I am in Kodiak!

Yes, I am here. I got here on Monday night. It is drizzly and wet, but it is beautiful. It is small (around 14,000 people on the island, I think). A big portion of those people are in the Coast Guard. I like it! An island, that you must take a plane or ferry to leave. Yah, cause its an island.

It was a really long flight from Traverse City, Michigan to Kodiak, AK. I started my day before 7 AM, as we all slept in the camper together. The kids wake with the sun. We packed up the car (we already cleaned the house) with the few things we needed for the morning, left a ziplock bag of labeled house keys, and drove to McD's for breakfast. It was weird leaving our house. It isn't quite sold yet, so it was very strange.

On the highway, about 5 miles from home, a belt slipped off on the van. But, God really took care of everything! A MDOT worker (road worker) pulled over behind us, minutes after we broke down. He called a tow truck and waited with us till it arrived. My neighbor drove out to get John and the dog. The tow truck brought the kids, dog and I to the Midas. And, within an hour, our car was ready. Isn't that a blessing?

So, the family drove me to the airport. I left at 1 PM for Minneapolis. I took a airport taxi (inside terminal) to my gate, and made it with about 5 minutes to spare. From Minneapolis, I had a 4 hour flight to Anchorage. That was really really long. I got up to pee and walk a lot! One of the men sitting next to me, carried one of my bags through the plane for me, to help me. I look very very pregnant at 30 weeks.

In Anchorage, I walked in a daze out of security and met my dear friend Sue. She lives in Anchorage, and was home, although I know her from Mancelona at church. She spends a lot of time there caring for her mother, and husband's mother. Sue walked with me to the ticket desk, and they got me on an earlier flight! So, our visit was short- but, I got to Kodiak by 7 PM. Awesome! Of course, there is a 4 hour time change, so 7 PM felt like 11 PM.

I called a CG friend, and got my rental car. She came out to the airport, so that I could follow her back to base, and to the hotel. After checking in, she invited me over and made me a sandwich. I sat and talked with she and her husband for a couple hours and then headed into town to buy a few things to eat in the AM. At 10:30 PM (felt like 2:30 AM) I got my luggage, which arrived on my original flight. I went back to the hotel, and crashed. Boy, was that a long day!

Since Monday, I have eaten lunch with my new CG friend, and dinner too (she invited a couple other CG friends for me to meet), I have fowarded my mail here, I have visited my new OB doctor, I have bought a raincoat (size 2XX mens, as there are no maternity clothing here), gone food shopping at the Safeway and Commissary, gotten a pass for my car to get on base, gone for a walk with my new girlfriends, talked to the pastor of the church we may attend, talked to the housing office, and put a few events on the calendar- a baby shower for one of my new friends and a spouses association picnic this weekend. I am one busy lady!!

I am relaxing in a nice room, with a nice cozy bed. I am missing my husband and kiddos, but I am happy. This is a very nice place, and I believe that we will love it here!

Yay Kodiak! Yay New Home!