Psalms 127:3-5
"Behold, children are a
heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth. Happy is the man who has a quiver full of them; they shall not be ashamed...
We make our home in the small village of Chickaloon Alaska,at 80.5 of the North Glenn Hwy.,approx. 43 miles North East of the city of Palmer. We live on 8 wooded acres, overlooking the beautiful Matanuska Glacier River. We bought our "piece of paradise", approx. 7 1/2 years ago, and have been working on our "dream", ever since. It's been a BIG job to say the least, but with all the "helpful hands" that we've been blessed with, the work has, for the most part, been enjoyable and everyone has their own specific chores, so there's not quite as much pressure on one individual ( dad and/or mom! ).
My husband Dave and I have 13 "wonderful" children.
Let me introduce them...Billy26...Ricky25...Tommy23...
Jessy 22 (in Heaven with the the Lord )
Jessy at his graduation from "boot camp" in Ft. Benning Georgia, 2005', with his brother Sammy and little brother Sonny.
Sammy20..Gracie19..Abbey18...Emily16...Frankey15...
Buddy13..Ruby12...Henry8...and Sonny3 1/2.
We were both raised in Missouri, went to the same church growing up, and then married in May of 1981'. We went on long drives and talked about our "dreams". One of our main "goals", was to move to Alaska. Why? We just felt like it! We both loved wide open spaces, adventure, and privacy! Alaska certainly has plenty of that. But we REALLY wanted a large family, and we felt that Alaska would be an awesome place to raise our kids. Also, I wanted to "homeschool" our clan, so we researched Alaskas laws, and found them to be "exceptional" in that regard! So with 11 children and one on the way, we finally made our BIG move. It was June of 2000', when Dave came home from work and announced to the family, that he had been offered a job with a construction/siding company in Wasilla Alaska, and wanted to know if we were ready and willing to make "our journey of a lifetime"...."Of course we are", we all said excitedly! We had a great running 15 passanger van, and Daves large white Ford dully nicknamed "snowflake" was actually all in one piece too, so there was no time like the present! There was only one "small" hitch...I was expecting our 12th littleone, and due in 2 1/2 months. Dave needed to leave within the week, taking our 5 oldest children ( all boys ages 17-12 ), and his 16 ft. tandom trailer with all his business equippment. The siding company needed them up in Alaska right away, while the weather was still good. Dave knew that he and the boys could make the trip quickly and leave right away. The guy offering him the job, said that they could "camp" on his land until they found proper housing. The only problem was, that he couldn't take me and the rest of the kids yet. Obviously because we didnt have housing yet. It wouldnt be an easy task finding a home large enough for 12 kids and two adults. Other reasons were...Dave could "packup" for him and the 5 boys easy enough, but not for ALL of us. We would also need to "sell" most of our possessions. Hauling all those appliances and furniture that we had collected through the years, over 3000 miles, just wasnt worth it. He just didnt have time to waste. His main concern though, was me. He didnt want me to take the trip while I was pregnant. He would rather I had the baby, then make the journey. Sorry, but men just dont understand! I agreed to stay behind JUST UNTIL I had everything sold and packed, but as soon as that was taken care of, our 6 littleones (ages 10-3) and their VERY pregnant mama , would be on their way! There was absolutely NO WAY I was going to travel 3000 miles with a newborn! Just thinking about having to stop and breastfeed and change diapers every 2-3 hours, blew my mind! And what about dear ole moms "after delivery problems"? I wont even go there!!! I've been pregnant before, "been there done that", no problem! Well needless to say, that's exactly how things worked out. Dave and the boys left in the beginning of June 2000', and the rest of us followed close behind, leaving Missouri in late July on a sizzling HOT 103 degree day, pulling a 6 ft. utility trailer packed with ONLY neccessities, a van full of kids with a stockpile of food and diapers, and a driver who was rippen' and rarin' to go with absolutely NO time to waste! Now, 8 years later, I look back on those days, and wonder how I ever made it here...what an adventure! I will write an entire page about that "trip of a lifetime" later...watch for it...it's hilarious! Actually scary, but none the less VERY funny...
This "piece of paradise" ,that we call home, DOES have a "story" behind it. Its what I call "New Beginnings" and "A dream with a purpose"..I would love to share them with you...
Smiles, Donnetta
Location:
80.5 North Glenn Hwy.
Chickaloon, Alaska
