The White House

Veteran's Day Tournament

2009-11-16T08:31:00.003-09:00

He shoots and scores.

He'll dive for the ball.

He takes on the big guys.

Who is your favorite basketball player? This is mine.

Five teams in the 8th Grade Boys division. Two from Fairbanks, two from Anchorage and one from Barrow. Six games in three days. Come back tomorrow to see how his team placed.

Mellow Yellow Monday

2009-11-16T07:54:00.005-09:00

Drowsey Monkey hosts Mellow Yellow Monday if you want to play along.

A few nights ago Dad played Uno with Olivia and Lucas. Lucas was sporting a shirt with several shades of yellow. He was also dealt quite a few yellow cards.

He laid them out there, worked on learning his colors and numbers, and then beat them both!

The List Will Have to Wait

2009-11-13T23:44:00.004-09:00

We've had a stormy couple of days that has required a lot of shoveling. What follows the storm? Crisp, clear skies. Our temperatures are supposed to take a dive and it is currently ELEVEN DEGREES BELOW ZERO. That's right, -11F. I am so not ready for the bitter cold. I mean, being cold is one thing, but that bitter cold that takes your breath away. Not ready for it. What will I do when it is -40F? I shudder to think of it.
This is the view from the deck we never use. You have to be quick to catch a sunset as they happen pretty fast. Notice the snow on the railing...that's what we've gotten so far.

Here's the deck we never use. My husband calculates that I have about 316 cubic feet of snow to move (the deck is 60' X 8'). He figures my shovel holds about one cubic foot. All the snow has to go off that far end. I have a lot of work to do!

I'd like to say I did a lot around the house today, but I didn't. I shovelled about an hour. I did three loads of laundry. I drove Nick to meet his buddies to go snowboarding. Picked Elijah up from school. I took Elijah to get a pair of shorts. I picked up Grandma Debbi and then Emily. We watched this boy play this game.

Then I watched this girl play this game. (My great-niece). Then we drove Tyler and Elijah to Tyler's, Debbi and Olivia to Debbi's, Emily and Jadyn to her dad's and then I went home.

A busy day, I suppose, but it still doesn't feel like I did much. Tomorrow Elijah has games at 11:00, 1:00 and 8:00pm so we'll be down to the gym at 10:00am to start our day. I don't think much will be happening around the farm. Maybe Sunday?

How About That List?

2009-11-13T11:10:00.002-09:00

Out of complete randomness I share this...one my biggest peeves....people who drive down the road with mounds of snow on their car because they are too lazy to sweep it off.

Wednesday my Excursion went to the shop to get the studded tires put on. I had to drive the van. I became one of those people. Yep, I was too lazy to clean it off.

The snowing and blowing started Wednesday with the real heavy stuff on Thursday.

Another randomness...I made funnel cakes for the first time and they were great.

I made a Thursday Thirteen list of things I wanted to accomplish yesterday. This was not on the list, but I had to do it anyhow. How do two little people make such a mess? This was not all of it.

I decided to tackle shovelling first and headed out while it was still dark.

I shovelled all the snow away from the front of the house and dragged this shelter across the yard all by myself. Let me just say it was damn heavy and not the brightest thing I've done lately, but I get tired of asking for help that never comes.

My idea is to pile the snow out in the drive and then my husband will get the plow truck running and push it away. Or not.

The snow just didn't let up and that concrete (and all the rest of it) was buried a few hours later so I get to start all over today. (Nick just shovelled the stairs and sidewalk as a trade off to go snowboarding. Yes!)

Roscoe helped me. I really had to pay attention because when he comes bounding full force if you aren't ready you'll end up on the ground.

A lot of my photos were like this: dogless. He's pretty spastic.

I did four loads of laundry from my list. That wasn't all of it, but it was a start.

Olivia and I went back out into the night to do a little more shovelling. See how it is all covered again? Such pretty white.

It really was clear down to concrete, but by the time I could get my camera out of my pocket it was white again! After 3.5 hours of working outside I gave up for another day.

Another item on my to-do list was to bathe four dogs. And we did.

This is Olivia with Sally.

Rusty...

Ruby....

Roxie.

All so silky soft and smelling so good.

One of the other items on the list was to work on hockey Cd's. And I did. I burned 24 Cd's and printed 48 labels. Now I need to make the highlight DVDs (just random shots from the season put to music) and burn those. I think I'll get this done before Thanksgiving! Ya!

So what didn't I do?
2. Bake cookies. The kids did break open the mint chips and ate some so that's kind of like having cookies.
4. Clean out my truck. Nick had it most of the day so that wasn't really possible, but he just cleaned it out while I typed this so it got done!
5. Take the bed out of Lucas' room. Didn't bother. Homer didn't get home from work until after 8:00pm so it wasn't like we were going to work on the room anyhow. He works too much.
6. and 7. Quilting and sewing didn't even enter my mind. I really wonder if I ever have time for that.
8. Call about school photos. I did call at 4:02pm to be precise. They closed at 4:00pm. That's my luck.
11., 12, and 13. I totally failed. No ripping up of cabinets, the wild birds were left on their own and by the time the evening ended I was too tired to soak my feet. I just went to bed.

Elijah starts a basketball tournament tonight so I'll be watching him and my niece play. I just ran Nick to town to hook up with Adam, Trey and James to go snowboarding at Birch. I've go 1/2 an hour and it's back to get Elijah and shop for shorts for tonight's game. I seriously doubt I'll get anything done past more shovelling. I'll let you know if I do.

I do have to admit I'm glad I put "the list" out there. I know for a fact puppy baths would have been skipped last night if I hadn't listed it. I was tired and wanted to sit, but I was driven by "the public list". I think I may do this more often.

Thursday Thirteen

2009-11-11T22:39:00.002-09:00

Have a list of 13 things you want to share? Go here!

Thirteen things I should really do tomorrow:

1. Shovel the sidewalk and stairs. We are supposed to get 2-6 inches of new snow depending on where you are. I think I've already got 3 or so.

2. Bake cookies. I picked up peanut butter chips, peppermint chips and creme de mint chips tonight at the store. Lots of cookies!

3. Catch up the laundry. Not sure what the deal is, but I'm several loads behind.

4. Clean out my truck. So many shoes/coats/boats/toys/clothes are making it hard to find a seat. And there are nine!

5. Take the bed frame out of Lucas' room. Then it will be empty, we can pull up the carpet, finish up the trim, re-carpet and it will be all done and ready to decorate. Yea!

6. Being preparation for the quilt I'm making someone for Christmas. Time will run out before I know it.

7. Pull out my flannel and find the pajama pattern. We were going to buy some pajamas for the girls tonight. They wanted $36 for a shirt and pants. I don't think so!

8. Call about ordering school photos for Nick. He neglected to bring home the form and now I need to see if I can still order them.

9. Work on hockey cd's. I finished burning 36 cd's with 2523 photos for the basketball parents and handed them out at the banquet. Now I've edited 2007 photos from a past hockey team and will give those photos to the parents. I should have done this two years ago, and the guilt rides on my shoulders all the time. I will finish them this week!

10. Bathe four of the dogs. They don't smell so great.

11. Start ripping apart the old kitchen. Looking forward to having a big bonfire with the cabinets. They are so not worth saving.

12. Fill the wild bird feeder. I bet they ran out of seed awhile ago.

13. Take time to soak my feet. My feet are so dry, cracked, calloused and nasty. I've got to start taking some time for myself.

Check back tomorrow and I'll let you know if I actually did anything on this list! :)

Dogs on Thursday: New Bed

2009-11-11T22:00:00.001-09:00

Share your pup on Thursdays!

Roxie and Rusty love that I put the big dog bed in the chair next to my computer. They want to be as close to me as possible.

After 423 photos (not really, but it felt like it) this is the best I could get of all four together. How do you get your dogs to pose for photos? Mine just aren't trained well enough to sit still especially Ruby (green collar) and Sally (pink collar). They will be two December 27. Will they ever calm down?

This is how Roxie likes it best...the bed all to herself. Rusty would rather give it to her than lay next to her. Ornery little dogs.

This Way Thursway!

2009-11-11T22:00:00.000-09:00

Come on....share a sign!

First time I've seen this version of a dog sign.

Tell Me Thursday: Pitch Black Dark

2009-11-11T21:00:00.000-09:00

Do you Wordless Wednesday? Tell Me about it on Thursday!

Wednesday I shared the view from my truck while Elijah gets on the bus. Every morning at 6:32am we drive 1.2 miles up Isberg and .3 miles down Chena Ridge to sit in his father's driveway and wait for bus #36. At exactly 6:42am every.single.day the bus pulls up. This is a photo of the bus coming up the Ridge. It's dark. Very dark. No yard lights. No streets lights. No moon or stars. Just pitch black dark. I feel bad for the kids who have to walk down dark driveways to stand on this dark road in the bitter cold. (The bus will keep running at -40 or -50 or whatever insane temperatures we get). My son sits in a nice warm truck.

This is my drive home back down Isberg road. Pitch black dark. There are only three driveways off of this road and only one house is actually next to the road giving light. My house is the closest to this road, but my actual driveway is off of Bluegrass. I'm sure you can Google that if you are interested.

I'll be glad when my moose lights are actually on my truck so I can light up the world!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-11-11T06:58:00.002-09:00

You can participate in Wordless Wednesday by going here!

Ruby Tuesday: Rosy Cheeks

2009-11-10T07:54:00.003-09:00

Join Mary The Teach for Ruby Tuesday!

We have very little snow so far this year, but what we do have is enough for the kids to have some fun. Here's Emily showing off her balance. I think someone might be going snowboarding with her brothers this year.

It's a lot of hard work pushing your little sister up the slippery slope,

but it's worth it for the ride down.

Now you really didn't think I was passing pink off for Ruby did you? Not me! Check out those cheeks. Those two little girls had the most rosy cheeks while sledding.

Lucas also wanted to show you his freshly ruby-scraped nose and cheek which may or may not have come from a much older sister who might possibly have thrown a sled in his direction while being sassy. He'll also tell you his foot is bropen (broken) from the same sister crashing him into a pole although it really isn't. It was a rough day of sledding for the Lukey Monster and I'm sure it won't be the last.

This Way Thursway!

2009-11-04T22:00:00.003-09:00

Join the fun...share a sign!

Posted at the elementary school in Valdez, Alaska. I would bet this is how some kids get to school!

It Just Ain't So

2009-11-04T12:47:00.003-09:00

Just because YOU say something aloud doesn't make it true.

Just because YOU write in on paper doesn't make it true.

YOU should really stop listening to the little voices in your head.

And YOU know who YOU are.

I'll say a prayer.
And soon enough I will reveal everything so my dear blog followers will understand.

My 42nd Birthday

2009-11-03T08:20:00.002-09:00

The day began at 6:00am. Got Elijah and Nick on the bus, read the paper and drank some coffee. Pretty normal stuff. Picked Nick up at school where the Troopers had just arrived. Too common of a scene. I don't remember Troopers ever coming to the school when I was a kid.

Nick and I filled up the truck with groceries at Sam's Club. Does that look like $420 worth? Grocery prices have gotten so high!

Then Elijah and I went to Fred Meyer's for the rest of the things we needed. Rusty doesn't miss a trip to town now that we are giving the pups more freedom.

The sun was very bright on the drive home.

For my birthday dinner I wanted to make homemade pizzas with my kids. Sounded like a lot more fun than going out to eat (cheaper, too). Nick tried a cheesy crust. It worked, but needed more cheese.

Olivia had the most fun. She loves to help in the kitchen.

Dad chopped up our stuff and Olivia finished up her pizza.

Lucas was more than happy to help Dad.

Dad and I had garlic, onion, spinach and artichoke heart pizza. Very tasty. Emily didn't come back from her dad's until after dinner so she missed making pizzas, but was home for cake.

Elijah and his mini-me. No kidding. There is a ten year difference between them and Lucas is just like raising Elijah all over again. *sigh* Let me just say Elijah has kept me on my toes and now his little brother is. Couldn't he have mirrored Nick? :)

This guy has been a joy to raise. Easy, fun and a friend. He could live at home until he was 40 if he wanted. Really.

This man made sure I had a relaxing and fun birthday. He is such a good husband and father. We are all so lucky to have him.

Look...it's that really good pizza again!

Lucas was too funny. He was blowing out my candles while everyone was singing!

I got some moose lights for my Excursion. I am so excited. I swear I'd go redneck with a dozen on my roof if dad would put them there. I like to light up the world when I'm on the road at night. I hope to never hit a moose.

Halloween 2009

2009-11-01T21:56:00.000-09:00

Here's what that bag of fabric turned into....a princess dress for Emily. Would you believe it was almost 12 yards of fabric!! She had to wear a tank top underneath as she wasn't home to size before sewing, but she still looked beautiful.

We took Olivia and Lucas to a carnival at Nick's high school. They are normally so shy, but completely came out of their shell and had a lot of fun.

Nick hung out at a table his friends were working.

After the carnival we went to McDonald's to eat and play before trick or treating. A little girl really wanted Olivia to have her wig and Olivia wanted to wear it. I completely cracked up.

Then we were off through the snow in search of candy.

They were just so cute with their "trick or treat" and "thank-you" at every house. Such little darlings.

Elijah (far right) was out running the neighborhood with his friends and then went to a Halloween party before spending the night at David's. Nick went to Kyle's house for the night. I last talked to Emily on Friday and haven't had my calls returned (she at her dad's) all weekend. I hope that she had a good time. I really missed trick-or-treating with her. All night it just felt like something was missing. I can't wait to hear about her weekend when she comes home tomorrow.

Olivia and Lucas did a lot of walking for their little legs and were asleep in the car by 8:00pm. Made for a quiet evening of movies for us. I hope everyone else had some fun on Halloween.

Shadow Shot Sunday

2009-11-01T12:13:00.004-09:00

I stumbled upon Shadow Shot Sunday here. Check it out!

I went out to shovel the sidewalk and the sun was making some beautiful shadows on the fresh snow. The ice crystals were sparkling.

You can go back to my blog here!

Scenic Sunday

2009-11-01T10:09:00.005-09:00

For Scenic Sunday I decided to share of few photos of our new winter near my home.

Pulling out of the driveway...

Looking to the right....

Looking down Cripple Creek...

Looking up Cripple Creek...

Heading to town...

A Sun Dog seen from the West Valley parking lot.

I threw in a photo of Rusty just because he's cute and he's lovin' the fact that I'm taking him with me wherever I go.

One last shot from the yard. The boys won't shovel the sidewalk because that is too much work, but Nick will bust his butt to clear a spot to winter skateboard. He tells me that skateboarding is fun, but yard work isn't. I love his logic!

Camera Critters: Bald Eagle

2009-10-30T22:00:00.001-08:00

Share your critters here!

On the way into Valdez there were dozens of Eagles sitting in trees along the road. It was gray and raining pretty hard so my shots were a bit hurried.

I am not a bird expert so I'm not sure what this is, but I'm guess some sort of falcon? If you know please share.

Catching Up

2009-10-29T08:48:00.003-08:00

I can say "You shouldn't skateboard in the house" or "You are going to break something" or "Please, don't do that" or any variation of the above phrases until I am blue in the face, but Nick doesn't hear me. It isn't until he launches his skateboard through a 3.5 X 4.5 ft. window resulting in about $400 in damages that he fully appreciates what I was saying. Teenage boys make my head hurt, but more so my wallet.

Winter has finally arrived and with it my many aches and pains. The first two days were bad and I was CRABBY. Not just a little grumpy, like kick the dog angry. Today, I am doing better...or at least tolerating my winter pain. I know I will hurt and feel like crap all winter so now it is just a matter of accepting it and re-learning to ignore it.

I love how everything appears blue in that time between total darkness and day.

With winter comes shovelling. I realize I live with 3 strapping men, but they would just as soon climb over a 5-ft berm than shovel it. In the last six years I can count on two hands the number of times someone other than me has shovelled the sidewalk. For the first five years I was pissed about it, but this year I'm embracing my "inner winter" and am determined to enjoy my time in the snow. Or at least deal with it with a better attitude.

For the past two morning I would shovel and then it would snow again. Yesterday, in my day of grump, I got way pissed off at the stupid little shovel I was using and didn't finish the job. We used to have multiple snow shovels, but over the years three boys have packed them off into the woods to build forts or snowboard ramps or what have you and they have slowly disappeared.

My dear husband (not wanting to listen to me bitch any more) brought me home a shiny new shovel last night. Now I've got some real work to do....

...but not until I take care of this little pile of fabric. Wait until you see what I am making (I hope it turns out).

Now that Nick only takes two classes at the high school his schedule is different everyday. Some days he rides the bus to school and I pick him up and other days I have to drive to school and pick up. Here's the rode I travel to get to the highway.

Every day at 6:30am I drive Elijah to the bus. That is 3 miles (round trip). Then it's a 21 mile RT to take Nick to school. Then another 21 RT to pick him up. I wait a couple hours and then it's a 28 mile round trip to get Elijah home. That's a minimum of 78 miles a day. Last night Dad dropped Elijah at basketball practice and then went back to get him. That was another 56 miles. Sometimes there is another trip to town thrown in and none of this includes the "errand miles".

It is 46 miles to work and back for my husband. Plus he's constantly running parts or out to he hot springs to work so he drives a couple hundred miles a day back and forth through town.

In all our driving I sure hope this doesn't end up being us! On my second trip to town there was a small truck that rolled over in this same spot. This is a bad time of year, and drivers forget to slow down. Last night there was a little more snow so it didn't seem as slick this morning.

Those footprints belong to a fox who is looking for a way in to get the goose. Unfortunately, Little Red Hen flew over the fence and apparently became lunch as I cannot find her. Sometimes the wild life really bugs me.

Lucas and I made cupcakes the other day. This is half of them. They were all gone in one day. I have five little piggy's!

(This is for my friend Patty who knows I don't like to cook). I made coleslaw the other day for the first time and it was so good! Dad ate the whole bowl at dinner. Last night I used the rest of the cabbage for soup. It was awesome (I've never made nor eaten cabbage soup so this was an adventure). The soup had beans and potatoes and hit the spot on a blustery day. Maybe I'll get into this cooking thing after all.

And just for fun I'll throw in a photo of the girls. We put together a puzzle Emily got for her birthday. Our house isn't done and is usually a mess, but now that we are focusing less on work and more on play we all seem to be happier. Besides, the kids don't care if the remodelling gets done....they just like to spend time as a family.

Dogs on Thursday

2009-10-29T08:24:00.005-08:00

Want to talk about your dog? You can do it here!

This is Rusty...Elijah's long-haired dachshund. As you can see he's enjoying the back of the couch. Until just recently the pups spent a good portion of their time in a play yard in the living room. Rusty was getting in to trouble for marking my furniture because of the girls being in heat.

Roxie was in the kennel because she was never properly potty trained when I bought her.

When the Wee People were smaller it was just too hard for me to keep on eye on everyone, but now that Olivia and Lucas are older it's gotten easier. Now that I can keep an eye on the dogs I've been letting these two roam the house. Of course, the couch has become a favorite place to be.

Today, Rusty is on the foot stool right next to the computer. They are both much happier now that they are close to us. My next move will be to get them each their own blanket to keep the hair off the couch.

Such peaceful sleep.

I think someone is getting a little chubby!

Sally and Ruby are still in the play yard as they are both in heat, but when they aren't they will get to roam about as well.

You can visit my blog here!

This Way Thursway!

2009-10-29T06:23:00.003-08:00

Have a sign to share? Join in on Thursday's here!

You might have one of these in your back yard if you live in Valdez, Alaska.

Wordless Wednesday: Hunting with Dad

2009-10-27T23:14:00.005-08:00

Check out more photos here!

(If you are anti-gun or anti-hunting or anti-anything please don't be mean. Really, this world could use a lot less mean).

The Honest Scrap

2009-10-27T07:25:00.003-08:00

Awhile back Bonnie gave me this award. I'm a little slow, but I didn't forget. Thanks!

Here are the rules:
1) Present this award to 7 others whose blogs I find brilliant in content and/or design, or those who have encouraged me.
2) Tell those 7 people they've been awarded HONEST SCRAP and inform them of these guidelines in receiving the award.
3) Share "10 Honest Things" about myself.

Yep. I'm only doing number three, but would love it if you left a comment telling me something honest about you!

1. I used to trust everyone. Not always wise, but that's how I was. Now I don't trust anyone. I am very skeptical and look for the "hidden" intentions. I guess that is what life has done to me.

2. My husband cleans the toilets. I gag.

3. I don't like it when other people are in my laundry room. I don't care that I'm raising kids who can't do their own laundry. They'll get the chance when they grow up. For now it is my place of peace.

4. I cuss like a truck driver. I am not a truck driver.

5. I hate cats. I used to love cats, but when I was out-of-town at the hospital with my mom after one of her strokes my ex-husband took my three cats that I had had for eight years to the pound. That was over ten years ago. I've never forgotten. Or forgiven.

6. I love taking naps. I really miss taking naps with Nicholas when he was two and three. He was the best 'cause he'd nap for three hours. Then we'd get up and go to McDonald's. He hasn't just been a great son for 16 years, he's been my best friend. If I could keep him home forever I would.

7. I wish I was younger so I could have more children. Newborn to six months is the best.

8. I can grow beautiful flowers. We'd starve if we had to live off the vegetables I grow.

9. I laugh at people who think just because they say something it must be true. I laugh even harder at the fools who listen to them.

10. I like Coke and Diet Pepsi. I don't like Pepsi and Diet Coke.

That's My World Tuesday

2009-10-26T22:45:00.003-08:00

Share your World HERE!

This past Friday my husband and I drove 355 miles to watch our son play basketball. Then we drove 355 miles back home on Sunday. I know it is photo overload, but I wanted to take you on part of our drive.

This is just before Thompson Pass heading into Valdez, Alaska.

As we climbed into the pass the rain turned to sleet and then to snow.

Once we were down into Valdez the snow turned back to rain. This is the high school gym Elijah played at. Right up against the mountain!

We took a walk and this is what we saw.

Across the water from our hotel is Allison Point (where the fishing is awesome) and the Alyeska Pump Station.

On the drive home it was obvious some snow had fallen while we were in town.

We did see a moose right on the side of the road here, but by the time we stopped and turned around he ran into the woods.

We have some friends that built The Lodge at Black Rapids. On a whim we turned around and stopped on our way back home. Am I glad I did. When Annie would tell me about the place they were building I had an idea, but I was wrong. This place is amazing. The attention to detail for their guests, the wood work and rock work, the comfort you feel when you walk through the door is unbelievable. This, I think, would be the most perfect place for my friend Tink to relax. Annie and Michael are extremely intelligent well-read individuals that she would find enjoyable. Annie is the head of the Breast Cancer Detection Center (the last I knew) and I believe Michael is a psychologist. Both amazingly interesting people. You can read more about the lodge here ! By-the-way, when we went to leave we heard coyotes howling in the hills behind the lodge. How cool is that?

I hope you enjoyed a small very short part of our very long drive to Valdez to watch a little b-ball.

Six Games in Four Days!

2009-10-26T09:48:00.002-08:00

Last week was a basketball week. Elijah made me so proud!

It started with a semi-final game on Wednesday against Ryan. The boys started off rocky and really had to struggle back to a 50-39 win. (See previous posts)

Thursday was the championship game against Tanana. The final score was 41-26, but until the very end the game was a lot closer than that. It was a very physical game. He worked incredibly hard and gave it his all.

Friday morning we were up at 4:00am and down to the school a little after five. The bus pulled out at 5:30am for a 355 mile trip to the Valdez Invitational Basketball Tournament. The bus arrived at 12:15pm and the girls were on the court at 12:30pm! The boys followed them.

The first game was against the Anchorage Christian School Lions. ACS is a private Christian school. We won that game 49-34.

Our second game was a couple hours later against Colony Middle School from Palmer. They have 655 students in 7 and 8th grade. We won that very physical game (Elijah took a hard elbow to the nose) 40-14. The #34 in the photo with him was a nasty dirty player who would be better suited for football!

Saturday morning the first game was 9:00am against Cordova. Cordova is about a four hour ferry ride out of Valdez. They have 184 students in the Junior/Senior High. By this game it was obvious our boys were wore out from the week and they were really struggling against a team they should have easily beat. We ended up winning 23-19.

A few hours later the boys played the semi-final game against ACS. They had beat them by 15 the day before, but being on the road and being on their sixth game in four days finally took its toll on a few of the boys. They just didn't have any get-up-and-go. They fell to the Lions 30-35. This should have been the championship game as the two best teams ended up in the same bracket. The championship ended up being a blow-out with ACS taking the title. I was very proud of the team for giving everything that had. I felt bad for the boys as I really believe they would have taken the tournament had they gone down to it fresh.

I'm sad that the season is over. It was such fun watching this talented group play. Next up will be Nick's wrestling followed by Elijah playing Interior Youth Basketball. I guess this means we have about three weeks to work on the house! :)

We Are The Champions!

2009-10-22T23:44:00.004-08:00

Whew! What a day. Hubby in the shower at 5:30am. I get Elijah up at 6:00am and then drive him 1.5 miles to the bus stop. Back home at 7:00am to wake up Nick. He takes my car to school at 7:25am. Emily up at 7:30am to shower and catch the bus at 8:10am. If I am lucky I get half an hour to myself and then Lucas is up. We have alone time as Olivia is our sleeper. She won't get up until 10:00am or later.

I have to wait until daylight to feed the animals. (Here's a little fact for you: I'm afraid of the dark).

First stop was Roscoe. He's awfully wiggly and hard to photograph.

Then I fed him.

What could possibly be cuter than a pile 'o puppies?

Can you see who is waiting for me now? Miss Daisy.

The Little Red Hen gets a drink first.

Then Hans dives in.

I think Miss Daisy would eat herself to death if you let her.

After chores I headed to town. Everything was so gray. Our leaves are long gone and our temperatures have dropped. It was 30 this morning and supposed to be 15 the next few days. It sure seems strange to not have snow yet.
Elijah had another doctor appointment. This is number four in one week for his eye ulcer. It has now healed and is a small scar. He still can't wear contacts except for during his basketball game for one more week. Sure wish he had a pair of glasses, but those were lost a long time ago. He'll have a new pair in a couple of weeks.

After the appointment I took him out for his second lunch (he thought he was starving to death). He is growing like a weed. He's several inches taller than I am now.

Today was the 8th grade Boys Basketball Championship. As a 7th grader at Randy Smith Elijah was a part of the winning team in an undefeated season with his friends Scooter and Tyler. This season all three boys switched from the 400 student public middle school to a private Catholic school where it is 400 kids K-12th. What an awesome place to be!!

Going into the championship the boys were undefeated again. Elijah made one of these.

He defended this kid like crazy and held him to a couple baskets.

He made three of these.

Pulled down some awesome rebounds and made about eight incredible dives across the court after the ball.

He was 3 for 4 at the free throw line and scored a lay-up.

The boys remained undefeated and were crowned Champions for the second season in a row. Here are four of the starters for Monroe: David, Scooter, Elijah and Tyler. These boys are going to do some awesome things over the next few years in high school, but first things first. We are heading out at 5:30am to drive over 300 miles to Valdez for a tournament. There will be teams from Anchorage, and it should be a lot of fun.

After the game Miss Emily had a hair appointment. Her very thin hair had gotten too long to style and tangled easily. She was ready for a change.

She got the treat of having the owner do her hair!

Has anyone seen my 10-year old because this girl doesn't look ten! Boy, am I in trouble!

Well, I have to be up in four hours for our trip and I still have clothes to dry. Luckily my dear husband is sound asleep and will be doing the driving. I'm crawling in the truck and going back to bed! :) Enjoy your weekend!!