Spring Break

Nancy Lake, Willow, Alaska Public Use Cabin #4

While pulling our sleds filled with food, sleeping bags and firewood, our chests swelled with a little Alaskan Pride. Where else in the world is this Spring Break?

While the weekend was filled with normal life events (like crying cold kids--all 3 and under, boys on the tops bunks sleeping in their underwear because it was so hot, sleeping on a wooden platform, and nothing says real life like using a outhouse in -10 degree weather), it was at the same time spectacular. My favorite moment, hands down, was standing on the frozen lake around 9PM and looking up at the dancing Northern Lights while we could hear the ice cracking around us and wolves howling in the distance.

Bacon Boys 1st Scout Campout

Christian and Tanner's 1st Scout Campout.

Snow Cave.  Lots and Lots of Digging.

Dinner:  Tinfoil Dinners.  Breakfast:  Sausage and Hot Chocolate.  Lunch:  Peanut Butter and Honey.  (As their phenomenal 11-year-old scout leader said, "It's not gourmet but we've got to start somewhere.")

Hiking down the River.  Campfire.  Smores.  

OH, and did I mention. . . It was . . . 

44 degrees BELOW freezing.  

Turkey Bacon

I grew up eating Turkey Bacon.  Oh how I wish it had been this.  Doesn't Bacon make EVERYTHING taste better?

Hyrum was invited to a friend's birthday party last Saturday.

The mother of the birthday boy overheard him reviewing the contents of his goodie bag to himself.

"Fruit Roll-Up Yum.

"Granola Bar. Oh give me a Break."

This morning at breakfast, while trying to encourage our boys to eat bite sized pieces of their German Pancakes with their mouths closed, our conversation included this comment from Eric:

"Boys we may be Bacon but we aren't Pigs."

Will the Bacon jokes ever stop? No. This is why I petitioned to be the Bacners or the Wacons (Bacon & Warner mixed). It was futile. I lost and the Bacon jokes continue. Ironically it is Mr. Bacon himself that distributes MOST of the Bacon humor.

While I'm the first to say that Bacon is delicious, it does have it limits. Our good friends, the Holts, came by the other night to deliver their White Elephant Gift to us. It was Bacon Flavored chapstick and Bacon Flavored Soda. I've put both away. Who can claim to have either of those in their food storage? We can. It will truly take desperate times for me to tip back the Bacon Flavored soda. Bleh.

My Fellow Americans Video

My Fellow Americans

Previous to this video Mudge was giving me some serious "angry eyes."  He was mad that I wasn't sharing the camera with him.  He's quite the temper tantrum thrower and will scowl and hit to show his frustration.  

A very "Mudge-ish" motion is what we have termed My Fellow Americans.  For months he would, at random moments, just raise one of his hands in a Presidential type greetings.  We would add our dialogue/commentary always beginning with "My Fellow Americans_________ (then fill in the blank)."   Our only rule is it has to sound Presidential Proper. . . for example, My Fellow Americans it is with a deep heart that I inform you of the lost sippy cup, or My Fellow Americans, I greet you today with love in my heart and sweet potatoes on my face, or My Fellow Americans, ask not what you can do with a diaper but what you can do in your diaper. . . you know something totally silly.

While Mudge typically refuses to perform on command he WILL almost always respond to "My Fellow Americans" by grinning and raising one of his hands.

Brothers

Messenger Bags 2

Here are all four bags.  (yes, Warner has a bag too, he just didn't hang his up after church last week)

I love how they are all unique.  

Messenger Bags

This year the boys sing SCRIPTURE POWER each Sunday in Primary. It is cute to hear little Warner give his own hearty rendition.
My older boys have wonderful Primary teachers that are encouraging them to read at home, bring on Sunday, and mark their favorite parts of the New Testament.
I looked online for a masculine messenger scripture bag and couldn't find anything (the boys need their hands free because they are usually helping me bring in Talmage or Warner or a bag of toys for the Nursery). From a Modge Podge of resources I created this and LOVE how they turned out.

Outdoor Decor Fabric from JoAnns 50% off.

I let the boys pick their fabrics. Each boy wanted something different which was great.

I wanted them to be just big enough for the scriptures but not much else. I'm always amazed at the contraband (lego guys, notebooks, etc.) that make their way to church. In this case, less is more.

Pencil/Pen pocket.

Room with a View

This is the view from my bedroom window.  Alaska has LONG sunsets and I find myself really enjoying the colors and contrast of the trees.

Me.

Grocery List

Bacon Family Monthly Grocery List. . .just the basics:

12 Gallons of Milk

10 dozen eggs

12 loaves of bread

6 bunches banana

10 lbs. apples

5 dozen flour tortillas

3 dozen corn tortillas

4-50oz. canned chicken

8 boxes Chex cereal

40 cups of Oats

30 cups of Rice

10 lbs carrots

5 lbs. broccoli

4 lbs. frozen berries

6 large OJ concentrate

4 zuchinni, yellow squash

6 lbs. tomatoes

10 lbs. potatoes

We went to the pediatrician this week.  The four oldest all had visits.  Our Doc was just guessing from growth curves and such and thought that C&T would be 6'2 or 6'3 and that Sam would be taller at 6'4 or 6'5.  Yikes.  We haven't even hit the growth spurt/eating years.  

Little gifts I gave out to a few girlfriends here in town.

The boys and their Hero, I mean Dad, playing Dungeons and Dragons together.

20 More to Go

1 Merit Badge Down. 20 more to go.
On Saturday, the boys and I went out to find snowprints of 10 animals. It was a BEAUTIFUL winter day and were enjoying the wonderful [for us it is heavenly] 35 degree weather. I didn't even bother to wear a coat or gloves.

While searching in the snow we saw this. . . probably about 150 meters away.
The boys thought it was a rock . . . I knew it had to be something. . . ALIVE.


So we went and snuck up on it . . . as much as you can with three boys and snow boots. We were delighted to discover that it was a Beaver who happened to slip into this hole before we could get a picture of him.

False Alarm

[warning: the pictures below are horrible]

This year I dragged my feet on putting up the Christmas tree. I was sure that Captain Destructo [aka Mudge] would destroy everything. I had visions of finding him pinned underneath the Christmas tree that he has pulled down on himself. I was just sure he would try to take a bite out of ornament or two. . . or at bare minimum that he would try to pull off the lights. And when Eric mentioned, in response to our kids pleading, pulling out the train I laughed. If the tree couldn't survive there is no way that the train would.

I'm happy to report, on all counts, that I was wrong.

Mudge didn't even seem to notice the tree at all. And he loved the train but respected it, for the most part, as a "no touch." It was really cute to watch him do a little excitement dance every time it came around the corner.

The boys always decorage the trains with "good guys."

Enough Said

Make My Day

Here's a little gun slinger.
Won't say a word and will only sign for food.
But he can load and fire a nerf gun.

W&M

Warner loves to sing.  He's learned a few Christmas songs this year. . . his favorite, Christmas Bells Are Ringing.  His 3-year-old rendition goes as follows:

Christmas Bells are Ringing

Hear what they say to you,

JESUS IS BORING [born]

in Bethleham,in Bethleham

Mudge is our first kid with his own theme song.  Inspired by PBS' Super Why, we came up with.

Mudge, Mudge, Mudge

Mudge-a-riffic, You're Terrific

A New Twist on a Old Tradition

When I was younger I always wanted games for Christmas. Murder She Wrote, the game, stands out as favorite.

My sister Michelle has always LOVED a good puzzle. I remember searching the shelves, for her Christmas gift and carefully selecting what I thought would be the trickiest and most exciting puzzle. The trickiest aspect was for my sister, the exciting aspect was for me. I don't have nearly the puzzle talent that she has but I'm happy to sit right along side her during a good movie add my one piece to her twenty.

I love those memories. Of course those memories are from when I was a young teenager and through college. So as a young mother I thought I would carry on the tradition only to met with frustration as little hands grab for pieces or worse, little mouths would eat pieces. So for the past 10 years we've resigned ourselves to the 24 piece variety: Toy Story, Cars, Blue's Clues, Winnie the Pooh, Dragon Tales. . .
It was time to break free. . .

This year, as our way to announce the boys BIGGEST and hopefully BEST present, we thought we'd try doing a family puzzle again. It took us a couple of movies and a couple of days to complete it, but I think everyone was thrilled. The boys then took a black light and were able to decode a secret message we had written on the puzzle invisible ink.

On May 30-June 6 we are going to Disneyland. The boys are beyond excited and I think I am even a tad bit more excited than that.

2010 Christmas Loot

We celebrated Christmas on Tuesday, December 2st. Why? Because we can. And because Christmas break is typically one of the coldest times of the year and we want our kids Christmas Loot ready and available.

Santa came through with the much coveted Lego Motorcycle set (his #1 Christmas pick. . . and it happened to be $9)

Christian's gift of Dungeons and Dragons is definitely a family favorite.

Hyrum got a gerbil which he has affectionately named Golf Tank.
The boys also got Wii Party from G&G Bacon. The song We like to party has been forever changed to Wii Like To Party. . . Wii like, Wii like to Party.

A cheer went up when Tanner opened the Percy Jackson books.. . .the boys have read the entire series at least four time each and were excited to start again.

A Few of My Favorite [Christmas] Things

My Mom sent this ornament in a Christmas care package. Not only is is warm and fuzzy-- everything a good holiday should be-- but I especially love the detail of the ornaments.

This came from my Dad on another day. This has become a very LOVED and much anticipated holiday tradition. Each year my folks purchase little puzzle boxes with our Christmas money hidden inside. We've have everything from mazes to trick hinges that range anywhere from five minutes to five hours to open.

Hyrum drew this in art class. I love it. You cannot see the glitter paint detail on the Nutcracker's uniform, but it is there.