Life in the North

Santa Claus is Coming to Town

2011-12-24T22:46:00.001-08:00

Gingerbread Houses

2011-12-15T19:53:00.000-08:00

Amber and her friend Susanna's winning creation, complete with beautiful peppermint stick fence posts and royal icing sidewalk.

Tyler's gingerbread house in progress.

Sadie and mom's gingerbread house (notice that the very few shingles once in place have already been eaten). All of the little gummy bear couples out front are "getting married."

Aaron's log-cabin style gingerbread house.

Applying the finishing touches.

Tyler laying down some Wheat Chex shingles.

The hair-drying technique proved very effective in solidifying those fragile walls.

All the builders hard at work.

Gotta love this little crazy-pants! She wanted nothing to do with building and decorating the houses. She first smashed her house and then spent the rest of the evening wandering from place to place with 2 fistfuls of candy. What a glorious sugar high!

Note the (backwards) "S" for Sadie. :) And now, the big payoff!

Later that night when I checked on Sadie, she had snuck her house into her room and had eaten every last gummy bear and gum drop from it!

Tyler BEGGED to take his house to school the next day. I obliged.

O Christmas Tree

2011-12-14T19:32:00.000-08:00

Tyler wanted his own Christmas tree for his room this year. I told him he would have to prove that he was ready for such a big responsibility. We decided that he had to keep his room clean for 2 weeks, without being nagged about it, and then he could get his tree. I have never seen him so focused, or his room so clean. I gave him a sticker to put on his calendar for every night that he passed his room check. Of course, he did great. When we went on our tree hunt, he picked this one, chopped it down, dragged it back to the car, and let Sadie help him decorate. It is pretty fun and he loves it. We all love to hang out on his bed in the evenings and bask in the holiday glow. He has since added a few homemade paper ornaments--a snowman, gingerbread man, Christmas tree, and a star on top.

Halloween

2011-12-13T17:01:00.000-08:00

Scraping out the guts is always the best part of carving pumpkins!

Somehow, I didn't get a picture of the finished product and honestly, I don't even remember what it looked like. But I'm sure it was amazing.

We went to the trunk-or-treat at the church building dressed as fur-clad vikings, in an attempt to keep warm in the frigid winter air.

Cold, but enjoying the spoils of the hunt.

The best picture we could mange the entire night. Halloween is always fun, cold or not!

Pieper turns Two

2011-12-12T12:39:00.000-08:00

There are no words to describe the delight that it is to have Pieper in our family. She is kind, sensitive, silly, happy, and everything wonderful that a little girl can be. She gives the best, most squishy hugs. Her kisses are soft, sweet, and more often than not, taste of maple syrup. She loves to sing at the top of her lungs. She loves to wrap her dolls lovingly in blankies and carry them everywhere. Tyler and Sadie love to have her sit on their laps when they watch movies. When she sees someone sad or crying, she will comfort, hug, and pat them on the back. She is gaining independence and finding her screaming voice and asserting her opinions. I have always loved 2-year-olds. They are so funny and adorable. Pieper, I am so happy you are two and that you are mine.

Here are some scenes from her birthday party.

End of Fall

2011-12-11T18:23:00.000-08:00

We love hiking the Butte. I am so glad the kids love going with me, especially since I don't have to carry either of them now. This was probably the last nice day we had of the year, before the winds started, the snows came, the negative degree temps put us into a deep freeze, the Chinooks melted everything, and then the snows came back again. The weather has been loco.

Notice their paint-streaked faces from helping paint the barn earlier in the day.

So many fun treasures to find along the way.
The last rose of summer.......er, the last yarrow of fall.
Funny little farmers!

When we go visit Auntie Amanda, Pieper loves to feed grass to all their chickens. And she loves to say the word chicken and "bawk" like a chicken.

Just a little lunch date with our friend Supergirl.

Sweet cheeks!

Alaska State Fair 2011

2011-12-10T19:07:00.000-08:00

Another fair has come and gone. This was our fifth year there. I love the fair. I love the people, the smells, the rides, the weather, the games, the atmosphere, and most of all, I love the food. I love being down there, part of the excitement every day. I love taking an evening to bring the kids on a few, overpriced rides, play some kiddie games, and buy some cheap, crappy toys that make them inexplicably excited. I love getting a sitter and walking around the grounds, holding Aaron's hand, and stopping to watch the fireworks, just like we did nine years ago before we were married. The fair is exhausting, expensive, and crowded, but it is also MAGIC. I can't wait for next year!

Don't you love the slow-mo blow of a kiss at the very end?

Knik Glacier Adventure

2011-11-02T08:49:00.000-07:00

We had more visitors last week--HOORAY!! My brother-in-law David and two of his boys, Parker and Michael, made the painfully long journey from Tennessee to Alaska. It was so fun having them here and their presence gave us a good excuse to get out and enjoy the beauty of Alaska. We rented some 4-wheelers and a Rhino, loaded them down with camping gear, firewood, and food, and made the 20 mile trek to the Knik Glacier.

At the house, ready to rumble.

Made it to Jim Creek--the first leg of the journey.

Pieper fell asleep about 20 minutes into our trip and stayed that way for a good hour.

Stopped to check the map, stretch our legs, and take a bathroom break (which is always a joy when you have layers and layers to peel off). Shortly after this, we detoured and re-detoured several times before getting on the right track again. The last stretch of the journey was flat, smooth, gravel, so we were FLYING and it was FREEZING!!! Poor Pieper woke up at that point, and screamed the last 20 minutes straight. It was sad, but as soon as we got there, we quickly made a fire and she warmed up, and was soon happy as a clam.

My face was in that awkward frozen state where smiling is painful! :) The incredible glacial views made all the cold worth it, though. I was so proud of my three little troopers.

Michael and Parker were tough and didn't complain at all the entire time. They were SO fun, and couldn't stop talking about how awesome it was to be there!

Absolutely gorgeous.

The boys quickly got to work, setting up the (circus) tent. That thing is HUGE.

Night shot. All pictures were taken by David, by the way. He did an amazing job of documenting the experience!

We cooked hot dogs for dinner and s'mores for dessert. Ball Parks have never tasted so good. We were all pretty hungry.

After dinner we got our bedding set up and the fire stoked inside the tent. Some of us slept great, some not so much. Most of us stayed warm. But I think we all had an unforgettable night.

Sleepy-eyed in the morning, drinking hot cocoa around the stove.

The kids tending the fire after a delicious breakfast of cold cereal and milk. The milk jug was bounced around so much on the ride there, that it was punctured in several places and the cooler was half-full of milk when we opened it. But David salvaged it and there was more than enough for breakfast.

After breakfast, Aaron unpacked his guns and we all had fun shooting the ice and tannerite targets that explode upon impact.

The kids had fun sliding rocks out onto the ice.

After shooting, we packed all of our gear, took down the tent, loaded everything onto the ATVs, and made the journey home. It went much quicker this time, since we knew better where the trail was! At this point, I would like to add that, had I been leading, we NEVER would have made it to the glacier. I am so horrible with directions and was very happy to follow the lead of Aaron and David. :)

On the way back home--cold, but still having fun!

We lucked out with good weather, because the day after we got home, it snowed. What an incredible adventure. Thanks DeBry's for coming and making it happen!

J-J-J-Jim Creek

2011-10-13T22:44:00.000-07:00

Few things in Alaska make me happier than Jim Creek. I can't quite put my finger on what it is.

Ahhhhhhh, Jim Creek, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways........

It is a fast drive from our home. And really, the drive is a major part of the fun. Going up and down, in and out of the pot holes is better than a roller coaster. And splashing through the lake-sized puddles is totally exhilerating, yet completely scary.

It is always an adventure.

Once you get out there, the views in every direction are breath-takingly, picture-postcard perfect.

The sight of the Knik glacier in the distance lends an air of mystery.

The expansive sandflats are 4-wheeling heaven. Marilyn and I talked about how incredible it would be to ride a horse out there.

The steep sand dunes are every kid's dream come true.

It has a bit of a wild and lawless feeling, that really amps up the appeal, I think.

I love it so much that I may have to name one of my future kids Jim. Well, at least one of my future pets.

Iditarod Trail Museum

2011-10-12T22:19:00.000-07:00

Puppy kisses

These are booties worn by the dogs during the race.

The Iditarod Trail Headquarters Museum is in Wasilla. It is free! And therefore, not terribly impressive--but still fun. In the summer, the dogs are there, so I imagine it would be much more exciting to go then. We learned several interesting facts and watched a great movie on the Iditarod. I have always been slightly fascinated by the whole operation and the museum was fun to see.

Create

2011-10-11T20:44:00.000-07:00

"The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul."

--Dieter F. Uchtdorf

One of my favorite things to do while our visitors were here, was sit back and watch the creations these little builders would put together. Grace was an inspiration to us all with her absolutely amazing cruise ship. The details were amazing. Grace is, in Marilyn's words, a scavenger and she was a catalyst in helping Tyler realize some of his own building and creating dreams. She, being older, wiser, and more coordinated, was able to teach Tyler all kinds of new tricks. They gathered scrap wood from Aaron's barn project, scrap pieces of whalebone, scraps of felt, toothpicks, and a big bag of hot gluesticks and they let their imaginations go wild. Later we colored, painted with watercolors, drew pictures, played with clay, and more. And I was grateful for my old, stained, dirt-colored carpet, because I didn't have to stress that the kids would destroy it--you know, since it's already destroyed. Marilyn cut up all my old jeans into strips for the denim blanket I've been meaning to make for years. Thanks for giving me a good jump start.

Hatcher Pass

2011-10-10T20:16:00.000-07:00

Grace kept herself warm and the rest of us laughing with her makeshift face mask.

Is there anything better than having family come to visit? I think not. Especially when you live thousands of miles apart. We were graced with the presence of my sister Marilyn and two of her kids, Grace and Clark. It was their first time in Alaska, so we enjoyed showing off some of our favorite sites. Marilyn is a great guest--easily impressed, interested in all the minute details of our daily lives, and just plain fun to be around. So is Grace. I'm pretty sure my kids drove her bananas, tagging along behind her every move, asking her a million questions, hovering, and invading her personal space. But she was always so kind and patient with them. And Clark? Talk about pleasant. He was all smiles, barely cried, and was so fun to hold.

Our agenda included showing them a few of the local highlights, and just hanging out together. We took the short scenic drive to the abandoned Independence Gold Mine at Hatcher Pass. Unfortunately, the gate was closed, and the weather was chilly. So our planned quick hike was cut ultrashort. Oh well. It was a nice fall drive.

Rewind to Summer

2011-10-09T22:35:00.000-07:00

Today as I donned my big, puffy winter coat, I shed a tear in remembrance of a perfect Alaskan summer. Family dinners and playing with cousins in the grass, blowing bubbles, hiking, fishing, gardening, working, and playing all rounded out a fabulous summer. The fall was really incredible too. Look for several updates in the coming days of our latest adventures. I have tons of pictures to go through and events to chronicle. (Hoping to have my blog printed into a "book" soon, so I don't want to miss anything major.) Farewell summer and fall, you will be missed. And so will my tan.

Tyler is Six

2011-10-08T22:17:00.000-07:00

And I am 30! Craziness. In my senile stupor, I decided to throw two big birthday bashes for the both of us, since you know, 30 is kind of a big deal. And so is six. Tyler had his first "friend" party and we had several wonderful friends and their families attend (we missed those friends and family who weren't able to be there). We were going to have a big bonfire at Jim Creek, but the wind was blowing dust around like crazy, so we settled for the back yard. We cooked hot dogs & smores, ran around the yard, jumped on the trampoline, chased goats, opened presents, and partied. Unfortunately I have no pictures from the event, as I was running around playing hostess the entire time. But it was really fun! We set off several fireworks that night and the kids were in a giddy frenzy. The next day, we partied again, but just with family. We tried to keep it simple with Papa Murphy's pizza, but then I got in over my head and made these little babies......

Minion cupcakes! (In case you haven't seen it, they are characters from the movie "Despicable Me.")

I know they are not beautiful, but they were oh so fun to make and a hit with everyone, young and old!

Birthdays are fun, but I am sort of glad they only come once a year. It took me a while to recover from all the merriment, especially now that I am old and decrepit.

A Day at the Park

2011-09-19T16:20:00.000-07:00

Sadie, Pieper, and I had a fun time at the park the other day. We got Happy Meals from McDonalds and picnicked on the grass. Our future picnics are looking very limited though, as a nice new dusting of snow appeared on the top of Pioneer Peak last night.

Peek a Boo

Such a determined little climber--I love her face!

A New Dynamic

2011-09-17T09:10:00.000-07:00

We have entered a new phase in life. A phase in which, for the first time in nearly six years, the responsibilities of safeguarding, feeding, and educating our first born are no longer ours alone. For better or for worse, we are officially a part of the public school system.

This vibrant, brilliant, energetic, stubborn child leaves our home at 9:01 each weekday morning, and comes home at 3:58 each afternoon. For nearly seven hours, the entire dynamic of our family is changed. In a big way. Now, instead of chasing after Tyler and joining him on his adventures every day, Miss Sadie has been left to her own devices. She has spent uninterrupted hours coloring, drawing, tending to her animal friends, “reading” her books, and “cooking” with Pieper. She has also discovered her love of throwing the Frisbee. We play every afternoon if the weather is nice. Tyler is very uninterested in sports and playing games, and would much rather be off discovering, exploring, hunting, and creating. (Does he sound like anyone else we all know and love?) And it doesn’t matter what Tyler is doing, Sadie wants to be right at his side doing it too. I think she has a bit of a hard time seeing him hop out of the car, dash to the playground, run to line up outside the school, and disappear inside--all without her. She wants to be there, right by his side, not missing anything.

But I also think that having him gone is doing wonders for her own personal growth. She can now more fully explore her own interests and play at her own pace. Sadie loves playing games, and seems to thrive on the challenge of improving her skills, whether it be throwing the Frisbee or doing a somersault. She also has remarkable patience for showing and teaching these things to Pieper. Without big brother around to discipline, clean up after, and corral, I have had more time to spend with my sweet little girls, who are growing up way too fast.

And Tyler LOVES school! He is so excited to tell us what he ate for lunch, who he sits by in class, who he played with at recess, what songs they sang in music, what book he checked out from the library, and what they did in gym.

We all miss Tyler when he is gone--our home is a completely different place without him. But we know that soon, 3:58 will roll around, he will jump off the bus, bound across the road, and we will all run out to meet him, eager to enjoy our time with him even more than ever before.

Garden Recap

2011-09-14T19:24:00.000-07:00

I had all but given up on my tomatoes a month ago. Last year, during the summer of no sun, I had numerous green tomatoes on the vine, but they never ripened. This year, we've had ample sun, but every time I checked on my tomatoes, I was greeted with that familiar sight--lots of green with no red to be seen. So imagine my surprise this morning when I saw these red beauties. I am so excited! Oh, and there's a stray green pepper back there too. I have decided that I really love vegetable gardening, as long as it's small-scale and doesn't require TOO much back-breaking effort on my part. I am a big fan of raised beds and square-foot gardening. Pulling weeds from that loose, candy soil is truly a pleasure. Of course, like with everything I do, I was very gung-ho in the beginning at planting time, but as the season wore on, my commitment waned. But still, we have had a mildly successful harvest with more to come.

A Recap of the Garden this Year

Iceberg Lettuce--wildly successful. However, I need to remember to plant every 2 weeks, so it doesn't all come ready at once. We all got so sick of lettuce. The chickens ate a lot of salad this summer.

Tom Thumb Butterhead Lettuce--wildly successful. Adorable and delicious mini single-serving size heads. Needs staggered plantings.

Spinach--wildly successful and delicious. Even the kids loved it. Also needs staggered plantings. Didn't try my hand at freezing any, but wish I had.

Cilantro--wildly successful, delicious, fragrant, and beautiful. I don't know if it will freeze well, but I have so much, I have to try.

Parsley--wildly successful. Don't know why I planted so much. I don't really know how to use it. I do love it in homemade chicken noodle soup. Probably won't plant any next year.

Red Onions--poor. I don't know why. The green tops grew so fast in the early summer, I was sure of a great harvest. But only a handful of bulbs even grew bigger than a golfball. The rest rotted in the soil.

Green Onions--poor. I don't think these even sprouted.

Yellow Onions--poor. Same as red onions. I will have to research this, because I use a lot of onions in cooking (don't laugh, I do cook......occasionally) and I know they freeze well.

Red Potatoes--good success. The plants grew fast, huge, and beautifully this summer. But I was scared they would turn out like the onions. I was pleasantly surprised with a sizeable harvest. Very delicious.

Yukon Gold Potatoes--good success. Same as reds, but a bit smaller. Also delicious. Wish I had planted more. Next year I am going to fertilize more than once at the beginning of the season (remember how I was gung-ho then?).

Zucchini (took me like 10 tries to spell that right!)--poor to fair. This was my big disappointment, just because it seems like everyone has a huge and bounteous zucchini harvest. I got 4 or 5 mini size zucchini. Enough for one meal.

Turnips--fair. Don't ask me why I planted these. I don't really like them. I did put a few in with a pot roast and they were quite tasty. It was nice to have a little something different for variety. These grew great, they were big and beautiful. However, most of them got eaten by worms and were completely unusable. Yuck. Don't think I'll plant these again.

Carrots--great success. I love carrots. Ours are pretty small (again, need to fertilize more) but they will all get eaten. We all love carrots.

Peas--wildly successful. Almost all of these have been eaten straight from the vine. I love fresh garden peas. So does Pieper, and so does Oolie. Oh and the goats love eating the pea plants. I think I need to plant more peas next year. Also, I need to make their supports much higher, or plant them along a tall fence. They grew so tall.

Strawberries--poor. I really need to research this. We have a beautiful bed of incredibly healthy strawberry plants, but very little fruit. The runners were crazy vigorous and I think I let too many take off. We were able to harvest a few handfuls of strawberries, but they never made it to the kitchen they were so yummy!

Tomatoes--good success. We grew these in our small greenhouse and have lots of green ones still on the vine that I'm hoping will ripen soon. I was pretty good about keeping these ones fertilized.

Peppers--mild success. These were also grown in the greenhouse. I think maybe they take up too much valuable real estate for what they're worth. Might skip these next year and do more tomatoes.

Flowers

Next spring, I really need to get a hold of some perennials from someone who needs to divide theirs. So for flowers this year, most of mine were from seed. The zinnias (thanks Marilyn for the tip), cosmos, and nasturtiums were all winners. Loved them all. We planted sunflowers (late) and are still hoping they will bloom before the fast-approaching frost. For Mother's Day I had a gift card to a greenhouse and got a few annuals for my hanging baskets--pink geraniums, white bacopa, osteospermum and purple verbena. My sweet neighbor brought me a hanging basket of bright fuschia wave petunias (gorgeous!). Some of the baskets didn't get watered enough (under the eaves of the house....oops), but others are still going strong, particularly the petunias. Will definitely be doing more wave petunias next year.

Things to Try Next Year

Cabbage and possibly Giant Cabbage--I love corned beef and cabbage and sauerkraut.

Possibly Giant Pumpkin--I was reading the garden journal online of the guy in Anchorage who grew a 1700+ pound pumpkin this year. It was fascinating. I would be happy with 50 pounds! Heck, who am I kidding? I'd be happy with 5. It seems like it would almost have to grow right before your eyes to get that big.

Rosemary--delicious.

Basil--for pesto. Yummmm.

Beets--pickled beets. Yum.

So, that's what's been happening here in the garden. What were your successes? What do you wish you'd done differently? Please share your tips and tricks with me!!

Sweet Days of Summer

2011-08-16T07:12:00.000-07:00

These late summer days are my absolute favorites. We've been picking flowers, eating peas and strawberries straight from the garden, harvesting honey, biking around the neighborhood, and enjoying spontaneous cloudbursts with accompanying double rainbows. When it's all set against the breathtaking backdrop of Pioneer Peak and the surrounding mountains, it makes for one magical summer.

(P.S. I love picnik. It makes my blah photos taken with my phone or mediocre camera look so much more vibrant. It may be over the top, but I feel like the pictures look more like they did in real life. I am pretty much obsessed!)

Random Summerness

2011-07-15T08:14:00.000-07:00

Busy bees working away! We are really hoping that they make enough extra honey for us to harvest at least a little bit this year. Most of what they have made so far will be for them to eat over the winter. They have spent most of their energy this year (since it was a new hive) drawing out the honeycomb. Next year, hopefully we will have a good harvest. A has been a great beekeeper, and the kids have been fascinated with the bees. They are playing by the hives, watching the bees come and go, every chance they get. S got stung once and sobbed like the world was ending. But it hasn't stopped her from playing back there!

On the rainy days, I have taken another stab at learning how to sew. I took one of my old t-shirts and an internet tutorial, and turned it into a sleep shirt for S. She loves it, and I love that it didn't cost me anything. I have a few other little projects like this that I want to do for practice and then someday sew her a real dress. Scary. But exciting. Oh, and a matching one for P too, of course!

Most nights you can find us like this, cruising the roads of the deep Butte. I think it will be a while before S learns to ride a bike, because she is not too eager to give up her comfy seat in the trailer. P loves to bring her little friends (Pooh, her baby, puppies, etc.) everywhere. When we put her down for naps, she will cry unless she has an armful of her little buddies. Then she is as happy as can be. I will peek in on her while she's sleeping, and she will be hugging all her toys tight to her chest.

A made a fort out of railroad ties for the kiddos. You can see him in the background checking on his bees.

P LOVES to draw! She will sit still for long periods of time and fill a whole sheet of paper with little spiral circle things. I wonder if she inherited her Grandma C's doodling prowess?

Fishing!

2011-07-10T15:13:00.000-07:00

The day's catch on the deck of the boat

Aaron's brother took us on a grand adventure this weekend. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. I am utterly exhausted, but oh, so glad that I was able to go.

Aaron quit work early on Friday afternoon. He packed our fishing/camping gear, I packed the kid's overnight gear, and we made our first stop at grandma's, where we dropped off three very excited kids for a slumber party! Two very excited parents pulled out of grandma's driveway with a glorious sense of freedom:)

We went to Adam's where we loaded our gear into his vehicle and headed with him and Kayla to the beautiful town of Seward. I love the drive to Seward along the gorgeous Turnagain Arm. On the way down we checked the most recent ocean conditions and forecast for Resurrection Bay, and they were, as they had been the last few days, very favorable--less than 10 knot winds with 2 foot seas. So all systems were go.

We unloaded his boat into the harbor around 6:30 pm and headed off. The skies were overcast and the water was calm. It would take us about 3 hours of driving in the boat to make it to the good fishing spot. About halfway there, the seas started to pick up and we were facing 10-12 foot swells in the 20 foot boat. It was a bit disconcerting, but nothing the boat couldn't handle. So we pressed on. We finally made it to the fishing spot and at that point, Aaron was green. He had taken his seasickness pills, but they weren't much of a match for those big, never-ending rollers. The rest of us were starting to feel it too, plus it was getting pretty late. So we decided we wouldn't do any fishing that night.

We headed to the calm waters of Anchor Cove, about a 10-minute boat ride away, where we set up camp. We were able to pull right up to the beach to unload our gear. We made a fire, roasted Ball Park angus beef hot dogs, and enjoyed a completely magical evening. The spot was just gorgeous, pristine, and perfect. We set up our tent and slept soundly on the beach. Adam and Kayla stayed the night on the boat, anchored up in the cove.

The next morning, Adam made sure we all woke up bright and early, so we wouldn't waste any precious fishing time. Actually, he let us sleep in until 7:30, even though he was ready to go at 5:00! I didn't want to risk getting seasick, so I took some motion sickness pills that the pharmacist recommended. Big mistake. I should have stuck with good old Dramamine, but she said these would work just as good and wouldn't make me drowsy. We drove back out to the fishing spot, crossing our fingers and praying that the seas would be calm. They weren't as bad as the night before, but the swells were still pretty big and constant. Of course, that wasn't enough to deter the die-hard fisherman, so we all dropped our lines into the water. Things were pretty slow for a while, only a few bites here and there. But before we knew it, things started to really heat up. Aaron was reeling in halibut left and right. Adam was catching silvers like crazy. Despite all the action and excitement on the boat, I started to feel super nauseous. I hooked and reeled in a beautiful silver salmon, and the adrenaline from that made my nausea go away for a few wonderful minutes. But, it came back all too soon and next thing I knew, I was puking over the side of the boat into those beautiful turquoise waters. It was awful. The feeling would subside for about 15 minutes and then come back with a vengeance. I puked three more times before we headed back. I have never been seasick before, so I blame the Meclizine (okay, and those rough waters definitely weren't helping matters). Luckily, everyone else was completely unfazed and had a great time reeling in the fish.

It really was completely awesome! We saw several humpback whales and even an orca--it was the first time any of us had seen one in the wild. It was incredibly beautiful. I wish I had been better with the camera, but fumbling with it while trying to not get seasick just made me feel worse. We also saw a whole pack of sea lions sunning on the rocks, lots of puffins, and a sea otter. We left with a cooler full of halibut (12) and silvers (11). They also caught a few other random fish--2 skates, several arrowhead flounder (?), and a couple cod.

We headed back to the harbor, drove home, picked up the kids, spent 3 hours filleting and packaging the fish, and collapsed in bed. The kids must have partied hard at grandma's because it was impossible to wake them this morning for 9:00 church. So, we were late.

Beautiful Coastline of Resurrection Bay

Sea Lions! so cool

Perfect night

Roasting dogs

Setting up camp

Kayla & Adam in Anchor Cove

Enjoying the fresh ocean breeze

Looking haggard on the way back in

Brothers. Too bad I lopped off their heads

Deck covered in fish=success

HUGE THANKS to Adam for taking us on such an incredible adventure. Next time, I won't forget the Dramamine. :)

4th of July Picnic

2011-07-10T14:46:00.000-07:00

Our ward has an annual 4th of July picnic that is always lots of fun. We lucked out with overcast skies (unlike last year's cold drizzly mess). The kids had a blast doing the potato sack races, three-legged races, hat-making, fishing in the "fish pond", playing on the playground, eating and running around wild with all their little buddies from church. Later that night we came home and set off a handful of firecrackers. We heard several of our neighbors setting off fireworks all night, but weren't able to see any of the rockets' red glare due to the whole land of the midnight sun thing. Thank goodness they do a great fireworks show at the fair every year, when it is actually dark at night.

A Tale of Two Teeth

2011-06-23T06:25:00.000-07:00

Man oh man, the tooth fairy has been busy around these parts. Where do I begin......baby P is a monkey. She likes to climb on anything and everything--tables, countertops, chairs, beds, the piano, the treasure chest.......you know where this is headed. She thought it would be fun to climb from our sturdy little coffee table over on top of the treasure chest. I don't know where she got this idea. Oh wait, yes I do--from her monkey brother and sister. So I picked her up, moved her across the room, and told her, "No climbing! You're going to get hurt." Famous last words of a fool. Of course, she made a beeline right back and started climbing again. Of course, I became involved in something else right at that moment. And of course, seconds later, I heard a thud. Followed by wailing. I ran over and grabbed her, expecting just a few tears and that everything would be better after a good long cry, lots of hugs, and mommy kisses. But upon a brief visual inspection, I saw lots of blood coming from her mouth--a cut lip, perhaps? No--one of her two front teeth had been clean knocked out, root and all. I found her sweet little tooth on the floor and I felt sick. After a good five minutes of crying, she was completely fine and was down on the floor playing like nothing had happened. I, on the other hand, was a wreck. A called the hospital to see if we should bring her in to the ER or anything. Nope, they said. There is nothing you can do, she will be fine, another tooth will grow back in its place. Yeah--in 6+ years! Just be glad it happened to a baby tooth and not a permanent tooth, they said. Okay, yes that makes sense, and of course, it could always be worse. But when she flashes me her hugely happy and adorably innocent smile, it breaks my heart to see a gaping black hole where there once was a beautiful pearly white. So, I have been fretting and stewing over what to do. Will it affect her eating and speaking ability? Will she get teased? Will it affect her confidence? Will she become self-concious and not want to smile? Or is it just my own vanity and I need to get over it? She is, of course, completely unfazed at this point.

Oh how I adore this little monkey.

But of course, this is a tale of two teeth. The very day after this whole fiasco, T lost his first tooth too--the natural and normal way. Who would have thought that his baby sister would lose a tooth before him?

Portage Day Trip

2011-06-19T16:09:00.000-07:00

Family pic snapped by nice couple visiting from Switzerland

The Portage Burger from the Portage Glacier Day Lodge

We all piled into the car for a quick sales trip with A to Portage. The wonderful people at the Portage Glacier Day Lodge have a great tradition of feeding us dinner when A brings them carvings. They are in the process of changing owners so they have a new menu, with many new items to try. On the Portage burger was one huge angus beef patty, a reindeer sausage, ham, a fried egg, bacon, three cheeses, lettuce, onions, tomato, and a triple bypass on the side. This is what A ordered. It was crazy huge. My Maui Zowie sandwich was good, but I completely fell in love with the sweet potato french fries. They were amazing. After dinner we walked down to the water and threw rocks at the ice chunks. A great day!

Pike Fishing

2011-06-19T15:58:00.000-07:00

A and T went fishing with Uncle A a couple of weeks ago. They went to Big Lake and caught a few pike. I love looking at these pictures because they both look so happy.

Day Dreamer

2011-06-07T10:22:00.001-07:00

The sun has returned! Is there anything better than a warm, sunny summer day? We have been loving every second of sunshine. I’ve been busy outside weeding, digging, planting, and mowing while the kids have been jumping, running, playing, bug hunting, picnicking under the trampoline, and day dreaming. S has been my great little gardener this year, helping me plant and water and weed our raised garden beds. After a busy morning, I found her laying on the grass, underneath one of our tall spruce trees, looking up at the sky through the branches. She did this for a good hour. She reminded me of me, because I would spend hours of my summer vacations as a kid just day dreaming. I love the lazy days of summer. I so wish they would last longer! Most of last week it was rainy and cloudy again. :( Oh well, at least I finally have a tan (after a long pasty, white winter) to remind me of our week+ of glorious sunshine!

The Mighty Hunter

2011-06-06T10:29:00.000-07:00

This kid is completely fearless when it comes to catching bugs, spiders, worms, and all manner of creepy crawly things. He is always finding things in the house to use as his bug traps--old peanut butter jars, tin cans, cardboard boxes, gum containers, baby food jars, etc. He even built an elaborate lego house with three separate compartments--one for hornets, one for wasps, and one for yellowjackets. Yeah, I don’t know the difference between them, but he does. We have this book “Beekeeping for Dummies” that he looks at and studies for hours at night before he goes to bed. He wants to protect our sweet little honeybees from all of their predators. (Oh yeah, we have bees now--I will have to do a separate post on that...) So, he has been hunting yellowjackets and such mercilessly. I told him that it was dangerous to do this and that he might get stung and to be very careful. He started wearing gloves when he went hunting, but decided they were a bit too restrictive. Later he tried grabbing them with paper towels, and that seemed to work pretty well, except that he left little shreds of paper towel all over the front lawn. Then he came up with the best idea yet--taping his fingers, just like A does every morning before he goes out to carve in his shop. His fingers are free to move through their full range of motion, yet they remain protected. Well, he finally did get stung, but it hasn’t deterred his efforts in the least. He didn’t even tell me about it. The next morning I noticed his index finger was swollen up double in size. I was shocked and worried and asked him what happened and if he was okay. He shrugged his shoulders and told me he got stung the day before, like it was no big deal. I shouldn’t be surprised. This is the same kid who, at 1 and 1/2 years of age, would sit among our dandelions and watch the bees fly from flower to flower, for hours on end.

Views from the Butte

2011-06-05T14:26:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day

2011-06-01T14:36:00.000-07:00

A windblown Pieper. Good timing with the camera, Laura!

For Memorial Day our wonderful friends invited us to raft and fish Little Willow Creek with them. The weather was perfect, the company was great, and the kids were happy (despite losing 1 Sponge Bob and 1 Disney Princess fishing pole along the way!). Thanks Jeremy and Laura for an absolutely fantastic day!

The Flippin' Boat Party

2011-05-31T09:28:00.000-07:00

Before the flip

During

Flipped

We invited A's family over for dinner a couple of weeks ago. Really, we just needed their help flipping the hull of A's boat and figured bribing them with barbeque dutch oven ribs, potatoes, and corn bread was the best way of going about it. As most of you know, A is building his dream boat, and I'm not talking about me. He debated for most of the winter whether he was going to build it out of aluminum or plywood and fiberglass. Well, due to the low start-up cost, he decided to go plywood and fiberglass, planning on welding an aluminum boat sometime in the future. I know what you're thinking. Who builds their own ocean boat? If you know A at all, I know you're really not surprised! He's been tirelessly working on it in his shop this spring. Apparently, you build it upside down to start, and when the hull is done, you flip it over so you build the cabin on top. He built it on top of a wheeled cart so that he can roll it around his shop, and outside of his shop, for the purpose of flipping it. Then we put it back up on the cart and wheeled it back in the shop. It is quite a process. I have plans to put up all his pictures and the process in a separate boat blog someday. But that's going to have to wait for some rainy weather, because we have been having a streak of unprecedented warmth and sunshine that I don't want to waste indoors! And of course, one of the hardest things about the whole thing has been coming up with the perfect name for the boat. It's like having another baby! Let me know if you have any suggestions. In fact, maybe I'll make a contest out of it. The person who submits the winning name will get to go with A on the boat's maiden voyage. Oh wait, maybe we should let A do that one alone, just to make sure it really floats! ;)

Peek a Boo!

2011-05-31T08:53:00.000-07:00

This little sweetheart is discovering her personality. She is loving and snuggly, opinionated and loud, curious and determined, patient and kind, and my favorite thing about P is that she loves to give kisses! Of course she also likes to hit, yell, spill things, and especially play in the toilet. I don't remember the bigger kids doing this, but I have to watch her constantly! And I am always reminding them to shut the bathroom door! When I tuck S in for the night, we do the "I love you" hand sign to each other, and then we have to touch our fingers together. And usually, I have to do this several times before I can leave. Seriously, S won't let me go to bed unless we do the whole ritual, e.v.e.r.y. night. Of course, Pieper now does this too. She will yell "MOM!" from her crib and hold her pointer finger out for me to touch. Then she will snuggle down under her covers and go to sleep. Pretty darn adorable.

John Deere Green

2011-05-31T08:26:00.000-07:00

J-Diff singing John Deere Green

(yeah, not a great picture, but I snapped it for the green lights:)

A and I post-Joe Diffie concert

A's mom gave A a great birthday gift--tickets to see Joe Diffie in concert at the Egan Center in Anchorage. I don't think he was too thrilled at first, because he didn't realize who Joe Diffie was. I, of course, was ecstatic, because Joe Diffie is one of my favorite country singers. When I started listing some of his hits, A started to get a bit more excited. After the concert, A said, "I think he might be my new favorite country singer. I didn't realize he had so many good songs." The concert was really great. Joe Diffie was funny and personable, the band was rockin', and the songs were all amazing. We were afraid he might be promoting his new bluegrass album. I enjoy bluegrass, but I really wanted to be able to sing along and hear some of my favorite songs live. He didn't disappoint. His set list was basically straight from his greatest hits album, with a couple of classic country covers and a spot-on Willie Nelson impersonation thrown in. I laughed, I cried, and I had a perma-grin the rest of the night.

And now, one of my all-time favorite songs.

Tennessee Trip

2011-04-27T14:05:00.000-07:00

So, I have the greatest family in the world. Each and every one of them. I was blessed with the wonderful opportunity of going to visit my beautiful sister Marilyn and her family in Kingsport, Tennessee. Here is a detailed report of our trip.

Monday, April 18:

A had his last set of dental work in Anchorage in the afternoon. So we all headed into town with him and after his appointment, we hit up Walmart for string cheese, crackers, mandarin oranges, and a new movie for the airplane ride. We said goodbye to A for a week :( and got checked in. Our plane left around 7 pm and we first flew to Minneapolis. This was about a 5 hour flight and the kids were so excited to be on the plane that they didn't fall asleep until about halfway through. Then we had to make a connecting flight to Detroit. This was a short flight right in the wee hours of the morning, and was quite painful. T slept, but the girls for some reason were too tired to fall asleep and both were completely unable to function, especially as the plane was landing. Their ears were hurting them and they were letting it be known by their screams! And of course, this was a flight full of business men and women, with no other kids. But we survived and made our way through the ginormous and totally cool Detroit airport (there is this really long moving walkway inside a big tunnel with music and a coordinating light show playing on the ceiling) to make our final connecting flight to the Tri-Cities airport in Tennessee. As we were descending into Tennessee, we could look out the window and see layers upon layers of beautiful mountains that went on forever. It was breath-taking. And of course, the trees were all green and flowering and looked just spectacular. Greeting us at the airport was Marilyn with her three littlest tow-heads. It was so fun to see them again! We loaded into the infamous 12-passenger van and drove the back roads to their home. It felt so good to see new country. New houses. New buildings. New trees and landscapes. New mountains and hills. And green, green, green everywhere you looked. T kept exclaiming about the green trees and green grass and mentioned how all of our snow had just melted. It had been a long time since we had seen the color green. We pulled into their house, brought in our bags, and the kids instantly were outside, playing with their cousins! It was nice and warm and perfect for jumping on the trampoline with the sprinklers going. So we dug out their swimsuits and they did just that. Marilyn and David's yard and house are so beautiful, fun, and perfect for kids. We walked around the yard and Marilyn told me about all of her trees and flowers and plants and where they had come from, showed me her garden and greenhouse, the chicken coop, the creek that borders their yard, totally awesome treehouse, tire swing, white picket fence, etc. Basically, it was paradise to us winter-hardened Alaskans. It was so nice to walk out in shorts, t-shirts, and bare feet! We planted a few annuals in her garden bed and greeted each of the big kids as they came home from school. We then enjoyed a delicious meal outside, courtesy of David's company (leftovers that would have gone in the trash if he hadn't taken them.) Seriously, so much good food, all week long. That night we watched a movie on their big screen and projector and enjoyed the feeling of laying down, stretching out, and SLEEPING!!! I figured I had gotten about 20 minutes of very sketchy sleep the night before.

Tuesday, April 19:

Marilyn graciously let us sleep in until 11:00!!! I felt like a sloth when I found out what time it was (7:00 am Alaska time--made me feel a bit better:), but it felt soooo good to catch up on some much-needed sleep. The kids awoke in great spirits ready for a day of fun. We all loaded up in the van (Marilyn and I, plus our 6 little kids) and headed to Bays Mountain. We saw the fish, turtles, owls, vulture, deer, wolves, bees, and other animals. We also had a picnic, looked for bugs, took a barge ride around the lake, and enjoyed the planetarium show. It was great fun and great warm weather. That evening, we played and ate outside again, watched "Little Rascals," and Marilyn read a really neat story from her Easter book.

Wednesday, April 20

On Wednesday, we woke up and headed to Warrior's Park. This is, by far, the coolest playground I have ever seen. It is beautifully landscaped, clean, and a stream runs right through it. We were practically the only ones there. The swings are awesome, there is a big treehouse, lots of different fun playground things, a sand play area and more. Really, really fun. Then we went to Boone Dam. This was basically like being at the beach. There is a nice sandy area and shallow water for the kids to splash and wade in. We played in the water, had a picnic, flew a kite, dug rivers and lakes in the sand, gathered sticks, and got SUNBURNED! We didn't realize how sunny and hot it would be and forgot the sunscreen. Oops. Then we came home rested, swung on the porch swings, relaxed on the deck, and T worked on lashing together his raft with the sticks we gathered. I'm pretty sure for dinner we ate more Troutdale food, via Eastman. Then we treated our sunburns with aloe vera gel and slept hard.

Thursday, April 21

I don't recall what we did in the morning or during the day (Marilyn, maybe you can help me fill in the gaps), probably more jumping on the trampoline, looking for bugs, and playing in the yard. That evening we attended a wonderful baby shower for Marilyn, thrown by her friends. I got to meet some really nice women and enjoy some great southern hospitality and food. Oh, and David watched the kids. Nice.

Friday, April 22

On Friday we were treated to a true Southern experience--NASCAR! We drove the short distance to Bristol, TN and were taken on the grand tour of the Bristol Motor Speedway. The sheer size of this arena was incredible, unlike anything I've ever seen before. The very nice tour guide told us that it holds 160,000 people and that it is the 5th largest sports complex in the world. Not too shabby. We rode the elevator up to the suites, where the big wigs and extremely rich people watch the race from quiet, air-conditioned, leather-seated, open-barred comfort. She told us that the general public can purchase a suite seat for $1800 and that the price includes food, but not alcohol. :O There are two big races a year, one in March and one in August. The aerial pictures from race weekend show cars lined up for miles and miles around, parked in every space available, as fans from around the world descend upon the small town. Then, the major highlight of the tour was when she drove the 15-passenger van down onto the track and sped around it 3 or 4 times at a pretty good clip. Then we got out and were able to walk on the track. The turns are super duper steep. Like, I walked up one and was almost too scared to come down because of the steep incline. Then she drove us up to the victor's circle and we all pretended like we had won the big race. It was fun to imagine what the place would look like, packed with all those people, but I don't ever need to be there to actually experience those kinds of crowds. Holy moly. But it would be neat to be there for an actual race. Maybe next time.

Saturday, April 23

Saturday morning was jam packed with all kinds of fun and frivolity. We first headed to Lowe's to let the kids participate in the Build and Grow workshop. They received their very own aprons, bird house kits, and cute little mini hammers with which to pound their little birdhouse kits together. It was fun and they all did a good job and were so proud of their creations. Then Marilyn told me about a nearby Baptist church that was having an Easter Egg Hunt followed up by free hot dogs! Seriously, how can you beat that? Well, we got a little more than we bargained for. Before the kids were released for the Easter Egg Hunt, they had to participate in several games and then listen to an Easter devotional. The minister of children gave the devotional and told the story of Adam and Eve and the Creation and sin and the resurrection and the atonement. And he did it with balloons. The kids were seriously riveted and loved it. Gave me some good ideas for sharing time. ;) So we had another true Southern experience by visiting a Baptist church and hearing a Baptist mini-sermon. Then they let the kids loose in the huge lawn for the Easter Egg Hunt. It was great fun and the kids all found eggs, which they gathered in their Wal-Mart sacks. It totally reminded me of being a kid--mom taking us to the Shelley City Park for the Easter Egg Hunt, all the other kids having these fancy, frilly Easter baskets, and us showing up with our 5-gallon buckets or pillowcases or our shirts held out from our stomachs or whatever we could scrounge up from the car to hold our eggs. By this time we were pretty hungry and thankfully, they started serving the hot dogs. They were delicious and were accompanied by chili, potato chips, brownies, soda, more candy, Oreos, and more. It was really a fun event and I was impressed by the wonderful hospitality and kindness of everyone there. Then we came home, recovered a bit while the kids colored their birdhouse kits, ate their Easter candy, dyed Easter eggs (thank you Eliza!) and found more bugs to live in their birdhouses. Then they had over several friends for a potluck dinner and David's sister Emily organized another great Easter Egg hunt for all the kids. It was great and we were all on a sugar high for the rest of the night!! I love Easter! And candy. Come bedtime, we crashed hard again.

Sunday, April 24

Church was at 9 o'clock and it was lovely. David shared some exciting news from the pulpit, but I think it may be a surprise to some, so I won't share it here. ;) T and S went to primary and to classes with their cousins without a hitch. I was so surprised. I always hated going to classes when we visited other wards on trips. Having their cousins there definitely helped. After church we relaxed at home and ate snacks, played games, looked for bugs (again), and I got to play some piano duets with Eliza. That was a treat. Then we headed to Emily and Darren's for an absolutely delicious dinner of bbq chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, jello, rolls, and cake and pie for dessert. After we ate and while we visited, the kids snuck away and played in the mud and searched for more bugs. What they found were caterpillars. Hundreds and hundreds of caterpillars. I have never seen so many in my life. T wanted to take them home on the plane with him. They live in a cute house backed by beautiful woods and a pasture of cows. It was very picturesque and the evening was perfect. That night I packed everything up and started to get really sad that I had to leave the next day.

Monday, April 25

I woke early to get ready to leave. As I reflect on my time there, I struggle to find words to express what a great experience it was for me and the kids. Seeing the kids having so much fun playing outside with their cousins was definitely the highlight. I had so much fun with Marilyn and David and all their amazing kids. I also learned so much from them. Marilyn is truly wonder woman. She is nine months pregnant and I struggled to keep up with her! They took lots of really great pictures that I will post on here later. Thank you DeBry's for an absolutely wonderful and perfect trip!

Animal Lover

2011-04-12T09:31:00.001-07:00

So baby P is quite the little animal lover. Her favorite and most-spoken word is "dah-jee," meaning of course, doggy. And to her, every animal is a doggy, or actually, I'm hoping that everything she LOVES is a doggy. This morning, in her sleepy, half/awake state, she looked at me with a huge, loving grin and said "dah-jee" before closing her eyes and falling back to sleep. She will dig her froggy jammy pants out of her drawer and bring them to me, and won't leave me alone until I put them on her. Another time she discovered her blue unicorn shirt in her dresser and brought that to me expectantly. We acquired 8 new baby chicks a couple of weeks ago, and she goes ballistic with excitement when we go and check on them every day. She has also recently realized the wonders of playing outside. She has had more fun putting on her little mud boots, splashing in the puddles in the driveway, and playing in the rocks. She is so lucky to have a big brother and sister to play with and look out for her. And of course, Oolie is an almost always willing playmate and friend. Her other favorite word is "OO-ee." And of course, he loves her because when she's not accidentally dropping food from her high chair, she is purposefully feeding him almost all of her food. When we kneel down around the couch, she comes up and rests her head on the couch, in anticipation of prayers. So, A decided to help her say family prayers. He said, you know the usual stuff...."we're thankful for mommy.........we're thankful for daddy..........we're thankful for T and S....... etc." After each line, she would babble something unintelligible and wait for the next prompting from her dad. When he said, "we're thankful for Oolie," she said, with glee "OO-ee!!!" and then she giggled uncontrollably. Oh man, it was hilarious! She is so funny and growing so fast. She starts nursery next month--unbelievable!!!

The Birthday Girl!

2011-01-14T14:09:00.001-08:00

Our sweet little girl is four. I can hardly believe it. She is so awesome. Being her mother is one of the greatest blessings of my life. This year S started Sunbeams. Last Sunday the Sunbeams came into the primary room for the first time to participate in Singing Time. T was so excited to see his little sister in primary with him, and she was super excited too. That day, our primary chorister of 5+ years was released from her calling. So it was her last day, and she had the kids sing her favorite song one last time. Afterwards she was a little teary and telling the kids how much she would miss them. Well, at that moment, with no prompting, my sweet little S walked up to the front of the room and gave our chorister a big hug. Several other kids followed her example. I love that little girl so much. She has such a sweet and loving personality, in addition to her funny sense of humor.

We have been trying to get baby P to fall asleep in her crib on her own these last couple of weeks. It is going great now, but at first she would cry and cry. Loving big sister that she is, S would softly sing her lullabies. And it worked. Baby P barely fusses anymore when we put her in her crib for the night, because she knows S is in the room with her. S has never shown any jealousy to P. She is always loving and SO excited when P does something new. Happy birthday S! We love you so much!

when it's cold outside...

2011-01-12T16:11:00.001-08:00

.....this is how we entertain ourselves.....

Now, I know we don't need ANY extra help in the weird department. We are pretty strange all on our own. But these make me laugh every time I see them, and I couldn't resist sharing them here. Enjoy!

The Middle of Nowhere

2010-12-13T08:13:00.000-08:00

So. I was watching clips of the new Sarah Palin reality show the other day, when I saw something very familiar......a trail I've hiked many times. The trail that leads to the top of the Butte. The infamous Butte that is a mere mile away from my house. I was intrigued. Then she says she was hiking in the middle of nowhere, and at 0:41, as she is reaching the summit, you can literally see my house in the background. I mean, you COULD see my house if the video footage was more clear and if there weren't any trees in the way. It made me laugh.

After watching a few more clips, I came to the conclusion that the reality show probably won't be doing her political career any favors. But I do think it will do great things for Alaska tourism and, of course, her bank account. Go Sarah!

Family pictures

2010-12-13T00:32:00.000-08:00

Many thanks to my friend Laci for taking such awesome pictures (and getting them back to me so fast!) Isn't she talented? We had a blast and I'm so happy to have some real family pictures. She did some totally cool edits on them too. These were a couple of my favorites. I think I might actually get a Christmas card out this year. But don't hold your breath. ;)

Christmas Tree Expedition

2010-12-08T14:36:00.000-08:00

Continuing on in the great Griswold family tradition, we ventured to the woods in search of our Christmas tree. This time we all got out of the vehicle and made our way down the trail, even the dog. We found it, and T was set on chopping it down all by himself. So he did. And he wanted to haul it back to the vehicle by himself too. He was so proud. (Okay, I was proud too:) Of course, on the way back, S was bawling to be held, and the dog was whimpering from the cold. But, all in all, the tears were pretty minimal this time around and it was really fun for everyone. We decorated it in our usual style of throw the lights on and let the kids do the rest. It feels like Christmas again and I love it!

Simply Irresistible

2010-11-18T22:02:00.000-08:00

Baby P is ONE! Birthdays around here just keep flying on by! This little nugget of love is so freakin awesome, there are no words. Okay, so it's not all sunshine and roses. No, she still wakes us 2 or 3 times a night, and refuses to fall asleep on her own. So she spends the second half of every night in our bed. But it's a small price to pay for her near-constant pleasant demeanor and easy smiles. She loves to clap her hands when we say "yay!" And she loves to wave and say "HI!" She still has her luscious and squishy cheeks that are always begging to be kissed. And she loooooves to play with Oolie (our new little puppy.) She will grab one of his squeaky chew toys and try to keep it away from him. He loves this little game as well, and he knows how to be gentle, never biting, nipping, or growling at her. If one of the other kids tried this, the dog would freak out. But with P, he is as gentle as a lamb. It is pretty cool. And she has learned what the cell phone is for! I've included this fun little video from 2 months ago.

When I Grow Up...

2010-11-18T14:40:00.000-08:00

For the longest time, T's answer to the age-old question "What do you want to be when you grow up?" has been a long list. A doctor, a farmer, and a fisherman. That long list just keeps getting longer. Now he wants to be a doctor, a farmer, a fisherman, a dentist, AND a hunter.

Today I asked S what she wants to be when she grows up. Her reply?

A rockstar.

No doubt.

Mister T

2010-11-15T01:26:00.000-08:00

As you can see, the September recap isn’t happening. What is happening, is a tribute to my Mister T, who turned the big F-I-V-E in September. Having a 5-year-old is great. I know everyone says you need to enjoy them while they’re little(er), which I really tried to do. And I did. Most of the time. Two and three-year-olds, while soooo adorable and ridiculously funny, can also be incredibly aggravating and insanity-inducing! Is it so terrible that I am really enjoying T so much more now that we can have conversations, discussions even? In fact, he loves to talk and is always asking "why?" and "how come?" And when I ask him to do a job for me, he usually replies with a cheerful, “OK mom!” And he is grasping (and applying) more and more the concept that good behavior results in happiness all around. He is my number one helper, the chief feeder of chickens and dogs, gatherer of eggs, stacker of firewood, and switcher of laundry. Yes, he does laundry. One night he came and told me that he was doing laundry. ???!?!?!!??? Yeah, I didn’t quite comprehend it either. But indeed, unbeknownst to me, he had gone from room to room, gathered everyone’s laundry, put it in the washer, put in some soap, and turned on the machine (I’m still not sure how he figured that out). And I’m not lying when I say that it was one of the greatest moments of my life. The littlest things really do make all the difference.

Today we had our sacrament meeting primary program. It was awesome! Our first counselor wrote the script and she was really good about incorporating things that the kids had said in talks or from their personal experiences, into the program. Earlier this year, we were learning about miracles and had told the kids some stories from the scriptures, including the one where Jesus healed the 10 lepers. Later the kids were invited to come up to the microphone and tell why they loved Jesus, or what their favorite scripture story was. When it was T’s turn, he said “I like the story of the 10 leopards.” Well, no wonder he liked it. Leopards ARE pretty cool. Later that night, I explained the story to him again and told him that it didn’t actually have anything to do with leopards. He still decided it was his favorite. So, his line for the program was “I love Jesus because he healed the 10 lepers.” He has been practicing it for weeks and when it came time to deliver, he nailed it. I was so proud.

T just missed the deadline for starting kindergarten this year. At first, I thought I would go crazy, having him home with me all the time for another year, teasing his sisters and getting into mischief. But I have since discovered that I am so glad I get to have him in my grip for another year. All too soon, he will be gone every day, and then off to play with friends, and off to do other activities, and pretty soon, mom won’t be quite as cool as she is now. So, while I can, I am trying to relish and enjoy every moment with him, and it’s been pretty easy. Of course, he still loves to tease S, and loves to make her scream (making my hair stand on end). But they are also the best little playmates. I love the moments where I can be a fly on the wall, and just silently observe their imaginings as their magical world comes together. It is my favorite pass-time. It must be getting late. I am getting all sentimental and misty-eyed. They were right. Motherhood is the hardest of all hard jobs, but it is also the best one in the universe

We love you little man!

A Brief Summary

2010-11-01T10:54:00.000-07:00

Yes, today is November first.

Yes, it has been 3 entire months since I've blogged a single thing.

Yes, I will make up for it by detailing every major/humorous event of the past 90 days.

YES, I am hopped up on sugar candy and cupcakes and feeling motivated beyond my capacity. And yes, I am in fact eating jalapeno-covered nachos for a mid-morning snack.

OK, here we go....

AUGUST

This wonderful month was dominated by THE FAIR. Last year Aaron sold his old fair booth, so naturally, he had to build a new one this year. And naturally, he waited until 3 weeks before to start building it. He wanted to rebuild it so we could tow it with our vehicle, instead of paying someone to tow it to the fair and back every year. Although people were definitely more careful with their money than in years past, the fair was still a success and we felt very blessed to do business there again. This was our fourth year and it was so fun to see and talk to all of Aaron's fans who come by every year to see what's new. The kids were so spoiled, going to the fair almost every other day, seeing the baby chicks, watching the bird show, seeing the reptiles, eating kettle corn, watching all the performers, eating corn dogs, and even going on rides. We totally lucked out the last day, when, while walking around the fairgrounds, soaking it in one last time, a totally frazzled mom handed me over $40-worth of ride tickets telling me she had had enough and was going home! I felt bad for her, but was glad she chose me to hand the tickets to! The kids were in heaven, going on the big swings, the big slide, the carousel, the fun house, the train, etc. etc. etc. I know it's totally crowded and often a big waste of money, but I still love the fair and I'm always a little sad when it ends. Although, it is nice to catch up on sleep and relaxation once it's over. Juggling kids, babysitters, crazy hours, little sleep, little-to-no time with husband, and sickness in the middle of it all definitely took its toll. I have a whole new respect for working moms! During all of this, I don't think my house was ever clean and we ate fair food/fast food/frozen food 99% of the time. So, what else happened during August? I think the kids went fishing at Jim Creek with Aaron a couple of times.

SEPTEMBER

***So, I'm afraid my sugar high just expired. I will continue and post pictures later....***

Family Reunion '10

2010-07-31T16:23:00.001-07:00

SO, we had a fabulous vacation to Idaho. Observe:

Fishing with cousins at the Gem Pond (or whatever it's called)

Pieper bonding with Powell

Uncle Blaine cookin' up some trout, caught by Jacob

The whole gang (minus Ryan)

Just chillin' at camp

Couldn't keep this kid away from the fire

Showin' off his snake bite

Checkin' out the snake

Beautiful Redfish Lake! I want to go back every year!!

Beach time

Our first family picture with Pieper (it only took us 9 months!)

So, all of these pictures are out of order, and none of them were taken by me (thanks mom for sending me the CD, thanks David and Mar for your pictures also..) Anyway, as you can see, we all had a great time. Here are the highlights:

Tyler: Between the fish, frogs, snakes, horses, 4-wheeler, E-Z Go, constant attention from cousins, grandparents, uncles and aunts, he was obviously in heaven.

Sadie: Plenty of people around to pay attention to her, fun girl cousins to play with, lots of fun arts and crafts activities via grandma, constantly hanging out in her swim suit, and tons of good food made for pure bliss.

Pieper: Lots of new faces to smile at and perform for, lots of new arms to hug and hold onto, and a sweet new walker to hang out in=perfection.

Debbie: Soaking up the sun, playing in the pond, hanging out with my favorite people, seeing old friends and family, eating out, eating Blaine and Nikki's dutch oven food, and touring Lorie's bees were all at the top of my list. Oh, and also hearing Blaine do what he does best--write and sing songs on the fly for each of the cousins. Priceless!

Aaron: Well, I hope he had fun! I love him so much and appreciate him being a good sport about everything!

Now we are back into the regular groove of life--which for us always seems to be pretty much the same thing--working on the never-ending house projects!! Aaron tiled up the entryway while I was gone and it looks awesome. Now he's working on the master bath and I am trying to keep the yard looking somewhat presentable. Everything grows like crazy here, with all the rain and extra sunlight. So, while that is great news for our newly seeded lawn and garden, the weeds and I are constantly at odds. Also, looming on the horizon is the ALASKA STATE FAIR!!! I am excited!

More of the trip

2010-07-31T16:00:00.000-07:00

You all knew it was coming. My ridiculously long recap of the past two weeks' events, with pictures. But this time instead of doing a long write-up, I'm just going to let the pictures do the talking.

We're back!

2010-07-22T23:19:00.001-07:00

Camping: AKA What the $&@#%! were we thinking?!

2010-06-28T00:30:00.001-07:00

Looks like the kids had fun, huh? Wish I could say the same for mom and dad! ;)

Camping is fun, right? I have always loved it. Well, after this weekend I have come to the conclusion that camping with three small children is fun ONLY in theory. It rained. The whole time. It didn't get dark until 2 am. You can imagine how non-conducive to sleep all that extra sunlight was for three, busy, excited little people, and therefore, their parents. A, T, and S were all finally asleep, and literally seconds after I'd gotten the baby back to sleep (for the 4th time), I heard a bear snort and grumble right outside our tent. So I woke up A without any hesitation. Of course, everyone else woke up as he grabbed his gun and peered out the window. He didn't see anything and we didn't hear anything for the rest of the night, but I KNOW what I heard. (Okay, so it was probably only a fellow camper's dog, but I still felt that surge of adrenaline!) So we all got settled back down eventually and even I fell asleep. Judging by the clock, it must have been a couple of hours, but it felt like just MINUTES later, I heard a train blaring it's horn and I swear it was barreling right through our camp, it was so loud! (Okay, it probably wasn't that loud, seeing how only the baby and I woke up. How the others slept through it, I'll never know.) Eventually we fell back asleep, and of course, a couple of hours later, another train comes chugging down the tracks. AHHH! It was one of those nights where you're so happy when morning comes!

I suppose there were a few shining moments of pure awesomeness, but right now, I'm having a hard time remembering what they were? But, I do know that those great moments are probably all we'll really remember in the end, and the memories we're creating will last forever. So I can say, with conviction, that I really AM excited to go camping with my family in the Sawtooths in just a few short weeks! At the very least, I know it will get dark at bedtime:)

A(nother) Day at the Shooting Range

2010-06-28T00:10:00.000-07:00

Looking down range

Sharp shooter

Apparently I'm an OK shot. Or at least that's what A keeps telling me so I'll stay excited about going shooting.

A Day at the Park

2010-06-27T23:53:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed a lovely little happy meal picnic at our favorite park the other day. As you can see, the baby was less than thrilled with all the picture-taking! And why is it so hard to get kids to smile for the camera, without being totally cheesy or pulling a face?

Startin' them young

2010-05-23T10:09:00.001-07:00

I know what you're thinking. Where's the one of the baby shooting the gun? Well, we're not THAT crazy. Maybe next year....

Our evening

2010-05-17T21:34:00.000-07:00

We hiked the butte as a family tonight. Of course, the camera died before we could get a picture on top, but we did make it! Have I mentioned yet how much I love summer??

Trampoline!

2010-05-03T16:06:00.000-07:00

We love our new trampoline!!!

A fun bonfire with the family!

Have you ever tried toasted coconut-covered marshmallows?
They are yummy.

We have been LOVING the warm, sunny weather! We found a deal on a big pile of railroad ties on Craigslist, and after a very stressful Saturday spent hauling them from Anchorage, we are ready to build some raised beds for our garden, and do a little bit of landscaping. We have to do more landscaping than we had originally planned, due to some surprise septic issues! One of our few nice patches of lawn got torn up when we had to dig up and replace one of our septic lines last week. Craptastic! And we're gonna refinish the deck today! ¡I love spring!

Sleepyhead

2010-04-23T14:48:00.001-07:00

I snapped this photo on the way to Anchorage. The only way the kids take naps anymore, with the exception of the baby, is if we happen to be driving somewhere in the afternoon. I really have nothing newsworthy to report, other than the fact that I am very ready for spring/summer. Did I already mention that? Last week after a few beautiful, sunny teaser days, we got dumped on by a foot of snow. Well that all melted and we had a gloomy, cold, cloudy week and we all got sick. Then it snowed again all day yesterday. Like, Christmas snow. Then it all melted again today and it has been sunny and warm. Please just let us have another nice summer!

Chocolat

2010-04-09T20:45:00.001-07:00

Yum. So there is this new place in downtown Palmer called the "Hot Hot Chocolate Shoppe" and let's just say.....we're obsessed. In the cups is their "drinking chocolate" which is a lot like melted semi-sweet chocolate chips, but way better. In the box are 12 double dark chocolate truffles. The best part, besides the delicious taste, texture, and freshness, is the fact that they are sparkly. I've decided that I probably need to just stay away. This was my and A's date night.

Last week A took the kids on a hike up the Butte. They had a blast. He said that T basically ran up the mountain and had to keep stopping to wait for everyone to catch up. He even yelled back to A & S, "Come on kids! You're doing great!" I think we've found a great new way to burn some of that extra energy.

Spring is in the air and it feels good!

Check Up

2010-03-26T17:07:00.000-07:00

Just had to post her latest stats from her doctor visit yesterday.

Weight: 17 lbs 8 oz--80%
Height: 27 in--85%
Adorableness (is that a word?): Off the charts!

Yes, I am cheesy, but this little chunky monkey is sweeter than pie!

BatGirl

2010-03-24T14:43:00.001-07:00

I just posted this on facebook but couldn't resist adding it here. Baby P just sprouted her first tooth (bottom left) with the neighboring one coming in right behind it. She is becoming more interested in her world and loves to grab things and then squeal in delight. S is a funny little thing and is always making us laugh, unless she's making us cringe with one of her blood curdling screams that she seems to think are warranted any time T teases her. T is becoming more mature and is really a pleasant little boy. I am in spring cleaning mode and got our bedroom painted (finally), decluttered, and scrubbed from top to bottom. If only it would last longer than a week. We hired a guy in our ward to come help us trim out the kitchen and it is looking MUCH nicer. A and I both have full-on spring fever and are getting so excited to spruce up our yard and plant our first Alaskan garden! He is staying busy filling orders for the upcoming tourist season.

Also. I decided all I want for Christmas is a paved driveway. :). Keep dreamin'!

3-year-old speak

2010-02-16T23:33:00.001-08:00

Her mullet in all of it's glory. Her self-inflicted reverse mohawk is finally starting to blend with the rest of her hair.

So according to S....

Any time in the past can be designated by adding a "yester-" to the beginning. For example, yesternoon, yesternight, yestermorning, and my favorite--yesterweek.

Also, everything in the past happened when she was 2. Nothing has happened since she turned 3, because everything is always, "Yestermorning, when I was 2....."

The word "bruise" is the plural form of the word "broo." Allow me to illustrate.

S: "Mom, look at my broo!"

Me: "Oh, do you have a bruise on your leg?"

S: "No. Just one broo."

By the same token, "clothes" is plural for "clo." She was sitting by her dresser, picking out her outfit for the day, taking her sweet time, when she had finally put on a suitable pair of pants. Trying to hurry her along, I said, "S, hurry and finish putting on your clothes, we need to go." Her reply was, "Mom! I only have one more clo to put on!"

Amazon woman

2010-01-23T09:53:00.001-08:00

I took S and P in for their checkups--(3 year and 2 month). I try to consolidate appointments as much as possible. They are both good and healthy. P continues to grow like a weed--she is off the charts for height and weight: 25 inches long and 14 pounds 2 oz. I also had a doctor appointment recently, but will refrain from posting my own weight.....back to the new year resolutions on that whole subject. They both got their shots and there were tears all around:( But Tinkerbell stickers have a way of making 3-year-old tears disappear in a hurry.

(Check out S's magic marker masterpiece on our bedroom wall. One reason it pays to procrastinate painting.)

I hate coming up with titles

2010-01-19T19:38:00.001-08:00

When the new year came, I thought to myself, I'm going to make a few resolutions. But, I never wrote them down or became vocal about them, because I didn't want to disappoint myself when I didn't follow through on them. Well, let's just say, I know me all too well. In my mind I had made this great goal to blog at least once a week, just to stay caught up on the happenings and to keep the flow of pictures coming. Obviously, that hasn't happened. Neither have any of my other half-hearted resolutions. (Gee, I wonder why?) But that doesn't mean I'm going to stop trying.

Man, I love my kids. Here is my morning conversation with T.

T: "Mom, can you please make some pancakes for breakfast? Pleeeeeeeeease??"
Me: "No, I'm not going to make pancakes. How about some cereal?"
T: "Only dad makes pancakes, right?"
Me: "Yeah, only dad makes pancakes." (This is totally true. A almost always happily makes pancakes or crepes whenever the kids ask. And I almost never do. I'm so lazy.)
T: "Dad is the best pancake maker, isn't he?"
Me: "Yeah, he sure is."
T: "Mom, you are the BEST cereal maker."

The kid's right. I do pour a mean bowl of Cap'n Crunch.

Another favorite story about T: Right after baby P was born, we made the pilgrimage to Walmart with all three kids in tow to pick up the inevitable forgotten baby items. T was so excited to be riding with P in the cart. Unable to contain himself, he shouted to a fellow shopper, "Look! We have a new baby! Look at our new little baby!" He was beaming. I love that he still has that same excitement and love for his baby sister. Most mornings, he comes rushing in our bedroom to see the "little baby." I love it. It melts my heart every time to see such a wild, energetic (and often obstinate, but surprisingly becoming less) kid become so tender and sweet towards his baby.

S is my little heart-melter too. I think I was so worried about making the leap from 2 kids to 3, that I didn't stop to think that things might actually get easier. Okay. Wait. They are definitely not easier, logistically. I still have not ventured out shopping with all three by myself. I've done the library and Bouncing Bears by myself, but I'm dreading the day I have to step foot in a store with all three in tow. And a baby crying in the background while the phone is ringing, the kids are fighting, and dinner is burning is enough to make anyone go temporarily INSANE. (Talk about over-stimulation.) But thank heavens those moments don't last. And much to my surprise, T's behavior has improved leaps and bounds since P's arrival. I have this bad habit of letting his moods dictate my own. And let me tell you, he can get in some pretty rotten moods, thus putting me in a scary, don't-you-dare-whine-to-me-about-your-broken-transformer-or-I-WILL-throw-it-in-the-trash-right-after-I-drop-kick-it-across-the-room moods. We had a few rough weeks in the beginning, but lately he has somehow grown into this more responsible and well-mannered big brother role that he never did with S, probably because they were so close in age. And his improved moods have made a HUGE difference in my own. I know it's all about attitude and we just need to choose to be happy and smiling and calm and perfect little mothers, but in reality, that was becoming so hard for me (and it probably always will be). But when T is happy, I am euphoric. And I just know I'm jinxing myself by saying all of this, and I know the crazy moments where I am on the verge of freaking out will always be there. But I so relish the fleeting moments where things literally are perfect--T and S are singing and talking to P, trying to get her to smile, she giggles, and A and I look at each other and laugh. Life is good.

To appease g-ma

2010-01-01T13:49:00.000-08:00

the inseparables

techno-junkies

I need to take more pictures of her--she is so smiley now

trying on her new princess dress-up stuff

"a pack of gum!"
I love how easy to please they are.

within those packages were transformers and a megalodon (prehistoric shark) tooth

Christmas Eve jammies

Christmas Eve festivities--snowmachining, 4-wheeling, and sledding
(if you click to enlarge this pic, it looks like A is wearing eyeliner--I don't know why)

cousins

smiles and crossed eyes. what could be cuter?

this is how my 2009 felt--how about yours?

here's to a 2010 full of more wonderful craziness

Christmas Tree Hunt

2009-12-10T10:16:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we found our Christmas tree. Tonight we will be decorating it. Yippee!

Ages 5 and Up

2009-12-04T18:42:00.000-08:00

So A is a sucker for cool kid toys and is somewhat of a pushover when it comes to T whining for cool kid toys (ie TRANSFORMERS). So when T saw this radical Optimus Prime at Walmart, he instantly started whining for it. If it had been me of course, I would have told him no, but like I said, A is a pushover:) They were both so excited to get it home and play with it, so excited that T couldn't resist opening the package on the way home. We got home and A immediately started trying to "transform" Optimus back into a semi. . . . . . . . . . . .

***TWO HOURS LATER***

A asks me "Did this come with instructions?"
"Uhhh, I don't know. Are you still working on that thing?"
"Yep."

So I start looking for the instructions, because this insane toy marked for ages 5 and up, was giving my 30 year old husband fits. Turns out, the instructions fell out in the car when T opened up the package.

An HOUR later, A had finally figured it out--and that's with instructions, after working on it for two hours! I tried my hand at it, but gave up after about 2 minutes. Who are these people?

Thanksgiving Hi-Lites

2009-12-02T14:49:00.000-08:00

I made mashed potatoes using this recipe--a definite keeper.
In the car on the way to grandma's house for the big dinner, I asked the kids what they were thankful for. S said, "Animals" and then a few minutes later added, "I'm thankful for Jeejus." Melted my heart.
When I asked T what he was thankful for, he emphatically and with more than a little attitude, said, "Food!" We had pretty much starved the kids all morning so that they would actually eat at dinner time.
A's sister and her 4 year old daughter were up visiting from Canada.
I heard cuss words flying from the kitchen. From grandma's mouth. Awesome.
The feast.
I got out of doing dishes because I had to "feed the baby." ☺ Seriously, though, she was screaming, which I probably would have done too had I been surrounded by all those delicious scents and not been able to partake.
For the first time in my life, I woke up at 4:00 a.m. to join the Black Friday crowds at Walmart. The result--T & S will be jumping on their very own trampoline this summer. Yess.

Winter Fun

2009-11-24T18:41:00.000-08:00

Snow Angel

Making tracks

GG and Pieper

Making waffle cookies with Grandma! Yum!

Bat Skeleton

Makin' bacon
A canned up a whole bunch of bacon for our food storage

Our cuddly baby--we fight over who gets to hold her

Getting bundled up for the cold

Bearded lady

I just realized all these pictures of the baby are from her first week of life, so I really need to take some new ones of her, because she is changing soooo much. We got to witness her first real smile a few days ago--such a treat! She is wonderful, the kids are still in love with her and I love hearing S when she says her prayers, because now she remembers little baby Pieper in there with everyone else.

It has been a great couple of weeks--busy, but great. I attended "New Moon" with the masses on Friday night. It was so cheesy that it superseded it's own cheesiness and became totally awesome. I don't know how that works, but I'll be honest--I loved it.

I am so excited for Thanksgiving and all the wonderful feelings that day brings. I certainly don't feel deserving, but I feel like one lucky girl to have all that I do.

2 year old fashion

2009-11-11T11:22:00.001-08:00

I love the outfits S comes up with. She is so funny with Pieper. She always calls her "that baby." "Is that baby crying? That baby is so cute! Look at that little tiny baby!" it makes me laugh. She seems to be handling the whole thing quite well. And T is constantly wanting to hold her. Every morning he runs into our bedroom asking if he can hold her. He is doing great at being gentle and they are both excellent little helpers--fetching diapers and wipes, taking dirty ones to the trash, etc. And I have let them watch copious amounts of television the last couple of weeks, so I have had a chance to recover:) I should probably start to limit them again.....They are both having lots of fun with all our new snow too. Pieper continues to be a great baby! She is asleep and the kids are glued to Dragon Tales, so I had better take advantage and grab a shower while I can!

Welcome to the world...

2009-11-05T17:05:00.000-08:00

Pieper Lee
October 30, 2009

This week I have been overwhelmed with feelings of love and happiness, intermingled with exhaustion and what-have-I-got-myself-into?! What an amazing week it has been, getting to know new baby Pieper. But wait, I'm getting ahead of myself. Last time I posted, I was still pregnant. Just a week later, that feels like a lifetime ago. So, let's start with last Thursday........

Thursday: I had a doctor's appointment at 2:30 and my mom was flying in at 1:42. So A took the kids to the airport to meet her while I went to my dr. visit. She checked me and found me to be dilated to a 4, with a very soft cervix, and in her words "very induce-able." Good news! I was instructed to call the hospital first thing in the morning and let them know I was coming. So I drove home to be greeted by my mom! Hooray! It was so wonderful having her here. The kids were so excited to show off for her and play with her. That night felt a bit like Christmas Eve, except way more exciting, and with a twist of anxiety! I didn't sleep hardly at all, from the baby moving like crazy and T coming in at all hours.

Friday: I woke up around 5:45, got showered, and called the hospital. The nice lady said they had a room ready and waiting just for me! So A and I took off, leaving the kids to party with Grandma, and got to the hospital around 7:00 am. It was so exciting, we felt like we were on vacation, checking into our hotel room or something. I was so excited to have some time with A all to myself, since things have been so hectic lately.

7:30 am The doctor checked my cervix and I was at a 4 or 5. We discussed the plan and she said she would get me started on Pitocin, come back to break my water around noon, and see how things went from there. She asked me if I was going to want an epidural. Absolutely, I told her. OK, she said, the anethesiologist is in the hospital all day, so just let us know when you're ready and she can be here within 15 minutes. Sounds great!

8:00 am They got my IV started with a slow Pitocin drip, hooked me up to the monitors, I signed about a dozen forms, and got settled in for a nice morning of labor! HAHA! The first contractions weren't bad, and I was just so excited that everything was finally underway and things were starting to really happen. A and I were able to talk about anything and everything, from wondering what the baby will look like, hoping she's healthy, and wondering if she really is a she.....to how to can bacon!

10:00 am The contractions are starting to get more intense and more frequent, but still manageable. So I turn on my Gameboy to distract me from them. A kicks himself for not remembering his grid paper. I never see him without his grid paper. He is always sketching out fun cabin or house plans or drawing out totem designs or making lists of things he wants to get and what he needs to do to get them. He looks lost without his trusty pad of grid paper. So he asks the nurse for some plain copy paper, but its just not the same, he says. So he flips on the TV. I welcome another distraction and try to get lost in some drama on TNT. I am looking forward to noon.

Noon: No doctor, but I'm hanging in there. The contractions are starting to get really uncomfortable, so I tell the nurse I'm ready for my epidural. She says as soon as they break my water, they'll inform the anesthesiologist of my request. A tells the nurse that when S was born, I progressed really fast at the end and the nurse almost had to deliver the baby. Don't worry, she says, the doctor will be hanging out here in the hospital all day and we'll get your epidural as soon as we can.

12:30 pm: The doctor arrives, much to my delight, and breaks my water. Such a weird feeling. She says I am at a 7 or 8. They tell me they have informed the anesthesiologist of my request for an epidural and she should be here in 10 to 15 minutes. I breathe a sigh of relief. That sigh of relief is cut short by another contraction. After she broke my water, the contractions became way more intense. I was just hanging onto the hope that relief was but a few minutes away.

12:40 pm: Come on, I didn't really expect her to get there in 10 minutes! And of course, she didn't. But I was still doing fine and hadn't yet reached panic mode. I could tell A was becoming furious.

12:45 pm: The nurse tells me my epidural should be here any minute. I tell her the contractions are getting really bad. She says she's going to step into the hall to see if she can locate the doctor (who just left minutes ago) and find out about my epidural. Just ring your call button if anything changes, she says.

12:50 pm: Where in the hell is the @%#&%$@ anesthesiologist?

12:51 pm: I tell A, things feel different, get the nurse!!!!! I was starting to feel a deep pain in my lower back, which was new and different. The contractions were coming really fast. I can hear A in the hall telling them I needed someone. I was getting very panicky. I hear someone say "Maybe she doesn't have her phone." Then someone says "Just page her overhead. She's probably out to lunch." I'm thinking, get SOMEONE in here, I don't care who it is, I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing, I didn't plan for this (dumb on my part, but I was totally mentally UNprepared for anything other than a blissed-out epidural!!!)

I started feeling the urge to push. Still, nobody was in my room and I was freaking out. A was standing at the doorway, telling them I was ready to start pushing! It was probably only a few moments, but it felt like an eternity before the nurse came in "The doctor should be here any second." I ask, "Is there still time for an epidural?" "Nope." Pleading, "Is there time for anything at all????" "Nope." The doctor comes in, the baby nurse comes in, and all the delivery paraphenalia is whisked out into the open. Again, a voice from the hallway--"Oh, looks like I'm too late." Laughter. I wanted to strangle someone.

Having everyone back in the room gave me a new resolve and quieted my panic. Especially having A back at my side. So, just like on TV, the doctor told me when to push, when to breathe, I was screaming, etc.

1:14 pm: Baby Pieper arrived! Hallelujah! It was incredible. The first thing I noticed were her luscious cheeks--they were soooo chubby and cute! And then I saw all of her pretty dark hair. Holding her was amazing. Afterwards, I felt soooo shaky, but exhilarated and so happy to hold my beautiful little girl. Then they took her to the scales. The nurse got our predictions, I guessed 7 lb 8 oz, A guessed 7 lb 11 oz, and the nurse guessed 8 lb 3 oz. She shocked us all weighing in at 8 lb 11 oz. She was 20.5 inches long. She had a good healthy scream!

She has been a wonderfully typical newborn, sleeping and eating, eating and sleeping. We love her so much. Thanks so much to everyone for your love, concern, prayers, and congratulations on behalf of Pieper. She is a dream come true, and we are all doing great! ☺

Past Due

2009-10-28T16:37:00.000-07:00

Picture taken by Mr. T 2 weeks ago

Looking at myself now, I realized this:

I was TOTALLY sucking it in for the picture!
The baby has since dropped and my belly is sticking out really far! No pictorial evidence however, since cameras have been outlawed around here til this baby is born:)

So. My due date is here. But, my baby is not. Of course, I know I'm not the first woman to experience such a disappointment. But, deep down I really thought she would be here by now, and it is kind of a drag. I think I've resigned myself to Friday.......as long as there is an open bed at the hospital, they will take me in and have me induced. And yes, I've been trying everything I can think of to get labor going by myself. No such luck. So I'm trying to look on the bright side.....

THE GOOD OLD BRIGHT SIDE

I skipped church on Sunday and nobody really questions the motives of a 9-month pregnant woman.
I was able to finish reading a 1200 page book that I probably would have had a hard time finishing with a newborn around. It was Atlas Shrugged, by the way, and my mind is still reeling. Incredible book that really makes you think--something of which I feel like my depleted brain is in desperate need!
I have experienced a deep sympathy for beached whales every time I try to roll over in bed.
My mom will be here when the baby is born (most likely:)!!!!!
A has taken sympathy on me and has become Super Dad--even more than he was before.
That magical moment of seeing your newborn's face for the first time still awaits.
I was able to finish making gifts for our fabulous primary workers.
I am healthy, there are no complications, and the baby seems content--very wiggly--what more could I ask for, really?

My mom gets here tomorrow! Woohoo!!!!! It is going to be awesome, I can't wait!

I wonder...

2009-10-19T16:50:00.000-07:00

....if this baby will look like the first two? I can't wait to meet her and find out!

Good ol' Monday

2009-10-12T14:16:00.000-07:00

Check out my big helpers!

Since I don't have to go to work or school on Mondays, I really look forward to them. It's a chance to get back on schedule with a fresh outlook for the week. The weekend was great and this morning has actually felt productive!

We had most of A's family over for dinner yesterday and he made Indian butter chicken. It was super yummy!!! We always tell his mom and grandma to not worry about bringing anything when we do dinner, because they usually do dinner and go all out and only ask us to bring a veggie tray or something easy like that. Of course, when they show up to our house for dinner, they start hauling in the casseroles, cakes, deviled eggs, etc. etc. etc. Not that I'm complaining:) It just cracks me up! And A said something so funny at dinner, well he always says funny stuff.....anyway, two of his sisters, his mom, and dad have all had gastric bypass surgery, so we always comment on how ironic it is that there are always tables full of food whenever the family gets together, because hardly anyone can eat a full portion of anything (I definitely do NOT fit into that category). Anyway, he mentioned how they are like this little exclusive club who hardly eats anything and he called them "the sisterhood of the baggy pants." Maybe you had to be there............but we were all hysterical. Always good times with the B-Bunch.

So, my last dr's appointment was very uneventful, no more progress. In my perfect little world, here is how the next couple of weeks would play out......

This week--finish up last minute shopping for baby supplies (nothing too crazy, just some essentials--infant tylenol, first aid kit, gas drops, a few other odds and ends. I am pretty well set with everything else, even if the baby does turn out to be a boy, I've saved all baby boy and girl clothes...)
Oooh, maybe get a pedicure, seeing how I can't reach my toes.
Sunday--give my last sharing time until January
Monday--or any day this week really, I start trying all the crazy tricks to initiate labor. What worked great with T--I was pulling stubborn weeds in our yard in Idaho and ended up falling backwards on my butt. My water broke that night. Coincidence? Maybe.....but you better believe I'm gonna be doing all kinds of manual labor this week:)
Finish straightening up the baby's room.
Hopefully have the baby at some point:)
It would be nice if during all this I'm at the hospital and get to skip church on Sunday!
Come home, recover, focus on the baby, A takes the week off to help with the big kids......
My mom flies in!!!!!!
Keep things lowkey for a couple of weeks.
Get back to church and get ready for our primary sacrament meeting presentation on Nov. 15. We ended up changing the date because I was worried the baby would come and I wouldn't be able to be there to help.

Yeah, that's how I would schedule the whole thing if I had it my way! But, of course, things never turn out just how you hope, so I am prepared for lots of waiting, and plenty of unexpected bumps along the way. It's just fun to think about, and well, it's all I can think about lately!

Went to the doctor...

2009-10-01T18:31:00.000-07:00

....and the doctor said I am dilated to a 2! I guess that's not too unusual, but it is nice to know that some of the labor work is already done:) I've got 4 weeks to go and am starting to get soooooo excited! I can't really even remember what it's like to have a newborn. I was at Target today wandering the aisles, trying to remember what you need for a baby! It's been almost 3 years since S was a baby, so all that time that's passed, combined with my apparent lack of a brain, has left me trying to get it all sorted out again. Yes, in the past 2 months I have lost my debit card, A's debit card (did I not tell that story yet? Yeah, I dropped it in the Lowe's parking lot and a lady who just HAPPENED to be in our ward found it and turned it in! How bizarre is that? I was counting my blessings that day), and our cellphone (which was also turned in by a wonderful and honest soul)! I am sometimes amazed that my kids are still alive and well. And I'm starting to worry that having 3 kids, despite not being pregnant anymore, is going to intensify my airheadedness. It should be interesting! And entertaining.

And as for the weather--it has been absolutely perfect! If we could have another month full of days just like today........And the baby has started pushing on these nerves that cause my upper thighs to go sorta numb, but sorta painfully tingly when I'm walking, which is a pretty bizarre feeling. We are slowly getting the baby room put back together after finishing up painting the trim last night. It is so fun!

Charles Schultz Philosophy

2009-09-30T19:42:00.001-07:00

I got this e-mail from my mom today. She only forwards the good stuff:) I liked it and I hope you will too.....

Charles Schultz Philosophy

The following is the philosophy of Charles Schultz, the creator

of the 'Peanuts' comic strip. You don't have to actually answer

the questions. Just read the e-mail straight through, and you'll

get the point.

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.

2.. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.

3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America.

4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.

5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best

actor and actress.

6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.

How did you do?

The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday..

These are no second-rate achievers.. They are the best in their

fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements

are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their

owners.

Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:

1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.

2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.

3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.

4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and

special.

5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.

Easier?

The lesson:

The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones

with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards.

They are the ones that care.

(Charles Schultz)

So here is a quick thanks to all my family, friends, and readers for caring! You were all on my list and I love you all!

The latest.

2009-09-28T22:51:00.001-07:00

Wooo, it feels like a lot has happened in the last 2 weeks. I really have got to get more consistent at this. Here is just a quick little update on everyone and our latest happenings...[this turned into a much longer update than I had originally planned]

A: Continues to work hard out back in his shop. We are doing the "Make it Alaskan" show next weekend in Anchorage and are hoping the sales from that will carry us to the next show in November. He has also been reading a lot of interesting books that have got us thinking about the "last days" and this has sparked several new interests. To most people this would entail, you know, the usual.....food storage, self-reliance, getting out of debt, canning, etc. But A, of course, is most excited and most interested in the home protection aspect of the whole thing--i.e. guns, ammunition, homemade cannons, and more. So in addition to working, going to seminary every morning (he only has to teach one day a week until next semester, when he will be teaching 4 days a week), and me cracking the whip on various little house projects, he still finds time to work on his many hobbies. He recently added building and testing thermite grenades to his repertoire. I will never, ever be bored while being married to this man! He always finds new and interesting things to learn about and try. It is always an adventure and.........I love it.

T: This kid truly lives up to his namesake as he is, indeed, a miniature version of his dad. As he grows and develops a little more every day, it is becoming apparent that he and A are so similar, not only in looks, but also in personality. A has a way of becoming obsessed about something and not resting until he gets it, figures it out, or whatever. And then once he's got it down, he usually becomes bored and quickly moves onto his next obsession (luckily he hasn't gotten bored of me yet:). Well, it is quite obvious that T is very similar in the way he obsesses and focuses on his particular interests. But, he has yet to move on from his greatest passion, which tells me that it will probably stick with him his entire life--fishing. And what better place to cultivate that passion than Alaska? He is quite content though, when he's not actually fishing, to just cast off of our front porch and catch weeds, twigs, toys, or whatever happens to be in the yard. One of his other big interests is tools. He loves to be out in the shop helping A, pounding nails, using the drill, and wearing his safety glasses! He turned 4 last week and we got him his own tool box full of his very own tools. He was so excited!
Oh man, and in primary he is getting a little too comfortable, I think. He is THAT KID that won't sit still, is constantly talking to or touching his neighbor, dances around during singing time, has a hard time staying in his seat, and just acts plain crazy! He kept hitting himself in the head, thinking it was hilarious. I tried to give him a stern talking-to, but it did nothing! His teacher sat by him to separate him from the pack and did a great job of calming him down and helping him focus his energy. She is great! The other Sunbeams seem so mellow next to him. He definitely did not get that from me! I think maybe he needs to start running laps around the house on Sunday morning to burn off some of that extra energy. The whole "day of rest" concept is totally lost on him. Aside from primary, it seems like his crazy moments at home might be getting SLIGHTLY less frequent? Maybe I'm just imagining things, but I hope it continues in this direction, especially with a new baby coming right around the corner. I know I am going to be thin on patience and it would just be nice if he didn't try it quite as often as he has in the past. I really think he will be great with the baby. He keeps talking about how he's going to help me take care of her, hold her, change her diaper, sing to her, and get her dressed. I can't wait to see him in action:)

S: She is changing so much and it is happening so fast! It wasn't long ago that she still seemed more "baby" or even "toddler" and now she is just such an independent little person. She used to just sing little tiny snippets of songs that were pretty indecipherable to the untrained ear (i.e. anyone other than her mom, dad, or brother), but now she is singing entire songs that are easily recongizable. T comes home from primary singing the same songs over and over again, and she can sing most of them with him. She used to let me get her dressed, but now, that just plain ain't happening. She insists on picking out her own clothes, down to the shoes and socks, and dressing herself! She comes up with some of the craziest outfits, but she always rocks them, especially with her punk hair. She can also quote many lines from her favorite movies. She has always seemed so much younger than T, and although they are still at really different levels, the gap seems to be narrowing. And as far as the potty goes, once she got ahold of those panties, she never looked back. She would even sob tragically if I tried to put a pull-up on her at night. So I finally gave in, put lots of towels under her sheets, and let her sleep in just her undies. Miracle of miracles, she has been waking up dry (almost) every morning. Which has been incredibly cool. And now when I drop her off at nursery, she runs happily to her teachers instead of clinging to me and wailing when I leave. I know I should knock on wood......it is just exciting. I am not sure how she will react to the baby. I am thinking it will probably be quite a bit harder on her than on T, but I could be wrong. I'm hoping she takes to the whole baby thing right away. She has fun feeding and dressing her dolls, and what's better than a real live doll, right?

Me: Things are about the same with me. Some days I have all kinds of crazy energy and ambition. Other days, I just want to lay in bed. Too bad that's not an option! I did have a great birthday celebration last week. On Sunday, A's mom and grandma put together a delicious feast and cake for T and I. I got some fun gifts, but the best was the surprise A got for me--tickets to see the Lion King broadway musical that has been showing in Anchorage. I was completely shocked! A's sister babysat for us and we were able to have a real night out on the town. We ate dinner at Glacier Brewhouse, where we went once when we were dating. It almost felt like we were "just dating" again--so strange to be without the kids! We wandered around downtown Anchorage, I admired some of A's carvings that were on display in the shop windows, and we actually got to hold hands. Then we went to the show and it did not disappoint. The creativity and talent that some people have is truly amazing. It was a fantastic diversion from everday life. Many times we thought how much the kids would have liked it, but even more times we were glad that they weren't with us, so we could enjoy it thoroughly!:) Well, I guess that's enough for now. Time for bed. I will try and post pictures tomorrow!

A pregnant rant, the fair, and hair

2009-09-14T14:03:00.000-07:00

Now I realize that I am very lucky to have relatively easy pregnancies and deliveries, but that being said, NO pregnancy is easy! I have reached the point where my body is tired of lugging around this extra 30+ pounds and is ready to have it over with. I was mowing the lawn the other day (hopefully for the last time this year) and after about 5 minutes my back was killing me. Later I was vacuuming and had the same back pain after just a few minutes. But the mowing and vacuuming really needed to get done, so I just dealt with it. That's probably the worst part about pregnancy for me--having lists of things I need to get done and not having the energy or physical capacity to do them! Oh that and maternity pants. I miss my old jeans dearly and have yet to find a pair of maternity jeans that I like and don't have to hike up every 5 minutes. So I'm pretty much living in sweats and yoga pants. Oh, not to mention the brain damage I seem to have experienced. Not that I'm necessarily ready for the baby--in fact, I'm definitely not. So I guess its good I'm still pregnant:) But, somehow I don't think the baby-up-all-night sleep deprivation is going to have much of an effect on me, seeing how both of my children wander into my bedroom at all hours of the night, sometimes 2 or 3 times a night to tell me random things, ask for a drink, ask for accompaniment to the potty, or just want to sleep on our bed! Argh. And they always come to my side of the bed, NEVER A's. Last night T came to ask me if I could make him a pteradactyl costume with a beak on it in the morning! What?! Anyhoo.......I am excited for the baby! I think we've decided on a name, but will wait to reveal it. I will, however, show you what I made to hang over her crib, to give you a hint.....

Somehow, I have no pictures from the fair, which is odd because that was our life for 2 weeks straight. But things went good and it was a fun time for all. We took the kids on a total of 2 kiddie rides and their expressions were absolutely hilarious. The first was this swinging dragon ride. S looked like she was on the verge of tears the entire time--she is definitely not a thrill-seeker type of gal. T liked it though. The next was the big tall purple slide. S loved this one cause she got to sit on daddy's lap. T got to go alone and in the beginning his face was full of smiles and excitement, but about halfway down (it is really tall, steep, and FAST) his expression changed to horror. I laughed so hard! So maybe we can save our money and avoid the rides in the coming years. At least until they're pre-teens! The fair was really fun--the weather was mostly nice and the food was de-lish, like always.

And onto S's hair saga..... A few weeks back I decided to trim up her bangs cause they were always hanging in her eyes and if I ever put in a clippy or head band, she would pull it out and lose it within minutes. Trimming her bangs = BIG MISTAKE! When she realized that you could take scissors to hair, she decided to take matters into her own hands and of course, went all Zohan on herself. She cut about a 2-inch wide swath down the crown of her head to a length shorter than T's. I shudder to think what she would have done if I had found her 5 minutes later.

She knew she was in big trouble and I haven't had any problems with her giving herself anymore trims. That, plus I've confiscated all scissors to a very secret hiding place. So I went back and forth between the idea of cutting ALL her hair to the same length (and looking very much like T's little twin brother), or having her sport a comb-over for the next 6 months (and looking like her balding uncles--kidding!!!!).

As you can see, I went with the comb0ver. I can now see why balding men have used this technique for ages. I lost a few key pieces of combover hair a couple of days ago, however, when she got a piece of gum stuck in one of her few remaining long, strawberry blond, wavy locks. After 30 minutes of trying to get it out with peanut butter, oil, etc. I gave up and just cut it out. To a length shorter than T's. I just love 2 year olds:) To add to her growing independence, this little girl has not only taken hairdressing into her own hands, but also potty training! She told me she wanted to start wearing underwear, and one beautiful package of Tinkerbell panties from Walmart later, I think we may be in business. Today is day 2 with no accidents, but my fingers are still crossed. Six weeks without having to change a diaper would be AWESOME! She is quite the kid. Seriously, I love 2 year olds.

Can't take my mind off of you...

2009-09-09T14:17:00.000-07:00

I stumbled upon this mouth-watering creation on picky-palate this morning and haven't been able to stop thinking about it. I am headed to the grocery store tonight to get the ingredients. I must be going through fair-food withdrawals.

Firsts

2009-08-12T10:02:00.000-07:00

T had his first experience with the dentist yesterday. He did sooooo good. Every once in a while he really surprises me with his behavior. The hygienist and dentist were great with him, so that made a difference I'm sure. It is crazy to see him growing up. But, he did have THREE cavities! I did not know that was possible at the age of 3! Yes I brush his teeth daily, but I admit, I've never flossed his teeth. oops. Guess its time to start! He gets them filled next week. I hope that's not a bad experience!

It is 9:00 am and both kids are still asleep. I am not sure what to do with myself.....but I do have a burning desire to make cookies or cupcakes for breakfast.....

Family Reunion '09

2009-08-06T10:42:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a fun couple of weeks its been! Here is a day-by-day account......(WARNING: LOTS of details to follow, probably more than anyone wants to know.....)

Friday, July 24: A's grandma and grandpa loaded us and all of our baggage into their car and brought us to the airport for the red-eye flight to Portland. The kids mostly slept--it helped that they each had their own seat. I fell asleep immediately, but 10 minutes into the flight, the rustling of flight attendants getting people snacks and asking (in LOUD voices) what they would like to drink (at 1:00 a.m.) woke me from my peaceful slumber. That drives me crazy! I wasn't able to fall asleep again for the rest of the 4 hour flight. Even my trusty airplane sleeping position (leaning forward and resting my head on the tray table next to me) was uncomfortable because of my large belly. Oh well, two connecting flights and layovers later, we were in Idaho Falls and greeted by my mom. Hooray! Halfway through the traveling process I always question whether it's worth the hassle, but as soon as I see my mom, I know it's worth it--without a doubt! I immediately forget how tired I am and am ready for fun.

S's Lego masterpiece at the airport

The big reunion was already in progress when we arrived at my parent's house. That afternoon we played in the pond, made hemp bracelets, ate some good BBQ, and just played. That evening we had a great fireworks show. R had crossed the border into Wyoming for the good stuff and A helped him set them off. All the spectators were sitting by the pond and the launch site was on the hill across the pond. I went and joined them on the hill and had fun listening the reaction of the crowd. They cheered the loudest for the last one, which finally exploded right above their heads after dropping perilously low. We were all holding our breath that it would go off in time--but it did! SOOOO much fun!!!!!! Everyone camped out around the pond that night (except for us, who wimped out after the sleep deprivation finally set in and we slept on a nice comfy bed!)

Saturday, July 25: This day started off with a delicious breakfast provided by R and L. Farm fresh eggs, bacon, sausage, fresh blueberry pancakes....YUM! Since A and I were in charge of lunch for the crowd of 31, we headed off to Walmart to buy some sandwich fixings. S stayed and played with everyone while T came with us. We came back, fixed lunch and then the craziness began--THE AMAZING RACE!!! D and S had planned it and boy was it awesome! I was on a team with R, N, M, and S. N was our driver and she was perfect! It started with a big meeting to hand out our t-shirts (ours was yellow) and let us all know the rules. We even had to sign an agreement that we would obey the rules, D thought of everything! We rode in B and N's red truck and took an early lead by passing dad's white truck on the dirt road. The first clue led us to Mr. Pizza, where D was waiting with our next clue, which took us to the feedlot.

Leaving Mr. Pizza, we were in the lead, but we lost our lead by taking the backroads to the feedlot. We should have taken the freeway. Anyway....we got there behind 3 or 4 other teams and learned of our task--we were given the number of a cow and had to find that cow (amid the hundreds of other cows in the pen) and get a picture of us with our cow. Each team had a different cow. The Red team (L, A, mom, J, D, and T) found theirs almost immediately. It was really hard! So we all jumped in our pen and started sorting cows. N spotted ours soon after and we got her cornered for a picture. It was crazy, but we were the second team out of there. SC was there with our next clue which pointed us in the direction of Rigby.
Our next challenge was to take a bag full of various little craft supplies and make a gift for Granny Pie. We ended up with a strange looking cyclops sock puppet. We got to her house behind the Red team, presented our gift, and my cousin took our picture with her. Next we had a mandatory 15-minute rest stop at Reed's Dairy, where we were supplied with $5, which was enough for each of us to get a kiddie cone. Yum, it was delicious and a much-needed break! We pulled out exactly 15 minutes later, in second place, behind--you guessed it--the Red team! The next clue sent us to C and RI's home. We were given a choice between a "brain" and a "brawn" task. Of course, we chose brawn, which had us break a cement block which held a clue inside. RC made quick work of breaking the block and our clue sent us back to mom's pond. We later tried to figure out the "brain" crossword puzzle and had a hard time--so we figured we made the right choice:)
So, here is where it started to get very interesting.....we arrived at the pond to see A on the island, so immediately we tell M--"Jump in and swim to the island!" He was awesome and went for it. Then A tells us we missed the clue which was over on the dock. So RC runs around the pond, gets the clue and discovers that we ALL have to go to the island and have our picture taken and find a "gnome". So M pushes the paddle boat to shore and we all pile in (after me slipping and falling and almost dropping S AND the iphone into the drink! but somehow we all survived!) We paddled to the island, snapped a quick picture, grabbed the gnome, and high-tailed it back to shore. By this time, the Red team is long gone, but we are still determined to make second place. Oh yeah, and RC pushed the boat away from the shore just as the Orange team arrived. So we start running towards the barn. I pass S off to R and we all sprint (more like hobble, in my case) to what we think is the finish line. Once in the barn we discover we have one more challenge. We are given a box of M&M's and, eating them one at a time, we have to find the ones printed with the words "amazing" and "race." This is a fun, tasty challenge that doesn't take us too long. Then we have to run to the house, which is indeed the finish line. We see the Red team ahead of us, we never could catch them, but we are still feeling proud about second place. Well, come to find out, as we all reach the finish line D tells us, "Yellow team, congratulations, you are the first team to cross the finish line!" WHAT? Apparently, the Red team had lost their gnome somewhere along the way and had to go back and find it before they could finish. We were shocked! Soon after, all the other teams came across the finish line. It was close and exciting.

D did a fabulous job putting it all together! That night B and N made Dutch oven pizza (sooooooooo good!) and we watched a slide show of all our pictures taken along the way during the race and D handed out awards. Fun, fun, fun! That night I was so tired and sore!!!

Sunday, July 26: A much needed day of rest after all the weekend excitement. We actually went with C and RI to sacrament meeting and skipped out on the rest. Once again, for dinner, B and N wowed us with their Dutch oven skills and made BBQ pork ribs, potatoes, and cornbread. Grandma, CP, and Aunt C joined us for the meal. Great food and great company.As you can see, I am much too focused on my food to acknowledge, or even realize that a camera is present.

Monday, July 27: Woke up and got packed for Cooke City with M's family. E rode with us part of the way, entertaining the kids with her bag of tricks. Then P wanted T to ride with them, so we did some switching around and ended up with G and S in our back seat, and they both promptly fell asleep. After a beautiful drive through Yellowstone, we arrived at their cabin just in time for dinner. M made a great pizza meal and we relaxed and went to bed. They assigned us to the "master suite!" It was incredible! The kids had so much fun running around, playing with their cousins.

Tuesday, July 28: Enjoyed a great breakfast of cold cereal--my favorite! Then we headed down to the stream to try our hand at fishing. A did a great job of hooking the fish and letting the kids reel them in. T, of course, freaked out when A let S reel one in instead of him. It was really fun and the fish were beautiful native brook trout--small, but beautiful. We just caught a few that morning and threw them all back.

Poor A....he carried me across the river so I wouldn't get my feet wet. awwwww

Then we loaded up the six 4-wheelers and lunch and drove up to Daisy and Lulu pass. The scenery was spectacular and the weather was perfect. It was the perfect distance, not too long that the kids got restless, but not too short either. We stopped at the top and some of the kids played in the little bit of snow up there while A worked on his tan:) The tiny bit of hiking that I did left me breathless for several reasons--I am out of shape, I am used to sea level elevation and it was about 9,000 feet above sea level up there, I am pregnant, and again, I am horribly out of shape! On the way down the trail D spotted a big, beautiful black bear cross the trail in front of him. So we all stopped and watched him for a while. I had never seen one so big, so close, and so beautiful! When it stood up it seemed especially huge. I was so very happy to be on a 4-wheeler!
We got back to the cabin, rested up, and A and I got started on dinner. We made tin-foil dinners with hamburger patties, potatoes, onions, carrots, and lots of ketchup on the side. We were going to cook them outside, but due to burn restrictions in the area, cooked them in the oven. They turned out really good! Of course, when you are really hungry, just about anything tastes great. Later the boys all took off to do some more fishing. They caught 8 more that night. T was in fish heaven!

Wednesday, July 29: We woke up to enjoy another great round of cold cereal (tons of varieties to choose from--I loved it!) and got our stuff packed up again. The D family all stayed and we said our goodbyes and headed back for home. We took a slightly different route back through Yellowstone to enjoy even more beautiful scenery and wildlife. We saw tons of buffalo, a black bear, a black bear cub, elk, and deer. Oh and we saw tons of people pulled over on the side of the road looking at who knows what? And we saw one genius get out of his car and try to get closer to the black bear to get a good picture. We didn't stick around to see what happened to him. We stopped in Rigby for lunch at Bambinos. We made it back home and just relaxed the rest of the evening.

Thursday, July 30: A worked on some projects around the house for my mom and I helped her get the basement cleaned out in preparation for the missionaries who would soon be moving in. It was nice and hot so the kids and I played in the irrigation water out by the pond. That evening we packed our bags again and headed for Elwood to see S, D, and boys. We arrived in the evening and the boys showed us their lambs and their new dog, Sunny. She is a wild one! D made us a delicious bedtime snack of milk and cookies and S read a bedtime story to the kids. Once again, we were utterly spoiled and given the master suite to sleep in! They blew up air mattresses for T and S and we all slept very peacefully.

Friday, July 31: D and J fixed a delicious breakfast pizza for us to enjoy and we all got ready for the drive to Cabelas! This was something that A had been wanting to do for a long time, so he was pretty excited about it. T rode with D and the boys, entertaining them with his antics. I can only imagine the crazy things he said and did to get a reaction--sorry D! Cabelas was awesome and the kids loved it. They have huge aquariums full of game fish like trout and catfish. I think T and S could have stayed in there for hours and been perfectly happy. We also enjoyed the shooting gallery and seeing all the stuffed animals and habitats throughout the enormous store. It was quite impressive. We had a tasty lunch at the in-store restaurant and A picked up a couple of things he had been wanting for a while. Walking from the comfortable air-conditioned store outside and across the black asphalt parking lot just about did me in. It had to have been 100 degrees and my body is not accustomed to that kind of heat! So we quickly cranked the AC in the car and headed back to S and D's place. D again fixed a delicious dinner for us and the kids had fun playing with each other and the animals. T and S now want a cat really bad. We may get one from the pound, since they are pretty low maintenance. As much as I love dogs, I don't think I could deal with one right now, unless it was full grown and well-trained! So after dinner, we said our goodbyes and headed back to home for another night's sleep.

Saturday, August 1: So, I don't really remember what we did this day......I'm sure it was fun, whatever it was! Oh, I did get to see my good friend and her adorable 18-month old twins before she headed back to the east coast. That was fun. Oh yeah, and we went to Mr. Pizza with C and mom for lunch and headed over to see C and R's newly remodeled beach hangout! It was so cute!

Sunday, August 2: Alright, so I am getting really foggy on the details now, or maybe I'm just getting lazy and tired of typing. If you're still reading this--kudos to you. We went to church with mom and dad and, wonder of wonder, miracle of miracles, we stayed all 3 hours--something I'm not prone to do when on vacation! After church we made our way to R and L's beautiful new home and enjoyed a delicious dinner of BBQ pork sandwiches, new garden vegetables in country gravy, and a heavenly dessert!!! Wow, it was all so good! Then we played the "UNgame" which was hilarious. It was basically group couples therapy with RI as the mediator. Then we played another game which was fun--What's Yours Like? At this point, I thought to myself, I should go check on T. I went outside and saw him and AC up on the high cliff near their house. I gasped in shock, but was comforted by hearing AC say, "Don't get too close to the edge T." He was taking good care of him. Then I see T sit down, scoot towards the edge, and dangle his legs off the side! Yikes! So A and RC came out and coaxed them down the hill (the safe side!) Always an adventure with that kid. Oh and he dropped their cat down the steep window well, so now I'm thinking that getting a cat might be a bad idea after all--for the cat's sake!

Monday, August 3: A took the kids while I did a little bit of shopping. We enjoyed lunch at Johnny Carinos (Italian nachos for me, spicy shrimp and chicken for A) and ice cream at SubZero--they mix the cream, sugar with flavoring, and your toppings in a bowl. Then they shoot the whole thing with liquid nitrogen and it freezes right before your eyes--really cool! And as family tradition dictates, dad took us all out to Sizzler for dinner. They were going to put us into separate booths but we didn't want to be separated, so we all squished together (dad, mom, C, R, A, T, S, and I). Poor C was stuck between T and S! She was great and kept them full of steak! I got steak and malibu chicken--soooooo good. A and I always have a food/restaurant agenda whenever we visit Idaho and I think we hit them all, except for Olive Garden. I got to see my good friend and her sisters that evening. It was great to catch up.

Tuesday, August 4: We headed to the temple early in the morning while the kids were still asleep. Halfway there I realized I didn't have my temple recommend, so I dropped A off and headed to Walmart to find some airplane entertainment for the kids. Our last day was spent packing and repacking, trying to make everything fit into two bags, since you now have to pay $15 for each checked bag. At the airport we weighed the two bags--one was 50.0 pounds exactly and the other was 49.something. Cutting it close. It was hard to say goodbye to my mom, and I had to fight back the tears, but she is going to try and come up here sometime after the baby is born, so that will be awesome. The flight back was nice and uneventful, except the kids both developed symptoms of pinkeye on the airplane--goobery, red eyes. They are both doing better now, though. On the long flight from Seattle to Anchorage we were blessed with 3 seats apiece since the flight was rather empty. T went right to sleep next to me after we got our snack. S was another story. She was wired and wouldn't sleep. So A rented the digiplayer and they watched a movie. I actually did fall asleep for quite a while. Later, I woke up to the sound of S coloring. She was coloring furiously. It made me laugh. A told me she had been at it for a good hour and a half! I don't think she's ever focused on anything for that long. So of course, she fell asleep about 20 minutes before landing! Ahhhh! A's mom and grandma were there to greet us at the airport. It was great to see them again. We drove home and collapsed in our beds.

Wednesday, August 5: Was in a funk all day--adjusting to 40 degree cooler temperatures, no sunshine, no cousins for the kids to play with 24/7, A working, and unpacking.

Thursday, August 6: Spent way too long typing up this blog post. But will be glad I did it someday. Funk is slowly but surely subsiding......thanks everyone for the memories!!!!

P.S. The high-quality pictures are from M and D's camera. THANKS! The low-quality ones are from our phone.

Stranger Danger

2009-07-20T18:59:00.000-07:00

I was leaving my doctor's appointment the other day and going to get into the car. I didn't have the kids with me. A lady who was parked right next to me was loading her kid into the back passenger seat of her car as I approached mine. I kind of hung back and waited until they were all loaded before getting into my car, you know, to avoid crowding them and being rude. Well her cute little boy was friendly and smiling, saying "hi" to me, so of course, I say "hi" back. Then his mom (or maybe his grandma? or babysitter....I don't know), shushes him and she tries to say it quietly, but I hear plain as day as she's getting him buckled,

"We don't talk to strangers."

Okay, yeah, we don't talk to scary strangers, but what about saying hi to semi-normal appearing(?) pregnant mom strangers? Its not like I was driving a windowless van and was trying to lure him in with a pixie stick. Maybe it was my ever-growing mass that was scary and strange? I don't know, but for some reason, I felt slightly offended. I know looks can be deceiving and its often the nice, normal looking people who are the weirdos, and its just a good basic rule for kids.

But then I thought about my own kids, and how they say hi to pretty much everyone in the grocery store and nearly every passerby when they are out playing in the yard and it has never worried me. I just thought it was nice that they were learning to be friendly. Maybe I need to have the "we don't talk to strangers" talk with them, but I guess part of me doesn't see the harm, especially when I am with them. But, then again, I won't always be able to be with them, especially as they get older and start riding their bikes or walking to school. What do you all think?

And on another note, here is A with his homemade smoker and a batch of salmon. mmmmmm

And I'm getting bigger every day, and I was totally sucking it in for this picture. And this was a month ago.

We made homemade ice cream the other night--put the ingredients in a quart-size ziploc bag, sealed that bag and put it in a gallon-size ziploc bag full of ice and some rock salt, wrapped the whole thing up in a towel, shook it for 5-10 minutes, and voila--ice cream. It was fun.

Miss Independent

2009-07-11T16:41:00.000-07:00

She loves to watch her princess movies, especially Sleeping Beauty, Pocahontas, and Cinderella. She knows all the words to "Once Upon a Dream" and sings it often.

This little raccoon got ahold of some eyeshadow and went to town!

True to the spirit of the 2-year-old, S is becoming quite the independent little person. She insists on dressing herself, she insists that her clothing be pink or flowery or in some other way "booytiful", she insists on climbing up to and buckling herself in her car seat, and above all--don't even think about trying to put her shoes on for her because she WILL have a massive breakdown! So funny and adorable, and frustrating (mainly for her) and time-consuming, yet necessary and very exciting! She has been growing and learning so much lately, it is fun to see her personality develop. We finally got our plane tickets to Idaho. It looked for a while like we might not be able to go, and I was on the verge of a breakdown at that possibility because I want so bad for me and the kids to see and play with everyone again. I'm so happy!

The best of friends

2009-07-06T14:38:00.000-07:00

Yep, these two do everything together and, for the most part, they get along beautifully. But don't be fooled, because even though they are the best of friends, they are also the worst of enemies! Haha! I just don't have any evidence of it because when they are fighting, the last thing I want to do is grab a camera and preserve the screams and tears for posterity. Of course I always want to take their picture when they are being sweet and having fun together.

What to do?

2009-06-29T10:02:00.001-07:00

I am having a dilemma in deciding how to decorate/paint the "girls" room. Originally, I had planned on painting the walls a nice neutral sage green, but after finding out we are having a girl, I kind of wanted to go all out girly and do pink walls with white wainscoting. Plus, we already have the chocolate colored crib (not this one, the walmart version).

(Photo courtesy PotteryBarnKids.com)

Then I saw this little girl's room with blue walls that I fell in love with.

(Photo courtesy ohdeedoh.com)

And now I'm back to thinking we should do something neutral and universal so we don't have to repaint when we go to sell (since that is the ultimate goal....), but who knows when that will actually happen? Could be next year, could be 10 years from now! Whatever we decide, it couldn't look any worse than the black marker/pencil/crayon scribbles that currently decorate the walls. Advice? Suggestions?

I ♥ Alaska

2009-06-26T10:39:00.000-07:00

Sunset picture snapped from the car on the drive down. This was taken around midnight.

Summertime here is completely indescribable. Maybe its cause this is the time of year A and I met and it just holds a certain magic for me. The long days, the breathtaking scenery everywhere you look, the certain smell of damp forest or salty, stinky ocean....I love it all. We took off Wednesday night, dropped the kids off for a slumber party with Grandma, and drove to the mouth of the Kasilof River, where the dipnetting season opened at midnight. Dipnetting, for non-Alaskans (and trust me, I didn't have a clue what it was til I moved here), is where you take a big fish net, dip it into the river where it meets the ocean, and hope that a salmon swimming upstream will swim into your net. Its the way thousands of Alaskan residents fill their freezers and cupboards with delicious wild salmon for the year because each household can keep 25 for the head of household plus 10 for each additional family member. That totals to 65 for us (yes, we are counting our unborn child). Okay, so we only got ONE this time (reminds me of what happened to us last year) but A says we aren't gonna stop going down until we get all 65. haha. Hopefully that doesn't take us too many trips (its an 8-hour drive roundtrip).

The river is flowing this way---->towards the ocean. The tide was rushing in in the opposite direction. And I don't know what that means for good dipnetting conditions or not. You can see A on the left and some Russian fellow on the right. While we (A) only got one (I got none), some around us had better luck. One guy caught three, THREE! salmon in his net at once. It was awesome. Oh and before I even got my net in the water I slipped and fell in the mucky, sticky mud, amid laughter from our Russian neighbors. Lovely.

My one and only with our one and only.

Taken around 3:00 am

After the temperatures dipped into the 30's, I wimped out and headed for the warm car and A's father's day gift--the iphone. Haha!

The drive home. My pictures don't even come close to doing it justice.

We were happy that we got at least one, because we knew T would be so disappointed if we came home empty-handed. He helped A get it all filleted, packaged, and some marinating for the smoker.

It was a great little adventure and reminded me so much of our days b.c. (before children) where we could take off and do things like this whenever we wanted. It was a treat.

Oh, and I'm sure you all know by now, but our baby is a GIRL!!!! I was totally shocked, but not as shocked as A, and of course, thrilled!!! I unearthed S's old baby clothes this morning and started going through them, getting so very excited for another little bundle of love. The only problem is coming up with a name. We had a boy's name all squared away, but are having a hard time falling in love with a girl's name. We have a list of about 5 names that we both like, but nothing sounds just right, ya know? Oh well, it is fun and I'm sure we'll come up with something!

Latest happenings...in no particular order

2009-06-15T23:16:00.000-07:00

Captain

First mate

Deck hands

Last week on a nice, hot, sunny day, we took the little Zodiac (since the Sea Chicken is no longer with us:( out on Finger Lake and zipped around for a while. I love doing spontaneous little things like this in the evenings and its so perfect in Alaska because:
a) there are countless places to go and do fun things within a 30 minute drive--hiking, boating, fishing, or whatever.
b) it stays light so late that you can do things like this in the evening and not feel rushed because you're "burnin' daylight." You just have to take the sunny days and enjoy them while you can, because you never know when the sunny days are gonna turn into rainy weeks!

This is T's room after carpet. It still needs lots of finishing touches like trim, curtains, and more accessories, but for now it feels like the most "finished" room in the house..........two+ years later:) Eventually I want A to carve a big wooden grizzly holding a fish to put in one of the corners and have it be a fishing themed room. I didn't get it in the picture, but one of the walls is a log wall, so it has a cabin-y feeling.

Today we made a quick sales trip down to the Portage/Girdwood area and let the kids throw rocks in the water. Always a big hit!

This is near the Portage Glacier.

And A's friend of a friend is the owner of the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center and was able to get us in for free. They have lots of cool Alaskan animals like bears, caribou, moose, muskox, and the like. It was really fun and you can't beat free!

It was a hot day--perfect for wallowing in the mud.

I loved these baby moose!

I wanna catch a king salmon!

2009-06-07T17:05:00.000-07:00

Saturday we went out with A's brother on his new Craigslist special river boat. We went out on the little Su river because we heard the kings were just starting to come through and we were hoping to get lucky. T was determined to catch a fish, but alas, we came up empty-handed. You know how the joy is supposed to be in just being out, enjoying nature, spending time as a family and not caring whether or not you catch anything? Well T has yet to find the joy in that. Okay--he did have fun all day long, but when it came time to go home and we hadn't caught anything, he came completely unglued, screaming "I wanna catch a king salmon!!!" over and over and over again. Gotta admire his determination. It really was a great time and we all got good and sunburned.