Tougher in Alaska?

Okay...so we will admit that Alaska isn't for wimps, but if you are up for a challenge...... cutting wood in -45 to keep your house warm and pipes from freezing and exploding....gussying yourself up into several layers before taking a single step out the front door (adding several pounds by the way, women)eyelashes freezing together...I could go on with things we face everyday that are different than Florida, but so rewarding...when you can let you children run around knowing the only danger to them is the wildlife (which my loud kids keep frightened away). When your neighbors own several huskies , so worth it, a large moose eating off trees right outside our front window (kids safe inside and quiet)..worth it...watching the planes taxi down our road...WORTH IT! so if anyone is up for the challenge, were up for the company!!

Gangster Snowman

Yesterday, I walked into the elementary school to pick up the kids, Rylie on my hip, as proud as can be dawning her bare scaly new arm, anxious to show it off to her brother and sister, the weapon she had used against them for the past couple of months gone...when we arrived outside of Ty's classroom. While we waited for the kindergarteners to get geared up for the extreme cold ( I don't envy the teacher one is hard enough to get ready) we admired the new art on the wall...lovely snowmen each created individually by the innocent lil 5 year olds, they were wearing hats, scarfs, carrot noses..but wait what was this one wearing, a chain around its neck..oh and 2 letters coming out of his mouth YO... what kindergartener created this odd snowman? In tiny letters in the bottom right hand corner it was revealed to me, horrified I saw TY. Just as I had made my discovery, he came bouncing out of his classroom smile from ear to ear, and proudly pointed to his creation "he's a gangster snowman" and as if that was not enough, he also let every other parent know as they walked by which one was his and that it was a "gangster snowman".
I looked back to see his teacher in the doorway and didn't quite no what to say, I just apologized for my son's creativity and wild imagination and she let me know, that if she didn't know us, and belong to the same church, she would question what kind of family he was from! we both laughed, but I drilled Ty the entire way home, questioning where he gets the gangster talk and why everything has to be "california style"(according to him), and he said the obvious, " I'm CRAZY TY"...
Was it our year spent in Holly Hill , Fl(because we are so not a gangsterish family) or is our son truly CRAZY??

Catching up time

The kids are back in school and it is -50, so its catching up time.
Laundry, emails, thank yous, eye brow plucking, shave legs (even thought they won't be exposed for at least another 5 months), you know the things we mothers don't get to sometimes when the lil ones are here 24/7 and not going to bed on schedule....
and blogging..We were blessed to be able to have the Mother-in-Law here with us for a week (although I think Alaska scared her away for good)we went to the ice sculptor garden, sledding, and pretty much stayed inside the rest of the time...which isn't always a bad thing I have come to learn..family time is the best and I think sometimes we all could use some -50 days.

Make a Smilebox greeting

Mac is Back!

After several exploratory surgeries, we found out what mac needed to be revived and he is back and better than ever!I was excited to open him up and see all the memories I had stored in him, unable to get to for the past 4 months.I want to share with you all some of the photos I came across that I wasn't able to post while Mac was unconscious.

The APPLE of my eye (can you believe she is almost 2! and oh so terrible...) she even savors the core!

SK8R BOY

The one who has yet to break a bone in action.

Anyone who has spent anytime around Ty knows he is not content swinging on a swing sitting, or going down the slide feet first, or the stairs for that matter..he turns the simplest of task into an X game. Here he is doing what he does best. (thanks go to Tony Hawk for promoting helmet safety)