Spunky Boy Meets "Mr. Boy"

We regularly keep Laska, along with our other four dogs, in our backyard pen.
However, a recent, serious injury may have put an abrupt end to Mr. Boy's "kennel days." Laska, aka "Mr. Boy" thoroughly loved the time and attention and love lavished upon him last night. Particularly, he loves his boys. Here, Spunky demonstrates the fine art of grooming his dog. He slept in Bobcat and Eaglet's room last night, and has had no trouble making himself at home indoors. He has a feline pal in here, who is thrilled to have his company. Really, she loves him. So what happened to get us in this predicament?
Thursday evening, Laska was running and playing happily with one of his dog pals, when he stopped suddenly in pain. From that moment on, he used only three legs. The vet tech in me said immediately as it happened, "There goes his cruciate." We decided to give him a day or two and just see if it may have been a soft tissue injury. When he was still not bearing any weight by Monday morning, I took him in to see my good friend and former boss at All Creatures Vet Clinic. What I knew to be true, but had hoped was not, was confirmed. Laska ruptured his ACL. We are in the process of laying out our options for our dear, 12 1/2 year-old, faithful family member. This guy has been with us through a lot, and for a long time. He was our "baby" when we were a newlywed couple. I'll never forget the day we proudly adopted him from my veterinary technology school. We drove him 1/2 way to my parent's home, where the new "grandparents" picked him up and took him back with them to Wisconsin until we could get moved into our new rental home, which would allow a dog. Yes, we moved across the city so we could accomodate this guy. And, I'll add, we are so glad we did. He has taught us much about life, about trust and faith, about exuberance and perseverence, about love. What can we do to help him now? Ideal treatment is a very spendy, TPLO surgery done by a specialist. Even a couple years ago, we would not have hesitated. But at 12 1/2 years, we have to admit that our sweet dog's life expectancy is in it's twighlight. Do we put out the $3000, which incidentally, we don't have? For now, we have him on pain medication and anti-inflammatories. It is also possible, that a combination of these and a couple other medications, along with a bit of...ahem...weight loss :) could make him comfortable enough that he'd have a good quality of life for the remainder of his years. We're also looking into an orthopedic brace. For those of you who may not be "dog people" this post probably seems a bit crazy. That's ok. For those of you who are "dog people", please pray for our sweet dog and also for wisdom for us in what to do for him.

Husky Boys

Ahh! Summertime! The boys had a blast helping me shuck corn in the sunshine (Although this was a few weeks ago--unfortunately, we haven't had many days like this this year.) It was quite nostalgic for me as I remember doing this all summer long in the sunny Wisconsin countryside. Do any of you remember that old, 80's song that used to play over and over on the radio, "Chaka Con"? I'm not even sure if I'm spelling that right, and furthermore, I have no idea what it means so hopefully it is nothing offensive! Anyway, for some reason I had that in my head (?) as we were working on our corn. So, I made up appropriate words. "Shuck corn, Everybody, Everybody shuck corn. Shuck corn that's all I wanna do--shuck corn Everybody Everybody shuck corn." And then of course, in a very high, annoying pitch: "I feel for you! I think I loooooove you!" Yes it is confirmed. I can be a little crazy. The boys never see corn on the cob now that they don't burst into song.

Homeschooling Families--Any Advice For Me?

Help! I had this little area set up in a corner of our living room for the past year. It worked really well to have a spot for Bobcat to work while I managed the 2 little ones, worked in the kitchen, etc. However, I have reached maximum as far as room for books and things. My bookshelf is overflowing and the hall closet is to over-brimming. We recently bought Eaglet a "big boy" bed and put it up in Bobcat's room. It's going well with having them share a room. So, we now have a bedroom freed-up downstairs. My inclination is to make it into a home-base for homeschooling. There is a closet (which I intend to have my husband install more shelving into, to house science kits, word games, etc.) and a floor-to-ceiling, built-in bookshelf, which I intend to use for reference books and books/curriculums that we use on a daily-basis. My question for any of you is, do you have any suggestions as far as how to set up the room? What kind of furniture? Ideas for the walls? Should I use the pictured child's desk or go for a table set-up. How to arrange them? I also need a spot for Eaglet, who will be beginning pre-school, and an area for Spunky Cub to go wild in. I would like a place to sit down and work on lesson plans, have "school supplies" handy, etc. And, I should mention, that it is not my intention to sit down in this room all day, every day and "do school". Yes, we'll work down there at times, but I'm sure we'll, just as often, take reading onto the couch, or math up to the kitchen table. And, of course, those fun science experiments will be done in the kitchen. I truly would appreciate anyone's advice, and/or sharing of how your rooms look like and are set up. Pictures are good! I challenge you to post 'em! Thanks a million!

It's Tough to be One??!

Rough life, isn't it? Spunky enjoyed his afternoon, kicked back with a popsicle.

Running Right Along...

My 2nd 5k of the summer, Race for Technology...and we were off! This race, www.mta-telco.com/community/summer.html, was to benefit the borough libraries
and was a balmy 42 degrees at the start. I am pleased to note that my time was 29:30! Again, not very impressive, but considering I shaved 3 1/2 minutes off from the Curtis Menard, I am happy. I have come to the conclusion that I love Palmer races. Palmer is the community where historically, the midwesterners transplanted with government funding to begin farming in Alaska www.palmerchamber.org/. Hence, it is farmland--FLAT farmland. Very good encouragement for someone like me who is newly into the local running scene. My other encouragement, as always, were my sweet husband/"coach" and little gaggle of boys whom greeted me enthusiastically at race-end. "Mommy! I've been missing you so much!" squealed Eaglet, as he ran excitedly into my arms at the finish. "Did I take that long?" I thought to myself as I scooped my little sweetie up and was smothered with love and kisses. Bliss.

Back in my shoes again! Becoming a "running family"...

The weekend before last I ran the Curtis Menard 5k www.menardrun.com. Though my time was not too impressive (32:58) it wasn't too bad considering I had not been training (!) Anyway, it felt great to stretch these old legs and get back into the running community. I am inspired to actually get on a regular "training schedule." The prospect of being in good physical condition after 6 years of being pregnant or nursing a baby is enticing. My "coach" husband, started me on a regimen this past week. I am planning to run MTA's Race for Technology this upcoming Saturday. With flat terrain in Palmer, it shouldn't be difficult to improve my time. Anyway, as you notice, the boys are also wearing racing bibs! They each participated in the children's fun run--one lap around the indoor turf. Each received a participation medal...and were thrilled to "run a race like Daddy." Speaking of which, was this past weekend! We are so proud of him--he finished his first marathon www.mayorsmarathon.com and did so in 4 hours, 13 minutes. He reached his 2 goals, which he stated, were: #1: to finish. #2: to not die. Haha! See his running blog; it really is a good story: www.runalaska.blogspot.com

I Still Remember My Roots...Helllloooo Wisconsin!

I couldn't resist a couple shots of our little Badgers fan. All 3 of the boys wore this little outfit as babies, and all 3 were extremely "snuggleble" in it. What is cuter than a pint-size little boy body in "big boy" basketball attire?And just WHERE did he get all those little curls?!? I'm not sure, but I know one thing--they will not be cut anytime soon. Spunky has such a masculine little face that he can get away with it anyway!

So What's the Exciting News?!

Wise Bobcat was baptized on Easter! Excuse the picture of pictures...I stll haven't figured out this scanner yet. Anyway, it was a very joyous occasion, and we were so proud of our little guy as he made a stand for what he believes in. It is a very cool story as to how he came to the decision (and it WAS his decision, through and through.) A couple weeks before Easter, he had chosen a book at the library, The Easter Story. Upon reading it during his rest break one afternoon, he was brimming with questions, with much emphasis on "baptism." He had read about when Jesus said, "All who believe in me and are baptized shall be saved," and was very troubled by the word "and." Bobcat knows all about salvation and last Easter (2005) did in fact decide to ask Jesus for forgiveness of his sins and for Him to live in his heart forever. He knows that that is it--there are no strings attached. So you can see why, in the mind of a 5-year-old, the "and" would cause confusion. We talked a lot about it and about why people choose to be baptized with water. Several days later, in his Sunday School class, his take-home worksheet talked about baptism. Bobcat was so excited about it! He grabbed his Bible and a pencil and wanted to work on that worksheet the moment we got home. I mentioned to him that our church would be having a baptism service on Easter..so if he'd like to go and see how it worked, I'd be happy to take him. Later that evening, he brought up the baptism service. I asked him, "Why? Would you like me to take you to that so you can see how it works?" "No," he replied, "I've decided I think I want to be baptized." I told him we could talk to Pastor about that. I must admit that my immediate thought was that he was too young. Then I quickly realized that it was between Bobcat and God...and I could obviously see how God had been pursuing him and working in his heart. When God speaks, we need to listen! I was thinking on that when, a few moments later, Bobcat came to Tony and I and told us, "The reason I've decided I want to be baptized, is because if it was important to Jesus--when he was here on Earth--than it's important to me." There you have it. Who can argue with that?! So, at the Easter evening baptism service, we witnessed our little boy make his testimony in front of a room full of others. The water was freezing (note Pastor Larry's waders--he never wears those, but made an exception this time) and Bobcat was not keen on being dunked under water. Still, his desire to be baptized outweighed these details. He felt strongly enough about it that he was willing to withstand the discomforts. There were about 10 people baptized that evening, ranging from Bobcat's age to gray-haired. What was really special to us, was that Pastor spoke at the beginning of the service about the faith of children and how that is to be respected. We had a little cake party afterward, and that too was very special. I'm just so thankful for the privilage to raise my boys. I'm so thankful that the Creator of our universe loves each of them even way more than Tony and I do. I'm so thankful that He is pursuing each of them...and working out a perfect, prosperous plan for each of their lives. What a relief...a release...to know that they are in His care. There truly is no greater joy.

Can it Be?? I'm Back! Do I still have any viewers??!

Oh my. Where to begin? Sorry for the extended hiatus. Sometime around mid-April things became so crazy I just sort of fell out of blog-land. (Do I still have any viewers??!) So many blog-worthy events happened about that time...but with no time and no pictures, I avoided the blog entirely. Logical? Hmm. Anyway. Here is a picture to prove that summer really has finally come to Alaska. We weren't sure if it would make it this year or not, but alas--it is here! We have spent the last 4 days (Tony had off work!) enjoying some great, summer family time--waterfights (Wise Bobcat is ruthless!), kiddie pool, going out to breakfast, gardening, b-ball, and yes--bug catching (see photo.) It's been fantastic. Unfortunately, hand-in-hand with Alaska's summer is fire season. Thankfully, we've been protected from the wildfires that have been raging nearby. One last week, was just a mile from our home. Scary as it was, it was quite exciting watching all those fire-fighting planes and copters as they swept down to dump water and retardant. We are blessed in this state to have such brave and skilled men and women to respond to the numerous fires we've been having. The firefighters had this particular fire under control within a day, and only one home was lost. The other fire we've been keeping our eye on, is about 5 miles away. That one has been much more difficult to get under control. It is currently burning over 700 acres. Amazingly, only 2 structures have been lost. So just what, you may ask, was so exciting and time-consuming over the last month that I had no time to blog? Too much to recap; however, I will take a moment to share one VERY EXCITING piece of news...but I will share it tomorrow!

Bobcat Tells the Story...

This morning, Bobcat was re-enacting his Grandpa's recent hunting trip. As he sat in his cockpit (a chair), he spoke into his headset (a blanket shaped just-so.) "....Yes? Oh. I'm going to hunt a caribou...... What? Oh. Yes, I am flying over a volcano now.... Yes. I need to fly south...."
So here are a couple photos from the actual event. Dad is pictured at right with his caribou. I assure you, we've been eating well!












Here's the actual active volcano that they flew past! Notice the smoke coming out on the right side of the peak.

Finally Spring...Can You Really Tell, Though?

Spunky tries to figure out what those big brothers are doing! The boys broke out the air rocket today...here Bobcat assists Eaglet in a launch.

3-Year-Old Dreams

"I'm a fireman!" Mischievous Eaglet has been quite consistent in informing us that this is what he'd like to be when he grows up. After a brief stint (yesterday) of having his sights set on being a garbage man, today he was back to the original dream.


The full get-up...

















"This is my gas mask." (Thanks Ken! You thought you just gave us a train set!)













"My rubber boots preetect my feet...from smoke, smoke relarms, and fire extinguishers." (Excellent idea. And here I thought they were just nice winter boots for Mommy!) I better post this and go see where that siren noise is coming from...

Just an Aside...

Look familiar to any of you? This is what happened while I was posting my blog this morning!

A Challenge--See If You Can "I Spy..."

I took this picture yesterday evening, with our very cheap digital camera. I was about 50 feet away from the subject, but one could never tell! So, ok. Here is your mission, should you choose to accept it: We had two visitors in our yard all day yesterday, from dawn 'til way past dusk. Can you spy and identify one? One hint: We had caribou again for supper last night. This visitor was very relieved.

Thankful for Family and for Provision!

I'm so thankful that my parents came to live in Alaska, too. This last weekend, my dad went off to the Bush caribou hunting (more to come on that experience!) Mom came over to watch Spunky Cub so Tony and I could take the big boys to an ice skating birthday party that afternoon. That was a hoot, by the way. It was Mischievous Eaglet's first time, and Wise Bobcat's second (the first was a couple years ago on Wasilla Lake--very rough ice, sub-zero temp, and howling wind. Sound fun?!) I wish I had pictures to share, but alas, I only had my big camera with me. Anyway, Mom had supper with us and stayed the night. We watched a movie together that evening, and spent the entire next morning just sitting about, drinking tea, and enjoying having Grandmom with us. I do not take this for granted. So many fellow Alaskans live here with no family at all. I cannot imagine not having my mom and dad around to share our lives with. Furthermore, I cannot imagine not being able to share our children with them on a regular basis. Grandparents are nearly the only other people in the world who love all the nuances in children's personalities and "cute litte kid stories" as much as the parents. A great weekend was made even more fantastic when we were invited over to Grandmom and Grandpa's for a dinner of that delicious caribou he bagged! Just as fantastic was the slide show and narration of the adventure. Wow! I can't wait to post some of his pictures in here.

Iditarod News!

Jeff King took the Iditarod, making his way under the burled arch on Front Street in Nome a little after 1 a.m. this morning. Way to go, Jeff! This makes him one of the few, four-time champions. If any of you out there are unfamiliar with the Iditarod, you really should check it out. www.iditarod.com. It is also a great project for homeschooling families; consider doing a unit next year!

What a blessing!

Last night, after reading a couple stories, Mischievous Eaglet took his Bible storybook and hopped into his little toddler bed. He chose a Bible story, the story of Jesus' ascension. I read it to him, and he had many questions...like why did Jesus have marks on his hands and feet. We have regularly read this and many other Bible stories together over the last 3 1/2 years, but tonight was the first time that he was full of many, many questions. I talked with him about why Jesus died on the cross, as payment for our sins so we could have a friendship with God and live with Him in Heaven forever. He explained to me that "taking away Hotwheels is a bad choice." He then happily exclaimed, "I believe in Jesus!" In the end, he decided to pray and tell Jesus, "I believe in you Jesus. I love you Jesus. Thank you for forgiving my bad things, like taking away Hotwheels." What a blessing to witness our little guy's first step in faith. Please join me in praying in thanksgiving, that this will only be a first of many revelations and commitments for him in his journey in The Son."

"Nap" (term used lightly) Time...

Today I went to retrieve Mischievous Eaglet from his "nap." He promptly informed me he was "riding in a boat in the river, fishing." His boat was composed of a dresser drawer from his mini side-table. The "fishing pole" was a hanger from his closet, which originally held the sweater that he was now wearing (he decided he needed a little more warmth for his "nap.") Note the chapstick drawing on the mirror, and the metal photo album and miscellaneous items in the bed. Note that the bed no longer has a blanket of any type. They were scattered on the floor, along with about 1/2 of his bookshelf contents! Gotta love his imagination, though.

Look, Mommy!

Spunky Cub is feeling quite proud of himself and his accomplishment. "Look, Mommy! I can balance on a rocking chair!" Note the puffed out chest and cheesy grin--he now produces both on-cue whenever we hold up a camera.

Brothers' Storytime

This morning the boys spent some good, quality-time together...Wise Bobcat read his new book aloud to Li'l Eaglet. All 3 boys are continuing to mend from this nasty bug we've had here; hence, we are staying in and taking it easy again today.