March Birthday Celebration

Today is Cory's 28th birthday. Monday is GG's (Dad's) 80th birthday. We opted to celebrate our March birthdays today. Dad wanted steak, but that is a really unwise (and expensive option). Cory asked him about ribs....I baked them four hours and then the guys grilled them....very easy to chew. 

Yep - Michael is a champ. He brushed the grill off once again....

We KNEW Quelf was over Benny's interest level - but he needed to find it out himself. 

Benny much prefers tackling Uncle Axe. 

BreZaak haven't been to a family celebration for about a year....it was fun to have them today. The boys had so much fun together. This is seconds after we all sat down with our food. The boys were at one end of the very long table.... Benny put his hand on Gideon's back, gestured down the length of the table and said, "Look, Bubbie! That's a LOT of people." 

Livie and Bella were best buds. Bella was excited to be here...full of hugs for everyone. It was cute. 

Random table picture.... LOL 

WHUT? This threw me...Cory is holding Danny up at the end of the table. Note the BIRTHDAY TREE in the background. I hope to have it down by St Patrick's Day - because there should be green outside by then - right? 

GG and Cory blow out their candles with a bit of help from Benny. 

BreZaak had missed a few birthdays and brought cards and candy for all. We got a laugh out of some of the sentiments. Josiah's card said, "Take a bath!"  He most often stopped by BreZaak's after fishing. 

Ah - my heart. Jamin and Danny. 

It was a fun celebration with all by JaRissa and Nolan....it felt normal. YES...putting 2020 in the rearview mirror. 

Cakes Galore

 There were cakes galore at the Gherkin March Birthday Celebration.  I made the Oreo ice cream cake in the lower right hand corner per Cory's request.  Stacia made the other two and both were adorable. 

She simply couldn't resist making this cake for Cory. Cory is a newly licensed to sell real estate in Alaska. I found the logo for his business and made a little sign to go with this classic house. Stacia wants to have the time "someday" to decorate this cake the way it's meant to be decorated...but I thought it was cute this like this. 

Grandpa wanted steak for his birthday but grandpa can't chew steak. He chokes and we didn't want THAT at his birthday celebration. Stacia said she'd make a steak meal for the cake. Then he asked for carrot cake. This was a delicious way to eat veggies. LOL 

These veggies were AMAZING...she did a great job!

Yes, it LOOKS like a lot of cake. There were 22 of us. Everyone got a slice of cake and a bit of ice cream on the side...or a big piece of ice cream cake with a small slice of cake on the side. There is one piece of the ice cream cake left for Nolan, who was at work. There is one piece of the carrot cake/steak cake for Grandpa and about 1/2 of the house  cake.  It wasn't as over the top as it looks. AND the house was DAIRY FREE for our lactose intolerant members. 

On top of simply having fun creating, this earned Stacia school time in our Culinary Arts class. I met with our contact teacher this week and she discussed options for training in Alaska.  She thought job corp in our home town has possibilities. We'll have to start looking into it. Kaitlyn was gracious enough to help me plan Stacia's Culinary Arts credit this year. She gave us the title of 3 of her favorite college titles and Stacia has been happily working through them. 

Love - Hate

 Millie has a love/hate relationship with the snow. She LOVES to play in it....and she collects quite a bit of teeny snow balls, which end up matting her fur....she HATES having us clip her face.

Note - you can now see her eyes. We have trimmed up the air around her snout now too. 

Millie often has a face full of snow. 

A Fun Friday

Stacia didn't plan on being home  and so wasn't ready for Bible study this morning. I used the time to grab groceries for tomorrow night and to take Allie to get her glasses fixed. She'd had a dodge ball incident at the trampoline park. 

We converged at the house in time to load into the van and head for ANCHORAGE. Krista needed to drop off snow shoes at outdoor rec so we made a quick run through JBER.  We picked up a list of the rentals available at outdoor rec and now I'm planning why we NEED a big bouncy castle or a giant military tent....maybe a summer gathering out here. 

Observant readers will know there is no reason we'd all make the drive simply to return a pair of snow shoes. Today was the last day to see the Fur Rhondy ice sculptures. Unfortunately, vandals ruined some of them...but it was still a fun outing. 

This was my favorite. I believe it was from the Montessori school. It had a quote along the bottom something like "In an age of #hashtags and followers blessed is the man that acknowledges the importance of human connection."  It resonated with me. A window visit with an elder....such memories we have from 2020. 

Stacia, Allie and Krista and some G sculpture LOL 

This was my attempt at a group photo. Hmm. G G doesn't look very happy, looks positively grumpy now that I see these photos. He seemed happy in the moment. LOL 

We knew the snow would be packed, but it was still hard going with the wheelchair. Michael took it over immediately. Dad uses the walker inside but the chair is the best for icy and show ramps and parking lots. I had debated taking the walker and in the end GG and Michael said the chair was the best option. They were right. 

We drove back to the valley in time for Michael and Alex to help Izaak pick up some new furniture for their home.   Stacia needs to decorate Grandpa's cake and make Cory's for tomorrow night. She enlisted Allie's assistance. 

Coincidently - it IS Friday pizza and fun night....so we settled in with Papa Murphys and a bit of Netflix. 

Spring Snow

 Yes, we did get snow.  A lot of it.  Krista and Luke made a good call to cancel the ski trip/cabin adventure.  I went out to take Alex to work at 0430 and had to dig the wheels out of the snow.  I made first tracks all the way into town.  I think I officially earned my winter driving cred with this one. Maybe all will quit worrying. I've not gone off the road since Misawa. 

We always get one good last spring snow storm in March - maybe this is it? Maybe this is the last of winter? Maybe spring will really begin in a week?  We got 10 - 12 inches all told out here. There were places in Eagle River that got 20 inches and in Anchorage I hear between 3 - 18 inches. Lots of micro climates in the area. OL 

Today proves the advantages to this design for the wheelchair ramp - the landings are the only spots with snow....

Millie barks to go out, but changes her mind when she sees the deck and feels the cold. LOL 

Unfortunately, if we want to be able to GET OUT of our driveway with a measure of safety others had to go out in the mess. I found slip sliding up the incline exhilarating but Michael thinks it best to clear the driveway. 

And then the tractor/plow got stuck! 

Fun times! 

* Today is the 10th anniversary of the Tohoku Quake and Tsunami...an event we lived through, an event which changed us. I really should write more, but I don't have it in me just now.  We have found ourselves drawing inward as the day approached. 

Spring Break Continues

Arielle and the boys dropped by for a visit! Benny and GG had a rip-roaring indoor snowball fight. I think I need to make more snowballs before next year. This has been a great winter activity. 

Stacia and Allie entertained Benny by playing Hide and Seek. 

 The fun continues with a visit to the local trampoline park.  

Not a youth event - but more of a family event - Krista and Luke planned to take the girls and another gent from youth group skiing 8 miles into a forest cabin for an over nighter to end spring break. 

Heavy snow and weather is advised for tonight so they've opted to go with Plan B....its disappointing to miss the ski-in - but as a parent - I'm thrilled the plan changed in the face of the predictions. 

Canning and Cakes etc.

 Meet my new All American canner. We wanted to buy a second canner last year, but Prestos (the brand I had) were sold out. We waited all spring, summer and fall. Somewhere in the mix we put our name on a waiting list for an All American. We continued to check local stores, Amazon and Presto's website. Nothing. I got a call - the All Americans were in and I could pick up this beaut....I wasn't convinced, but Michael was....and it is AMAZING.  I could tell right away it was MUCH heavier....and it will do 14 quarts at a time....this means I can now do 21 quarts and 32 - 36 pints at a time if I have both going. That will be nice during salmon and harvest seasons. 

I filled this up and left Michael watching the regulator.....GG and I were off  to a dental appointment. He had 3 teeth filled.  His joke and mine, is he complained more about the dentist than he did about open heart surgery.  I enjoyed the time to relax in a chair...knowing for that 1 1/2 hours Dad wasn't going to get up and "practice walking."  I took him through the Dairy Queen drive through when he was finished. 

I read while Dad was occupied with the dentist. I'm enjoying this series - which I've put off reading as civilians usually don't understand the military lifestyle they try to write about. This book centers on a Navy fighter pilot and an Air Force Para rescue jumper.... I think these words summarize my Air Force experience well. 

Not taking relationships for granted is part of what life teaches everyone. When you're in the military, you just learn that lesson sooner...only when you're gone for months at a time do you learn how strong the relationships you have really are...The military teaches you not to get attached to the place or the thing BUT THE PEOPLE.

 We have March Birthday Celebration coming up Saturday night. Stacia began making cakes.  Cory requested an Oreo Ice Cream cake so I put that together and got it in the freezer. 

Somewhere in here Krista and Nolan looked at a house they were considering renting. Shortly after looking (and they were unimpressed) Krista received word she needs to live within a 30 minute response time of the base.  Yes, I KNOW many military live in the valley. Chaplains are first responders and she will be serving as duty chaplain - I suppose she COULD live out here and stay in a hotel during duty time...but it wouldn't be considered "professional."  This shifted her plans. 

All the Turkey Broth got processed....40+ pints and a few quarts. 

The girls finished the night with dinner and a movie for the Youth Spring Break extravaganza. I went to Bible study.  I have no clue what the men at home did. The boys and GG were in bed when I got home.