Another Blessing Has Arrived

This is Jun Christine Ichikawa. Newly adopted daughter of Kim (Banton) and Ryu Ichikawa. She was born June 16th weighing in at 5 lbs 3 oz.

Congratulations Kim and Ryu!

the last day

Today was the last day of work. Six years doing something I love. What a blessing.

This has been an strange week of emotions. There have been lots of tears... not something I am used to. But as I get older, they come more easily. My friend Jane and I were discussing this today. I feel like the tears come more often, not becasue I am unhappy, but because as I get older I love more deeply and understand the significance of relationships and experiences. What a rich experience these years in Alaska have been. These experiences and relationships have shaped who I have become.

In Alaska

I am back in Alaska and trying to finish up my job here. But I have been really busy just doing the normal stuff... so actually wrapping up my work hasn't happened. I do have one more week left... but it all seems to be going so quickly.

Socially, this week has been so fun. I have stayed up past midnight almost every night with friends. Bonfires with dear friends, chatting until the wee hours, and just laughing. I am going to miss this. But what a blessing it has been to love and live with these amazing people.

I am planning to head back to Bosie on July 3rd-ish and be back to Alaska on the 12th to prepare for the Gulkana Rafting trip that leaves on the 15th. After the trip I will probably hang out for a few days just to be here and see people and then head down sometime that last week of July. It seems to be going so quickly!

THEY'RE HERE!

This is the first chance I have had to get on the computer so many of you may already have heard that the twins finally arrived.

Friday morning Misty was induced and Katherine Joy was born at 6:07pm. Then Joseph Mathias took his own sweet time coming and arrived at 8:01pm. If you want to see pictures click here to go to their web page. Everyone is doing great. Joseph has a bruise on his head where they had to suction him out the last little bit because Misty just didn't have anything left. They are adorable and we are so glad that they are here.

I spent all day to day with Misty and the babies. What a blessing to get to be here for the excitement of the births and help where I can. Tomorrow I fly back to Alaska to finish up work.

It is a little hard to beleive that this is all happening... Makes me wonder what's next...

Just can't leave...

So I gave in and am staying for the babies. I changed my ticket and now leave on Sunday morning. The babies will probably come on Friday so that gives me a day to love on them before I head out. It was just too hard to leave after being here for almost two weeks and not seeing them.

I will be in Alaska for two weeks and then plan to come back to Boise for 10 days the beginning of July. Then it will be back to Alaska for my last trip with my youth group girls before the final move. At this point I am planning to take my car by ferry after the youth trip. I think I will be down here for good by the beginning of August. Those are the plans... and as we know, they can always change.

Nothing New

The babies are still hanging out. They will probably come on Friday, with the scheduled inducement. And I head back to Alaska Thursday morning. And I was sure that I would get to be here for their arrival... goes to show you that we definately can't plan these things.

Thanks for your words of encouragement and for checking in on things.

And we're still waiting...

Sunday night... I have been here with my sister for a week now. But the babes have yet to show themselves except for the squirming they are doing on the inside. My sis has a belly that looks like a tie-dye swirl and she is so ready for them to come out so she can give her skin a break. There is hope as her contractions kicked up tonight. But we'll just have to wait it out and see.

Life has been a little slower paced around here than my life in Alaska. But it is good in a lot of ways. My parents bought a 23 foot camper and parked it in my sister's back yard so that they will be able to pull it around when they retire. I am the lucky recipeint of that purchase as it is my new temporary home. It is a very nice retreat for me each evening or during nap time. Definately a blessing I hadn't asked for, but needed. It is comforting to know that God has planned out even the little details for me!

Just Waiting

I have been putting off blogging in hopes that I could tell everyone of the babies' arrival. But alas, they are quite comfortable, if not crowded at the moment. Misty is hanging in there at 37 weeks and about 14 lbs of baby. (you can check out her pregnancy picture on the Misty's Amazing Belly link on the right) She is so ready for them to come out. I am just hoping that they come before I leave for Alaska on the 15th. If they haven't come by then the doctor will induce on the 16 or 19th.

It has been fun hanging out with Misty and Elizabeth. We have been playing in the pool, sand pile, and watering the flowers... although it usually becomes a shower for Lizzie. Peter is trying to get a bunch of stuff done at work before the babes show up. Life will change for the little family any day now. And I am just here to help as much as I can.

I hope to up date you soon with bigger news.

packing in the adventures

Alaska is an amazing place to live and that was so evident this weekend. We had some amazing 73-78 degree weather that provided ample opportunity for outdoor adventure.
Anita and I climbed part of the Pioneer Peak trail on Saturday. After the climb we headed over to our friends' house to top the day off by the lake. I am going to miss this place!

the beginning of the end

Tonight was my last youth group. Not nearly as emotional as yesterday or Sunday, but it is sad. If you had told me 6 years ago when I was beginning this job that it would be this hard to leave, I don't think I would have believed you. But this job has been a large part of my identity here.

So this week has been the beginning of the end of a season of my life. A very rich, amazing season and I will mourn its passing. It is facinating to me to look back on the journey of my life and see the path that God has chosen for me. And to look forward and wonder where the next bend will take me. I have my moments of panic when I wonder what in the world I am doing by leaving all that I have here. But then I rest in that knowledge that God has the next season under control and I have only to be willing and available to what he places in my life.

Thus the beginning of the end has begun... with its emotions and turmoil. But I see the new beginning and I am excited about what it will bring.

goodbyes are hard

I am tired of crying. I am not normally an emotional person but the fact that I am leaving soon really struck me this morning. It was Senior Sunday, when we honor the graduating seniors and they are apart of worship. I basically cried for 2 hours this morning. I think it freaked a lot of people out because I don't usually cry in public.

I feel the tidal wave of emotion coming. I don't really like being that out of control... but one of these days I am just going to be standing somewhere sobbing. Something fun to look forward to.

Family...

I came across this adorable picture of my older brother and I the spring of 1976. Aren't we cute?! Two things were quite amusing to me about this picture. The first one is that my mom still has the afghan and curtains in the picture and could find them at a moments notice if needed. The second one is that my brother in the picture has two kids and sits them on his couch exactly the same way for pictures. Family...

Nothing much new in my life these days. I have been trying to purge my stuff and that is where I came across the picture. But I am mostly trying to do my normal everyday work and prepare to hand my job over to someone else. There have been a couple of people interested in my job, but no one hired yet. It is interesting to think about someone else doing my job because I am the only one who has ever done it. I made up a lot of what my job is and have it organized to my way of thinking. It will probably drive someone else nuts.

It helps to know that my neice Elizabeth is quite smitten with me and talks to her mom about me every day. It is fun to know that An-tairwy(Aunt Carrie) is still on her mind. We are going to have a lot of fun this summer.

Peter's Post

I neglected my dear brother-in-law in my last blog and must redeem myself by telling all those who read my blog that 1) he was there that weekend 2) I totally enjoyed hanging out with him too 3) he is way cool and if you don't know him you are missing out.

If I had a picture of him on this computer I would put it here...

Hope this heals all wounds, Peter.... ;-)

Finally...

Hello all my faithful friends...
I know I have been bad about keeping up with my blog. This whole transition thing has kept me pretty emotionally drained. I just haven't taken the time to write.

So to update you on the things. I went to Boise for Easter. It was so fun to play with my niece and spend some quality time with my sister. It also freaked me out a little. It was much more real and I kept swinging from the excitement of moving to feeling like I had really taken an unwise leap of faith... still don't exactly know where I am going to land. I did not job hunt. At this point I am not planning on getting a job until the fall. Not that I know what in the world I am going to do with the rest of my life... but that will have to be another blog.

I have been encouraged, however, by the support of my friends and family. Everyone is quite positive about the move over all... except for the tears that tend to leak out every once in awhile. I will miss my friends here and the fimiliar ruggedness of Alaska.

I'm Back

Ahhh... where to start?

My dad is doing great! He will have to stay home and not drive for about 6 weeks. I am amazed everyday at how quickly he is recovering. Thank you to all who have been praying.

Now onto other things in my life. About a month ago I felt like God was telling me to move on... really it was more like kicking me in the butt. So I began to pray about what that move would be... I knew very quickly that I wanted to go be with my sister in Boise and be a blessing to her when she has her twins this summer. I talked to her and to my parents and they were all excited... to quote my mom 'I see nothing negative about this decision'. Almost two weeks ago I told my boss that I would be leaving this summer. We agreed that it would be best to wait until after our big event last weekend to make it public knowlege. So Tuesday it went public.

These are the stoic details... but emotionally I have been leaking tears at the drop of a hat. The thought of leaving my close friends and world here is going to be very hard. I had to tell my youth group girls that I have been working with for the last 4 years on Tuesday because I didn't want them to hear about it from anyone else... that was killer. It is so bitter sweet... I am thrilled for the new adventure and to see where God will take me... but leaving those that I have shared my life with for the last 7 years will be very very hard.

I have begun the enormous task of sorting through my stuff at home and making checklists for my job. This is going to be a wild and crazy ride.

I will try to keep you updated as things progress.

Update

It is time for another update on Dad. Overall he has been doing well and recovering quickly. He was able to have all but one tube removed today. But today was not a great day. He had low blood pressure, was anemic and had to have a blood transfusion. But once that was done he was doing much better. I was in to spend some time with him this evening and his attitude is good. He is hoping to do well enough to come home on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Thank you to everyone for your prayers, emails, calls, and comments. I have the most awesome friends all over the world! I am definately blessed!

Hearts and knives

This week has been nothing of what I planned or expected...

Monday at noon my mom called me at work to tell me that my dad was in the ER with symptoms of a heart attack. I drove home and picked her up and we went into the hospital on Elmendorf Airforce Base. Dad was hooked up to all kinds of machines and sheepishly told us that he had been having pain in his arms and chest for 2 weeks. Mom was livid.

He stayed two nights there as they did tests and observations. They didn't have a cardiac unit so they were unable to make a total diagnosis. They sent him to the big hospital in Anchorage where he had an angiogram and they admitted him for a triple-heart bypass to be done in the next 48 hours. He wasn't allowed to leave the hospital. So Thursday night my grandma and aunt flew in from Kansas and we woke early this morning to see him before he went to surgery. He was done by 11am and it was good. They only did a double bypass and it went very well. I went into recovery as he woke up and talked to him. He was very lucid and acknowleged everything I said to him. I knew he would be ok when as I was leaving at 3:30pm he was telling jokes.

God had been very good. Thank you to all who prayed for us. Today was a little surreal and much easier that I ever expected. I know that God had his hand in it all.

Won't it be interesting to see what God brings next week...

Sadie

This is Sadie, our dog... and the 5th child in the family. She is cute, smart and high maintenance. I can't wait until she grows out of the puppy stage...

Welcome Home

This is my car when I arrived in Alaska at 8am on Sunday morning...
Welcome home...

Friends

In reflection of my adventure I have to say that it is the friendships that made it so rich.

Thank you to all of my dear friends. Thank you for your generosity. Thank you for your bottomless love. Thank you for laughing with me. Thank you for sharing your lives with me. I am honored to call you my friends.