Christmas Kids

Some photos from Dec 2014.  The kids are so cute!

We went to the Mountain Home Air Force base in Sept to see the Thunderbirds. It was pretty awesome.  The kids had a good time. I hate the huge crowds. Their excitement and Cannon's giddy-as-a-school-boy state of being made it worth it.

This is as close to a family photo as we'll get for a while. ; )

Santa is Comin' To Town!

We've been feeling the Christmas spirit early this year. Our tree was up on Thanksgiving and we've been enjoying the festivities ever since. Here are a few catch-up pics since I've been neglectful of the blog for a while...we hope the season is bright for all of you!

Here is Miss Lily helping me with dishes after her evening bath. Is her little robe not THE cutest on her!?

My dad gave this to Caleb his first Christmas and he now shares with Lily. They love listening and dancing with Pooh and friends...
Playing by the tree..
Lily being brave on her slide and Caleb impatiently waiting his turn...

A beautiful, fresh snowy playground awaits us outside!

Dear Papa has a place on our tree, thanks to Heidi's creative and thoughtful talents!

Lillers knows who Gramps is and says his name often or points to him...I think he's with my kids more often than I know. If babes could talk...

Poor Lillers, nursing a cold and making sure she has enough tissues for her nose.
The kids peering out the window on a rare, sunny and very cold day!

It's a White World of Snow Again

Caleb is being a great helper this year. Always willing to help shovel the driveway and walks with Dad...

Whittier on the 4th!

We hope you all had a great Independence Day! Cannon was blasting Beach Boys, "Born in the USA" and Neil Diamond's "America" (one of my dad's all time favorites) all morning while we got ready for a little road trip. We went to Whittier with a bunch of friends and had a great time eating fresh halibut fish n' chips, exploring the docks and admiring all the boats, coloring on the sidewalk, and enjoying fudge. We left sunny Anchorage and 1 hour and 1 tunnel later, we were in chilly, cloudy, rainy Whittier. It was gorgeous, though. We enjoyed every minute with our friends and after returning home, we had moose burgers (which Caleb finally ate for the first time) and potato salad, out on our deck. I made some strawberry short cake and we finished the 4th watching "Independence Day" with friends. It doesn't get dark at midnight so fireworks aren't really a big deal here. It was a good day and we are truly blessed to live in America.

To and Fro

Since dad's death, we've been back and forth to AZ a few times. During the trips to AZ we were able to say goodbye to our dad properly and we were able to enjoy a Mix family reunion in Vegas. It was very difficult to leave for the last time. Living in Alaska never felt so far away from home as it does right now. I'm sure that with some time, the distance will not be so painful for me. Or perhaps we'll secure a job in the states that will put us closer to family. We are enjoying the beautiful summer here. I think of my dad constantly. The lessons I'm learning are so beautiful. I wouldn't change anything, actually.

Happy 4th to all of you and God Bless America!

It's been a while since I've posted. Some of you know that my dad died unexpectedly last month. I don't have the heart to post any other pics. I've got a pic of Caleb and Gramma the night after dad died, the pool looking very empty and a pic of dad at the summit of the Grand Teton in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. That is how I remember my dad...adventurous, heroic, big hearted, good to the core, courageous and smiling.

We had a ceremony to scatter his ashes over Memorial Day weekend in St. George. It was beautiful and painful and cathartic. There is really something definitive in my mind about my dad being free now. He's gone for a while. I'll see him again and that is very comforting.

Someday I'll post lots of pics but tonight I'm not ready to do that.

To those of you who have kept our family in your thoughts and prayers and have sent love in all of it's forms (kind words/emails, flowers, cards, cleaning my house, phone calls, etc), please know how very touched I've been. Each gift of kindness smoothes the edges of a jagged hole that has been blown in my heart.

A few pics from our intrigues the last couple of weeks. Life is stressful so it's good to capture the happy moments on camera. Then we forget the stress and remember the sweetness. In fact, looking at these pics, I'm forgetting the fights about finances, fretting about the job, and finding down time for just me and Cannon. Thank heavens we 're just normal.

mush, mush