In my defense, I was a senior. they were middle school boys. enough said.

However, today, 20+ years later, it is a whole different ball game. I could not be more proud of them, their choices, the way they parent, the husbands they are. <– Let this be an encouragement to all  moms with children fighting, what seems like, endlessly. day after day. In addition, I am so appreciative of the uncles are been to my children. The father role model my children don’t get to experience first hand, but they do get to see lived out as an example. they do watch. and they are learning from my brothers, their uncles.

Here are some pictures of the extremes my brothers are living right now – none of these pictures are mine. The pictures of Zach are from a MAF missionary who flew with him this week to help get supplies unloaded and given to those in need. They are covering so much ground each day. If you are looking for a place to donate money to help those devastated by the typhoon, check out NTMA’s website for more information. As I said earlier in the week, my brother is getting to be the ‘last link’ in a long chain to get the much needed supplies to people – ongoing donations are a huge blessing. These are amazing photos! The other pictures are Matt’s, you can visit his blog to see more about his amazing life – in his own words.

My brother is the one with the helmet on unloading supplies. They pay close attention to the weight distribution in the heli, so small bags makes it much easier to pack, shift, and re-pack – and makes use of every square inch of the inside. This is how food stuff is packed for the missionaries too.

I love this picture of Zach with the bubble and the beach. You see him flying, and you see the surroundings too. Look at that amazing view (and the heartbreaking devastation)!

While he roasts and has to figure out how to keep cool while flying, Matt has to make sure he has survival gear for the cold. Can’t get much more extreme flying condidtions- I suspect the temps they were flying in this week were 100* apart, at the minimum. almost the whole time. This is assuming it was at least 80* outside for Zach at all times (a pretty safe assumption I think); I know Matt said on his blog, he was flying with the temps on the ground being -25*.

I’m assuming this is looking out of the helicopter, looking at one of the NTMA planes. That’s a WHOLE lot of water!!!

Here you see some bigger bags. It looks like Zach is getting more out of the helicopter yet (I can see his legs and body leaning in on other side), or maybe he’s preparing to take off again. If you remember, he said people weren’t sure what he was doing landing on their beach. I kind of thought he meant near, or around, their beaches. I didn’t realize he meant literally landing on white sand beaches. There are some amazing photos of their smiling faces, you can see their gratitude for the help. I’m not posting those though because they’re not my photos and you can see the faces so clearly.

Jump a few thousand miles north (5,000+), and now you see Matt’s view this week. Do you see the sun hitting the top of Denali/McKinley? Brrr! it makes me cold just looking at this photo.

This is what Matt spends his days flying in. This plane is basically a member of the family. I especially like it with its bush wheels on :-). This was actually taken 3 weeks ago. Everything is very white today. We had negative temps, rain, then snow in a matter of about 24 hours. Currently it is a balmy 23* and we have about 1.5ft of fresh, white snow. Winter has arrived.

{Also, update on dad. Surgery went well. It was NOT cancerous – praise the Lord! They are currently en route – he’s even well enough to be looking forward to his favorite coffee in the Seattle airport – to pick up their new-to-them truck and drive it home. They wont’ actually be driving for a couple days yet. A little bit of work has to be done first – but he found the wheel he needed on the way to the airport in Texas. :-)}

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Today I skipped out on all the need/want/have-to-do’s on all my lists.  I went to visit with dear friends and meet a new baby.  It was WONDERFUL!  To top it off, the sun was bright and warm.  I of course had my “real coat” with me, but I only wore a long sleeve shirt with a down vest.  I felt so light.  I was seriously relishing how warm it was and how maybe spring would come sooner {as long as I don’t look at the __ feet of snow on the ground, in piles EVERYwhere}; after all it was so warm {I would have guessed high-30s/mid-40s}.  Then I saw a thermometer.  At that point I questioned my sanity.  It was 19*.  Yes, that is above zero and not a negative number – but seriously?!  19* is still a LONG ways from melting.

I needed a break from the computer and when I’m home I don’t see the sun in my apartment.  So, since I was out, my children were with my mom, and the sun was shining – I drove.  I didn’t do my normal start at point A, and do errands in a line and end without back-tracking.  I kind of lost the ability to care, the sun was in my eyes and it was “warm”.  In the end, I checked in with mom – all was fine at home, but she & a friend were getting to sew.  I was almost tempted to go home and sew.  In the end, I got a coffee, went to the highest parking lot in town, and parked.  I sat in my car, looking at this view, with warm sun in my face and my eyeballs were very happy.  I had planned to read some stuff I needed to get through, but instead got to catch up with a friend from out of state.  {the wonders of cell phones :-)….}

We are blessed to live in Alaska.  In spring I do wonder why I choose to be here – but look at that view!  I could have turned in pretty much any direction and the view was the same – fresh, crisp, white snow on mountains, glistening to the point of hurting your eyes.  Alaska is home, even though I have heart ties in Wisconsin where I spent several childhood years (so I have a strong all things farm pull),  I have lived most of my life here.  While I’d love to see/shop at some of the wonderful places I see posted about {antiques, fabric, home decor, etc.}; I’d really miss Alaska.  I do really wish we had spring though.  😀

Just so you know – I’m not totally a pessimist….
— Snow storm on April 26, 2008 … Alaska in April
— Snow in April, 2009 … April Fool’s or not?
— Not trusting warm in mid-March, 2010 … SPRING! (maybe, but probably not)
Uh, huh…I’m just finally learning.  Enjoy it in the moment, but don’t depend on it staying :-D.  Yes, I am thick skulled and slow to get this — but this is the last three years’ records….so, I still wish we had spring and think in the future I just need to plan to go see spring elsewhere.  I can see the flowers, smell the flower, and feel the warm sun; then come back and be content to wait until Memorial Day weekend to do my planting :-D.

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The flowers look so wimpy in their pots right now, but I look forward to them filling out, the colors really being visible & not seeing the dirt.

Last year a friend gave me one of these hanging bags with blue lobelia in it. It was beautiful, thick & bushy. When she gave it to me you couldn’t see the bag it was hanging in. This is just to the left of my door, we all got very used to walking out & around (we’d walk out & step to the left to go right) to go down the ramp. So, true to ‘old habits die hard’ this year since putting my screen door on (our signal that summer is here) we are all walking out & around and moving our head funny to the left when we walked out to get around the bushy plant that isn’t there! So, I decided to put Gypsophilia in it. I love Gypsophilia. I discovered it a few years back & haven’t been able to find any since. It has the sweetest, tiniest little flowers – I would have chosen white but they only had light purple. I decided purple is good. 🙂 It sure looks funny right now, I hope I didn’t hurt it too much trying to get the plants through the little holes…..soon (I hope) our step out to the left to go right &/or the funny ‘jerk your head to the left’ move will be for a reason again :).

I’m so thankful our Heavenly Father created things of beauty – big, enormous mountains & teeny tiny flowers – for us to enjoy. I love living in Alaska!

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I’m finding myself drawn to pictures with green (and I’m not talking dark green but springy, fresh, yellowy greens) – green dishes, green floors, green chairs, green pillows, green blankets, green curtains… quilts with springy colors & lots of green variations. Yesterday I was working on getting a Creative Memories order in & the colors of paper I was looking at all followed the springy colors – not my normal choices. My latest addiction has been reading quilt/craft blogs, so many quilters are using all these bright colors & I wonder how much my addiction is in looking at all the colors. Of course all these quilters live in states where spring has sprung & I think secretly I’m looking for a glimpse of their yard with green grass & flowers poking up. 🙂

I’m so thankful God doesn’t rate me by the color I emit. A lot of what I’m reading & studying these days has shown & reinforced to me I’m not a very colorful person – I’m the steady, boring, introverted personality (I know, this is no surprise to anyone who knows me!). But, this is the way God made me. I’m thankful the whole world isn’t like me, but I do have my place ‘cuz we can’t all be the colorful ones either, then there wouldn’t be anyone to enjoy the color. I’m learning there are some things in life I don’t have to learn to like, but I do need to learn to not let fear overcome me. I’m so glad God is patient & willing to keep working on me!

I take so much comfort in knowing … “there is nothing I can do to make Him love me more, there is nothing I can do to make Him love me less.” A song, but I don’t remember who sings it. I think it comes from a verse too, but I’m not positive. I will have to check this out, but I need to go to hold a sick kiddo who is now ready to snuggle.

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I took the pictures at 9:15pm, by 9:30 it was too dark outside to see anything more. Poor CJ has slept thru it all, Vince heard me & got up to see it for himself.

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We got another gorgeous snow fall. I haven’t measured but it’s over 12″ of fluffy, pure white, beautiful snow. How amazing to think this is just “my” little corner of the world, and I couldn’t begin to count the number of snowflakes. Yet God made them individual & they’re each different?! And this is just snow – it melts, has no lasting/staying power, it will blow away (shortly I’m sure), it doesn’t have a mind, feelings, nor was it made in the image of God Himself. He made it just for us to look at & enjoy – I don’t think it serves any specific purpose, except our pleasure. How good is our God?!!!!

This moose was sleeping in our backyard when I opened my living room curtains this morning at 7:30.

Looking at Pioneer Peak this morning, 8:10am and -2*. Yesterday we could hardly see more than a few cars ahead & definitely no mountains because of the amount of snow falling. This morning was clear, beautiful, gorgeous, cold & sunny! This was such a treat to see. Vince had to be at church early this morning, we don’t get clear views like this from our house & I’m not normally out this time of day. After dropping him off, I had time to take pictures, stop in at Fred Meyer’s, and went to a dear friends house to drink coffee & visit — all before church started! 🙂

Two of the FISHing Crew Puppeteers who performed this morning. They did amazing, it is so fun to see what this group of kids comes up with. They study a certain scripture & write the script. Thank you Marilyn, for taking the time to teach them these skills.

When we got to church at 8 this morning the plowing crew was already done! They had all the sidewalks shoveled & all parking lots plowed, which resulted in HUGE snow banks. After church/Sunday School, going through most of worship upstairs & then watching the FISHing Crew puppets the kids were more than excited to not be quiet any more, they wanted to jump out of the van & play.

The boys running laps to get rid of “extra” energy.


True Alaskan girls

Who cares that it’s only warmed up to 18* & they’re dressed for church? It made me smile & I enjoyed that it didn’t slow them down in the least. They’re using my snow scraper/brush to dig in the snowbank.

Tonight’s sunset (took the picture at 5:30pm) – we now have daylight until pushing 7’ish.

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“Please, can we be done with pictures & get in the van now?”
I feel like my Heavenly Father totally gave us a most amazing gift; it was a wonderful, perfect end to a yucky month.

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My baby is growing up…

This poor young moose was eating the berries off the bushes in front of the living room window. He got the Christmas lights wrapped around his nose – he didn’t seem to notice, but we sure got a kick out of watching & waiting to see if he’d get it off. After watching for about a 1/2 hour my brother came up to the other door & spooked the moose. All he could see from the deck was the tree at the corner going nuts – he thought Vince was doing something. The Christmas lights ripped off the tree & snapped in at least 3 sections- one section stayed attached to the tree/bushes, we recovered one short section hanging from the lilac tree on the side of the house & the moose made off with the rest.

We had a “for real Christmas tree” this year! For those who don’t know this is actually a very pretty Alaskan tree & yes, it is about 9.5 ft tall and 2.5 ft wide.

The beautiful Mt. Mckinley on Sunday.

Have I mentioned before that we live in an absolutely gorgeous state?

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While driving from Juneau a week and a half ago I kept seeing white bushy trees as I drove. Do you see the lowest row? I wondered as I drove what they were – even though I love to look at trees, I don’t know their identities….to me they go into just 2 categories – pretty or not so much…

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I love that because we home school the kids get to take full advantage of the snow and sunshine. Spelling can wait! 🙂 After all, this is the day we spend a lot of hours in the car waiting for each of the kids’ activities – so Vince did his spelling between cross country skiing and youth group, while Christine went into gymnastics. We started a new math curriculum a few weeks back – one that Vince finally likes. By his choice he spent over two hours doing math today! I’m so thankful we have the flexibility to do things in a different order and on “weird” time schedules.

Besides that we want the dog worn out so he’ll sleep and not bark at night. That is so much easier to accomplish when it’s beautiful out. Because of our home school schedule, the kids can choose to go out to play when it is days like today. They love it.

Hickory is trying to climb in the hole with Vince. It is so sweet, Vince has his hand on Hickory’s paw – is that to hold him back from climbing in front? Christine is building her own fort on the right side; I believe the plan is to meet and go straight back to under the trampoline that is behind the snow pile.

I know today was windy, but thankfully for a couple hours this afternoon the wind did not hit this portion of the driveway. The kids were only going to go out for a half hour, cause it was cold and windy… Two and a half hours later, when it was time to leave they wanted to know why I was calling them in. Couldn’t they “pleeeeeease stay out longer”? “Please, can’t school wait. We’ll do it later, when it gets dark. We promise!” … AS IF I would call two happy kids in from playing well together, outside, in the fresh snow, with the dog, to do school. I think not! 🙂 When I said it was time to leave for skiing they couldn’t believe how much time had gone by.

What a perfectly wonderful day!

(I got a note from Zach tonight. Things are slowing a bit for him, he has even gotten to go swimming for 20 min. a couple times. He said just remembering swimming made him feel better. He is ready to go home to Jane and the kids; he is there another week yet though. Matt has pictures and more info on his blog.

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