My dad and my grandma looking for moose up marathon road in kenai. we saw an eagle instead



Snowball fights daily--come play!






Santa brought trains and tracks. He is such a happy little joy!


Well, I had a brief hiatas from blogging to enjoy the holidays with family. My dad and gran came up for a visit. My dad played non stop with Julia and John and when he wasn't putting everything into the grandkids he was working on the house or our car. We were really spoilt! Gran did amazingly well and kept up with us all as the days meandered with no routine and am million things happening at once. I took way too many pictures and so have just chosen a few to post. The weather was incredibly warm, it hovered just above freezing for their time with us. It made it perfect because we could play outside without being too cold. One of the days we went ice fishing (something I had always wanted to do). It was a blast. Everytime I put in my hook I caught a lil trout. I threw them back because I am holding out for a huge halibut this summer! We really loved having company for the holidays. Now taking bookings for the summer ...see ya soon!

Begining to look a LOT like Christmas

We have had lovely snows this week. I am really enjoying the view. It is stunningly beautiful. The thermometer is at -3 F this afternoon. We are making the trek to Anchorage tomorrow to collect my dad and gran from the airport. We are very excited and glad to have family around for Christmas.



These are prawn eggs that actually tasted pretty good. William somehow makes me try everything. He ate so many I thought he would get sick, but he has a stomach made of steel. (I ate this one cracker since I am not as hardy as him).



That face is so funny!
It's the I am two and you are not going to make me wear this outfit. He actually told me "No, It's TOO cute momma!" When did he get old enough to not want to be too cute anymore.





A picture from the day Julia did her school Christmas play.



Our sweet little elf...






Julia's wrote her own letter to Santa this year.





More snow.






Today we made gingerbread houses with my friend Shelley and her daughter Aurora




We had a great time!

Sledding while waiting on the fireworks in Kenai.



Setting up their little people nativity scene.




Decorating our tree.




Tis the time to get knitty!

Let it Snow

Our gorgeous sweet J



Our handsome sweet J



We had a lovely snow last night. After going to visit Santa this afternoon we went for a little stroll in the woods...
Tonight is the annual parade of lights in Kenai and then a bonfire and fireworks to follow. They have to do their fireworks display in the winter since it is not dark during 4th of July.
This morning I was crazy enough to shop Black Friday. It is the first time in 4 yrs I have had William around to watch the children the day after Thanksgiving. When we were in the South, the day after Thanksgiving was his start of duck season and William mourned a little last night. Just knowing that Mitchel and the gang were on their way to the duck woods was a mite painful for him...
Anyway, there are 2 stores in town that open at 5am and I wasn't quite that crazy--I left the house at 7am. I think I saw the entire town...they were are scrounging for cheap wool socks and 1/2 price slippers, etc. My motivation for going was 70% off at Joann's Fabric on a bolt of Drapery Blackout Lining. I am already thinking ahead to summer, when the sun never sets...

For now though...Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY DAD

Happy Birthday to my most precious dad in the whole world.
I am so blessed to have such an inspiration and solid ground in my life.
Thank you for all that you mean to me!
I love you,
Loui

oh, and Happy Turkey day to the rest of ya'll!

Winter

Getting a pic in front of the Salty Dawg Saloon in Homer.




Homer AK... a day of sightseeing with Jodi and Steven.








Bald Eagle.




Winter Beach






Winter moose




Mt Redoubt...our local active volcano.





The scenery on the way through Turnigan Pass has changed dramatically since our last trip into Anchorage.



Sterling Hwy


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Daylight comes at around 10am and darkness just after 4pm. The kids can't fathom what is going on.
We had a delightful time with J&S and it has been hard to adjust to them being gone from our home! No more games til 1am and enough left overs for the next month.

More visitors for Christmoose...we can't wait!

Lovin' company

Jodi and Steven always take the best pictures with our kids.
If William and I were sitting with them they would be all wrapped and contorted around us!

"But the fire is so delightful"



Always time for some sledding





Giving thanks for our amazing lives.

1st Guests Make it to the Last Frontier

Steven and Jodi in the snow...



Jodi snuggling on the couch with Julia.

We went to Anchorage ( the big city) to get Jodi and Steven. It is so nice to see them again!!!!!!!!!!! We ate at a restaurant called the Moose's Tooth on the way home and we had the BIGGEST pizza I'd ever seen. The drive home was pretty and Jodi and Steven got out and froze a couple of times for photos.

Today we made a list for our upcoming Thanksgiving Feast. Pictures to come of the FEAST. We are so thankful for our family!

Well, I did try the liver, but not the heart yet. We're saving that for our first house guests for a special supper--LOL! 2 days til we have visitors...yipee!




Last night our first little bit of snow came. It was so beautiful to wake up to.
We had a great time playing outside this afternoon.

Welcome to the neighborhood

Well, I have never received such an odd housewarming gift as yesterdays. Picture a burly and a little bit furry man in his 60's coming to your door with a HUGE metal pan containing a pig heart and liver. Ah, yes, my surreal experience just got magnified!
We accepted and listened to the proper way to prepare them.
We had coffee and talked fishing. And I rinsed all the lingering blood out of his pan and he headed home two doors down.
Ah, that's right I am in Alaska now. But am I going to eat this--ahh, I will be sure and take a picture if I do.






We are all feeling a bit better this Monday, but little man had a rough night and I have been really missing those baby moments when they fall asleep against your heart beat. So, William captured it for me.






These are the kind of housewarming gifts I can get the kids to eat. Pumpkin cupcakes from the next door neighbor.




The bamboo wallpaper in the background. It took 3 days to remove. Lots of glue, lots and lots of glue!!!






Peek a boo.



We located John's cars and gave them a bath and put them in here to dry. I love listening to him play with them and the creative little journeys they take.





Finally, I managed to make a fall table runner like the wall hanging I posted earlier. I backed it with fleece so we can use it to put our Thanksgiving feast on it.

7 Degrees and getting colder

Super brrrr today. If any precip comes it will be snow...the ground is frozen and crunchy. We know because we walked around the neighborhood trick or treating Saturday night. It was very surreal, like a lot of this Alaskan experience has been so far. I find myself saying, am I really here???
I only realized today that our outdoor thermometer goes down to
-60, maybe they all do--is that necessary...I guess I will know in the next few months.



The little bear and precious ladybug before they got any candy. They really did start smiling once they started racing eachother to ring doorbells.We have enough candy for a year!!




Things are starting to shape up in Judy, although now Julia has renamed Judy. It's now "Bobby" to her...This view is from the diningroom into the kitchen. We are going to put tile floors and new countertops in the kitchen and bathrooms at some point, but next on the list is removing wallpaper in the bamboo room for our early thanksgiving guests.



My love got me tulips last week and I have enjoyed every minute of their beauty!!!!



Getting a bit cozier in the livingroom. It also doubles as a train station for now.