November 2021

 The Christmas tree in front of our house needed some lights. It is normally covered in red and white, but some had burned out and while improvising the top half became red with a small strand of white. A little goofy, but it will be lit up in the dark, and will make me smile.

Derek decorated his office space at work. He printed off so many fun pictures of our family and our adventures. It makes him feel like we are with him during his day, and it makes me smile thinking about being near him in any way we can. We are a forever family. So grateful Derek is our patriarch and leader of our family and is such a great example of a father for our family all while being the best pain physician in the planet basically. He really is that great of a doctor. He is going to help so many people in this world.

My little knight. Derek got this costume when he was maybe 4 and it is hard to outgrow something so cool.

The girls had a church activity where they played with each others hair. Elara's was quite unique. I love that my girls have these opportunities to learn and grow with other youth their age, and develop friendships and skills.

Art school. The kids were able to take a once a week art class and did a Christmas gifts class and their artwork became gifts and they learned how to gift wrap. They kept everything a secret all the way until Christmas. Homeschool can be such a blessing and so much fun!

The day finally came! The kids got their first covid vaccine. We have been waiting and waiting. One step closer to a more normal life routine and big group gatherings. The kids will need a second dose, but they were finally vaccinated. It was such a wonderful moment for our family who tried so diligently to follow the guidelines, and to keep our family and other families safe from covid 19. 

Connor's lizard Grandma Heaton got him lost a leg, and so the kids did surgery and had to replace it with a glow stick. They all think it was a wonderful replacement limb.

The Christmas lights are officially on for the winter. We got a fun blow up llama. Once a lady came and told me her daughter insisted every day on their way to school to drive past the house with the llama because she loved it so much. I'm happy we can shed a little light in the darkness for ourselves and for others.

The snow has officially fallen, and when it does fall in Alaska it is usually in big dumps, and it was a big dump. I love the snow so much and want to take pictures and remember it always. Snow means change and magic to me. I love good changes, and finding joy in everything we go through.

We got on a fish kick. Derek has always wanted a large fish tank. He found a 55 gallon tank on marketplace, and our fish adventures are beginning. We are going to learn so much about caring for fish, and all the different types out there. 

We had a free hotel night from points that was going to expire if we didn't use it, so we decided to do a stay cation, and use it in Anchorage at the Embassy Suites. It was such a fun time being able to go swimming with the kids, and just enjoy a night out. Sure love this family and all our silly goofiness.

On the way home we stopped at a cool fish store called Alaska Coral and Fish. They sell fresh water and salt water fish and accessories. We got a bunch of new fish for the new fish tank. The kids got to hold some really cool looking star fish, and the kids have fallen in love with this store and ask to go look at all the fish all the time now.

And now we have our first 55 gallon fish tank full of amazing new creatures.

General Cob is our pleco.

Ozriel is our little crabby crab.

A grumble of pugs begging for food.

The older dogs snuggling together on a tiny bed.

Just a girl and her puppy locked in a kennel.

I was driving home from speaking a school board meeting trying to better our homeschool program Family Partnership. It was so cold outside the trees had hoarfrost on them. The only word to describe it for me is magical. White trees lining the roads. Ice crystals forming art basically. It's one of my favorite parts of winter in Alaska, and makes the cold worth it.

Kael started working out with Derek and lifting weights. This kid wants to be strong and works hard for it, and we are proud of him and the young man he is becoming.

Off on an adventure and the dogs are in the garage for a couple of days. They don't love it, but we need a family get away.

We decided to do a fishing charter on a boat out of Anchor Point, AK near Homer about 4 hours away. We are trying to catch feeding king salmon in the ocean, and some crabs.

They fell asleep on the car ride to Homer, Alaska.

Our air BNB was so cute! It was a great place to crash before we got up early for our boat ride.

Parts of this trip were the most amazing ever! Other parts were quite miserable, but we wouldn't have traded the experience hands down. It was one of the coldest days the charter has taken on. We had temperatures starting around -5 degrees F. It was COLD. There was ice trying to get out of the harbor. The waves were huge trying to get out as well, which instantly made me Sharice motion sick. Derek had medicated us, and was handing it out like candy. Once we were out and fishing it was just incredible. We did indeed catch king salmon each of us at least one. And we got to drop crab basket things and we came back and picked them up for crabs! We made it about 5 hours on the boat before calling it quits. The charter was incredible and we will use them again and again. Key O's guides. They were family friendly and helped all the kids to get a king and reel the fish in to the boat. It was such an amazing experience that we got to do as a family and one we will remember forever.

Pictures are from the end of the trip first. This seal was our little friend at the end of the trip and begged for fish as the charter guides filleted our salmon up. They call seals the dogs of the sea because they have big puppy dog eyes. It totally worked on us and we fell in love with him.

So many seagulls. You could tell all the creatures wanted in on the fish. The pictures don't do justice to how cold the trip was. It was just so cold, but so worth it.

Elara will kiss anything she catches. So she of course had to kiss one of the crabs.

Everyone caught a king salmon! They varied in size, but it was an incredible fight to reel it in.

We saw so many sea otters in the ocean. They were so cute and would just lay on their backs with their heads and feet up out of the water. They even carry their babies on their stomachs sometimes.

The views were just incredible. Alaska the beautiful. I could stare at her mountains all day. And sometimes I do just that.

We all took some dramamine to help with the motion sickness and it certainly knocked Connor out with his dose, but even though he gets the most sick, he was still so pleasant and the nap helped.

See, there is his bright smiling face.

If I wasn't fishing or out on the back of the boat getting fresh air you could find me with my head down and feeling pretty miserable. Derek always feels so bad, but really as hard as it is, it really is worth it for the experience. Sometimes a little bad is worth it, for the most incredible good.

Even poor Elara wasn't feeling great for a little while, but if you ask any of the kids after this trip; they all say they would do it again.

Eden's King!

All worth it to see Connor reel in that fish right there. It was half the size of the kid, and he did it! Love our little fishing family.

Elara caught her King Salmon too! It was just too incredible and experience.

Gotta keep those hands warm and ready for catching fish with hot hand warmers.

Morning view from the boat. Welcome to Alaska! Gorgeous!

Getting started on the boat.

Happy moments before we were completely frozen, sea sick, tired as all get out, and especially giddy with all the fish we caught.

Loading on the boat.

Cold and beautiful morning for a boat ride. Key O's really treated us well. I don't know how they still have all their fingers because they did so much of the work taking off their gloves and not even having protection with the freezing water and fish. 

My little skier Connor. The kids joined a downhill skiing group on the military base to learn how to ski. We had no idea we would learn to love skiing. It did take some learning because the kids definitely didn't love it at first. It took some work and my kids are cautious and not adventurous in this, so they definitely had to build some confidence over the years to learn to love skiing, but learn they will.

Derek is becoming a pro at cooking salmon. It is so delicious and we now have many recipes we enjoy.

We got a bench to go outside and hold outdoor things, and Kael helped Derek to build it, so we snapped a photo of those hard working boys.

The kids each have a Christmas Tree to decorate in their room. They can decorate it however they would like, and Connor loved getting to work and getting his tree up and decorated for his room.

Happy Turkey Day!
My favorite part about Thanksgiving is the very day itself. I love the opportunity to pause and remember all that I have to be thankful for. Sometimes we look past so much of the good, and we just need to pause and remember to be thankful. The next thing I love is the people I'm with "MY" people. My beautiful family. Then it would be the food, and then the games and naps that usually follow.

Eden made her very own cherry pie. She loves cherry pie, and it is so fun seeing her develop her passions and talents for things she loves.

Elara's birthday was right in the middle of Derek being gone, a high covid outbreak, and just plain stunk a bit. So, we decided to throw her a surprise party and invited a friend or two over for a surprise party for her to celebrate all the way in November. She was so confused when she came in and saw her friends because it was November and didn't make any sense.

It was nice having a reason to celebrate. The kids needed something fun to look forward to and I think everyone had fun.

Connor got a fun letter from his Grammy. The kids love getting letters.

The kids used old birthday decorations to wrap themselves up with. They are always so creative and silly.

Speaking of silly someone gave Mom a hat while she fell asleep on the computer.

Again, can't explain how awesome it is to get their covid vaccine DONE!

A house that is fully vaccinated against covid 19! I feel like we can take a breath of fresh air. No one has caught covid in the house yet, but when it does strike we should be fairly protected from the harmful side effects.

Homemade snow cones! The kids love snow cones on a cold snowy day.

To sum up November, would be these two photos. Snow and Sharice mouth hanging open exhausted tired. Yes, that sounds about right.