(sigh)

it's been a while.

nathan and i have been in Alaska for the past 7 days.

we hiked 4 miles to a huge glacier, went ice climbing on the glacier, and then hiked 4 miles back. we went kayaking with sea lions, eagles, and purple and orange starfish. we biked miles to a nature park and took in all the scenery of swaying trees, huge bees, and blooming flowers. we drank pure, deep blue water from a glacier. saw a moose. saw a porcupine. ate fresh alaskan fish off the market streets. got lost. saw darkness only begin to take place around midnight. took vast amount of pictures. bummed we didnt see a bear, whale, beaver, shark, or sea otter.

there are no words for the splendor or vast amounts of beauty that we saw. no way to describe the way the air tastes pure and cold and the sunshine feels warm and soothing. we saw so much beauty that it is weird being back to a place where there is no snow, no mountains, trash on the side of the road, traffic, and air that feels stale and stifling. it will be hard to transition to being back in civilization but we did miss our home, bed, friends, and of course, the duke.

also, we wanted to give a little shout out to some amazing people. truman and katie watched our house for us, which in itself is a huge blessing, but they cleaned our house SO well. dishes are clean, carpets have those awesome vacuum lines, counters are spotless, and everything is put away in its little spot.

thank you for being the kinds of people that you are. that want to leave things better than the way you found it. people who value others above themselves and with humility and grace.

thank you.

also our dear, dear friend who had a final exam the next day and picked us up at the airport at 11:30 p.m. who watched our dog and made him feel more loved and less like an orphan. who not only picked us up late, but at LAX and in traffic. who is a beast of a driver and got us in and out of there in less than 5 minutes.

thanks kip.

ok, enough jibber jabber.