Leaving 2008

Disclaimer: I am breaking from my usual format to bring you a special, end of the year installment of this blog.  I realize that I missed posting last week and I'm eternally sorry.  I'll try my best not to let that happen again!

Highlights of 2008: 

Owen's firsts (steps, words, foods, camp-outs, kisses), visiting family in Texas, Washington and most recently in Georgia, Luke's pig with a long-bow and best fishing season so far, Sarah's raise at work and completed apron and website projects.  

Goals for 2009:  

Sarah:  Consistency (schedule, working out, bible-reading, parenting, communicating), tropical vacation, creating something satisfying, that ever elusive balance between God, self, family, friends, work...

Luke: Black bear with long bow, black bear with pistol, blaze moose trail, dead moose (with long bow or gun or hand grenades... whatever it takes), busy fishing season despite the economy, to be a great husband and dad

Owen: Fill-out new 2T clothes, potty training, more words, less fuss, 4 more teeth, drop the morning nap,  continue to grow strong and happy and healthy. 

I had thought about trying to pick out the top 10 pictures of 2008, but finding that so difficult, I decided instead to post one of my favorite pictures from each month of 2008.  Most of these you may have already seen in past blog posts or via mass email, but here they are again for you to enjoy!  Happy New Year!

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Georgia on my mind

Sarah's Thoughts: We made it! We made it though another year, we made all the way across the United States, and we're still going strong! I do have to say that my boy did so so so much better on the flight then I ever thought he was capable of, Thank you God (and thank you for your prayers)! So here we are, in Georgia, staying at Luke's parent's brand-spanking new castle on the lake. Its so big and beautiful and I'm feeling a little too comfortable, like I could get use to this high life... I've been trying figure out what makes Georgia tick... California is wine and fake boobs, and Alaska is hunters vs. greenies and Washington is punk rock meets pine trees, but what about Georgia? I haven't seen any peach farms or boiled peanut stands... I went to Walmart today hoping that I'd get a better feel for Georgia, but all I found was the same old Walmart. I'll keep you posted. Meanwhile, you better keep on your best behavior girls and boys because ready or not, Santa Clause is coming to town!

High- Hearing that because of a tailwind, our 5 hour flight from Seattle to Atlanta would be a 4 hour flight. Hallelujah!

Low- The last 45 minutes of our 4 hour flight... How the heck are we going to make it coming the other way???

Luke Update: Luke has also been enjoying Georgia. Lots of lounging, snacking, tinkering in the "man cave" with his dad... The ease with which he's settled into this life of luxury makes me think there might be a whole other side to my husband that I don't know about. One that has an appreciation for fine caviar, cashmere sweater-vests, and 1942 Pinot Gricio. Its really fun to see Luke with his family- especially with his brother. I think most siblings have a special language, finding the same quirky little things hilarious, and these two are no exception. The boys (dad included) are planning a deer hunting trip in the morning, after which time, we'll leave Owen with Grammy and head out to finish up the Christmas shopping. Might even stop by Bed,Bath and Beyond, but I don't know. I don't know if we'll have enough time...

Owen Update: 3 words. Center Of Attention... I think he feels a little nervous at first when all eyes are on him, but then he quickly gets over it. He has especially been loving Dusty and Jordan's dog, "Georgia" (but he keeps calling her "Dolly"). You can hear him yelling at the top of his lungs, echoing through the house "Ah-yee! Ah-yee! Yett!" (translation: "Dolly! Dolly! Get it!") Thankfully, Georgia is a great sport. She runs after every single stick or ball he throws, even if it only lands 1 foot away. I caught Owen crawling all over her tonight and she didn't seem to mind. He's also been loving vacation because it means that mom and dad can give him undivided attention. When he's not running around after Georgia, he's grabbing mama by the finger and leading me all over the house. Its a little exhausting, but all that exercise means more sugar cookies for me, so I'm not complaining! For the first time this morning, without missing a beat, Owen stepped from the grass up to the sidewalk. My little baby is just getting bigger and stronger and smarter every day.

Merry Christmas!

(I neglected to bring the camera cord to download photos,
so our current pictures are on hold until we get home.)

The Countdown

Sarah's Thoughts:  Christmas is looming and I know there's lots to do in order to be ready, but the trick is knowing how much I have to get done each day so that at the end, I'm not pulling an all-nighter...  This year, we're taking off to Georgia to spend Christmas with Luke's family.  One good thing about going out of town for Christmas is that I'm forced to get all the stressful scrambling out of the way before we leave, so maybe on Christmas, we actually will be more relaxed.  It'll be great to get out of town and see family, but if you think of us on Dec 18 and 19, please say a prayer for a peaceful flight.  Every time I think about traveling at Christmas with a very busy 18 month old, who can't sit still for more then 10 seconds, I just honestly don't know how we're going to survive the 5 hour flight from Seattle to Atlanta.  We tried giving him some benadryl tonight to see how he'd react.  It didn't seem to have much effect until bath time.  Suddenly, he was very insistent that his cuddle sleeve (his blanket) join him in the tub.  Of course I didn't let him, and had to wrench the blanket out of his death grip before putting him in the water.  On normal evenings, all traces of sadness melt away as soon as he gets in the tub but tonight, he sat in the water, bawling big, fat tears. Very sad!  Bad benadryl!

High- Knowing that I only have 3 days of work this week!

Low- Knowing we have 8 hours of flying ahead of us...

Luke Update:  Its been so windy and cold lately that Luke hasn't been able to get out hunting so he's been spending more time on projects.  Luke has temporarily traded in his cast led bullets for his table saw.  He's been working on a super secret project most of the week in the garage.  (I think I'm getting something homemade for Christmas! I'll let you know!)   We also have been catching up on last year's season of "Lost," thanks to Netflix.  We don't really have T.V. so we do our best to avoid all mention of what's currently happening on our favorite T.V. shows and then when the previous year's season comes out on DVD, we watch the whole thing in a week.  What is with those people on the freighter and why doesn't everyone get off the island????  (Don't tell!)  I think Luke and his dad are going to be doing some hunting and bow-building while we're in Georgia so there may be more of that to report in the next few weeks.

Owen Update:  Owen has really been quite sweet this week.  As pictured below, he's been giving kisses, which just melts your heart. We also found out last night that Owen loves cats. We went to our neighbor's house for supper.  Owen was happily exploring their house, checking out the dog toys and trying to open all the doors.  All of a sudden, he let out this startled cry, like he was hurt.  I raced over to find him pointing at their cat, Rhett.  At first I thought the cat had scratched him or something, but after close inspection Owen seemed to be fine.  Our neighbor, Bob, held Rhett so that Owen could pet him.  Owen was trembling, he so badly wanted to touch the animal but at the same time was so cautious that he couldn't bring himself to move.  He just stood there, shaking and crying.  It was pretty crazy, I've never seen him like that.  Now that I think about it, I don't think Owen has ever been in close proximity of a cat.  I finally forced Owen to pet Rhett a little bit, and then for the rest of the night, he was chasing the poor animal all over the house.  

kisses

just waking up

"Let me in that bathtub already!!!"

heading to church

christmas caroling...  

(or maybe just yelling really loud in front of 

the christmas tree at the mall...)

Recovery

Sarah's Thoughts: The more I think about it, the more I stand by the title of this post.  This week has definitely been one of recovery.  On Tuesday, I started back to work and my parents left so that took some adjusting to get back in the routine of real life.  Then I got pretty sick on Wednesday night.  I thought it was food poisoning at first, but the next morning when I wasn't feeling much better, I realized that I had a 24 hour flu or something.  I stayed home sick on Thursday and then Friday was our big-deal, work christmas party with all the other dental offices and staff and spouses in Juneau.  Saturday was uneventful and then today I woke up with a case of the procrastination-induced blues.  However, after some exercise, prayer, and list making I'm feeling better.  If only my blasted internet connection were faster!  

High- The annual Dr.s Schultz Christmas party.  I was looking hot, thanks to my new dress, Kristen and her hair straightener!

Low- let's see... it's a toss up between puking my guts out for the 12th time in one evening, or the non-stop, nails-on-the-chalkboard whining coming from the midget...

Luke Update: Luke has also had a week of recovery.  Maybe there's something going around our family?  He started feeling sick right when I was beginning to recover.  With a little rest and a lot of vitamin C, he's well on the road to health.  Besides spending more time then usual in the bathroom, Luke has been spending this week talking about hunting, hanging up the outside christmas lights, brushing the dog, cleaning his gun, napping in the recliner, snuggling with wifey, and keeping the peace.  All in a days work.  

Owen Update:  Owen has been a handful.  (Is that a polite way of saying your child sometimes makes you want to disappear in the bathroom and never come out?  If so, that's what kind of "handful" I'm talking about.)  I think he's been feeling a bit under the weather as well. As promised last week, I've been paying more attention to his babble and I'm happy to report, he definitely is saying more words.  I've positively identified "Dolly" (ow-wee), "off" (off), "hello" (eh-woe), and "this" (dis).  (I took a little video while he was in the bath tonight.  Not a lot of action, but lots of talking.) I've also been noticing more singing.  Its mostly monotone and mainly consists of saying the same word over and over, but still pretty darn cute.  This week we also stumbled across a wonderful entertainment tool, washing the dishes.  He stayed in this position for 45 minutes last night.  Not kidding.  Tonight he was ready to get down after about 15, and both he and the floor were wet, but 15 minutes!  You just can't put a price on entertainment like that!

Doing a little dish.

Everyone loves singing in the bathroom!

Owen's parents

Fancy camera effects with Christmas lights

Christmas sweater and ornaments

Listen up, yo!

Post-Tryptophan Coma

Sarah's Thoughts:  We have had a whirlwind week!  This time last week, it seemed like I was looking down a long stretch of relaxing holidays with no end in sight.  But like any good vacation, it is rapidly coming to a close.  I do feel that my lists served me well and Thanksgiving Day was everything I'd hoped for.  I tried some new recipes and subjected all of my captive guests to Thanksgiving games.  We had a random group of people, but everyone was friendly, gracious and got along well.  The evening was wonderful, but towards the end I was exhausted and couldn't handle cleaning up the rubble of dirty dishes and half eaten casseroles, let alone figure out how to divide up left-overs.  (Why is it that everyone dreams of Thanksgiving left-overs, but no one wants to take food home with them?)  Thankfully, my mom and Kristen dove right in and picked up my slack and I woke up to a completely spotless kitchen!  I confess, I felt a little lost and directionless in the days following Thanksgiving, but I'm quickly recovering. The thought of cooking isn't completely repulsive any more and Christmas isn't really all that far away!  I should start making some lists...

High- Family, delicious food, games, wine.  It was fantastic!

Low-  Knowing the glorious vacation will be over in 2 days. Wah!

Luke Update: Luke has been a wonderful husband (and really, he always is).  He kicked this week off with a deer hunting trip, taking my dad and brother out.  Because we were dealing with a limited window of time, Luke had to organize all the gear, do the shopping, and load the boat so that they could shove off as soon as the jet's wheels hit the runway. My dad has been dreaming of deer hunting since they moved from Juneau, about 5 years ago so they had a great time, even if the only deer they saw was a tiny cocker spaniel-sized one.  It warmed my little heart, knowing that all the boys I love most in this world (over 5 feet tall) were tromping around in the woods together, bonding.  Two days into the trip, I realized that if anything happened to that small but precious hunting party, I'd basically be devastated.  Needless to say, I was quite thankful when they pulled safely into the harbor on Thanksgiving morning.

Owen Update: Owen has been handling all the extra people and increased activity quite well.  I guess it helps that he thoroughly enjoys being the center of attention.  He got over his shyness quickly and soon the cuddling with Yia Yia (Owen's name for my mom, means "Grandma" in Greek), and playing "peak" with Grandpa Roger began.  He's been staying up late, taking extra baths and eating licorice for the first time.  I don't know how he's going to handle life on Tuesday when he wakes up from his afternoon nap and realizes that its just him and daddy...   My parents have pointed out that Owen is not only understanding pretty much everything you say, but also saying words himself.  I guess I need to start listening closer to decipher his seemingly nonsensical babble.  I'll keep you posted...

The Thanksgiving Feast

A little Yia Yia cuddling

Playing with Grandpa Roger

Pony Ride

Playing in the new snow!

Thankful Thoughts

Sarah's Thoughts:  This Thanksgiving, I am feeling so blessed.  I have a good job, great co-workers, a beautiful healthy family, a wonderful house in a gorgeous city in an amazing state in an incredible country.  I have a strong faith in God, a good church, amazing friends and a loving extended family.  We have enough money, clothes, food... and gas prices are slowly going down!  I have so many things to be thankful for, that it sort of scares me, like something really horrible is going to happen to balance it all out.  I have to say, I'm quite proud of the power of my lists.  Last week I made a list of all the chores I needed to do to get ready for company and every evening, I'd cross a few jobs off the list.  Today, my house is mostly clean  and I'm not completely stressed out!  Scoffers, you better recognize the power and release of stress that comes with a good list!  (I feel like this is a braggy blog... sorry!)

High- Knowing I am off work for a whole 10 days with a sparkling clean house!  Does it get any better then this?

Low- Thinking I'd solved a web-design mystery, only to discover, that I hadn't...  Back to the drawing board!

Luke Update:  Luke is excited about bullets.  He most recently decided to return to a simpler time, the midle ages, and melt down lead to pour into molds, to then make his own bullets.  His christmas list now consists of various devices to aide in the creation of bullets - lead hardness testers and more molds...  I can appreciate the drive to create the fact that certain tools are needed to do so, but I'm having a hard time mustering up excitement about lead hardness testers...  But then I'm sure he feels the same way about material or computer software.  

Owen Update:  Owen has discovered the wonderful world of Disney.  I'm struggling with bad mother feelings for encouraging T.V. watching, yet elation that something keeps my boy sitting still for more then 2 seconds...  He's been watching a hand-me-down Winnie the Poo VHS tape while I take a shower in the mornings (otherwise he's constantly pulling back the shower curtain and trying to get in with me, clothes and all) but today I introduced Owen and Luke to my favorite, Veggie Tales.  Secretly, I was pretty stoked to have an excuse to watch Veggie Tales, but right after "Silly Songs with Larry",  Owen lost interest and Luke fell asleep, so I think I need to increase their level of Veggie Tales appreciation!

Owen been attending birthday parties lately.  Its really good for him to interact with other kids... and good for me too.  It makes me realize how much work we have to do with "sharing".  We went to a birthday party on Saturday at a gym with all kinds of kid toys to play with.  At first, Owen was very clingy, but before long, he was running all over the place. One of the toys was a plastic castle with a swinging door.  At home, Owen loves to play with doors, closing them most of the way and then burst through into the room! He was playing this door game with the castle, having so much fun...  However, when another little boy wanted to walk through the door, Owen yelled right in his face, like a ferocious barking dog, defending its driveway.  I was a little taken aback at Owen's intensity, but the other boy didn't seem phased and actually yelled right back at him!

Checking out the falling snow

Playing at Mt. Jumbo Gym

Shopping at Freddies.  

He didn't mind being burried in groceries, not one little bit!

We can't forget about Dolly!

Big boy, sitting up at the table. 

He climbed up all by himself.

Approaching the Holidays

Sarah's Thoughts:    Thanksgiving is a week and a half away so I can officially start getting ready. My parents are flying into Juneau next Sunday and I'm quite excited. I'm been working on Thanksgiving lists; guest list, food list, cleaning list, shopping list, craft list...  I really enjoy playing hostess, despite the stress, but I rarely invite people over.  I think its because I don't want them to dread coming and then hate being here.  I'm really not a pessimist, just self-conscious and a procrastinator- not a winning combination.  Anyway, Thanksgiving is a time that I know people like to spend together so I feel confident and justified in having guests over, plus I have a nice big house to entertain in.  I do not, however, have football... I hope that's not going to be a problem....  On second thought, forget it.  I'm cancelling Thanksgiving.  (just kidding)  

I've been secretly singing holiday songs to Owen.  Technically, I'm of the opinion that Christmas starts after Thanksgiving, but if you sing quietly and choose the songs that focus on winter and snow ("Let it Snow", "Winter Wonderland", "Frosty the Snowman") that might be OK....  just don't let me hear it on the radio! Grrrr!

High - Shopping today by myself.  I leisurely browsed through Joanne's AND Fred Meyers and didn't have to deal with someone else pulling things off the shelf or deciding they wanted to go a different direction, or wanting to be held and then wanting down and then wanting to push the cart and then wanting Mama to hold them while they were pushing the cart... 

Low - Trying to clean-up Owen's chaffed, raw behind covered in poo.

Luke Update:  Luke came home from his hunting trip on Tuesday, smelly, hairy and so so happy.  Since then, every free moment has been devoted to taking care of the deer and to sorting through the explosion of gear in the garage.  As of this afternoon, I think the deer meat is all neatly packaged and frozen and the skull is clean...  He's planning on taking my Dad and brother hunting next week, so it will begin again...  Luke didn't get to take our still camera on his hunting trip, but he did take the video camera...  So stay tuned:  As previously promised, for your viewing pleasure, at the bottom of this post you will find a short video clip of the one that didn't get away.

Owen Update:  I can sum up Owen's week in one word.  Teething.  I know we've been through this before but this time it seems especially draining.  "Oh no, " you might say, "That sweet boy?  Well, he's just an angel.  An angel straight from heaven.  I'm sure it hasn't been THAT bad." Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I'd like to present Exhibit A, photographic proof that it has been no walk in the park.  This is a typical Owen snapshot from this week. His mouth is hurting, which makes him crabby and his poop has been especially frequent and acidic which gives him a nasty diaper rash which makes him crabby, and he hasn't had much of an appetite, which makes him crabby, which makes him demanding and when he doesn't get his way that makes him crabby which makes him tired and that also makes him crabby.    I was afraid that I wouldn't have any pictures to post this week, however, I did get a couple of shots before it all began...   

Exhibit A

Dolly cautiously approaching a newly frozen pond

This is what I came home to after my 

shopping excursion.  Mmmm-mmm, Antler stew.

Mighty hunter.

No matter how crabby he is, 

the bathtub always puts a smile on his face.  

Thank You God!

And now for our feature presentation...

Falling Over

Sarah's Thoughts - I'm totally thrown off.  Luke is gone hunting and I just feel out of balance.  I'm eating meals over the sink, waking up constantly throughout the night, imagining furnace problems, and I'm sure murders are right around the corner.  I'm glad Luke is having a good time but for my mental well-being he needs to come home soon. I'm usually fine when he's gone but this time feels different.  I think its a combination of  the fact that the only person I see all day is a sassy 1 1/2 year old, and you just can't have a good conversation with all that attitude AND the fact that its pitch black by 4pm.  After spending a stir-crazy day in the house listening to suspicious creeks and pops and pacifying a cranky toddler, the furnace stopped working.  I began imagining Owen and I freezing to death in our beds or refuges in someone else's house.  In a panic I called my sweet brother.  He left his friends, got a ride back to his car and came to rescue me.  When he arrived, he took one look at the furnace, flipped a big black switch from "Off" to "On" (Owen Mitchell Woodruff!!!) and that was it!  I'm thankful the solution was so simple, quick and cheap, but mentally, I'm still shook up.  I guess I'm not as tough as think I am.

  

High- Beautiful crisp sunny blue skies and frosty ground! 

Low- 1:45 when the sun disappears.

Luke Update - As previously mentioned, Luke is hunting with two buddies.  He's been gone since Friday and will return on Tuesday.  He was really stressed about the weather before he left.  They were predicting small craft advisories and rain.  However, the morning that they were going to leave, he checked the weather forecast.  Calm seas and no rain in sight. Boo-yeah! He is within cell phone range, so I've talked to him every night.  He shot a nice buck on Saturday and so did his friend, John (deer #4).  They didn't see anything today but are hopeful for tomorrow.

Owen Update- Owen is also off kilter.  He's not taking very good naps and he's not eating much.  He's throwing these big fits when he doesn't get his way, crying fat, hot tears.  He thinks its unfair when I won't let him walk around in the middle of the street, or when I pull him away from the stove...the injustice! In his defense, he does have 2 new teeth working their way out and I think he misses Luke too.  Case in point: a few weeks ago, Luke was editing some hunting footage and added this song as background music.  We heard that song a lot as Luke was working on the movie.  Anyway, today when we were listening to music, Luke's song came on and Owen got really quiet and still.  Sweet little guy! 

On a more positive note, Owen started blowing kisses this week.  Every night after I lay him down in his bed, before I close the door, I say "Mama loves you, Owen," and I blow him a kiss.  Tonight as I was shutting the door, I heard the unmistakable sound of Owen kissing the palm of his hand.  Smack!

Romeo Returns. 

(Romeo is the name of the big black wolf on the left of the picture.  

He hangs out around the glacier in the winter.  

We saw him on our walk today.  This was the first time 

we've seen him this winter, so it was sort of a surprise.  

He was whining, wanting to play with the dog 

on the right side of the picture.)

Icy stream.

(Also from our walk today.  It was cold!)

Owen riding in the Ergobaby carrier on Perseverance trail.  

I'm sure it won't be long before Owen will be holding a real dead duck.

My little Ewok!

Blue eyes, red cheeks.  So cute!

Traditions

Sarah's Thoughts:
Being a wife and a mom suddenly makes me responsible for celebrating holidays and carrying out traditions on those holidays. If I don't do it, no one will and as Owen gets older, I'm sure all of that will become more important. There are some holidays that I sort of have a feel for, and others that I've pretty much ignored, namely Halloween. For Halloween, my co-workers order these elaborate costumes from internet superstores. They dress their kids up as vampires and gorey monsters- the bloodier the better. To me, this seems a little overboard. Growing up, we'd scrounge a costume out of dress-up box right before we went trick-or-treating. The one I remember is "Jogging Grandma" which consisted of curlers, a shower cap, a pair of glasses, make-up and pantyhose (the best part) and a little white sweater. We stopped celebrating Halloween when I was in 5th grade because my mom decided we would celebrate "All Saints Day's Eve" instead. This meant we'd watch movies and hand out candy to the trick-or-treaters that came to our door. So what are the Woodruffs going to do? I don't' know. I don't think Owen is going to grow up celebrating All Saint's Day's Eve but I can't ever see dressing him up as Freddie Krueger either. I do enjoy the fun costumes, carving jack-o-lanterns and bobbing for apples. Aye! All these decisions to make! Luckily, I've dodged the bullet this year. Next year, however, I'd better be a little more prepared....

High- The comments from our trick-or-treaters: "Trick Or Treat! I'm Thing One and She's Thing Two, but you can't tell because she got cold and had to put on her coat. Ohhhhhhh! What kind of dog do you have? A black lab? We use to have a black lab but she got ran over. Her name was Riley. Happy Halloween!"

Low- A toss up between the broken keyboard on my Mac and the $2400 bill to rebuild the transmission on our Durango.

Luke Update:
On Saturdays, Luke has a standing date with the forest. He suits up in his wool pants, gaiters, and blaze orange hat and hits the trees in search of the elusive Sitka Blacktail Deer. This week there was a small craft advisory on the high seas so the boat stayed parked in the driveway and he stuck closer to home. No deer, but he did see a porcupine on a log that was so big, for a split second he thought it was a deer. Luke's getting ready for a 5-day deer hunt this coming weekend with a few buddies. Exciting stuff. He's got the wall tent ready to roll with the wood stove, a cot, waffles for breakfast. Its going to be rough. I promised him that I'd post a picture of his deer on the blog, so you are forewarned.

Owen Update:

I know that having a kid that climbs isn't really something every parent hopes for, however, it seems like something every little boy should love to do. Lela tells stories of finding her 1 year old on top of the toilet and I admit, I've felt a little twang of jealousy because Owen has not been a climber. He's always been very cautious. Maybe because he's such a big, solid boy, he hasn't had the strength to haul himself around or maybe its just his nature to be cautious. Either way, I'm proud to announce that Owen has officially discovered climbing. He's conquered the chairs in the kitchen, the coffee table in the living room, the spare twin bed in his room, and is trying his darnedest summit his changing table, but I think that might take some time. The look of pride on his little face when he makes it to the top, melts my heart. I know I shouldn't encourage the climbing, but it makes him so happy and I think its might be part of developing those large motor skills?

Shopping at Costco. Owen went right to the bikini undies.
I'm not really sure what that means...

Smiling in the shower.

Halloween Tigger. So stinking cute!

Owen got caught with his book under the bottom sheet
as we were making up the bed. He thought it was
the greatest thing in the world and wouldn't come out.

After his escapade under the sheets,
Owen decided to take a little reading break.

Snow!

Sarah's Thoughts:

 There is something exciting about new snowfall that brings me back to childhood.  Suddenly I am eight years old, wearing my full-body snowmobile suit, digging tunnels and making snow angels in the front yard. When I get too cold and retreat inside, my mom fixes me a hot chocolate in the special walrus mug and gives me a candy cane to stir with.  My siblings and I make a pact that no one touches the back yard, so that it accumulates as much untouched, flawless snow as possible. We watch the progress from the living room window, until the glorious day that Erin gives us the "OK".  We dive into the blank canvas that is ready to be molded into an incredible fort or snowman!  Snow covers up the soggy deadness of fall, like winter deadens the demanding schedules of summer.  Real life is always present, hibernating, but we are allowed to forget about it for awhile.  We are given the gift of time to cuddle-up and re-energize, detach and refocus.  It will all be there, waiting for us in the spring, but for now, lets have some hot chocolate, and don't forget your special peppermint stirring stick!

High - Post-nap story cuddle time with my warm, red-cheeked boy.

Low - Waking up at 5:30 am the day after my birthday to Dolly's poop explosion all over the laundry room.  Lovely.

Luke Update:

Luke is looking for inside projects of the outdoor persuasion.  He's thinking of taking on another bow-building project but at the moment is doing a little re-loading (bullets).  I think this is his version of "crafty" and "settling-in for the winter".  He was excited about a hot find he discovered at RayCo Sales.  He was looking for some bullets online and found a great deal - 500 for $60.  However, the great deal turned south when shipping to Alaska was figured in. Discouraged, he tried to think outside the box and decided to look around town.  He went to the local pack-rat gun and ammo shop and low and behold found a dusty box in the back corner that had exactly what he wanted- a box of 500 bullets and for only $42.00.  Cha-ching! He had yet another adventurous, but unsuccessful hunting trek on Saturday.  According to Luke, there were pockets of deer activity and signs that the Rut is underway, but no animals were spotted.  

Owen Update:

I know that every week I write about how in love with my son I am, but I just have to say that I am in love with my son.  Both Luke and I look at him and marvel at how incredible he is and that we made him!  Lately, he's been mimicking sounds.  This morning, he walked onto Dolly's mat (which is off-limits for him).  I said "Owen, Uh-uh" and he stepped off the mat and said, "Uh-uh" in the exact same sing-songy tone. I'm hoping this was part of the learning process and not a sassy streak... Luke gave him a haircut this weekend.  Owen's hair doesn't lay down at all, it grows straight out from his head- looks like a halo when the sun shines through it. If we don't cut it, he has this stick straight blonde afro.  Luke thinks he looks so sharp with a fresh haircut, but it makes me think of a new army recruit and I'm just not ready for that yet...   

Owen in a sweater vest.  

Does this scream Sunday School attire or what?

Feeling the freeze of snow for the first time.

Maybe next time he'll choose to keep those mittens on!

Randy 

(from the Christmas Story)

The mighty hunter returns!