Winter Solstice

December 21st marks the first day of winter and is the shortest day of the year. Here is a time lapse pictures that was taken over Fairbanks. It shows the stages of the sun on winter solstice from about 10:30 am to 2:45pm.

With each passing week we will be gaining around 30 minutes of day light! I am really looking forward to that. Winter may be long but summer comes quick with all the sunshine that will be melting all the snow.

I love living in such a magical and mysterious place!

Waiting on daddy

This past week I tried to keep the kids busy. They were really missing daddy and being extremely clingy to me. 

Monday was -35 so we didn't go anywhere!

You may be thinking what does that even feel like. Well, this is what I experienced on my short trip to the mailbox and back. The snot in my nose and my nose hairs were seriously frozen, I could barely breathe, it takes your breathe away. You cough but that doesn't help. That just freezes up your mouth. One thing I have learned is when it is this cold: do NOT touch metal!! Always keep your gloves on!

This is a picture of just outside of town. 

 

There are a few things you can do when it is that cold. I had heard about a boiling water toss and wanted to try it out for myself. I boiled the water then stepped out on the deck and tossed it into the air. Not a drop hit the ground. It all went "poof" as if I had thrown a shovel full of snow in the air. 

 I didn't get any pictures since I was the one throwing the boiling water in the air. 

Each day got warmer and it eventually "warmed up" to just above zero. Today even got to 15. I know that may still seem cold but it is a huge difference. It's the difference between unbearable and bearable.

Lots of packages from all over have been arriving each day. One box that arrived was huge!! The kids wanted to open it right away but I set it aside and they soon forgot about it. I opened the huge box and set the contents in the closet then drug the box into the living room. The kids were ecstatic that someone had sent them such a fun box. That night Lance even slept in the huge box. 

The next day it was used to draw on. Then the next day Lance smashed part of it and made it into a car ramp. It was the best present ever! ;)

Some of the actives this week included a cookie swap with the mom group, a couple play dates and like usual lots of baking. I love to bake and so do the kids. I love any reason to get into the kitchen. The neighbors just welcomed a new baby into the family so the kids and I made them a welcome home meal. 

We FaceTimed daddy every night so he could tell the kids a story. Poor Lance was so tired one evening and was really missing daddy. He was pretty upset while talking to daddy. 

Lexie was super excited as she told daddy about her new puppy, lady, that she got from Mama and Papa Jordan for her birthday. My dad wanted me to give it her right away. I told him they had to wait for everything else till Christmas. She loves her "lady dog".

Since visiting Missouri and attending 4 birthday parties, Lexie has been talking about her birthday party coming up. I wanted to make sure that we did something to celebrate. Since we really don't know too many people here I invited the mom group. McDonald's was the perfect place. The kids ran around played then they all had an ice cream cone and sang to Lexie. It was pretty cute because Lexie even sang along too. 

I am constantly hearing about all the cool things there are to do on the army base. I had a pass that didn't expire for a few more days so I took the kids to the community center on base. The kids LOVED it. They had so much to play with and the best part is, it is free!!

Last night the kids were getting kind of grumpy so we loaded up and went to the park to look at all the beautiful Christmas lights. My favorite was the boat that is docked for the winter. 

Lexie was asleep before we even got to the park, but Lance was awake and he loved it. He kept saying "this is the best night ever!" 

Lots of activities really helped pass the week. We had a pretty fun week which really helped make the time go by fast! Daddy will be home tomorrow and he has the whole week off to celebrate Christmas with us. 

My silly kids

Now that the cast is off of Lexie's arm we are not limited to what activities we can do. I signed Lance up for soccer and Lexie up for dance class; both start next month. 

Lexie is going to love taking dance. She loves to dance anytime she hears music! 

I think Lance will love soccer since he is older now. 

Lately, I have been having to show a bit more um.......well, modesty when around Lance. He is noticing mummy's woman parts and is always sure to stare and comment. The other day while I was wearing a tank top he commented about my breast (again!). He said, "your boobs are full of milk" I just said, "no, not anymore." He then goes "yeah, cuz I drank it all!" I do have to admit it was pretty funny, but Lance does need to learn to show some discretion when it comes to body parts. I would hate for him to comment on someone else's lady parts. 

Lexie is all about being polite. She is so dang cute! I asked her if she needed to potty and she replied, "no thank you! I'm just farting". I just love her little voice! It doesn't matter what she says, she is just too cute!

I can't believe my little girl will soon be 3. I can honestly say that the two's were not at all terrible! Lexie has the sweetest personality and is so laid back and tender hearted. She may look like me, but I'd say she has her daddy's kind heart!

Anytime she hears the words "Christmas Eve" Lexie yells out "that is my birthday!!!" It is so funny. 

Man, I love my little munchkins!!! What a blessing! 

Lance is so imaginative! He loves making up silly games. Here he is with a string tied to a cup and an old watch. He flings the watch up and tries to catch it in the cup. 

 A few funnies from the week:

Lance found some change and gave  it to me. I said "what is this?" He then says, "it's for taking care of me!" 

While putting panties on Lexie she says "I have little panties and you have big panties for your big butt!"

Lance is stuck on getting a pogo stick for Christmas. He said "I am getting a pogo stick with different settings like a kangaroo, frog & rabbit"

Our week

This past week was a really good one. Monday started off with a trip to the doctor's office where Lexie finally was given the okay to have her cast taken off! The X-rays looked great and the doctor was super happy with how it healed up: definitely an answered prayer! Lexie was so cute as she just sat and stared at her arm! She rubbed it for a long time (it had quite a bit of dead skin on it). Her arm is so little! It looks like a little baby arm. She was even more excited to get home and take a long bath all by herself! 

We later met with a new friend for pictures. It was the perfect day for pictures. We had just got a fresh layer of snow on the ground and it wasn't too awful cold out.  Lexie fell asleep on the way to the park so she wasn't too into pictures at first but she had so much fun in the snow she soon forgot she was tired. Here is a peek at the kids pictures.

Tuesday we spent relaxing at home playing.

We made our own face paint by mixing corn starch, baby lotion and food coloring. 

It looked yummy enough to eat, but I discouraged the kids from doing so. They loved painting on their own faces. I just wish we had some mirrors so they could see. 

After their faces were covered we started painting on paper. I asked Lance what he was making and he just said "it's not supposed to be anything. It's just art!" 

Wednesday the kids and I woke up and got ready to go visit daddy. Daddy has been working 200 miles southeast of here in Tok. I wanted to be driving during daylight so we didn't leave till almost 11. Lexie had her backpack filled with her puzzles and was ready to go. 

The drive down to Tok went great. The road conditions weren't too bad. I pulled over and snapped this picture of the sun at noon. You can see how icy the road is there. 

Besides a small stretch of icy road it was smooth driving. The last 50 miles into Tok it was snowing, but we made it no problem. Thank God for good snow tires!

Andrew ended his work day a little early so he could spend the evening with us. We ate at a restaurant right by his hotel called Fast Freddy's. I was really impressed with the hotel and the restaurant. Most small towns in Alaska don't have much to offer. Andrew said it was because Tok is the first town you enter once you cross the Canadian border into Alaska. 

Our evening went by way to quick. The next morning I loaded up the car then we met Andrew for an early lunch before heading back to Fairbanks. 

That day it was mostly clear out so I was able to see the beautiful mountains that surrounded this little town. 

Tok was a neat place. I can't wait to go back next summer and explore the area. 

Saturday I had a Pampered Chef party, but no baby sitter. I was in full freak out mode. My host assured me that the kids would be fine at her house, so reluctantly I brought the kids along. And, you know what? They were great! They had so much fun up in her kids playroom that we never heard a peep out of them. What a relief!

I wrapped up my December shows this weekend and will be off work till early January! 

Today the kids and I were invited to a church by a lady I met at a Pampered Chef party. We LOVED it!!!! O my goodness! The music was awesome! The kids stayed with me till after worship service when the kids wete dismissed. They had a blast. The band had instruments such a a mandolin, guitar, BANJO, drums and key board. The kids danced and just had an amazing time! I really enjoyed the preacher also and the size of the church. Big enough to make lots of new friends (our age!), yet small enough to fit right in and become an ACTIVE part of the church. 

After church the kids and I spent the day hanging out making oatmeal cookies! 

We made a small batch for us and some to take to a friend who fell down some slick stairs and got hurt. 

We wrapped up the evening with our nightly story time. Tonight Lance picked out Curious George (his favorite). The kids were locked on my every word. You would have thought it was the first time they had ever heard any of the Curious George stories. 

I just had to snap a picture!

Every night I read about a dozen stories, sing a song or two, and tell a story. Lance has such an imagination. He loves for us to make up stories to tell to him. He helps out by picking the characters names, deciding what the character is, what they are doing or how the story ends. A couple nights we have FaceTimed daddy so he could tell the kids their story. Daddy tells the Best stories! 

It's Christmas Time

Since getting back from Missouri Andrew's schedule has been crazy and the kids and I have been a little sick. It wasn't until Sunday morning when I realized that we had not put up the Christmas tree! 

Everyone helped pick up the living room, daddy moved the furniture, I did a quick vacuuming, I turned Christmas music on, then we was ready to put up the tree. As the kids get older it just gets funner! This year daddy and I didn't have to do much. We let the kids do it all. I handed out ornaments one at a time and told about each one. 

Daddy stood back and supervised while the kids used the stepping stool to place each ornament on the tree. Lance got the honor of placing the tree on top! He was so proud!

We hung our stockings in the window. 

Once we was finished with all the Christmas decorations we had another surprise for Lance & Lexie; we was going to visit Santa Claus and his reindeer!! The kids were soooo excited! We all changed our clothes then sat down with daddy to make a list. 

Once we arrived at Santa's house at North Pole we got our number and was told it would be over an hour wait. The nice thing about Santa's house is that you don't have to wait in line. You can wonder around the huge gift shop that is filled with lots of toys, thousands of ornaments, t-shirts, and lots of other goodies. You can even buy fresh home made fudge or go outside and watch the reindeer. 

I know you are thinking that my kids are underdressed but the truth be told it has been kind of warm here lately. Yesterday, was 30! 

Once Santa's elf called our number we all got excited. The kids had been so excited about seeing Santa and they knew exactly what they wanted for Christmas. Lexie ran right up to him and immediately started talking to him. She asked him lots of questions even "do you like my sparkly boots?" 

When he asked what she wanted for Christmas she quickly said "I want a mermaid! Happy chewed mine up!" I had to explain to him that happy was our dog and that she chewed the arm off Lexie's

Mermaid Barbie. 

Lance was so good as he quietly waited his turn. 

Lance told Santa that he was a "air pump for his bicycle, a pogo stick, and a yoyo" I am not sure where any of those ideas came from. Lance even gave Santa some brownies like he did last year. I love that the kids weren't rushed with their visit with Santa. 

Apparently Lexie thought that Santa would give her a mermaid right then. She didn't understand that she had to wait for Christmas Day. As we walked away from Santa she began to cry "wait, where's my mermaid! He forgot my mermaid!" She was heart broken and her feeling were hurt! 

She instantly had real tears, giant crocodile tears at that! My poor little girl! Santa felt so bad and the Elves were laughing. I found it kind of funny but I hurt for my little girl too! 

We had a wonderful weekend hanging out with daddy preparing for Christmas, but all the fun had to come to an end. Daddy left last night for work in Tok where he will be for 2 weeks. The kids did really good as he was leaving. Not a single tear was shed. Tok is accessible by road so weather permitting the kids and I will make the drive to go visit next weekend. 

We love having our own little family to create traditions with. I can't wait to read them the real Christmas Story!! The kids have such a grasp on things now. I am sure they are going to love it!

Happy days.

One big difference we have noticed after being gone for two weeks is how short the days are now. Our days are now sunny from 10am to 3 pm. We aren't in pitch darkness, though. We have the Auroras and a very long sunrise and sunset. Here in Alaska we are always gaining or losing 30 minutes of sunlight a week. Soon we will be on the upside and gaining daylight with each week. 

Yesterday Lance asked me "mom, why is it already dark?" I explained to him that in the winter it will be dark, but in the summer we will have tons of sunlight to play. 

The kids have had colds this week so we haven't been going outside or anywhere. I don't want it turning into something serious or spreading it around.  I told Lexie that she couldn't go outside because she was sick. She then replied, "awe, I want the snow to go away! I want to play on the beach!" My silly girl, we have a good while before the snow is gone.

I snapped this picture of Lexie with this crocheted hat on. She says it is her beach hat. 

Lance loves to "shave" with daddy. More like, rub shaving cream all over his face and pretend to shave. 

Daddy's work schedule has been nuts. Tuesday night he worked really late then didn't have to go in until noon Wednesday which meant working late again. Yesterday, he didn't go in until 4pm.  It was hard on the kids especially Lance when daddy had to leave for work. Normally he is gone when they wake up and in a few hours will be home. Lance hated saying good by to daddy. 

We have done lots of fun inside activities like making ornaments, painting, and baking cookies. Since I don't have an extra pair of hands helping me; wait, let me rephrase that. Since I have two sets of extra hands helping me, I am not always able to take pictures of everything.  

Baking together is one of the kids' favorite things! They love taking turns measuring, mixing and taste testing. They especially love frosting and decorating the cookies.

 

Momma's Pampered Chef gadgets are so much to play with!!

Happy loves to roll over so so Lance or anyone can rub her belly. Well, lance discover that Happy has "nibbles". It was SOOO funny!! I told him that the "nibbles" would be used to feed her puppies milk. He then began to count them. He came to the conclusion that Happy will have eight puppies because she has eight "nibbles". 

I just love my silly little boy. Speaking of silly, Lance was wearing sunglasses the other day when He looks up at me and says "these glasses make your face look much better!"

I am so in love with my little family! God has blessed us beyond measure. Each day brings something new. I enjoy each moment with my precious children and loving husband. My heart is so full of Joy!

Family Update

Since getting back from Missouri we have been having to correct a few bad habits that were picked up. lance learned some not so nice words and actions which Andrew & I had to quickly get rid of. it wasn't easy but each day has been better.

The kids are constantly changing and getting into something new each day.

Christmas is coming up and we have been thinking of a few things that would be perfect for the kids. Lance wants a pogo stick for Christmas. I'm not sure that one is a good idea. 

Lexie loves to change her clothes multiple times a day. Tights are her favorite to wear. I have found her several time laying on the floor yelling for help while trying to get them on.

Lexie's cast should come off December 9th!! We can't wait!! 

The kids Christmas pictures are also on December 9th.

Temperatures here are pretty cold. -20's all weekend. It is absolutely beautiful though! This weekend was pretty deceiving. The sun was shining and it looked like a beautiful day to play outside. Well, at -25 degrees, it was just a touch too cold. This week we have some cloud cover moving in and temperatures will be warming up into the teens. 

November ended up being my best month ever with Pampered Chef! I had my highest sales and my team grew like crazy which ended up in a promotion to Advanced Director!! I am so excited! 

Andrew is learning how to work in the cold weather. He enjoys his work, but hates that he can't finish easy jobs at quickly. With it being so cold things freeze up and just take longer. 

We have found a house on 50 acres that we just Love!! The house needs a few small thing fixed, but for the price it is a steal! 

That's the latest update for now. Life is always changing and you just have to go with the flow. We are adjusting to the cold weather and learning what works best. 

I'll end the post with Lance's prayer from last night.

"God is good, God is great, help Lexie's arm to get better and please keep my family alive."