What are we thinking?

Randy and I have been talking about visiting Alaska for years. And it's something I've wanted to do since I lived there as a kid. When I was in 3rd, 4th and 5th grade my dad was stationed at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage. Even as a kid it seems like I understood a little bit of the awesomeness of Alaska, although I also remember just taking it in stride. Before we moved away, our parents took us to Denali National Park (then called Mt. McKinley National Park) and I remember seeing the mountains and animals. I feel like ever since then I've known I wanted to go back some day.

Here are a few photos from my days in Alaska. I only have a few; I think that was my first camera, probably a "Brownie" camera, or maybe an "Instamatic."

My little sister Jan and some friends (in the wagon) in front of our front door. I believe there were 8 households in each of these base housing buildings. This high-density living was great for us kids, with lots of other kids to play with. We also got huge hauls at Halloween!

Several buildings were grouped together around what we called "circles," a circular area with playground equipment. In the winter the fathers would pour water into one of the circles and it would turn into an ice rink.

My little sister Jan and brother Joel.

My cabin at King's Lake Camp, where my older brother and I got to go a couple times.

Me in front of the cabin.

The sledding hill. It was awesome. Right by the side of our house. It had a little bit of a steeper part at the beginning that gave great momentum to continue a-a-a-all the way down.

Dad in his “mess suit.”

Jan, Dad, and Dan

My little sister Jan on the sledding hill.

My friend Cherry Nash and another friend I labeled “Kathy.” Don’t remember her.

One of the floats in the “Fur Rendezvous” parade. Kind of like the rose parade except all the flowers were tissue paper and it was snowy and freezing cold. :D