Monday, September 14, 2009

Finally to the top of Flat Top

I went with my friend/co-worker Robin to hike Flat Top! We tried a few month ago but didn't make it all the way to the top. You may remember from my blog before.

http://sarahhayward.blogspot.com/2009/07/hiking-flat-top.html
This time we really cruised to the top! It was a beautiful day, we couldn't have asked for a better day. It was much warmer than when we tried two months ago. It was so clear that we could see the entire city and we had a perfect view of Mount McKinley! It was beautiful with all the fall colors! Robin is really fun, she didn't know that I was a Christian--because she knew I was Mormon. It was been really great to be able to clarify some misconceptions about our church and to find some common believes. She is really impressed with my standards and that fact that our church is big on the Law of Chasity. So it was very fun to go on this hike and talk about religion and my believes--if nothing else but to clarify rumors!



Friday, September 11, 2009

Earth and the Creation

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."
~~Genesis 1:1


This week our institute class started studying the Old Testament. I began reading the book of Genesis. The Creation of the world and of life is amazing to me, and though I may not be certain on many things I can be certain that the Lord created all things!

For those who don't know...the Book of Mormon is what we believe to be another Testament of Jesus Christ with revelations given to prophets who lived on the American Continent during the same time the prophets in the Bible were receiving revelations. The same signs and prophesies of Christ's birth, life and death were seen all around the world; the prophets in America kept a record and those records were translated to be the Book of Mormon....they testify of Christ, not of Mormon. Mormon was one of the final prophets who compiled the records and dedicated his life to preserve the records approximately sixteen hundred years ago. Anyways I love a scripture in the Book of Mormon when King Benjamin is addressing his people and the scripture states:

"Believe in God; believe that he is, and that He created all things , both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all things which the Lord can comprehend." ~~ Mosiah 4:9

Tonight I rented the movie Earth by Disney. It was incredible! The scenery is fantastic! I watched in awe thinking about the creation, and how majestic our Earth is and how much beauty surrounds us! There is no creature too small that He doesn't know, because He created all things!
I recommend you watch the movie and think of the Creation I promise you will feel something great!

Monday, September 7, 2009

LABOR DAY


Today was pretty uneventful but I did drive out along the Turnagain Arm...in town it was a beautiful day sunny warm, like 60 degrees, so I thought I would go on a little picnic. I took my scriptures and a sandwich but when I got out there it was much colder and windy! I stayed in my car and read for a while!
I can't wait until Jed is back in Anchorage! Just two more weeks! Things are moving along with the wedding planning. In just four weeks we will be back in Utah and getting married in five! YAY! But that doesn't seem like enough time to do all the things we need to do. But hopefully we will get twice as much done when Jed is living in Anchorage and working days again!

Saturday, September 5, 2009

The Alaska State Fair



Is there anything that can compare to a state fair? Where else can you see a 500lb pumpkin, a 1000 lb hog having her piglets in front of a giant crowd, deep fried pickles, and mullets!?! Well all the things that we love about the state fair in Utah is quadrupled here in Alaska! Alaskan's really come out and support the fair! It is a huge deal here!

For about a month everyone has been telling me about the State Fair food. So Jed and I had to take advantage of the all the good, deep fried, crazy foods...and we DID! Starting with:
Deep Fried Pickles
One of my co-workers was working at a stand and she gave us these...it wasn't something I would've have bought on my own but it was really good, well interesting...worthy of the State Fair!


Big bread soup bowl...Cheddar broccoli...ymmm!
Fresh Made potato chips with Parmesan and Garlic


Doughnuts! Just like the craft fair! But not quiet the same, first off there wasn't the cute little family making them, and I wasn't able to watch them be made while I was waiting in the long line. Still really good though, It made me think of you all!
Hand dipped Ice cream and a $4.00 Soda There was so much food! I was warned that you need to spend more than one day at the fair just to eat all the food...in fact it is best if you can camp there and eat break, lunch, and dinner!

The animals were slightly disappointing. We walked around the animal barn and I realized that I have a load of useless knowledge about market animals, particularly lambs...and what will I ever do with all that knowledge except walk around the fair and share it with Jed. Maybe I can convince Jed to buy me herd of sheep someday! ;)

The big sight was the giant vegetables. Because of the long days and all the sunlight the vegetables grow to abnormal sizes.
This cabbage broke the world record by two pounds it is a 125.9 lb!

The Alaska State Fair was something else...the best were the people! But that is far too difficult to describe!

Alaska State Fair 2009

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Millions of Peaches!

Becky sent me a whole bunch of peaches! More than I know what to do with! So Yesterday was my peach day! I cut a bunch up and froze them, and then I thought I could make jam! It feels like a ton of work to make jam...at least it was for me because I was so worried I would mess it up. My mom and sister Nicky helped me understand the directions. It is a process and by the time I washed, pealed and mashed all the peaches it took about two hours...and all I got from it was....


These three beautiful pints of jam.
I was expecting at least five, maybe six, but that was it! I will just have to ration the jam. Actually even after freezing, jamming, giving away...making a peach coffee cake and a peach cobbler---I STILL have some left. I would give more away but they are really rip and soft....and lots of fruit flies are around (you know those little tiny ones that just hang around). So if I have time I will make a few more jars of jam, maybe I can do it faster with Jed around. But I have had so much fun with the peaches! I felt like Betty Crocker!

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Familiar Faces & Peaches

Mama Beck's husband, Dan, and her seventeen year old son, Blair, flew into Anchorage Friday. Becky sent a box of peaches for me...by the way they are delicious! Jed and I also went out to dinner with them Friday night. It was great to see some familiar faces in town. Dan invited me to ride with them down to the Kenai Peninsula for them to pick up some propane tanks (the picture above). It was so great, I hadn't seen the Kenai area and it was beautiful. A lot of people go down to that area to fish. The small airport that we stopped at was so beautiful and fun to see the airplanes!

The Kenai River


We drove to the Captain Cook outlook. It was the very end of the road of the Kenai Peninsula. When we got there I saw a couple with binoculars staring out into the ocean, as I walked closer I saw something in the water and I got really excited, because I thought it was a whale! It was just a big rock though...the couple laughed with me and let me borrow their binoculars to ease my mind.

We saw a mama and baby moose. Above was a place on the side of the road that has a bunch of amazing carvings. I got to ride one!
The best part of the drive was when we took a scenic route just after Sterling. Along the way we saw a bunch of people stopped on the side of the road and when we got out to see what everyone was looking at there was about a thousand red salmon going up stream. It was incredible! We could look down the stream and just see an endless number of red salmon struggling up the stream. They would get to this certain section before going under the road in a tunnel...the picture below is the group of the fish then they would go one by one through the tunnel. Amazing! I tried to take a video below but I only had my cellphone because I left my camera battery in UT so it is not the greatest quality! But enjoy!


Tuesday, August 25, 2009

I Love AK Today Because...

So a few weeks ago I bought a journal. I thought it might help to write my thoughts out so they didn't get all bottled up inside, causing an emotional break down (I'm not sure how many of those Jed can handle prior to the wedding). I also decided that I need to stay more positive about this whole "Alaskan Adventure" thing...because my circumstances are not changing anytime soon! So I thought that maybe by writing out the the positive things I like about Alaska will help me, because most times I feel like I don't have a big red heart between I...and...Alaska. I am homesick a lot. However, I thought it would be fun to share some of the things I love about Alaska.
  1. There are always airplanes in the air, everywhere! Big ones, Super air force jet ones, little beaver planes, floating in the air, silent ones. From my front door I've seen the airforce jets take off like in TOP GUN doing all sorts of twists and turns, it's like a mini air show. I love airplanes! It reminds me of the bright yellow crop duster that used to fly over our house at 7am all summer long. I often see commercial airlines and think of the people on board, where they are going, who they are visiting...it's just a fun little imagination game for me to keep me occupied during the day. The other part I think is funny is airplanes in Alaska have the right away! So if you are driving and you see a plane coming down the road you better move! I hope that happens someday!
  2. They often have warning announcemnets at my work about the mama & baby moose in the parking lot, and sometimes I can watch them from my office window.
  3. Because I can drive about 5 miles under the speed limit and not get annoyed, inconvienienced or impatient. Life moves at a slightly slower pace and no one is in a hurry to get where they are going. People drive the speed limits...actually most drive under the speed limit.
  4. (Somedays are a stretch...but...) It's illegal for a vessel with rats on it to enter alaskan waters...so no Rats! YAY!
  5. I have the opportunity to try things I'd never do in Utah...like go to a bar! I found out that you need your ID to get into the bar even if you're not drinking. I discovered this out after we walked two blocks in the rain...Jed didn't realize really how naive and sheltered my life has been until now.

There are many more but I really LOVE Alaska today because:

6. THERE ARE NO SNAKES!!! None! They don't live here! YAY!

I will continue to keep track of the reasons why I love Alaska and when I get some good ones I will let you know! Maybe you will all want to move here ;)
Love you all and miss you!