My Humble Man

Jared LOVES cars! I mean loves. One of his favorite shows is Top Gear on BBC. It's a whole show dedicated to talking about cars. One of Jared's dream jobs would be to test drive cars.

So, Jared has his own parking space at work. We only have one vehicle right now, our sleek black Kia mini-van. And parked right next to his parking space is usually 1 to 3 super sport bikes.

All I have to say is Humble Man.

In Mid-Play

Let me draw your attention to Corbin's mouth. I don't know if you can tell or not but that's his blow-up ball hanging from his lips. He loves to blow-up that ball again and again. He lets the air out just so he can blow it up agian. Here's how I imagine it happening.

"I don't want to take a nap. I'm going to run around my toy room and fight it. Oh! Here's my blow-up ball. I'm going to play with it. I'm blowing, I'm blowing........I'm gone." In mid-play.

This Blog's For Me

This blog is for me to remember my hiking experience to Hatcher's Pass. This was the first time in my life that I saw something in nature that brought tears to my eyes. I felt so goofy but those green mountains stirred my soul.

Goldfish

Check out our cat eating the goldfish. He devours them like they are gourmet. I'll give him milk or other dairy and he won't touch it. But goldfish......

Our First Moose

Baby Moose.


Mama Moose.


And we just had to have a dad too.

Aunt Tammy Came to Visit

We had our first family memeber come visit us in Alaska, Aunt Tammy (Jared's oldest sister). We had a blast.

Check this sequence out.
Tammy climbing the wall.

Tammy looking down.

Tammy falling off of the wall.

Crash landing. She was so nervous climbing for the first time. I was proud of her for getting out of her comfort zone and trying something new.

Are we playing golf or pool?

Let's see if you can tell by these pictures if Gavin, Asher, and Corbin are playing golf or pool. I was cracking up. They would get down flat on their stomachs and try to "shoot" the golf ball in.

It was the best playing mini golf that day because we were the only ones there except for a twelve year old boy. The kids were all over doing hole six while we were on hole ten. We had a private golf course. We are so upscale.

The Bear Paw Festival

We splurged a whole twenty dollars and rode carnival rides at the Bear Paw Festival. It was worth it, we had so much fun. Gavin and Asher were so scared on the Flying Dutchmen. They said it looked like a little kids ride but when they got on their faces said it all!

Scary Outfit

PT stands for physical training and all military persons do PT every morning of the week. It usually consists of running, sit-ups, and push-ups. Thursday is a special day however. It's the day the army runs in their boots, it's called a road march. I know it's good training but I just can't stop laughing when I see the outfit!

Bathtub: A Tribute to my Husband

Here is an unknown fact about me: I have a phobia of bathtubs.

It's just the idea of other people's cooties touching me! When we first moved in we didn't have a shower curtain but I took a shower anyway and cleaned the pool I created on the floor everyday.

I won some bath salts at the last Army picnic and I thought I should use them but well, that would mean I would have to get in the bathtub. I came in the living room last night after all the children were in bed and asked Jared if he would clean the bathtub for me so I could take a bath. He jumped right up and went to scrub the tub. What kind of man is that?! He ran my water and put the bath salts in and even fetched my toothbrush. Here's to my husband!

Rock Wall

There's a place on the Airforce Base called Artic Oasis. Inside there's a gym right next to an inside park so that moms can workout while their kids play. There is also a free rock climbing wall. Here's some pictures of our first time rock climbing.

Here's the happy crew.


This is as high as Corbin got.


Then he got bored and started doing the Tarzan thing.


Gavin got the highest. Asher is usually the best at physical endeavors so Gavin was rubbing it in big time!


And last but not least our little Asher.

The Artic Oasis also has mini golf, pool tables, computers and a cafe. Love it.

Tagged

Okay, I got tagged by Alanna Tia. Here goes.

4 places I go over and over:
My bed (I never make my bed, EVER, because I know I will be visiting it during the day. See previous blog with the poem I wrote called "Ode To My Bed".

The grocery store because I love food.

Artic Oasis which is this awesome place on the Airforce base that has an inside playground next to a gym with a free rock climbing wall.

Church. I finally understand what Isaiah was saying in 4:6, "And there shall be a tabernacle for a shawdow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain." The worse the world gets the more I appreciate my refuge from the storms in life, my ward.

4 favorite places to eat:
Any hole in the wall Mexican joint, Chilis, Qudobe, and McDonalds (I know, I know, I love a McDonald's cheeseburger with no onions.)

4 places I would rather be:
Let's do this. Four places I could visit right now. My moms, Jared's parents house, my sister Cara's, and Alanna Tia's.

4 T.V. show I watch regularly:
I don't watch t.v. but if I do watch anything it's TLC What not to Wear.

I tag Cara Drysdale, Leslie Cragwall, and Angela Spriggs. If you have time of course. Please don't feel pressured.

Fire in the House

Okay, this was a controlled fire.

Every house in Alaska has a fireplace so we decided to roast weanies and marshmellows in our living room tonight. It could have been a disaster knowing our children but it went perfect. Anything perfect has to be documented. After all it happens so rarely.

And can I just say that one of the simple pleasures in life is a toasty marshmellow? I really believe it can compete with some of the most decatant desserts out there.








The kids are doing the library summer reading program. So tonight we read about Marie Curie and Louis Pasteur. Our kids LOVE these books. They make mature topics kids friendly.

Bears

In Alaska you have to worry about Bears

So when you go hiking you take your bear kit which includes a large thing of pepper spray.

Some girl got attacked by a bear in Anchorage while riding her bike the other day.

Thought you outta know.

Hope you like the song I chose to go along with this blog.

Buttons

buttons and small fingers
do not get along
we put forth our best
but still get it wrong

when trying to locate
a buttons' proper home
some wind up next door
and some are all alone

at the end of a day
getting ready for bed
we forget to unbutton
our shirt stuck to our head

"Mom, help me button!"
Is always the cry
And I will come running
to fix buttons awry.

Hiking Day

Every Monday is kid hiking day in our ward. We do a different trail every week. Our first time going out I'm thinking this will be kid friendly, after all it is kid hiking day versus adult hiking day on Tuesday.

It was five miles long! Here's how happy my kids were:


We had several meltdowns in the middle of the trail. Full on tears and screams and refusals to walk another step. Because it took all of my effort to keep the children moving I only got one picture of the gorgeous scenery, and I mean gorgeous.


So anyhoo, we were dead last coming in. I carried Corbin for two and a half miles with Gavin and Asher crying that it wasn't fair and I should carry them too. They'll toughen up. We're going again tomorrow.