And The Wheels Lift Off......

Only when the wheels of the aircraft began to speed down the runway in Anchorage and lift off, did my heart feel a little sad. It was then, I realized that I had just left Alaska and the next touchdown would be far away from so many I loved. And yet, also taking me to ones I loved dearly too.

Waiting to get on my flight in Anchorage, was a dear friend of Jim's and mine, John Williams. We were on the same flight, headed to PDX. It was just an added blessing to be able to spend a few moments together before we boarded.

I had 3 seats again to myself. I lifted the arms of them and laid down. It was a nice smooth flight. I had some hours to begin to process my trip and just had such a grateful heart for the opportunity that had been mine. I fell asleep too :}

I am looking forward to a good rest tonight and day tomorrow, before I head back to work on Wednesday. I learned a long time ago that I am too old to fly back from Alaska and head back to work on the same day. I need time to process and recuperate. It sucks getting old..:}

I am looking forward to going back to work as an Alaskan/Horizon Employee with refreshed insight on how it feels on the other side of the counter. A smile, a kind word, goes a long way to a weary traveler.

I love my family. I am grateful for the investments made into my life at a young age, from my dad and mom. I have a heritage to pass on to my own children and their children.

Alaska: I will be back. Alaska Airlines: you are the best!

Grateful For His Grace

It was a beautiful day with a heat wave of 7 above zero. I loved spending time with my youngest daughter and we sure made the memories this weekend. She was my chauffeur, although I did venture out and drive her car to town and felt quite accomplished. I know I grew up with these kind of snowy icy roads, but when you have been away from them it is a little intimidating to tackle them again. But I did and I didn't even panic.

What a wonderful morning at Church On The Rock seeing so many people I love. To worship with a group of believers that have a part of my heart was a ministry. It was communion Sunday and so Dad, Gail, Laura and I got up together to share this special time together. The tears seeped from my eyelids as my dad prayed before we partook. Another memory for me to hold close within my heart.

So many cherished friends I saw today, ones that have played such an important part in my life. Many of them have invested deeply into my heart and have deposited much truth and grace through many years.

None of us are lone rangers. We need each other. We need encouragement, help, direction, insight, wisdom, grace, peace, and yes, correction and reproof. We are all on this journey of life together. The Lord uses us to minister to each other. May we not neglect these gifts He has placed in us to reach out and make a difference in each others life. His grace, working in us, to change us and use us!

Laura and I drove to Kenai. I was able to get on the first flight out to Anchorage. There were only 6 on board. I love the 20 minute flight. Spent the evening with my sista Debby and her hubby Bob and my sista Marie. There is NOTHING like being with family.

I love my family. My time with my dad is something I will always have to hold onto. I am so thankful for these last few days that the Lord gifted to me. I pray my daddy lives for another 10 years, and I will trust the Lord with His decision on when his time on earth is done.

Good night Alaska. You know you have my heart......

No Place More Beautiful....

I grew up here and come to visit as often as I can, and each time I still stand in amazement of the beauty that Homer holds. I can't imagine there being a more majestic place to be.

This morning I brought Laura to the doctor and she was diagnosed with bronchitis. So we stopped at the pharmacy and filled her up with all the drugs she needs for the next week. Made sure she got some good cough medicine that will let her sleep. We love codine :} She spent the day on the chair at Uncle Ken & Theresa's home watching movies, drinking Grampa's blueberry tea, water, napping and just resting.

I spent many hours at my dad and Gail's just relaxing and visiting and great conversations. My dad is full of knowledge and I loved listening to him tell me the history of the Jews and how scripture puts it all together with what is happening in our world today. It was fascinating listening to him. Makes me want to dig deeper into scripture! I am so grateful for these moments with my dad, that I will have to cherish always.

Got to spend a few moments with a dear friend I went to school with from 6th grade to 12th grade. I love the bond that we have in friendship and mostly the bond we have through Jesus, as we both have given our lives to serve Him and love Him with all our hearts. No matter where we leave off, we pick right back up when we get together. That is a cherished friendship.

Tomorrow it will be off to church and I will get to see so many people that I love. Lots of hugs! Then it will be off to Kenai again with Laura and I will wait for another standby flight to Anchorage. How did this time go so fast? There are so many I didn't get to see, but this season, this time, is for my dad and it has been special.

Oh Alaska....You Know You Have My Heart.....

I did get on the 615 flight last night! The photo above was taken from my seat. I sat in the back bench seat. It was a small plane! Had a great conversation with the two ladies I sat by.

Laura was there at the airport waiting for me. It was so wonderful to see my daughter. We drove to her little home and she made me a delicious dinner. We started to watch a movie but I was falling asleep. So off to bed we went. I slept for 12 hours.

I was able to see her office at the school she works for and the two wonderful ladies she works with. It always does a mother's heart good when people love your kids :}

We headed to Homer after we stopped at Subway for lunch. Thank you Auntie Ree for the coupons. It was sunny but cold and the roads were typical Alaskan winter roads. I counted 4 moose a long the way.

It was so wonderful to walk into my dad's home and see him standing there. He was folding laundry! I spent 4 hours with him and Gail (his wife) and then my brother Mark and his wife Isi and their son, Javan, brought out a wonderful stew dinner. It was a great evening. I love my dad.

There are so many emotions in my heart when I come home. So many memories. Memories from the past and memories to be made. Life is made up of all these memories. One thing I do know is, the Lord is faithful and always has been faithful and will remain faithful to the deepest cries of my heart.

Welcome To The World Of Standby Travel......

I am sitting in the Anchorage airport, trying to get to Kenai. It is a 25 minute flight. The last two flights have been full and now I wait another hour for the next flight. I am almost tempted to buy a ticket so I can get there, but will have a little more patience to see if I can get on tonight. The planes only holds 16-30 passengers. It depends on which aircraft they are using. ERA is a very busy airlines. It flies all over to the smaller cities of Alaska.

The gate agent is very nice. A young gal and I complimented her. She let me know that there will be some available seats on a later flight tonight if I don't make the next one. It is nice that she is looking out for me. A kind word from a gate agent made my evening!

It is FREEZING cold here~ Yikes, I forgot how cold it gets. But is is so beautiful. Debby has heated seats in her car. That was treat. If I ever live here again, I want my car to have heated seats :}

So, time to dig out my beautiful laptop and blog for the day. Debby, Marie and I had a great time. We went to Red Robin for lunch and laughed away. It is always so nice to be with your sisters.

Laura is anxiously awaiting my arrival and ready to cook for me "Puttin on the Ritz" halibut dinner I requested. Can't wait.

It is fun sitting in the airport and seeing the Alaskan natives. I miss them. I miss their culture and listening to how they talk. In fact, there is a lot I miss about being in Alaska.

But for now, I am here. Waiting for a flight to open to spend time with my daughter this evening. Airports are fun. Think I will go roam around for the next hour while my standby name goes further down the list. Ah...I know the routine oh so well. :}

I am grateful for this opportunity and all the teachable, character building moments the Lord gives to me.

Talk later......

My Love Hate Relationship With Flying....

How these big metal birds stay up in the air is beyond my comprehension. I know it has something to do with aerodynamics, but yikes, this is a heavy aircraft. This is the girl who has overcome her fears of flying to actually work for an airline and then actually step on the aircraft.

It so use to cripple me to fly. I wouldn’t be able to sleep for days knowing that I had to get on an airplane. It is still not my most favorite thing to do, but once I have completed my trip, I am always very grateful I went, and had a great time.

I do love flying Alaska Airlines. The crews are the best, and I love the pilots always talking to us and telling us where we are. It just puts my mind at ease to know they know what they are doing. :}

When you are on an airplane you have no control. You just sit and hope that the pilot knows what he is doing up there. Hoping that he didn’t have a big fight with his wife and is in a bad mood and his mind is distracted.

So here I sit, 32,000 feet above land, floating quietly to the cold north. I believe there are only about 45 passengers on board. Everyone has their own couch :}

I am thinking of my wonderful coworkers who helped me make this trip possible by covering my shifts. Also, thinking of my hubby (who I miss already) who allowed me to go and spend time with my family.

Yes, my family. That is the reason why I am headed to Alaska this evening. I will be spending time with my two sisters in Anchorage, my daughter in Kenai and my dad in Homer.

When us sisters get together, we laugh so hard we cry. We tend to tell the same stories over and over from our childhood, but each time we tell them, we laugh just as hard. I love my sistas. Wishing that Val and Vick where there too.

I am excited to spend the night with my Laura in her new little apartment. She is going to make me dinner. Yes, HALIBUT :} I will get to see where she works and see her world.

Then we will head to Homer and see my dad, spending time loving on him and just being close. It will consist of conversations and hugs and pictures to cherish.

My trip will be short, a mere 5 days. I can pack a lot into those days. I promised my hubby though that I would make sure I get my sleep. I am still recovering from pneumonia and it is taking me awhile to get back to normal strength. I will use my time wisely and take care of myself.

I will write each evening on my blog and let you know how my day went and how the Lord’s grace covered me each step and went before me.

Both my batteries are recharged for my camera. How can I go to Alaska and not take 400 pictures?

Until tomorrow……

p.s. there were so many people on the waiting list for first class, my name wasn't even on there :{ someday though....

2012

It is the new year, and here are some things I hope to be intentional about.

1. read more

2. finish my book I am writing

3. more exercise and less sitting on the behind

4. take a few trips with my flying benefits

5. get plenty of sleep

6. drink lots of water and less diet pepsi

7. laugh more ( I love to laugh)

8. journal more consistantly

9. know when to say NO

10. make my life count in the lives of others...(it is not about me!)

11. more girlfriend time

12. more dates with hubby

13. to hear your voice Lord, more distinctly.

Thirteen is a good number to end on for now. All of the above are not unattainable. I choose changes that I can succeed in, if I become intentional about them. So here we go, 2012......Oops, just thought of another one: to become a woman of His Word!!!!

So excited the day she was born.....

I was so excited the day I found out I was "with child" with my firstborn. It was back in the day when you took a pregnancy test and had to wait many hours for the test results.

We moved to Minnesota to pastor a small church when I was about 2 months along. I remember finding a new doctor to walk me through my pregnancy there. I went to the appointment in my new maternity clothes (I was so excited to wear them). On my first appointment, he asked me if I was sure I was pregnant. I remember almost crying and I said, "the doctor in Alaska told me I was". Here I was so excited in my new clothes and how could I not be pregnant. :}

Jessica Joy was born on the first of January 1978. Weighing in at 9 pounds and 13 ounces. She was the 2nd baby born that day at that small hospital, so we didn't win any of the New Year prizes. I had the greatest prize and gift as I held her in my arms. I was so excited I had a girl. Oh, pink here we come.

Here are some thoughts that come to my heart as I think of my firstborn gift.

pony tails and ribbons

dresses and bonnets

#15 Basketball

poofy Bangs

working at McDonalds

YWAM

kindness

giving heart

loyal friend

tender heart

wonderful mother

adores her sister and brother

weight watchers

beautiful inside and out

Lifetime

perseveres

Cookie Lee

I love my Jessie Joy so much. Not only is she my firstborn but also has become a dear and close friend.

No matter what else the Lord allows me to accomplish in my life, nothing will be more important to me than investing in the lives of my children and grandchildren and seeing them walk and follow the Lord.

I love you my Bestie and so thankful the Lord choose to give us you!

MOM