A Poem

PTA
By Coleson's 2nd Grade group

PTA is fine
There are lots of pine.
We see mountains high
and we have a beautiful sky.
You can only come by plane,
we are like a tropical island, how insane.
It is cold all year long,
But in Alaska that's not wrong.

Date Night

Carlon and I have tried to set aside one day of the week as our "date night". This usually happens on Wed. nights, while the kids are at AWANA. So, we have a whole hour and a half to ourselves. Since we have no movie theaters, or restaurants, or malls to shop, or any sort of date-type place to go, we have to be creative. Sometimes being creative means sitting on the couch and playing the wii together, or eating dinner separately from the kids.This last week we sent the kids out the door and decided to go for a hike for our date. It was the first time Carlon had gotten the chance to hike to the falls this winter. Although the trail was quite snowpacked and uneven, we eventually made it. It was, of course, beautiful and breath taking to see the falls. We quickly came down the trail (slid down in some areas), just in time to pick the kids up from church. It was a fun filled evening for all! The worst part was trying to keep up with the kids that night, they had much energy and we had none.

What Happened to Jan., Feb., and March?

These last three months have flown by! If you are reading this, welcome back! Sorry I've been absent for the last three months! Here are a few tidbits from the last few months to get you caught up:

January: We celebrated our one year anniversary of living here in our little village! So many things we have learned and so many things yet to learn! We are loving the beauty and adventure that we are experiencing and feeling at home here in this beautiful state.

February: Valentine's- nearly missed having little valentine's for my kids to hand out to their classmates, because I ordered them online. Thankfully, they came the day of and as I quickly filled out the cards I thought to myself,"One of these days, I'll have this ordering thing down!"

March: Spring/ Breakup has hit once again. We are enjoying the BEAUTIFUL sun! We have snow on the ground, but it is gradually melting away and giving signs of spring. I told Carlon earlier this week, that I was proud to have survived an entire winter in AK...only to get the reply of, "Winter may not be over"! Let's hope I'm right and he's wrong!

Whew, now you are all caught up on us! I will try harder to update or just post more frequently. Those of you who read this, thanks for not giving up on me! Have a Happy Spring!

Sunrise

I just had to share some pictures of our walk to church this morning. I think the worship began as soon as I stepped out my door. I felt like pinching myself to see if what I was seeing was real. The pictures don't do it justice, but I hope you can appreciate the awesomeness that God has shown us. Then, we get into church, which has huge windows to look out onto the bay, and we see a beautiful bald eagle fly by! No kidding! It is a reminder of God's glory and how nothing can come even close to His design.

Getting Caught

The other day, we were all home as a family just enjoying our time together, when Carlon noticed our dining room table had been drawn on. We asked the kids who drew on the table and immediately they all denied ever drawing on the table. After much consideration and thought, our 4 year old approached us and admitted to the crime. Then, we later found another drawing on the table and I asked my 6 year old(who has also been guilty of this sort of crime) if she did it and immediately she says, "No, mom, it says on here, Alianna!" Sure enough, the culprit had signed her artwork! As hard as we tried, we couldn't help but laugh out loud! We're so glad she's loving to draw, and we hope she has learned her lesson. We're also glad she is innocent enough not to forget to sign her name on her art! I love the way my kids continue to surprise me and how I just can't be mad at them for too long!

A Beautiful Fall

We have had such a great fall here. It's my first Alaskan fall to experience and I think it's my favorite season of all! The colors are brilliant and I feel as if I'm walking through a painting every time I step out my door.



One of the things I have really enjoyed is our walks to and from school everyday. The kids love it and it's a great view. There are several of us mom's who bring our strollers and go pick up the kids from school. It's a great time for all of us. I'm so thankful for such a beautiful fall and also for friendships. It's such a blessing to not only see the beauty of God's creation, but to experience His wonderful blessings through great friendships.



Unfortunately, all too soon the leaves will have fallen and the snow will cover all the different colors. But, I will enjoy and appreciate the blanket of white that covers everything and provides some light in a dark winter. Until then, however, I'm going to just enjoy this season while it's here.

All Boy

On any given day, you can most likely find my son outside riding his bike, constructing the perfect sword out of sticks, setting up booby traps, making teepee's or anything else that might come to his imagination. Today was no different. He has happily entertained himself most of the day, building a new fort. A fort in his own yard. He comes into the house, dirt covered face, with a big grin and asks if I want to see his fort. Of course the only answer I can give, is an enthusiastic,"Yes!" Outside, underneath a large tree he proudly shows me his fort, complete with a "keep out" sign in the front (no girls, of course).

I love my boy and his zest for life. He LOVES to enjoy whatever nature has for him. Be it a pile of dirt to kick around or a tree to make a fort. He is in his element when he's outside. Rain or shine, he is out there.

It reminds me how I should be loving life and taking in the beauty and creation that is right here in my front yard. I need to enjoy what God has given us in this beautiful place. Oh to be like my son! I just love how the Lord has allowed my children to teach me so many wonderful things about life. What a blessing!