How did the whole thing start?

  As a child, I was fortunate enough to have a father in the Army who just happened to get stationed in Fairbanks Alaska.  It was a place totally different from anything thing I'd experienced in my entire 6 years of life.
  We arrived in October 1957.  Snow was already on the ground.  All around me was white!.  It was so cold, the insides of my nostrils stuck together, but I was ready for an adventure.  Housing was sparse at first.  I recall living in the basement of one apartment building where everyone shared a bathroom. (I don't know how many apartments were there).  There was very little heat, and frost formed on the walls at night.
  Our second home was an honest to goodness log cabin complete with running rusty water you couldn't drink or wash in.  Dad brought water to us in 5 gallon cans.  One bedroom that Mom & Dad shared with 3 children. (2 full size beds).  Finally, we were able to move into a duplex that we shared with a family we became life long friends with.
  Despite the deprivations, this was a very exciting time for a 6 year old girl.  I was there when Alaska became the 49th state.  I saw them put dye into the Chena river to try to make the water run "GOLD", but it turned a yucky color of green instead.  My classmates and I drew pictures that were put into a time capsule.
  We went camping, fishing, snowmobiling, and even built "igloos" on the playground to stay out of the elements during recess.  Daylight at midnight was an unimaginable notion for me to grasp.  I did better with only a few hours of daylight in the winter.
  Needless to say, my fond memories of Alaska have stayed with me my entire life.  My long suffering hubby has had to listen as I spoke of Alaska to friends and family members.  I was jealous when my brother got stationed there in later years.  I dreamed of going back.  "Someday" was a mantra I would say to myself as I looked at pictures of others enjoying that beautiful state.
  In 2000, my hubby & I were stationed in Guam, and he was approaching retirement from the Navy.  We started talking about where we would retire.  We owned a home just outside of Houston, TX in the town of Pasadena.  Both our sons lived in the area, and I already had a current Texas nursing license, but Alaska kept pulling me.
  We researched land prices.  We  sent off for cabin plans.  We thought long & hard, but fate stepped in.  Hubby had to have both hips replaced due to bilateral avascular necrosis (the same disease that sidelined Bo Jackson).  The Navy sent us back to Texas and there we stayed for the next 12 years.  Our sons married beautiful women.  We had 2 grandchildren we loved.  I had a job I was happy to stay with until retirement.   I was content, though Alaska stayed in the back of my mind.
  THEN...Our youngest son was transferred to Anchorage with his job!  Perfect opportunity to visit, let's go!  We flew up in June 2012.  Everything was a beautiful as I remembered.  We drove up to Fairbanks for the midnight baseball game I remembered attending as a child.  We explored, and did all the touristy things most people do.  Then my hubby says to me "I could live here".  That was music to my ears, but I cautioned him that we needed to come back in the winter to see how he liked it (he'd never driven in snow).
   Taking faith that he would love it, we proceeded to sell our home and all our furniture, purchased a 38 ft. 5th wheel RV, and moved into it full time in January 2013.  The plan was we would go back up in February and if all was favorable, look for some land. (If not, we would just full time RV).
  Hubby loved the snow!  Had lots of fun playing in it, and exploring.  We snagged a good Realtor and looked at several lots.  One was a definite, but the owner decided not to sell at the last minute.  Kelly arranged to email us new listings daily.
  We had criteria.  1.  The land had to be on a maintained road. 2.  Utilities had to be close enough that it wouldn't cost a fortune to have them connected.  3.  No covenants!  (I don't want anyone telling me what I can & can't do on my land)  4.  It had to be withing 30 minutes of a hospital (Hubby is a heart patient).
  Normally I didn't check my email at work, but for some reason, I did that beautiful day in May.  1.3 acres lakefront on a maintained road 15 miles north of Wasilla.  Septic, well, and electric already there.  (The house that had been on the land burned to the ground,  Sadly, this was an estate sale).  I called hubby & forwarded him the email.  "Make an offer", was his reply.
  In July, we closed on the land.  Now we were on a path.  We flew up again in August, seeing the land for the first time.  It is beautiful.  Birch, spruce, alder, rose, raspberry & wild strawberry growing there.  There is also a small shed located on one edge of the lot, the only building left standing.
  I planned to retire in November 2013, and we would move up, leaving May first 2014.  Fate stepped in again, and in February, I found out I needed to have my left knee replaced.  The surgery could not be done until mid May.  On hold again, but I promised my hubby & myself that I would work hard on my therapy & would be ready to head out by the first of July.
  Today is June 19.  Therapy has gone well.  we will leave July 7th to avoid the holiday traffic.  This blog is intended to keep friends and family informed of our travels and share memories with them.  All are welcome to join us on our great adventure.  Thank you for reading this & please continue to do so.