Leaving Chuathblauk

This post is a little delayed, but it is hard to keep up with posting when traveling! Here's the events of our departing. We left Chuathbaluk on March 9th, the start of spring break. Dave hired his secretary Robbie to drive us down to Aniak, which was very nice of him considering that earlier that day he had gotten married! The day was cold, maybe 20 below, but I bundled Julia in a million layers and fretted the whole ride down that I was freezing her again. Thankfully this was not so, she was fine and toasty. We arrived at the home of Mike and Dolphin, who were not in residence. They were in Anchorage, awaiting the birth of their son. We stayed in Aniak for three nights, hanging out and enjoying the change of scenery. We met the neighbors, Carrie and Paul and I was immediately sad that I had not met them before. They run a small time daycare for their grandson and a few others, and invited Julia to come play. She settled in like she attended daycare every day of her life. It was really fun to watch. She really liked the other kids, loved the toys and was very comfortable with Carrie and Paul. She's definitely not the same clingy baby of a year ago.

Waiting to go!

She was refusing to wear any clothes up to about 15 minutes before we left. I bribed her with fruit snacks to get pants on.

In Aniak, we met up with the Haydens, our neighbors last year. Julia and Kiley played together beautifully all afternoon! Not one altercation!

Julia at daycare! Kingston, their grandson is to Julia's right. They hugged goodbye when it was time to go!

Carrie and Paul

Saying goodbye to Daddy. Julia took full advantage of the situation to beg some chocolate off of Daddy

and what do you know, he had some!

but she had to pay for it with kisses! She'll say "I love you" now, "Ah-doo!"

We said our sad goodbyes and had an uneventful flight to Anchorage. She ate m&ms and  slept! In Anchorage, we had a couple hours wait, but filled the time fine with getting our bags transferred, eating frozen yogurt, watching a little movie, going through security, ect. Our flight from Anchorage to Seattle was in first class! I've NEVER gotten to fly first class, and was pretty thrilled. (Dave was a sweetie when buying tickets!) The seats were roomy, there was free food and drinks, free movie players, and even a little flying wing pin for Julia. Julia was very well behaved, but the flight was long nonetheless, and I was happy to arrive in Seattle just before midnight. My friends Erin and Mat picked us up and kept us overnight, and the next day Grandpa Dave came down and brought us to Mt Vernon. We heard later that Mike and Dolphin had a 9 lb 7oz boy named Fisher Moon! That's our sort of middle name! I'm sad we missed that by a day, but Dave will get to meet him!