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