What a weekend...

We have had a fun but interesting weekend.

The Swensen Family left last Thursday for their furlough time in the lower 48. After Scott and I took them to the Kenai airport and dropped them off, we came home and Scott got ready for work. Around lunch time he called me asking me if I would be ok with him leaving for a few days to go into the bush to fix an airplane that one of our pilots had flown out. I said sure no problem. So, he came home and packed for his trip. We all said good-bye and he went back to work. Scott and a couple other guys were suppose to fly out that afternoon sometime. Just before they we to leave, they received a call that the pilot had re-assessed the problem and decided to try and fly it home. We all prayed that the pilot and plane made it home safely. They did. So, the trip was cancelled and Scott came home. He was kind of bummed that it didn't work out but was looking forward to spending time with the family alone too.

Friday Scott came home and we ate dinner then went out to do some grocery shopping. We topped it off with taking the kids to the one and only DQ in the state of Alaska...yep that is right...it is here in Soldotna. So, we took them for baby sundaes and Jeremiah had a dipped cone. They have all kinds of airplanes hanging from the ceiling, very cool.

Saturday...Scott was making his "daddy breakfast" and I told him that I was shaking and couldn't stop. That my chair was shaking too. He said he didn't feel anything. I told him that I did and that it was very weird feeling. He came over and held me to see if he felt anything. As he did, we looked at the eggs in the bowl on the counter and saw them shaking. Then we looked outside to see the Christmas bulbs that are hanging in the window all dancing. I said, "Scott, the whole house is shaking". We realized that we had just felt an earthquake. He got on the computer to find out and sure enough, a 5.7 earthquake just about 80-100 miles away in the cook inlet. Shaughn and Matthew were still sleep and when they woke up, we filled them in. They were both bummed that they had missed it and couldn't believe that they slept through it. Teenagers... :-)

Later that day we took the trash to the dump and saw tons of Bald Eagles. A very beautiful sight. That night Shaughn and Matthew went snow tubbing with the youth group here and had lots of fun.

Yesterday we went driving around after church and saw 3 moose walking in the road. The boys loved it. Shaughn said..."wow, an earthquake, eagles and moose all in 2 days...what is left for the next 2 months?" We all laughed.

Scott left for work this morning and please remember him in your prayers. He desires to serve and bless MARC while he is there. The days are longer in hours than at MMS and that has been an adjustment. They start at 8 and end at 5 with an hour lunch. He said he would prefer an 1/2 hour lunch and end soon. So would most of the guys. :-) But he really enjoys the guys there and the work so he is adjusting. :-) The days are getting longer just sense we have been here. When we first came it was dark by 4, now it is more 4:30-5 ish. Still early tho...we feel we should be in bed by 6-6:30 because it has already been dark for so long. LOL

The animals are all doing good. We are watching: 2 big dogs, 2 cats, 2 birds, 1 rabbit, 1 gunea pig, 1 salamander, 1 turtle, lots of fish and a house full of plants. We have all been assigned to something different so not one person is doing it all. :-) They keep us busy. We also have a fireplace that we are enjoying very much. The home we are watching is just beautiful and fits us so well that we told the Swensen's that we may not give it back. LOL They laughed. Seriously, they do have a beautiful home and we are very blessed to be able to watch it for them. We pray that they have a great time on their furlough. Mark (Mr. Swensen) left a to-do list for Scott and Scott has been plugging away at it. We really want to bless them for letting us stay here. They are a precious family!!

Next weekend there is a dog sled race. Some people who race the Iditaron use this as a practice race. It is here in town and we get to meet the dogs and mushers. That is on Saturday at 11a.m. then the Super Bowl in on Sunday and the youth group is having a party that Shaughn and Matthew want to go to and the director of MARC and his wife are having a party for the rest of us at their house at 2p.m. So, next weekend should be another fun weekend. :-)

Well, that brings you up to date. I will post more photos when I get on my own computer. I am using Scott's right now because it is sitting here. LOL

God bless you all,
Lela and boyz~

Wed. Jan 21, 2009

Yesterday I went and got our P. O. Box for the time that we are here in Soldotna. I went a head and rented it for the next 12 months to cover the time of moving here as well if that is still how God is leading. We are pretty excited about it.

Tonight we are taking the kids to youth group and awana then us adults are going out for a Kaladi Brothers Coffee. Oh yeah! Scott and I have been craving them since last May. The Swensen family leaves tomorrow for their 10 week trip and have been busy packing all day. Nathaniel and Matthew helped Mr. Swensen make moose jerkey today. They are pretty excited to sample it. It has smelled so good all day cooking. I told them that all we needed now was some Amish Butter Cheese to go along with it. Of course they asked why I didn't bring some with me. Who knew?

The weather here is still beautiful. A little cooler today but the boys went out to play in the snow and had the Swensen's dogs pull them in the sled. They have special harnesses for their 2 big dogs. One is an Alaskan Huskey. Matthew had a ball.

Well, it is almost church time. So, I had better get off of here. Chat soon.

Blessings,
Lela and Boyz~

A normal day in Alaska!!

Well, it is Monday here and Scott got up and went to work, the boys woke up and took their showers and did their school. I got up and have the laundry going and checking their school. It all seems like a normal day just like any other. But...we are in Alaska!! How cool ay? The Swensen Family is trying to pack up and get ready for their trip to the lower 48 and their children do not have school since it is all packed up. They are eagerly waiting for our children to get finished so they can play.

Our boys love having 2 big dogs for the next 2 1/2 months and are getting all of the tips on how to take care of them.

Michele is taking me today to the post office so we can get our P. O. Box. Their suburban has 3 bench seats in it and seats 9 people. I bet you can't guess what Scott wants now. Yep!! He has been wanting 2 bench seats for ours but now the bar has been raised. Too funny. :-) He wants to check out some junk yards to see if he can find some. :-)

Well, on with our day. I just wanted to give you a little update.

Bless you all!

Lela and boyz~

Sunday afternoon....

This is the sky as we pulled out of the driveway for church this morning about 9:15 a.m.

We came home and Michele had made stir fry and sushi (homemade) YUMMM!!!

The kids are all watching Wall-E right now. The sun continues to shine and melt the snow but we are told that is about to change. Snow is scheduled for tomorrow and on through the week. Scott couldn't get over the whole idea that we drove to church on pure ice. Matthew is totally getting into the studded tire thing and the indents that they make in the ice. Michele has let him use her shoe studs, that slips over your shoes and gives them claws for the ice. He thinks he is all that with those on. He has even been in their ICY driveway playing basketball with them on. :-)

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Well, the Lazaros family is mostly up and are among the first to awake here in the Swenson house. It is between 6:30-7:00 a.m. here but we feel like we have slept all day. LOL

We are up and eating cereal, waiting for the towels to dry that was washed last night. We are going to start taking showers and getting ready for our first Sunday as a family and going to Soldotna Bible Chapel. Their youth pastor has emailed us a couple of times and is looking forward to meeting the boys today. He has even added them and me as a friend on facebook. They were pretty tickeled about that. :-)

We had moose steak last night for dinner with twice baked potatoes and boy...was it yummy. It was a fresh kill...this week in fact. :-) They grilled it and it was so juicy and thick.

The kids have all played very well together and Shaughn and Matthew are loving the high speed and using mom and dad's computers. They are chatting with many of their friends on-line. :-)

Bless you all, it is time to go for now. Will chat more soon.

Love,
Lela and boyz~

We're in Alaska!!!

We made into Anchorage about 7 p.m. their time (4 hours behind MI & OH time) with no problems. All of our luggage arrived and we were met my Travis and Heather from M.A.R.C. The drive to Soldotna was pure ice and Travis did a great job delivering us to the Swenson's. We are having fresh salmon homemade pizza...yum!!

After being up for 26 hours straight, we were very glad to be able to lay down and sleep.

The weather here is extremely warm. 42 degrees and sunny!! Floods everywhere and very messy.

The boys are loving the pizza and all of the animals. They are also enjoying being able to meet the people that Scott and I have talked so much about for the last few months.

Matthew and I have been taking lots of photos on this trip. We will post some photos very soon and often...so check back often. :-)

Have a great day and chat again soon,
Lela and boyz~

We are in Michigan!!

Well, we made it to our first stop in our journey to Alaska. We arrived in Michigan about 7 p.m. and Scott's mom, Stephanie, had a great dinner waiting for us. Our drive to Michigan was good although we did drive through a snow blizzard. :-) Scott was able to make it to our "home/sending" church's missions meeting last night. He was excited about that. It was good to see everyone again.

We are having friends over today, kind of like an open house. They are free to stop in whenever they can and visit for as long as they wish. Stephanie has food for the day and it should be lots of fun.

When Scott and I woke up this morning, we heard someone playing pool...we thought it was Jeremiah since he had just left our room. We had told him to be quiet in case others were still asleep, so Scott got up to hush him up only to find it wasn't him...it was our Shaughn playing a game of pool with his friend Sean. Yes, our visitors started pretty early. LOL We just cracked up and had a good laugh. Sean is our 5th adopted son...or should be. He is Shaughn's best friend and always calling or visiting. We love having him around and enjoy his company very much. It was great waking up to see his smiling face. :-)

Scott is at our local Costco...only 10 minutes away from here.... :-) He was there when they opened this morning. He has already called me 2 times to run things by me before buying...he is having a blast there. A kid in the candy shop so to speak.

It is hard to believe that we are on our 3 month journey already. Time has come quickly. We are excited to see what God has in store for us during this time. We bought each of the boys a journal for them to keep a record of the memories and quiet times of their trip. They seem excited about that.

Well, that is it for this update...check back soon...there will be more soon. :-)

God bless you and thank you for reading about us.

Lela