Wednesday, March 24, 2010

mid week pics

So this past weekend it was pretty warm outside which meant we actually got to get outside a little and walk around and explore. On Sunday we went to this really neat area in midtown called the lagoon which is a big frozen lake which backs up to the coastal trail. There were a ton of people out playing hockey and ice skating. Corey got some really fun pics of Miles. The camera bag app on the I phone is a must have!








The pic of the little girl, is Finley, Mile's new best friend. He loves her!

go buy this right now



What a wonderful, yummy treat!

Friday, March 19, 2010

TGIF

Well it's Friday, again, I feel like the weeks are just zooming by. Not much new to report. We don't have much planned for this weekend, except for possibly a movie night tonight with homemade popcorn! We had a fun week and were actually able to get outside and walk around a bit. Miles loves pushing Salem in the stroller. He also likes getting outside to push his lawn mower and wagon. I am so looking forward to warmer weather, and late night summer walks. The longer days have me itching for summer! Here are some fun pics from our week, and some random pics of my Easter/spring decor! Much love to everyone!

St. Patty's day




Sweet Salem








The start of our special painting in honor of cousin Daniel who has been in heaven with Jesus for 5 years on the 23rd. Miles loves to paint!

Saturday, March 13, 2010

this and that






This weekend has been a lot of fun! On Friday we had some friends over for homemade pizza! Miles loved helping me make the dough, what fun! As you can see we are having to get a little creative with activities in the house (playing in laundry baskets), but hey they loved it! It's the little things, right!

weekend pics

We had a great day today! We decided it was time to get out of Anchorage so we went on a little daytrip to Whittier and Girdwood. In order to get to Whittier you have to ride through a tunnel that is 2 miles. Miles loved that part! It's a little creepy and claustrophobic. Here are some pics from our day.





Tuesday, March 09, 2010

Nothing new under the sun

So this week is off to a pretty slow start. It's been pouring snow here all day. It's finally let up a bit. We've just been staying in the last couple of days having hot chocolate and making crafts. This morning Miles and I painted on this huge piece of paper, I really like painting, maybe I'll tackle that one of these days. Corey and I have started this new study in sunday school called becoming a good samaritan. It's right up my alley and I am really enjoying it. This past Sunday our lesson was about seeking social justice and reconciliation. There is a really neat part of the study in which you tackle on your own at home, this week I've really been fascinated by the following site: betterworldshopper.com. One of the challenges for this particular session was to shop responsibly. This website provides the latest information on more than 100 of the largest U.S. companies with the most popular brands across twenty-five industries. You can use the information on this website to help know which companies to avoid and which ones are moving toward economic, social, and environmental responsibility. This is becoming such a passion of mine, I really feel the need to be a good steward of what God has given me while here on this earth. Anyways, now on to what everyone really wants....pictures!




Monday, March 01, 2010

FurRondy Weekend

This weekend we decided to venture out into town to experience some of the annual "Fur Rondy" festivities. Fur Rondy is a big event that happens every year to celebrate and get ready for the Alaskan Iditarod. Here is a little history just in case you are interested:

Seventy-Five Years of History!

The Fur Rondy Festival is a significant part of the history and tradition of Anchorage. In the mid 1930's, Anchorage was just a small town of about 3,000 people that stretched between Park Strip and Ship Creek. There were no televisions, malls or movie theaters, no video games, ipods or computers, not even an Iditarod! Winters were brutal and stoking fires, shoveling snow and surviving the elements was the basic daily pastime in those days.
Vern Johnson, the father of the Fur Rendezvous, was a likeable, outgoing Anchorage citizen with a keen understanding of social conditions. He and his friends decided to establish a 3-day Festival to coincide with the time that the miners and trappers came to town with their winter's yield. It began as a three-day sports tournament on February 15, 16 and 17, 1935 and featured skiing, hockey, basketball, boxing and a children's sled dog race down Fourth Avenue. Nearly the entire population of Anchorage turned out for the bonfire and torchlight parade.

Since then, the Fur Rendezvous has earned national and international notoriety, and visitors from throughout the world descend on Anchorage every February.

Despite the passage of time and a multitude of modern diversions, Fur Rendezvous remains a highly anticipated time of year. There are still many Fur Rendezvous events that have withstood the test of time and continue to maintain their unique character. The Official Rondy Fur Auction has been a staple of the Festival since the beginning and the Festival was named in large part to the economic importance of the Alaskan fur trade. Given that the fur trade was Alaska's third most valuable industry in those days, incorporating the industry into the celebration was a logical idea. The Blanket Toss, an ancient Native Alaskan tradition, joined the Festival in 1950. Native Alaskans were flown into Anchorage from Nome and the Little Diomede Islands to participate in the Blanket Toss and to showcase their captivating tribal dances.

The World Championship Sled Dog Race debuted in 1946 and has become the cornerstone event of the Festival bringing teams of sled dogs and mushers to Anchorage from across Alaska and all over the world. The World Championship Dog Weight Pull began in 1967 as a bet between two dog owners to see whose animal could pull the most weight. Four decades later, dog owners are still competing against each other for the cash, notoriety and the illustrious World Champion title for the event. Other traditional Fur Rondy events include the Rondy Carnival, the Grand Parade, the uniquely Alaskan Original Men's Snowshoe Softball and the Grand Prix Auto Race, one of the oldest street races in North America.

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So on Friday I took the boys to the see the annual sled dog races. It was a lot of fun and Miles couldn't stop talking about the "doggies." On Friday we also visited this amazing bakery called Fire Island which is nestled in one of Anchorage's downtown neighborhoods. It is a family run bakery with amazing artisan breads and pastries! This will for sure be one of my most frequented spots... fireislandbread.com. On Sunday we went downtown again to take part in the running of the reindeers. It was fun, but a little stressful with the boys as you can imagine. Here are some pics from our "FurRondy" adventures!













Did I mention we live in Alaska! HA!