Jack Frost is Nippn' at our noses!

Todays Forcast...still COLD!

Current Condition

Partly Cloudy -16°F Feels Like -28°F

Wind: ESE at 5 mph Humidity: 74% Pressure: 29.68 in. steady Dew Point: -21 °F Visibility: 10.0 mi UV Index 0 Low

Current weather condition updated: 1/7/09 7:53 AM Alaska ST

This is the current weather for Elmendorf Air Force Base just 4 miles away from where we live. I think its funny that they list the UV index this time of year since we wont see the sun until 10:30 or 11:00 am and it will be down by 3:30 pm

New Year changes

Taryn sure didn't waste any time making changes this new year. Yesterday she started her swimming lessons with two other girls about her age. They practiced kicking, blowing bubbles, holding their breath, floating on their back, floating on their stomachs, and doing the crawl stroke. Taryn's instructor told Taryn that she was a natural! I was very impressed watching her swim forward with her head under water, when she ran out of breath, she rolled over to her back, took another breath and rolled right back over with her head under water and kept doing the crawl stroke! Her instructors kept her in the shallow end of the pool to build her confidence. Taryn loved the swimming, and can't wait till tomorrow when she can go back for her next lesson.

Taryn was excited to go back to school to see her friends and to see her teacher Mrs. Sandoval. Mrs. Sandoval is a wonderful teacher and really pays attention to needs of the kiddos in the class. I was a bit worried last night when I received a call from Taryn's teacher; I immediately thought that something bad must be happening in class or Taryn was having some type of problem, but that was not the case at all. Mrs. Sandoval told me that she had discussed Taryn's academics with the Principal and felt Taryn was being held back in her reading and writing by staying in the First Grade. Mrs Sandoval and the Principal felt it would be in Taryn's best interest to jump up to the Second Grade for at least part of her day. We agreed; and so, begining today, Taryn will spend the first part of her day with the second graders and then come back to her regular class for Math, Health, and Science. Taryn was a bit nervous about having to make some new friends, but we trust that she will have no problem doing so.

We feel so blessed that Taryn has a teacher who cares enough about her to look for ways to continue her education in a way that is challenging. We are also so proud of Taryn and her accomplishments, she never ceases to amaze us!


I can't post this without adding something to help cure the winter blues. It has been so coooold! With night time lows dropping to -23 F and day time highs at only -3 F this past week I've been warming my spirits with memories of last summer (like this nice Kenai bow) and by looking forward to next summer. Felicia is looking forward to trying out her new 5wt on a place I like to call birthday creek (because the creek is full of so many gifts). Taryn also got a new spinning rod, she was dissapointed she didn't get a fly rod like Mom's...maybe for her birthday I told her.

-Jer

A friend from work sent me this picture from Kodiak Island, I think he said Fish and Game took it when they heard of the huge number of bears congregating in one location at the same time. I counted 42 bears in this photo, the bears are eating the remains of a Grey Whale that washed up on shore, you can see one of the rib bones? in the middle of the beach. Thought you might enjoy a little of what I get to see on a regular basis because of where I live! Have a great Sunday! - Jeremy

Happy Halloween

Yes it is true..I've posted the same photo twice and I couldn't figure out how to get it off...so you get double Taryn and the boys. Oh well, I am determined to blog and I will not be deterred from the process. Which is huge for me considering my perfection issues. he-he..I thought these pics were cute and so I thought I'd add them to the blog. I hope you all enjoy them! hey just a thought....does Taryn look like she is 6 years old?.........Yeah, I don't think she does either.

Halloween Highlights

Here are some Highlights from Halloween this year! We really had a great time with the kids. Auntie Rachael invited us to all go to her work this year and trick-or-treat in her building. It was so much fun. The offices in her building really get into it...spooky hallways, spiderweb covered walls, creepy costumed employees handing out candy and hiding around corners...all added to halloween fun. I don't know if you can tell but Leilani's kids (Kymani, Ikaika, and Mathias) were Alvin and the Chipmunks, Taryn was a beautiful witch, Jared's daughter (Malia) was a precious little Ladybug, and Seth's Kids (Ariel, Josiah, & Noa) were various superheros. We all went to Trick-or-Treat town this year and meet for pumpkin carving at Auntie Stephanie's House. I love that we all can get together and share in the Holidays. The kids love to be together. So much so that they always run to each other and give great big hugs when they meet......I have to give Kudos to my mom for Taryn's costume this year. I ran out of time and she took her time to make it just perfectly. So thank you mom.. I sure Love you....
Oh and we can not forget our annual doughnut party. This year was held at Jared and Kaye's beautiful home. They came up with the best idea ever...to cook the doughnuts outside on the camp stove in the dutch ovens! How smart is that? No smelly fried oil in the house and we didn't have to worry about the kids getting into it. I don't have pictures of that night yet but they will be posted later.
I hope everyone had an awesome Halloween just as we did!

11 YEARS DOWN- AN ETERNITY 2 GO

I just wanted to take a moment to say "Happy Anniversary!" to my sweetheart. on the 24th of this month we celebrated 11 years and I am so grateful to him an d all he has done for our family. I still remember meeting him for the first time on our missions in California. He said he knew from the first moment he meet me that we were going to be married and well....all I remember is that he had a very bad haircut!!! (His companion had cut his hair and let's just say it was really, really bad.....) So here we are today....living in a beautiful state with a beautiful daughter, a great job, family support near and far, good friendships, AND we have best friends in each other. Yes it is cheesy but true. So here's to another year! Happy Anniversary to me!

We are Lovin the Leaves!

B4 the snow fell, Leilani and I took the kids over to Grandma and Grandpa's house for a little service activity. Their back yard is surrounded by large, very old Cottonwoods and needless to say they leave a mess in the fall. So we packed up the kids and went to rake some leaves. I admit that we had to bribe them a little bit. I promised Taryn she could jump on the trampoline after we finished raking and that was all the motivation she needed.
We had a great time as you can see from the photos. Of course, we had to jump in the leaves and throw them around a little bit. That was a given! Grandma even came out and rolled around in the leaves a bit too. The funny thing is that she lost her keys in the enormous piles of leaves that we threw out behind the house. Luckily, grandpa went out to look for them and there they were, right beside the tree trunk! Boy was she lucky......grandpa would have given her a hard time about that one...he-he
The nice moment of the evening came when it was time to go. Grandpa (my dad) said that the neighbor had come over earlier and expressed to dad how amazed he was that we (his 2 daughters) would come over and help him like that. He wanted to know how he got us to do it! When Dad told him that he didn't even ask us and that we just showed up with little helpers in tow, the man was shocked! He told Dad he was very lucky and blessed...and he said, "You just don't see that anymore."
That was pretty cool. I guess it has always been important to me to be aware of others around me and see what they might stand in need of. My prayer is that my little girl will learn the value of that trait and you know what...I think she does.

(side note: In case you are wondering where Jeremy was...fishin...no, he was at work.)