Alaska Everything!

Seems like the world has just discovered what we've lived the past 16 years.  Deadlistest Catch, Ice Road Truckers, Alaska State Troopers, Sarah Palin's Alaska, Gold Rush, Discover Alaska, Axe Men, Alaska Week, Myth Busters Alaska, Discover Alaska, and now Flying Alaska Wild.  What is it about Alaska that makes it so unique/intriguing? Is it the vast land with no road access, is it the harsh temperatures, glorious summers, wild life, what is it? There hasn't been a lot of home sickness since we've moved, but we've been really busy and stressed to really think about it, but it's creeping in.  I find myself missing my hour commute talking to Jeremy and Dave. I miss my Friday and Saturday nights with Sarah and Jeremy, Sunday morning church, Sunday Night Awana's and the idea of hunting with a few friends.  I honestly can't put my finger on it- why is Alaska "Special"? I no longer tell people I'm from Washington; I don't identify with it- I tell them I'm from Alaska and their eye's light up and I can talk until they don't want to listen anymore.  When I see a Salty Dawg sweatshirt down here I always holler out to them.  There's a kinship- I just don't understand but it's undeniable.  There are more remote areas of the world, harsher temperatures, better summers, and places on this earth that have more wildlife.  But if you said I'm from the Outback, Minnesota, Florida, Africa you'd never get the reaction than when you say Alaska.  What do you think?

Finally Frindle

Tucker did it. His first chapter book and he said, "It's the best book I've ever read; I'm going to keep it forever"! An awesome day in any parents life. We're so proud of our little guy..... but we can't figure out why his lips were swollen when we took his picture :).

If every day was like Christmas

Our kids would love each other all the time.

They'd be grateful for everything we gave them even if they didn't know what it was!

And brothers would of course be a little jealous.
We'd know what Rae Rae always wanted her WHOLE LIFE!

And our course we'd all know what polnailish was...

Merry Christmas

What happened to barbers and beauticians?

When I was younger I used to actually LIKE getting my hair cut.  It was cut by Carol Dunning, a nice Mom of my friend Jeremy.  She did a good job no matter what my youthful taste had wanted.  It was $8.00 for as long as I could remember; from 5th grade when she started to 3 years out of high school.....$8.00. She paid attention to detail, washed my hair before AND after.  It wasn't a wash either it was scalpal massagilousis and frankly I liked it.  Fast forward to today..... prices have skyrocketed even at the cheap places (you know the ones where the employees roll out of bed in sweats, don't comb, maybe not even wash, their hair, and put on no make up. They put their hair in a pony tail, spray on massive amounts of cheap perfume and have a cigarette on their way to work).  Even those places are pushing $20 a cut.  Sometimes they take 10 minutes and other times they take a 1/2 hour.  I really can't tell the difference between the 10 minute hair cuts and the 1/2 hour ones except the 1/2 hour ones they know where I work, how many kids I have, marital status, how long I lived here, where I came from, what I like to do and if there's still time what I think about the weather.  I hate those!  "I'm retired; did so at 16 with the invention of something called He-man masters of the universe then a large settlement from a lawsuit against Mattel for copying me with She-Ra.  Now I'm a philanthropist; most of them think that's some sort of magician. I have 16 kids that I know of, I'm a polygamist and can't remember if I had twins last year or not. I've lived here my whole life - I was here last month don't you remember me? I came from up the street and like to play the fiddle and the weather is sure better than this day 7 years ago- do you agree?"

The best haircuts are 10 minutes flat.  Good with the buzzers and scissors.  Do a good job and I don't even mind paying $20 (even if it's without a shampoo), do the math that's $120.00 and hour.  FYI that's more than a pharmacist makes and they go to school for 8 years! And where's the return on all that $.... you have to constantly tell them, you missed here, you missed my bangs, and can you even out my side burns?

Then there's those little treasures like, "Do you want me to pluck those two eyebrows"? Something I'll never forget. And today she buzzes my hair only to reveal about a dozen or so grey hairs.  Is that even possible? Can I go from no grey hairs to dozen or more in a month.

I hate getting my hair cut!

Little People Big World

Last Sunday Karla and I took all the kids Christmas shopping.  We saw the Dad of Little People Big World and his son to the right. Cruising around on his electric chair.

Funny because that's exactly how we felt.  We were in an ocean of shoppers, stores were crowded and I thought more than once.... I wish I was back in Alaska. Here's the Apple Store- look at the font it's literally solid people.  There were multiple stores that had that and...

by the end of the day Karla was a

well I wasn't feeling the Christmas joy either.  

As we pulled into our driveway Karla teased the kids and said, "Shoot I was so focused on making sure every one's list was complete I forgot to buy the kids presents! Oh well, they are getting enough already".

Tucker said in a very correcting manner, "Mom, It's Christmas. We are celebrating GOOODDDD'S BIRTHDAY; you need to give as much as you can"!  :)

Nothing like a little shopping to get everyone in the Christmas spirit!

Well he didn't take it this time.

Today Karla looked out the window to see Calvin picking up a guys golf ball and running it back to him.  Now you're probably wondering why we let our kids play on a golf course; we don't it's Calvin..... he's very sneaky and mischievous. 

Take a drop and a penalty point

This is the view of our back yard....

And this is a golfer looking for his ball......

But he won't find it becasue Calvin found a "treasure in the back yard" and, when Karla realized this, she freaked out grabbed the ball and hid between the window and the sliding glass door. Such a shining example!