Bachan Break

Yesterday was an emotional day.  I spent the night with Josiah's girls! A Bachan break from life is just what I need. Today I will spend the day with Livie and Josi while Carrie goes to work. The morning begins early with Carrie leaving for work around 0600. It wasn't too long before Josi woke up. We snuggled on the couch and watched a movie. 

Mornings with Livie and Josi 

This is my first day to watch Josi with Liv home from school. She's a great helper and the day was even more fun than the past weeks. After our movie Liv was ready for some alone time. Josi was ready to eat, and we tried the new crib routine. 

Bachan is a sleep training fail. Josi was happiest sleeping in my arms...and at this point I wanted her calm and settled because we had a long day ahead of us. LOL  BTW, we did figure out the crib by the afternoon. 

Precious moments

After lunch Stacia came over to visit and play. I was so glad she did. She made sure it was a really fun day for Liv. We started with a walk to Walmart. OK - doesn't sound exciting - but we lived in Eagle River when the Walmart was built and walking to Walmart for ice cream was a gherkin thing. We used to walk from Teklanika and Carrie and the girls live much closer...so off we went. What a blessing to make new memories and share the previous memory with a new generation of Gherkins. Liv was happy to go along with us...and she picked out snickers ice cream treats - Josiah's favorite. 

Stacia, grumpy Josi, Liv, Me

Beautiful day for a walk 

Josi was happy with the change into summer clothes. We had just gotten back home when Willow alerted us someone was at the door. 

Josi and Stacia

Noah and Larissa came to visit. This was perfect as they will be making a trip soon and I have been hoping to spend some time with the two of them before they leave the state for a bit.  We tried "tummy time." 

"C'mon baby I'll help you escape!"📷by Larissa

📷by Larissa

While we visited Liv and Stacia set up the slip and slide in the backyard. There was no way I was running and jumping onto wet plastic with Liv, but they had a great time. LOL 

📷by Livie

We played.  Josi now giggles and rolls over (though I didn't see this).

📷by Larissa

We ate and Josi slept.

I bought "Outfoxed" a bit ago with an eye towards inside activities for grands next winter. Liv agreed to help us try it out and decide if it would work well. It is a cooperative game and was fun for the three of us. I think the 7 and up crowd will enjoy it. 

Jared picked Liv up and took her out to Red Robin for dinner. I got Josi sleeping in her crib. Stacia and I enjoyed some quiet time together. Carrie got home at 8 p.m. and we drove back to the valley. Ironically, Carrie was stuck inside on a glorious day, and it RAINED on or drives home. 

GG was in bed when we got home. 

Michael and Cory got a boatload of work done around here today. 

Allie was busy lining up a new job; I don't know that I'll share more just yet. Now, we're praying for the applications and resumes Stacia has put out to pay out as well. 

It was a good Friday. 

Another Court Appointment

Wednesday found this part of the family in Anchorage waiting outside of a courtroom. (Darla, that's the Captain Cook Hotel over their heads).  This month Krista is in Guam and Luke is working. Stacia is at a counseling appointment. Bre and Arielle are with kiddos. 

Cory, Alex, Nolan, Allie, Mike, Jared, Carrie & Jamin 

The event felt purposeless to ones who don't totally understand the intricate workings of the system. We were originally told it was a trial setting conference, but then that it would be more of a discovery extension as we were going to trial. In the end neither were mentioned. The judge mentioned a plea deal had been offered, and they set the trial setting conference for August with the trial possibly in November. The judge says he's happy with the pace this is moving, and we can tell by listening to cases where others are STILL in discovery 3 - 5 years after a crime was committed that we ARE moving quickly. We just don't always understand what progress is being made. 

To be clear we all hoped to avoid a trial and that a plea deal would be accepted...however, we all want to see some measure of justice served and if that requires a trial - a trial it will be. 

Bella, GG, Annie, Gideon, Jojo 📷by Bre

While we were in town GG had a play date with Bre and the kids. They were playing Go Fish and Gideon caught him cheating. Sadly, a very familiar scenario. He was a bit surprised to be called out by his 7 yo great grandson. ::snort::  Stacia picked up dinner and GG after her appointment and we all met back home for a quiet evening. 

I'm blogging Thursday morning, after a night snuggled on the couch with tea and blankets. We can do hard things because our strength rests in God. I'm dealing with emotions again...and the desire that I could tell the defendant's mom all I think rather than sit silently. ::grin::   I have already allowed Holy Spirit to evaluate my heart and point out where I need to forgive - AGAIN. Bitterness will not take root in my heart. That is a victory I will win. 

Arielle sent these photos....It seems Ellie does NOT like tummy time...and her brothers are quick to jump to rescue her from tummy time torture. Such a petite package of perfection! 

📷by Arielle

📷by Arielle

Free from the blanket 📷by Arielle

But - the Garden

Tuesday found me at our lawyers at 0900.  Back at home I called to get info on federal programs for care of the elderly. NOTHING, it seems, is ever as easy as one is told it will be. 

I had about an hour until I needed to be at co-op. Co-op went smoothly and I was home early. 

We had plans to attend a baseball game where Jared was slated to throw the first pitch. The game was rescheduled due to inclement weather.  

Before I had plans to attend the game, I'd had plans to go to dinner and a movie with Nolan and the girls or attend swim lessons with the grands. Those plans were back on - but I was too emotionally and mentally exhausted to join anyone. 

But - the garden! 

Given time we may actually end up with an accessible strawberry bed...and strawberries to enjoy. 

I started a pot of basil. It has to grow in the greenhouse. 

Peppers like the greenhouse

More beans...hope they are warm enough

As soon as the weather cooperates and the guys can finish covering the hoop house, these cucumbersare ready to go. 

This little tomato plant is putting out some growth. 

Around the Fire

 This eyesore caught my attention each time I looked out of our living room window.  What could it be? Why that's our barricaded fire ring...and it's taken on a bigger and bigger significance in our minds. You see, Josiah was ALWAYS up for a fire. He loved to sit around the fire and visit, share memories, tell stories...and so do we. However, many of our favorite campfire memories include Josiah. 

We were sitting around the campfire in Crescent City, CA in 2016 when Josiah told us he was moving back to Alaska. He invited us to move up with him and said he'd help us with Michael's newly diagnosed (at that time) health concerns. 

There was the first time Liv joined us around the campfire for s'mores when Josiah and Carrie had first begun dating. 

Who can forget the night when a young rooster jumped into the campfire and back out - earning himself the name Phoenix? 

Josiah, Jamin, Jared, Michel and Stephen around the fire ring after Josiah and Carrie's wedding. 

There were also campfires on New Year's Eve. NYE has long been our family's biggest celebration. Since moving to AK, it included a firework display (funded and shopped for by Josiah and Michael) and a bonfire. Michael laid out wood and covered it up last fall just as the first snow was predicted. It was ready and waiting for our NYE celebration. 

NYE this year did not find us sitting around a bonfire or even at our home. Josiah was newly departed, and we were in the throes of deep grief. 

The weather changed and still none of us had the heart to light a fire. AND the wind hasn't cooperated. Carrie had a fire at the lake over Memorial Day with her family and encouraged us to light the fire....and so tonight we uncovered the fire ring and lit the wood beneath. 

Yes, there were some somber thoughts. I may have shed a few quiet tears, but it was good. His memory was with us around the fire. Michael read a chapter of McManus and one from one of Allie's favorite books. Allie's new guitar was a rousing success. I read a chapter from McManus. We had s'mores. We chatted. We laughed...and it was good. 

Fixing the perfect s'more

garden sleeves to allergy proof Stacia

10:30 p.m. 

Allie's pet stink bug 📷by Allie 

My turn to read 📷by Allie 

And then, there was the moment when Michael threw a box onto the fire...I promise we learned our lesson! Please, don't hesitate to join us around our fire this summer.  We've noted which things need to be moved to make it safer for young ones. In the future, Michael will be much more careful about throwing waxed boxes onto the fire...and I will be more careful about staying much further than 2 feet away from the fire ring. I took a photo and still didn't realize I was in trouble. 

  I tried to get up and it was far too hot for me to stand - which requires taking a step forward out of the chair.  It took a few moments for them to realize I needed help. My yelp of, "I need help!" probably alerted them. ::grin:: Michael jumped over and pulled me out of the blast zone...and that is how I ended up with a flash burn on my legs from a box of broccoli. 

This is a much better view from the window. 

Waiting...and Sunday

Sunday's message was on waiting....waiting for the promise, waiting to step into what we know we've been called to do, waiting...We are certainly in a season that includes much waiting.  The sermon was preached by Paul Peterson, an Army Chaplain who attends ACF.  He made many good points from the life of David. This one resonates with me in our current season, "I don't know what God is going to do but I'm not going to rush what He's doing."  Chaplain Peterson shared David waited well because he nurtured his friendships and developed his faith in the wait. As I contemplate waiting, I realize many times we are not waiting for something exciting but for something we dread. 

Currently, heaviest on my heart is waiting for a trial I never wanted to attend. Colleen, a wonderful lady from church, stopped to see how I was really doing today. She told me she was sorry to hear the DA's offer hadn't been accepted. She had wanted to share with me the thought that maybe I shouldn't do that hardest of things...sit in the court room and watch the video of my son being killed. We didn't have time to really talk...but she shared being on a grand jury and watching a video she will never be able to erase from her mind. I told her our plan was to avert our eyes and not watch. She said we'd still hear. I was INSTANTLY transported to a summer day in San Antonio when Josiah reached over the fence to pull himself up in his quest for an errant ball. He grabbed on to a bunch of wasp's nests on the neighbor's side of the fence. They attacked. As I sat in church, I could hear his screams and the agony from that day...and it multiplied in my head as I contemplated the video. I hadn't even contemplated this part of the trial and I'm glad Colleen cared enough to voice her concerns this morning. 

Krista is flying to Guam today. It was fun to see Luke and the kids, Carrie, the girls and Jess and Jamin. We caught lunch with Jamin and Carrie and the girls. Can you believe this sweetheart is waking her Mama up every 45 minutes. Please pray for her to sleep better. Carrie needs rest.

📷by Carrie

Our weather is nice enough to pull out SUMMER CLOTHES! 

Girls' gotta keep up with her friends - 📷by Jamin

Luke and the kids were talking about dropping by. I don't know if they dropped by before we got back to town or if their plans changed. LOL We made a stop by Bre's to drop off birthday goodies. 

Michael, GG and I took naps. The girls headed to the swimming hole. Millie has a sweet set up in Stacia's car....she has a bed, a suctioned water bowl and a tie down. 

Millie rides in style. 📷by Allie

📷by Allie

Stacia made peanut butter/chocolate frozen bananas.  We had planned to have a fire, but the wind picked up again as we were about to begin. 

We watched the end of season 1 of Scorpion. It's hard to go to bed before midnight now that the sun is still up and shining.  Ah, the beautiful long days of summer. 

Happy Birthday, Bre!

 We'll celebrate on Saturday, but we I can't let the day go by without noting the auspicious day. We kept missing each other, but we dropped off some birthday surprises on her doorstep. In our family we tend to leave the "day" for individual families to celebrate...and we celebrate as a family one time a month - because otherwise the "family as a whole" would begin to take over individual plans. ::snort:: 

Bre is our first born. She's always been amazingly mature for her age.  I always had a Mother's Helper with her in the home; and she trained Krista and Arielle to follow suit. LOL  I went looking for photos and find that mostly I have kids' photos...so here's one of her darlings.... BTW all the girls should be forewarned I will be out to get photos of THEM as I realized I have very few with Mamas and a whole lot of photos of grands...

Gideon, Annie, Trudy, Bella, Jojo

It's been a joy to watch the woman of God Bre has become. She LOVES Jesus. She lives a LIFE of worship. She's had ups and downs, grieved the loss of babies and now a brother...and yet this girl's faith is solid - it stands through the tests.  Bre is one of my favorite people with which to spend an afternoon.  

I remember sitting with her 37 years ago. Michael was at work. I was a bit lonely as all my friends were busy with classes. I was one of the first to marry and have children. Bre and I went out to Bob's burgers. She was about 2. She set in her highchair and chattered away...about an amazing array of topics. I caught a glimpse that day of how fun Bre was going to be and what good friends we would become. That picture encouraged me through the years of lots of littles...and now I have some of the best friends in the world as the Gherkins "age." 

Am I saying "age" a lot? Bre is nearing 40. I still feel like *I* am 40 and here she is rushing into spaces I didn't fully realize I'd moved on from. LOL 

Happy Birthday, Bre! 

A Beautiful Saturday

Ah the sweet, simple joys of summer. Is there anything more relaxing than watching a garden sprinkler after a good bit of work in the garden? The white box in the corner of the nearest bed is a "bug hotel" Benny made at the library. He brought it over for the garden. 

It's been a lazy and glorious day. Everyone else slept in...which means I had time to dig into Habakkuk. GG didn't wake up until after 10 a.m.  We took advantage of the nice afternoon to hang out on the deck. 

While on the deck we heard GG talking to friends on the phone. It seems he would love to go on a walk, but no one around here will take him. We can rarely cajole him into a walk. Nolan showed up to hang out. I suggested he and the girls take GG for a walk.  GG couldn't turn them down as we'd heard his desire to go for a walk. ::snort:: He actually went WAY further with them than he goes with me. We may keep sending them out on this endeavor. 

Stacia, Nolan & GG 📷by Allie

Michael continued to work on our stubborn sink. I weeded the final garden bed, assembled a solar powered wind truck thingy, washed and folded garden bed covers, and moved a motorcycle to the garden. 

Final bed weeded 

When one sows directly into the ground, one does not always know what is a weed and what is a plant. I have learned I have to let the weeds just grow until I can tell the difference. I was reaching to pull this weed when I realized - it's right where I sowed beans! 

Today's harvest...it's a start. 

Stacia's thrift store find!

The girls and Nolan came out and kept me company while I weeded and such. At one point left over sodas were brought out. We even had a sugar free cream soda. I enjoyed it...yes, I wear an apron in the garden to try to save my clothes...and because it's handy to hang the Thermacell on it and it also helps to keep my tools handy. Can you see the swarm of mosquitoes in the photo below - all the dots? I don't go outside without the Thermacell. 

At dinner time the kitchen was still not functional. Nolan and the girls ran out to the deli and brought a selection of fine foods home to eat.  Jared was out here in the valley at an event hosted by the Moms of Liberty - I've not heard of this group. He was on a panel fielding questions about parental rights. He came on over when he was finished and joined us for dinner. 

Michael got the sink working, we put the kitchen back together, I started washing dishes. The power went out 5 minutes into the first load of the dishwasher. We had hoped to have a fire tonight, but the wind was ferocious. The guys went home. These two played "Jelly." 

Our temps got up to 70 at our house.  saw 71 and didn't check later in the day. In year's past Josiah has brought Liv out to the Colony Day parade. I didn't feel like attending the parade today. We needed a day to hang out at home. It's been a beautiful Saturday.