For a few days of spring break last week we went three hours
southwest to San Antonio to see our good friends the Feldts. They are in the Air Force but have been in SA
for a pretty long time as Brent finished up residency for doctor-hood. Maggie mentioned that she had some things on her Texas
bucket list. I don’t think I have a bucket
for Texas…I have one for Alaska but there’s not much in Texas that I have left
to do. Before my Texas friends
disown me, it has brought to mind some things that I’ll really miss from
our 10 years here. Here's my current top 5 things I'll miss...not in order, just how they roll off my brain.
 |
| Aggie baseball with Zach and Josh |
1) Zach, Josh and I went to the Aggie ball game on Saturday. I’ll miss that…sitting in the shade (I would
not have as many romantic feelings if we had to sit in the sun) watching a really
well played 2-1 game. When its 75 degrees
and a slight breeze sitting at a ball game with a couple of my kids—yea I’ll
miss that for sure.
While I was in Anchorage a few weeks ago I registered our
Suburban in Alaska. The other day when
Julie came out of a store someone was bent down behind the car snapping
a pic of the Alaska license plate. They nonchalantly
tucked the phone in their pocket when she walked past them and opened the car
door. Makes me chuckle every time I think
about it. Maybe we helped complete
another person’s Texas bucket list; to see an Alaska license plate…
2) Friends are of course a gimme, doing life with friends is
one that we will miss from here. Good friends
that bring food over or ask if we can bring food on the spur of the moment. I know that happens as the norm in Port Alsworth
too, but there is something about good friends who we have shared a lot
of life with…
3) To be fair, I’ll miss the days at the pool. I guess days is not quite accurate as the “day”
is too hot, so I guess I’ll miss the evenings at the pool. Will not miss the
days…
4) I’ll miss my office where I can go and read, study the
Word, prep/plan for things. The Office. Julie
calls it “The bachelor pad for married men.”
It would be fair to add “Married, middle aged men…” I share the office, which is really just a small
one bedroom guest house near campus, with 3 other ministry leaders which help me process stuff going on in my ministry and life. The "Married man bachelor pad" and the friendships are life giving. I will miss not having a place outside of the
home-life routine to detach and concentrate.
5) Julie and I get up on Saturday mornings and go to Blue Baker, a bagel shop, for breakfast. Simple and routine...we touch base about all sorts of things; schedule, money, people, our people. Most of the time there are no fireworks, it is just great to get up and go somewhere to talk and to do it whenever we can. We will miss that...there are no bagel shops in Port Alsworth...Hummm, maybe there should be?
While I was in Anchorage a few weeks ago I registered our
Suburban in Alaska. The other day when
Julie came out of a store someone was bent down behind the car snapping
a pic of the Alaska license plate. They nonchalantly
tucked the phone in their pocket when she walked past them and opened the car
door. Makes me chuckle every time I think
about it. Maybe we helped complete
another person’s Texas bucket list; to see an Alaska license plate… 