Winter is still hanging on, but I'm pretending it's not

It's mid-May and our night temps are sometimes in the low 20's.  Our daytime highs frequently only get up to the mid 30's and they've even forecast a mix of rain and snow for the next couple of days.  (I just looked out the window and it is indeed snowing...on May 17).

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I have a box where we throw any mail that needs shredded or burned, and it was growing large (like 4 boxes of material).  My shredder can't handle that type of volume and after our scary incident attempting to burn a pile of paper and wood last year in too-dry Alaska, we were not eager to repeat that experience.  

I found a local guy that sells "incinerator" barrels for burning debris.  They have nice vents for air flow and a hatch to pull out the ashes.  And they limit the fire danger that is so scary here in Alaska.  

He paints them this bright orange color, which is a marketing decision, but it melts off after burning, which is not pretty.  I'm looking forward to my barrel getting the rusty burned color.

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I have been telling the kids that when the snow was finally melted off the deck, I would exchange their winter clothing for summer clothes (a huge project that lasted through watching the entire movie of BBC's "Pride and Predjudice").  

Isaac took matters into his own hands and pried the ice and snow off of the deck.  I see his point.  I'm so done with winter.

I was able to bleach and scrub down the deck yesterday, as well as do a little more raking on the yard.  

How's this for juxtaposition?  It is so weird to see snow and piles of leaves in the same space.  

So strange.  Thank goodness we live where the sun directly shines on our property, because many of my neighbors and friends still have tons of snow in their yards.  

Planting anything in the ground is pretty much out of question right now, so I'm just focusing on pecking away at my yard when I get the chance.  

On a good note, we're still mosquito free, at least until it warms up.

Not today

I had planned on putting together a nice post to celebrate Lydia's Birthday today.  Yes, my sweet (and fiesty) baby girl is 2 years old.  Unfortunately, she and I were up all night with the flu.  

This is how she's been spending her day

I've been trying to keep my nausea at bay while groggily pecking away at the enormous amount of laundry a vomiting 2 year old can make. 

So, I'm just not up writing a lovely blog post today, but I'm hoping to get it done in the next couple of days when we're feeling better (that's if no one else gets it).

For now, here are a couple of pics of her yesterday.

Happy Birthday baby Girl! 

Happy Mothers Day

 I happened to be the first to wake up this morning.  I took a luxurious shower and got dressed before anyone in the house started stirring.  Dave then woke and got the older kids up.  They gave me their cards and Dave made me a delicious breakfast of coffee, steak and eggs.

Elsa's card was a sweet mixed media presentation that I loved.  She came up with the idea on her own and had worked on it for a couple of days.

Adin drew me a picture of the AR-15 I'm hoping to get someday...complete with dark purple details. ♥

Isaac made me a sweet drawing.

 I am a truly blessed Mama.

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 I thought this comic to be funny.  While it's so very true, being a Mother is not nearly the drudgery it might appear to be

In the same vein, here is a lovely and wise quote by C.S. Lewis   

 “I think I can understand that feeling about a housewife’s work being like that of Sisyphus (who was the stone rolling gentleman). But it is surely in reality the most important work in the world. What do ships, railways, miners, cars, government etc exist for except that people may be fed, warmed, and safe in their own homes? As Dr. Johnson said, “To be happy at home is the end of all human endeavour”. (1st to be happy to prepare for being happy in our own real home hereafter: 2nd in the meantime to be happy in our houses.) We wage war in order to have peace, we work in order to have leisure, we produce food in order to eat it. So your job is the one for which all others exist…” (pg 447-Letter of CS Lewis 1988 ed.)

I hope that all of you Moms (as well as those who are hoping to be Moms) have a wonderful time celebrating this very special day.

Happy Tuesday (with a little bedroom update)

Today the kids and I are sprucing the house back up from the weekend.  Cleaning toilets, dusting, vacuuming and picking up the little details that get left behind during our more active days.  

I'm almost done deep cleaning the house.  My favorite rooms to clean are my bedroom and the living room.  They are the rooms we spend the most time in and having them be clean and fresh make me feel so peaceful.  I'll show you the living room decor in my next blog post.

I adjusted my bedroom decor just a bit.  I removed some of the pillows and stuck with a simple pallet of deep yellow and white with green accents.

I bought this gorgeous pillow from Zulily a few months ago

The letters are leather!

This beautiful sheepskin was a Christmas gift from my sister.  The fun pillow is from Ikea.

This vintage style rack came from Antique Farmhouse a couple of months ago.  I love how it transformed my boring wall.

I moved my DIY lampshade into the bedroom and I love how it looks

 

The blue hanger was purchased at a sweet boutique in Anchorage.  I really love it for hanging my jewelry

I hope you enjoyed this peek into my haven.  It's a much favored place for our whole family. 

We have finally gotten some warmer temperatures (at least for this week), so our snow is finally melting off.   I hope the weather is as equally beautiful wherever you are.

May is here!!!

I am so thankful to see May finally arrive.  This has been a super long winter and while it seems like it will never end, the coming of May gives me hope.  Surely the snow cannot last into June...right?

This was the view out my back door yesterday

Today it warmed up to 44 degrees and so was a teeny bit warmer than yesterday.  Captain American obviously can't wait for summer.  Barefoot with snow on the ground? Sure.

As for me, I've been spring cleaning the house.  Laundry, washing blinds, mopping floors, removing clutter and organizing closets. 

  This photo is humiliating, but my linen closet was out of control.  I was always scared to open it in case of an avalanche of bedding.  

In my defense, this is our only linen closet...in a house with 7 beds with linen & pillow obsessed Mama.

It looks quite a bit better now, thank goodness (except for the crappy cell phone photo)

   Here's to better weather coming soon.  At least I'll be able to embrace it with a clean house.

Unbreakable ~ A Book Review

 Today I'm reviewing the second book in the Road to Kingdom series by Nancy Mehl ~ Unbreakable

Synopsis:

Gentle and unassuming, Hope Kauffman has never been one to question the traditions of her Mennonite upbringing. She quietly helps her father run Kingdom Quilts and has agreed to the betrothal he arranged for her with the devout but shy Ebbie Miller.

Despite the attempts of Hope and other Kingdom residents to maintain the status quo, changes have already begun to stir in the small Mennonite town. The handsome and charismatic Jonathon Wiese is the leader of the move to reform, while Ebbie insists Kingdom must remain true to its foundation. When Hope's safety is threatened by a mysterious outsider, she can't help but question what she's always been taught about the Mennonite tradition of nonviolence.

As it swiftly becomes apparent the threat Hope faced is only the beginning, the town that's always stood so strong finds itself divided. With tensions high and their lives endangered by an unknown enemy, will Hope and the people of Kingdom allow fear and division to break them or will they draw on the strength of the God they serve?

My Review:

I reviewed Inescapable last year and was looking forward to spending more time in the Kingdom community.  The book begins with us meeting the sweet Hope Kaufmann. She has a loving and kind Father and wonderful friends who adore her.  Hope is sure of herself when things are safe and calm, but begins to question herself when their community is in danger.  She also struggles with her feelings for two very different men, Jonathan and Ebbie. 

I enjoyed this book. While it didn't have the safe heart pounding danger Inescapable had, there was an element of not knowing what would happen next.  This Mennonite community is very different than what I would picture that lifestyle to be like.  While I'm not a pacifist, I appreciated the self examination Hope and those around did while they faced the possibility that someone would wish them harm.  They had to decide if they would turn the other cheek and stand firm in their ideals of nonviolence even when their loved ones were in danger.  

I especially liked the end of the book where Hope decides which man she will marry.  Neither was a villain, and so her choice could not be cut and dried.   

Unbreakable is a book that keeps you guessing and may also lead to come self examination of your own beliefs, and that's the kind of book I like best. 

 In exchange for my honest review, I received a copy of the book from Bethany House

Wild West Alaska

While in Anchorage I usually do quite a bit of shopping, even if it's just browsing.  This time the kids and stopped at an antique store that had some really nice things, but I didn't find anything I "needed" to bring home.  
 (That visit also brought an encounter with a very disturbing Cockatoo who came out of nowhere and scared the wits out of Adin and I, but maybe that's a story that would be better not re-lived...it still gives me a chill to think about.  I think it was a guard Cockatoo, if there is such a thing).  

We went to a fun store called Ozarks that has absolutely beautiful things, but most of their prices are so outrageous, there is really no option for me to spend...kinda like when I go into Nordstroms to look around.  This is the third time I've been into Ozarks and I've never even been greeted by the people working there...maybe it's an Alaskan thing?!  I think if they were more friendly, I'd find something to buy.   

Despite all that, it is a simply gorgeous store that I could spend hours in.  Here's some eye candy from their lovely shop.

Goodness, if only I'd have had an extra $600 (if my memory serves correct) to bring that pink beauty home.

The highlight of our whole trip to Anchorage had to be the quick stop we made at Wild West Guns...right before they closed for the day.

We have faithfully watched Wild West Alaska since it started.  We enjoy the silliness (Alaskans are so weird, which is why we love it here) and of course, all of the amazing guns.  We have to filter some of the scenes, but it's mostly kid-friendly programming.   

The kids were in awe to be in the store.  The staff was so friendly to us!  I loved that some of the staff open carry their guns...awesome.   
When Bryan heard the kids were excited to meet the cast, he and Ken offered to get a photo with them.  The lighting wasn't great, so the photos are crappy, but they're still a great memory. (Ken is a nut, and we were all so thrilled to see his trademark fox hat)

In true Alaskan style, Bryan even made us a cash deal for the souvenirs we bought.  Awesome!  

 If you haven't seen Wild West Alaska and would like to check it out, click here for the link.