The Coke Connection

Word Nerd

2012-02-28T15:51:00.001-09:00

I learned long ago what a word nerd I am. Writing is a fun hobby for me and as I look back over years of journaling, I realize that I often use a $50 word where a $5 word would suffice. Recently as I set a new goal in my writing, I enjoyed breaking the very goal I was attempting to set. I love irony.

"I should use acceptable, abbreviated words where appropriate and applicable. (Alliteration is an appreciated appliance.)"

Looking back over what I'd written with fondness and satisfaction, I noticed a pattern. Almost every word beginning with an "a" has twin second and third letters. AHA! Now I realize that I'm not only a word nerd, but a number nerd as well! Balance is beautiful.

Fun: Cubed

2012-02-24T17:26:00.000-09:00

Today, three of the kiddos and I talked about cubed numbers. This topic followed our recent discussion on square numbers. While I was in the shower, the THREE kids created the cubed number 27, which is the product of 3x3x3 (or 3x3=9; 9x3=27)

I recognized the challenge they had in working on one cube together, instead of individually. Teamwork is such a beneficial skill, but one that my kids struggle with! Today they succeeded, and there were not even any fistfights. ;-)

I asked them why working as a team can be so helpful. They each offered their opinion and then we talked about the biblical concept of "one body, many parts". I asked them which part of their body was more important. They discussed their thoughts, eventually concluding that we can't place any higher importance on any one part...of a body, a church body, or a family.

Then we discussed the verses found in Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, "Two are better than one because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down his friend can help him up." (Numbers are everywhere!)

Sacrificial Love

2012-02-14T11:02:00.000-09:00

"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing." I Cor, 13:1-3

Lately, as I've asked Jesus how I can be more effective for His Kingdom, He has answered me with two simple words: "love people". Why is such a simple concept so hard for me to live out? For one, I recognize that in order to love someone in a way they feel and accept love, I need to think about them and how they're wired. Loving someone in a way I understand and receive love may not reach them at all. They may never even know I'm trying! I am challenged with the task of giving in a way the receiver understands and can accept. My offerings are nothing without love.

"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." 1 Cor. 13:13

Sacrificial Love-
"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers." 1 John 3:16

What will I sacrifice today, in order to love someone? Love is an essential factor in a relationship, but until sacrifice is required, it's almost meaningless.

Even the Sparrow has Found a Home

2012-02-09T13:40:00.006-09:00

We have experienced some challenges lately. I'm so thankful for God's work in my life, for as I recognize the familiarity with which I face these, I remember my past reactions to such concerns. Almost always worry was the best word to describe my response, the kind of worry I feel most acutely in the very pit of my stomach at the very cusp of waking every morning. I've prayed about this issue over the years. Some struggle to set aside worry as they attempt to drift off at night. I struggle at the other end of sleep, and I hate it. I've asked God to help me eradicate worry altogether, adding that, at the very least, could He please help me relocate it to any other part of my day??

As a chronic Over-Thinker, I've tried to find balance in the way I deal with troubling circumstances. I classify myself not as an optimist, nor as a pessimist, but as a realist. I attempt to live neither in denial (optimist!) nor under a perpetual cloud (pessimist!).

Naturally, when faced with a difficulty in life, we mentally scramble to consider someone else who is going through a bigger difficulty, so as to gain "perspective". Then we tell ourselves, "Quit your whining! It could be so much worse!" I have decided that I disagree with this method. Validating our emotions, thoughts and feelings while navigating a trial is so important. I coined a non-eloquent phrase years ago: "No one else's trials can invalidate my suffering." (I know, I know- it contains a double-negative. But I've never been very good at math. ;-)

Often, we Christians feel compelled to label everything a blessing.
I've come to the point where I view that as being just plain dishonest. Yes, life is stuffed full of blessings, beginning with the very first breath I draw upon waking. And God does promise to bring good out of every trial, even turning our mourning into dancing! Amazing! But hard times are not in themselves blessings.

Today as I was flipping through my Quote Book (in which I record important words I want to retain forever), I stumbled upon a good reminder from one of my very favorite books, The Sacred Romance, by Curtis and Eldridge.

"Pretending that life is easier and more blessed than it really is hinders our ability to walk with God and share Him with others. Faith is not the same thing as denial. Blessings come...tend to be infrequent, unpredictable, transient...our journey is shaped more often by dragons and nits- crises that shake us to the core and...troubles that nag us to death...Are they tragic events and random inconveniences, or part of the plot through which God redeems our heart?"

Even the sparrow has found a home...

And therein lies the beauty of trials. Not only are they tests God uses to show us where we are in life, but they provide an invaluable opportunity for us to flee from fear, worry, and run straight to Him, laying our burdens at His feet. How lovely is His dwelling place! "Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young- a place near your altar." (Ps. 84:3)

No Apologies! and The Launch of a New Blog!

2012-01-30T12:28:00.002-09:00

I stop myself short of apologizing for being such a lame "blogger". I wrestle with the idea of being online a lot, and as I remember back to my days of keeping the blog current, it seems I was always on the computer. There are so many things we try to stay caught up on in life that lately the thought of broadcasting my thoughts into cyberspace feels a bit silly and unimportant.

BUT: My kids really need a reason to write. As much as I dislike change and technology, it's happening all around me; if I want my children to thrive it's likely that I need to recognize that fact and use it to our advantage. I'm not into having them write with the idea that writing is the end, but the means to an end. With that in mind I encouraged them to start up their own blog. I think they'll be so much more inspired and excited when I announce, "OK! It's Language Arts time!" They launched their own blog once before while we were in the house-building mode, but between the generator system and satellite Internet, we were rarely able to get their posts published on the blog. It was too discouraging to continue then, but circumstances have changed and we're at it again!

Ryley is taking online high school classes this year, so he's writing up a storm, for REAL reasons, as the means to an important end.
Josiah is very technology-minded. Not only will he enjoy having a purpose to document his thoughts, he'll LOVE being to change formats, fonts, import things, etc...Plus, we have now completely switched over to the Mac (laptop and desktop) and it's just plain fun to play with! He's already written his first post and imported a picture from the web (which I've never even done before).
Isaac and Anna will bring their own personality to their blog.
Check in every now and then; I bet they'll update theirs much more often than I update this one!
www.thecokecrew.blogspot.com

His and Hers

2011-08-26T10:37:00.001-08:00

His and Hers Blueberry Buckets:
Can you guess whose is whose?
(Hint: Upon arrival at home, I am the one who does all the cleaning/processing of the berries!) Admittedly, though, Jeremy is the faster picker...

We got only 5 gallons this year, in about 4 hours of picking. Usually we get around 10-12 gallons but this year we were busy enough to fit in only two short trips up to pick. Although the kids LOVE playing around in the weeds, rolling down the steep hill and wrestling, and "calling in" marmots with their whistles, it's fun that we now have one full-time berry picker in Ryley. Anna was a big help this year too. She loves to pick till she's bored, then she catches up with the boys to play.

Be Still

2011-08-09T14:39:00.000-08:00

"Instead of glorifying two-fisted fighters in the John Wayne tradition of American folk heroes, Christians would do well to sit still until the power of God is manifested in their Christian activities.
Churches need to develop the quiet disciplines they have lost- practices such as

contemplation
fasting
listening
meditation
prayer
silence
Scripture memory
submission and
reflection.

Many Christian leaders are caught up in secondary issues that sap their time and energy...
...In the years I have lived and worked in the United States, I have watched believers and whole congregations get caught up in all kinds of similar [aforementioned] crusades and causes that, while not necessarily bad in themselves, end up taking our eyes off obedience to Christ. And in this sense, they become anti-Christ." -Revolution in World Missions by K.P. Yohannan

I'm reading this book and was reminded and convicted that while action is a necessary part of living a Christ-like life, silence, solitude and stillness are vital in order to receive God's direction for our lives. How are we to receive our "marching orders" without choosing to listen?

Dang Quesadillas

2011-07-14T18:46:00.000-08:00

Dang Quesadillas (name stolen from Napoleon Dynamite) are one of my family's favorite (vegetarian) dinners. I created the recipe years ago in an attempt to creatively use the many zucchini from the garden.

In a large bowl:
*Shred zucchini (I use about 7-9 for a dinner for 6)
*Add two cans drained and rinsed black beans
Salt fairly liberally and allow to sit for a bit.

Meanwhile, saute in butter:
*Chopped onion
*Sliced mushrooms
*Red, yellow or orange pepper (or not. Sometimes I don't have any...)

Squeeze zucchini/bean mixture with paper towel to remove excess water from zucchini. (The salt helps draw out extra moisture.)

Add sauteed veggies to zucchini mixture.
Stir in
*Pico de gallo (or salsa, if I don't have any prepared)

Brown both sides of small corn or brown rice tortilla in oil in pan.
Spoon mixture on top.
Sprinkle with cheese. (Cow, sheep or goat all work well!)

Keep warm on cookie sheet in oven set at 200 degrees until all are prepared.
Serve warm, garnished with fresh cilantro (unless your husband, like mine, hates cilantro. Then omit his only if you want to be nice...) and fresh chopped tomatoes.
My kids like theirs served with a dollop of sour cream.
ENJOY!

Note: The other night when I made these I had leftovers of the veggie mixture. I saved it in the fridge and the following night I cooked up some chopped chicken in a skillet and mixed this in. After adding more pico de gallo and several other seasonings (whatever was handy...) I served it over rice. I think it was even better the second time around!

Persevere

2011-05-17T12:27:00.000-08:00

Don't you just love the English language? I do. I love words. They're so intriguing. Look at the root of the word 'persevere'.

Isn't it
so telling?
so appropriate??
so...validating???

Persevering has been deeply on my heart lately.

Big Weekend!

2011-05-17T12:19:00.000-08:00

This was a fun, long weekend for our family. Friday morning at 7:30 Ryley took his Boy Scout Swimming Merit Badge test at the Palmer Pool. The test took about an hour and a half and was quite rigorous. He was also required to write a test beforehand, which was checked by the counselor. This is his second Eagle-required badge to have earned.
Later in the day we went up to Mr. Moore's house (our Scoutmaster) who held the annual Turkey Shoot. The boys camped overnight with the boys from their troop, as well as another troop who joined them. Saturday was the day of the big event. Isaac, Anna and I got there at about 10:00 so I could help Mrs. Moore with the food and prizes. The events in the contest were: Archery, Slingshot, Tomahawk, Big Bore, Shotgun, and .22.

There was a winner of each event per age group. Josiah was the winner of Big Bore for his age group. There was also a Runner-Up and a Grand Champion. Ryley was the Grand Champ. for 2011! This is no easy feat, as there are some sharpshooters in our troop! Mr. Moore has been holding this event since 1995 and Ryley is the youngest scout to win the whole "Shootin' Match". It's quite an honor, as, in addition to the prize he won (including, yes, a turkey!), he also won a trophy and the privilege of having his name inscribed on the plaque Mr. Moore has with the names of all winners from years past.

Isaac and Anna were also invited to participate. I didn't get around grabbing pictures like I wanted to, but I had to snap this one of Anna. She threw the tomahawk, worked the slingshot and fired the .22. She marked a near-bullseye on the .22 and tallied up the points in the tomahawk throw, but I like this slingshot picture best, not only because she landed the marble in the hanging can, but because she is wearing "make up". Her baseball coach painted this on her at Friday night's game and she wanted to leave her make up on to show her biggest brothers.

Pretend Play

2011-05-05T11:30:00.002-08:00

I love that my 9 year old son and 7 year old daughter have not outgrown pretending. Today, after our family book-learning time, I found them "working". Isaac is the banker and Anna is the mailwoman.

Oops! I was mistaken; he's not a banker, but has a much cooler profession. He's a secret agent. How did I miss the sign on the door??

Now, Why Didn't I Think Of That?

2011-05-01T18:40:00.000-08:00

Each Spring we enjoy planting little bitty seeds and watching them sprout inside plastic trays filled with soil. The whole process is quite cumbersome, actually, as I scour the house looking for flat surfaces which I drag over to the sun-lit areas and wrestle plastic wrap in the attempt to keep those trays covered so the soil won't dry out too quickly. This year I decided to change all that. For a mere $50 I am now the proud owner of one of those ugly indoor greenhouses. Spring will be transformed from here on out.

I also stumbled across an article which suggested planting seeds inside egg shells!! WOW!!

We eat a lot of eggs around here so it didn't take long to save quite enough shells and cartons. This beautiful, sunny afternoon we planted some seeds inside them. After they sprout and the soil in the garden is ready for planting, we'll take the shell, soil and plant, all-in-one, and plant it directly into the soil. The egg shell will provide nutrients to both the roots and the soil.

Now, why didn't I think of that??

Copy-Cat Lara Bars (gluten-free! dairy-free! corn-syrup free!)

2011-04-29T13:10:00.002-08:00

Have you tried the Lara bar? There are several varieties from which to choose. Although I haven't tried them all, my favorite so far is the Peanut Butter and Jelly bar. As a gluten-free family (for 9 years now) and health conscience mom, I am always on the look-out for healthy packaged snacks and treats. There aren't many.

And in the rare event that I find something, it is usually astronomically priced. I've only bought a few Lara bars, and only when on sale (buy-one-get-one-free), but my kids and I love them. I love the fact that they contain very few ingredients, (the pb&j version only has three!) which made them very easy to make. I also love that they are high in fiber and protein.

All you need to make your own is:

peanuts Mix them up in a Vita-mix and squeeze into bars!
dates
dried fruit (I used cherries)

Terrific Tongue Twisters

2011-04-25T12:19:00.001-08:00

Today during Language Arts time the kids each wrote their own tongue twister. Here they are, typed and customized by the kids. Try to say these five times fast!

Peter picked a piping porridge that poured on the poor floor.-Anna

The cat came 'cause cake can control the cat. The End- Anna

The dumb dog dug down. Down the dumb dog dug. The dumb dog dug deep.- Isaac

The big black bug bled black blood. Then the big black bug bled blue blood. Then he bounded back.-The End Josiah

The fat flat fly flew from the fridge fast. Ryley

...This Just In...

2011-02-09T10:08:00.003-09:00

"A study by the National Bureau of Economic Research, reported on nytimes.com, shows that colleges enrolling students with higher SAT scores don't necessarily produce graduates who make higher incomes. 'Evidently, students'
             motivation,
             ambition, and
             desire to learn
have a much stronger effect on their subsequent success' than those SAT scores, says the bureau."          --Readers' Digest
                                                      (emphasis mine)

"Discipline imposed from the outside eventually defeats when it is not matched by a desire from within." --Dawson Trotman

As parents, responsible for overseeing the education of our children, we must first ask ourselves if "the education [they are] receiving is on par with their potential". (DeMille) They deserve the most beneficial education, not the most convenient, practical or "realistic".

Preparing for Winter

2010-10-20T06:45:00.002-08:00

"It is the simple things of life that make living worthwhile, the sweet fundamental things such as love and duty, work and rest, and living close to nature." -Laura Ingalls Wilder

We are in the midst of preparing for winter at the Coke Homestead. I've been pondering, of late, the implications and spiritual parallels of this task. I've always enjoyed anticipating and getting all ready for winter.
((( When we lived in town, in our cozy little home which was on-the-grid with "regular" electricity, natural gas heat, and a short little driveway leading to the paved street, the way we prepared looked quite different. We raked, mulched, cleaned up the garden, parked bikes, dusted off the shovel, and I found new hot cocoa recipes. That pretty much covered the necessary work.
Our winter preparation here at our home on the mountain looks much different. We heat solely with wood and cutting, hauling and stacking is a time-consuming job. Our generator has different needs and challenges now with freezing temps than it did this summer. While a few short months ago, we were struggling to keep the engine cool enough, we are now looking at the need to install a heater in the shed to keep it warm. We have a mile-long "driveway" leading from the paved street to our house. As the only residents in our area, if we want to get in and out, road maintenance is our responsibility. We struggle with mud in the spring and snow in winter. Our water supply is also a bit different. As well-drilling and finding water is spotty in our area, we elected to use the constant, ever-flowing, never-freezing creek as our source. Although we have to filter the daylights out of it, we knew it was there and available and there was no risk in drilling to see if we could find it. There is a 450 ft. run uphill from our well-house to the house and the waterline is somewhat vulnerable to freezing temps in some spots. While we believe we have fixed the problems we encountered last winter, only time will tell. )))
We cannot rely on anyone else to keep things running here. We are, in most ways, self-sustained.
I have struggled, at times, with looking back at the ease and relative comfort we enjoyed at our little house on Alder Dr. and wistfully remembering our old life.
Yet...there is something right and rewarding about being affected by the seasons and weather. I can't quite put my finger on it and often I decide that I'm just a "glutton for punishment" but really I believe that there is something real and valuable in all this. Have you ever been outside on a beautiful day and sat down on the earth, breathed the fresh air, gazed out on the mountains, and felt a soul-satisfying contentment deep down inside? If so, then you know what I'm referring to. "Earth's crammed with Heaven/and every common bush afire with God/but only he who sees takes off his shoes/the rest sit round it and pluck blackberries."- Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

(I would almost say that anything good that has ever happened in the deepest part of my soul has happened outside.)

Ironically, relying "solely" on ourselves has required relying more fully on God. Maybe I'm getting to the core benefit to being affected by the seasons and elements. I have realized over the years that being close to nature brings me closer to my Lord and Saviour.
This past year has been one of extremes. Our highs have been the highest ever and our lows, the lowest ever. I have been learning (albeit the hard way) to continually set my heart and mind on things above...(Col. Chapter 3). The kids and I are in the process of memorizing the entire chapter and I find myself waking up to the verses running through my mind.
Romans 15:13 is written and taped to the mirror in our bathroom. It reads, "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."
Recently, Jeremy added this to the mirror: "And when He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. And behold, there arose a great storm in the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves; but He Himself was asleep. And they came to Him and awoke Him saying, 'Save us, Lord; we are perishing!' And He said to them, 'Why are you timid, you men of little faith?' Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea; and it became perfectly calm."
Our circumstances are often out of our control. The Lord gave me this little sentence and I notice the Holy Spirit brings it to mind often when I feel as though I will drown in all that's been going on: "Choose Joy".

On Education

2010-10-08T12:22:00.003-08:00

Two quick quotes:
"Bodily exercise, when compulsory, does no harm to the body; but knowledge which is acquired under compulsion obtains no hold on the mind."--- Plato

Think about this a minute. Consider the truth found here. Whatever choice a family makes for education, this compulsory form of education is often the method used. Is it effective? Does it last? If I had time, I'd delve so deeply into this topic that my family would be lucky if I was out by dinnertime.

Also, I find this interesting:
Included in a 1893 report , "Cardinal Principles at Secondary Education stresses seven fundamental aims of education in a democracy:
1- Health
2-Command of Fundamental Processes
3- Worthy Home Membership
4- Vocation
5- Citizenship
6- Worthy Use of Leisure
7- Ethical Character"

How far we have strayed...

That's all. Unfortunately, I have bills to pay and paperwork to do. Rats.

For Real- A Blog Entry!!!

2010-09-25T10:21:00.002-08:00

I've missed "blogging", although my time away has given me a chance to contemplate whether or not I really want a blog. A part of me rebels against technology and while I enjoy keeping family and friends "in the loop" of our crazy and hard-to-follow lives, I don't like that total strangers can also see what's up. I am torn, sometimes, between sharing what I really want to say and feeling the need to be so vague that there's no point in sharing at all!
But I think for now, the blog will live on.
SO:
Exciting news in our basement-dwelling lives: after nearly a year of next to no Internet service, we will hopefully be on-line as of next Wednesday. We were hoping to get a land line in this fall, but our nearest neighbor (a half-mile away), with whom we will split the horrifying cost, would rather wait to do it next summer. We will be using Hughesnet for satellite Internet. Should be interesting. Although I'd like to think that it's no big deal to not get online, I must admit, especially to myself, that it really is hard to get along as usual without the option. A very frustrating part of the way we are living is that I'm attempting to live in the 21st century and the early 1900s all at the same time. We have no TV or much of a radio signal up on the mt. (plus, I have no antenna on my truck!!) so I really do feel as though we've been living in the dark ages. I won't pretend that I've suffered with not knowing what's going on in the world; to be honest, the political junk constantly going on in our country has raised my blood pressure over the top in the last few years. I've felt so passionate about everything, but been helpless to change anything, which has been so very frustrating. I have enjoyed the peacefulness which comes with ignorance to current events quite a lot.
I'm looking forward to being able to tell our little story again and share the journey with anyone, and will feel quite honored if I haven't completely lost my "readership" along the way!!

As I Was Saying...

2010-03-09T14:14:00.003-09:00

I'll just pick up where I left off back in October, at "Happy Sadness".
We moved out of our house and into the camper on the property at the beginning of the last week in October. That left me the whole week to finish up packing/cleaning and having the carpets cleaned while not living there. On the 31st, we found ourselves barely getting out in time. The renters had already begun moving things over and were to begin staying there on Nov. 1st! At about 9:00 pm, I literally mopped (and moped) myself out the front door. Jeremy was in the other truck hauling the last minute things and my Yukon was bursting at the seams. We hadn't eaten dinner, so we went to about the only restaurant we could think of that would serve anything gluten free at that hour (it was now 10:00). IHOP was the chosen one. Jeremy and I pretended to enjoy the meal with the kids, as eating out is very rare for us and should be enjoyed! I tried to act like I wasn't crying, and did just fine, as long as no one talked to me.

Above is a picture of one of our first dinners in "the camper".

Work for Jeremy was a bit scarce at that time, which was actually a blessing as we were trying to beat the winter weather and get the basement concrete poured. Many late nights were shared while building the ICF (insulated concrete form) Styrofoam walls, into which we would pour concrete. We would get the kids to bed (always WAY past bedtime) and then go out to the slab, and by the light of the halogen work lights, we'd stay busy until midnight or so. Several times we were serenaded by a pack of coyotes howling eerily in the woods surrounding us. Sometimes we'd hear the owls calling.

Jeremy and Ryley surrounded the camper with insulation (blue board) to help retain a bit of heat. It really worked well and cut down on the propane consumption...until the ginormous windstorm of November hit and all the boards were ripped down and scattered about.

We used a small Honda generator to power the camper. With no running water, we used the outhouse. Jeremy would haul 5 gallon containers of creek water for washing dishes. We bummed drinking water off any friends we could, and used the showers and laundry facilities at the local gas station, until I couldn't handle the depressing feeling of sitting in a laundromat with soaps on the tv in the middle of the afternoon with all the kids.

That creepy old guy was starting to get to me too.

From that point on, we were so thankful for the friends and family we have! We never took another shower or did another load of laundry at that gas station again. Things were looking up.

The kids and I would do the best we could during the day when Jeremy had to be at work. The boys liked helping with the walls, as they are quite similar to Legos!

Still Smiling

2010-03-08T14:19:00.002-09:00

The longer I stay away from this blog the more I dread updating it. Although I really enjoy "blogging", and actually, real writing in general, I've been avoiding doing this for a long time. I guess the reason is that I truly don't know where to start. We've been on such a wild and crazy ride this winter.

Most of what we've been through this season has been rough, scary, unpredictable, and just plain hard. And it has been so deeply personal for me that I can't figure out how to give just a glimpse, stopping short of sharing my deepest, darkest feelings with the whole www! But I will do my best. The updates will come very sporadically, I assure you, but they will eventually bring you up to speed on where we are now. Various family members have been missing our posts (thanks for prompting me to get back online!) and I have missed keeping in the loop those many miles away as well as those close to home.

P.S. The above pic. is Josiah's Valentines breakfast-dinner. I think it accurately portrays where we are...in a bit of a sticky mess. But although things look sloppy on the surface, the key ingredients are here and the smile is genuine, albeit a little worse for the wear.

Happy Sadness

2009-10-25T11:53:00.005-08:00

We are down to the last day or two here in our home. We will officially begin residing full-time at our property on Monday. Tonight is the last night we'll be sleeping here. While we are very excited, this whole experience is bitter-sweet.

As a child living with my parents, we moved a lot. They are missionaries, and although we never lived in any foreign country (they now reside in Canada), we lived in many different houses. I could never get too attached to one location, because the location constantly changed.

Fast forward to my life now, with my own family, and I've been privileged to experience the opposite of all that, having lived in our little home for 10 years now. Wowzers. It has been so good for me to have security and enjoy making our house a home. (Thanks, Jeremy.)

(This is our bedroom, after the crawl space, aka black hole, was unloaded.)

(This is our new bedroom, in the camper.)

We have brought three babies home here and have made countless memories. I never want to be wrapped up in temporal things, but I must admit to myself: moving out of this house is hard.

Our renters will move in on Nov. 1st, so I'm planning on having all next week to clean and make ready their new residence. We will be moving into a pull-behind camper and we'll be living between that and the cabin. Our plan is to live there until we complete our basement. We have finished the footers and slab (pictures to follow in another post), and our next step is to build and pour the walls. Then we'll build a temporary roof over all, with materials we can reuse in the Spring, and move in. Our generator system is on its way to Anchorage, and our wood-burning boiler furnace will make its way down from Fairbanks this week.

In the Spring, we'll begin construction on our log home.

Last night was fun for our family. We originally planned on staying in the camper at the property last night, but things changed and we were here, but without our beds, etc. because we had mostly "moved out". So we went camping in our house. The kids had lots of fun playing with whatever scraps they could find on the floor where the couches used to sit. Anna set up shop and the younger three played "store" while Ryley and Jeremy were at Home Depot. Josiah and Isaac were the customers, and they paid for random store stuff with coins they found laying around. When they were bored of shopping, Anna hired them as plumbers to fix things in her store.

After dinner, they built forts in the living room and slept in sleeping bags.We'll miss our home. And we will enjoy our last night here. "The last time always seems so sad, but it isn't really. The end of one thing is only the beginning of another." -Laura Ingalls Wilder, in These Happy Golden Years

Specialization is for Insects

2009-10-25T10:57:00.003-08:00

A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly.
Specialization is for insects.
-Robert A. Heinlein

Working the Land

2009-10-20T20:48:00.004-08:00

I'm on a quest to do a bit of updating. We've been working on the property to make it as ready as possible for our moving in full-time (which will officially happen this coming weekend).

One of our first tasks this fall was the setting of the water tank. We have a very fast moving, fairly wide creek running almost through the middle of our 20 acres. We will be using this as our water source. Well-drilling is a bit risky (as it is everywhere), mostly because not much has been done in the area. We know that the creek never freezes up, and the water is of high quality.
Of course, there are many variables one has to consider when using surface water, so we will be filtering it as though everything is wrong with it. On any given day, a moose could die and land in the creek above our property; parasites could come and go; the possibilities are many. We bought a 300 gallon tank, scooped out an area in the creek, thereby widening it, diverted the water over to that area, and set the tank (to the sides of which holes had been drilled, thereby letting water swirl in and out, so as never to be stagnant). This sounds easier than it was, by the way.
Jeremy built a "power house" around the tank. It is heavily insulated and built upon concrete pilings we made. This power house will not only house the water tank and pump, but also the generator, batteries, and inverter. (We will power the house with this system). In every season but winter, we will also set up a hydro system which will be set just below this power house. The water will then generate power, filling up the batteries, instead of the generator, which will run off diesel.

Are you still reading? Have I bored you yet? Next up was the running of the water line. We have 500 feet from the creek where the power house is up to the house site. We dug a trench down that distance, between 8 and 10 feet deep. Little by little we'd dig, Jeremy running the excavator, while I placed the line down deep. Along with the water line, we ran some electrical wire which will carry power up to the house from the power house. This was a tedious job, as a big percentage of our soil is actually sand. The sides caved in many times.

After the work of the trench digging was done, I had a chance to play on the equipment. On the property was an old outhouse which needed to be buried. I got to dig the hole, knock the outhouse in it, smash it down to pieces, and bury it.

Anna was fighting a bit of sickness during this particular weekend. She spent a lot of time in the cabin coloring and reading books on the bed.

My Boys

2009-10-20T14:18:00.006-08:00

Life has been incredibly busy around here. I thought I'd post some various pictures of the boys, giving you a glimpse into their daily lives.

Ryley got braces and other dental "appliances" recently. After the pain of day 2 passed, there isn't much to complain about, except for the fact that it's hard for both of us to remember that he's now supposed to brush after every meal.

Isaac unearthed the face paints. We also found out that he's a bit allergic to whatever toxin is in them. He broke out in quite a rash that lasted for about a week after finally washing the paint off.
Although not too huge a fan of grapes, Josiah recently found a reason to eat them. There is an unlimited amount of faces a boy can make with the help of but a few grapes. And I have LOTS of pictures to prove it. They have titled this look "The Camel" after a recent trip to the zoo. Several weeks ago, Josiah and Isaac caught this spawning salmon in the creek. After a full summer of catching minnows, this big boy caused quite a stir in our little world.

The Wisdom of Dr. Seuss

2009-10-05T14:36:00.004-08:00

This afternoon, during Quiet Time, Isaac requested that I read Horton Hears a Who, by Dr. Seuss. I have always loved that book, mostly for its overt pro-life message. Today as I read, however, I noticed yet another message with which I agree. As is the case with all classics, I learned something new as I read it. Allow me to share a part with you.

The Mayor of the speck, in an effort to prove to the Wickersham brothers and their gang that "we are here", had required all townspeople to make as much noise as possible. He then found one Who who wasn't doing his part. The Mayor scooped him up and took him to the Eiffelberg Tower.

"'This', cried the Mayor, 'is your town's darkest hour!
The time for all Whos who have blood that is red
To come to the aid of their country!' he said.
'We've GOT to make noises in greater amounts!
So, open your mouth, lad! For every voice counts!'

"Thus he spoke as he climbed. When they got to the top,
The lad cleared his throat and he shouted out, 'YOPP!'

"And that Yopp...
That one small, extra Yopp put it over!"...

This epiphany is important because it reminds me and encourages me during this point in history in which we now find our United States of America. No voice is too small. It takes unity and every single conservative Christian citizen in America to stand up and shout, making his voice and convictions heard.

"So open your mouth, lad. For every voice counts!"

Happy Hunters

2009-09-15T15:08:00.008-08:00

Jeremy had the opportunity to go sheep hunting just before we left for our trip. He had a great four days with his buddy Zach, and brought home a beautiful Dall Sheep. Of course, the story to go along with the pictures is pretty amazing, but I won't try to retell it here. Maybe one day Jeremy will get on the blog and tell it himself (but somehow I doubt it;-)

The meat is delicious and I can't wait until the taxidermist finishes the head!

Photos by Zach Keller

Lately...

2009-09-14T12:40:00.008-08:00

I have way too much to get done to justify sitting at the computer playing on the blog. But it's been so long since I've updated it, and I'm afraid people will give up on reading or even checking in on The Coke Connection. I thought I'd give a "quick" update.

We just returned from a 8 day trip to Illinois for Jeremy's oldest brother's wedding. Jeremy was a groomsman, Anna was the flower girl, Isaac was the ring bearer (even though he didn't bear any rings...just a "slippery pillow"), and Ryley and Josiah were candle lighters. I sat on the pew wearing the supportive and somewhat emotional mom-face. They were all just amazingly cute and I was so proud. I loved it when, for a moment during the ceremony at communion time, they all came and sat with me. Then everyone in the church knew those amazing people belonged to me. The highlight of the entire trip, according to Anna, was when she and Daddy got to dance together at the wedding reception. As there were photographers everywhere taking tons of pictures, I didn't snap any. I couldn't focus the camera anyway, because of the tears blurring my vision and mascara. I WILL be ordering some from the pros, though. It was such an emotional and beautiful thing.

To celebrate the birthdays this year, Grandma and Grandpa Coke took us to Six Flags Great America, close to Chicago. As it turned out, the day we went the park was closed to a private event. That event happened to be Homeschool Day, so we were treated to non-existent lines at the rides, a great atmosphere, and a discounted ticket price! All my kiddos went on real roller coasters and although we all felt queasy on and off all day, no one got sick. Jeremy and I even went on the Super Drop, where we rode 277 ft. straight up and were held there for what seemed like forever, then we free fell all the way down. I think the adrenaline is still coursing through my veins. The grandkids have amazing pull, as they were able to convince Gma and Gpa to go on lots of rides with them. Jeremy's younger brother Jon was also able to go. Ryley and Josiah enjoyed going on the crazy rides with him.We were so thankful to be able to spend a good amount of time with Jeremy's Uncle Mike, Aunt Linda, and cousin Marissa. In the picture below are, l to r, Linda, new sister-in-law Megan, and Marissa.We also spent some time with my grandparents. The kids lit up the faces of folks at the nursing home where Gpa Jacobson lives. Gma and I spent time going through pictures, doing a bit of shopping, going out for a "ladies lunch" with Anna and Mom Coke, and taking Gma through her first ever automatic car wash.

And somehow, in the middle of the trip to the apple orchard, visits with relatives, an afternoon of swimming, and all the rest, the brothers were able to carve out some "down-time" and play video games together.

Now, I better get back to work. We have decided to rent out our house for the time being, and we have people lined up to move in Nov. 1st. All we have to do now is get our property ready for us, pack up the house we've lived in for 10 years, and move out!

"13 Happy Years"

2009-08-10T09:14:00.005-08:00

Today is our 13th Anniversary! This morning as Josiah was praying over breakfast, he thanked Jesus "that mom and dad have been married for 13 happy years now". What a blessing it is to hear our children acknowledge the importance of and their thankfulness for our happily wedded life. Thanks for a bunch of amazing years, Jeremy!! I LOVE YOU!

(Anna took both the above picture of the two of us, and the header photo. Both were taken in Halibut Cove. The header picture was intended to capture the eagle in the tree to the right of Ryley's shoe.)

Cupcakes

2009-07-22T11:23:00.003-08:00

The Horsman Family came over last night to celebrate Ryley's birthday. Uncle Nate picked out the perfect shirt for a 12 year old boy. See the look of sheer joy on his face?
Josiah suggested that the kids decorate their own cupcakes, which was quite fun. Thanks for coming over, Horsmans! We love you!

Fishin' with Friends

2009-07-22T10:52:00.003-08:00

This past weekend found us on the Kenai with our good friends, the DeLongs. They, like us, have three boys and one girl...in that order. We were also married on the same day in the same year. So naturally, we've become friends. ;-) They invited us along to go dipnetting, where they don't camp. I wondered why a camping-loving family would choose to get a room instead of pitching a tent. I soon found out their reason. (We've never dipnetted there before; Jeremy has always gone to Chitna to get our limit of salmon.) Boy was it an experience. I was astounded by the vast amount of people camping out on the beach. There were thousands of tents, vehicles, four wheelers and people lined up on the beach. Both sides of the river were crowded with people out in the water, shoulder to shoulder, trying their luck.

The kids had a great time building sand castles decorated with fish heads while we cheered on the dipnetting dads.

We shared adjoining rooms both nights. The second night, Chris and Karla tried out their new airbed. Here the kids sat, waiting for the evening's entertainment and the big unveiling of the bed...

Thanks, DeLongs, for a fun-filled family weekend!

2009-07-22T10:00:00.000-08:00

We stopped by a good kid-fishing spot on our way home. The light drizzle was nothing but a mere annoyance, and the slight breeze had us looking forward to calling it quits to eat a picnic lunch in the truck with the heat on full blast. After cleaning up and stopping in town for a Blizzard to-go, we were on the road again for our long, cozy drive home.

Ryley's 12!!!

2009-07-20T16:53:00.001-08:00

We celebrated Ryley's 12th birthday last Thursday. We are so proud of him as he begins the transition to young adult-hood. We Love You Ryley-Boy!!

Gluten Free Goodness

2009-07-09T09:17:00.005-08:00

We have been gluten free around here for almost eight years, since Josiah was diagnosed with Celiac Disease as a toddler. There are now four of us who have to avoid gluten, but the other three of us were just diagnosed about a year ago, so although we're excited about cold cereal, none of us is more excited than Josiah.

Cold cereal would not make an appearance at my house any more often even if we could eat gluten, because of its lack of nutrition (might as well just eat half a dozen cookies to break the fast ) and exorbitant price, but we're thrilled to have more choices for an occasional easy, quick breakfast (so we can then fry up some eggs about an hour later because we're starving due to the lack of protein at breakfast, therefore extending our breakfast hour almost up until lunchtime).

I had to snap this picture showing Josiah's excitement, although I've always chosen not to make a big deal out of the dietary differences. Years ago I was asked by the specialist in Anchorage to start a gluten free support group here in the Valley. I declined. I inwardly cringe when people refer to Josiah's food as "special", as in, "No, Johnny, you can't have any of those cookies. Those are Josiah's special cookies. Here, have some of these [not-so-special] cookies." Last time I checked, cookies are special just for being cookies! In an effort to make a gluten free kid not feel unusual, well meaning people make him feel "special" instead. Just like those "special" Olympians. Food is food! There is a magazine out there which is filled with great information, but I absolutely refuse to subscribe because of the victim-like mindset obvious in the title, Living Without. We don't "live without", we live with! The amount of creativity and new grains introduced to our family's meals after Josiah's diagnosis has been nothing but a joy! (Okay, sometimes it's not so joyful, as I've been through frustrating times with baking. But my baking skills sure have been challenged and refined.)

Don't get me wrong; I don't advocate being in denial. I have always tried to validate frustration (either within my kiddos or myself). But after we've had a few minutes feeling sorry for ourselves, we take the Pollyanna approach and remember that if we have to have a disease, this is definitely is the one to have. And if they still feel bummed, I can remind them that it could be worse. They could be without gluten and dairy, like their mother...;-)

3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th of July

2009-07-09T07:40:00.004-08:00

We celebrated the 4th in a fun way this year. The Murphys, my sister and her family, came down to Wasilla from their new home of Fairbanks to camp out at our property with us. We set up camp on Thursday evening and came home Sunday afternoon. On the 4th, Nate (brother)and his family came out to have fun with us. The kids all had a great time. They played in the creek on and off all day. They caught fish, dared each other to sit down "all the way", and of course, threw rocks. Quaid and Roanen especially enjoyed that part! The weather couldn't have been more perfect. We skipped the Wasilla 4th Parade this year in favor of having one of our own. The kids got started working on putting it together after breakfast and the event took place about 3, when the Horsmans arrived. At the end, we spectators threw candy at the participants! Here is Isaac, in his "army guy hat".

We were saturated with smoke and the dirt was well glued to faces via marshmallow residue, although it sure was nice having the creek there for those brave (crazy?) enough to wash off in it. Here Brendon helps Roanen roast marshmallows.

Thanks, family, for helping us break in our new property! We enjoyed having all of you there. And a double-thanks to Jeremy, Brendon and Ryley for getting the outhouse built! It's got to be one of the nicest outhouses in town.

2009-07-09T07:00:00.002-08:00

Ruth and Nate

The kiddos and their catch. Farthest on the right are Kaylie and Jacob, Ruth's kids.

"The Mama", the elusive fish they finally caught

My Little Helper

2009-07-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

This morning after Anna woke up, she came and asked me if I was going to make my bed soon. I usually do that right after I get up, but today I was too intentional on updating my journal first. When I walked into my room, here's what I saw! Not only had Anna made my bed for me, but she'd also picked flowers to lay on it, and written little letters to both "Daddy" and "Mama".

Wildflowers

2009-06-29T12:08:00.002-08:00

Look what I woke up to this morning! At 6:30, when I walked into the dining room, I was greeted by this cheery sight. Jeremy must have picked them early this morning before leaving for work. What a sweet, thoughtful guy I'm blessed with!!

Eklutna

2009-06-24T22:28:00.004-08:00

The sun was shining this morning, so I shrugged my way out of a commitment (a very casual one, though) and we stacked up our five bikes in the back of the Yukon and drove up to Eklutna, one of our favorite places for biking. We took turns taking silly pictures on a rock at our snack stop.

The End.

June Happenings

2009-06-24T22:12:00.003-08:00

The weather has been so unpredictable. I've decided this "abnormal" summer is actually pretty normal. It's so funny that we Alaskans hang on to a summer or two in recent history which was unusually warm and sunny and decide that somehow, that was a "normal" summer. Then when we get summers like this (which is usually what we get) it is considered a quirky, weird summer.

So we've been doing what we do most summers and get outside to enjoy a sunny day as if it is the absolute last day we're gonna actually see the sun for a long time. Laundry backs up. Dust layers itself all over the house. The floor begins to feel sticky on our bare, dirty feet. And this summer, eventually, regardless of the weather, we have the inevitable "house showing" and I have to clean like mad. Even if I have to miss the sun.

The kids enjoyed a rousing game of Monopoly in front of a cozy fire one fine June morning.

Then the sun came out (kinda) and we seized the moment and hiked the Butte.

The Adventures of Tom

2009-06-11T11:07:00.003-08:00

We have a new family member. We adopted the little abandoned bunny and named him Tom, after the man from whom we bought our property. He was in the same place on Sunday that we left him the day before. Lucy, our dog, found him. Ryley saved him from certain death and Tom was left no worse for the wear...with only slobber-covered fur. Jeremy pointed out that if our kids were able to catch him, so could anything. So we brought him home and borrowed a cage from some bunny-loving friends. We currently feed him raw cow milk out of a dropper. It's a very laborious job, as this rabbit seems to always be hungry. I think we need a miniature bottle with which to feed him.

The current plan is to keep him until he's bigger and then release him back into the wild. But I'm admittedly getting pretty attached. So, we'll see...

Our Saturday

2009-06-06T21:28:00.002-08:00

What a beautiful, fun-filled day we had. We were at the property (checking out the progress on the driveway!) and as Jeremy and I worked around the cabin (I even mowed the "lawn"), the kids started work on their tree fort.

Ryley spotted and caught this sweet little bunny. We all took turns holding and petting it, then we released him back where he was found. We were a bit sad to see him hop off, but "'tis better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all". It was truly love-at-first-sight. We're dreaming that maybe he bonded with us because he's so young and impressionable, and he'll stay around and occasionally play with us!

Coyote, and Foxes and Bears, OH MY!

2009-06-05T10:26:00.005-08:00

Construction on our "driveway" is now underway!
We were up there the other day and saw these fairly large bear tracks right on the trail, ahead of the excavator. (Isaac's little bear paw is there for perspective.) The tracks were fresh and we know they were made just that morning, as Jeremy had been there the night before and there were none. Also found on the trail was either coyote or wolf scat and fox tracks. None of these signs are unusual for that trail, but these bear tracks were the biggest we've seen yet. Although I do pack a handgun when were playing/working up there, I seriously doubt we'll ever need it. Unlike the Anchorage bears, these still have that healthy fear of humans.

And although at times I'd really appreciate some silence, we are pretty much unable to sneak through the woods.

FamilyFriends

2009-06-05T09:55:00.006-08:00

This post title is not a typo. Sometimes it's hard to distinguish between the two. Often, they are one in the same. And that pleases God, I believe. Our near 13 years in Alaska have been remarkably blessed both by the natural and the non-blood family our Heavenly Father has brought into our lives. I occasionally wonder where we would be...who we would be...without their spiritual impact on our lives.The DenBleykers blessed us with their presence for dinner and a long evening. "Aunt Marva" and "Uncle/Grandpa Mike" are so special to our kiddos.

Our good FamilyFriends the Morris Family came to see us the other day (all but Jamin, who's out fishing...) We played around on the land and in the creek and had such a fun afternoon.

My dad has been in the state for a couple of weeks doing several horse clinics and we were thrilled to have him here on his big day! Between our family and the Horsman family, Grandpa was well loved!

Missing from the grandkid photo are Kaylie and Jacob, (whom he got to visit in Fairbanks also) and Grandma Horsman, who was unable to come this time around. We missed you all!!

Coming Soon...

2009-05-30T08:16:00.002-08:00

An UPDATE! For my dedicated readers (C. & K. D.), I'm happy to announce that eventually, I'll be updating this blog. I could say that nothing blog-able has happened lately, but honestly, that's never stopped me before. The truth? It takes way too long for this blog to load on my computer! I've been avoiding it. And I'm sure I'm not the only one. (My, how the Internet has shortened our patience...) So, before I spend time adding pictures & etc., I'm gonna try and fix the problem.
Please check back later.

Random Montage

2009-04-19T20:44:00.005-08:00

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)

2009-04-19T20:22:00.003-08:00

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

2009-04-19T19:24:00.003-08:00

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

2009-04-19T19:00:00.000-08:00

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

2009-04-16T07:33:00.004-08:00

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

2009-04-13T17:27:00.004-08:00

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

2009-04-01T12:53:00.003-08:00

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.

My Babies

2009-03-27T10:18:00.006-08:00

I miss my little tiny kiddos.

But don't get me wrong. I've really been loving having older kids. It is super fun, and life right now is pretty easy. I know it won't last forever, considering that adolescence is right around the corner, and one child will follow right behind the other through this sometimes rough stage. But for right now, with kids at 11,9,7,5, we're just sailing along. My job is much less labor-intensive, and it is turning out to be more brain-intensive.

But as I look through these old pictures, I pine for the old days. I didn't know if I ever really would, even though people said, "Enjoy these days. They go so fast." I felt so bogged down in the diaper-changing-nursing-potty/training-homeschooling mode, and doing it all at the same time, that I do feel as though I missed some of the sweetness of the whole season.

If I had it to do over again, I'd "stop and smell the roses". I wouldn't strive so hard for perfection, out of myself or my children. I'd throw responsibility to the wind and leave the house a mess for a whole day to sit and cuddle with my baby, read the same book over and over to my two-year old, build blocks with my four-year old, and answer any question (within reason) that my six-year old asked.

Contentment is often described as enjoying what you have (and where you are in life) instead of focusing on and wishing for what you don't. (Wanting what you have, not having what you want.) I'm choosing to be content right now, and I'm so thankful to the Lord for the sweet memories of our family's history.

Conversation, Overheard, or Big Brothers Missed

2009-03-14T11:07:00.008-08:00

Our big boys, Ryley and Josiah, are with Jeremy right now on a much anticipated Boy Scout snowmachine/camping trip. This has left the three remaining Coke family members in an unusual, unprecedented situation. The guys left at 6:30 Wednesday morning and we expect them home around 4:00 today (Saturday). The first two days were super fun and relaxing for me. In fact, for the first time ever, I fed my kiddos cold cereal for dinner. And we ate it in front of the tv on tv trays while watching A Night at the Museum. But the third and fourth days, I must admit, have been super boring. I can't believe how different everything is around here. Here are several things I was concerned about. (I mentioned these to R and J before they left.)

1. I'd have to take the garbage out by myself. (Isaac's not tall enough to reach over the sides of the garbage trailer.)
2. I'd have to unload the dishwasher. (That's Josiah's morning chore.)
3. I'd have to clean the BOYS' bathroom! (yuck...that's Ryley's morning chore.)

Although the list does go on, I'm sure you're getting the idea. But I've found out that I had no need to worry.

1. I've yet to empty the garbage can. (The boys empty it once-a-day, usually.)
2. While we usually run the dishwasher twice-per-day when every one's home, I've only run it once-a-day and even then, it's about 3/4 full.
3. Cleaning the boys' bathroom is a breeze when you only have ONE boy missing the target.

I really miss my guys.

Just now, I overheard the following conversation. (Isaac and Anna just came in from outside and they are enjoying hot cocoa together.) At the risk of appearing, um, un-p.c., I'll write it exactly as it was spoken. (Unlike a true media reporter.)

Anna:
Is Barack Obama a Christian?

Isaac:
Well, I heard him on the radio once.

Anna:
Does Barack Obama lie?
We wanted Sarah Palin.
*******************(okay, I did it...I edited for content. I'm trying to be wise, here. If you really want to know what else was said, give me a call and I'll tell you, over my corded wall phone...)
Because we wanted Sarah Palin.

Isaac:
No, we wanted the guy with the white hair.
Sarah Palin was gonna work for him.

Anna:
Yeah. Why doesn't that guy ever talk?

Isaac:
Hey, how many marshmallows do you have left?

Anna:
I have a green and a pink.

Isaac:
Do you need a spoon? I need a spoon.

As I sit here, I can't help but wonder how that conversation would have changed if their older, more enlightened brothers were partaking.

My Valentine

2009-03-03T11:41:00.004-09:00

Jeremy's a stud. Seriously. Guess what he did for me??? He bought a sweet smashed up '04 GMC Yukon XL with 37,000 miles on it and with a bunch of elbow grease and ingenuity fixed it all up and saved us a TON of money. After it was all fixed up, including all the new windows we needed, various other parts, and all the quarters it took to vacuum up three windows' worth of glass, we have less than half its' blue book value into it.

Now we're selling the van and the blue book on it is the same as the amount we put into the Yukon!!

And the cool thing is that he did this for me because it's what I wanted. It means way more to me than if he'd gone out and bought one from a dealer. Which, by the way, would have been much easier and more fun for him.

See? I told you. He's a stud.

A Beautiful Sunday

2009-03-02T15:40:00.003-09:00

We had a great afternoon yesterday. We loaded up after lunch and went up to "the property". Jeremy took his snowmachine (or rather, it took us) and we made a bit of a caravan behind it. We tied the sled up behind, then Ryley was on his snowboard holding a rope behind that! (Sort of like water skiing.)

It was beautiful with TONS of fresh, fluffy snow. We enjoyed every moment. We arrived home at 7:30 and I made some chicken noodle soup and cornbread. We ate a warm, filling late dinner and crashed into bed.

Happy Birthday, Honey!!

2009-03-02T15:34:00.003-09:00

We celebrated Jeremy's birthday on Friday. The kids and I spent the day getting ready for his birthday party in the evening. Daddy chose pizza for his birthday dinner, much to the approval of all the kids. I baked two cakes (one gluten cake and one gluten free) and we decorated. At 7:00, some friends and family came over. We had a great time. The big hit of the evening was playing Rock Band (thanks for sharing it, Nate and Elizabeth!) The kids played for a bit, then we put them to bed (the cousins, too!) and the adults played deep into the night. Our last guests left and we fell into bed at about 1:30!

Thanks to everyone who helped us celebrate Jeremy!

Creativity

2009-02-17T16:27:00.003-09:00

Everyone's pitching in around here to try and make our home appealing to potential buyers. This afternoon the kids worked hard on this snowman in the hope that it would attract anyone driving by.

Natural Consequences

2009-02-17T16:17:00.005-09:00

We're big on "natural consequences" around here. Basically to us that means that the punishment should fit the crime. And I think carefully about discipline (or at least I try!) before dishing it out.

We have a rule about not playing with mama's camera. Well, the other day, Josiah broke it. The rule, not the camera. Because he's not Isaac, (who would be egged on by finding such a picture of himself on the family blog), I think this "punishment" is a good example of natural consequences. Most good pictures on my camera eventually find themselves on my blog. This pic. is no different.

Incidentally, does he remind anyone of anyone???

Ryley ("valiant one") David ("beloved")

2009-02-12T14:38:00.003-09:00

Ahh, Ryley, my valiant one. What a gift from God he is. He carries a load on his shoulders, as does every first born. But he carries it valiantly. He is such a good example for his younger siblings. We've recently realized how much he enjoys responsibility. He seems to thrive on it. He is learning to be a leader and has such a tender heart. We've been working on finding appropriate times for everything. "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven..." Ecc. 3:1 We've also been working on taming our tongues! I'm leading the way in that endeavor, as this is one of my weaknesses. We recently memorized Psalm 19:14, "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, o Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer." We made up fun actions to make it easier to memorize. I love how the Holy Spirit brings that verse to my mind at appropriate times.
One of Ryley's gifts seems to be working with younger children. He really enjoys little kids and they seem to feel the same about him. He is like a little kid magnet, whether we're at church, the grocery store, or at a the house of friends. He loves it.
Yesterday the other children were all off playing at their friends' houses. Ryley and I had the afternoon together. I think we both enjoyed the silence, although it took him a while to figure out what to do with himself.

Another of Ryley's talents seems to be cooking. He prepared some delicious omelets for lunch. He added to the eggs green onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, and chicken sausage. Yummy!

Josiah ("the Lord saves, heals,protects") Charles ("man")

2009-02-12T14:11:00.003-09:00

What a man, my Joey-Charlos (Ryley's toddlerhood nickname for Josiah). His scientific and mathematical mind is astounding. His personality is very intense and focused, so we are working on learning to have a "happy heart" despite all those imperfections around us, in others and within ourselves. Josiah and I are learning this together. I, also, tend to be a bit intense and tense. "A cheerful heart is good medicine", says Proverbs 17:22, and we've been talking about how true that is, that our happy heart is literally good for our bodies, and the effect of stress on our bodies is quite poisonous. We'll never get away from "stress", but we do need to learn how to handle it properly. Stress is the #1 cause of disease, even above toxins and an unhealthy diet. I've been sharing with him what I've learned about meditation and taking time to be still and just be in the presence of the Lord. The Holy Spirit wants to minister to us and speak to us but we must be still sometimes and quiet so we can hear Him. "Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10.

On Tuesday the boys were treated to a very special and exciting science workshop. The instructor was amazing and really has a gift for igniting children's desire to learn everything related to science, specifically hands-on projects. Ever since then, our house has been transformed into a giant mad-scientist lab. I've been tangled up in electrical wire as I cross my living room. I've slipped on the laminate as I step on a battery which rolls away. I've had to drain my bathtub of some very cold shallow water that's been used to float boats with real working motors and propellers in, just so I can have a shower. Shall I go on???

I'm so excited for the boys. I try to remain neutral and not show too much enthusiasm until they show me something new they've designed. It's mostly been robotics, but as I type, Ryley's in his room constructing a burglar alarm, complete with a buzzer. Josiah's in his room also, probably designing something that will blow up. It's just a matter of time before I know what he's up to.

We are truly blessed to have "little Josiah" in our family. (That is a name Ryley gave his goldfish when Josiah was a baby. Sadly, it died. Imagine the confusion when Ryley told the grandparents his bad news over the phone...) The Coke family would be seriously lacking without our dear second-born.

Isaac ("laughter") Jacob ("he grasps the heel")

2009-02-11T21:18:00.003-09:00

Hey Aunt Ruthie,

Do you remember this song? I've been working on teaching it to the kids (only when Jeremy's at work...) and Isaac has put his own little spin on it.

What would our family be without Isaac? Probably a bit quieter, with not nearly as much laughter. He is such an important piece of the puzzle. I'm often amazed that we chose to name him Isaac (meaning "laughter") before we even knew him. But we always prayed about our baby names as we were deciding on them. And although we didn't know him, the Lord did. Jeremiah 1:5 says, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you..." His name was no accident.

Now, his middle name is Jacob, meaning "he grasps the heel". His brothers think that refers to his favorite move to pull when he's laying on the floor and one of them runs by. He grasps their heel alright, and roars with laughter at what happens as a result!

Anna ("gracious") Elise ("consecrated to God")

2009-02-11T20:34:00.006-09:00

My sweet little girl and I had the day to ourselves yesterday as the boys participated in a science workshop. We totally enjoyed our time together. We spent our mornings painting, she at the table with her kid paints, and I on Ryley's bedroom walls. Then we shared lunch together, and after lunch, when she would usually be in "Quiet Time", I asked her to think of something fun to do together. She chose to play Sequence For Kids, her all time favorite game, and have a tea party. All at the same time.
My little Anna Elise (or Annalise, for "short", since you can't really shorten Anna) is such a joy. I'm sometimes overwhelmed with thankfulness for the blessing God has given us in her. I love our mother/daughter times and I pray that we will always have a close relationship.
"He who loves a pure heart and whose speech is gracious will have the king for his friend." Proverbs 22:11

What To Do In Alaska When It's Too Cold To Play Outside

2009-02-09T12:45:00.002-09:00

Ryley snapped a photo of some of us doing P90X the other day. The workouts are pretty long (between 55 min. and 90 min.) so the kids don't usually stay with me all the way through, but it is a way to burn up some pent up energy when you're a kid and can't be outside to play for real long because it's well below 0 (again)...Isn't it interesting that as an adult we don't work out to expend energy, but to gain more...hmm...

8th of the 8th

2009-02-03T10:48:00.004-09:00

Amanda, a friend and blogger, suggested posting the 8th picture of the 8th file on your computer. Here's mine. You will never believe this: This photo was taken exactly one year ago, on February 3rd, 2008. Amazing. How's that for random!??! And we were in Hawaii. It's -5 today. Ahh, memories...

It's Snowing!!

2009-01-30T10:51:00.003-09:00

In honor of the fresh, fluffy, beautiful snow gently drifting down from above, I've changed the template on my blog. I'm so happy for the snow today. We've all been longing for more, and here it is!! I'll have three extra kids for the afternoon and the timing couldn't be more perfect. The kids will enjoy playing out in it, then when they come in, I envision a cozy afternoon of popcorn and board games.

C.O.D.

2009-01-27T14:09:00.006-09:00

Isaac is the C.O.D. today. That means he's the Child of the Day, which, among other things, means that he gets to have mom with him for 30 min. of Quiet Time and we do whatever he chooses to do together. (For short, I just refer to the child of the day as the cod. As in "cod fish". However, Josiah asked me not to call people the cod anymore. He doesn't really like the title. I asked him how else I was supposed to shorten the phrase. He didn't know. I told him to come up with an appropriate answer and I would consider changing it. He has yet to submit said appropriate title. So for now, the C.O.D. is still the cod.)

Today Isaac chose to do a reading lesson, read Green Eggs and Ham, and play Sorry. I took a picture of the Sorry game board because I feel that we have made history today. At least in our family. There were only two of us playing and we ended up with a very close finish. But that's not the historical part. At one point, we were exactly tied. "Impossible", you say? Have a close look for yourself. This is big news. Really. It is. Even Isaac agrees.

The Quest for Global Domination

2009-01-23T19:51:00.003-09:00

Anna's spending the night at her bosom buddy's house tonight, so Ryley invited a buddy of his over to spend the night. They played Risk while I made pizza. Now they're eating and watching Indiana Jones. I guess I'll go read my book. I feel kinda left out.

Random Stuff

2009-01-23T19:31:00.004-09:00

I'm an uninspired blogger of late. That's probably because I can't really think of much to "blog" about. (Funny, that word is now a verb. And it's not even really a word. Hmmm.) The weather has gotten colder, but now we have bare earth frozen hard. The kids can't even dig holes. (This is surprisingly appealing to my kids every spring. ) Not much to do outside.

I've been getting the house ready to put up for sale. My week has consisted of getting rid of stuff, going through clothes, washing trim, painting, and scrubbing. Here's a picture of what I found in one of Anna's dresser drawers. The drawer is where she keeps all her treasures. The fact that Anna has a moose call tape (for practicing calling moose) tucked in among her hair ribbons has gotta be because of having three big brothers. The funny thing is that she's actually improved her moose call.

Because of all this house stuff, the kids have pretty much been on their own most days. Here are some shots of what they've found to do.
Notice the baseball glove on Josiah's left hand. I have no idea why he's been wearing that, but this fall, Isaac wore the other one around all over the place for several weeks. I must be missing something...

Poor Lucy...Anna got a hold of her. You can't see it, but she's also wearing a headband. And lip gloss. (Just kidding about the lip gloss.)

Sure Sign of Spring

2009-01-14T16:36:00.003-09:00

Except it isn't. Spring, that is. But the DUCK in our yard thought it was. We've lived in this house for ten years and have had many animals, including a frog, in our yard, but never before have we seen a duck. The other day we had two moose visiting, although they stayed on the outside edge of our lawn. Last year we had one who came up to the window and licked it.

After weeks of very cold weather (-35 at times) today we woke up to rain and thawing winds blowing through. So disgusting. Yuck. I never complained about the super cold temps because I'd much rather that than this. We know that having a duck in the yard doesn't mean it's spring, but if my tulips start to bloom, I'll be ticked.

A Coke-Cain Christmas Surprise

2009-01-05T18:29:00.003-09:00

(The post title only makes sense if ya say it fast...)

Just when we thought the holidays had drawn to a close, we received a huge box in the mail today. It was totally unexpected and was filled with such fun surprises for every member of the family. It was sent by Jeremy's Uncle Mike, Aunt Linda (Coke-Cain) and cousin Marissa.

Thanks, guys, for the bright spot in our cold, windy week!! We love you!

Chia Seed

2008-12-31T11:34:00.004-09:00

I recently received a big shipment of chia seed. It's been hard to find locally, so I ordered a bunch. It's $14/lb. and if anyone would like to purchase some, just let me know.
I still don't know how to say "click here" and it'll send you to a previous post, but if you scroll down quite a way, you'll find a previous post about chia seeds. Or email me and I'll give more info. on the many benefits of and ways to use chia.

White Elephant, Revealed

2008-12-31T11:18:00.003-09:00

Awhile back I posted about a White Elephant party we attended. After getting a bit of response from several people, I must say that I don't feel as out of it as before. I thought I'd 'missed the memo' on the W.E. thing somewhere along the way. At the most recent party before Christmas, we were instructed to bring W.E. gifts for the kids and adults. So I scanned my home for nice but gently used items to 're gift', as I thought that was the point. I even raided my gift box of generic but new stuff and wrapped some up, thinking maybe we'd have the nicest W.E. presents to be had. But I was wrong. Very wrong. Embarrassingly wrong.
There were 32 kids' gifts. Every single one was something new. Ryley wrapped toilet paper. It was, of course, new. But because it was a Boy Scout party I let him choose what to take. Now I wish we'd stuffed a $10 bill in the core because it would've been so perfect. Thankfully I'd coached my kids on W.E. etiquette on the way there and they knew they weren't supposed to tell anyone what they brought. So as everyone was demanding to know who brought the t.p. I held my breath and wondered if my kids were listening and if they'd feel like obeying under pressure. They did awesome for a really long time. At the end, the question of the t.p. was raised again. As the laughter died down and everyone finally gave up on ever knowing, Isaac blurted out, "Ryley brought it!" He even jumped up and pointed his finger at Ryley. Everyone else was sitting. Ryley's face turned bright red and he did just as I was willing him to do: he denied it.
Anna chose to unwrap the gift she brought. Guess she didn't quite get it. Or maybe she did.

After Eleven-and-a-Half Years, It Happened!

2008-12-28T16:58:00.002-09:00

I read a whole book today. Start.to.finish. Really. Seriously. I am the mother of four and I actually read a book in one day. Not in a week, by spending a half-hour a day in five minute segments. I read for about 45 min. this morning. Then at about 1:30 Jeremy took the boys up to the cabin to do some stuff there. Anna and I cozied up on the couch as soon as they left. She grabbed a stack of books and I grabbed mine. I read two or three to her, then she "read" to herself for a while. Eventually she drifted off to sleep because after having a friend over to spend the night last night and not going to sleep 'til 11:30, she was wiped out. I read, uninterrupted from 2:00 until 4:30 and finished the book! Don't get me wrong, I loved having babies and toddlers for the years that I did, but while I've had a hard time being done with that phase of life, I've been looking for the bright side and trying to really enjoy where I am now. It's a contentment issue, I believe. And today was another reminder that having older kiddos is tons of fun.
Now I'm gonna go make pizza for dinner. When my guys get back from doing their guy-stuff, I'll be just pulling it from the oven. Then we'll have spritzers with our pizza and probably stay up way too late, again, playing games.

2008-12-28T10:36:00.004-09:00

We went up to Hatcher's Pass Friday to do some sledding/snowboarding/snowshoeing. (Ryley did the boarding. He got a new one for Christmas. The kids also got snowshoes for Christmas.) It was super cold, about six degrees with a slight-yet-bitter breeze blowing, so we only stayed about an hour and a half, but it was fun.

Then on Saturday Jeremy and Ryley went to an orienteering event for Boy Scouts and Josiah and Isaac went along. They had a great time and learned a lot. It was super windy and cold, but because they're such tough guys (and because I packed piping hot soup and cocoa in thermoses:) they were fine.

Christmas Traditions

2008-12-28T10:15:00.005-09:00

We had such a sweet, meaningful Christmas. As per tradition for our family, we spent Christmas Eve afternoon with some friends who always have a Christmas Eve Open House. I told them that I don't know what we'll do if they ever stop, as they have become tradition for us! Then we came home and began preparing our hearts and our meal. We always spend the eve of Christmas reflecting on the "true meaning of Christmas", the coming of Christ as a perfect little baby, fully God and fully man. Over the years, I've found it so hard to reflect and concentrate on this on Christmas day, with the Santa stuff, opening of presents, cookies, etc. Yet I don't want to quit with those more material traditions, as they're so much fun. So we developed the idea of having a very meaningful evening the night before, leaving out all the commercialism. We have a meal of Alaska King Crab. (yummy! It's the only time of the year we eat crab, and boy do we indulge!!) We light candles, get dressed up and enjoy our time together as a family. We talk about Christ, both when he was on earth, and now, personally, in our lives. After dinner we pull out all the yummy Christmas cookies and sit down around the Christmas tree (this year we even had a fire in the fireplace!) and Jeremy reads the Christmas story.
At the end of the evening the kids get to open one present (it's always jammies, so that Christmas morning pictures are of them in new festive duds!). Then they set out a plate of cookies for Santa, including a carrot for Rudolph, and they write their letters. Right before bed they take their stockings and set them at the ends of their beds.
This year Anna wanted to write her own letter and not be lumped in with the boys. Notice the "E" in "Dear"? I love how all my kids have added tons of horizontal lines coming out from the vertical line in the capitol "E". I think they've each done this when they've first learned to write.

Slap Fight

2008-12-20T17:04:00.004-09:00

Have ya ever had a slap fight? I haven't. Probably 'cause I'm not a boy. This afternoon, as Anna was blissfully rearranging her kitchen area, the boys were blazing through the scene "wearing their chests" (as they used to call it when they went shirtless) and slapping the daylights out of each other. And they were laughing. Not just giggling, but belly-laughing. I don't get it.

Christmas Baking

2008-12-20T16:02:00.003-09:00

We're almost done with our Christmas baking around here. I say "we", but really it's pretty much me who does the baking. 'Cuz I'm the mom. And that's what moms do. But the kiddos love to do the decorating of the cut-out sugar cookies.

Girlfriends

2008-12-20T14:49:00.003-09:00

Anna had her friend Avery over the other day when she was feeling particularly outnumbered by the three boys and an extra friend who was here for the day. I love these pictures of the two of them doing each other's hair and coloring pictures together. So sweet.

Don't Let Your Young Kids Read This

2008-12-19T19:41:00.004-09:00

We've had "the talk" with our older boys in recent years. Well, not really "THE talk" (Jeremy's had that one with only Ryley so far), but just "the talk"...the one about Santa. Of course, we've mentioned to the boys that while they now know the truth, some kids don't quite yet (including their little sister and sometimes their little brother, depending on the day). Yesterday I realized that Josiah either missed the memo or decided it was his job to set the world straight concerning Santa. He is my most serious and intense child, so I can't say this exchange really surprised me. I watched a friend's son (a buddy of Isaac's) for the day while she went to Anchorage for a pre-natal appointment. At one point of the day, Luke and Josiah were playing Legos at the same time. Luke was chatting away as they built and mentioned that he sure hoped Santa would bring him some of his own Legos on Christmas morning. "Well, Luke, ya know Santa's actually just your mom," said Josiah. "Huh? Santa's not my mom,"replied Luke, indignantly. I was just around the corner and sensed some drama on its way, so I hollered, "Josiah! Santa's not Luke's mom!" I was totally caught off guard and I didn't want to lie to either of the boys! I had to think fast. "She doesn't look anything like him!!" Luke's response has had me chuckling ever since yesterday afternoon and I don't think any comic could have had such perfect timing, inflection in his voice and punch line. Luke muttered under his breath, "Yeah. She's just pregnant, that's all."

Kids...

2008-12-15T14:41:00.004-09:00

The kiddos asked if they could take some pictures the other day. Here's what we ended up with: Josiah mastered the art of taking a picture of himself. See how hard he's concentrating?

Ryley snapped a shot of the Dutch Babies I made for breakfast.

Isaac snuck into Anna's room and caught her napping yesterday. He especially liked the fact that she made herself a bed on the floor right by her new snowman nightlight.

White Elephant

2008-12-15T13:47:00.003-09:00

Would someone please tell me what "White Elephant" at Christmas time means? I THOUGHT I knew, after attending so many over the years, until last night when I participated in one.

I remember well the first White Elephant party I attended as a child. I was probably seven or eight. It was at Timber-Lee Christian Center in Wisconsin where we lived for about eight years. When we finally reached the pre-determined age, the adult staff let us kids join.
I remember what building at camp we had the party. I remember that there were some weird gifts. And I remember that although I really wanted to choose the big box, I actually chose the tiny gift (because some kind soul told me that "good things come in small packages", and also I didn't want to appear as greedy as I actually was, considering this was my debut). When I ripped off the paper, I was rewarded for my selflessness by finding a pantyhose "egg" holding a $10 bill. WOWZERS!! Ten whole dollars all for myself!!
Alas, it wasn't long before the rules of the W.E. were engaged, and someone stole it from me.
And after the party, Ellie Haroldson tried to help my mom by getting us kids all bundled up for the walk home. She held up my snowsuit and called me over to her, interrupting the twirling I was doing in my beautiful Christmas dress. "Hmp!" I thought, "How could she? An adult...interrupting a child's all important play time? The nerve!!" So, I looked over at her as she called, "Sarah, come get your snowsuit on", and said, "No." Well, Ellie Haroldson was a great, patient lady and didn't paddle my behind on the spot, as I deserved. But I assume that she did talk to my mom about it later. Because the very next morning, I found myself sitting on the edge of my mom and dad's waterbed dialing Ellie's home phone number. I was shaking so much that it was hard to get the numbers all dialed, but eventually I did and the phone rang...and rang...and rang. It seemed like an eternity before she finally answered. And I apologized for my behaviour the previous night. I asked her forgiveness, which she graciously gave. What a great and memorable lesson that was. Thanks, mom, for making me do that incredibly hard thing. And I actually believe now, as a mama myself, that it hurt you more than it hurt me.

Anyway, I was wondering about the general population's view of the White Elephant gift exchange. Not so much the part about the rules, as the gift part. After I get some feedback, I'll post my reason for asking.

Christmas Tree Hunting

2008-12-15T07:34:00.004-09:00

We went Christmas tree hunting with our dear friends the Kellers recently. We thought it would be fun to go together and at the same time, show them our newly purchased property. The kids piled on the snow machine sled that we hooked up to the four wheeler and Jane and I drove them down the 1/2 mile trail to the cabin. Everyone enjoyed hiking around in search of the perfect tree, and for the first time ever, we rested assured that the tree we chose and chopped down actually belonged to us and was ours for the taking. The guys didn't have to look over their shoulders while starting up the chainsaw. (If I knew how to really use this computer, I'd have a word to click, like "click here" which would take you my post from last year about bringing home the Christmas tree. Then that last sentence would make more sense...) We Love Ya, Kellers!!

Here's a picture of the finished product. But I know NOTHING about cameras and taking pictures. I really wanted a shot of the tree all lit up, but when I used the flash, it lit the room up so that one couldn't even see the lights on the tree. So I tried several different settings and this is the best I could do.

Was That a Compliment??

2008-12-04T12:03:00.003-09:00

Just now as the boys were deep cleaning their rooms, I waltzed past through the dining room belting out part of a Christmas song in an annoying, opera voice. I heard Isaac remark to Josiah, "Gee...I didn't know mom could sing in that voice." To which Josiah replied, in his matter-of-fact dry-humor way, "Yeah, well mom's a lady of weird talents." I could picture them both looking at each other, shrugging their shoulders, and continuing their cleaning.

Here Ya Go, Aunt Ruthie. Here's Isaac with Chest Hair and Everything

2008-12-01T20:34:00.004-09:00

My sister has been begging for a video of a kid or two. I've never posted one before because it takes so stinkin' long for them to load, whether I'm trying to post one, or watch one. But tonight as we were getting teeth brushed and jammies on anticipating our evening reading time, Isaac bolted out of his bedroom ready to perform. I grabbed the video camera and here's what we got.

A Cozy Morning

2008-11-30T11:59:00.004-09:00

We skipped church today. We're saying it was because Anna has a nasty cough, and Ryley's starting in with it, too. But really it's mostly because we had some friends over last night and we didn't get to bed until 12:30. And we're actually too old for that kind of nonsense. (But boy was it worth it. We had a great visit!) And we didn't want to wake the kids up early to get ready for church after being up so late last night.

So Jeremy read to the boys all morning from J.R.R. Tolkien's humble little "devotional" called The Lord of the Rings. Ever heard of it? ;-) Jeremy's been reading it to the boys every chance he gets, and he started at our late 9:30 oatmeal breakfast and just wrapped it up at noon. Ryley and Josiah are really into it, but Isaac and Anna prefer to play with the Thomas Trains or Legos while they listen. They're picking up what they can.

Now the boys are headed out to do a bit of sledding in the beautiful light fluffy fresh snow. Here's a shot of it out the front door, for those not lucky enough to live in Alaska on such a perfect winter day (that's you, Ruth in Alabama!)

Crazy Cousins

2008-11-28T11:39:00.003-09:00

Quiad cleaning my whipping cream beater.

Roanen strutted around for quite a while in these Mr. Potato Head glasses.

Since Quaid got the beater and Roanen got the mixing spoon to lick, so as not to be left out, Isaac chose to use the only utensil available...his fingers.

Caring, Loving and Sharing

2008-11-28T11:24:00.002-09:00

Uncle Jeremy comforts Avelyn and her little troubled tummy.

The sweet girl cousins enjoy mothering their babies.

Josiah bundles Anna up before they head out for some sled rides behind the four wheeler.

Thanksgiving Fun

2008-11-28T11:04:00.006-09:00

We have so many things to be thankful for. At the top of the list is family. We had such a fun day yesterday, with the Horsman family arriving around 11:00 (right guys? Was it about 11?) for appetizers of deep fried halibut and shrimp, a beautiful veggie tray provided by Elizabeth,oranges, dry roasted almonds, crackers and cheese. Unfortunately, our timing was off this year and the turkey was done early, so our appetizer time ran right up to dinner time and the kids weren't really hungry for the real meal. Neither were the adults. So we ended up with lots of leftovers. Which is actually kinda great, because meal making for the next couple of days will be really easy! Thanks for your company yesterday, Horsmans!!

How Do You Like Them Apples?

2008-11-26T16:38:00.003-09:00

We've been baking up a storm around here today, in prep. for tomorrow. The kids always love assisting me in the kitchen when I let them. This afternoon I've tried to slow down enough to let them take turns being my sidekick, and I loved coming to the realization that they are actually getting to be quite helpful. Josiah started out peeling apples for me (a job which I've always abhorred), then when his hands began cramping up he passed the task off to Ryley. Look how talented my eldest son is!! Pretty soon and he'll be able peel the whole darn thing in one continuous strip! Little do they know that I'll be calling on their talents again tomorrow when it's potato-peeling time!

Thanksgiving Preparations

2008-11-26T14:59:00.003-09:00

The other day my boys were online looking for fun Thanksgiving crafts to do with the cousins on Turkey day. They came across these on familyfun.com. I think I'll use them as place markers, slipping a piece of paper with each person's name and setting it beside the plate at the Thanksgiving table. We had a hard time finding pine cones that weren't disgustingly drenched with cinnamon scent. (I'm sure you know the ones. They're the pine cones you smell before you see.) We finally came upon these at Target, and by comparison with the others, they're not too bad. They do have a subtle cinnamon scent, but it's manageable. I was at one store asking for help finding them, and when she realized she couldn't help me, the sales lady inquired as to why I didn't just pick them up off the ground this fall before it snowed. Apparently she hasn't lived here long enough to notice that if a tree does have pine cones, they're painfully tiny.

And here's a whole gaggle of them. A dozen actually.

"All men who have turned out worth anything have had the cheif hand in their own education." -Sir Walter Scott

2008-11-26T14:09:00.005-09:00

Isaac has been having such fun learning to write, read, and "sound stuff out". For a friend's birthday last weekend, he decorated his own wrapping paper and wrapped the gift himself (with my help on the ribbon...)

This is learning at its best. A "teacher's" role in interest-based learning is just basically being available to help a kid who already naturally wants to learn. If raised and "taught" properly, a child will almost always have a desire to learn. This is not unusual in lower/elementary grades, but unfortunately, by middle or at the latest high school, most students don't enjoy "learning" or "education" and end up indifferent or uninterested, only going through the motions to do what's required of them by outside influences. A high school student who has been given the privilege of the freedom to self-educate since babyhood will most often excel much more than his typical "conveyor belt" publicly educated peers. Think about it: I cannot force anyone else to learn anymore than I can force a child to be potty trained. I'm sure most of us have experienced potty training before. It can be exasperating, mostly because we know that our hands are pretty much tied. The game is all about making our two year old think that we're in control, but we're not. No matter what we do, there is no way to make them go potty when and where we want them to. We can inspire them, though. We can make it lots of fun, giving rewards when they do what we want, and making things uncomfortable for them when they don't. Well, I could go on and on, and basically write a whole article here, but I don't want to bore anyone, or lose people's interest!

Being an inspiration is one of the most important jobs of a mentor/teacher/mother...It also happens to be one of the toughest jobs.

Albert Einstein once said, "Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school."

P.P. ('Post Post' haha!) The "thing" up in the corner of the picture is Isaac's gluten free chocolate cake to take to the party. (My sister mentioned that I should clarify that for inquiring minds who might wonder.) The joy of being gluten free is that we celebrate in a big way every birthday party we're invited to, as I have to bake a cake so my kid has a piece to eat there, leaving the rest of the family with almost a whole cake to enjoy.)

We're Thankful

2008-11-18T10:26:00.005-09:00

I don't know about you, but Thanksgiving sneaks up and surprises me every year. But not this year. No way. I'm onto the calendar now, and this time I was determined to be prepared. So this week we started reading the Thanksgiving story and studying about those pilgrims and their trials and joys here in the New World. This morning we made our traditional "thankfulness wreaths". I'm not real creative; this is the same craft we've done every Thanksgiving since Ryley was a baby. But it's fun to see their hands grow, along with their handwriting and the depth and details of their thankfulness.

For The Love Of Books

2008-11-17T20:16:00.004-09:00

Tonight, after dinner, after wrapping up various "school" projects from the day, after tooth-brushing was done and jammies were changed into, Jeremy and I were discussing important matters (such as just how many guns a conservative Alaskan family should have in their home), the children were patiently waiting for evening reading time. As we were deep in conversation, over the din of dinner dishes being done and a lively conversation, I heard a sweet sound which just warms a mama's heart. I peeked around the corner of the kitchen and this is what I saw: All the kids were cuddled up together listening to Josiah read. Call me overly sentimental, but my eyes got a bit misty and my day felt complete and successful.

Slumber(less) Party

2008-11-17T20:02:00.003-09:00

This past weekend Jeremy and Ryley went on a Boy Scout Winter Camp out, at which my little boy slept in a snow cave made by his own (warmly gloved) hands. We at home decided that those two shouldn't be the only ones having such a fun time with absolutely no quality sleep. No sir. So we planned a fun Friday night together, enjoying snacks and staying up way past bedtime. When it was finally time to "hit the rack", we made beds in my room. The kids turned on my lamp and spent some time reading and (mostly) giggling until I went in to declare "lights out" and told them to go to sleep. They seemed to be sleeping pretty well by the time I jumped into my jammies and joined them. Unfortunately, I took some herbs before bed which I usually take earlier in the day and found my self rendered sleepless. Combine that with the fact that my kids are not quiet sleepers, and I had a recipe for disaster. There's a strange phenomenon that I've noticed over the years whenever the kids stay in our room (whether we're on vacation together, or just if someone's been throwing up and they're sleeping on our floor). Just like when they were newborns, I am acutely aware of their sleep phases. When they wake up for a second in the night, I find myself almost mysteriously wide awake and alert. I ended up taking them back to their rooms, one-by-one, at various points of the night. When they were relaying the events of the weekend to Jeremy and Ryley upon their return on Sunday, Anna informed them that "we had a slumber party in mom's room. Then she kicked us out."

Anna's First Do-It-Herself Hair-Do

2008-11-17T19:56:00.003-09:00

Anna proudly paraded out of her room the other morning, and right smack into the middle of the gathering of the boys and me as we were working on a project. She commanded such attention with her presence. Right away we noticed her usual attire of the spectacular dress-up gown she was wearing, but then she turned around. And what did our eyes behold but Anna's first EVER hair do that she'd carefully coiffed all by herself.

My Social Organizer

2008-11-13T09:49:00.004-09:00

Isaac takes after Jeremy in many ways. Just like his dad used to do, Isaac often requests that we invite certain people over to the house. Jeremy's mom says that little Jeremy used to ask after church, "Mom, who's comin' over for dinner today?... No one? What? We'll let's invite..." And off he'd scoot to invite someone, ANYone, over for dinner.

Recently, Isaac's been requesting to have the Palins over for a meal with us. Heck, he reasons, they have to eat anyway, right? Might as well be with us! We do have several "connections" with them, as several friends are friends with them, or at least Sarah's parents. Given that tiny thread of hope by a friend who said, "I could hook you up", Isaac has not let up on this idea. I keep "poo pooing" his grand scheme and this morning when he asked again, I let him down with the information that she's out of state. "What?" he exclaimed. "She was JUST HERE the other day! Where has she gone now??"

Words of Wisdom from Little House Series

2008-11-13T09:28:00.004-09:00

We're reading Little House on Rocky Ridge right now, the story of a grown-up and married Laura Ingalls Wilder, her husband, Almanzo, and their daughter Rose as they settle in Missouri. In light of our national economic disaster, I found it very well timed that we encountered Papa's (Almanzo) wisdom and understanding of the U.S. treasury. Allow me to share:

"Finally, Mama and Papa finished talking and Rose could ask, 'What's a Panic?'
'Well, that's what happens when folks run out of money,' said Papa.
'Couldn't they make some more?' Rose asked.
Both Mama and Papa chuckled. 'Some politicians in Washington think so,' said Papa. 'But no, Rose. You cannot make more money like more flapjacks. It must be earned. And it must be worth something. A piece of paper isn't really money until there's gold in the U.S. treasury to back it up.'"

Almost prophetic words of wisdom. If only the "politicians in Washington" would have some common "cents" like Almanzo Wilder!

Fun at the Land, and I'm Getting Old

2008-11-10T17:02:00.006-09:00

Yesterday was so much fun. We were able to show off our land to some dear friends, Cody and Nikki. We crossed the creek and hiked up to the potential house site, played King of the Mountain (at least, Cody and the kids did!) and hiked up to the BIG tree that must be hundreds of years old. (The guys' hands could hardly touch!) Oh, and check out that ginormous burl on THIS tree! (below)

Then our friend Tom, from whom we bought the land, came over for a delicious dinner of gluten-free-battered-and-deep-fried halibut (Jeremy created the recipe and I'm so impressed every time he treats us with that!), Grilled Salmon, Spinach Salad, Rice, and Rhubarb/Blueberry Crisp with Yogurt. His manners finally got the better of him when, at 11 he could ignore Jeremy's and my yawning no more and our long conversation in front of the fire, sipping tea, came to a close.

You're by now, no doubt, wondering what all this has to do with my getting old. While Jeremy was frying halibut, he implored me to run up to the "little store" by our house (which now has a liquor store) and buy him a bit of beer. For the first time in my life...I didn't get carded.

Riding Lessons With Grandpa Horsman

2008-11-10T16:41:00.005-09:00

One of the many fun things we did while G&G Horsman were here was riding lessons. My kids LOVE riding (several REALLY love it) and wish they had the opportunity more often. I grew up riding from the time I was three, and it's kinda sad to me that it's such a "treat" when they do get to ride, when, for my siblings and me, it was more of a responsibility! I feel like I've got those annoying "city kids" who used to come visit the barn at the camps where we lived. We always felt kinda sorry for them. BUT...the cost of owning a horse in Alaska does NOT appeal to me, so for now, it really is a "treat" for once in awhile.

Thanks for the lessons, Grandpa!!!! And thanks for loaning Destiny, Uncle Nate!!

Scrabble

2008-10-27T13:55:00.003-08:00

The other day the kids and I had a really fun spelling lesson on the Scrabble board. While I had to offer quite a bit of help to the younger two, the older boys were able to play alone quite well. We spent the better part of the morning on the game, although the kids dropped off one-by-one to go do more fun stuff, in accordance with their ages. The youngest stayed for the shortest time, and the oldest stayed until the end. Try it sometime with your kids, whether you homeschool or not. It's one of our favorite ways to "work" on language arts!