Spring is Here.....

........ I can feel it.... even with it snowing outside. At least my tulips believe it is spring and are starting to grow in my sunny window. What is nice about the days right now, is the SUNSHINE! After a winter of darkness, everyone seems to soak up every bit of sunshine that we can. Spring in Alaska is one of my favorite times of year! Nice long days, warmer weather, even though the -26 in the morning this week has been a bit TOO COLD! But it does warm up to above 0 in the afternoon. You know your kids are Alaskan when they know the difference between 20 degrees below and 20 degree above. It is nice to be able to open my front door and let all the light in through my glass door. Spring is a happy time! Everyone seems to be in a good mood, getting out to enjoy the weather, Skiing, snowmobiling (though ours decided to break the minute it warmed up enough to enjoy riding it!, cookouts, outdoor parties and all the fun things that you can do during spring. Our family have enjoyed some of our own outings. We went on a short, Ski and sled trip last week. Kaden and I used our skis and Isaiah used the sled. Isaiah did try out some skis for a bit and did rather well!ON our walk, Keith used his camera which was a good thing and a bad thing. The bad you will see why later. It was a wonderful afternoon. We really enjoyed the sunshine and snow! Here are some pictures of our outing. You can tell it is warmer since I am wearing a sweatshirt and jeans. It really has been nice weather!

Isaiah's first time to ski

He fell down

But got back up again!

Determination!!

Cuteness!

More Cuteness!

Kaden going down hill. Fearless

These were the good pictures Keith took

Following the trail

Kaden got the hang of it pretty well

Me and my boys!

Isaiah the Explorer!

Sledding down a giant hill

Happy for the nice weather!

OK the Hills were NOT easy to go up!

As I said having Keith with a camera is dangerous. He got the complete action shot of me falling.

 But to spare you and myself I will only post one!

Cold Bay Alaska

Leaving Texas was a hard thing to do! Most times if we are saying bye and waving for a while at the security checkpoint it makes my kids a bit more dramatic. Meeting up with the TSA with 2 crying children is not fun at all!  But this time I figured I would try something different. My grandparents dropped us off at the airport and I found it a lot easier to have my boys say goodbye at the car. A lot less crying! I think it is easier for them to think that grandma and grandad were the ones to leave instead of us leave. By the time we got to the security check point my kids were just excited to get on the plane and go up in the sky! Now if I could just be as excited. I was NOT ready to leave the nice warm weather and my family, even after staying a month. I just couldn't soak up enough hugs from my Grandparents and Meema. My arms just don't reach from Galena. But I must say I made it through the airports with no tears and my kids must have thought that I was kept together because they stayed calm too. We had a nice flight back to Alaska, met Keith in Anchorage. Even though I was not quite ready to get back I was definitely glad to see him. He spent the month in Cold Bay Alaska. Here are some of his pictures from his trip. He said the weather there changed faster then anything he ever saw! From rain, snow and sun all within a few hours of each other.

 Keith at the office. This is a very blond grizzly bear!

 Immature Bald Eagle

 Izembek National Wildlife Refuge

 Town of Cold Bay

 Cool Volcanos

 Red Fox

 Can you see it?

 Seal

 Geese flying

 Here are pictures to show the weather change

 

 Caribou

 The day he left. This is flying out

Ice Skating Fun!

After a wonderful warm trip to Texas, the boys and I arrived home. Thankfully, the weather was a bit warmer when we arrived which allowed us to "adjust" to winter again!  My boys are enjoying it too! Isaiah is getting to be big enough to play outside "by himself" with Kaden. Of course I am usually watching from the deck upstairs. But it makes him feel like he is big stuff! Can't believe my boys are getting so big! When we moved here Kaden was the same age as Isaiah is now. Where does the time go? We have been enjoying playing outside. Here are some fun Ice Skating pictures Keith took the other day. All that shoveling snow in -20 degrees has been worth getting to go skating at +20 degrees! Kaden has improved A LOT since the beginning of winter when he first got his skates! Again I am feeling a bit like my life is in a Hallmark card! Don't you think these boys could be Hallmark card Models? =)

My big Isaiah~ 2 years old

 My big boy Kaden~ 5 years old

 I absolutely LOVE his face in this one! He is anticipating the sliding across the ice.

 Kaden pulling Isaiah on the ice.

 Sticking his tongue out as he concentrates!

 Doing some trick on the ice

 So excited!!

 "Laughing all the way"

 Big Brother taking care of Little Brother!

 Loving Brothers!

OK so Isaiah doesn't like the LOVE so much! hehehe

 

 LOVE THIS PICTURE!!

 YEHAW!!

 CUTENESS!!

 My little skater