November Family Gathering

November is a big month in our family. Michael used to be the only birthday but in a few short years he now shares the birthday month with four kids, with Jojo and Trudy sharing his birthday on the 17th. We gathered this month to celebrate Michael (64), Benny (7), Danny (4), Jojo (4) and Trudy (2). 

Ah - but before the cake there was OUTSIDE play. I try to maintain fall until Thanksgiving, but Alaska makes it difficult. Oh - my heart! Four of the seven members of our boy gang! Gideon and Jojo came later. Rylin wasn't able to join us this month. 

Charles, Danny, Noah, Benny  📷by JaRissa

It began snowing...magical fall weather! 

Jared and Noah

First snowfight of the year...Jamin and Jared are Funcles.

Jamin, Liv, Charles, Danny, Noah, Jared, Benny

It has been so fun to watch Danny enjoy the cooler weather this year. In year's past he wanted NOTHING to do with outside. I think the extra layers he has been putting on is increasing his love of the outdoors. It may be difficult to move - but he's outside! LOL 

Danny

Jamin and Livie

Benny and Danny had asked Stacia for a Mario cake. She told them it wasn't going to happen this year. She woke up with a couple of extra hours in the morning and decided she could finish homework on Sunday and make a small cake for them after all.  This Mario cake joined the two ice cream cakes Michael made for the event. I often wonder what it would have been like to be raised near so many cousins and aunts and uncles around me. These kids are blessed. 

There was plenty of inside activity for those who would rather skip the arctic outside. Nolan and Stacia played cribbage. 

Papa simply sat in his chair and played with various grands. 

Papa Mike and Ellie (CoRielle's youngest)

Larissa, Allie, Noah and Livie

There is ALWAYS a moment when Charles visits when it's time to clean Bachan's. He tried to enlist Noah's aid this month. 

Papa Mike and Danny

Buying this Play and Pack was a great investment. I'm on the lookout for a highchair or two as well. Josi and Ellie nap in it and Ellie loves to be inside the play and pack - safe from boy chaos. She adds quite a bit happy vocal chaos from the safety of our "cage." 

Ellie entertains Trudy and Danny

Arielle and Ellie 📷by Larissa

Jared, Ellie and Bachan (me)📷by Larissa

Funcle Jamin as a jungle gym! 

Jamin with Josi and Noah📷by Larissa

Noah is happy to help Daddy with his cake 📷by Larissa

Nuska (KrUke's dog) and Carrie📷by Larissa

Papa and Danny📷by Larissa

GG and Noah📷by Larissa

Carrie & Josi📷by Larissa

Noah and GG with the National Geographic📷by Larissa

It's always a blessing and a privilege to be together. "Winter" gatherings present challenges in dealing with 12 - 14 kids in a small area....but are making new plans this year. Soon - we will have everyone bring snow shovels and help to make a sledding run in the back yard. Nolan, Alex and Jamin are planning to bring a Nintendo in the winter months...we'll figure it out.  It's almost overwhelmingly loud and chaotic - but its sacred and blessed...and my soul is always refreshed after spending time with these people! This month we missed Izaak, Alex, Kaelyn and Rylan. 

GRACE NOTES: Family! 

Josiah's Celebration of Life - a Year Later

 This is another hard day....Carrie says it so well and is allowing me to share her words today. 

Liv and Carrie at Josiah's celebration of life

Last year on this day was Josiah’s celebration of life. It may sound odd, but that was one of my favorite days ever. While it was incredibly hard and there were many tears, his life was truly celebrated!

That day embodied who Josiah was and the incredible faith he had. We witnessed his parents unwavering faith and strength as they told me they would continue to honor his vows to me and told the woman he saved that she was worth losing him over. I got to hug that woman and tell her we love her.

Hundreds of people came from all over the country, and I’ve never seen so much flannel.

I experienced a love from my church I didn’t know existed. The amount of money, time, and effort ACF spent to make that day perfect while asking absolutely nothing of me still amazes me.

I still get told nearly every week about how Josiah’s celebration of life brought people to church and is continuing to bring people to Jesus.

I look back on Josiah’s celebration of life with so much gratitude and beautiful memories of all his favorite people celebrating the incredible life and legacy he lived!

This Week

Remnants of one of our hoop houses. 

Cory came over and helped Michael for a few hours today.  Their main jobs were to load all the stuff for a end of summer dump run and to move things around so that our plow man can plow snow as far back as possible at the start of this season.  We felt good at the end of the day. We didn't get ALL our projects done this year - but we are ready for the winter...and we have been told snow is coming this week. 

It DID snow a bit at our place on Monday - we got about 1/2 an inch. Other places all around us got 6 - 8 inches. ::snort:: 

This first snow is supposed to melt away - there are predictions of 40* later in the week. BUT it has reminded us the deck project needs finished! Our part is done, the hot tub is functional, however, as the ice and snow arrive it's apparent we NEED Aaron to finish the steps and the railings. It's a bit precarious going up and down these when they're icy - and the hot tub is at the bottom of the stairs. 

This side of the deck is finished - needs a railing in the back, stairs, and handrails. 

We laid boards across the forms...so close to being done. 

 Tuesday Michael delivered some goodies to church staff. 

I WAS SICK....the first cold of the year. It's time to start taking all the vitamins and immune boosters again. Michael went to lifegroup without me. I slept a lot. 

Wednesday, Michael woke up feeling the beginnings of a cold. I felt some better, so I went to Fred's and replenished our fresh produce, ORANGES, and ingredients for Chicken Noodle Soup. Also - since Wednesdays are our Nolan Night I picked up stuff to make a dairy free/gluten free dinner. The highlight of the trip was running into Debbie, she and her husband are our lifegroup leaders. I was behind a woman in line and began to think, "That looks like Debbie." But you know - I was behind her. I inched up beside her and said, "Hi Debbie" and then realized if it WASN'T Debbie I was going to have some "splaining to do!"  I was relieved. 

Today I took Allie and Stacia out for Voting Breakfast. WELL....it was voting breakfast for Stacia and me. Allie had therapy and work....but we dragged her out with us for breakfast. We used to go to this cafe twice a week for Bible studies...we haven't this year. It was sweet how happy they were to see us back. 

Stacia and I headed to vote. I can understand why voting this year seems awful to Gen Z...I'm not incredibly thrilled myself...but I've told the girls how Grams wasn't allowed to vote for the first decades of her life...and how she worked for women to get the vote....and we should vote. And so....we voted. 

Our Borough has the best voting stickers! It would have only taken 18 minutes if I was alone...took us 25 minutes from the time we got in line as Stacia reads things very thoroughly. ::wink:: I read the election booklet thoroughly and knew the names and numbers I was looking for ahead of time. LOL  This is not the girls' first time to vote, it is their first time to vote in a presidential election.  

I won't allow complaining for the next four years if they don't vote...ad there about 16 choices on the Alaska ballot. 

Millie didn't vote - but she had opinions

We had heard stories of 2 and 3 hour waits...so Stacia had extra time. It was snowing. We baked cinnamon rolls, while the Christmas music played, grabbed hot drinks and watched a cozy episode of When Calls the Heart.  We don't usually do Christmas music this early. Stacia pointed out we probably wouldn't feel like celebrating Christmas in December so we should do it when we felt it. She's not wrong. 

Michael has taken Stacia in to Eagle River. Allie is bringing a friend from work home for dinner and visiting.  I had to lock Millie in the room as she does not appreciate trick or treaters as much as I do. Of course, we've only recived a group of teen boys at this point. 

It's snowed all afternoon - so peaceful and pretty. I thought it was supposed to all melt today. 

GRACE NOTES:

1. Feeling Better.

2. Snow. 

3. Winter time with Stacia. 

Random Glimpses of October

I keep trying to PLANT a pumpkin patch the kids could wander through...with cider and hot chocolate...and the pumpkins simply don't grow in my garden. I mean I hear of thousand-pound pumpkins but I am SURE those are grown in a greenhouse. Bre made me laugh when she said she took the kids to the pumpkin patch today. Maybe I should just give up and buy a bunch and place them in the garden for the kids to find next year. LOL 

Josi makes a courageous and cute lion! 

Our weather can be fickle - freezing and thawing and freezing again. This can result in fun icicles mostly in the spring but sometimes in the fall too. 

These two try to get together weekly when Krista is in town. One day they went out on the ATVs. 

Michael finished the stairs from the top deck to the bottom deck.

Jared put in an amazing amount of time knocking on doors and chatting with voters in his district. I hesitate to say a number and get it wrong - politics being what it is - but I know it was in the double digit thousands of visits he made.  Here is a shot from a local "debate." We are proud of the race he ran, sad he didn't win...but proud, nonetheless. 

First Snow - Oct 10th

Annie and Lady 

Note - any phone without a "courageous joy" on it was taken by one of the kids.