In with the new!

As the sun sets over Juneau...

and four year olds celebrate

on east coast time...

Happy New Year

from the last frontier!

M+M Daily Favs 12.31

MN=driving around looking at Christmas lights

MR=eating a special New Year's Eve doughnut

M+M Daily Favs 12.30

MN=going to lunch at Daddy's work

MR=Daddy telling me bible stories

M+M Daily Favs 12.29

MN=picking up Daddy at the airport and singing and dancing in the kitchen

MR=picking up Daddy at the airport

Kodiak: Month One

i forgot how much work a puppy is!

Kodiak is ridiculously cute, but is more work than my kiddos!!

he's lucky he's cute ;)

here are a few pictures from our new adventure with puppy:

i love the way he sleeps:

taking a family walk:

my new walking partner:

helping with chores:

getting into trouble:

a rare moment of rest:

thanks, Amy!

checking out the Christmas turkey:

trying to climb into the stroller

(he knows who has the best ride!):

M+M Daily Favs 12.28

MN=playing with sissie

MR=doing "arts and craps"

me=walking with my "3" kiddos (2 girls and a dog!) ;)

our foggy walk:

(the first and last picture were taken at the same place,

about 20 minutes apart)

M+M Daily Favs 12.27

MR=playing with sissie

MR=walking the dog

It was another quiet day on Main St. today... It started out with two girls who had bad coughs, and it ended with two little girls who have bad coughs and one who has a fever too. We did some more of our new arts and crafts, read some books, and watched too much tv. Before MR's fever set in, we were able to get out for a walk this morning. There were low clouds and heavy fog, but no rain.

our morning walk:

"arts and craps" time:

M+M Daily Favs 12.26

MN+MR=making our bags

MR's godfather and "grandmother" (she didn't know how to refer to his wife... we usually call her Aunt T, but that didn't suit MR who sought to give Aunt T her own title... her grandmothers are called Goggie and Grandma) sent the girls these bags for Christmas. The girls had so much fun sticking all the shapes onto their bags and then running off to put their "secret things" in them. Thanks, Godfather and Grandmother! ;)

Merry Christmas From the Last Frontier!

M+M Daily Favs 12.25

MN+MR=opening all my presents

M+M are very lucky little girls... In addition to gifts from mom and dad and Santa, M+M received packages from family and friends in several states. Despite the craziness in opening all these wrapped gifts, i really think the girls appreciated every present they received... The danced around with their new clothes, carried all their new stuffed animals to bed, looked at/through every game and book, begged to try their new crafts, and played with every toy. Bill and i feel blessed to have such generous friends and family... Thank you all so much!

M+M Daily Favs 12.24

MN+MR=puppet show at church

mine: listening to Bill tell the girls that they needed to sleep in tomorrow to give Santa plenty of time... "It stays dark here until after 8am, so Santa might come here last, we need to stay asleep to give him plenty of time to enjoy his cookies!"

Dehydration does funny things to words...

We had a busy morning running errands and having lunch with the fine gentlemen of D17 Legal. Despite the fact we toted our drinks with us everywhere, the girls didn't drink much today. At dinner, MN sat down and said: "I really need a drink, I'm very hibernated."

M+M Daily Favs 12.23

MN+MR=watching the snow and having a party at Daddy's work

M+M Daily Favs 12.22

MN+MR=decorating our gingerbread house and gingerbread men

Three Wishes

Today we attended church services in the newly rebuilt Church of the Holy Trinity. Bill told the girls they get three wishes for going to a new church. (The church has been holding services in the parish hall of the catholic church for quite some time.) I wish i could remember all three, but here are the 2 wishes from each girl that i do remember:

MN: 1. Leaf Milk would come alive

2. Leaf Milk would become a robot

MR: 1. that all the holidays would be friends

2. that we could celebrate all the holidays

M+M Daily Favs 12.20

MN=getting my bagel

MR=playing at home with sissie and daddy

Long before we started attending, the Church of the Holy Trinity was lost to fire. We have been attending services held in the parish hall of St. Ann's Catholic Church. Today, Holy Trinity held services in the newly rebuilt church for the first time. Although it isn't quite finished, the sanctuary is beautiful! Here are a couple pictures of my new favorite windows in town:

It was a beautiful morning, so after church we strolled around town a little. We rolled by The Canvas to check out the windows, and stopped at the Silverbow to pick up a bagel for Martha and a paper for Bill and i. It was clear and cold and such a pretty morning!

on our way to church:

windows at The Canvas:

M+M Daily Favs 12.19

MN+MR=dancing in our recital

Today, TAFY produced another awesome recital! It so much fun to watch all those kiddos (mostly girls, but a few boys too), get up on stage and dance their hearts out!!

M+M Daily Favs 12.15

MN=having Old McDonald's for lunch

MR=going to the ice on the lake

M+M Daily Favs 12.13

MN+MR=going to the play place and playing with Ms. B

We are super lucky that our gym offers childcare, and we are so happy that the girls have so much fun while they are there! They especially like Ms. B and her kiddos who often work on Sundays. :)

M+M Daily Favs 12.12

MN+MR=going to see The Nutcracker

M+M Daily Favs 12.11

MN+MR=going to the library for a field trip

M+M Daily Favs 12.10

MN=walking the doggie in the dark with the flashlight and lantern

MR=ice skating

M+M Daily Favs 12.9

MN=having A over to play

MR=bringing Daddy to the airport

M+M Daily Favs 12.8

MN+MR=going to the Governor's House

Each year, the Governor opens the Governor's House to the people of Juneau... While you stand in a line that wraps around the house, people serve cider and cookies... In the little white tent there are carolers... Inside the door, the Governor and his wife greeted us and then directed us to the dining room for cookies and a look at the gingerbread houses made my local school students. We had a great time again this year meeting the Governor, looking around the historic house, and eating more than a few cookies!

M+M Daily Favs 12.7

MN+MR=walking the dog

Kodiak: Week One

Holy cow...

What a week!

I knew bringing puppy into our lives would be some work, but...

Holy cow!

Kodiak has done well adjusting to our home and sleeping through the night. He has only had one accident in his crate! I think he misses his eight brothers and sisters... He whines a lot, and i hope this will dissipate as he adjusts to us become part of the family. M+M are not thrilled that the puppy sometimes takes precedent over what they want to do, but i think they are pretty happy to have him here.

M+M Daily Favs 12.6

MN=seeing the stars

MR=decorating our tree

Today we had a super busy day... We went to church, walked the dog, went to the playground, picked out our Christmas tree, napped (i ran errands), cooked a venison roast... But we stopped and made time to take advantage of the clear night. At about 5 we loaded ourselves into the car for a drive out the road to look at the stars. There was fog coming in, so we backtracked and headed to Skaters' Cabin. It was 22 degrees and so quiet... We showed the girls the Milky Way, and MN picked out "the spoon" (aka the Big Dipper).

Have a lot of cleaning and straightening up to do before enjoying the evening, but it was worth driving around to hear the girls' oohs and aahs of wonder! Great idea, Bill!

M+M Daily Favs 12.4+5

MN=having A+A over to play

MR=going to school

MN+MR=playing Candyland

A whole different language...

i love all the bad grammar and expressions that come with learning new words and expressions:

the "tummy lanes" (stomach cramps)

sand in my feet/bees in my foot (feet have fallen asleep)

wait about me (what about me/wait for me)

M+M Daily Favs 12.3

MN=walking at Twin Lakes with Mrs. A, Daisy, Kodiak, and Sissie

MR=talking about Santa's helpers

M+M Daily Favs 12.2

MN=playing with the dog

MR=having Uncle C over for dinner

around the table

MR tries to capture the moment

Kodiak rests during story time

Kodiak leaps to get in on the action