Wednesday, September 2

September 2, 2009

Hello,

Where's the heat. Our summer is nearly over and we never got the long stretches of hot Missouri weather. Fine by me. It has been an awesome summer, and a walk down memory lane for me. One of the things I have wanted to do since I had kids was to someday take them to Alaska. Since I had spent a few years there in the 1980's, I had some favorite spots I wanted to show them. We were lucky enough to spend the last two weeks in July, doing just that . Despite the rainy weather, it was a wonderful trip. We flew into Anchorage, rented an SUV and just went. We got to visit with old friends, fish, hike, see gorgeous scenery and wildlife. I took 400-500 pictures, but since my laptop is at the end of its short lifespan, I am not going to risk downloading them until I get another laptop. The kids and Napper really enjoyed the trip. My last visit to Anchorage was in 1989. Like every city, it has changed a lot in the last twenty years. But once you get out of the city, you can't help but be in awe of the breathtaking scenery. One of my favorite things, when I lived there, was the turquoise color of the rivers. I was so excited to get my first glimpse of that and thankful for the sun that day. h and the smells, I had forgotten about the wonderful earthy smells. I could go on and on, it was amazing how twenty years felt like five and I found myself wondering where did that time go.

A couple weeks after our Alaska trip we went to Indiana for my 30 year high school reunion. What a blast. It was so much fun reconnecting with people from my childhood. I felt like I was in the movie "It's a Wonderful Life" going back in time, revisiting my past. It was all very therapeutic and helps me appreciate what a wonderful life I do have. Being that these first few days in September mark the 4th anniversary of my cancer diagnosis, I am feeling particularly blessed and happy.

We are now very content to be homebound. Back to school for Brian and Bonnie. Brian is a freshman in high school this year. Bonnie is in 7th grade. We look forward to an exciting year, with many fun activities.

Peace,

Denise