Merry Christmas!

We started our day out opening stockings. Payton was so excited that it was FINALLY Jesus' birthday!


Madelyn loved her new klean kanteen bottle.

She was also happy to get a baby doll...this picture just doesn't portray it!

Ethan B

This is from the Juneau Empire. It's great shot of Erik's tug, Ethan B, on their way to Hawk Inlet on Wednesday. It was blowing about 50mph and seas were 6-8 feet. Surprisingly no one got seasick!!

Santa Clause is coming to town...

...well to Home Depot actually...via helicopter! Payton couldn't care less about Santa, however he was thrilled to be able to watch the helicopter!!

Before watching Santa Payton and Erik built a wooden helicopter at the kids workshop. Madelyn was SO happy to have gotten a hold of the instructions. She likes to eat paper.

Erik, being Erik, had to make sure everything was just right before he'd let Payton pound the nails in.


Voila! Finished product!!

SNOW!!

We finally got a bit of snow that stuck. While it's not much (maybe 4-5 inches total so far), it's still fun to play in! We all got our gear on and played in the snow while Erik cleared the driveway and sidewalk with the snow-blower.

Payton wanted to make (and throw!) snowballs.

I convinced him to help shovel snow instead. Thanks for the new shovel Baba!

Madelyn was content to watch from the backpack. She was a little under the weather due to teething.

The princess.

This is her preferred place to take a nap. :)

A traveling we will go...

otherwise known as our vacation...in pictures!

We left Juneau and spent a few days in Seattle where we went to the zoo,

Fed some chickens (and made a new/old friend!)

finally met the other Madilyn,

and saw some cool old airplanes.

Then we went to Montana where we rode motorcycles,

played in the leaves,





carved pumpkins,

mowed the lawn,

played at the children's museum,

helped stack firewood,

fed Rancher Bob's cows,

and spent a LONG day in Seatac waiting to get home!

Our poor BOB stroller looked like this almost constantly. Thank goodness we brought it, not sure what we'd have done without it!!

Home on the range!

My cute little farmer and his even-cuter little cow!! Oh...and Aunty Helmi.

She REALLY wanted his hat!

Happy cow!

Who needs a playpen...

When you have laundry baskets....


and long-line totes!

*Sorry about the poor photo quality, taken w/ my cell phone*

Rainy Day.

When the city installed sidewalks a few years ago, it took out the slope of our driveway so it doesn't drain. While this drives Erik and I crazy, it makes for GREAT puddles to jump in!!


Payton has the best time running through the long puddle.

I found this cowboy hat at the kids consignment shop for Payton's Halloween costume. But he didn't want to wait to wear it :)

Just another day in the life....

What a whirlwind weekend!! On Saturday we decided to take advantage of the nice weather and took Erik's work skiff down to Taku Harbor. We surprised our friends Dan and Paula (and their 2 kids), who were camping there, with their favorite hot Chai and a chocolate donut for their 3 yr old Dane.
Dane was a good host and he and Payton had a blast running around.


Some brave soul climbed two sturdy trees and built this awesome swing.


These two buddies had a great time swinging. (I couldn't get a picture showing just how HUGE this swing is!)


Taku Harbor was once home to a fish cannery as well as a Hudson's Bay Company Trading Post. It was fun to explore the remnants.


THEN on Sunday we were invited to fly out to a remote beach for an evening picnic!


It doesn't get any better than this!
Filling buckets of water.


Playing with sticks and fire!


Nursing a baby with the best view ever!


I should mention on the was back we had to wade out to the plane (which was threatening to get stuck on the beach!!) and got soaked up to our waists! Not a big deal since we were headed home. Besides, makes for a fun story to tell :)

Our week in pictures!

Erik made a kayak cart so he can tow it behind his bike (for duck hunting).

What's wrong with this picture....

We rode our bikes down to Rotary Park so Payton could feed the ducks. Madelyn patiently watched.



Babies in buckets!

Hmmm, where can I ship him off to?