Fair flowers and fresh fegetables...vegetables.

One of my favorite parts about Alaska in the summer is all of the flowers and fresh vegetables! There are so many different types of wildflowers that grow throughout the summer – and they grow EVERYWHERE. Plus, in late spring our landlord built a few vegetable boxes, and now we have fresh veggies! We planted lettuce, kale, snap peas, green onions, broccoli (though it wasn't too successful), zucchini, and a bunch of flowers.

Not only that, but the other day I was riding my bike and I saw a sign for fresh produce just a little over a mile down the road from where I live. It was an idyllic little place called Larson's Nursery. They have all kinds of flowers and fresh produce to choose from. I talked for a while with the owner, and he said that on Saturday mornings, they have fresh strawberries, so needless to say, I will be back! Next time, I'll be sure to bring my camera so I can share what a great find this place is!

Wildflowers picked from along the road in front of my apartment.

Fireweed at Bible Camp in Unalakleet.

California Poppies in our garden!

Daisies from along the road!

Mary getting ready to chop some kale from our garden!

Lettuce from the garden.

Carrots and squash from Larson's Nursery, and kale and snap peas from our garden. YUMMO!

Let's try this again.

Hello friends and family,

If you are reading this, thank you! I realize I absolutely flopped in posting to my blog last year. I know that probably disappointed some of you – especially those of you who followed my blog while I studied abroad in Sweden, since I did so well at updating that one regularly. After giving it some thought though, I think the reason why I was so bad about updating this blog is because I live in Alaska, and this blog is about my life and ministry here. And its not that my Swedish blog wasn't. I definitely lived in and experienced Sweden. But its different, and I just didn't feel like I had enough to "update" you all on.

However, I am glad to say that I have realized a few things:
a) I am always learning and experiencing new things
b) I actually do enjoy blogging, and
c) I enjoy sharing my experiences with others, especially when I know how many of you are supporting me and my work in one way or another.

So, having said that, I am excited to "re-start" my blog for year number two! I hope you'll follow along!

~Lauren

PS- I'll put up a few pics that highlight the last few months...enjoy!

Unalakleet, AK from the Bering Sea in June.

King Crab!

A few of my Jr. High Campers at Covenant Bible Camp!

The CYAK/Bible Camp office in Unalakleet. I spent about 5 days in here coordinating plane travel for campers.

Back in the MatSu Valley hiking Lazy Mountain with Kara Bladel!

Beautiful Eklutna Lake. Went on a couple of bike rides here this summer with some friends!

In July, I went with some coworkers to a cabin 30 miles NW of Tok in the Alaska Range.

Hiking up Marmot Peak with Mary Helwig, and enjoying the greenery!!

Back to Unalakleet for Nick and Nikki Bruckner's wedding!

And Kylie and Austen Erickson's wedding too!

...and for Vision Camp – Bible Camp for young adults!

Lots of berry picking! Salmonberries, blueberries, and currents!

One of my favorite parts of summer in Alaska: Beautiful and abundant fireweed.

Lately.

Well, I am happy to report that my camera has a memory card again! And it was perfect timing too. Last Sunday was the start of the world famous Iditarod dogsled race, on Wednesday we had a SPECTACULAR Northern Lights show, and this weekend we had clear blue skies and warm sunshine. All great opportunities for picture taking!

Also, this Thursday my mom is coming to visit for 10 days! I am sure more pics will be up soon from her visit :)

Iditarod 2011. Follow the mushers! http://www.iditarod.com/

And they're off for the 1,000+ mile race to Nome!

Talk about excitement!

A friend called me in the middle of the night telling me to look outside! Unfortunately though, since I was slightly sleepy and unprepared, I didn't get the best pictures. But at least you can get a taste of what I saw! It was incredible!

From my front window!

I am dog sitting these two great pups for a week!

The snow on the flats has turned to sheer ice!

No Pictures=No Posts!

Hello all!

So, as you know, I haven't written in a while, and the reason why is that I seem to have misplaced my memory card and memory card reader for my camera. Sad, I know! I have searched my apartment many times, but still have not been able to find it. I know that I just need to go buy a new one. But, that is the reason why I haven't written in a while. I just always figure that people really like to look at blogs for the pictures. But maybe thats just me. So, sorry to not write for so long. And sorry to write now without any pictures! Hopefully next time I will have some more documentation of this beautiful state to share with you all.

While I am here, I might as well give a brief update though. Lets see. Right now, thought the temperatures still say that its winter, but the sun is beginning to say otherwise! Its starts to get light around 7:00am, and doesn't get completely dark until around 7:30pm! We've passed all of you lower-48ers up! And its just going to keep going! From what I hear, by the end of March, it will be light until about 10:00pm. Crazy. I am just so happy to have sunlight back in my life. It reminds me of home in Colorado :)

What else? My mom is coming to visit soon, and I am so excited! For the most part we will just be in the Mat Su Valley area where I live, but we are also planning on going skiing at Alyeska, which should be awesome! It will only be the second time I have skied somewhere other than Colorado. (The first was at Bränas in Sweden), and I have heard good things, so I am getting pretty excited about it!

Other than that, not too much is new! Work is going well, though I got fairly sick last weekend at our rcollege-aged retreat and have had to miss some work this week. But things are flowing along like they should, and preparations for summer camp are already beginning! Time sure is flying!

Ok, well, hopefully, like I said, next time I write I will have some pictures to share. But for now, you'll just have to used your imagination! Enjoy! :D

Lauren

A Beautiful Winter Day on the Palmer Hay Flats

Yesterday, the sun was shining, and the skies were a brilliant blue. After church, my friend Nikki and I decided we needed to get outside and enjoy the beautiful weather. Our decision: to go snowshoeing on the Palmer Hayflats. We live only about 10 minutes from one of the access points to the flats, so its not a far drive. Its a beautiful and tranquil open space that is gorgeous throughout the year. Click on this link to learn more about the flats! http://www.palmerhayflats.org/seasons.html

Here are just a few pics from our walk yesterday. Hopefully they'll give you an idea of just how gorgeous this place is–even in the middle of the winter! ENJOY!

Mary, Nikki, and the dogs, Kiana and Osa, getting some rays on a clear day. 

BLUE skies looking North toward the valley.

Another magical sunset. Thank you, Lord, for creating Alaska.

Excited to be using my awesome new snowshoes! Thanks Mom and Dad!

Back in the Groove

So, I know I have not been doing a very good job with this blog, but I want to get better at it! So, I am going to give it one more try :)

So....since I last wrote....I went home for Christmas break to Colorado, which was wonderful. My brother Brian was home too, and so the four of us were together for an entire week. It was so great. Relaxing, and great. I was able to go skiing once with Brian at Breckenridge, and though it was freeeeezing cold, we had a great time and were so glad to have gone. I also was able to see friends and family and catch up a bit, which is always a good thing. Its a bummer to only see people twice a year, but I still really look forward to the times that we can get together and see each other face to face.

I was sad to leave my family and the wonderful state of Colorado, as I always am when I leave, but I was also getting anxious to get back to Alaska. On the drive back from Anchorage to the Valley, I was glad to feel like I was coming "home", or at least coming to my "other home". Always a good sign.

Now I have been back for a couple of weeks, and am fully back in the swing of things. Work is going well, and I am enjoying seeing the sun stay out for longer and longer each day. In only two weeks, it will be light for 30 minutes more than it is right now! Awesome.

The only down side of being back is that my roommate, and dear friend Brittany, is headed back to Chicago today for a job at Lake Geneva Youth Camp to be the Associate Director of Programs. It is her dream job, and so though I am so excited for her, I am sad for her to leave. It is bittersweet, for certain.

To celebrate her time here in Alaska, we took a drive to Beluga point south of Anchorage, and then went on to Girdwood, and Alyeska ski resort. It was a beautiful drive as the sun peeked through the clouds, and it was a great way for Brittany to bid farewell to Alaska, and visa versa. I can't wait until she comes back to visit!

Ok, so now that I am caught up, I will try to be better about posting on a regular basis to keep everyone up-to-date on what's new with me and Alaska!

Until next time,

Lauren

Electric Safari at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs!

Skiing in the Horseshoe Bowl at Breckenridge.

Family Photo! Christmas 2010

Back in Alaska. Walk on the frozen hayflats near my house!

Unalakleet

During Thanksgiving week, I had the opportunity to travel to the village of Unalakleet on the Western Coast of Alaska to first help with the Youth Worker Training put on by CYAK, and then to stay and experience a little of village life through the rest of the week. I had a wonderful time getting to know some of the people from Unalakleet, playing lots of card games, learning how to drive a 4-wheeler, trying not to slip on the slippery slippery ice, eating a delicious Thanksgiving Dinner, playing basketball, and getting out into the hills nearby for an awesome view of the village. It was a great trip!

Such a beautiful flight!

Such a great coffee shop!

Thanksgiving Day Stroll

Cards!

And Basketball, of course.

Looking out over Unalakleet and the Berin Sea.