Stacia Turns 12

 Stacia turned 12 today. She's been sending siblings text alerts for 135 days.  All unpacking came to a stand still as we took the day off to celebrate this Gherkin - our encore, our finale, our caboose.  We couldn't find the birthday swag or the pig hat.....but Stacia had tucked away the tiara  - which works for her.....

We began the day with a hike on the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail at Kincaid Park 

Stacia, Cory, Nolan, Michael 

 Our first moose sighting - still in velvet

Maria and Mako like Alaska 

 We were happy CoRielle ;joined us for a rainy hike. 

Cory, Arielle, Nolan and Stacia

 Stacia and friend

Start of "fall colors" 

 This runner kept sprinting down the hill and back. I was in the road, taking a photo, everyone else was stopped....he had a practice of running by.....he saw this one and said, "I'll stop for this."

We also visited Earthquake park and then headed home to get ready for diner. Stacia requested Yakisoba.

F - Larissa, Bella, Bre, Marie, Stacia, Arielle
B - Jamin, Jared, Izzak, Nolan, Alex, Michael, Cory, Josiah
Not pictured - De'Etta and Gideon 

 We DID find the birthday plate! It's ODD as we know just where the birthday stuff was in the RV hatch - but it's not there! 

This girl loves Yakisoba. 

We brought the little table up and added it to the big one for the night. 

Stacia asked for a Mint Moose Tracks ice cream cake. I knew we'd need two cakes to feed the crowd....Arielle was craving peanut butter.....The one on the left is moose track ice cream with a layer of peanut butter and reeses and an oreo crust. The one on the left adds mint.

I found this fantastic candle at Fred Meyers. As Michael read the instructions, he noted it said to stand 4 feet back from the candle. I'm glad I got this video - the candle is epic. Note how many moved away from the table, leaving Stacia to fend for herself.  The directions said to cut a wire and it would quit playing, it didn't. We put it on the deck and forgot about it. Nearing mid-night, Cory came up and brought it inside, he could hear the music in his room. He and Michael totally dismantled it. 

Stacia is a very responsive gift receiver - which makes it fun to share with her. 

Bella is determined to re-distribute the wealth

Marie found cute sleeping masks - we suggested sending a pair with Jamin to OCS. 

So fun to have Cy around.....

Jamin helps unleash the big gifts

Stacia's room is a transition room. It's full of her dolls, but she wanted to make the area under her bed a "sitting area."  I bought the string of teal/white lights, silver lamps and chairs. Marie bought the little tables and baskets that are silver and teal.

Dentists, Library Cards and TEA!

We met a new dentist today. I was happy all over when I realized we can keep this dentist for DECADES, if we choose to do so.  We won't have to find another one in 2-3 years.  We really liked this office.....The, "PRAY," sign above the receptionist was a bit unnerving. Stacia said, "Finally, a dentist who knows what kids do when they come anyway." 🐽

The boys had no cavities, Stacia had three. Life is just not fair - she is much more religious about oral hygiene than at least one of those boys and I suspect both. She's a bit ocd about it all.

The kids have NOT forgotten they are owed Dairy Queen after the dentist! Alas, there is NO CHOCOLATE sauce at Dairy Queen until the next truck comes in. 🍦🍨🍦I told them of the time 12 years ago we went to a restaurant and they had the same issue - but were out of hamburger - at a fast food joint.

They felt getting library cards would be a great consolation prize, so we did.

In the afternoon, Michael and the boys worked in the garage. Marie, Stacia and I unpacked a couple of boxes thrown our way from the garage.  The Internet guy came - but we can't get the router set up. We made TWO ice cream cakes in prep for Stacia's annual birthday bash!

Marie and I ended the night with yummy White Chocolate Peppermint Teavana tea and a fantastic conversation. It's been fun having her here, and she's been a great help as we attempt to settle in.

Monday - Much More Relaxed than LAST Monday

In my wildest imaginations, I did not think we'd still be unpacking, hanging photos and clearing a garage mid-August.  Funny how we rushed to be here to close the end of June. God has a sense of humor and uncanny timing. I do believe THIS was the best house for us.

In any event, with the school year starting up here TODAY...and us still surrounded by boxes, we'll be getting a late start....BUT I need to find a balance between settling in and carrying on with routines.

WEDNESDAY is Stacia's birthday - the day we count down more eagerly than Christmas. 😉 Even with our later than we thought closing date, we'd hoped to have things settled by her birthday. Today, I decided to take the day off and go shop for groceries (we'll have company this week), shop for a birthday, get my lab work done (it was due a week ago but I couldn't get away), visit the post office and we had to visit Fred Meyers for a few items that Walmart didn't have.

While Maria and I did this running, Michael and the boys painted the entry way. I think this ends the painting....all is fresh except a couple of rooms that weren't bad and a couple of closets that ARE BAD but I'll keep the doors closed until next spring. 😆

Nolan - it's quite high 

Michael 

Michael 

It was good for me to leave as the ladder came out. I.don't.want.to.know. 🙈

First cup of fresh mint tea from my plants. Cobie introduced me to this delicacy last month. 

I miss some things about living in the RV - but I LOVE a bigger oven. 

Yes, the dinner bell still works. 

The kids played the Hobbit Adventure Board game. Stacia called it promptly at 9 p.m. They are trying to be quiet as CoRielle's room is below our table. 

What a perfect little visitor to end the day....he's nearly 3 months old now. 

Gideon Michael 

Today's photo of the mountain....

Reed Lakes Hike

Jamin loves to hike. Jamin often picks hikes the rest of us good-naturedly complain about. He and Jared called today to see if the boys would like to go an afternoon hike. Stacia said, "No way." It was supposed to be a 6.5 mile hike (round trip). According to the website I found it is 4.5 mile (one way). 🐽 I'm quickly learning these hiking websites are subjective. A hiker may rate  a 5000 foot elevation climb in .25 mile, as "easy,"  or a stroll around a paved, flat, lake as moderately hard." 😏 I think we need to find a hiker's guide with objective ratings we can apply to each hike. 

The guys set out in good spirits. They took Mako, Maria's husky with them. He loves to run and I thought a hike may be fun for him. 

They headed to the Reed Lakes Trailhead in the Hatcher Pass area. 

The first part of the hike is very easy (flat, wide trail), then after a couple of miles or so it goes up pretty steeply (there are switchbacks).  (From above website). 

Keeping a close eye on fireweed

Jamin - we're going to miss him

 Next you have “the boulder scramble”. It is a filled with healthy sized boulders that you have to navigate. Not too hard, but not recommended for dogs or kids. Then, after a brief period of flatness, it climbs once more and you see Lower Reed Lake for the first time.

Mako decided he had had ENOUGH! He put all four paws around a big boulder, seemed to straddle it, and refused to move. Jared carried him. What a guy!

We waited for them to get home before we had Sunday night ice cream. They reported it was cold enough to see your breath. Fall may be on it's way...but never the w word.

Sundays are for Resting

Michael and I are living out our limitations as we unpack. I have been in excruciating pain with my hands the past few days, Michael has been in pain too but he's much more stoic than I. I have begun taking Naproxen around the clock, and taking breaks for heat and ice quite often. It's hard to determine which body part would benefit most from the heat....shoulders, neck, back, hands or feet. 🐽 Watching us, Maria declared, "Sundays are for church and rest."  We needed both.  We have been taking a leisurely pace, but a Sunday nap did sound nice.

The five of us, and Maria, began the day at a church we'd previously tried. The church seems to be in between pastors and I wonder how a new pastor will affect the culture. There are things we like about the church - MOPS, AWANA, location. One thing that is off-putting, is we've not been greeted, had our hand shaken, smiled at or engaged in conversation once - in two weeks.  The preaching was fantastic this week - but it varies week by week. However, Cory and Arielle went to the later service. Cory was with Michael the first week when no one talked to them. He confirms their invisibility. Arielle must be the magic, they were approached by four people. Nonetheless, the sermon gave us "food for thought," and challenged to passionately walk out our commitment to the gospel of grace!

We tried a new cafe in town after church. The food was great, prices seemed high; prices at all restaurants seem high in AK.

We settled in for an afternoon of rest. Sort of. Josiah came by to hang out. He and Michael went to SEARS in Wasilla. They straightened out a mess made for us by SEARS/Anchorage and earned our loyalty - even if we have to wait for things to be shipped to them.

Maria and Stacia made cookies. Maria had never done this before. It was fun to teach her something, in return for her teaching us how to make Puerto Rican rice and beans.

I took some naproxen, heated up the rice bags and promptly fell asleep for a couple of hours.

Josiah, Michael and a garage

Michael - right by the garage door - didn't fare so well. He is determined to "get his garage back." He's not had one for two years.  I support this goal. I want a clean and organized garage and I also suspect many of our  missing items are still in the garage somewhere. Josiah and Izaak helped him get the shelves built.

The boys and Mako (Maria's husky) went on a hike with Jamin and Jared.  This is getting long, I'll do another post for the hike. When the boys got back from the hike all of them and BreZaak joined us for "Sunday night ice cream."

 Life's routines are establishing themselves in the new home.

Saturdays are for Unpacking.....

I did it. I unpacked the living room boxes. I didn't want to do it as I knew there was no where to put things....and I wasn't ready to face that fact.  However, I was tired of boxes!

We also finished unpacking our room. We need to do something about the funky closet. The only shelf is so high MICHAEL can't reach it. There are two bars in there, but no place for hanging long things....we may eventually have to just rip it out and build something new. Cory did that in their downstairs room.

Today would have been Mom G's 89th birthday. Stacia and I both woke up thinking about last year's party with her. Today is her first birthday in heaven. We took some time to share thoughts and we planned Stacia's birthday's party which is just 4 days after Mom G's was.

Maria went to the store. She made Puerto Rican rice and showed me how. I slow cooked a roast and we had salad and fruit......and JaRissa stopped by on their way through the valley back to Anchorage. They'd been up at Valley Christian for a youth leader/volunteer with their church. Jamin stopped by and Bre popped in for a bit too.

Josiah and Izaak were braving the rain in the hopes of finding Silvers. 

I love going out on the deck and watching Lazy Mountain. It's going to be fun to capture it in different seasons. Here are a few shots....

#WYFF - You Wouldn't Believe it

Michael has been scouring Craig's List for a wood stove and riding lawn mower. He has visited a few people and decided to pass. This morning he and I went to preview an estate auction happening tomorrow. We will pass. 

We decided to go to the local SEARS and just buy a riding lawn mower....but they were out of stock and not expecting more until the 20th. We called a salesman at the store in Anchorage. He assured us he had all we wanted in stock. Michael hooked up the trailer, the boys loaded it with boxes and paper and garbage, and off they went. They stopped at recycling, the landfill, and then headed to Anchorage to pick up a riding lawn mower, snow blade and grass catcher. 

Turns out they did NOT have it in stock and had to order it.  The only thing they did have was the snow blade. He went ahead and bought that and purchased the rest. We should have something soon. 

Back at home...things went horribly awry when I tried to unpack the mirror that goes behind the dresser in this photo. I couldn't lift it. I decide to get on the bed and pull it out of the box....but it landed on top of me...and it was HEAVY.  I decided I was in no danger and was comfortable, so I waited for someone to find me...calling wasn't generating assistance anyway. Michael found the situation merited a photo or two. 

Maria had gone in to the base earlier in the day. She remembered our talk about Krispy Kreme during dinner on Tuesday. She came home with two dozen. What a treat! And after the morning we'd had, we enjoyed a bit of a break in the  midst of the towers of paper.

Maria has been a God-send. I'm glad she came to visit while we were moving. We are making plans to get out and show her a few things too. 

#WYFF? Mine are trapped under a mirror, Maria's are sweeping up after two four-legged family members, Michael and the boys were at the landfill......