Goodbye Anchorage, Hello Spokane

It's been awhile since I've posted anything!! So here we go! Our family spent two and a half years in Alaska, during that time I had our first child, Tetra. She is so wonderful! Watching her grow every day is one of the greatest highlights of my life! She is now 7 months old and changing every day. With two teeth, a growing vocabulary, and plenty of silliness to go along with it all! Being a mother has taught me so much about life and love and my faith in God. I am sure I will be sharing many experiences with you!

While in Alaska I also became a part of an awesome Church family at Resonate Church. They will forever be referenced as my "Anchorage Peeps". I love them and everything they helped me grow to be in my walk with God and pursuance of living the way Christ would want me to live.

We are now living back in Spokane, Washington. Quincy, my husband, was able to keep his job in Alaska and fly back and forth to work for two weeks and then be home with us for two weeks. It has been an adjustment being further away from him but we are transitioning well.

So, now I continue life as a Sloper's wife, a mother, and a blond with TONS of ambition to live and love and learn. Thanks for following our lives!

Moving to Alaska

As mentioned before, my husband got his job in June, 2011, so he flew to Alaska to live with his brother and start training for his job. That left me, to wrap up our lives in Washington, find a renter for our house, and move everything to storage.  I had until the end of July to complete all of these tasks, which is when I would be flying up to Alaska to be with my husband and start our new lives there.

I started by holding numerous garage sales, to get rid of all of the unneeded "stuff" we had acquired over the last 4 years. This was when I learned the true value of family. So many people offered to help me with these garage sales that we just made little family parties out of them! My mom came to help, and so did my mother-in-law, sister-in-laws, and many other unnamed wonderful people. I think they could all sense my need for help and without me even asking they all offered to come over and help me. My husband's family is unlike any other family I have ever been apart of and they continue to amaze me and make me feel loved every day.

After I got rid of all the junk that was unneeded in my garage sales, I then found a storage unit facility and started to move all the things I wanted to keep into storage. I would not have been able to move all of our possessions were it not for the help of my family. My mother-in-law decided to stay with me at my house for the month and while I was working at my job, she would take some boxes, put them in her car, and drive to the storage unit. Without her I am sure it would've taken me twice as long to get all that stuff in storage. My father-in-law also helped by bringing his truck to my house to move all of the BIG furniture.

Throughout all of the moving process I was really depressed that I didn't have the help of my husband. I was dwelling on the fact that I was all "alone" moving all of our things and dealing with all of the last minute details.  It wasn't until after the fact that I realized that I was really lucky to have my family behind me. Without all of them, I wouldn't have been able to move. Without the help of my Mother-in-law, I don't know what would've happened. I am so glad she decided to stay with me and help. I am forever grateful. Without family, I probably would have pulled my back out. Without family, life would be bleek, bland, and lonely.

Family is one of the most important things in my life. My family is always there to support me and help me in hard times. Being in this situation made me realize how amazing my family really is.  The fact that they would drop what they were doing just to come lend a helping hand. I am forever grateful. They are the reason I made it to Alaska. Now that I realize how important and wonderful my family really is to me, I appreciate them so much more. Each individual is so kind, loving, and wonderful in their own ways. I feel so blessed to have such a wonderful family.

I hope reading this entry makes you think about your family. How blessed you are to have one... Think about all they've done for you and all they continue to do. Appreciate your family, and do it daily. I know thinking about my family warms my heart every single day. Love them for who they are, because you never know what life will bring.

LESSON LEARNED: Family is invaluable. Family is wonderful. Family is love.

Pictures taken on our wedding day photographed by Mary Banducci

Lessons Learned: A Prelude

In June of 2011 my husband got a job working on the North Slope of Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. This is oil field work, and the shifts are two weeks on, two weeks off, around 14 hours a day. In Alaska, my husband is now called a "sloper". Which is basically a slang word for someone who works on the North Slope (creative, right?). I don't see my husband for two weeks at a time, I have learned to be "me" again. Not having him here with me all the time has made me a stronger person. Because not only can I rely on him, I also have myself. Moving here has taught me that I am strong, and I am independant. Through all the stories I will share with you, the mishaps, botched, and sometimes successful projects, I haved learned that no matter what happens, I can get through it.

Needless to say, this journey has brought me many lessons, which I will share in this blog.  Lessons about the value of family. Lessons about what NOT to do when cooking a Thanksgiving meal. Lessons about sewing. Lessons about EVERYTHING. Lessons from the simplest task to lessons about life, family, and the value of what you place on the things and people that surround you. I have learned alot, and now I would love nothing more than to share my experiences with all of you!