Random Montage

Here's a smattering of recent happenings.

Cashflow for Kids is our new favorite family game.

Guess what Isaac wants for Christmas? He lost both front teeth within a day of each other.

We went on a seven mile hike yesterday with Ryley's Boy Scout Troop at Turnagain Arm. It was a perfect, beautiful Spring day for a hike and I so enjoyed the fresh air.

This tree was along the trail. It's hollow a long way up, so the kids took turns climbing in it. Sure made for some cute pictures! Hmm...wonder if there were any spiders in there.

In other news, Ryley won't stop growing. His feet are bigger than mine. His jeans fit me. And after snapping this picture of ourselves this afternoon, he remarked, "Man. Even my head's bigger than yours!" (Bunny ears courtesy of Anna.)

The TEA Party (Taxed Enough Already)

The kids and I attended the Wasilla Tea Party on Wed. April 15th. There was a great turn out of "extreme right-wing conservatives". Yep. We're wackos. We want crazy stuff like to have our constitution upheld. And to avoid the socialist agenda that's being imposed on us. What would our forefathers think? I think they'd be shocked to learn about the amount of taxes we're paying, so that others can be free of mortgages they never should have qualified for in the first place. Heck! They'd be shocked to learn that we're paying taxes at all!

Yeah, they'd be sad and disappointed in us. But wouldn't Robinhood be proud? After all, he was the hero of the story because he "robbed from the rich to give to the poor".

After the protest, we went to Kaladis for cocoa and lattes with some friends.

Arizona

Over Easter weekend, Anna and I had the privilege of taking a last-minute trip to Phoenix to surprise my Grandma Steele (Dad's mom) for her 80th birthday. (Doesn't she look great??) Our guys were so generous in letting us go, and they had a great time being "bachelors" in our absence.

Although we got to see gma and gpa just one year ago, when they came to visit, I haven't seen all my cousins and uncle and aunts since 1996. (Not all the cousins were there. We missed Diana, Brian and Cheryl.) I'd never met their husbands or kiddos. We had an amazing time...one which we'll never forget. (Too bad it went by so fast.)

Thanks so much for your hospitality, Heather, Amy and Becky! I love you, cousins!!!

Heather, Amy and Luke getting ready for the egg hunt.

Amy and me

Uncle Don (Dad's brother), Anna and Laynie

The cousins with Grandma

Aunt Cheryl and Preston

Laynie, Anna, and Gracie

Luke, Anna and Laynie on Easter before church

Anna and the tortoise (the mama...the dad's name is Goliath, but we can't remember hers.)

The Beautiful Horsman Ladies: Aunt Karen, Allison and Danielle

FIVE

Thanks for the "tag", Shannon. I feel like I've been procrastinating on doing this, but then, blogging is supposed to be fun, right?

Five Things I Was Doing Five Years Ago:
1. Anna Elise was 7 months old. We were in our new addition to our house.
2. I was on the Women's Ministry Team at WBC and staying WAY too busy.
3. I was, of course, homeschooling, but in a drastically different way than I do now.
4. The fact that we were done having kiddos was "trying" to sink in.
5. My relationship with the Lord was reaching exciting new heights in ways I never expected.

Five Things On My To-Do List Today:
1. CLEAN! I have three house showings this afternoon. (What am I doing on the computer??)
2. Fix breakfast and enjoy reading out of the Bible, The Moral Compass, and Little Men together.
3. Put a roast in the crock pot.
4. Get nervous about the three house showings.
5. Enjoy a relaxing evening playing Cashflow for Kids together, then catch up with Jeremy after the kiddos go to bed.

Five Things I'd Do With A Million Dollars
1. Keep and pay off our house, then rent it out.
2. Fund our project on our property, maybe making our log home into a B&B.
3. Go on missions trips as a family and help struggling people make a future for themselves.
4. Support WAY more missionaries, then go visit them, bringing lots of stuff along for their families. (Especially for their teenaged daughters!;-)
5. Take our family on a roadtrip around the states.

Five Places I've Lived:
1. Illinios
2. Wisconsin
3. British Colombia
4. Norway (for a month...does that count? I really lived when I was there!)
5. Alaska
**When I was 21, I'd lived in 24 different houses. sigh

Five Jobs I've Held:
1. Grounds-Keeper aka garbage-picker-upper at the Christian camp in Wi. when I was 8.
2. Babysitter
3. Camp counselor
4. Waitress at a posh country club
5. Truck-unloader/stocker at Target

Five Things I Want To Be Doing In Five Years:
1. Be in love with and married to Jeremy for 17.5 years!
2. Taking Ryley in to get his drivers licence.
3. Be totally without a mortgage and hopefully be finished with our new house.
4. Have a huge, awesome, established, thriving garden and greenhouse.
5. Be planning our first family short-term missions trip.

Five People I'm Tagging:
(I have no idea if these people have been tagged yet. Hope this isn't redundant.)
1. Elizabeth
2. Karla
3. Jane
4. April
5. Ruth (if you ever get your computer set up and visit my blog;-)

There. It's off my to-do list! Next I'll post pictures of my AMAZING trip to Phoenix!!

FOR THE LOVE OF MY LIFE

Here's to you love I don't know how you do it day in and out. I get to have my own time when I am at work but for you the breaks are few and far between. Our kids will call you blessed in their adult years. I have the best friend God could give someone. I hope you had a great time in Az. I love you. Me:)

The Weekend Was All Relative

On Saturday, the Murphy family (my sister and brother-in-law) arrived in Alaska. Brendon is a helicopter pilot with the Army and he's been transferred to Fairbanks. We're so excited to welcome them here! It's been almost five years since we last saw each other, but the kids acted like old friends. They were here in Wasilla visiting us and Nate and Elizabeth until Tuesday. We spent each day all together, with a total headcount of TEN kids!! We potlucked our meals and had a really great time.The Girl Cousins (minus Avelyn) enjoyed dressing up, applying makeup, and playing with dollies.

The Boy Cousins wrestled, played outside, and built with Legos.

On Saturday, the Murphy's first night here, we put the kids to bed at our house and the adults played Rock Band until 3 am. We decided it would be easiest to leave the finally-sleeping kids all here at my house and the adults and Avelyn went to Nate and Elizabeth's for the rest of the night...or actually, morning. The cousins were so excited when they woke up and were still here. I heard Jayna first at about 7:00 saying, "Girls! Look! We had a sleepover!!" I made pancakes and eggs for breakfast, and they played hard for the rest of the morning.

Here's the whole gaggle of cousins. Uncle Brendon, with Jayna and Anna.