Winter 2010-2011

Luke and Emily kayaking on Lake Chapala, Mexico

View from the top, Guanajuato Mexico

Colonial Guanajuato Mexico

Callejoneadas singing, playing music and drinking in Guanajuato

Anika, Joe, and Victoria

Well, it has been a long time since the last post. We are settled into our new house and already back from our winter vacation!

This fall Luke had a nice hunting trip to SE Alaska for mountain goats and a great hunt down the Chatanika River where he shot his first moose. We have had an exciting time of sausage making since we butchered our pigs and then all the game meat!

In December, we went to San Francisco for AGU conference where Emily presented some of her current work and Luke just rode bikes around town and went sightseeing. We love going to San Francisco and sampling the cuisine that we don't get in Fairbanks. Indian, Italian, Turkish, Yucatan, Moroccan/Yemenese, and of course Dim Sum wear our favorites. In fact, I don't think we had one bad meal on that trip. Then we flew to Guadalajara, Mexico, to visit Emily's parents in Lake Chapala, where they recently moved. Emily's Aunt Joanne met us there also and we had a nice Norwegian christmas feast, despite Luke and Emily both sick in bed with a bad cold. Luke had to cut his trip short (he ran out of vacation time due to all the hunting trips!) and Emily and her family went to the lovely colonial city of Guanajuato for the New Year and enjoyed walking through the narrow streets, catching vistas of the entire city from the ridges above, a new year's dinner overlooking the colonial architecture, and the singing and drinking callejoneadas . After Mexico, Emily flew to visit sister Anika and Joe and her 16 month old niece, Victoria, which was such a treat because she just started walking.

Now we are settling into winter with some skiing, movie watching, dinner with friends, and weekend Packer games every Sunday at our house. Luke is really excited about the Superbowl!

Luke's mom will be up in March and she will get the award for the first friend/family member to visit us during the winter! We are very excited to show her what our life is usually like in the winter and the ice art, winter hot springs, dog mushing, and skiing into a cabin for an overnight adventure!