(home) school portraits 2009

My two youngest.

Middle G



Youngest G



now I have to figure out how to get eldest G's pic....

termination dust

Oh no! That ain't powdered sugar up there.
termination dust is alaskan slang defined as:
The first, light dusting of snow; on the very tips of the mountains. It's a warning. The first, big snow is just around the corner. This of course, triggers a huge shopping frenzy

still sick

ughhh. I wish I was better. I so want to be better!

the week thus far

The door I painted per husband's request. ( I will paint other door and window trim when I kick this nasty bronchitis)



I bought some long-johns at Sam's club. I laughed so hard when I put them on because they were sooooo long. I looked like a Shar-Pei! I was able to fold them up and they are very nice and warm as winter is in the air. But I thought it was funny! I guess these are "amazon long-johns" ( janes?)


and my dog before and after the groomer. ( needs no words does it?)

just as I imagined it read

When my darling was home

some random photos:
Him taking a photo of me with the new camera



my husband holding a friend's baby


and our addition getting worked on.

church luncheon

We were entertained by some lovely singers from Africa. ( notice the lovely modest dresses and headcoverings?)

Then the Director of Youth got to try on a "typical" african garment. He's under there somewhere. and yes christians and not just muslims dress like this.

My youngest drinking punch and working hard on being a gentlemen during the presentation. They did very well and I am so proud of them!

The lads in concert.

The boys had a great time at The Lads concert. They really liked the song- My Best Friend is the Creator of the Universe.

We also brought a little girl we knew.

The boys are still singing the songs!

suet from scratch

beef suet ( free from the meat market of the grocery store)



melted down. ( my boys kept asking what smells good. ughhhh!) then. I kept the pure liquid fat and threw out the rest. I put the liquid fat in a bowl and mixed in raisins that had been plumped in water and oats.



Then I put the whole thing into square pyrex dishes and let set-up. It comes out of the pan easily.



I put it in a suet-holder I found on clearance for 2.00 ( I also have a second one stored away for this winter that I got free off freecycle.)



and another look...



so far our favourite visitor has been the stellar jay.

Lord open my heart.

"The gospel is not a doctrine of the tongue, but of life. It cannot be grasped
by reason and memory only, but it is fully understood when it possesses the
whole soul and penetrates to the inner recesses of the heart."
- John Calvin

"hack" your swiffer and green cleaners

I really like swiffer wetjet. It is a handylittle cleaning machine. But it isn't economical or green.
First I ordered these from ebay:
( I know I know there are knit and crochet patterns but I have heard they don't work so well...)

Economically they are well worth the money. The swiffer pads are expensive!



I have already tried refilling my swiffer bottle and it was hard to do... You'd think they wouldn't want you to do that or something. Hee hee..Anyhow here is the "easy" way to refill the bottle.

Fill a bowl with hot, HOT water. Tap water probably won't cut it- microwave it or heat it on the stove instead.

Immerse the cap of the Swiffer bottle in the hot water for about a minute. This softens the plastic enough that the cap can be removed easily.

Wrap the dish-towel around the cap of the bottle to get a good grip, and twist hard. The cap should come right off.

Rinse the bottle thoroughly (you don't want to mix incompatible chemicals).

And check this out courtesy of Mary Jane's Farm:
Check out these amazing homemade cleaning supplies for every room in the house:

1. Powdered Laundry Soap
1 bar Castile soap, grated
2 cups Borax
2 cups washing soda
1 cup baking soda
Combine all of the ingredients and store in a covered jar. Use ¼ cup per load.

2. Lavender Laundry Softener
1 cup dried lavender buds
1 quart white vinegar
2-4 drops lavender essential oil
Combine the mixture and let it sit for a week.

3. All-purpose cleaner
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp Castile soap
1 tbsp Borax
Combine all the ingredients and add to a spray bottle.

4. Tub Scrub
1 cup baking soda
¼ cup salt
10 drops citrus essential oil
5 drops tea tree essential oil
Combine all the ingredients and store in an airtight tub.

5. Carpet Deodorizer
1 cup Borax
1 cup baking soda
10 drops essential oils

Combine and store in an airtight tub.

6. Oven Cleaner
1 small box baking soda
1 cup liquid Castile Soap

Combine ingredients and mix until smooth. Apply to a cloth and wipe clean.

7. Dusting Spray
1 cup distilled water
3 drops essential oils
Combine in a spray bottle and use with a cotton cloth.

8. Citrus Degreaser
½ cup lemon juice
¼ cup baking soda
5 to 10 drops citrus essential oils
Combine to make a paste and use a damp cloth to wipe off.

random week

Made pies for secret sisters at church and family friends- They are apple, blueberry, rhubarb, and strawberry with a sprinkle of cinnamon, sugar and flour



and a heart to let the steam out.



The two "youngers" and Teddy Bear



Teddy Bear guarding his new "cookie" (bone)




And a misty morning view of the mountains from my front step



And that's all folks!

tram to the top of the mountain

Mount Alyeska tram., Girdwood Alaska
Getting ready to board.


We are down here. But we are going to that little place up there. ( can you see it?)


Now we are up on the top. Where we can look down at the resort.


eating lunch on top of a mountain.



Looking at the snow on the mountains. ( Gavin is a little bit upset because he got "in trouble" for sneaking hot cocoa into the museum)



Back at the bottom. Funny photo of Gavin and a bear statue that looks into the resort from outside the window. ( doesn't it look like the bear is hugging his reflection ?

gold panning

We went to a Gold mine last Friday on our trip to the tram ( which will be covered in the next post)
\

The boys each got to try their hands at being a gold miner:




Gregory got some gold flake. Gavin got gold flake, a garnet and an amethyst.



Then on the way out we saw this funny sign.



We learned much about gold and had bunches of fun too. I am glad we were able to do this activity.

salmon soup

My sons cooked dinner the other day. We all went to the local farmers market and got some fresh produce.

Then they chopped it up.


sometimes they had to use "muscle power"


Ready to cook.- ( green beans, white potatoes, red potatoes, dill, cilantro, carrots, green and white onions, and tomatoes.) We added a salmon fillet sprinkled with Old Bay Seasoning, and some slices of butter, milk to cover it all and some chicken bouillon cubes to taste....


served with wheatine crumbles and cheese sprinkles.. Delicious.



We had enough to feed 5 for dinner. Enough for leftovers for the next day and a large Tupperware to give to a family down the street.