Family Work Day @ Our Place

I have not blogged since August 10th. WHAT???? I was doing such a good job at keeping current and catching up past years. LOL  

Fall is always a hard season to continue blogging. Yes, mid-Aug IS Fall up here. Often the leaves turn colors, we get a windstorm in Sept and are left with bare trees and falling temps to mark fall - until snow.  THIS year, however, has been beautiful! We didn't lose our pretty colors until this past week. Temps have been warmer than usual.  Fall is always a frantic time in Alaska as it signals WINTER'S approach. We are busy prepping for winter. I DO have photos from each and every day and will try to catch things up a bit as the seasons change. 

I was talking over my general malaise and grief with Josh, my counselor. In early September, he pointed out we were experiencing a lot of incredibly INTENSE HIGHS AND INTENSE LOWS.  I went back in October and blew him away with new events to share. ::snort::  Yes, this fall has been an emotional roller coaster for all in our family. Many of those highs and lows are not strictly my story to tell, and even ones that are, were not blogged as they happened and there is nothing to be gained by retelling them now.  This is a time when my tendency to STOP blogging at big events until I "get it right" is working well. I recognize this is written as a family journal, I also recognize it is ok to choose to leave some very fun events, as well as some very challenging events, offline. 

AND....we miss Josiah terribly this fall.  I didn't want to spend hours saying, "I'm sad. I miss Josiah," over and over. He was in the middle of so many of our fun traditions...I could not bring myself to go to Pyrah's Fall festival with all the grands this year, his voice was present while I gardened, as we worked on chores, as we went to monthly court appearances, when we had our first apple dipped in caramel... His presence is both felt and missed even more strongly as we approach October 23rd. 

It is TIME to blog...and THIS is a great day to begin! 

Cory texted to say he was organizing a workday for Sunday afternoon. The plan was to take down 2 beetle killed spruce, split, stack it and fill the 2nd half of our woodshed. We had wood for this year, but we hadn't cut any trees for the left side of the shed...the side that dries for next year. Josiah usually helped Michael fell trees in the summer...we haven't felt like doing it. Cory and Michael felled a cottonwood that was dead...as Cory spilt it he asked if we had any spruce or birch this year....and there you have it, we didn't. We planned to worry about it "later." Michael's health has been failing and I CAN buy wood if need be. Cory stepped in with a tribe and a solution. 

 We knew today would be busy as we had a meeting at church in Eagle River this evening and the boys were set to arrive around 2:30 p.m. We opted to stay in the valley and went to church at Wasilla Community Church. This saved us time AND allowed us to hear Cory preach at their new church.  Cory had a meeting after church, Arielle took the littles home, and we took Benny out to lunch with us. 

The guys arrived. They inspected and chose a few likely trees to fell. 

Alex, Cory, Michael (back) Izaak (brown jacket) Jared, Jamin

In no time at all the first tree was down (Izaak is our master feller), the other cut branches off and sawed it into chunks, it was taken to the shed where Alex, Allie and Benny took over splitting and stacking. 

Tim-ber! 

OK - because some hate cutting trees (as do I), the spruce beetle has left a ton of our spruce dead...and they are simply fire starter waiting for a spark....it's a job we NEED to make more progress on than we have....but it feels good to have this much done. 

Cory, Jared, Jamin 

Izaak & Cory 

Jared

I began splitting wood, Alex soon took over. He was able to heft the bigger pieces much quicker than I, his technique surpassed mine.

Alex, Allie and Benny

"I caught it!"

Ellie Rae did NOT appreciate all the noise and activity - not one little bit of it centered on her. 

CoRielle's 3 year-olds are turning 4! Charles and Danny

Face shot of Izaak and Cory  - the girls chose well. 

It is a sad truth, but winter IS eventually coming - even though we are enjoying some "warmish" weather.  The girls took down the hammocks for the season.

Jared

Benny @ lunch - out of order - oh well. 

Stacia, Ellie and Arielle 

Ellie and Jared 📷by Arielle

Danny & Charles 📷by Arielle

In no time at all they were working on the 3rd tree! Michael and I drove in for a partner vision meeting at ACF.  We thought things were winding down. Evidently - the tribe got a second wind. Sitting in our meeting we received this photo! This is actually the least frightening shot. I told Michael we'd better get home as soon as possible before the boys burned down our home. ::snort::

📷by Jared

📷by Jared

Things were going so well. What could have happened? Bre came by with her kids and s'mores makings. They all hung around until we got home.  It was PERFECT. This is the first family night around the campfire we've had since Josiah passed. He was ALWAYS up for and suggesting campfires when he was out. We have missed them. BTW - Jamin has water in the 5-gal bucket he is carrying around. 

📷by Jared or Arielle

I went into the house to grab a sweatshirt and loved this view from our room before joining the group. Dad opted to stay inside. He said he'd rather read than sit around the fire. Ah, well. 

Charles, Gideon, Bella, Danny 📷by BreAnne

Jamin 📷by BreAnne

Jamin, Michael, Jared 📷by BreAnne

Ellie, Arielle, Allie, Stacia, Bre 📷by BreAnne

Ellie, Cory, Arielle & me📷by BreAnne

Izaak, Jared, Cory 📷by BreAnne

This day was a blessing from start to finish. The kids ALWAYS bless us, but today was extra! These five men accomplished what would have taken Michael and I weeks to do in one afternoon. It's been a busy season with jobs, Jared's campaign, grief....I think everyone enjoyed working together and catching up. I am so thankful for all their help. 

GRACE NOTES:

1. Fire was well contained, and we enjoyed a lovely night around the campfire...

2. Our hearts are full as we realized, sitting in a church business meeting, God used the most traumatic incident in our life to move us exactly where we needed to be.

3. We were able to join Cory and Arielle at their church where Cory was preaching.

4. Cory arranged a workday this afternoon and was joined by Izaak, Jamin, Jared and Alex, Allie and Stacia (and Benny). 3 beetle kill spruce were felled, wood split and stacked. Our children bless us always, but extra today!

*This was our first family campfire since Josiah passed away. It was good, and yet, oh, how I miss him, especially when we are together.

#CourageousJoy #GraceNotes #alaskafall

A Long-Anticipated Saturday

It's been a busy Saturday. 

Michael and I have both been eagerly anticipating today.  We both got to see some of our favorite people. He spent the day with Aaron, working on our new deck. We expect to have the electricity installed in two weeks...we're getting closer. 

Aaron checks out Michael's trenching

The boys and Michael moved the hot tub to the deck a couple of weeks ago. Aaron had a hunting trip and then winterizing to do at his home the last couple of Saturdays...but the goal today was to put the railing and steps together. They are getting there....soon! He'll be back soon to finish the railings and stairs. 

The deck no longer sways and creaks when the whole family is on it. It has a concrete pad at the bottom. The decking is Trex. Obviously, it has a lower level which will have the hot tub and a couple of built in benches when we are done.  Did you notice what we didn't notice until NOW? The new deck completely blocks the window in that room. We even went down and talked about it before we built and decided it wouldn't...but we forgot we have to put a railing up. ::snort:: Maybe we'll cut a window in the other side of the room???? We are going to put some lattice around the bottom of the lower deck as we KNOW Millie will crawl under there and leave gifts we can't reach. LOL 

I have been excited to meet Stacy and Oliver for breakfast. Unfortunately, we didn't realize Sophia's is closed on Saturdays.  We ordered at the drive through and visited in the car. Oliver is a doll and very well-behaved. After breakfast I went in search of a bathroom...Thrifters Rock does NOT have a "public" bathroom now....that's an inconvenience as there aren't other nearby facilities. I went to a coffee shop, found a bathroom, and then decided to give my business to a thrift store closer to town. I picked up a bunch of new puzzles for Dad. 

I baked the week's sourdough sandwich loaves and another sourdough artisan loag - which I sent home with Aaron "for Elise."

The girls spent a long day finishing up homework, so they are totally free tomorrow. We're so proud of both of them! 

They came up for dinner and we played Random Notes and then got into comfy clothes, popped some popcorn and watched Gilmore Girls. Michael has plenty to check out on youtube and GG watches whatever. 

GRACE NOTES:

1. Getting clarity on how I want to honor, remember, survive the days as we approach Josiah's one year heavenversary.

2. Breakfast with a friend and her son.

3. Progress on the deck, games, a week of sandwich loaves baked, popcorn and Gilmore Girls.

#CourageousJoy #GraceNotes #MissingJosiah

Termination Dust 2024

 

Do you see what that is? I cannot believe it! I hadn't even begun to look for it yet. Termination Dust. That first sprinkling of snow on the mountain tops around our house. This date is significant because it is supposed to signal the end of summer and warn us to expect snow in 6 weeks. We shall see. 

Last year I noted the dust on Sept 5th, we had our first "pathetic snow" on Oct 11th, but our first honest to goodness snowstorm - it's here until May type of snow - was on November 9th.  Checking the calendar that first pathetic snowstorm was 6 weeks and 1 day from termination dust, and the storms started 10 weeks after termination dust. 

Surely, we won't have snow six weeks from now. That would be Sept 21st - which is a scheduled family celebration. This should make it easy to check.  

To get the dates for last year I looked at the index in the side bar...and saw all the posts through Oct and Nov...I can hardly believe we are coming up on a year without Josiah. I don't know if I'm ready for fall this year. 

Back to School Carnival

I was invited to attend the Salvation Army's Back to School Carnival with CoRielle. It was fortuitous I attended as Cory was home with a migraine and this would have been a hard venue in which to corral two active 3-year-olds, a baby and a 6-year-old. We began by signing in and getting a meal ticket for each of us. They also had backpacks with school supplies for kids 6 - 17.  

Benny was quick to visit the cotton candy booth. Danny had his first taste of cotton candy. He wasn't overly impressed. 

There was face painting and popcorn. 

All manner of carnival games were sprinkled throughout the building and outside. At each booth one got tickets, lots of tickets. No one seemed to know what the tickets were for, but the volunteers knew they needed to give them out. 

This version of musical chairs magically ends up with each child getting a king size Kit Kat bar or a package of Hostess donuts. 

After a hamburger lunch we were ready to move forward. A lady insisted we turn in our tickets for prizes. I thought she was a bit over the top excited about plastic prizes. However, we headed back in to turn in our tickets. They had amazing prizes, and they WANTED to give them away. "You have lots of tickets - pick a big prize." WOW - look at those prizes!  There was also a bouncy house and a bus and talk on bus safety. All for free. 

We decided we needed to stop at a quiet playground and let someone regulate before a nap was attempted.  Check out the giant mushroom - that is not the biggest one.  

I decided I also needed to regulate after the busy morning. I grabbed a cuppa chai and headed for a favorite spot overlooking the river.  I sat warm and snug while it rained. I prayed, processed big emotions out loud and took the time to polo my sister friends. I haven't gone through a coffee drive thru since May. 

I was in the correct frame of mind to re-eneter my life and headed home. Allie and I decided to get mail...with all the detours and what not it took 40 minutes to go the one mile to get our mail. ::snort:: BUT we learned we CAN drive the wrong way on the one way if we LIVE in the area and have no other way to get around. Literally none as they have big piles of dirt blocking the road to the mailboxes.  This has been fun to watch. We enjoy less traffic on our road. It does take longer to get places. 

We miss Stacia. She will be home tomorrow night. We had YOYO for dinner, Michael edited a couple of papers for Krista. She is so near the end of her doctoral program! GG has gone to bed. Allie and I are going to watch something she's found. 

Grace Notes

• Wind, rain and a raging river to match my emotions!
• Tea on rainy days. 
• Blustery walks with Allie.

A Grand Day with Grands

The day began in the garden as many days do.  I am working on memorizing a couple of verses this week and the garden is a good place to recite and pray them aloud. 

I took advantage of the break in the rain to check the status of the plants. I have been making an intentional effort to harvest things young and earlier. In years past I missed the bubble and ended up giving lots of stuff to the chickens or finding things a bit "old".... I harvested some lettuce, carrots, peppers, tomatoes, radishes, snap peas, zucchini and green onion with the idea of a stir fry for dinner. 

The grasshoppers and SLUGS are horrendous. I googled and it says to put beer or salt on the bed...but they are in the GRASS and everywhere....

Look at the slugs! 

Another sunflower

I met with my counselor today.... I left the office with two thoughts to carry into the upcoming weeks: forgiveness is not the same as reconciliation and I may be ready to offer "presence" but I'm not ready to do much more than that. That is a boundary to benefit all - and it won't be forever. 

Shortly after I got home Arielle and the kids came over. She'd made the mistake of mentioning going to Bachan's after school and quiet time. They got done early. Bre organized a shark party again for us this year. We put it off for today...I didn't mind the team arriving early. They hung out and these two helped stretch the dough. I love pre-schoolers. 

Bre is amazing with theme parties. She had tote bags and stencils for everyone to paint, cups, wrist bands, tattoos, treats - all in shark theme. Would you believe in the midst of the wind and the rain it was CLEAR during our party and we were able to be outside?

Danny, Bella, Benna, Bre, Annie, Gideon, Charles

Sometime in the midst of the crazy activity Charles did something which prompted me to get in his face and say, "Charles, I sure love you."  Maybe when he was going crazy with the water and paint...but in any event Charles doesn't often initiate or respond to emotional exchanges. I continue to tell him I love him when it's called for - as I do with all the kids. 

Annie

Sharks swimming in the center of the popsicles.

Jojo and Trudy 

Ellie

Trudy

Ellie

As the party went along Cory showed up to help Michael plant a cherry tree. Michael had saved the seeds from some Rainier cherries he loved. They GREW; which shocked me...and the tree has grown until we were ready to get it in the ground before winter.  Our two peach trees died...so they cleared them out and then planted another cherry tree. Cory moved dirt and helped with digging etc. Michael really appreciates his help. The fruit orchard is slowly becoming a cherry orchard as they grow and much else is dying. 

Cory and Danny 

The party wrapped up and everyone began to pack into cars. As I chatted with Cory and Arielle at the car, Charles piped up from the back of their van, "Bachan, I love you too!"  It made my entire week! 

Friday night is pizza night. Stacia is still housesitting. Michael has been very careful with what he is eating. Allie would be home late for dinner. I considered pizza...but I had picked the stuff for a stir fry. In the end I just didn't want to go the long way into town one more time today! LOL  The stir fry was good. 

GRACE NOTES

• Precious time with grands and daughters
• Wonderful son in laws
• A garden and a counselor