David is the Pinewood Derby Champion!!!

Our Tiger Cub Scout has won the Tiger Cub Division of the Pinewood Derby for Pack 360! Woo Hoo! Could it be the cool car design with the black paint and gold shimmery stripe? Could it be that he sanded it and carved it with his new pocket knife? Could it be that he prayed every night for a week that he would win? Could it be that Steve researched ancient Pinewood Derby secrets on the internet? I don't know, but the combination worked! David came home with a whopper of a trophy, and an even bigger smile! His car had to be confiscated until the final race-off at the Scout-a-rama next month- we wouldn't want to send it home with a chance for modifications.... In the photos, David's car is painted black with a gold stripe running down the middle of the car. Go, David, Go!

Iditarod Fun

A close up of Lance Mackey's dogs.

A photo of the winning team: it's Lance Mackey, 2009 Iditarod winner! Way to go, Lance!

A team in action! For all of you in the lower 48, this race is thriling to watch! The dogs are so happy and you get to be right there!

Climbing trees between mushers. Tree climbing is David's latest favorite outdoor activity.

David petting the "display" dogs at the Campbell Creek Science Center. This was the best place to view the race- no fences, woods to play in, and hot chocolate and bathrooms in the science center building. The kids loved the trivia games and Iditarod history dislays there too. David won an Iditarod trail marker, and Abby won a poster.

Abby waiting for a high five from musher 27 (not sure who it is). She was tossed a dog booty for her dedication to cheering on the mushers and giving high fives!

Playing on the train. (While I waited in line for the dog sled rides!) What a beautiful day!

Fur Rondy Snow Sculptures in Anchorage, followed by hot chocolate. We skipped the carnival rides, and went for a dog sled ride instead to keep with our Iditarod theme!

The dog sled ride around the Park Strip was so fun. David was in tears when he found out he couldn't be the musher. The smile gives it away, he had a great ride afterall!

Abby has a dream come true! When she was little, she wanted to ride in a kangaroo's pouch, this is as close as she'll get in Alaska!

Family Skiing

Skiing together on Valentine's Day weekend- what a sweet date! We kept a steady speed for a couple of hours (if you have kids, you can relate to how rare this is!), we saw a porcupine up close, and we both had a major wipe-out! Tons of fun! Thanks for keeping the kids, Grandma Debby and Roland! We topped it off with dinner and a movie at the Bear's Tooth.

A beautiful afternoon on the Gold Mint Trail in Hatcher's Pass. The best part of skiing is always the hot chocolate break! :-) The kids have gotten really good on their skis, and they love it! A pocketful of M&Ms, and toe warmers in the boots- I think we're up to 2.5 miles now! We even found a snow fort on the trail!

The first ski of the year was in the yard back in November. It was obvious then that Abby needed to wear David's skis, and he needed an upgrade. They grow so fast! They love to make trails through the woods and obstacle courses in the yard to challenge one another with. David is a daredevil, and Abby is slow and steady. We're so proud of our skiiers!

8th picture, I only have 1 folder!!!

Here are the 8th pictures in my new and old camera folders...
The first one is David's first bath at home in the kitchen sink in May of 2002. The other is the new camera folder, and it's David taking the picture of Abby. We bought a new camera with our garage sale money last June, and the kids were very entertained y playing photographer. They took over 100 pictures the first afternoon! (yes, I do know how to delete photos on my camers, I just figured that out this fall when the memory card was full! See my confession below to know why it took so long!)

Okay, time to confess... I have one gigantic folder for all of my pictures. Not being the tech-type, I avoid playing with the computer, my camera, my ipod, my cell phone- pretty much anything that I don't already know how to do! I'm learning how much easier my life would be if I'd take advantage of all of the organizational features and special tricks in each of these items. My teaching partner, Amber, is always giving me new hints to use at school, and well, I still use post-it notes and write on a calendar and in the lesson plan book instead of utilizing the quick, 1-stop tools that she figures out! I used to scoff at my parents for not beng able to program that very first VCR back in the Dark Ages, well look at me now... :-)

The Sound of Music

Did you watch this classic on TV tonite? We happened to flip it on right at the "Do Re Mi" through Salzburg, and I couldn't help myself but to blog my first memeory of this wonderful movie. (It is my all time favorite!) I was about 6 years old, and had some version of the stomach flu. My mom let me stay up late to watch this movie while I sipped 7-Up and she ironed. I remember having to run to the bathroom right at the wedding part! I was devastated! The next day my mom asked me about the movie, and she was amazed that I remembered the entire thing- love at first sight! She pulled out the record album soundtrack, and from there I began my repetoire (sp?) of Sound of Music favorites. I still know all of the words- and now Abby does too! Are you a Sound of Music fan? What's your favorite song? Did you dance around the couches in your living room as a girl pretending they were the gazebo? :-)

Half-Marathon Complete!

After walk-jogging at the Wasilla Sports Complex last winter, jog-running at the Alcantra Trails this summer, and actually running the streets of Wasilla and Palmer this fall, Stacy and I finally finished the Long Beach Half Marathon on October 12! Woo Hoo! We had a so much fun running with 18,000 people, celebrated our muscles and their soreness, and got to hang out in the sunshine with girlfriends for 3 days! Both of us plan to repeat the same race next year, only with a new and improved race time! :-)

Friends in the picture: (pictures soon- tech. difficulty!)
Seattle Pam with Baby Cate
Becky
Allison
Tina
me
Stacy

Eleven Years of "I Do..."

Our 11th anniversary came this past September 27. For the first time ever, we flew to Seattle without kids and lived it up! We spent the first night in the swanky Woodmark Hotel on Carillon Point in Kirkland, and woke up the next morning to beautiful Seattle weather. Off to the Mariners game we went with Steve's brother, Grant and his wife, Natalie. The baseball tickets were our Christmas gift from N and G - thank you! I still am not sure which was more anticipated by Steve- the Mariners game or a weekend away with his wife! :-) We ended our day with shopping at one of my favorite spots, University Village, and a fun sushi-on-the-conveyor-belt dinners. After a night with N and G, we had brunch and jetted back home! Refreshing, relaxing, and such a reminder of life before kids! Eleven years is a relatively short marriage in the big picture, Steve tells me. I'm grateful for every minute with my true love, Steve Novak!