket.com/albums/g414/faithtothe49th/Kenai%20River%20September%201%202011/

Videos:

God Bless & Safe Travels!

The Moores

Homer, Alaska... A Jewel of a Town!

Day #40

Date: 08/29/11

Traveled: Kasilof, AK - Homer, AK

Interstates / Roads:  AK-1

Miles Driven: 180

Weather: Sunny & 65 early, changing to cloudy & cooler in the evening


Well today we got a late start but it turned out to be a great day!  Around 10:30am, we headed southwest on the peninsula to Homer which is a place Robin has wanted to visit for years.  Homer is the hometown of Jewel, her favorite singer.  Along the way we traveled through several other smaller communities such as Clam Gulch, Ninilchik and Anchorpoint.  The smaller towns here are hard to explain... back home we would joke saying, "don't blink or you will drive right through (insert town) without knowing it".  The funny part about that is that here it is actually true.  A school, a post office, a grocery store and a gas station and you have yourself a town in AK.  However, each of these towns had something different to offer, from views of the ocean and beaches to views of the mountains and volcanoes across the bay.  I've posted a link to our pictures and videos below.  In many of them you can see Mt. Redoubt, a volcano which is 10,197' high and Mt. Iliama, a volcano which is 10,016' high.  Although we see them frequently, it's difficult to stop taking pictures of them each time we see pass by a view of them.  After stopping at some pull offs in between each of these towns to take a few pictures and videos, we made it to Homer.  Entering Homer there was a large pull off with some incredible views of Cook Inlet, the Gulf of Alaska and the volcanoes mentioned above.  While we were there we watched several birds, including a couple of bald eagles, flying around overhead. If you look closely in a few of the pictures you can see the bald eagles.  After our stop there, we descended down into the town of Homer, which was a nice little bay-town. We drove through town and out on the Homer Spit, a small stretch of land leading out into the bay.  Here there were boardwalks with shops, restaurants and several docks/marinas with hundreds of boats.  We stopped at some of the shops and ate lunch at a place called Captain Patties.  Here we sat 10' from the ocean watching the barges and fishing boats cruise by while eating some of the best fresh fish I have ever had.  After lunch, we headed back into the main part of town and the Ocean & Inland Marine Center.  Here we toured around the visitor type center looking at the different history items of AK and the inlet.  From there we took a stroll down some of the trails which lead to the beach.  According to the boys, this was the favorite part of their day as they got to play on the beach collecting shells and rocks.  After our time there, we loaded up and headed up to Skyview Drive.  This road gave us the best view of the inlet and surrounding area that we had seen.  You could look out for miles at the bay, the spit, the inlet, glaciers, volcanoes and the town of Homer.  After taking numerous pictures and videos there, we headed back toward home.  


When we reached Kasilof, we decided to take a detour on a road we had never been on before.  We traveled this road and found a secondary road that lead us right down on the beach.  Again the boys played for a little while while we looked around and took pictures.  After this we called it a day and headed home.  Today was a great day as it was one of the first days since our friend the Gilberts left that we got to get out and enjoy some more of wonderful scenery AK has to offer!  Thank you Lord for your many blessings!




Pics:


http://s1100.photobucket.com/albums/g414/faithtothe49th/Traveling%20from%20Kasilof%20AK%20to%20Homer%20AK/




Videos:

Until Next Time, God Bless & Safe Travels!


The Moores

Finally Settled In...

Date: 08/26/11
Weather: Sunny & 65 Degrees

After several days of clouds and showers we awoke this morning to clear skies and great weather.  After breakfast we loaded up the truck with our last load of totes to be taken to storage and headed that way.  I am happy to report that this means we are finally settled into the cabin.  Sure there are a few odds and ends to wrap up but for the most part, everything is put away in its own little place and we are once again functional and clutter free.  The boys have new bunk beds and bean bags which they really seem to like.  Things have come together nicely over the last few days.

After dropping off the totes at the storage unit we headed into Kenai to Home Depot and Wal-mart for some more organizational items and some groceries.  On our way, we stopped off to take the picture you see above.  Being a clear day, it was the perfect opportunity to get a shot of the inlet and the peninsula with the snow capped mountains in the background.  We also shot a short video which you can see below.  We continue to be amazed at all beauty that this place has to offer.  It seems as though around every corner there is something new and exciting waiting for you.

God Bless & Safe Travels!

The Moores

Trying to Get Settled...

Date:  08/19/11

Weather:  60 Degrees & Rain

With our friends leaving last weekend, we have had the past week to ourselves.  We've spent almost all of that time trying to get our stuff moved over from the camper to the cabin.  Organization has been the big focus as it takes a little time and planning to get the items you once had in a 2200 sq ft home into you 900 sq ft cabin.  Luckily, with a little persistence and patience, we are starting to see a little light at the end of the tunnel.  If all goes well, maybe we will have everything moved over and in it's place in the next few days.

As weather would go, our time here has aloud us to experience some beautiful conditions with sunny skies and temps in the mid 60s.  Unfortunately, on Wednesday evening, the rain set in and it has been raining ever since.  The extended forecast doesn't look much better with showers possible each day for the next week.  We're hoping for a break in the clouds here and there so we can get back out to the river.

As I believe we had mentioned in the past, we plan to home school the boys this school year as we are unsure what the winter weather will hold and the fact that we may have to move due to job opportunities.   Today we met with Cameron and Colvin's academic advisors and both were very nice and very helpful.  The state of AK seems to be very supportive of home schooling as the state provides each child with a $1600 allotment to pay for their curriculum, books, materials, computers, supplies and even extra circular activities such as basketball, football, soccer and other PE related and Fine Arts related classes or events.  We decided on the curriculums today and ordered the needed materials which should be here in a week or two.  The boys even received new Dell Laptops today, compliments of the state of AK, to help with research and homework.  Both Robin and the boys are really excited to get things started!

After our meeting with the advisors, we stopped by the Rec. Center and signed Cole up for Basketball for this winter.  He may also take some gymnastics classes which will start in a couple of weeks.  As for Cam, he hasn't decided exactly what extra-curricular activities he wants to participate in yet, but he has lots of options.

Until next time... God Bless & Safe Travels!

The Moores

Another Trip to the Kenai River!

Date: 08/11/11

Day: 22

Weather: 70 degrees & Sunny

This morning we arose around 10:00am and had a late breakfast.  Once that was finished we sat around for a little while trying to wake-up and decide what all we were going to do.  We finally decided to run a few errands in town and then head back to the river to see if we could find a few more fish.  After a few stops at the tackle shops and a couple hours of shopping we finally arrived at the river around 1:30pm.   Once again we all put on our waders, collected our fishing gear and headed off down the trail.  Just a few yards down the trail we passed a lady who had been fishing and her do.  We talked for a minute and she warned us of a bear print she and some of the other fishermen had seen a little further down the path.  We continued walking a few minutes when I hear Robin scream, "There's a bear" as she continued to walk down the path very quickly.  I too continued walking and could see a dark something in the bushes several yards from us.  After further inspection, we saw that it was not a bear but a moose instead that was eating the grasses along the trail.

Once we made it to the river, Mr. Gilbert and I began re-rigging some of the fishing rods.  Once this was complete everyone began fishing,  The first hour was slow with Mr. Gilbert catching only a small trout.  In a few minutes though, we heard Ms. Gilbert shout, "Fish On" and the fight began!  She was using a fly rod so there was a little more finesse to landing this fish but within a couple of minutes the Red Salmon was on the bank and everyone was excited and laughing.  A few minutes went by when I picked up a rod and cast.. and just like that I was hooked up on another fish.  I faught it for a few minutes as I didn't want the fish to win again today but unfortunately as luck would have it, the fish did win as it broke me off right up close to the bank.  I quickly retied and 3 casts later I was hooked-up on another fish which I was able to land.  Unfortunately this time it was a 16" Rainbow Trout and not one of the monster salmon.  We continued fishing the rest of the evening and Ms. Gilbert was able to hook up on one more but it too won the battle as it came off within just a few feet of the bank.  We finally decided to call it day and walked back to the truck where we took off our fishing gear and loaded everything up.

Once again it was great day here in AK!  The sun was shinning, we were fishing and we caught a couple… all while watching large bald eagles flying around in front of us.  Below are the links to the pics of the day.  We hope you enjoy!

Pics:

http://s1100.photobucket.com/albums/g414/faithtothe49th/Kenai%20River%20August%2011%202011/

God Bless & Safe Travels!

The Moores

Our First Fishing Trip to the Kenai River….

Day: 21

Date: 08/10/11

Weather: 65 degrees & Sunny

After not being able to get to the water for the first couple of days, we finally headed out around 8:30am this morning.  Robin, Cameron, Cole and I arrived at the parking area and proceeded to get our waders and boots on and gather up our gear.  After we all got dressed, we headed on a 1 mile walk down to the river.  The boys had their "bear cans" which I had made the night before to help keep the bears away, which they shook to make noise as we all walked down the trail.  We arrived at the river and to our surprise, were the only ones there.  I rigged up our rods and got everyone ready to begin.  We hit the water and started fishing the current.  This was something new I had never done and so it took a while to figure it out.  We fished for an hour or so with no luck until I heard Cole scream, "I've got a fish!".  Sure enough, I looked back up the river and Cole had landed an 8" trout all by himself.  Unfortunately, he dropped it back in the water "so it could live" and it flopped off and back into the river before we could snap a picture.  We fished a while longer when our friends the Gilberts showed up to fish with us.  We fished together for a few minutes and then decided to walk back out to the truck to have lunch.  While we were there eating, a Park Ranger pulled up, said hello and headed toward the river.  In a couple of minutes we headed back to the river where we found Mr. Gilbert chatting with the ranger and Ms. Gilbert showing off the big Red Salmon she had just landed.  We began fishing once again and with a few minutes I hooked up on my first fish of the day.  As most fish tales go, this was a monster of a fish which I fought with for several minutes until finally my line snapped.  Needless to say I was a little disheartened, but thats why they call it fishing and not catching.  I re-rigged the rod and reel and went back to fishing for a few.  After that I gave the rod to Robin and she began fishing.  After several casts she commented that "I can't tell the difference between a rock and a fish" and then literally within 2 seconds she started screaming, "I've got a fish, I've got a fish"!  Sure enough, she she did have a big fish on and ended up landing a nice Silver Salmon, her first Alaskan fish.  Needless to say she was a little excited and of course many photos were taken.  We continued fishing for a while but unfortunately those were the only two fish landed for the day.  We hiked back to the truck and stopped out of our fishing gear before heading home.  Once we were there we cleaned up everything and put it away.  Once this was done, the ladies started preparing supper and Mr. Gilbert and myself filleted the fish from the day.  He filleted the first one and I attempted to filet the second one.  This was my first attempt at filleting an Alaskan Salmon and it turned out better than I expected.  After they were filleted, we cleaned up and then fired up the grill to cook the catches of the day.  Of course, supper was awesome… mashed potatoes, corn, fresh grilled salmon and rolls!  

We are so blessed… It was a great day to be in AK today!  My first trip to the Kenai River was a memorable one as I lost a very large fish and my wife was able to catch a very large fish.  It was good to see her and the boys get into it and I hope that excitement and enthusiasm continues. We took lots of pics and vides which you can see by clicking on the links below.

Pics:

http://s1100.photobucket.com/albums/g414/faithtothe49th/Kenai%20River%20August%2010%202011/

Videos:

God Bless & Safe Travels!

The Moores

Gearing Up!

Day: 20

Date: 08/09/11

Weather: 65 degrees & Sunny

This morning we got up around 8:00am an continued working on things around the house.  Once the sun got up, we decided we would go into town for a few things and then maybe try to do some fishing that evening.  We had waders for everyone but Cole, so we decided to stop and a locate fishing store in town.  While we were there I found a nice Fly rod and reel which I purchased along with with several other salmon lures.  Unfortunately, they did not have waders to fit Cole here so we continued on to Fred Myers (AK version of Kroger with clothing and electronics).  We were able to find a set of waders but were having a hard time finding a set of boots.  We stopped by there discount shoes to see if we can find a cheap pair of shoes he could use instead of boots.  While we were there we began talking to another lady who wanted to know what we were looking for.  Once we explained to here that we were trying to find a pair of shoes for waders, she asked what size we needed and then told us that she thought she had waders we would need for Cole.  We exchanged information, chatted a little longer and went on our way.  In an hour or so, she called Robin and let her know that she did have a pair of waders and that we could come over and take a look.  

We loaded up in the truck and headed that way.  When we arrived she showed us around there property which was right on the Kenai River.  Her family and 5 other families had gone in together and bought 18 acres there on the river where each family built a cabin.  After that she showed us the waders and a ton of other stuff she had found for us.  We looked at everything and decided we would take it. We ended up with 3 pairs of kids chest waders, an adult pair of hip waders, 5 kids jackets, 2 adult jackets, a kids rain suit, a kids life jacket and a whole bag full of fresh salmon from the Kenai river.  We continued to talk for a while as she was very nice and we enjoyed chatting with her.  She told us about a public access site there close to her home where we could take the boys fishing.  She also told us about a possible job opportunity and she suggested a church in town that we should check out.  After our visit we headed back to the cabin as by now it was too late to hit the water.  The kids were a little disappointed as they were looking forward to fishing but we promised them we would take them the next day.  On our way back we saw a young mail moose just of the road from the cabin.  We stopped and let the kids look and we took a few pictures.  When we got back to the cabin we began working on supper with the Gilberts.  We ended up with fresh grilled steaks on the grill, baked potatoes, macaroni & cheese and rolls which made for a great supper!

After supper Jimmy and I spent several hours preparing the fishing rods and getting things together and ready for the big fishing day the next day.  We finally finished up around 1:30.  So here I sit, waiting to get up in the morning and head out on the water in search of our very first Salmon on our very first fishing adventure in AK!  Hopefully it will be a good trip!  Below are a few pics of the moose.

Pics:

http://s1100.photobucket.com/albums/g414/faithtothe49th/Soldotna%20%20August%209%202011/

God Bless & Safe Travels!

The Moores

Getting Settled…

Date: 08/09/11
Day: 19
Weather: 65 and Cloudy

Well today we slept in to recover from our "Across AK" whirlwind tour.  We awoke around 11:30am and began working around the camper and the cabin.  We spent most of our time getting stuff out of the camper that we needed in the cabin and working on fixing little things on the camper.  We also got out and saw little bit of town and opened our PO Box here in town so we could begin receiving mail. While we were there we started speaking with an older lady that came in and found out that she had went to college at Maryville Collect, Played int he Knoxville Symphony and taught at Oak Ridge Hight School 10-15 years ago.  She moved up about 12 years ago and has lived here ever since.  She welcomed us to the AK and said she though we would love it there.  Outside of that, it we a slow day as we were just trying to recuperate.

God Bless & Safe Travels.

The Moores

Praise the Lord… We Have Finally Arrived!

Day #18

Date: 08/07/11

Traveled: Glennallen, AK - SOLDOTNA, AK

Interstates: 

Miles Driven: 300

Hours on Road: 6.5

Weather: Rain early changing to partly cloudy (60 degrees)

Well today we awoke at 6:15am tired but ready and willing to spend as much time as needed to make it our final destination, SOLDOTNA, AK!  An hour into our trip, we stopped at the Eureka Lodge & Restaurant to have breakfast.  Once again, this was a place that had a spectacular view of the snow covered mountains.  We enjoyed breakfast and then continued on our way, winding once again through large mountains where we saw a couple of different glaciers, numerous lakes, rivers and several other incredible sites.  

After a couple of hours of winding through the mountains along flowing rivers, we arrived in Palmer, where it was raining.  Within another hour we had made it to Anchorage, where we were able to drive along the bay for about 3-45 minutes, stopping to take pictures and shoot videos, before the road headed back into the mountains as we continued on toward Soldota.  

On our way we crossed several lakes and rivers, including the Russian and Kenai rivers and within 3 hours or so, we had arrived in Soldotna.  As we were coming through town, I received a text from our friends, the Gilberts, whose cabin we will be staying in for a while and whose camper we pulled and used on our trip.  It said, "slow down, you just passed us".  I pulled over at a gas station to fill-up and they caught up to us there.  There was a lot of emotion in the next few minutes as everything finally became very real for all of us… excited, tired, happy, blessed and truly unbelievable are a few thoughts, emotions and or feelings that could help describe how we felt, as we chatted in the parking lot.  From there we headed out for the cabin.  We worked for about 30-45 minutes until we were finally able to get the camper up the driveway and parked where it needed to be. 

And so, there we were, tired and exhausted but running off of pure adrenaline from the realization that we had finally made it!  A journey that had started out in our hearts and our heads almost 2 years prior… a journey that some thought was foolish or possibly even selfish… a journey, that in all honestly, at times we thought would never happen, had finally come to fruition after a 5000+ mile drive across 2 countries covering 13 states & provinces with our family, a truck, a camper and everything we owned.   

Pics:

http://s1100.photobucket.com/albums/g414/faithtothe49th/Traveling%20from%20Glennallen%20AK%20to%20SOLDOTNA%20AK/

Videos:

God Bless & Safe Travels!

The Moores

The Day that Would Never End…

Day #17

Date: 08/06/11

Traveled: Whitehorse, YT - Glennallen, AK

Interstates: 

Miles Driven: 600

Hours on Road: 16

Weather: Rain early with clearing skies later in the evening (65 degrees)

This morning we awoke early to leave Whitehorse and to try and make it across the border to Tok, AK.  We knew it was going to be a long day but the scenery more than made up for it.  Again, more and more spectacular mountain views.  Once we reached Destruction Bay, we saw quiet possibly the most beautiful lake that any of us have ever seen.  This lake was called Klaune Lake, which was over 121 nautical miles long and set at the base of 2 mountain ranges, one on each side.  With the rain clearing, the raining clouds sat low on the mountain tops making for some wonderful views and photo opportunities.  We stopped in at a lodge/restaurant there in Destruction Bay to have lunch and to was able to enjoy a nice view of the lake while we ate.  Once we finished lunch, we headed out on the last 150 miles or so of the remaining section of Alaskan Highway in Canada.  This particular section of road was extremely rough… so rough that we literally had to drive 25-40 mph the entire way.  After a couple of hours bouncing all over the highway, we finally made it to the  Beaver Creek, the last town in Canada before crossing the border.  We stopped here to fuel up and the let everyone get their 10th stamp in our Yukon Gold Rush books and submit our entries to win 2 ounces of gold.  

Once this was finished, we headed out for the border, which we reached in about 20 minutes.  Prior to the border was the "Welcome to Alaska" sign and the Yukon / Alaska border marker.  As you would imagine, we stopped here to take pictures as we were all extremely excited to finally be in the state we had longed to be in for the past 2 years.  There was a ton of joy and excitement as we had finally arrived.  We took numerous pictures and took a few moments to reflect and enjoy the blessing.  I was also able to stand with one foot in Canada and the other in the USA and take a picture of the marker showing the line that divided the two.  This was a pretty neat feeling.  After our stop at the sign we proceeded on a few hundred feet to the border patrol.  We approached the same as we did before and supplied the officer with our info.  He asked several questions of me and a few to the kids.  After a few minutes, we were on our way.

After crossing the border (big sigh of relief) we continued on a much nicer paved road to the top of another mountain, where we stopped at the Tetlin Visitor Center.  This was a nice large log building with a grass roof.  No kidding, the roof was made of growing grass which was mowed as needed.  From the back of the center, was an amazing view of the bogs below and the large mountain range across the way.  After a few pictures we continued on, again with more wonderful views.  Within another hour and a half to two hours we finally arrived at Tok, AK where we stopped to fill up with gas and get a bite of supper.  During supper we discussed what we should do and decided we would just continue on toward Glennallen until it got too dark or I became too tired.   Along the way we saw several moose along the sides of the road and again had some incredible mountain views.  Snow covered peaks, with low lying clouds and lakes that lined the forrest floors below them.  I continued on the Glenn Highway past dark and came to a road construction sign that indicated road work ahead for the next 25 miles.  Once again, I was reduced driving 25-35 mph for the next hour as the bumps, dips, cracks & ruts were absolutely terrible!   I continued on until finally around midnight, we made it to Glennallen, AK.  I stopped at the Alaskan Hub, a gas station / mini-mart at the intersection which lead on to Anchoargae and Soldotna.  I fueled up with the intentions of continuing on but after talking to the cashier and another customer who had just came from the direction we were heading, I decided it might be time to rest.  I asked the cashier if we could park for a while in their parking lot and he agreed.  I dropped the legs not he camper,  extended the slides and everyone made their way inside where we have all crashed after spending 16 hours on the road and covering just over 600 miles.  Tomorrow we hope to rise early once again and make it to our final destination, Soldotna, AK!  Below are the links to our pictures and videos, we hope you enjoy!

Pics:

http://s1100.photobucket.com/albums/g414/faithtothe49th/Traveling%20from%20Whitehorse%20YU%20to%20Glennallen%20AK%20USA/

Videos:

God Bless and Safe Travels!

The Moores