Not sure if anyone is still reading this blog BUT if you are I wanted to let you know...

YES, we received your gift

YES, thank you notes are in the plan

BUT Jamie is REALLY bad at that whole actually mailing things. Sorry. It'll come soon!

Photos are up!!

OK everybody, the photos (all 2,000 of them) have finally been edited and posted online. Go here (the password is "Jennemann") to see our many, MANY wedding photos!

Happily Ever After... So Far!

Married life these past 19 days has been pretty wonderful. It's nice to finally be settling down in one place... it's even nicer to not have to leave every night! We had LOADS of fun at the wedding and reception and I know all of our guests had a great time too. I've posted some pictures below but there's LOTS more posted on Facebook. We'll get the professional pictures in the next week (hopefully) so watch for a link to view those soon!

Overlooking the Matanuska River and Pioneer Peak.

Same location with bridal party members-
Rob & Hannah

Philip & I with my college friends Hannah (left) and Julianna (right)

The bridesmaids & I in the street at church.

First Dance

"You may now kiss the bride..."

Philip & I with his groomsman, Justin, and his girlfriend, Erin

Half the Alaska DCEs
Larry was there too, just not in the pic
And Tia was taking care of Elliot in Fairbanks

Getting to/from all the places we've got y'all scheduled to go is pretty easy but here's a map with directions for you to follow. If you're staying at the hotel, you'll get a hard copy of this but just in case you want to have your own copy, here it is:

What to wear, what to wear...

So Jamie touched on this a little bit in the last post, but I'm still getting questions from folks regarding what to expect weather-wise, and what to wear.

Disclaimer: Both Jamie and I have been living here for a couple of years now, so "cold" is a relative term to both of us. It's been in the 40s and 50s here, and I'm still wearing sandals on a regular basis and breaking out the shorts occasionally.

Weather to expect: Pray for sun. It may happen, it may not. If it does, expect weather to be in the 50s and b-e-a-utiful. Possibly very windy, especially in Eagle River and Palmer (where you will spend the bulk of Thursday-Saturday), so bring a windbreak-layer.

It will probably rain at some point during your visit here. Rain here is not like rain in the South-- it very rarely pours (but it does do that too, every now and again). Expect drizzle/mist/yuck. Jeans are not good in rain.

What to wear: For your basic outdoorsy, touristy stuff, bring jeans and comfy walking shoes. If you plan on doing some hiking, bring sturdy shoes (hiking boots are preferable) and non-cotton pants (there's a saying up here, "Cotton kills," because once it gets wet, you get cold darn quick). Outer layer should be water-resistant and wind-proof. Wool socks will be a plus at night.

For the rehearsal- "Business casual"? I think?
Guys: Nice pants and collared shirt
Girls: ? (Jamie will have to fill in the blank here)

For "The Big Day"- The ceremony will be dressy, but not formal. Guys: Dress shirt and slacks, tie optional.
Girls: Whatever you would wear to a nice dinner out.

OK, that's it. If you have any other questions, email us!

The Cost of Milk... (Preparing for Your Trip)

As the weeks slip by, we hope all y'all are ready for your trip to Alaska! Whether it's your first time up here or your millionth it's always nice to get a bit of a heads up before you come. SO, I'm writing this blog entry to let you know about things to do & prices to expect.

• If you're planning on doing any site seeing, call to make reservations ASAP. "Tourist Season", as we lovingly refer to it, officially ends on September 15th. At that point most things either shut down completely or they offer less than they do during the summer. So before you assume lodges, tours and such will be open-- CALL!
  
• Check out the list to the RIGHT-- In the sidebar titled "Things To Do In Alaska", we've listed several options for places to go while here, but there's LOTS more. If you're interested in what to see, what to do, and where to go, I'd get online and order a "Milepost". It's an indispensible treasure especially if you're planning on doing any driving while here.
  
• To give you some $$ perspective-- Milk currently costs $3.99/gallon, gas is $4.50/gallon, and $1 menus here are actually $1.50 menus. Make you budget your trip accordingly.
  
• Weather to Expect-- We've had quite the wet & cool summer thus far and the experts are at odds as to what to expect for the Fall and Winter. As I'm writing this it's raining outside and in the high-50s/low-60s-- but you can check HERE for other current conditions. I'd definitely plan on bringing some sort of rain jacket/poncho and probably some warmer clothes too. Now, I'm not talking about fur coats and hats here people. I'm talking a sweatshirt, maybe a sweater or two, and jeans. I can wear sandals but really it's up to you if you can deal with the temperature change from your locale.

Keep in mind that we do have most of the comforts of home here-- grocery stores, movie theaters, malls, restaurants, etc.-- so it won't be unfamiliar. Ultimately, plan on having a good time and leaving some of your money here. There are LOTS of touristy shops in Downtown Anchorage where you can get the t-shirt, sweatshirt, artpiece of your choice.

Let us know (comment here or email us) when you'll be arriving and checking in to the hotel so we can do our best to meet you when you arrive.

Answers to Your FAQs

Yes, planning is going well.

Yes, we're excited.

Yes, we realize it's less than a month away.

It's funny to think that nearly 6 months have just flown by since Philip proposed. It seems like just yesterday the mountains were full of snow and he surprised me... But lots of planning has been happening and, now that my main youth events are over, assembling those plans have also begun. Right now an entire corner of my living room, as well as my bedroom, are dedicated to storing wedding & reception stuff. All my free time that used to be spent frivolously watching TV are now spent assembling bulletins and such... while watching TV. (I don't like to stretch myself too much y'know!)

We're both looking forward to seeing everyone who has said they're coming from Outside-- the first arriving in just 3 weeks from tomorrow! But we're still in the process of figuring out who is actually planning on coming. We've gotten less than 40 R.S.V.P.s for the 200-some-odd invitations sent out. So, if you haven't RSVPd yet (you know who you are!), please do so ASAP either via email (jamieandphilip@gmail.com), phone or in person. We'd love to hear from you so that you can be included in the final count for the all-important food and booze.

Other than that, things are going great. We'll try to keep you updated on the weather 'round these parts. It's been a crazy weird summer so there's no telling what September will bring. Right now it's in the low-60s always with the chance of rain-- it is after all State Fair time and it ALWAYS rains for the Fair!