You just have to see this

I'm watching Ghost Hunters with Ben while doing this post and I'm just not feeling spooked for some reason...

Are you dying by cuteness yet?  I almost did, but decided I just couldn't get enough.

Getting Organized?

I've been busy lately partying with Russ at his school (so fun!) and trying to figure out how to keep my family organized.  I'll share what I've come up with soon.  But right now, I'm just hoping my efforts will help.  It's pretty hard with these two guys around all day.  They're just too fun to play with.

It's Cloudy Today

It's cloudy and rainy today and that's just not helping how I feel today.  I'm just so disappointed.  I think we're missing out on what could have been a great presidency.  But hey, all is well... thanks to some fluffer-nutter curls around here.

Another First

I voted!

Yes, it was my first time voting!

(No, I'm not just turning 18...)

Gray came along to help Daddy remember who to choose.

Hopefully our votes will help!

Pumpkin Faces

My Pumpkins Faces...

...And Theirs! (Their own original designs)

We had a great time as a family carving pumpkins and bobbing for apples (goggles and all) Monday night!

Then Wednesday we had Dinner in a Pumpkin with my parents then what else but trick-or-treating?

The funny part comes 10 houses down the street when everyone discovered Tucker wasn't even wearing shoes.  "Ow, ow, my feet hurt" he says.  That kid cracks me up.

Happy Halloween!

A List of Firsts

We are officially settled in... I'm posting again!

Many apologies to the family who have been waiting and waiting and to anyone else who may still know this blog exists.  

We have been busy with some big firsts:

Big First #1

We bought a house!  Here's a preview:

It is in Florida and the boys love the pool!

Big First #2

The boys got their first bikes!

Big First #3

We bought our very own sofa, we've never done that before!  Thank you to all of our incredibly generous family who made it possible for us to avoid that large purchase for 7 years!  Can you find a tiny baby somewhere?

BIG First #4

Russel's first day of school!

He's doing wonderfully despite the 7.5 hour days (that's right, sooooo long).

Big First #5

First fishes caught in our pond!

Well... these are just adorable

Big First #6

First Puppy (in Florida anyway), meet

TINA

She's cuh-razy.

And a total Daddy's girl

Lol, we are sweating, but loving Florida!

Can I tell you a little about Gray?

I feel like we've been so busy that Gray just isn't getting the attention he deserves... on the blog I mean!

(By the way, he's way bigger than this now)

This picture is from a place called "Suicide Hill" in Canada and it is where our little Gray gave his first smiles (to his Daddy, the fun one)

So what is Gray like as a baby?

He is:

-Curious

-So very interested in his brothers

-Smitten with his Mommy and Daddy

-So beautiful

-Social

-My sweet little Babypies

-HAPPY

He has:

-The craziest, cutest curly hair!

-BIG blue eyes

-Kissable cheeks

-A sweet little voice

-One brother who will show him all about sports, and one who adores his every move (except when he cries too loud to hear his movie or whatever) and will show him how to draw

-The luckiest family on earth

We love you Googers!

To make a LONG story short

We limped along to a little town 2 hours shy of Edmonton, Alberta where we found an RV shop.  We learned that indeed both axles were bent.

Do you know what that means?  I'll tell ya!

-leaving the trailer and driving two hours to Edmonton

-6 nights in a hotel (in a major city, ouch)

-2 custom axles made in Edmonton

-Poor Ben driving the axles the 2 hours back to the RV shop and waiting all day for them to be installed.

YIKES!

But we certainly had much more peace of mind for the rest of the trip.  Did I mention the truck has no AC and the blower fan broke during the trip?  Combine that with our spendy stay in Canada and we didn't stop 'til we made it to Utah.  What a trip....

We made it, but on Sundays I can't help missing these people:

We love and miss you all who stole our hearts in Alaska!

Ugh, life can be so bitter-sweet.

More to come soon.

Alcan Day Three

Thu: 580 Miles

We left Toad River at 11:30 am and made it to Ft. Nelson at about 3 pm.  We had to go very slow because of the condition of our tires and so we wouldn't set our brakes on fire coming down out of the Rockies.

 

The tire shop had more heavy duty tires, so we got those replaced and were done by 3:40.  Right down the street was a nice park with a playground and a splash pad, so we stopped for a meal and a play.  We were just so relieved to have made it and get the tires taken care of so easily!  We hit the road again at 5:20 and are planning to drive through the night and get to Calgary tomorrow afternoon.

11:11 pm:  It feels strange riding in the dark by 10:30 pm.  I'd gotten used to 22 hours of light.  The darkness feels foreign and a sense of loss lingers as we drive south, our backs to the midnight sun.

Fri 4:30 am: We pull into Valleyview, Alberta at sunrise and have to wait for a gas station to open at 5:30.  While we are waiting, Ben discovers that the front axle on the trailer may be bent.  We find a mechanic and wait until he opens at 7.  He tells us it could be the axle or just the bearings, but is too busy to look at it himself.  So we go to a park until 8 when he can call around to other mechanics for us.  We get into a mechanic at 8:30.