We've been real busy the past couple of weeks getting ready for Christmas. I can't believe it is THIS WEEK! Time really flies. It's also hard to believe that we are HALF WAY DONE with our Alaskan adventure. We have another year and a half, then we'll be heading back down south where it is warm. These pictures come from events that have happend over the past couple of weeks. My work Christmas party, our Christmas party at the house, the Sarah Palin book signing, and Christmas in Ice. We are heading down to Anchorage again on Christmas day this year, and we're real excited! Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the sights and sounds of the season! Merry Christmas!

This one's a salmon jumping out of the water.

We decided to be brave and try out these ice slides.

Tai and Joe going down the ice slides.

Pretty tree inside the ice park

Isn't this nuts?! I could never be an ice sculptor.

Entrance to the "Christmas in Ice" show

Tai and I sitting in Santa's sleigh. We picked the coldest

night we've had so far to go see the ice sculptures in North Pole. BRR!

Santa's REAL reindeer!



Jess and I

The guys

Tai is modeling his ugly sweater.

Kala and I got to take a picture with Sarah Palin's dad!

Waiting in line for HOURS for Sarah Palin to sign our books.

Kala and I

The sunset on my home from school. (about 4:00)

Tai and me at my work Christmas party

Some ladies I work with

My kindergarten mentor (Mrs. McCoy) and I

Some ladies I work with

The many attempts to get a good Christmas card picture.

Well, the most wonderful time of the year is among us, and not just because it's almost Christmas, but because we only lose daylight for...16 more days! Yay! It's always good when the news finally says "gaining" instead of "losing" even though we only start gaining like 5 seconds on Dec. 22nd. The sun is coming up around 11:00 and going down around 3:00 right now. Even when the sun is up though, it's on the very side of the sky, so it looks like very early morning, or late afternoon. The temperatures have been strangely good to us this year. I saw on the weather last night where this Thursday the high is like 25 and the low is 10. That's amazing for this time of year, but the weatherman did say that come Saturday and Sunday, we may see -50 for a low! We'll probably just stay in and wrap presents next weekend. :) Hope everyone is doing well! Wish so much we could make it home for Christmas. Love y'all!

Very relaxed

Watching the Winchester Dog Show after the parade on Thanksgiving Day.

Trees in the front yard

The sun looked pretty hitting the snow on the top of the trees.

Winnie got ahold of one of Tai's boots. :)

Winnie and the guinea (Moose)

A family walk on a VERY chilly afternoon.

Tai is embarassed by Winnie's new sweater.