Fluffy Snow

After the freezing rain the temperature dropped enough for some big snowflakes. I love big, fluffy snow NOT freezing rain. 

Then the big snowflakes subsided and it showed small flakes. 

I did drive Judith to the pool for swim practice this afternoon and the roads were not so horrible. 

The Dreaded Weather

Our Alaskan winter has been absolutely nothing to complain about. The temperature has only gotten close to twenty below one time all winter. The temperature has remained a happy *below freezing yet not too cold* making outdoor activity actually pleasant.

Until today. Look at this weather screen shot, this weather makes me sad. We shall survive though, we shall go on.

Gingerbread and The Bosch

A few years ago I saved up and purchased a Bosch mixer. I do love this heavy duty workhorse. This is a great machine for bread and double batches of gingerbread cookie dough. 

We took last year off from gingerbread creations but this year we are back in business with a gingerbread village in the works. I wait until a few days before Christmas to start so the kids can eat their creations, yea, we make them edible. 

The dough for our village and we even had to make one more batch. I think we over sized our pieces. 

The planning of the gingerbread village

Benjamin rolling out some dough

Judith cutting out her pieces.

I need to take pictures of the final project during the daylight hours.

Thanksgiving through today

Yep, 1) we took a selfie in the middle of a store and 2) we went black Friday shopping and 3) I have never been an enjoyer of black Friday shopping.

But, half of socks at Fred's will get me out every year I have twelve feet to cover. Half price socks and tights people. I am in. 

The sky, I took this picture for the sky. I cannot  figure out where this is, just look at the sky. 

The tree topper this year. 

Benjamin went to the birthday party of a friend and there was this baby, I got her to sleep. We are BFFs. 

Skiing has commenced and has done wonders for dealing with darkness. The thirty to forty-five minutes a day outside is wonderful. 

Random fact, we will begin gaining daylight soon, we are almost to the top of the hump.

The girls made gingerbread cookies for a cookie swap. 

We hosted the cookie swap with the help of another family. Fun times. 

We had hot cocoa floats as a drink option. I LOVE hot cocoa floats. We used mint chocolate chip Bryers ice cream, NOT the green kind, white ice cream. Try it you will love it. And don't forget the whipped cream.

A birthday happened. Benjamin turned six, where has the time gone?

Our North Pole Mc Donald's was torn down and rebuilt so we had birthday lunch at the newly opened place. Nice, I liked the combination of McDonald's and North Pole. The big picture on the wall is of the Santa Claus house. 

Benjamin had his two buds from Sunday School over for pizza and cupcakes. 

Today we had recess, everyone outside. The kids did the sled thing while I skiied. 

Now you know what we have been up to.

Thanksgiving

Oops, I am a little behind in posting.

Living in small town Alaska is pretty great. The lighting was decent so I stopped on the side of a residential road and took a few pics of the kids. 

Judith made most of the pies for Thanksgiving this year. 

Recipes and Pandora on the tablet while pie making. 

I think this was cherry pie

Prepping ingredients on Wednesday for easy cooking on Thursday

Homemade cream of mushroom soup for a recipe.

Benjamin was arranging fall decorations on the piano. 

My Thanksgiving day brunch

The turkey, our friends have 4H kids who grow market turkeys and they always raise a couple extra for their freezer. Yummy, homegrown turkey. 

Benjamin's prayer stance, yes, I was watching him.

The spread after everyone had gone through the line. 

Pies

Processing the Moose

Freezer space is, well, limited. 

The garden harvest was less than stellar so there were many empty canning jars. 

Moose meat went into jars. 

I am beginning with the finished product. 

Meat in jars is not pretty. 

Jars in the canner. I canned twenty-one quarts of meat. 

Packing meat into jars.

Five In A Row---The Story of Ping by Marjorie Flack and Kurt Wiese

Benjamin completed the first part of Institute for Excellence in Writing Primary Arts of Language Writing program. That was my marker for taking some time to dive into Five in a Row. We started with The Story of Ping last week. We lightly rowed this book but we learned a little about China and we learned about ducks. 

Benjamin loves science so that was a huge decision making factor in using FIAR. We learned about sinking and floating. 

My boy enjoys activities.

Reminders

Sorry for the poor photo quality but the moose processing has brought out the big folding table. How timely, this table also comes out for Thanksgiving and now I am finally in a Thanksgiving Day mood. 

This photo also reminds me that daily living is messy. 

Much of school happened in the kitchen today

due to the canning of moose meat. The first meat we have ever canned. So far so good. 

Canned meat is not pretty, maybe there should be opaque jars for such things. 

There is more meat to be processed. All that we had time to do yesterday was the bag of meat, ya know backstrap and tenderloin and whatever else isn't attached to a leg bone, and one hindquarter.

More processing tonight or tomorrow. Tomorrow is our first Saturday. 

Tomorrow, We Process Meat

Welcome to our freezer Mr. Moose. 

Cleaning

It has been a while since the pantry has received a good clean out and reorganization. I did not take a before picture but here are a few afters. 

See all of the bag clips and clothes pins? Those babies were hidden in the deep, dark recesses of the pantry.

See The Cracker Box? I found so many opened cracker sleeves in the pantry and now we have the cracker box to contain any opened cracker sleeves. I should have counted the ones I tossed but then I would be quite frustrated.

This Week in Alaska

We have had missions revival all week along with normal everyday living.

Monday while Elisabeth was at her technology class and Levi was at the dentist I picked up my prescription sunglasses with bifocal lenses, yep, bifocal lines. 

My funny faced chauffeur. I am getting used to not driving everywhere. 

The sunrise one morning this week. I sit myself facing the window so I get the sunrise and daily sun on my face. 

I normally avoid the Made in China home decor but this sign has been calling my name since it was placed in my local Sam's Club. The price tag was $30 and I was not paying that but today it was $9.91 or some thing near

that price point. The sign came home and is hung on the wall, lest you think it is only for fall, the other side says Welcome. 

(Also, I'd you know that if a price at Sam's ends in a 1 that item is on clearance so grab it up because it isn't coming back.)

Partial Solar Eclipse and an Earthquake

                  I am not sure that what we will be able to see because it is very overcast today but the solar eclipse information is linked here.

Also, I felt an earthquake this morning and I rarely feel them, as in my friend and I were in our dining room and she felt an earthquake and I didn't, I only saw the door moving. Maybe I have built in shock absorption? Anyhow, I must get on with the day now that the shaking is complete.

PSAT Test Day

The photo quality is horrible because I took this picture through the dirty windshield. 

Levi walked into the local high school today to

take the PSAT. I am hoping he has a couple of familiar faces in his testing room from baseball aquaintances. 

I did not realize there were this many high school students in our little hamlet here. I do not know what time they begin school but the kids just keep pouring in. I have seen two kids in shorts but that is par for the course here. 

I just heard the bell ring so I shall drive away and go home and begin the school day with my three at home.