Quilting...

So, many of you know I started a quilt a LONG time ago (like 3 years) and I still haven't finished it. Things get busy these days! I really really need to start it up again, it's going to be SO pretty!! Anyway, if you like to quilt, or want to get into it here's a site that's pretty cool. And they're doing a giveaway with some really pretty patterns and stuff. You should check it out!http://thevillageshopblog.blogspot.com/

MOOSE!!!

So the other day I was driving home from work and talking on the phone. When I pulled into my driveway I stayed in the car for a few minutes to finish up my conversation. While I was sitting there, I looked in the rearview mirror and saw a momma and a baby moose run across my driveway right behind me!! It was so cool! A few minutes later another baby ran across after them. She had twins! :) I love Alaska! I get to see all this cool wildlife right in my yard! We are definitly blessed to live here and experience so many awesome things that were created for us! Sorry I don't have any pictures, my camera was inside the house. Lame.
I'll try to get some next time!

Our House!

Here it is!

Well, now that 1. we finally have time and access to the internet, and 2. the house is FINALLY done, here is a better update on the blog including a slideshow! :) There are still a few small things that need done (the inspectors like it better if you have smoke detectors and a cover over the crawl space), but all in all, it's there. We've come a long way from a lot FULL of trees that we had to cut down and clear (you think I'm exaggerating, but I'm really not), to a really nice house. Up here they do energy ratings based on how tight your house is and the amount of insulation and all sorts of stuff- the rate from 1-5* (it goes up like 1, 1*, 2...) and ours is a 5 star! We were really proud of that, it's the best! :) It's got 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, a BIG walk in closet in the master bedroom, and a lot of room downstairs. One of the spare rooms has a twin and a ful bed, a dresser, and a small entertainment center in it- that may help you imagine how the rooms are sized. There's a little extra room in it, but not a ton! :) On the slide you may wonder why I took a pic of our big empty wall, and what the electronic stuff is hanging from the ceiling in the other pic. It's our movie projector! We don't go to movies anymore- we just shoot them on the wall! :)

The color is growing on me... it turned out a little more yellow than I expected. I told Sam I wanted to paint multiple colors and he didn't like the idea a lot. So instead, I told him that one of his hunting trips he was going to come home to a painted kitchen. So- he went moose hunting and came home with one moose. I came home with 26!! :) He likes our moose in our kitchen. It turned out cool. They're just little wall paper cut-outs, and luckily they matched out paint perfect! He went on the hunt and a friend and I hung pictures, drapes, towel rods... plus some baseboard trim and cleaned the garage! Too bad the garage didn't stay that way! It's getting to be winter and cold and I want to park my car inside!

Another bit of info on the pictures... there's the one of all the trees is looking out the spare bedroom window towards the street. That's about how dense of trees our lot is. We only cleared enough for the house and just a bit more for room to move around. Can you believe it's barely October and we have snow!! We better get used to it- I'm afraid it's here to stay. Next time we see the ground will be April at the earliest, most likely May. Ugh... we better get our own internet hooked up by then!!

Update:

So here's the deal... we don't have internet. (Or a TV- Tyler says we're living in the stone age, I say it's just at the bottom of my priority list) But, our project is finally complete, and I will try HARD to get some pictures online this week. But, I have to coordinate schedules with some friends so I can get online again.

Things are SUPER FANTASTIC up here though. But still really busy. The beginning of September most of my family was able to come up and visit. The boys wanted to go caribou hunting, so since they have a built-in guide (aka Sam) they decided to make the trip this year. It was a great trip for them, all successful with really nice caribou! Sam decided he would wait until November so he could have an excuse to go back up again. When I sau "up again" it means a 400+ mile drive ONE WAY to find a stinkin caribou. The drive is really pretty, and Sam loves it up there. Crazy boy. He did have a successful hunt this year with the moose hunt- he came home with a small (antlers) moose, and a grizzly bear. The bear is really pretty. We're going to tan the hide on it, then who knows what. :)

While the guys were up north, the girls headed down south (ish) to Valdez. It's LOTS prettier down there, and it was a great trip. I do have to say how impressed I am with Brandon and Angie's girls- they had a long trip (one's 5 and the other 17 months), and they were REALLY good. It's about a 7 hour trip one way down there, and they didn't cry or complain at all. We went on a glacial cruise and it was really fun. We were hoping to see a whale and some puffins, but nope. We did see sea lions and otters and dolphins. Oh, and some bald eagles and a black bear, so that was cool.

It was a really fun trip and it was so great to see everyone (we really missed you Michelle!!), and can't wait till the next trip.

Sam's little brother moved in with us on the 23rd of September. It's kinda strange having someone else around when you're not used to it at all. But, he's a good kid, and he's fixing our 4wheeler that Sam broke, so I guess he's good for something! :) Brandon got home from his mission in July, and decided Oakley wasn't for him, so he followed Sam's lead and here he is. I'm not sure what his family thinks about this... it's starting to become a trend down there!

Well, I gotta run- it's Sunday night which means it's almost time for our weekly homemade ice cream party! (Every Sunday we make homemade ice cream and our friends come over and hang out) It's a great way to stay in the loop with our single and married friends, and most of you know how much I love to be around people. We have a lot of fun with it and have made some really great friends along the way. We are really blessed up here, and are so grateful for the amazing friends and family we have ALL OVER!! We love you!!