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. 

Busy Weekend

I slept over at Carrie's on Friday night. This put me in place to be able to hang out with the girls on Saturday while Carrie worked. Ellie, one of their cousins, slept over as well. Josi was up way before Livie and Ellie.  Josi has learned many new tricks since the last time I watched her. She can hold her own bottle, sits alone, enjoys her toys, talks non-stop, scoots around the living room...we had fun. 

Uncle Jared stopped by as he was out knocking on doors. 

The electrician came over Saturday and put in the boxes and hooked everything up. We still need completed railings and steps on the deck...but it's getting closer. Michael had the hot tub full of water and heating...it will be nice to have electricity outside. 

Jamin came over after church to help us figure out all the chemicals and the app for monitoring levels of this and that. It was NOT that long ago Michael, and I were showing our parents how to use computers et al... how quickly the tables turn! We were glad to have Jamin show us the wifi booster and app. Larissa routinely helps us with our IT needs. 

I was TRYING to follow it all!

Jamin & Michael 

Stacia and Allie

Carrie and the girls @Trunk or Treat @ ACF.

Liv as a Stanley Cup 📷by Carrie

Today is Larissa's birthday! What a blessing she is to all of us! She, Jared and Noah also went to Trunk or Treat. 

Noah & the Chick Fil A Crew 📷by Larissa

Noah and Jared📷by Larissa

Jared, Larissa & Noah 📷by Larissa

📷by Larissa

Yes, we DID enjoy the hot tub...crisp 21*, shooting stars and WARMTH. 

GRACE NOTES:

1. Time with the girls...

2. Church. 

3. Hot tub.  

A Fun Friday

The girls and I went out and scattered some RANDOM kindness around our town this morning. Neither had had time yet...and I realized most of what we'd done was targeted. It would be nice to just fling things out there for whoever....We didn't have the emotional energy to risk having to tell the story over and over and so we hit on parking lots. Yes, I will add a QR code with the story to the card by next year. While I went into the lawyers Stacia hit the Papa Murphy parking lot. We headed over to the Urgent Care next and finished at Bishop's Attic. That was my favorite - we left gift cards on every windshield.

We ran out of packets and headed home. Allie was ready for a study break, so we grabbed all the other made-up packets and headed out again. This time we went to the library and parking lot of the Old Alaska Club. 

This was a great pick me up. It was fun to give things to targeted people too. Stacia shared how this was something Josiah would have loved to do with us...and we could imagine his voice and comments. We dubbed ourselves the Kindness Bandits. 

In other events...Krista came over and spent the day yesterday. We did a fair amount of visiting while practicing "art therapy." Michael wanted to move the hot tub...we all tried to help him. It was frozen. Finally he rigged up chains, levers, pullies and he and Krista got it moved. 

Ellie turned 7 months old....

The electrician arrived and put cable in the trench Michael had dug. He didn't put boxes or plugs deckside yet - but it's coming. 

"Bright" and early this morning I heard Cory outside. He came to fill in the electrical trench. I didn't realize the boys were here until I went outside to let the chickens out. This is Clancy (or Gimpy) our pet chicken. She's walking much better, but the others have rejected her. She isn't fast enough to escape them. 

They came inside for some orange juice and toast....and a visit with me and Millie. 

I'm heading into Eagle River for a sleep over with Carrie and the girls. I'll hang out with the girls tomorrow while Carrie works. 

GRACE NOTES:

1. Time with Allie and Stacia. 

2. Cory's young back and kind heart.