I heart Alaska

Every time I leave Alaska I feel like I leave a little piece of myself behind.  I may live in  big, sprawling city, thousands of miles and millions of people away, but I'm still Alaskan at heart.  Brady and I love to come back here. There is something so comfortable and grounding about the mountains, about eating at my moms table for Sunday dinners, about laughing with my family, and hiking the same mountain trails I walked as a little girl. 

 I'm not sure when, or even if, I'll be back here for good.  I feel like I still have some growing up, life lessons to learn, and exploring I need to do before I settle.  Honestly, if I came back to live in Alaska, I'd probably never leave.  Regardless of where I am, Alaska is always in my mind. 

What a charming little place with kayak rental cabins and cafes.

We love the 2.5 mile drive through the Whittier mountain tunnel.

The cool little bakery at the ski resort in Girdwood

Every place I've lived I've picked up a distinct set of perspectives and friends.

                                            A few things I picked up by being Alaskan:

My casual, and never totally 'in style,' sense of fashion

My habit for buying used cars and rarely keeping them totally washed

      My complicated relationship with hunting 

My default political alignment as a 'conservative,' despite a few non-conservative views

My gravitation towards homespun coffee shops, as a non-coffee drinker 

My love for trail running, tree hugging, animals, and being outdoors

Justin's Wedding

 My brother Justin and his happy bride

I love my cousins. 

The wedding lunch was at my parents house.  Honestly it was the most classy dinner I've ever had in any home. Everything was beautiful, including the view from the living room window. 

Some behind the scenes pics- my sister Melissa hanging Chinese lanterns and the kids finding bugs outside

I love these beautiful kids.

In Another Life . . .

In another life, Brady would have been a drummer. Heaven knows he's got the hair. He's definitely got the rhythm.  Now he's got drums.

Most of the time life is perfectly predictable.  It flows an easy course that can be charted on a timeline long before it happens.  Though sometimes there are sporadic twists you don't see coming, generally without wild outcomes. In fact, I can't think of a single 'life choice' I've made that turned any heads.

 Sometimes it is fun to brainstorm what life would be if it had taken a different spin- same you, but alternate, more edgy choices.     

In another life Brady might:  

- Be a CIA field operative 

- Still be playing rugby

- Be a dentist, chronically bored, and already rich

- Be training as a Navy Seal

-Live in New Zealand

In another life Dani would:

- Still live in D.C. but instead would work on Capitol Hill, wear pencil skirts, and have a law degree. Who knows, maybe I'd even be a democrat (don't worry dad, this is an ALTERNATE life. .. :) )

-Live in Girdwood Alaska, as a trail running hippie

What would you do in your "other life?" Have you ever felt like you actually took the divergent path?

Here Brady  is with his drum debut at the church talent show, and basement jammin' with Liam.  I'm happy to see him get into music, good things to come.

shenanigans

 Here Liam has decorated himself, including his feet, belly and even his sister, with Lego stickers. He is posed here looking like a dinosaur.  He says the inspiration for this sticker attack came from dinosaur scales he saw in a book.

Liam came to me and said "Mom, have you ever noticed that you're room is VERY, VERY, BORING?!"
That's why I decided to share some things with you, to make you less bored. So you could have fun. I moved in my toys, my spider-man chair, my basketball hoop, and me, in my bed." :)

(The bed is not pictured but he somehow he did move his entire bed, frame and all, through 2 doors and into our room, all by himself. . .and unnoticed)

Here is Elsie cozied up to . . .yep, an ear of corn.