The Art of Downsizing

Matt is a decision-making wizard, but for me, it’s a much harder process. When faced with choices, I hesitate and second-guess and usually over-analyze. You can imagine, then, what it was like at the Vial residence as we packed up our 2 bedroom - 1 bath house and prepared to move into a 16x20 cabin in the woods. Matt approached the task with a zealous “Let’s purge!!” attitude which clashed a bit with my nostalgic and sentimental frame of mind. On top of having to make the decision of what to keep, we also had to figure out if the item was coming with us to Alaska or if it would be staying in our small storage unit in Lake Tahoe. Should I take my high heels to Alaska? Do they even wear heels there? And what about that gravy boat. Shouldn’t it be part of my kitchen collection? Needless to say, it was a slow, pain-staking process that left us with a very large pile of Alaska-bound boxes.

Poor Matt, he had the tough job of trying to fit everything into a 7x14 enclosed trailer, including all his tools and other gadgets that make him the MacGyver that he is. (You remember the guy...)

Matt kept saying to me,” Are you sure we have to keep this?”, “Space is limited”, “Alaska has stores, you know.” It all reminded me of the movie Spaceballs when the guy says, “Take only what you need to survive.” Hey, I was going to Alaska and survival was of the upmost concern.

And so the day finally came when the very last tidbit was literally stuffed into any open crevasse that could be found. It was a glorious day for us to be done with the packing and loading phase, but Matt now faced another daunting challenge: Driving 3000 miles with a very full and very red-neck looking vessel. Watch out Alaska, the Clampetts are on their way!

Matt spent six days driving North, all the while cursing his heavy load. Although he did encounter some problems, his MacGyver skills saved the day and he arrived safely in our new state of residence.  Once the girls and I arrived, the Clampett-mobile made the long journey out to McCarthy and oh what I sight we were! “They really are crazy!” seemed to be the general consensus, but crazy seems to fit in well with McCarthy so we knew we’d be ok. 

Slowly but surely we began the arduous task of getting all our stuff to fit into our lovely lil’ cabin. Matt’s job was to organize his tool shed and mine was to make sure our new home didn’t look like we were hoarders. It’s amazing what I thought I needed to bring with me and what could have stayed behind (sshh don’t tell Matt!). There’s comfort in familiarity and I guess I just needed those extra boxes of stuff to get me through the transition. Now I’m living a much simpler life and can see that, in the end, the stuff we think we need (and therefore travels with us 3000 miles) is oftentimes just a space filler. It's liberating to let go and move forward with less spaces to fill. So long gravy boat! 

As you ponder those space-fillers, here's another take on "stuff." Enjoy! 

  

Coming Home

I distinctly remember flying into anchorage and being overcome by a feeling of “Wow, I’m home.” The feeling took me by surprise, especially since, at the time, Alaska was my nemesis. I was in grad school and Matt and I were going through a rough patch - I big rough patch actually – and I was flying in to see him. We were living two separate lives, with him pursuing his love of all things wild and outdoorsy while I was in the big city engrossed in school. We were both happy and excited about what we were working towards, but they were individual pursuits that came at the expense of our marriage. I saw Alaska as “the other woman” and wanted, very badly, to hate it. But there I was, looking out that airplane window and loving everything I was seeing.

Matt and I worked through those hard times and, thankfully, came out of it stronger than ever. We were both changed, however, and Alaska was still very much part of our lives. My love/hate relationship with Alaska continued as Matt and I attempted to navigate living in two states. We loved many things about California but there was something about Alaska that called to us, and we continued trying to make the dual-state life work. When Riley came along, we continued to ask ourselves if Alaska was worth all the trouble and the answer was a subtle “yes.” Of course, we considered Alaska full-time, but I was always adamant about maintaining our California residency. I was not ready to let go of a life that was, and is, safe and familiar - an anchor of sorts.

Well it seems that the anchor has lifted and Matt and I are embarking on an experimental adventure. After MUCH consideration, we have decided to move our lil’ family up to the great white North and give Alaska our all. I say experimental because we’ve never been up there during the winter months and who knows how we’ll like it. The well-known dark and cold might be too much for us Golden State sun-lovers and then we’ll call Alaska quits. But you never know until you try, and so try we must. The lure of wild and raw is too strong to ignore and we’d hate to have regrets down the line.

Our house was officially sold yesterday and, although it was sad to say goodbye to it, the memories made there will stay with us thanks to my trusty camera. We certainly had some ______(fill in the blank) times there over the past 11 years! But in the end, it was just a house filled with stuff, and the “home” I felt I was giving up surrounds me as I type this… the squeals of toddler laughter; the hungry cries of a healthy infant; the love, respect, and adoration I share with my best friend and husband.

We know that Alaska is a far-away place that many of our friends and family may not see, but our hope is that some of you may be lured up for a visit. I must warn you though, Alaska has a tendency to grab on to unsuspecting individuals and steal their heart away.

"Where thou art, thou is home" ~ Emily Dickinson 

McCarthy Potty Training

The summer has flown by and I’ve realized I’ve written very few blog entries. Our days have been busy ~ with work and play and puddle jumping and ice cream eating ~ and I know that the daily routine that we are all victim to grabbed hold of me this summer. Alas, the inspiration for adventure writing has been waning.

But then one day everything changed. Riley went pee-pee in her big-girl potty.

The first time she attempted this new feat, she took out the pot that you go potty in, sat on the seat, and peed on the floor. Although it wasn’t the victory we were hoping for, it was a big step in the right direction and we praised her for her efforts. Yay Riley!

Two days later, Riley announced that she had to go potty, and so I rushed her to her special throne, pulled down her pants and diaper and… whaalaa! Pee-pee in the potty! Perhaps it was too much for her ‘cause we haven’t had another potty victory since, but she continues to announce her pee-pee intentions and even mimics her daddy when she sees him outside in the bushes. Yes, she mimics him.

Now, potty training in the woods provides a special treat for parents. Without the cumbersome rules that society places on people – you know, like “use a toilet to do your business” – us folks in McCarthy get to worry about our youngsters falling into outhouses and pooping in the middle of town in broad daylight. Oh the joys! For example, the other day while in the store, Riley announced that she needed to go potty. Knowing she was equipped with a diaper, and I had my hands full, I didn’t take advantage of this potty-training moment like I should have. Besides, where would she pee? In the bushes?
So I continued grabbing more items and happened to look down at my daughter, who apparently was ready to do business in the store. With her pants around her ankles, she attempted to “walk” around the store while announcing she had to go potty. Alrighty then.

Thank you, Auntie Julie, for documenting this moment! 

After quickly pulling up her pants and paying for my items, we started our walk home. Riley, however, was intent on going potty and began a tearful breakdown in the middle of town. Knowing that “potty” had either A) already happened or B) was just a cool new term to throw around, I found some low shrubbery and said “Ok, let’s do this! Humor me!” Diaper off and pants down to her ankles, Riley laughed and ran away when, to my horror, I realized that she did in fact go potty already. And you know what kind of potty I mean. So… middle of town… broad daylight… half naked child running around with, ehh, dirtiness abounding. Priceless.

Just another day in McCarthy!  

Life is too short to not blow (and eat) bubbles 

Plane ride with mama! 

Giving knuckles to beloved Uncle Colin 

Front yard dance party  

Attack of the Mosquitoes!

The days have been hot here, which is a pleasant surprise from the usual rain and colder temps we’ve seen in past seasons. The sun is a wonder to see, but man oh mighty, the mosquitoes are in full force. Do you know that the (unofficial) Alaskan record for most mosquitoes killed in one slap is 78? That’s just crazy talk. Mosquitoes are everywhere - they greet you in the outhouse; they fly down your shirt; they cut conversations short; they drive you mad in the middle of the night; and they always find that one spot on your body that you missed with the repellent. Poor Riley is getting eaten alive, no matter the amount of repellent I put on her. Of course she wants to be outside all the time, so there’s always an internal war going on inside me whether the bites she’ll get are worth the amusement of playing in the dirt (the dirt usually wins). 

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Lovin' the blue bin! 

Riley with her best friend Bjorn 

Riley’s becoming quite the McCarthy kiddo with her dirty hands and face and new words like “generator”,  “powerhouse”, and “four-wheeler.” There’s no end to the fascination she sees in things around her– flowers, bugs, dogs, strangers, rocks… you can only imagine how long it takes to walk from one place to the next with her! When we take our walks, Riley says hi to just about anyone she meets. When she wants to know someone’s name, she asks and then finishes with a “see you later alligator!” How can one not appreciate the happier things in life while in the company of a toddler? J

Oh how I love this kiddo! 

parting shot!

THE JOURNEY CONTINUES!

It's that time of year again when the Vial family finds itself in a cozy lil' cabin in McCarthy, Alaska. It seems like not too long ago I was writing about wheels falling off strollers and spraying toilets! Riley is no longer the little girl content to ride in the backpack all day. Oh no - she'd rather run, jump, and touch all that's in sight. McCarthy is quite the playground for kids, and there's never a shortage of walks and exploring to do here. If only mama could keep up with the energy of Miss Riley!

There's already plenty of adventures to share, but for now, I'll share the best one to be had so far....

Yep, you guessed it... prepare yourself for another lil' Vial! Riley's "only child" status expires in December, so we'll be making sure she gets the ultimate summer experience before life changes in a big way for her. Here's to another summer prego in McCarthy!

Good to be home!

Ah yes, those lil' white legs must belong to us! 

Collecting rocks in Homer

 As November begins, I find myself still reeling from October's whirlwind. It's amazing all that can happen in a month! After living in McCarthy for the summer, re-entry into the world of fast cars, bright lights, and demanding schedules is bitter-sweet.

Our first stop after leaving McCarthy was Homer, an awesome little sea-side community where friends of ours live. I certainly could have stayed for the week, but our weekend trip ended too quickly, and before I knew it we were on a plane for California.

Once home, we exchanged Carharts and beanies for tank tops and flip flops and made our way to San Francisco for the Nike Women's Half Marathon. Talk about culture shock! Going from running alongside bear tracks to running alongside 25,000 other people certainly makes you realize you aren't in Kansas anymore. And just to be certain there were plenty of people for us Vials to take in, the Giants and the 49ers were playing home games that day. Go figure.

Explore'n with Grampy

Our next stop took us to the Central Coast where we got to enjoy some downtime in the sunshine while visiting family. Although Riley couldn't get enough of her cousins and Grammy and Grampa, the toll of all our travels caught up with her and she came down with a nasty cold. Poor thing. It didn't stop her from learning how to climb, and later, slide down the stairs or getting showered with good ol' Grandparent love though!  

Learning about life with Grammy

No child is too small to go biking with Dada

Although the sun and good company beckoned us to stay, we knew it was time to get settled back into our Tahoe home. It was so hard to leave that glorious sun though! And wouldn't you know it... just as we made our way over the summit in Tahoe, the first snowstorm of the season was in full effect. Goodbye flip flops, hello snow shovel.

Icicles! 

Now we find ourselves quickly adapting to our ever-curious daughter and our lack of baby proofing throughout the house. Every nook and cranny is in the process of being explored (by child) and scrutinized (by mom), and envisioning countless accidents has prompted me to do some serious redecorating.

getting into everything and lov'n it! 

The end of the month brought us the cutest lil' turkey that ever was. Riley went trick-or-treating with a bunch of kiddos twice her age and had the time of her life. She was determined to walk and hold her candy, which the girl scored on! Do people really think an 11-month old will eat king-sized snickers? Good thing there's extra sugar in the house now, 'cause our little turkey will be keeping us plenty busy this Winter!

Having fun with Cousin Maya the Giraffe

Where the Wild Things Are

Matt and I were able to take Riley on her first camping trip over the Labor Day weekend. Although I worried over the weather and agonized over the idea of bears feasting on scrumptious Vials, away we went! Despite chilly weather, we had a great time and learned that Riley is the ultimate trooper when it comes to making the best out of situations.

Our trip started out with blue skies and amazing views. Getting dropped off by a bush plane really creates an element of being "out in the middle of wild Alaska" that can be unnervingly exhilarating. Unfortunately we were sharing our "wild" space with a group of 15 people that had set up camp near the airstrip. Definitely not alone, but certainly still out in the wild!

One aspect of backpacking with a child is that there's not a whole lot of extra space to carry stuff, so we really had to pack light. We originally were planning on doing a point-to-point trip, but we quickly realized that the patience and tolerance of a 9-month old would not last all those days in a backpack, so we set up a base-camp and crossed our fingers that the weather would be good to us. For the most part it was, but alas, the winds and rain came.

Riley loved crawling on the spongy ground cover while feeling all the different textures (and maybe even eating some too). She feasted on wild blueberries and smoked salmon and slept in her Dada's down jacket at night. Most of all, I think she really loved having both of us giving her all our attention for three whole days. When the rain and winds came, we hung out in the tent, reading books, counting fingers, and singing songs.... definitely a new version of camping for Matt and I!

We spotted a caribou herd! You can just make out there silhouette against the mountain...

I thought for certain we would see a bear or two, but instead I just fretted about seeing one up until the plane flew in to pick us up. That's when disappointment set it that we didn't see one (funny how that works).  We did see the famous caribou herd that hangs out there as well as some marmots, ptarmigan, and eagles. I think our little dinosaur child kept all those scary animals away. But upon returning home to the warmth of our cabin and our comfortable bed, there in our driveway stood a bear, just checking things out. I guess there's always a bit of "wild" no matter where you are in Alaska.