Fairbanks, Alaska, March 24, 2012 (Saturday), 12:11 p.m., Alaska Time~

Dear Journal~

Howdy from the land of polar bears, sled dogs, Inuit, and aurora borealis!  

I hope and pray this finds y'all well.  We are doing great; we couldn't be doing better if we tried.  Kids are both growing like weeds (Maverick James is now six months old while his big brother will be turning four in November of this year), and the animals (cats Aurora Borealis of the Far North and Ollie and dog Grinnin' Jack, a 120 pound Alaskan Malamute) continue to keep us hopping.  Frank enjoys his Jeep business and I continue to work at his side, where I am a receptionist at his dealership.

The weather is still cold here:  snow is currently falling; it will continue until later tonight (they say we could get up to one inch before all is said and done), then clearing, with lows ranging from 8 below to 5 degrees above zero, then highs ranging from the 20's and 30's all week long.  It could snow some days, and on others it will be clear.  The auroras have been having a field day:  just about every night there have been fantastic auroral displays.

According to Spaceweather.com, we could have even more auroras in the offing as the giant sunspot responsible for the recent geomagnetic storm of a few weeks back returns to face the earth, and it could spew more geomanetic storms and increase our chances of seeing auroras.  So the sunspot is not done just yet.

Maverick has really grown into an adorable, sweet-natured baby with a laid-back personality.  He looks just like Frank while Junior looks exactly like me (poor child!).  Sometimes people think they're adopted because Mav has a headful of thick, carrot-colored hair and is fair while Junior has my Cajun looks: dark skin, black eyes and hair.  I tell them they are brothers because I happened to give birth to the two of them.

Junior, meanwhile, is his daddy's shadow.  He follows him everywhere and is ever curious about things: the sound of the water running in the bathtub, Frank's strong, busy hands as he manages a new task, the smell of flapjacks cooking on the stove in the mornings, the auroras flickering outside his bedroom window, and why dogs have to sniff the cats' butts upon greeting them each and every day.  He is a chatterbox loaded with questions; he never stops asking!

I am thankful that even though Junior had a rough start in life, he has been pronounced perfectly healthy by his primary pediatrician: he has no sign of defect or disability, which has been an answer to prayer.  Junior is rather small in size, but he is otherwise bursting with health.  Maverick has always been the little pig: he eats very well and is a round little butterball with tree trunks for limbs, a fat little stomach, and is probably going to take after Frank: he is going to be fairly tall for his age.

I am doing well myself other than having very low blood pressure.  Sometimes upon getting up, I get incredibly dizzy and if I'm not careful, I could pass out if I get up too fast.  I have to take medication to keep it in check and take it slow whenever getting up; other than that, I am in good health.   Frank has high blood pressure, but medication takes care of it and both of us see our doctor every three months, to make sure everything is okay.  I pray and hope that continues.

Well, I am going to start cooking lunch and then do laundry; it sort of got away from us.  With one big kid and two small boys, it just doesn't take long for all the ditry clothes to start piling up!  I will write in here again soon; until then, this is Katrina Hammer saying so long and God bless!

~Love, your friend in Alaska, Katrina.  :)