Our backyard chicken trial was such a success that we welcomed eight new laying hens into our flock this spring. We brought them home as baby chicks, but they are now fully grown ladies with gorgeous coloring and feather patterns. Proudly introducing: The good news is that we are already getting 6-7 eggs per day from these ladies, which we didn’t expect until October. Lots … Continue reading Coopers
Lord help us, there’s a new puppy in the house. What have we done? We already have Tess, our 5-year-old practically perfect pooch. She adores the kids and is a legit member of their backyard soccer league. She is friends with all the neighbor dogs and loves rigorous ear rubs. She was happy. We were happy. But no, we couldn’t leave good enough alone. We … Continue reading Introducing Remy
Remember Rosie, the horse Maggie started working with back in 2016? Lots has changed for that dear horse in the past two years. Back then our friend Jusdi was leasing Rosie, but since she was able to purchase her. Rosie moved from a small stall at an Anchorage barn to Jusdi’s beautiful horse property out in Chugiak. This was all great for Rosie, but not … Continue reading Our Cowgirl
Happy {gasp} 15th Birthday to Sam! Long gone are the days of planning themed parties around my children’s passions. Last weekend Sam invited a few friends via SnapChat, and I think the theme was “Come hang at my house and we’ll avoid my parents as much as possible.” In all seriousness, Sam and his friends are all great kids. They even let me torture them … Continue reading Fifteen: One Cool Ride
This summer Maggie decided to donate her exceptionally long, thick hair to charity. She chose Hair We Share, an organization that makes wigs for people impacted by medical hair loss. Twelve years ago Ms. Kim gave Maggie her very first haircut, and we were thrilled she was available for this special cut as well. Before: After – 13.5 inches gone! Gone are the days of … Continue reading Hair to Spare
There are friends, there are families, and then there are friends who feel like family. We are grateful for our Alaskan circle of friends every day, but especially on holidays. How lucky that we have children close in age who genuinely enjoy each other’s company? Our kids have relationships similar to the ones I had with my cousins when I was younger, and it’s been … Continue reading Easter Cheers
Maggie has always been a girl with a smile so big she can’t help but share it with you. I vividly remember standing in line at grocery stores with a 3-year-old girl who would ask “Wanna see my wiggle dance?” to anyone who happened to make eye contact with her. She never waited for a response. Instead, she would prop her hands on her hips … Continue reading Lucky 13
Oh, kitchen appliances, we love you so. Some are keepers for life (I’m talking to you, Kitchen Aid stand mixer) and others are keepers in the garage (we do use the bread machine once or twice a year, and the vacuum sealer is essential for annual fish processing). Other gadgets were donated long ago, such as George Foreman’s countertop rotisserie that should have been named … Continue reading Liquid Gold
And so it begins: Maggie has two full years with a metal mouth ahead of her. She’s the only one in our family to need braces, but she’ll have plenty of company in her middle school hallways. She was warned that the first few days would be painful, but we had Ibuprofen on hand and she was a trouper. She says she will most miss … Continue reading #braceface
I’m nestled under a blanket on our couch, writing by the light of the Christmas tree. The shiny gifts underneath have been replaced with a blanket of spruce needles that keep dropping from this poor tree, but it still looks beautiful to me. For as long as I can remember we’ve plugged our tree lights into a Clapper. I still remember the ridiculous commercials growing … Continue reading Merry Magical Christmas
