Hello!  I am trying to post pictures.  Please excuse the overload of pics, but we do not have daily access to a computer, so you are getting a group of them at once.  We are trying to settle in, although "settle" has a new definition in daily sub-zero temps and in a cavernous house.  We have still gotten out to play, as you can see below.  The kids and Greg are out exploring the backyard as I post this and it is about 3 below!  We started with dumping snow on our arrival.  THe first day here was very chilly and tons of snow and we went out to cheer our aunt/ sister-in-law in a bike race- yes BIKE race!  You should see the mittens they use!  Her partner had a battery-operated pair of heated bike shoes!  Despite these accessories, they both still looked a bit cold after 50 miles!  The kids started school at Anchorage Waldorf School on Wed.  Drop off in the dark with the full moon shining will take a bit to get used to.  We have met many friendly people, but I will not recognize any of them until spring.  For now, they all are kind voices cloaked in dark, hooded shadow.  Mr Craig in the kindergarten makes a fire every morning in the chiminea.  The small dark, hooded shadows arrive and head straight for the shovels to clear their play yard of snow until the stumps, ropes, swings are visible again.  One was clearing the roof of the playhouse with a rake the other day...they learn young (check out some of the stories in the national news about Valdez and Cordova and what the weight of snow can do to a roof!!)  In Anchorage we have almost surpassed the record for most snowfall in a single season!  It is hard to take pictures that represent the depth of the snow because there is not a lot of ground visible.  Greg and I were skiing the other day (trail system entrance about 3 minutes from our house!  Wicked grooming!  unlimited kilometers!) and ran into a mom and baby moose (16 seen so far).  We had to turn around to a different trail and I stepped off the trail only to sink to my knees in the snow oon my skiis.  From the surface it looks like it may be 1-2 feet deep, but Greg pushed his striding pole to the grip before he hit bottom.  Our pictures may paint a very wild picture of Anchorage, but there are 300,000 people who live here and there are occurences that do not revolve around snow.  Last night we saw the Broadway touring performance of Beauty and the Beast.  It was stunning!  Anyway, I may have to call this our "ramble" instead of our "blog" if I do not proceed with the posting of pictures and cease the flow of words.  We miss all of you and are very thankful for such a warm send off.  There are some pictures from pre-move that are on our other computer, so some pre-send off snuggles not accurately represented below.  Definitely does not mean you all are not in our thoughts daily!!

cute boys!

If there's a smile on my face, that's only to camaflouge my sadness (la, la)

baby freeze!

cute girls!

dinner with neighborhood friends

LCWS representin' at First Night

IV unit on Church Street

*the "IV unit" is the independent Veltkamps or stands for the roman numeral 4, for the four of us.  We have not used this term in a long time, but found some fridge magnets in the house cleaning referring to this moniker.  Thought it might be a good time to resurrect it!

Twins!  I am not sure how Betty and Harriet will fucntion apart, as they are mostly separate parts of the same being.  In a way, I guess this just means that they can experience Vermont and AK at the same time!

The salmon fairies left this on top of the pilot the last day in burlington.  Imagine our suprise when Margaret pointed out that it was there!  The 6'6'' fairy put it there at breakfast so it would not thaw as we went to Penny Cluse.  This picture is several hours later :)  I think Harriet is poking it to see if it is still good (see Greg's brother's quote on the side of the blog)

Good-bye 6 Dion!

A little remnant from the party.  Greg flew it proudly on our flight.

One last look at VT over the wing as we took off. 

Epiphany sunset.

If you look very closely, you can see the Anchorage mountains lit up by a moonshadow!  This was stunning!

Hello, Gatekeeper Lane- Greg's parents house when we arrived.  Smooth flight, tired Veltkamps.

DUMPING!!!

First time out in the snow.

Griffin dwarfed by the snow and Papa's tree in the front yard (planted when Greg was a wee one)

Look VERY closely by the car on the right...Moose!  He walked right in front of the car on a busy road downtown.  His distance in this picture is just a factor of how long it took us to get our camera out!

Gramma Jan sporting her wedding gift from Ron in sub-zero weather.  she wore this hat to cheer for Greg and his brother in every athletic event they entered!  Greg and Brent have vivid memories of being embarassed of it.  I have been threatening to wear it when the kids race.  I wore it to cheer for our sister-in-law in her bike race on Saturday.  I stepped out of the car and was instantly approached by a woman asking where I got it :)

Ice sculpture car.  Downtown is full of ice sculptures created last week around an ice skating arena.  Beautiful and chilly!

All aboard!

Ice dancers. 

Mickie and Minnie.

14 below on the house thermometer...to ski or not to ski!?

21 below on the car thermometer on the way to the mountains...we decided to ski :)

Greg showing our Florida friends that, yes, you can open your eyes in this weather!!!

From the car on the drive to ski.

More from the car.

Hatcher Pass.  This is where we skied on Saturday.  3 above at the parking lot with just enough breeze.  Still, too beautiful too pass it up!

Hatcher Pass.  Probably cannot appreciate it from this Lillipution view, but there are SICK tracks on some of these ridges!!!  Where are my tele skiis!?!?!  Maybe we'll enjoy this when it warms up a bit.

Hatcher Pass

More Hatcher Pass.

Our mailbox has a tumor.

Tiny backyard friend.

Out the back door.  Hard to get perspective, but this snow is about waste deep...on Greg!

Sunrise out the upstairs window.  These tiny pics do not do it justice.

Upstairs window again.

*Promise these will not be as long next time!  Greg says I have to take credit for this one!!  Jess

Arrival Equation

      Uprooting family from Vermont
-     Traveling across three time zones
-     5 days of jet lag
-     Getting used to (really) dark mornings
+    Celebrating our nieces first birthday
-     Missing good friends
+    14 moose sightings
-     Getting used to (really ) dark mornings
+    Cross country skiing at 14 below
+    Fun first days at school
+    89.4 inches of snow since the end of October (over twice the average
       for this time of year)
_______________________________________________
=    a great first week in Alaska!

Inspired Giving

     Christmas giving had a theme this year.  Gifts were conceived, produced and given in the spirit of the impending shift Northward. Whether this was conscious or simply just that the move has occupied our thoughts for several months now wasn't apparent, or important. The excitement surrounding the process though, was palpable, and giving was certainly as much fun as receiving.

     A six-year-old interpretation of the The Northern Lights!

     Looks like Turnagain Arm and the front range of the Chugach mountains! Our new home!

     Plenty to read during those long winter nights ...

     ... and hours of fun in the piles of snow - 61 inches in Anchorage so far this winter!!!!! Check out the book "Snow Play" by Britta Ralston - loads of outdoor winter ideas.

     Fear not and expect the good and things will happen as they should. Our mantra, taken from the 4th grade play this year!  Inscribed on the back: "May we be little birds singing our sweet songs and being merry wherever Gods takes us." Thanks Harriet!

     Steering this theme of giving is the biggest gift we received this year, the gift we all gave ourselves, the opportunity to go on this wondrous, inspiring, awesome journey!