Bella's Volunteer Experience

I believe it is never to early to get a child involved in volunteering in family, community, and church. We simply took our kids along with us.  Bre had MOPS today. It is much easier for her if Bella stays with me on MOPS day because someone picks her up and Bella's car seat is difficult to move around.

MOPS comes when the uncles and auntie are schooling. I try to safeguard school time for them. Bella and I kept active. We colored. We read books. We watered seedlings and planted a bit.  I looked at the day's "list" and knew I needed to get  200 eggs filled with candy. She was a willing helper.

Bella's  eyes grew big, round, and sparkly when I dumped all the eggs on the counter, pulled up a chair for her, and emptied the bags of candy. LOL 

I did have to explain the candy needed to go into the eggs, she should not feed Yuuki any, and  - well - she only snatched one piece for herself and one for Yuuki. She's a good girl. It WAS tempting.

Yay, she gets the candy into the egg! She was content to work on this until we were done! She'd hand them to me to click shut when she got a piece to fit. 

A colorful pile ready to go back to church. We had fun together, made a memory, AND we checked the item off the list. Go us! 

Why all the eggs? On Sunday, after breakfast and service, our church hosts a big Easter Egg hunt. I love that there is still snow on the ground and children need boots to hunt for eggs. LOL

If you are in the local area, feel free to join us Sunday at Matanuska Assembly of God on W.  Auklet Street. Breakfast is at 0930. Service begins at 1100. 

The Shelves

There is a nook-shaped room in the basement. It is too small to be much of a bedroom - though it'd be a cute nursery. We, however, have more need for book storage, than baby paraphernalia storage. In addition to the shape, this room has odd ledges and a low ceiling along one edge of the room. Michael decided to build a bookshelf the width of the one wall, just the right size to fit under the ledge. The other shelves are full and were too tall, anyway.

We need the shelves to finish unpacking this room. I downsized our books to 3 shelves. I kept 4 bookshelves, but Michal has an office which migrated to our home when he retired. It will be nice to have the shelves up so we can finish the room. It's another project I'm trying to finish before it gets nice enough to garden and build outside.

Michael thought he may have to build the shelves in the room. He made some alterations and he and Jamin worked on it in the garage - much nicer for new babies trying to nap. CoRielle's room is down there. There was always going to be a day when the noise and shelf would have to move into the basement. 

They took over the common area - which is pretty much CoRielle's living room and kitchen area. 

They cleared boxes out of the study, moved the shelf into the study, and brought the boxes back. 

Stacia and I put furniture back in place, swept and mopped. The guys worked on last touches. 

The shelves are in place and nearly all assembled. We'll have to get the room unpacked in the near future.

Newbie Gardening in Alaska

You can watch our video about this here. 

Those who know us, KNOW we were not formerly gardeners. Though we have grown as much as possible in a variety of containers - digging up military housing yards is frowned upon. We want to grow, raise, and catch as much of our food as possible. We live in Alaska - we'll simply have to figure this out. I didn't find a lot of gardeners here to drill for advice. I did watch a lot of YouTube channels, joined Alaska gardening Facebook groups, read approximately 50 books about gardening up here or in other Northern climates, read seed packets, the Farmer's Almanac......and got quite overwhelmed. 

We learned we needed a greenhouse - which we don't have. We would need a LARGE garden - more like a mini-farm. We need to feed our soil - it won't be great this year....but we decided this is a process. We were going to try different things and start figuring out what works up here.

Our first seedlings never sprouted. I used the mini greenhouse Michael got at Walmart. I didn't have a grow light. We added a grow light and planted again.  I KNOW it seems early - but this is what the Alaskan groups and books said to do. Our growing season is SHORT and I have to have starts if I hope to harvest before frost begins again. 

Stacia moistens the Jiffy pod things...

I added a grow light. Unfortunately, it will only fit on the top shelf. 

A friend, Judie, saw my dismal failure with the first set of seedlings and loaned us this! 

I began to plant in "garbage." LOL  I covered with plastic wrap as needed for the greenhouse effect - it's working. 

They sprouted. It said 10-14 days to germinate and I had sprouts on day 2....as they grew, I realized what I'd read about the Jiffy Pods wasn't quite going to work. I was told they are great as they can go directly into the garden. BUT there is NO WAY these things would last for another 8 weeks in the pods....they had to be transplanted....more time, more dirt, more space.....but we're determined. This year is about learning. 

I simply couldn't wait any longer. They had to be transplanted. 

Stacia and I made potting soil....equal parts perlite, peat moss and garden soil. 

We have a beautiful tub of potting soil on the deck. 

We dug this under-the-bed storage container out and planted seedlings. I didn't have enough space as I was going by the distance on the packets. 

Rigged up a greenhouse - but had to move them inside when it got COLD and snowy. 

I move the grow light up and down the "bed" - they're getting about 3 hours a day. Not ideal - but they look much better than in the Jiffy Pods or on the deck. 

There are always things to explore at Gemma and Gramps. 

Check it out!  Note the moving sticker on the right. LOL 

I know it's odd to have a planter on the table - but we have no space for more trays....this works. In fact, we discussed at dinner it may be nice to plant a salad garden in this after these are transplanted....pick you own before you eat. LOL  I did get more of seedlings into the planter....Michael said it doesn't matter if they are close,  as I'll be transplanting them again....probably a few times. 

 Yuuki has been schooled to look, but not touch the sprouts. 

We're collecting all sorts of possible planters in the nook. 

 I took time to go find a book on a topic other than composting, gardening or chicken raising. 

By the way, keeping the garden from becoming a buffet for the wildlife here on the mountain will be a trick! Michael is thinking that through. I found the cute fence I want - he's thinking practical. It's a process. Practical this year - cute another year. We have a ton of projects this year. Can't do it all now.

Mondays are for Dying Eggs

Stacia and I got to dye Easter eggs with The D family today. Welllll, Stacia dyed eggs - I am the official family photographer! LOL  How fun to be here for Bella's first Easter Egg Dying event. It's a blessing!  

Waiting for eggs to Boil - Gideon isn't quite sure what the excitement is about. 

Stacia told me she'd never dyed eggs. Of course, she also said, "WHY?"  I guess she didn't miss it, but we had her do a few eggs anyway. I've offered to rectify this lapse of parenting, but they don't seem to care. By the time the younger four were on the scene we were down to either shrink wrap sleeves, or candy-filled plastic eggs.  They do remember Resurrection Eggs and the Lenten wreath.  I was happy she got to do this today. 

Coloring on eggs - hmmmm.

Oh, cuuuute! 

 Bella discusses technique with Bre and Izaak. 

Poor darling, yep, that's about how I feel when dying eggs. LOL 

I love this photo! 

Bella's first egg. 

Izaak did some cool gel dye. 

Stacia made some with dye and rice...they were cool! 

A beautiful bunch of eggs. 

Gideon knows it's time to make a break for it! 

Ah, the FUN!

I've not done as well at getting photos as is typical. Being in a new area, I wonder if folks will be offended, not used to my odd habit of photo documenting everything, to enhance my memory. 🐽 And when I'm with the big, rollicking, chaotic mass of Gherkins - I'm too busy to remember to snap photos. I must do better.

We continue to open our home each Sunday afternoon/evening to the Gherkins who want to come over. It's important as adult offspring are easy to lose track of without a bit of intentionality. Tonight, we had a potato bar, the butter God eats (from Kathy H's stash of recipes), various toppings, fruit salad, salad and  cookies and ice cream.

These boys were moving so fast, I didn't get one in-focus shot. 

Bre and Izaak have been working on breaking Bella of the pacey habit.  She gets it at bed. She's pretty good about leaving it alone, but she's found a rather enterprising way of satisfying her pacifier habit. She was snuggling with Bre and Bubby (brother Gideon).....and then we noticed, she'd snagged Gideon's pacifier. Those leashes are awesome. 🐽😀🐽

Lovely Random Shots from Weeks 2 and 3 of March

It worked so well with the previous post, I thought I'd do it again. I long to be caught up, so I can share more musings, devotionals, thoughts and not, "Just the Facts," of daily life. At least that is how I'm justifying the recent shotgun approach to blogging. 😏😉😊

Without further ado - some lovely random shots from week 3 and 4 of March.  Of course, there was Pi day, and we celebrated with Veggie Pot Pie for dinner.

Another sign of Spring - new antlers on Bullwinkle - it's been fascinating to watch this process. 

Then again, maybe it wasn't Spring. No, it was - an Alaska Spring. I get it now. 😋😛😀

Hmmm....the race is on. Personally, I think Stacia has passed up her tallest sister. Arielle, maintains she is still the same height. She has a formula worked out - seems to think she lost an inch in childbirth and it will re-appear shortly! 🐽😏🐽 Didn't work that way for me. I used to be a willowy 5' 11". Nah, not really. 

Arielle (l), Stacia (r) 

I love our Moosey Visitors - though I'm getting more and more concerned about fruit trees, gardens and landscaping. 

Be still my heart!  Such expressive eyes. This is my favorite part of this season. 

Gideon - 10 months

Benny - 4 months

In this time period there have also been hints of new ministry and friendships, shared meals and coffee with strangers fast becoming friends, swallow tests, swallow and physical therapy, grieving and healing, lovely phone calls with Dad, Marco Polos and texts with Krista and Cousin Lorri, spiritual growth and a couple of spiritual tantrums, fishing research and planning,  and through it all -  oodles of research on how to become as self-sustaining as possible on 2 1/2 acres, gardening and composting in Alaska and raising chickens....