It finally started to snow and it hasn't stopped. 4 inches last night, 4-10 expected today!!! While we wait to head outside the boys kept themselves busy.

The Christmas branch is up and decorated, Milo likes to stare at it and the beauty is he can't touch it.

Christmas Branch

Cheap sleigh ride

Milo is a fool for the snow.  He'd be allowed to play at the playground if he'd just quit licking things!

Sledding on the 'baby' hill

M-maw an G-maw were in town recently.  The Granny Nannies watched Milo while Seth and I worked.  Milo was showered with love and enjoyed every minute.  We took a tour of the museum and took the giant bubble blower out of the a spin. It was so great having them here, we are like Kings and Queens, and it was cold! Cold! Negative temps, when it finally warmed up to the teens it felt tropical.

There was a birthday around here on the 30th of November and this little bean turned 1! He felt terrible that day and may have done more cuddling than I have seen in a long time. Mom and Larry were up for the occasion and they were great.  We had a nice visit even if it was freezing the whole time!

Mom and Aunt Diane made a beautiful ice cream cake, a caterpillar design so cute! And so tasty! Here are a few shots of the night.

Cheesing on his new cow cart

Awake from a power nap and ready for cake

It's nap time around this house and someone is talking to himself instead of sleeping.

Seems like Halloween was just last week, wrong.  Mom comes next week because it is Thanksgiving.  It seems like once school starts things just don't stop.

Milo and I went to Toddle Time at the Rec Center and than brought Seth some lunch, big afternoon.

Here are a few pics of Kidoween at Ashley and Scott's house.  There were 9 babies, we lined them all up on the couch and Milo started to cry, than they are started to cry.  The picture is not as cute with all the Mom's but at least there were no tears.  Rocket Man was uneasy in his costume, but once he stripped it off he was able to grab food off people's plates, run away with beer cans and in general, party really hard.

Pensive stare courtesy: Rocket Man

Rocket Man and his German counterpart

Seth is back from his trip to the cabin.  It looks cold but beautiful ah?

Wiring, insulation and almost all the siding done

State seeks comment on Kachemak Bay heli-skiing

Alaska Dispatch | Oct 22, 2012

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Alaska's Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation is soliciting input from the general public in regard to "multiple" applications it has received seeking permission to operate commercial helicopter skiing operations in Kachemak Bay State Park and Kachemak Bay State Wilderness Park.

If Seth was in town he would be kicking himself.  Seth loves to talk about his backcountry lodge at Kachemak Bay, looks like someone is planning on setting up a service, maybe they just need a place to operate out of.  Maybe they need a nice cabin on a island? We don't use it in the winter and if you flew to it, all the smoother.  Seth and Pat and Josiah finished the wiring, insulating and are now putting up interior siding and adding the secret children's loft.

Chicken day

Today was a big day and it is only 3:30.  The boys are on the same schedule so they need everything at the same time, yikes. As usual though, I type now while they are asleep.

We went to lunch with Grandma Rose than naps for the wee ones.  A photographer from my favorite online newspaper came over for a photo shoot of the chickens, really clear beautiful day so I hope those turn out well. Than a walk with baby Olivia, our soon to be new neighbor than a date to Lucky Wishbone for Anchorage's finest fried chicken and over to see Aunt Bonnie's new apartment.

The chicken pictures came on a fortuitous day.  There have been warnings on the radio for walkers and runner on DeArmoun road to be careful today, someone wounded a brown bear in their chicken coop and now it is on the lamb.  Just today there was a terribly sad picture of dead brown bear hanging in the air suspended from a forklift, it was in someone's chicken coop as well.  It all reminds me that our chickens will be the bears free dinner around here, I know where they rank on the food chain and I'd never consider killing a bear for those useless ladies.  There is an incredible picture at Grandma's of her next to a bear she shot at the homestead when the kids were all young, those were different times and chances are Grandpa was gone and she ran a hog farm and watched after 5 young kids so times they were different.  Grandma is more of a ''do no harm' gal these days, she was trying to live trap a fox who was after her chickens and just kept trapping the feral barn cats. Since our chickens rarely lay an egg and mostly just eat dog food from Ginger's bowl and poop in the arctic entry they have earned the status of zilch around here.

Here are a few of the photographers picture's of winter setting in on Turnagain Arm, he's pretty incredible ah?

Just a few pics of what we have been up to.  

Literacy time

They feed themselves?

The bluff at Kincaid

Last weekend we hiked along the bluff at Kincaid Park.  It was a gorgeous sunny day and the pictures were great.  Milo lost a glove, I imagine the glove situation this winter will be dismal as he sheds them like a snake.

Back to watching the boys.  The two weeks I work things are so busy and the two weeks off I make soup, jam, bread, go on runs and 'air the boys' daily.  It is really peaceful, today they are both napping and snow is quietly falling, I hate to really put the sap on but there is hot cider sitting on the table too and lentil soup cooking away, ah if I was ever cool that last paragraph really sealed that those days are goooone.

The boys are both getting so big and capable, yesterday at lunch they both ate in high chairs and fed themselves, although I think Ginger gets the majority of lunch off the floor.

Seth is busy finishing up jobs and packing up for a trip to the cabin, he leaves for 8 days with Pat and hopefully is joined by Josiah which means a lot will get done.  Our arctic entry is full of wires and new tools.  If they don't leave soon all the snack food I found for them will quickly disappear.

Chickens are finally laying eggs, maybe because this cold weather has them inside more often and less wondering around.

I hope your fall is going well and you have found some time to relax too.

It's my second week with the boys and as I type they are both napping, it's like the perfect storm, who will wake first and when? Yikes, like walking on egg shells.

Yesterday it finally cleared up and the sun came out!! We went for a walk and enjoyed the park, beautiful views of the ocean and mountains.  The boys just love to swing and since there is only one baby swing they share, I hope that lasts for a while because neither has any concept of sharing.
 

This weekend Seth didn't work! Like a vacation! While he was out cutting down trees off the barn at the Old House Milo and I cleaned the yard. I finally gave up and let him chew on a large pine cone, better than the Monkshood leaves one might figure.  He enjoyed rides in the wheelbarrow ride and watching the chickens cluck around.  Chickens who I might add forgot how much they love slugs? They seemed afraid, 1 egg a day and now they are afraid of slugs, spendy little pets we have wondering around.

Milo, king of the wheel barrow.

A few milestones checked off

The other day Milo took his first steps. I think they count, he didn't walk yet or anything but he stepped than fell, that counts right? We walk him around the house holding onto a shoelace or his little fishing pole, not bad ah?

Clapping has really miffed the little fellow.  Instead of clapping he does this....

And lastly he has started to say "Mama." Yep, it's only when he is tired or hungry or grumpy so you see where I fit in, all the 'Daddas' come when he is happy.  He just crawls around saying 'Dadda' and than heavily pants and greets Seth at the door when he comes home each evening.

Wind Storm #3!

Yep, it's has been windy here in town.  A few weeks ago school was canceled, that awesome, Ash and the boys and I did a 'Tour de damage' of the neighborhood.  Here are a few pics of that.

The neighbors tree.  

One of our parks had quite a bit of damage.

The last two windstorms seem to have been a bust.  The boys and I were home all day yesterday and no wind to speak of.  We took a very wet walk, there is flooding everywhere and reports of wind damage on the other side of town but looks like once again Government Hill remains supreme in many ways.

Life with the boys is non stop, although yesterday they both napped at the same time, three times! So yes, there are breaks, great ones.  Mostly it is Milo taking whatever it is Mac has shown any interest in, measuring cups, baster brush, rings, it doesn't matter.  Sharing is a concept that is far off but I better start training myself.  Milo does get very jealous when I feed Mac and has been known to bite Mac's toes or my leg to get attention I assume, Rose devised a system of feeding Milo at the same time, thank goodness he can feed himself now or Mac's toes would be in trouble.

Measurement time while I made cookies, that is Milo taking away Mac's toys.

Turns out Mac was crying because Milo bit his finger, I don't know why Milo was crying, hopefully out of remorse.

"What? We're not doing anything." They both look like they've been up to trouble.

Back from Tahoe

We are a week back from Tahoe and the bags are yet to be put away and Seth still says, "I miss California." It was beautiful, sunny every morning, you don't wake up and run to the window the way you do here, you just know, it will be sunny.  We didn't see a cloud for nine days.

The trip started off well, plane rides with Milo were a breeze he was wonderful.  Seattle airport has a padded room much like an insane asylum but for children, Milo was crazy about it, mostly just watching the other kids. In the airport he stood on his own for the first time!

Once in California we went broke at Whole Foods and hit the Hot Springs, spending two nights at Grover Hot Springs where I wouldn't let Milo eat anything he dropped on the ground for fear of Haunta Virus, those Chipmunks are just like rats.  It was great there, we soaked in the springs and hiked.

A three day backpack trip in the Sierra's was amazing.  A little boat took us across a lake with stone cabins lining it, 4 miles up into granite peaks and clear lakes.  Milo played in the sand and was an excellent little hiker.  Seth's backpack was very far above his head, people liked to make comments.

After a quick clean up at the KOA a drive to Reno was in order, we shopped the Patagonia outlet and ate some Mexican at the friendliest place. In short the wedding on the bank of Lake Tahoe was beautiful.  A boat tour of the lake was amazing, hiking was warm and sunny.  The reception was at a Norwegian themed mansion overlooking the lake with the best music of any wedding thus far and Milo slept soundly so Seth and I really cut up the rug. The next night was spent at the mansion with the groom Steve's British friends who were great, I left feeling like we had 20 new friends.

Now the school week begins, Rose watched the boys, classes went well and it's time to ease into cool 50 degree temps and overcast skies.  The one break came on Wednesday when school was canceled due to a wind storm.  The sunflowers fared alright, Anchorage is still restoring power, we were lucky no damage.  Our neighbor lost his beautiful weeping willow and people all over town are cleaning up.

It's the weekend and Pat and Caroline are coming home on Monday night.  A celebratory dinner is planned, we will blow their minds with warm food and carpet! Their website is incredible and humbling.  There is speculation as to how they will adjust, a big journey as ended for them.  http://carolineandpat.wordpress.com/2012/03/

Well, we are back from our summer trip and my do I already miss it.  Milo took three naps today, 4 1/2 hours of sleeping, little fellow had some catching up to do I spose.

It was so fun to drive around, see the family and relax in the sunshine! We played with Grandparents, Great Grandparents, Uncles and friends who moved away.  There was serious water time in rivers, pools, lakes and reservoirs.   In general it was just nice to have a relaxed agenda and see everyone.

Now that we are home the realization has hit that I head back to work, Seth ramps up again and Milo goes to daycare two days a week for the first time! Let the scheduling begin.

Riding at Grandma Becky's house

Wearing Aunt Bonnie's Korean outfit

Sunbathing on the Yakima River

Milo enjoying his first rib

Swimming in at Copper Cliffs

We're back from Homer. Bummer. It was beautiful there.  We had some sunny mornings that just blew us away.  Seth and I took to walking down the stairs and admiring the water from various landings.  The water was so blue green and still in the mornings.  The cabin is designed so that there is a deck to sit on for each part of the day, maximizing your sun time. We took the plunge and cut down some trees to enjoy the view into Bear Cove.

Our friends came for the weekend and we sauced out a new hiking option.  It was buggy, really buggy but an adventure non the less and one on foot, not always an option around the cabin.

Now we are home.  Seth is working tons, Milo is moving around the house like it is his job and I am packing for our trip.  Ashley and I are traveling with the boys for the first time by ourselves.  We travel on the red eye so we'll see how it goes.  Cross your fingers.

Saturday was the big egg hunt up at Grandma's.  Cousins flew in, it was crazy.  Crazy because I won big.  I won the grand prize egg, $1000 cash than I won the lottery pot, $700!! Wew, those Grandparent's are generous.  That reminds me that some thank you cards need to be written.