Kitchen Projects, Snow Machine Projects, Spurs Game, Chicken Scares, Carolers, Dinner, Dominion...A full day!

Meanwhile, back at Wibbly Wobbly Acres*, the ovens were lit, aprons on, and wooden spoons in motion. I was glad Stacia (#4 daughter) opted to stay and help me today. We like to bake together. She had hoped to get to a sewing project today - but didn't make it. We had several other things we considered making and baking, which we also set aside. 

The kitchen haul today.....

Christmas Crack(ers) from Krista

Crust-less Quiche and Peanut Butter Reindeer Cookies 

 We are thankful for our walk out freezer this time of year! Keeping Yuuki inside became a chore. 

We made good use of the walk out freezer. 

Chocolate Candy Cane Kiss Cookies 

We also made Chicken Salad and Peanut Butter cookies with Kisses on top. 

When the girls huddle together like this we know something has alarmed them. 

Do you see the problem? Way up high?

Our resident eagle or owl or hawk

eagle

Nolan (#4 son) is on day 4 of the flu. He could get up today without throwing up. He plans to be at work at 0500 tomorrow. He and Stacia watched a movie and an episode of  Nailed It while we baked.

Michael and Alex cleaned fish while Josiah, Jamin (#2 son), Krista (#2 daughter) and Izaak (#1 SIL) got the snow machines running.

Josiah (#1 son)

Krista (#2 Daughter) rode the machine in the woods.....but I have no photo of her adventure. 

This sweet family makes all other Pastor's families look like Christmas Slackers! ::wink:: We were surprised by carolers....the poor girls were traumatized by Yuuki's howling charge. 

Everyone came inside in time to catch the Spurs Game. Grrrr.....every. single. time. Josiah and I watch a game together - they lose! They were doing great today until the last quarter. It's becoming an unfortunate trend.

Nolan, Arielle (#3 daughter), Josiah, Alex (#4 son), Stacia & Jamin (#2 son)

We kept dinner warming in the oven until the end of the game. Arielle and Benny (#3 grandblessing) came up to visit while we ate. They wait for Cory to come home on his dinner break to eat. Benny loves bells and always fixates on the bell over the table.

Benny and Arielle 

Success

After dinner clean up, Michael, Josiah, Alex and Krista played a round of Dominion. 

Stacia fell asleep. Benny was having none of Auntie Stacia checking out of play time. 

He got her attention. 

Ah, Cory (#2 SIL) is home for dinner. Benny is mesmerized by his Christmas tie - it plays music! 

CoRielle went down for dinner. Josiah and Jamin headed to Eagle River. Nolan had gone to bed right before dinner - poor guy. One by one everyone else headed for bed, I decided to blog.

While I blogged, I turned in my chair, and the CHAIR FELL APART. I think I've re-injured my ice injury - the tailbone one. My shoulder and thigh don't feel great either - but it was hilarious and Michael and I couldn't help laughing. He plans to check all the chairs again. We have too much company in and out of our home to take chances with collapsing chairs.  Maybe Life Group will have to be "Bring Your Own Chair." ::snort::

Notes:
It's been a while since I've blogged so it may be helpful to identify folks - thus the #'s in today's posts.
BreZaak - BreAnne and Izaak's blog name
CoRielle - Cory and Arielle's blog name
JaRissa - Jared and Larissa's blog name

*Wibbly Wobbly - one day Bella called Michael and I wibbly wobbly. Which we thought was hilarious. We've come to think of our place as Wibbly Wobbly Acres...and had a fun idea for a egg carton label....but haven't executed the plan. We haven't decided which one of us is wibbly and which is wobbly - both labels fit fairly well for either of us. LOL

Ice Fishing - Mirror Lake

Josiah (#1 son) serves as our advanced scout for all things fishing. He's been telling the rest of the family tales of limiting on land locked King Salmon at Mirror Lake.  Today, he, Jamin, Izaak, Michael, Alex and Krista went ice fishing.  (The rest of the family's activities will be in a blog to follow).

This was Alex and Krista's first time ice fishing.

Josiah, Izaak, Michael, Alex

 Alex (#5 son) & Josiah drill a hole with the ice auger

Michael is happy to try the fishing hole out for everyone. 

Yep, they're biting today. 

Izaak and I planned to smoke and can fish.....I didn't get to it today - maybe he did. Our 15 are in the freezer. 

Krista's first catch of the day 

He followed the rules

Everyone caught their limit and were home with lots of time to continue to play at home.  Stacia heard we had 15 king salmon that Dad and Alex were cleaning. She wasn't very impressed when she saw these fabled kings...."THOSE are Kings?" ::snort::

We'll get some real Kings yet. We plan to stay in Alaska a nice, long time. No need to rush all the adventures.

I used to take the older ones to Mirror Lake for the afternoon. I've not been back since we moved up here, but I know it's fun for the kids to revisit as adults. Krista had a good time trying something new, getting out in Alaska, and meeting up with Josiah - her first chance since arriving this week.

Winter Solstice 2018

The shortest day of the year. This has always been a fact - but it hasn't been a THING until this year.  The dark has not bothered me living in Alaska, the summers with 20 hours of sunlight and 4 hours of dusk have had more of an effect on me, than the dark winters.

10:15 a.m. - sun rising

This year, however,  I HAVE CHICKENS! I know  they will be happier when the weather is warmer and the days are brighter.  I've been checking for frostbite, shoveling their yard, chipping ice from the inside of the coop....and I've been SHOCKED their egg production has not abated. Several have reminded me  we were almost to the darkest day of the year and THEN it will begin to get lighter.....

16 eggs from 16 girls today! Champs. 

They DO appreciate us shoveling  and spreading shavings

Winter Solstice....where we reside, in South Central Alaska, means sunrise at 10:16 and sunset at 3:35 p.m. today.  5 hours and 19 minutes of sunlight. The chart I am checking  doesn't show measurable difference for a week - but in a week we will supposedly have SIX - 6! more minutes of sun a day! Six more minutes!!!!  For the first time in my life, I feel like CELEBRATING Winter Solstice.

Yes, Michael left the leaning tree for me as it's emotional to get rid of it-
but I am fairly sure its charted for firewood for next year. 

This is how we filled the shortest day in the year. We visited a bit....

...and introduced Benny to the stash of Christmas reading under the tree. 

 "See, Auntie? That's the outside. Mommy takes me out there every day. It used to be warm and green.....but now it's white and if we don't hurry it will be dark and we won't see the moose and lynx. Hurry, it will get dark soon. Let's go." 

Yuuki has discovered the tree skirt. She has a perfectly fine, fluffy, fleece blanket....she drags it to the wood-stove to wrap up....and when she leaves the wood-stove, she sneaks under the tree to wrap up in the tree skirt. She's not done this in previous years. 

We aren't feeling Christmas stress. We have our family gift exchange on Dec 31st at our New Year's shindig....and our "immediate family"  exchange (as in those still living at home) won't happen until Epiphany. No stress - just prepping to celebrate Jesus' birthday. That means I DO need to consider a menu....and there is great discussion in our home about what sort of birthday cake Jesus likes best. It seems he does NOT like the typical green, red, dark, white cake others make....and I've been informed it would be heresy for me to make a Devil's Food Cake. It seems this is a debate only HE can settle....does he prefer an Extreme Moose Track ice cream cake or a Andes Chocolate cheesecake.  We may have to research the biblical practice of drawing lots to settle this one...but it best be soon so baking/assembling can commence!

There will be a family dinner and celebration on the 25th - and it has been decided -  along with the "Jesus stocking," - Christmas stockings will be opened at that time. Stacia has a project which will require TIME and so she, Krista, Arielle, Benny and I headed out to the stores. We thought Joann's would be dead as most would have bought materials for projects much sooner. Nope. Folks wait until the end. She and I picked up supplies and will sneak secret sewing time between now and New Year's Eve.

Where better to head for stocking stuffers than Walmart?  Last year everyone got several gift cards....$15 - 25 for 17 people adds up. I had also bought at Bed Bath Beyond, Ulta and Sportsman Warehouse. I agreed our expenditures were excessive for stockings and set out to fill stockings in a way that will leave a bit more padding in the budget AFTER Christmas. ::snort:: I think I managed it for $17.64  per stocking this year. That's less than just ONE gift card per person.  SCORE

Speaking of scoring - the last cart at Walmart 

 We headed home to meet up with the guys and Jamin for Pizza and games - it IS Friday. I was surprised by this package from one of my sweet gals in Japan. Thank you, Hope.

Real Ramen - sorta....and fun flavored Kitsu Katsu...and a beautiful pendant from Nozomi. 

I have wanted a piece of jewelry from Nozomi since I first heard of their project. I didn't get around to buying one for myself before we left Japan, and hadn't looked into buying any online. This is a ministry which employs women in Ishinomaki, an area greatly affected by the tsunami of 2011.  Nozomi means hope in Japanese, this ministry/company seeks to see and share "Beauty in Brokenness". They make jewelry from the broken pieces of pottery which littered the landscape after the tsunami. Each piece is named, by the creator, in honor of a woman in her life. They are beautiful - and the meaning....beauty in brokenness - redemption - restoration....shouts hope to my spirit and soul. What a beautiful surprise!

#bebrokenwithus

I didn't grab any photos of us playing Uno...or Jamin....but here are a few of a "riddle game" Krista tried to share with us.

Benny was more interested in the bells than in solving the riddle. 

Benny Does Yoga....

The girls decided to do yoga in the basement. Arielle and Stacia have been doing this for a couple of weeks. Benny likes to join them. He's pretty good at down dog. 

Auntie K and Benny

Yoga's hard work 

A lot of snow, combined with cold temps, have kept the chickens coop-bound. We figured they were getting coop fever. Krista told us it "felt like -3*" outside...but Alex was game to help. 

 We opened the chicken door, but they were having none of it! 

We shoveled a space for them in the chicken yard.  I thought their feet were cold, so I put shavings down too. They loved getting outside....or maybe they just loved the scratch and grubs. I'm thinking of ways to modify the chicken palace and yard before next winter.

Rosie is well-suited for Alaskan winters. She's gotten quite fluffy and has feathers down her legs and on her feet. She also has no comb to get frostbitten. They're all doing well. No frostbite. 

Yuuki is glad she's not a chicken. She's content to lay in front of the wood stove. 

Come to think of it, the humans were content to sit near the stove too. I picked up quite a few books at the library for Krista and Stacia and they passed a happy day. Alex played video games. 

Hmmmm......this is the moment little man realized Granna's rice cakes aren't plain. This one had a bit of almond butter and all fruit (no sugar). He took a small bite, then grabbed the rice cake out of my hand and shoved the ENTIRE thing into his little mouth. 

Salmon for dinner - Life Group after wards....and ending the night with Farkle...Life's Good. 

Auntie K Visit the Kids

It became apparent during the quake we needed to give some attention to the pantry in my nook. The shelves were always a bit "unsteady," and the quake proved just how movable they were.  Glass jars didn't stay put, the shelves were bending under weight and everything shifted and mixed into a big jumble.

Last week, I endured a "month long grocery trip." I purchased what I hope will prove to be a month of groceries.

2 1/2 carts of the 4 carts of groceries we purchased

As I went to put things up, Michael asked me to wait on the pantry items. He wanted me to firm up the shelves before I loaded them again. That worked well as I wanted to organize things well. Day to day life had mixed things up and the 7.0 shaker REALLY mixed things up. We are still finding glass in the nook.

This morning Krista, Stacia and I got everything organized and put back in the closet. I moved the empty canning jars down to the basement, moved older things to the front, and took stock of what we had that I'd forgotten about..... I plan to get out the label maker and make some labels so things STAY organized. My canning inventory is low. I need to get some spaghetti sauce, beans and chicken canned, "soon."

The "before" photos of the pantry and nook disappeared

Stacia realized she isn't feeling well - so she stayed home. Michael was having a "bad day," he stayed home too. Alex is ALWAYS happy to stay home. I took Krista and we went to visit Bre and the kids. Bella ran right to Krista and hugged her around the knees and offered to help her take boots off.

Bella and Auntie K

 Bella loves to introduce people to each other. She performed admirably. She said to Krista, "This is mom."   "And this is Bubbie (Gideon/brother)."  She is busy learning new words and sentences nearly every day. She's a charmer. She is now 2 1/2 years old. She calls Michael, "Papa," and has several names for me...."GG" seems to be her favorite, but  Gemma and Granna also appear.

For his part, Gideon loves to have EVERYTHING in it's place. He's darling. He races to put our shoes in the proper place and claps after each one is put up. He is the most cuddly, kissy baby I've been around. He's a delight. He is now 19 months old.

Big job for a sweet boy 

"Seesters" - Bella, Bre, Gideon, Krista

  Bre is 35 weeks pregnant. This is the point in her pregnancy when Gideon was born in 2017. She has been getting weekly shots and will get one more the day after Christmas. We are all praying she is able to make it to 37 weeks. If she goes into labor before then she would have to go to Anchorage. This is not a good plan due to the speed of her last labor.

Auntie K loves on the kids while Bre watches on 

Back home Arielle and Benny were up for a bit of a visit too.  Benny is 13 months old now and is one talkative little man. He brightens our days when he lights up at our appearance. He chatters non-stop and we predict he will soon begin to put words to the chatter.

Auntie K and Bennett (AKA Benny)

After dinner JaRissa drove out to the valley. They will be flying to Texas soon to spend the holidays and wanted to get some face time in with Krista before they leave. I didn't take a picture.

Everyone's in bed. I started reading a new book, "The Prodigal Prophet," by Timothy Keller, and realized I hadn't blogged yet....and I'm making an all out effort to get back into a habit.

LOVE THIS SEASON

Yes, winter is back. When the rain and "warm snap" came last week, I worried we wouldn't have a white Christmas...no worries. when the tire swing rests on the ground things are WHITE. LOL 

We took care of a lot of "stuff" today.  The recycling was delivered.  Phone calls were received and made. Trust disbursements were mailed and deposited. Jack Jack was moved from Stacia's room to the garage. We gave him a chance. She cleaned his cage daily - but it just smelled. We cleaned the room getting ready for Krista's arrival.  Michael put braces on my pantry shelves so I can reload the pantry. 

We are planning a tea for the Gherkin gals still in town on Sunday.  Stacia and I did a bit of baking. Mostly, we wanted an excuse to crank the music loud and spend some time together in the kitchen.

I tried TWO "peanut" brittle recipes and am not thrilled with any of it at this point. 

We couldn't seem to contain our excitement any longer and so we headed into Anchorage early. We stopped in Eagle River for a bite of dinner and to meet up with these three Gherkins. It's always fun to hear their stories. Jamin's real estate business is taking off and Jared started a new job this week. Josiah has continual adventures managing property in a rough area of Anchorage. 

We arrived about 40 minutes early to the airport. We settled in at Cinnabon to wait for Krista's arrival. What fun to run into Alicia for the first time since moving to Alaska. Her daughter was coming in on the same flight. Alicia and I were serving on regional/international PWOC boards in the same years. She lives out in the Valley too - I didn't snap a selfie.  I was hiding in the tree to see how long it would take Krista to find us - but Michael sort of stands out. LOL

Look at the world of yumminess Krista brought with her. Two of them are for Larissa. 

Krista and Maria, her roommate and one of my gals from Beale AFB,  visited a Christmas store in TN. Krista picked up this darling ornament. I cut off the bottom, (had our last name on it),  but it has all 9 children listed. She couldn't add spouses and grands as 9 was the biggest they made. Michael and I are far from the "empty canoe" syndrome at this point - but we didn't all fit on the one tree. 

I received notice the things I ordered weeks ago will arrive Jan 2nd. Go Prime! It's a good thing we don't open Christmas gifts on the 25th of Dec. No stress. Just fun and celebrating Jesus' advent. I pray you are having a good week as well.

Sunrise at 10:14 a.m. Sunset at 3:33 p.m.  (5 hours and 19 minutes of light)