It's Christmas Eve!

We will have photos to post of Christmas Day, like everyone else, but here are some Christmas Eve catch-up pictures.

Pre-Christmas Joy

I've got to run and get breakfast for Caleb but thought a little pre-Christmas update would be fun. Lily pie is happy but a bit colicky at night so I'm still pulling really late (2am) nights. Cannon bought a crashed up truck to work on. He and Caleb have been having a blast for hours in the garage, working on the truck. It's dark and very cold. My Christmas tree has a beautiful glow most of the day and night because of the darkness. I've got a big pot of wassail on the stove at all times. The presents to be wrapped are taking up space in the laundry room. The fact that they've not been wrapped simply because I'll have to go into the laundry room to wrap them tells you how much I like being in my laundry room. Moving them to a different location would require 1)energy and 2)a hiding place from curious Caleb. It's beautiful up here!

Our Card to Gma and Gpa!

Personalize your own greeting card

Fall and snow and such

Fall was gorgeous and we are well into winter weather now. Happy to have Thanksgiving around the corner. My wide-eyed beauty, Miss Lily is growing fatter and more alert by the day. STOP GROWING! I want to have a baby for forever...except I can hardly stand the lack of sleep, the lack of exercise, the lack of schedule, the lack of an even somewhat clean house. I guess as she grows, my life will gain more structure. For now I'm conscious to love every minute of holding her almost nonstop. Caleb is loving pre-school and had a great time celebrating Halloween this year. Cannon is doing swimmingly with grad work. We're all tucked in for ensuing winter. We hope you are too.

Happy Birthday Lolly!!

My little sis turns 31 today!! Happy Birthday Lolly!! Caleb kept blowing her kisses today when we were talking on the phone. He loves his "Aunt Wall-e". She is the sunshine of our family and we miss living close to her. We hope she gets into lots of trouble today and lives it up!

Clear as a Bell and Cold As...

This Fall has been gorgeous. Clear and crisp and lovely. I haven't gotten out much until that last few days. I really wanted to drive to my FAVORITE town, Talkeetna, to get a better look at majestic Mt. McKinley. Just before driving into town there is a view of the mountain that hits you *BAM* like a jolt of electricity. And after the shock of grandeur wears off, you just sit and bask in the sight. I do, anyway. That mountain beckons me to come and enjoy it's pristine peaks...who knows, someday maybe I'll climb it. There something so sublime and shocking about the beauty of it. I could go on and on. I can see why people become obsessed with mountain climbing. Perhaps it's not so much to conquer the mountain but it's more to be a part of the wild, ethereal power of that steep place. Anyhoo...

Lily gets prettier and sweeter by the day and Caleb is going to start pre-school. I can't wait for Cannon to go back to work even though I love him with all my heart. And that's it. I'm searching for great ideas for a costume for Caleb. Needs to be original and I need to make it. Last year he was a halibut! Ha! Baby is hungry, gotta run...

G & G are here!

Mom and dad finally made it up to Alaska and we had a great visit from them today! They've been able to see Alaska for the first time and meet Miss Lily Kate too! Grampa was totally won over from the second he saw Lily and Grammie didn't want to put her down for a second! Gramps even sang her a Celtic lullaby before they left. It was very sweet. Caleb had the time of his life playing trucks with Gramps and hugging Grammie. Poor mom and dad's knees and backs will be sore from kneeling down to get eye level with Caleb and pushing trucks along the ground, chasing Caleb. We had a delicious moose sausage breakfast and snacked on salmon steaks and apple cider while we visited. It was a memorable morning and we were so happy to see each other! We'll get a chance to visit the folks tomorrow at Alyeska and it will be a grand adventure. More pics to come...

Random Lily@Home Pics

We just love having Grammy here. We are working on getting the nursery done and maybe will be finished today! Caleb has daily meltdowns as he comes to grips with the fact that he's not the king of the house anymore. Other than the crying (and sometimes screaming) episodes he's fine and just adores baby Lily. Cannon is really patient with Caleb. I can't be around Caleb when he's fractious because I can't hold him or move fast enough to dodge an occasional arm or leg swinging my way. Other than that, we are loving the transition of having a new baby in the house and we just love all the help and fun Grammy is giving us!

Welcome Home Miss Lily!

Our lovely Lily Kate was born on 9/11/10 after 20 hours of excruciating back labor. She was 4 weeks early and weighed 8lb 10oz. I'm so glad she didn't go full term. I endured the labor because I was hoping to try for a normal delivery. But we now know that I'm not built to give birth to the gargantuan babies that grow inside me. So from here on out, it's c-section deliveries for me. I never experienced labor with Caleb so it was a new experience for me and Cannon.

We are delighted to have my mama here, helping us in her cheerful and workaholic ways. I'm so grateful she's here. I'm recovering from the surgery much better than I did with Caleb. Sweet Lily is a very good baby. She sleeps most of the day and nurses and makes very sweet squeaking sounds. Caleb just loves her and kisses her any chance he gets!

We are so happy she's here! Welcome home Lily!

Fall means Fair

We've been getting outdoors as much as possible as Fall is here and winter is imminent. Fall means going to the Alaska State Fair, which is a must-do event in Cannon's mind so we've been going to the Fair every year. I usually get creeped out by all the hordes of strange people but manage to grin and bear it. Caleb was big enough to ride a couple of rides which were a total rip-off, but that's what the Fair is about. Paying premium fees for fatty food, mediocre at best rides, and for looking at wilted vegetables with ribbons next to them.

Can you tell I'm getting grumpier as my pregnancy wanes?! Haaa! I'm getting slower by the day as my delivery date approaches. The baby is growing very big, very quickly. In fact, the doc measured twice last time because he couldn't believe how rapidly the baby was growing. So much for hoping the baby would be petite! We don't know what to name our baby girl so if you've got suggestions, leave a comment. We'll look at her when she's born and decide what she looks like, but suggestions are always welcome.

All grumpiness aside, what a fun Fall season this will be with a brand new baby and a visit from Grammy and Grampa Stoddard to look forward to!

Bathing cars, birthday, baby shower

It's been a very rainy summer here. But we still find things to do. Caleb cleaned up his toys one day. Cannon turned the big 36 and we had a little celebration for him. I had a baby shower. Other than that, it's the usual. Cannon does a bunch a house projects each week. Last week it was installing several new doors, painting walls and doors, installing trim, sealing the driveway and taking out the trash. I had to keep Caleb out of the way so we went to gymnastics, grocery shopping, out to get a cupcake, tulle shopping for baby sister's tutus, out for walks and bike rides to the park, watching "Tooth Fairy" and going to play dates, etc. We also baked a loaf of bread.

I'm getting nice and round. Those of you who saw me pregnant with Caleb will remember how huge I got towards the end of my pregnancy. I still have 6-7 weeks to go and have already somehow defied the law of gravity. I'm not sure how much longer I can hold out before it takes over and I just fall forward on my face every time I stand up. Lots of low back pain, swollen legs at night and charlie horses in my legs throughout the night, topped off with tossing and turning at night as the baby shifts. Yep, I'm nearing the end of pregnancy...but it's been a great pregnancy, all in all. I'm just happy to be able to get pregnant and carry the baby. I'm glad that the baby and I are healthy.

Fall is around the corner. I wince to think about it because of our lousy summer, but this year Fall will bring my folks and a new baby. I'm more excited about this Fall season than I've ever been about any Fall season. Here's wishing a happy pre-Fall season to all of you!

End of July Beginning of August

A rainy July has passed and a rainy August has begun. We've still managed to enjoy summer. It's been full of excitement about our baby girl who will be arriving this Fall, potty training and sleeping through the night success for Caleb, a couple of air shows, a hike and various projects around the house. Cannon installed some windows to the front of the house and they look darling. Little by little, we're sealing up this drafty house and making it look better. We sure love the beauty of Alaska but we've missed seeing family and friends at various reunions. We hope you've all had a wonderful summer!

Sick of Salmon

Dipnetting season is open only for a few weeks and Cannon made it down Monday to try his hand at slaying some fish. They opened commercial fishing on Monday so we didn't know if he'd get anything. After 14 hours in cold ocean waters, he pulled about 30 big, beautiful salmon (and some flounder) and brought 'em home. Dipnetting isn't for the faint of heart--it's ocean fishing in frigid waters with hundreds of folks fishing along side you. It requires using a net attached to a metal frame that is generally 5 feet in diameter and about 10 feet long. You drag the giant net along the bottom of the ocean and wait for the fish to swim in, watching and using the currents to help you catch the fish. With each catch, you gut and de-head the fish on the beach and then go back out. It requires hauling in ice to keep the fish cold and hauling everything out by hand at the end of the day--no small feat if you've had a good day. Some people make it a family fishing trip and spend days, but most folks do suicide runs where they drive down at 4a.m. in the morning and drive back at midnight. Some sleep in their cars (like Cannon did) and others are lucky to find a place to pitch a tent on the beach. Everybody that wants to, finds a way to make their way down, and get as much salmon as possible to stock up for winter. We're only given a window of about 3 weeks to do it. I look forward to doing it next year. It's considered good clean fun up here but it sounds like a lot of work! I'm really impressed that my hubby did the whole trip by himself. What a pro!!

Once Cannon made it home this is what we did:

*Did a dance of joy that he got home safe
*Gave him a hero's welcome as we're guessing he pulled about 30 fish! He did awesome...so awesome that he stopped counting.
*Panicked because we weren't sure how to process that much fish and keep it fresh.
*Argued about whether to buy more ice, whether to buy a vacuum sealer... (I had called around looking to borrow a pressure cooker but everybody else is fishing and processing right now too!)
*Shrugged our shoulders and started filleting. I quickly got intimidated by the filleting so Cannon did that.
*Rinsed fish, cut into steaks and bagged. Sounds quick and simple but it was not simple and it was not quick.
*Argued about how to seal the bags properly. Tried different techniques.
*Realized the bags were too big to seal properly.
*Finally cracked smiles and started laughing about our "greenhorn" inadequacies.
*I ran to the store to get more ice and smaller bags.
*Filleting, chopping, bagging and sealing for 4 more hours. (Sealing consists of adding a little water to each bag of salmon and then sucking all the air out by mouth and spitting the excess water that comes with it. Ick. Yuuuck. Gross!)
*Loaded the freezer with the sealed salmon.
*Did about 130 bags of salmon by the afternoon and were finally done.
*Hoped that our processing was successful. We'll find out in a few months if the salmon is still good.

It was stressful not to be more prepared but we're still novices and we really didn't know what to expect. I was so worried about losing the meat to spoilage after Cannon had worked so hard to harvest it. Next year Cannon will be taking coolers instead of plastic bins and I'll be waiting at the home front with a vacuum sealer, smoker and pressure cooker and several bags of ice.

We were so sick of salmon by the end of the day but today I cooked up a delicious salmon chowder and we are enjoying it very much!

If anybody wants to come up next year and help we'd be willing to pay you in salmon! ; )

A few catching-up pics

July

Tomorrow we celebrate our 5th anniversary. My sis, Heidi, took this picture and it is probably my favorite. I sure love Cannon and my feelings are really tender so I'll not bare my soul on a blog. I just love him and feel that we are completely perfect for each other.

It is another rainy day. This summer has been very rainy and gray. My poor plants and flowers are barely hanging in there and some have started to bite the dust. It's a sad thing because the colors and greenery are something a person craves after a long winter up here and to lose that is like losing part of my youth. I feel older when a blooming plant or flower dies. Rain makes some places even greener but that isn't the case in Alaska. It's already overwhelmingly green so the rain is just a taunting reminder that unless we want to play in frigid grass and mud, we have to enjoy the greenery looking out from our windows.

The latest in our lives is that Cannon is growing a beard that he started while out on a fire, Caleb is half-way potty trained and has been that way for months, I'm wearing new Ugg fliff-floffs (yes, I said "fliff-floffs") that he bought me for my birthday. They keep my feet uber warm but allow them to be ventilated. We had a chance to stay with our friends at their cabin and it was an awesome adventure. Caleb and Cannon had the time of their lives boating, riding wave runners at speeds that no wife or mother should witness, going tubing, eating s'mores, jumping on the trampoline, playing catch with the dog and throwing the football around. I was a great spectator for most of it but did get out on the boat a couple times. Next year I'll be out there with them.

I'm feeling great and passed my blood sugar test. Hopefully I'll be able to avoid Gestational Diabetes altogether with this pregnancy. What else...um, Cannon is starting to trim out our new windows and has almost finished the first one. It looks great! Other than that it's laundry and dishes and playing with Caleb. Yesterday he did the most classic thing. We went to the park because the sun came out and as he was walking past the car, running his hand along the car (which he always does), he stopped at the front of the car, inhaled and said "Mmmm, I smelling da engine!" and then ran off to the playground. Where does he get this stuff? That kid has motor oil in his blood. I think we're raising a pit crew team member without even knowing it. Or maybe a pilot or a plane mechanic. Or maybe a train engineer. But not a race car driver. Mama wouldn't have none of that.

(We're running a "duplicate annihilator" for our photo library so I can't post photos of our latest adventures. It's a shame because my fliff-floffs are so fluffy and cute, you're missing out not being able to see them! Ha, ha!)

Delicious Crock Pot Teriyaki Chicken

This recipe is so good and so simple, you'll want to hug me for sharing it with you.

Crock Pot Teriyaki Chicken

2-4 lbs frozen chicken (3-4 lg breasts)

1/2 c. soy sauce

1/2 c. sugar

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

3/4 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 T. red wine or apple cider vinegar

2 T. olive oil

Dump in crock pot and cook on high for 4-6 hours. Serve with steamed and buttered brown rice, pineapple chunks and Chow Mein noodles. Delish!!

Make it now, hug me later!

4 x 4 Fun for Father's Day Weekend

Father's Day

Wish I could have been in AZ to have a brunch with dad, mom and Lolly. I'm sure they had a great time and I'm glad that we got a chance to visit on the phone. My dad is someone I love very much. And while we couldn't spend time with the folks in person, we did get to celebrate Father's Day with Cannon in person and we had a terrific day. Caleb and I had been working on a few gifts and we had fun giving daddy lots of attention: An Autobots hood ornament, a Costco size box of Oreos, a hand drawn helicopter by Caleb, breakfast in bed, a scrapbook and a moose meat loaf, mashed potatoes and gravy dinner to top it off. We also went for a family bike ride. Caleb rode his trike and we corralled him down the sidewalks and paths of the neighborhood. It was sunny, calm, non-mosquito weather and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Then we sat on the front lawn and ate popsicles and watched a baby bird learning how to forage for food. The mama sat in our front tree and the baby waddled around in the grass, learning how to pluck the grass. Sometimes the mama would feed the baby, after it had been struggling for a while. The baby had very fine feathers that stuck up all over it's head and body. A total fuzz ball. Totally adorable. After watching the baby bird for a while (and probably traumatizing it with our close proximity), we watched a cute movie (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs) and then wrapped up the night with the usual bedtime routine.

Grateful for the father I've got and for the father that Cannon is.

Living Green: 40 Uses of Baking Soda

I really like articles that share information on living green. This article on the beauties of baking soda was great. And at the bottom it has links to uses for vinegar, lemon juice, etc. Pretty cool!

Camping Trip!

We've had a great couple of weeks (except for when Cannon got his car stolen--yes, we live in Alaska but we live in the largest city in Alaska and it's 2010 so there are gangs and crime like in any other city! We did get the car back). I'm about to go into my 3rd trimester and I'm feeling great!

It's finally green and gorgeous. Our summer has started off with a memorable camping trip to Byer's Lake. The great thing about camping in Alaska is, well, we're camping in ALASKA. Overwhelmingly majestic and beautiful. We rented a kayak, loaded up our gear and took off across the lake to the little cabin.

What you don't see in the pictures are the swarms of mosquitoes and you don't smell us (think no running water, lots of Off layered on our skin for days, and campfire smoke in our clothes and hair), and the drizzly rain that was constant except for a few breaks--which is when I snapped pictures. Really, rain up here isn't a deterrent to any activity, we all just wear jackets. I did actually brave the cold lake to take a bath. I'm pretty much half superhero these days. Cannon and Caleb thought it was hilarious to see a nearly 6 month pregnant lady doing a brave Byer's Lake boogie. Cannon caught some trout--I got a pic of the first one. It looks so tiny compared to the salmon he has slayed in the past. We don't even blink at the tiny fellers anymore, we just let 'em go. Of course, Caleb had a great time exploring the cabin, riding in the kayak, trying to jump out of the kayak (giving mom a heart attack), throwing stuff in the lake, eating s'mores, watching for bears and watching Paul Bunyan and Johnny Appleseed movies while dad kicked mom's can at a game of chess. Good times!

On our way home, we stopped at the Princess Wilderness Lodge and got a bite to eat. We walked in smelling like a campfire that had been put out with Off, wearing hip waders and smiling from ear to ear. The tourists were all prettied up and pretty bewildered at the local color. It was probably our smell! Ha, ha! It's really easy to spot a cruise ship tourist during the Alaska summer months--they all have cameras, they are wearing make up and have their hair done, they are wearing "chic casual" clothing or sometimes REI catalog gear from head to toe, and they walk around with eyes as big as saucers.

We hope your summers are starting off well. And we hope you all plan on taking a trip to Alaska to visit us. Our house is cozy, our fish is fresh, there's plenty of daylight for playin' and there's plenty of blankets and floor space for sleeping. Come on up!

Memorial Day

(WWII B17 Bomber)

Happy Memorial Day! I wanted to pay tribute to my uncle Val Stoddard who passed away this week. He was actually a cousin to my Grandpa Stoddard and I had the privilege of getting to know he and his wife, Judy, when I was going to school in Pocatello, at Idaho State University. It was 1994 when I first met Val. Val and Judy were a couple of characters. Back when I lived in "Poky" they were chain smokers, friends to all stray animals, avid golfers, and feisty with each other. They were good hearted, comical, tell-it-to-ya-straight folks that you could visit with for hours simply because they'd lived full lives and always had an interesting story to tell. And they were truly interested in me. I swear they are the only people who I could sit in a smoke filled room with, as animals were crawling on or around me and totally enjoy every minute in conversation with them! (I don't have the strongest lungs and I'm not really a pet person). And Val was the only (and will be the only) person who ever called me "Kathy" and I answered.

I had been getting around on foot and Val helped me get a car to bomb around town in. It was a Pontiac Phoenix and I think I paid $800. It was root beer brown and when I tried to wash and wax it, the paint came right off. There was a radio but it sat underneath the seat, unhooked. And the windows had a purple tint to them. It was a real beauty and I named it "Mahauna". But it got me from point A to point B and was reliable. And I could turn it on without needing keys, which was handy. Ha! I was pretty flaky and sometimes they'd wait for an hour or two before I showed up for dinner or just to visit. Judy would cuss me out and then we'd all sit and talk and laugh for the rest of the evening.

Val was a WWII POW, a true hero. He was a Balteric Gunner on a B17 that got shot down. When we lived in Oregon we saw a B17 and saw where Uncle Val would have sat. He was in a bubble, right below the nose and cockpit of the plane. Not a lot of room to move and a perfect target for enemies. This is the bomber he would have flown in. When I'd visit them, he would sit on the floor in an odd fashion, kind of a quasi cross-legged style. It was from the time spent in enemy prison camps and had become a comfortable position for him.

Judy passed away after I moved to Utah to resume studies at the U of U. But before she died, she and Val had decided to quit smoking and they just up and quit. A couple years ago we met Val at Elmer's Diner in Pocatello and I introduced him to Cannon and Caleb. I'm really glad that they got to meet each other. I asked Val how he and Judy stopped smoking cold turkey and he explained that "The cigarettes was just too damned expensive!" Val suffered a stroke a few years back but he had continued golfing even after Judy passed and with the effects of the stroke, he had had to put the clubs away. He still wrote me letters now and then, even with a slow hand, still kept up the house and got around town, even after his DL had to get turned in. And at 85 he was as independent as ever.

The last time I talked to Val was at Christmas. He surprised me with a phone call to wish me a Merry Christmas. How sweet and thoughtful he always was to me. I knew Val and Judy for about 15 years and it is wonderful that they are resting in peace, reunited and free of pain or sorrow. Here's to the memory of two wonderful people who were generous in deed, kind in words, dedicated to this country's freedoms, friends to the community (especially the stray or injured animal community), spirited at all times, and full of life even till the end. They were really good to me and I'll always love them and regard them very fondly for their goodness in my life.

Who knows, maybe I'll take in a stray animal one of these days, just for memories sake of Val and Judy. Nahhhh...I'd rather take up golf.

We are going outside anyway

I've just got to complain for a second. I'm into my 5th month of pregnancy and I feel great but I still feel pregnant. I've got a head cold that is just miserable. I'm still recovering from spine surgery and that causes very tight muscles in my neck and shoulders that give me headaches. I woke up a couple days ago and just before getting out of bed my left calf instantly got a charlie-horse. And my leg is still cramped up days later. Um, what else. I have a 3 year old boy to chase. And he takes full advantage of my gimpy state, tearing the house apart, as I lie on the couch wiping my weepy left eye (head colds cause at least one eye to drain)!

But it's SUNNY outside and warmish and I just can't stand to be sick. So we're going outside, going for a bike ride to enjoy this sunshine, regardless of my old-and-feeble physical disposition.

I had to complain because Cannon is gone and Caleb feels no empathy for me. Do you ever have days like that where you feel crippled? Haaaa!

Swimming Noodles

As we walked in the door of Target today Caleb took the opportunity to bolt to the $1 bins, as he normally does, and in a half-crazed fit of lightning speed, grabbed the first thing that caught his eye and sprinted away from me as fast as he could. Today it was swimming noodles which are bundled in groups of 2. Naturally Caleb put his head between the 2 noodles (wouldn't you??)and ran like a maniac through the store, weaving as he ran because he was shaking his head back and forth as if to say "No, no, no you can't catch me!" People were dodging, moms were giving me a knowing look, and kids were pointing and laughing or just staring in awe. And naturally, he would wait until I had almost closed in on him before bolting again. Imagine a pregnant mother speed walking through Target, pushing her cart with a noodle head just feet ahead of her, chasing him through the store until he was sidelined by a row of tasty looking Ho-hos.

Thank heavens for Ho-hos at his eye level. (I'm sure they have them shelved at his height level purely by coincidence). So in gratitude, I scooped him up and grabbed a box and he was told to stay in the cart for the rest of our trip. After knocking down bottles of shampoo with the noodles which had now become swords, I shoved them into the first space big enough to hold them and we headed to the check out counter. He was so delighted with the prospect of eating Ho-hos that the loss of the noodles was not even noticed. I love that fact that he has a VERY short attention span. In fact, he kept saying "Go to mom's rocket car? Get in the rocket car? Can I have Ho-ho in da car?" He calls my car "mom'ssuperfastrocketcar" because most of my friends have big trucks and he just loves riding in their trucks and in order to convince him that my car was worthy of riding in (so that he would stop resisting getting in the car), I told him it was like a rocket. Boy, did that ever do the trick! I was really proud of myself for thinking on my toes in that predicament. And I started gunning it every time I would drive up the driveway. Now it is expected that we will "blast off" every time we come home. Who knew my wagon would become a great rocket ship?

Anyway, I'm rambling but I'm sure that in the great beyond when my life is playing before me on the big screen, I'll say "Wait Lord, could you rewind that part where Caleb was running like a madman through Target? That was good stuff!" I'm sure we'll all do that. But for now, thank goodness for journals and blogs, right?

Time to Think Pink!

Yep, we've got a baby girl coming our way! I've already got visions of pink tutus in my mind...

What does Mommy say?

Cannon to Caleb: "What does Caleb say?"
Caleb: (peals of fake laughter) "Ha, ha, haaa!"
Cannon to Caleb: "What does daddy say?"
Caleb: "Daddy's home! I love youuu!"
Cannon to Caleb: "What does Mommy say?"
Caleb: (shaking his head) "No, no, no!!"

The smug smile and look of pure pleasure on Cannon's face is quite irritating. They laugh for a few seconds and I put my hands on my hips.

Somebody's got to set the rules and I guess it might as well be me. *sigh* But before I get too down-in-the-mouth with self pity, I should remember that Cannon does plenty of supportive guiding and disciplining if necessary...but only if necessary. Ha, ha! And also, I get to spend all day with Caleb which I truly love so if he and daddy want to live it up and play during the rare times daddy is home, I'm all for it.

Greenup is upon us...

We are in our "Spring" season but Greenup is really what it's all about. Spring means the snow has melted long enough for the buds to come out and the leaves to be raked. Everything is still baren and gray or yellow or brown. There's no blooming or blossoming or green grass. Then suddenly Greenup happens and it's summer. Everything is either green or blossoming, almost overnight. The longer I'm here, the more excited I get for this time of year. Everyone gets excited and pitches in to cleanup their house, neighborhood and community. We're all happy to do it because we celebrate Greenup. It really is a feeling of anticipation that surrounds this time of year. It helps that the sun comes up at 5ish and sets at nearly 11ish.



Cannon had some training to do up in Talkeetna, AK. We joined him for a night and had a great time. Talkeetna is the town that mountain climbers start and stop at before/after they head out to conquer Mt. McKinley. Some don't survive the climb and never come back. For folks who don't want to climb the mountain and just want to take a flight-seeing tour or have crazy adventurous river rafting experiences, this is the town to come to. I just loved the quaint little downtown area. It's one street with log cabins that have been turned into tourist shops and dining places. There's a small city park, the forest service building and a few hotels and that's the downtown area!

Cannon was working with the mountain rescue rangers who actually rescue McKinley climbers who are injured or dead. It was totally fascinating to watch them go through their rescue drills. It's not something anyone gets to see everyday. Just watching them hitch themselves to a rope attached to a hovering helicopter and being lifted off the ground 1000 feet, flying around in the air, then landing was enough to make me nervous. Once the helicopter picked them up, they were mocking through the air. I can't imagine going through the actual experience of rescuing someone off of a dangerous mountain who's hanging off a cliff or trapped in a crevasse in arctic temperatures with the fickle elements switching in the blink of an eye. We watched the rangers practice using various first aid gear, body bags, back supports etc all while being suspended in the air. These are the types of guys who lead expeditions to Everest and McKinley SEVERAL times a season, when they aren't on call to do rescue missions. Incredible. Cannon gave one of the rangers a ride down to Anchorage and I fixed up a halibut dinner for him so that we could listen to his stories. He was the most humble, unpretentious guy and yet his death defying stories were mind blowing. To him, it's all in a days work. And he's like, our age. Early 30's...

Cannon went on a bear hunt with some friends and returned yesterday. Up here a lot of bear hunting is done by boat because there aren't a lot of roads. He and his friends went to Prince William Sound and had a blast crab fishing, eating, shrimping, eating, halibut fishing and occasionally looking for a bear. Surprisingly, they never saw one. Then again, the bears are probably just waking from hibernation. He brought back a bunch of fresh prawns and cooked them up for Mother's Day. They were the most delicious shrimp I've ever had. Cannon really wants a boat now. Yesterday he said "Boats bring families together." He's really got it in his head that we need a boat. If only the cost of groceries, insurance and power weren't so expensive, we might could entertain the thought of buying a boat.

The weather is nice enough that Caleb and I did yard work, went to the zoo and went on our first bike ride. I'm laughing my head off at all the people in Utah and Idaho crying about snow. Ha, ha, haaaa!

In other news, Caleb is taking very small steps toward potting training. He's got #1 down great but going #2 is a fiasco. However, he has started taking his diaper off after going #2 and depositing the treasure into the toilet and flushing. He just started doing this. So he knows that it goes in the toilet, which is progress. He just doesn't want to give up the comfort of lying on his stomach, in private to do his business. Mercy.

I got my first real Mother's Day gift from Caleb today. A colored picture. I haven't saved much but I'm saving that. I love being a mom. And I was so happy to talk to my angel of a mom today. She is the sunshine in our lives. I want to be like her.

So that's the news in our neck of the almost-summertime woods.

It's been a great Mother's Day.

Little Jaunt to Fairbanks

I'm inside with finally a few minutes to blog. I've got homemade hot fudge bubbling on the stove. It smells good but it is going to taste even better. Outside it is warm enough that the boys are out back cleaning some snow off the deck and clearing branches. It is finally starting to feel like Breakup is ending and Greenup is around the corner. With May here in a few days it had better be blooming and blossoming soon!

Cannon was in Fairbanks for 2 weeks and we joined him for a few days. I love Fairbanks but someone who loves it more is my old roommate from college, Hailey! She was visiting her folks and so we made a play date to let our kiddos meet and play together! The kids got along well and it was so weird to see them in real life. They are cute in pictures but totally adorable in person. Hailey is a dear friend and I've always admired her. We got to sneak away from our families one night and go out to dinner. What seemed like a 15 min conversation was really 3 hours and it was so wonderful to catch up. We reminisced and laughed and mostly joked about our current phase of "haggard-mom-phase" that we are going through! It was so comfortable to talk about real life and the monotony of every day stuff and to validate each other as we asked "Is this what being a mom means?" Ha, ha!

Caleb is talking so much and we are still tackling the potty training stuff. He is pure sweetness. Such a good kid. I feel like Cannon and Caleb are my tender mercies, like they are specific blessings from God, just for me. As I type this, Cannon has just bathed Caleb and is playing the harmonica while they read a book. I wish I had a tape recorder to record every minute of the day. The sounds of Caleb copying everything his dad says, the sounds of them rough housing, the sounds of the harmonica, the laughing and squealing (by Caleb)...all of this wrapped in the smell of hot fudge. This is what home is about.

Heavenly Hawaii

Happy 3rd Birthday Caleb!

I'm exhausted. There might be some misspelled words but oh well...We had a great little party today and I can't believe how fast a day goes by when a birthday party has been the main event. I had planned on keeping things low key but woke up this morning so excited for Caleb's birthday that I felt helium balloons, streamers and party favors were a must! Cannon was able to get a later flight so that he could enjoy Caleb's big day with us! We were sooo happy about that. He's packing as I type this. They tidied up the rooms and I ran to the party store. I decorated a cake, they blew up balloons. Then the kids and moms arrived and we all had a great time! Caleb is asleep and I'm wishing I could be asleep right now.

We had such a fun time opening presents yesterday with G & G Stoddard on Skype. Caleb played all day long with his toys and woke up wanting to play, rather than eat breakfast. He's usually pretty good about breakfast, but not today.

Sunny and super cold!

What a great day to play at the park! It's freeze-your-face-off cold but the sunshine is blinding and brilliant!

Cannon is in Louisiana. To check out what he's up to down there, click here.

In other news, before he left he taught Caleb how to play a game on the computer. Caleb has enjoyed matching Thomas the Train cars and flying a space ship on the Super Why sites.

The biggest highlight of my week has been a very cute care package that arrived today from my sissy Heidi. You're the BEST sissy, Heidi-Ho! Thank you! We've been enjoying all the goodies and treats. If any of you have a head cold (like I've got), her amazing ginger candy will clear it up faster than Michael Pelps can swim a lap. And it tastes good too!!

p.s. If any of you drive a Mac and use the Picasa Web Album/Blogger stuff, can you tell me how to view things in the "Library view" and where the "photo tray" is hiding? I'm tired of posting slide shows.

The Iditarod Begins...

...tomorrow. But today was the Classic Iditarod Start in Anchorage. It actually starts in Willow tomorrow and 1,000 miles later ends in Nome. Anybody who races in the Iditarod is half crazy and half super-hero. I couldn't stand the baren, blistering cold, lonely, no-running-water, gotta-feed-my-dogs-before-i-eat-each-day, standing on the back of a sled business--for 1,000 miles. I don't think I'd even camp overnight on a friendly summer night by myself in Alaska, let alone the dead of winter. Crazy. Heroic.

Speaking of roughing it, we enjoyed watching the mushers ride by and enjoyed the beautiful dogs as we sipped hot chocolate and ate donuts, comfortably warm in our camping chairs.

Next year if any of you are visiting us on Mar 8th you can plan on joining us at 10:00a.m. to comfortably watch the competitors of what truly has to be the most rough and rugged race ever known to man. It's good times!

No TV Day

Once or twice a week the TV stays off. We don't get any channels but we do have lots of movies and I have one playing in the background as a distraction for Caleb while we play or do chores or whatever. Yesterday the TV* was off and so I had a little shadow by my side all day. There were lot of projects and messes. While I was working in the kitchen he was in the flour. He took the magnets off the fridge and put them in the flour and called it "alphabet flour". I let him play until he was covered from head to toe and then we vacuumed the whole mess up. We went to a friend's house to play and Caleb continued in his mess making, slathering baby cream all over my friends pleather couch. But the best part was that her 4 boys were in the room with him while he was slathering...they were playing video games...so he went unnoticed. Ha, ha, ha!!! We were fortunate to get it all cleaned up but what way to end the day. I didn't get much done yesterday BUT I think there is value in keeping the TV off now and then. If nothing more, it helps me hold in high regard those mothers who raised their children without a TV in the home, back in the dark ages.

Standby for photos of the Iditarod mushers...the Classic start of the Iditarod is Saturday morning.

*We have an old TV, not a flat screen. This year we qualify to apply for the PFD and will be anxiously waiting for the check in October so that we can squander what should probably be the beginning of Caleb's educational fund for a brand new LED screen. Admit it, you'd do the same.

Cannon's Liberty Counsel Rant (see prior entry)

...I've been wanting to unsubscribe to the Liberty Counsel fluff for quite a while but never got around to it. I foolishly accepted their email updates, not knowing what I was really subscribing to. Cannon said it better than I ever could have. It doesn't mean we aren't conservative, because we are, but we are going to vote for the best candidate no matter what side of the aisle he/she sits on.
Good night and good riddance Liberty Counsel!

The Liberty Counsel

This is Cannon, A few months/years ago Kate subscribed to this email deal called "The Liberty Counsel" Because I am in a Hypocratic mood today, I decided to send them a note to see if I could get them to change their minds just like they want to get me to change liberal minds. Every time I get one of these emails I find it offensive on both sides of the aisle, but mostly the punctuation aisle and they must have had a sale on exclamation marks in the sentence store that they never seem to run out of. So I sent them a note:

I am down with preserving the sanctity of the family but will not continue the Liberty Counsel because Every time I look in my junk mail to read your view on how my government is operating I feel like I am reading a message from Al Qaeda that was intended to inspire suicide bombers to strap on their suicide vests and "get to the work of changing political minds." Battle cry's are a great marketing tool, but come on, every time? Do your editors think that if we can yell Allah Achbar loud enough to enough people that we can convince the other side to join our cause. "They don't understand us...we must yell louder!!"

If you are going to fill my junk email box with half truths and hear say and not back it up with anything but fear and terror that my country is going to hell if I do not respond to your junk mail then I say to you...Unsubscribe me. I hope that your mother taught you better than to simply convince other people that you are right in your position by taking the other half of the truth and spinning it back to the uneducated populous.

As I re-read through your constant battle cry vernacular, I notice that the only part of which I would like you to "battle for my family values is the example of how not to persuade with gentle kindness and scientific reason. It is a very thin pancake that only has one side.

As I re-read the junk mail that I get from me it is littered with requests to call or fax my congressman and have them return my country and family values to me!!! I would like the Liberty Counsel to return my Junk mail box to me. I hope that I do not raise my son to be so short sighted or narrow minded as to think that the position which can be inflamed with the most ineffable punctuation wins. The family values I want for me and my neighbors is to never talk like they write to anyone.

The Weekend

Wow, it's March 1st. We had a fun weekend. The Fur Rondy Festival started and we were able to enjoy some of the conviviality. If anyone told me that someday I'd be "enjoying" a carnival and corn dogs in 12 degree weather, I'd have slapped them. But since we live in AK it's not too crazy for people up here to enjoy the Fair in the dead of winter. If you are curious about what Fur Rondy is, check out this link: www.furrondy.net. It's a crazy winter fest heralding the bygone days of the Fur Rendezvous auctions and the Classic start of the Iditarod. Basically it's an excuse to throw a huge party in Anchorage.

I've got a couple pics up of Cannon's finished dresser and night stand. We are still shopping around for hardware. Didn't he do a beautiful job on that furniture?

We got to Skype with the grandparents and that was the highlight of our weekend. It really does bridge a huge distance between our family. Viva la modern technology!

I have loads of laundry to fold while Caleb is napping so gotta run! Happy Monday to you all.

We got fresh snow today. It's just beautiful and white and bright. I think we'll try making a snow man today. It has been a good week.

That green stuff is called grass...

...and it will get green again in a matter of months. I keep reminding myself of this fact.

It's sloppy and dreary outside but life is good up here in the arctic north. Just because it's not possible to play outside doesn't mean we can't have fun inside. We've continued to take Caleb swimming and he continues to be fearless. We also play ball with him in the house and he is a spot on kicker with both right and left feet. If we throw the ball at him, he either kicks it right back at us with great aim or he hits it with either his right or left hand. He's not afraid of it and if it bonks him on the head he just says "Uups, bonk on da noggin" and we go again. He's also enjoying the "Library Lapsit" program. He sings the songs, does all the actions and listens (somewhat restlessly) to the stories. Then he claps the loudest and jumps up and down the loudest at the conclusion of each song or story. He's getting quite big--literally, just big. But there isn't an ounce of fat on him. I'm working on teaching him to share and be gentle because he was trying to give his tiny friend Eden a hug today and made her squawk because he was squeezing her. He's not very prompt about saying "I so sorry" but he'll give a kiss to the "injured" party when he understands that he was the cause of their discomfort. I should have named him Brutus. He's flying through flash cards and getting better about his pronunciation, sadly. I don't ever want him to grow up. His sweet voice and his stumbling sentences and lisps are heart melters everyday. The best is when he wakes from a nap and looks at you with sleepy eyes and while patting the pillow next to him says "Snuggabug?!"

I've learned the hard way that I really need to take it easy with my neck. I was trying to carry on with life as usual. I couldn't figure out why my neck, shoulder and back were so achy, sore and stiff 24/7. It turns out that laundry, dishes, picking up clutter, keeping up with a busy toddler, grocery shopping, exercising and making meals are tasks that I have to scale back on. Way back. I need to ask Cannon for help more often -- it's just a matter of pride and what I feel is shirking my duty. Weird, I know. And how I sleep at night is a huge factor too. Apparently wearing my neck collar at night is okay but during the day I'm supposed to allow the spine to heal and grow stronger by keeping the collar off. So I need to get out of this very un-ergonomic chair and get to bed. I really depend on other people's blogs to keep me from feeling so distant. I shouldn't expect others to keep me updated without giving an update myself.

Cannon is working on refinishing a beautiful dresser and night stand that our neighbor was getting rid of. He's making it look like a deep cherry wood set of furniture. I'll take some pics and post them. It is a labor of love and he's spending a lot of time sanding, treating, staining, sanding...should be finished by the end of this week. Our house really stinks. I'm glad none of you live close enough to visit. With the pipes breaking in November and subsequent mold, there's a bit of a cabin smell. Couple that with wood stain smells and you've got a whopper of a stench. I can't wait until we can open the windows and doors and bring fresh arctic breezes through the house.

My friends and I are planning our 2nd year of participating in the "Pink Cheeks Triathlon" the first weekend in May. I can't do the whole thing because of my neck but I've got a team. Ruthie will swim, I'll bike and Jess will run. It will be great fun! There are some new girls in the ward who want to join this year so we should have a good gaggle of girls. We just have to come up with a team name. Any ideas?

One of the best things to look forward to is that Cannon is going to Hawaii again on business at the end of March. Actually he's going on Caleb's birthday. I remember spending Caleb's birthday without Cannon last year. We've got an option to go with Cannon this year and I think we're going to take it. Cannon will be at work during the day but we'll be able to celebrate Caleb's birthday together as a family, take in some sand and sun...just relax...so I think we're going to do it. I'm going to look up local museums or kid friendly places that I can take Caleb during the day. We are for sure going to ride the trolley and hunt down as many aquariums as we can find. Mostly we'll go swimming, but not in the ocean. It scares me. We'll stick with the pool.

That is the update: fun almost-3-year-old, stinky house, cool project, cluttery house, triathlon training and Hawaii on the Horizon.

p.s. For any of you Phoenix dwellers I checked out Hawaiian Airlines and you can get a roundtrip ticket from Phoenix to Honolulu Dep 3/31, Ret 4/5 for $400. That is so cheap!

Another day in paradise

Shoveling the drive and brushing teeth. Doesn't get more exciting than that!

T is for Truck and Tuesday

We went to Sally's today to find some books for Caleb. We came home with books and a "Grave Digger" monster truck that he couldn't part with...well, not peacefully anyway. And I can't exactly wrestle a yelling, flopping 40lb almost-3-year-old with a busted neck. Besides, I was happy to have found some excellent books for him and he was happy to have found the truck.

Our morning was busy with the gym, Great Harvest to pick up some Popeye Bread (it's out of this world), the hospital to pick up some pamphlets on neck/shoulder stretching exercises, gas station and then Sallys. What a productive morning. Now it's off to take a nap.

What's your Tuesday been like?

eager anticipation

The delicious dough has been taste tested and approved...

It is currently chilling in the refrigerator...

The heart and train cookie cutters are patiently waiting to slice and shape...

We are so excited to make and bake Grandma Stoddard's Sugar Cookies.
They are the best cookies in the universe!
I'm sharing the recipe with you so that you have something to look forward to, just like we do!

* * * * *
Okay, the cookies are done and oh, so delicious. Caleb was quite the helper and after cutting out the cookies he wanted to play in the flour. So I didn't ask for his help with frosting the cookies. We delivered a few plates of green trains and pink hearts to our friends tonight. Valentines Day is around the corner!

Not Phoenix Weather

Cannon is in Phoenix. He left yesterday. Caleb has been asking "Where's daddy?" every 30 min or so. He also says "Daddy's in da sky, in da airpane!" And then there's the "Call daddy?" request every 45 min or so. Caleb misses his hero. He adores his daddy. They have so much fun together. No one is going to be more excited to see Cannon than me but Caleb is going to be showing his enthusiasm much more exuberantly, as only an almost 3 year old can when we pick daddy up this weekend. Fortunately, the sun is shining here. I have a hard time living here but Cannon's absence doesn't impact me quite as deeply when the sun is shining.

Before he left we played indoors and did some work on the house.

Generally my routine is to hit the gym first thing but today I gave myself a break. My neck and shoulders have been sore for a full week so I've got my neck brace on, trying to let my muscles rest a bit. We made valentines for the grandparents/g-grandparents, made dutch macaroni, ran an errand at Walgreens and found the perfect ball for swimming at the pool, played trains and went outside to build a snow man. The snow is too dry to build one. But we had a great time anyway.

We'll see if we can keep ourselves distracted this week while Cannon is gone. This is Cannon's first business trip of many to come this Spring and Summer...

Fix a tire

The other day I took our car to the mechanic to get the tire fixed. Turned out that a couple of studs had caused a couple major air leaks. Caleb wanted to watch the mechanic the entire time and was big eyed and speechless. When we got home, he promptly gathered his cars and jets and would bring each one to me, saying "Fix a tire"? I would say "Yes, fix the tire!" After a little while, he came and grabbed my hand and walked me into the living room. He had gathered a bunch of cars and propped each one up on a "jack" (the jacks were game pieces) so that he could fix the tires. He is very observant and I have a feeling that he'll be getting some sort of engineering and applied science degree since he clearly has the "applied science" thing down. Or maybe he'll be a mechanic. Whatever he does, he'll be good at it--just like his dad. They are both into mechanical things and fixing stuff...

Here's Caleb the happy swimmer. We are so glad to be able to go swimming indoors when it's 4 degrees outside. The last few days have been warmer--in the 20's. It was a balmy 26 yesterday.

I've got the flu. Caleb had it a few days ago. A 24 hour flu bug. It's not as bad as other bugs I've had in years past. Thank goodness. I do wish that I were sick and upchucking because I was pregnant, but it's just the flu. Darn it!

Cannon is in the attic right now. He finished putting a bunch of foam board, plastic and "black death" down in the crawl space. Now the attic is getting a makeover. I sure appreciate his willingness to fix this stuff. He said he enjoys it. Again, thank goodness. In the short few years that we've been married I'm sure he has saved us thousands of dollars by fixing the car and house himself. He's the best.

Speaking of the house, we had a knock on the door a few days ago. We answered the door and a fellow said "Hi, I'm here to look at the house!" After a couple seconds of puzzlement, he explained that his wife saw that it was for rent. We assured him that it was NOT for rent and told him that he'd been a victim of a scam. I asked if his wife sent any money to the "landlords" and he didn't know. We wished him luck looking for a rental property and sent him on his way. Hopefully they didn't lose any money. Bizarro.

Caleb went in for an EEG (a brain scan). He did wonderfully well. We are still waiting for the results. When he had the flu, he did have another febrile seizure. It was very short and not nearly as dramatic as past episodes. I think that because they are purely febrile (happening when he's got a fever), he'll grow out of them. He is such a great kiddo.
Happy Tuesday to you all.

p.s. I'm using a Mac version of Wordpress, called Flock. I'm trying it for the first time today.

just barely january

january is here, beautiful snow is here. i'd love to post pics but they still aren't uploading. we've been exploring other sites to use so that i can continue to post pics and text without any trouble. obviously it hasn't been a huge priority since i've struggled for the last 3 months or so and still am using 'blogger'.

still getting busted pipe ramifications taken care of around the house. still. that and normal everyday life. dishes, laundry, meals, exercise, play dates. i keep promising cannon that i'll update our budget and i haven't done it yet. it's just a matter of plugging numbers into our excel spreadsheet and yet...and yet, it might as well be eating cooked broccoli. i hate it. and for whatever reason, laundry piles seem to crop up in the house. i don't mind doing laundry but other things get in the way of sitting down and folding it. i guess i need to improve my dvd selection so that i'll actually want to sit down and watch a movie while i fold. it would also help if caleb wouldn't dump the entire basket of folded laundry over, quickly burrowing under the pile and saying "where's caleb, where's caleb?"

speaking of movies, we've started watching the "national parks" dvd series by ken burns. they are so well done. the stories that accompany the photography are just captivating. and our national parks are spectacular, so all of the visual imagery is inspiring. highly recommend this series to anyone.

what else. oh, we went swimming again last night. there is a big water slide and cannon and i time each other on who can go down the fastest. cannon has me beat by 2 seconds. we have different techniques and his sheer weight and size probably have more to do with how fast he bombs down the slide than the technique. but he swears by the technique. caleb is TOTALLY fearless. we strap the life jacket on and let him go! the water slide isn't enough of a thrill for him. he would rather go off the diving board. yes, THE diving board. thank goodness there is no high dive. in the pool he will tug on us and say "go on the diving board!" we have to hold the back of his strap while he tries to run to the board. one of us climbs up with him and the other treads water in the deep end. he gets out to the very edge of the board, grabs our hands and then starts jumping up and down on the very edge of the board. after a few seconds of jumping and yelling like a triumphant viking he counts to 3 and then we drop him into the deep end. fortunately, he's so buoyant that his head never goes under the water. the rest of the time, he is chasing a ball. and he is relentless about getting it and if it starts to sink, he'll yell and kick himself into circles waiting for one of us to retrieve the ball. he is so fun to watch. a plastic surgeon couldn't remove the smile on his face. he kicks and yells and chases and jumps for 2 hours straight, smiling the whole time. it's a blast to take him swimming. i'm going to get him in some swimming classes this spring, after he turns 3.

one thing i have been doing is planning out meals and using the crock pot more. made some sweet and sour salmon in the crock that was awesome and some moose vegetable stew that was very tasty. will be using those recipes a lot in the future. my next attempt will be a pf changs lettuce wrap recipe for the crock pot. mmm,mmmm....

so that's about it. my neck and shoulders are healing well. i'm stiff and a little sore most days but not in pain and not achy. this is the 4th week i've been able to exercise consistently throughout the whole week without any bad physical pain in my back. i'm VERY happy about that. and like most americans, i have a new year's resolution to get this pesky fat off my body. i've been very happy while eating healthy. this is a marked change from last year. last year i had a sense of "all or nothing" and felt deprived, angry and obsessive about what i was (and wasn't) eating. i've abandoned the notion of eating super strict just to get the weight off. and i'm not planning on eating differently or having binge days once i do get the fat off. no fad diets. i'm truly changing my lifestyle. that means that i can have chocolate everyday, but in moderation. lean meat in moderation. tons of veggies, fruits, grains...and h20. it's stuff i've known since i was a kid, stuff i taught as a trainer but somehow, it has taken me a while to apply it to myself personally. super hypocritical of me, i know--but i was truly blinded thinking that i needed to do severe things to my diet or that i needed to work even harder physically than i had been...

now i'm truly taking care of myself. i feel liberated. i feel motivated. i feel happy. i feel blessed.

well, off to fold laundry and *cringe* update our monthly budget.