North to Alaska

This week Jeff and I went to Anchorage, Alaska to look at a job that Jeff is going to do for Jacobsen Construction this summer. He has been contracted to add an addition to the LDS Church in Seward and to retrofit it to be earthquake proof. (If such a thing is possible!?!)Here is a picture of the cute little meeting house he will be working on. I thought that I would share both my thoughts and pictures of the trip.
Let's start with the negative, not to offend anybody from Alaska, but I found that in alot of places, it was just dirty. Maybe it's not like that all the time, but with Mt. Redoubt just blowing her top, there was ashe and rock everywhere. It is also "break up" season. What that means is that all the ice and snow are melting, breaking up or away from the glaciers and flowing through the inlet. The chunks of ice are brown and dirty. The roads are constantly wet and hence the cars are just dirty. No body washes their vehicles until after "break up", see example.... Now I don't mean to be picking on Alaska, because this is the biggest thing I hate with Utah winters too. I hate when the snow gets piled up on the side of the roads and it gets all dirty and yucky! It just isn't very attractive.


So now that I have told you what I didn't like about Alaska, let me fill you in on what a beautiful state Alaska is. I was awe struck by her beauty. I could easily find myself loving life there, and I HATE snow. It wasn't too cold while we were there; about 42-48 in the day. But I hear winters are brutal, so maybe not live, just visit. Anyway, we had to drive 2.5 hrs from Anchorage to Seward to the job site and the drive was so peaceful and beautiful. The ice/snow covered mountains. And talk about mountains. Straight up from sea level. They were beautiful! In Utah when you go to the mountains, you get up in them. They are all around you and you are "in" them. In Alaska, the mountains continue on and on and on forever. You can never get over them, around them, above them, it was just beautiful. Then you have to add to their beauty the beauty of the water. Cold, blue, calm and melodic. I loved to watch the sea otters play and swim so gracefully. Didn't see much of any other wildlife. We did see one moose walking down a street in downtown Anchorage, but I couldn't get my camera out fast enough. See her beauty...

And finally, our favorite part of our trip. There are saints there, those who believe just as we do. There was a Temple of God there. (We didn't get to go in, go figure, the few days we are there; it is closed for cleaning.) My thoughts often went to the pre-existence when in the grand council of Heaven we all said yes. As the world was created with us in mind. With places to go and live with such diversity and beauty. I am so grateful to a loving Father who gave us so much because he loves us so. And then for our Elder Brother who also gave so much. We live in a wonderful place. Earth, wouldn't it be wonderful if we all lived in peace and harmony as children of a kind and loving Father in Heaven. It was an amazing and quick and fun trip. Thanks, honey!