BaseBall Season!

I was tempted to put Connor into soccer this summer but my girlfriend/neighbor/co-parent said they were doing teeball and coach pitch for her kids that are Connor and Chloe’s age so I thought we could do that together. Better if we need to carpool etc… Connor was a little nervous to do something new but he has done so well! I’m proud of my little man. Chloe…. ehh….. she doesn’t know what she’s doing most days… our “LaLaLoopsy” she’s in her own world but she loves being with her BFF Jessie! So they are happy standing in the outfield picking at the grass and goofing off. And Curtis is Green with envy he can’t play…

 

our little stud would be out there next to Connor if he could. He desperately wants to be a big kid.

I didn’t realize what I signing up for when we started this season. It’s 6 weeks of games 3 times a week. So for the kids they rotate nights so some weeks we are at the fields every night of the week Mon-Sat! We’ve been rained out, smoked out from the fire.. but we have played in the rain and the Cold! It’s been fun. We have one more week left and I know we’ll miss it when it’s over.

These kids drive me crazy but at the same time they get me to laugh louder and smile bigger than anyone else in the world! Love these goofballs!!

#There’snocryinginbaseball

Funny River Fire

Life here in Alaska is No joke. I swear each week there is something new and exciting/scary happening. We felt our first earthquake. It woke me up one morning… that’s a new one for me… And then on May 19 the famous Funny River fire was first reported. I don’t believe I heard about it until 2 days later. I remember driving home from work telling my mom about it over the phone and she looked it up and saw how close it was to us and kinda…. freaked out. Telling me to make sure I had my 42 hour kits were ready to go and in our cars… I thought this wasn’t that big of deal. It rains a lot here right.? Not really. This fire grew and grew. It’s still burning to this day and probably until the end of summer but it’s all well now. But for awhile things were scary. Not for us. We weren’t really close to it but people in our ward were very close and some even evacuated from their homes. Not for long. (a night or two) But sunday the 25th we had a ward fast for the the fire and we all prayed for rain. And it did come. two days later the rain came and didn’t stop for an entire week. It truly did help. It’s amazing how huge it got without anyone getting hurt or major structural damage being done. Over 196,000 acres were scorched.

That’s HUGE well in any other part of the United States but for Alaska.. it’s just a speck. The affect we had was a couple of mornings our neighborhood was covered in smoke. It smelled like a campfire outside and very smoky. Not bad at all. Here are some photos….

And just because I am a curious bird, after things were safe and Funny River Road was open again I went and checked things out for myself… Not far from home (10 minute drive) this is what I found…

Funny River Fire VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

I know it was devastating and scary for some but I found it pretty awesome. (first that no one was hurt) But the new growth that will come, is so beautiful and some of the photography that came from this fire is just breathtaking. (took this pictures from online)

Its over now. Fire restrictions have been lifted.. Things are quiet again!

Schools out!

I have to rewind a little bit as usual I have catching up to do. I don’t seem to make the time to sit down and type like I used to do. This working, 2 callings, keeping up with Kiel, and the kids… it’s all exhaustingly different than the past 9 years of our marriage.. but it’s just fun in a different kind of way.

ok so May 21st was Connor’s last day of school. He really enjoyed school this year. He had a great teacher and he is already missing school.

 

One of the last days of school I made these Cake pops for all Connor’s teachers and aids. I went in to have lunch with him and watched him as he proudly handed out his apples. He’s such a sweetheart at times… I was at work the last day of school but when Connor came home Kiel said he took him out for a treat and then picked up some Pokemon Cards.. ( the latest fad I guess….) He had a great year, and we are proud of him, this year has been a lot of changes and he has been wonderful with each one. So I am proud of our “Nonnor”

 

After School was out Kiel and I were excited about exploring more of Alaska. The weather has been Gorgeous this spring so every sunny day we are outside playing and gardening and out exploring.

 

This is the scene I usually see from my kitchen window. I love that the kids love being outside and playing with the neighborhood kids. We are so lucky to be such a great neighborhood with kids their ages that play so well together!!!

One of our first trips we planned was a day in Homer! The very southern tip of the peninsula. It’s a gorgeous town with views of the ocean and the mountain range surround the bay. On a clear day it’s breathtaking! There is a strip of land that goes out into the middle of the ocean and on it there are restaurants, shops, hotels, camping sites and then the docks of course! It was a beautiful day, not all the shops were quite open yet but we had a great time! 

The next week Kiel went back to Homer with a friend of his and they fished off the shore and he came home with 7 flounder and a Pollock. So I fried them up in panko and we ate it up for dinner. The kids Loved it!!! (surprisingly)

We love Exploring and there is much more to come!!! Stay Tuned!!

Freezer meal Frenzie

We now have been In Alaska for 7 months and we are all still alive... Amazing!! One of the things I have been slacking on has been our family dinners.. In Arizona I always had a well stocked freezer full of meals, meats, desserts...etc... And since we've been here I haven't done that. And now that I'm working it hasn't been the same. So on Sunday I made a list of a lot of our favorite meals and I started on a week long freezer meal frenzie. Monday I worked but before woke I went to the grocery store and dropped everything off with kiel and he got things organized for me. That night kiel went off to work I started on my cooking, that night I made two pots of our new favorite soup. The most amazing broccoli cheddar soup!! So delicious. The next day I was on a mission... I inquired some help from Chloe and her bestie Jessie... 

So helpful these girls... ... Not really... But they loved helping out. Chloe is obsessed with helping me in the kitchen , every time I enter the kitchen she grabs her little chair and comes over and asks to help me cook. She's a good girl and I am happy she is interested. The girls helped me make; 

Cookie dough

 Mac and cheese (Jessie was stirring the cheese sauce) 

Mac and cheese with tomato sauce

Turkey meatloaf with sundried tomatoes...

Some pix... 

That night I made one dish of stuffed shells....

Wednesday I made 21 mini calzones with the help of Chloe and Curtis.. 

That afternoon I made three trays of chicken Parmesan.. We ate one that night for dinner... I believe it was my best one yet... I've made this recipe a couple of times but I believe this was the best one!!! Everything made from scratch is a lot of work but pays off. Mmm.... 

And just when I thought I was done I made an apple crisp for after dinner tonight so I tripled the recipe and I froze most of it... Quick dessert to pull out of the freezer... 

It's been an exhausting week... A lot of dishes... Cracked hands from washing my hands so much... But I am happy because now my freezer looks like this!!!!!

I am a happy camper... 21 meals and 2 different kinds of dessert. All for about $13 a meal not to bad for Alaska's crazy prices... We had the chicken parm last night,,, and tonight we had the broccoli soup. The kids loved it. We had soup and salad... I told them it was Cafe Zupas night.. We miss our cafe Zupas...;( So I have to improvise. 

Now I can go off to work and know that kiel has dinners taken care of:) #yum #freezermeals

Spring update

Again I've been bad about posting on my blog but i want to do an update on what's been happening this month. It was about 2.5 weeks ago I got really sick and found out I had tonsillitis... Something I get a lot so I knew the drill... Went right away to a doctor to get a RX to kill it... Pretty much this doctor told me it's my fault that I keep getting tonsillitis from all the antibiotics I have taken over the years... Needless to say she didn't make me feel to good... My bad... You get sick, have surgery you take antibiotics to kill the infections..... My bad.... I get what she was saying but when you are sick and just want to go home and die all you want to hear is a little of hope. "You're going to be ok", "you'll feel better soon", "you're not going to die".... Great examples.. But no... It's my fault this keeps happening every year and no I don't recommend you removing your tonsils... Great!! I don't believe she will be on my christmas card list for next year. Blah. But I am grateful for kiel who had just gotten off from a 12hour night shift and first thing when he got home was help with the kids so I could sleep until my appointment and then drove me to my dr appointment and then to get my Rx. Then he crashed. My real life superhero. Thank goodness for drugs I have to say. Within two/three days I was feeling a little better... Bbt never 100%. I took a couple of days off of work to get better but I still made it to work a couple of days at the end of the week. Not a great week. Bbt my the weekend I was feeling a little better... But the kids I believe gave it back to me... By Monday morning, a whole week later there I was sick again but this time with an annoying cold. That is still lingering....... But instead of being lazy I decided it was time to just dive into full potty trainging withu Curtis... Could've been since I was too lazy/sick to go get more diapers but hey I'm sick not going anywhere so why not... I have to say... A week and a half later kiel and I are so impressed with this little man. He's doing amazing... He doesn't fight it (except in the morning when he's still sleepy but honestly.. We all are a little cranky in the morning,,, I am!!!! kiel will testify to that one!!) Curtis is honestly so far been the easiest, kindest, sweetest, tender baby we have had.... Connor was torture.... Chloe.... Ehh... Did well in the beginning but lazy here and there for a very long time... But I'm impressed with Curtis... He really understands and communicates so well he makes it easy. Thank goodness.. I thought parents that said they had easy kids when it came to things like this were truly lying...yeah right.... But not that Curtis has potty trained himself but compared to the other two C's he has made it easier and less stressful. maybe because I'm a little bit more relaxed about it he's calmer. Whio knows. Either way things are going well and no more diapers!!!! Yeah!! Our last one!!!!! Now on to the hard things... Ha. As a parent you find yourself thinking that if only we can make it through this "stage" then it will get better.. Yeah right... I never believed that... It's just on to the next unknown challenge... Like for example.. Connor is 6.5 and is full of emotion and attitude. All of sudden he's this big kid to me. Sometimes I can truly rely on him to help me but then again I can't... It's challenging to figure out that balance of what he can and can't or should and shouldn't do. He's in this limbo between little kid and big kid activities and attitude. It's a challenge somedays. But we are so proud of him, he's growing so quickly and doing well in school and by the day growing with confidence and daring to do things he would never in the past. Chloe on the other hand.... Phew,, that girl is mainly living in what we like to call "LaLa land" sometimes I really feel like we should get her hearing checked out. I will call her name over 10 times and she still doesn't respond... I know she can hear... I've tested her myself but she has so many things going on I her head that she doesn't listen to anything else... It really worries me sometimes as we are getting her ready for kindergarten next year I wonder if she is ready sometimes. I broke down to kiel one night about Chloe and how I hate that I can't communicate with her like i do with Connor and even Curtis. She doesn't listen so we can't really carry on a conversation at times. Repeating myself a thousand times during each conversation is frustrating to me so at times I just don't say anything to here, it's hard, but I have to be patient and get it while I can. One of the few times that I really can talk with Chloe is when we are in the bathroom and I'm doing her hair. Silly I know but that's our time together and sometimes I get through to her and I try to connect with her. I love and adore her and I know this is just one if those "phases" so I just have to be patient and keep trying, 

In other things.... Kiel is still working over nights.. Usually it's 4on4off but for the past month and up until cinco de mayo (Claire's bday!!) he's working 5on3off which is rough,,, he barely gets enough sleep and we don't get to see him much...... I don't get to see him much! :( and because of his longer schedules I haven't been able to work as much. But being sick it's been ok. 

Things around here have been warming up and everything is starting to green up me which excites us. We are ready for summer.. The sun is staying up longer and longer. Right now it doesn't get completely dark until 10:30 and it's only April... This summer is going to be a bright one :) #alaskaliving

Emenince class

Gina (third from the left, brown curly hair) is the owner of the salon I work and she arranged for as many as us who could, go on a over night trip to anchorage for an eminence skin care class. I believe I written I about the products before so I won't go on about it but i am in love with this skin care line and was psyched to learn as much I could. I have been doing as much studying as I can on my own through their website, YouTube, and of course their products and books....  We had a great time... There were only 5 of us who could make it which was sad, we missed everyone left home. We had a great time. 

When I walked into the conference room at our hotel I saw our instructor... Her name is Natalie and she is who I watch all the time in the eminence Channel on YouTube she is like the #2 at the company. Such a smart and kind woman. She knows everything when it comes to ski care. I could've sat there all day listening to her. Loved her class. Just made me fall more in love with the line and excited to head home and give more facials. 

It was a great experience and I am so grateful I was able to go. It worked out perfectly with Kiel's work schedule and he was so great to be with the kids so I could go. 

Brave Chloe

After coming home I decided it was that time again to visit the dentist. The kids and I went back in Arizona before we moved here. Connor was so amazing but Chloe on the other hand was kinda a nightmare. It took two attempts and a lot of coaxing... She was terrified. So I was very nervous about experiencing that again. So I made an appointment for Chloe and I to go in together. I went first... Chloe met the doctor who I know from him being a client at the salon so I knew she would like him. The it was Chloe's turn. She was amazing!!! Thank goodness.. I'm proud of my Chloe and her clean teeth!! Good girl.