Catching Up Before the Holidays
I should probably do an update before the holidays arrive!
Halloween feels like 483894738 years ago! We kept it simple because Matt left for 8 days in the field the next day. He got home from work right as trick-or-treaters were starting to come around, so we threw together costumes using stuff we already had - this took us 5 minutes and literally $1! I think I'm prouder of that than if we'd spent weeks and lots of money haha!
I take her and Barkley on a snow walk a couple times a week and it's always peaceful and pretty.
But I kind of like it. The darkness feels cozy and festive... especially when you put up Christmas lights. :D
So that's what we did! Our house is ready for Christmas... normal since we live in North Pole right? The best part about that pic is that it wasn't even THAT staged... she was watching me untangle the lights and was fascinated by them! We also got the obligatory pic with Santa :)
The Santa Clause House is right down the road and you can get a pic with him year round, haha. She cried when we left her on Santa's lap :( so the man himself suggested we all get in! I think I like it better as a family picture anyway, hahaha.
All of Fairbanks is in Christmas mode, too. I guess when it's snowy and cold and dark it's what everyone wants to do. No complaints here!
I started going to an Institute class (adult religion classes our church puts on) once a week and really like it! There's a lively group of about 30 people and Lydia comes with me. The first time I went, I came out to a flat tire!! Everyone was SO, incredibly nice! One of the people there was a firefighter and he changed it out in about 10 minutes. I was so impressed and grateful.
A couple weeks ago I made cookies for the 13-14 year olds I teach at church using my Angel Moroni cookie cutter. Best $1.50 I've ever spent.
Teaching is going well - I had a big batch of speeches to grade last week which was actually really interesting! The students had to give a speech in front on an audience of 10 or more, record it, and upload it to our class discussion board. The variety of audiences and topics they chose were fascinating! I learned a lot by watching them! I also started planning for next semester, when I'll be teaching the same online courses plus an in-person class at the charter high school in town. It will be an early college course, so really similar to what I've been doing, but I'm nervous. That 'little voice in my head' is telling me it's the right thing to do, so I'm excited to see how it works out..!
Yoga is going well too, except Lydia stopped sleeping through class!! I might have to switch to a late evening class so she sleeps, but for now I'm finding various ways to make it happen. This week Matt was able to take her on his lunch break (the class is at noon) which was perfect!
Let's end with a Lydia update!
This week she turned five months old! My favorite development is that she LAUGHS now! Her first laugh was at the end of a long (but good!) day helping our neighbors move across town. We found this amazing toy store and Matt was tickling her with a toy when... out popped her first laugh! ❤️❤️❤️
It was, without a doubt, the cutest thing I have EVER seen or heard! There's nothing like hearing your baby laugh for the first time! ❤️
She also has two teeth now. :)
She LOVES standing up (with help) and will just stand there, wobbling side to side, with a huge grin on her face. We got her this doorway jumper and it has changed her life 😂 because she can see what's going on, reach out, swivel around, and pump those little legs! Oh and pet Barkley! They're becoming BFFs.
She has no interest in sitting up or crawling though! She also loves baby food and will open her mouth when she sees the spoon coming (unless it's carrot!)
She usually eats a little container of it each day, but is still nursing for the majority of her diet! Now that she knows how to grab, everything goes straight into her mouth. My hair. Books. Toys. This cup, which luckily was empty when she grabbed it off the table. Zoom in on her mouth! It is so funny!
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| Lyds with her polar bear (thanks Danielle!) |
Halloween feels like 483894738 years ago! We kept it simple because Matt left for 8 days in the field the next day. He got home from work right as trick-or-treaters were starting to come around, so we threw together costumes using stuff we already had - this took us 5 minutes and literally $1! I think I'm prouder of that than if we'd spent weeks and lots of money haha!
A DIY hunter and forest animals. :)
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| Putting her newly discovered hands to good use by grabbing M&Ms right out of the bowl! |
Alaskan kids are so tough! It was snowy and 15° that night, but that didn't stop anyone! My friend said, "you just have to make their costumes big enough to go over snow gear!" It's all about adapting.
Matt and I are LOVING the snow - it makes everything bright and beautiful and is fun to go out and play in. Yesterday we went skiing at the Chena Lake Floodplane when it was -6°!
We got there at 10am as the sun was rising.
Lydia stayed warm and bundled in her sub-zero suit with footsie pajamas underneath plus a double-lined hat.
I take her and Barkley on a snow walk a couple times a week and it's always peaceful and pretty.
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| Lyds was too busy to take in the beauty :) Crazy this is all she knows. Frozen creek behind us |
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| path near our house |
These days Matt goes skiing before work (they have required workouts every morning) and joined his unit's ski team for the upcoming 'winter games'! Also last weekend he came home with a harness for Barkley. Why a harness? To go skijoring of course!
We agree that Barkley needs a lot more training before he can REALLY do this (instead of pulling Matt from tree to tree) but they've gotten a good start! For training, Matt harnessed Barkley to a tire and used peanut butter to motivate him to pull it across the driveway.
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| This is a mostly-empty container BTW... we threw it away after this. |
Step 2: harness Barkley to Matt.
Good luck boys!!
He also got a promotion last week! They had a ceremony for him and I got to put on his new rank patch.
Sure am proud of that hard-working man.
He also got a promotion last week! They had a ceremony for him and I got to put on his new rank patch.
Sure am proud of that hard-working man.
It's getting so dark already! I took this at 8:45am...
But I kind of like it. The darkness feels cozy and festive... especially when you put up Christmas lights. :D
So that's what we did! Our house is ready for Christmas... normal since we live in North Pole right? The best part about that pic is that it wasn't even THAT staged... she was watching me untangle the lights and was fascinated by them! We also got the obligatory pic with Santa :)
The Santa Clause House is right down the road and you can get a pic with him year round, haha. She cried when we left her on Santa's lap :( so the man himself suggested we all get in! I think I like it better as a family picture anyway, hahaha.
All of Fairbanks is in Christmas mode, too. I guess when it's snowy and cold and dark it's what everyone wants to do. No complaints here!
 |
| Christmas market! |
I started going to an Institute class (adult religion classes our church puts on) once a week and really like it! There's a lively group of about 30 people and Lydia comes with me. The first time I went, I came out to a flat tire!! Everyone was SO, incredibly nice! One of the people there was a firefighter and he changed it out in about 10 minutes. I was so impressed and grateful.
A couple weeks ago I made cookies for the 13-14 year olds I teach at church using my Angel Moroni cookie cutter. Best $1.50 I've ever spent.
Sunday family selfie! Taken moments before running out the door. No one is looking. Haha.
Our view driving up to church...
Teaching is going well - I had a big batch of speeches to grade last week which was actually really interesting! The students had to give a speech in front on an audience of 10 or more, record it, and upload it to our class discussion board. The variety of audiences and topics they chose were fascinating! I learned a lot by watching them! I also started planning for next semester, when I'll be teaching the same online courses plus an in-person class at the charter high school in town. It will be an early college course, so really similar to what I've been doing, but I'm nervous. That 'little voice in my head' is telling me it's the right thing to do, so I'm excited to see how it works out..!
Yoga is going well too, except Lydia stopped sleeping through class!! I might have to switch to a late evening class so she sleeps, but for now I'm finding various ways to make it happen. This week Matt was able to take her on his lunch break (the class is at noon) which was perfect!
Let's end with a Lydia update!
This week she turned five months old! My favorite development is that she LAUGHS now! Her first laugh was at the end of a long (but good!) day helping our neighbors move across town. We found this amazing toy store and Matt was tickling her with a toy when... out popped her first laugh! ❤️❤️❤️
It was, without a doubt, the cutest thing I have EVER seen or heard! There's nothing like hearing your baby laugh for the first time! ❤️
She also has two teeth now. :)
She LOVES standing up (with help) and will just stand there, wobbling side to side, with a huge grin on her face. We got her this doorway jumper and it has changed her life 😂 because she can see what's going on, reach out, swivel around, and pump those little legs! Oh and pet Barkley! They're becoming BFFs.
She has no interest in sitting up or crawling though! She also loves baby food and will open her mouth when she sees the spoon coming (unless it's carrot!)
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| LOVING her prune baby food |
Skyping with family far and wide!
Sleeping under the glow of Christmas lights... bundled up in lots of layers! She has had some MAJOR sleep regression and I am SERIOUSLY missing her sleeping 12 hours a night. It lasted 2 months!
Hanging out at home
Our morning routine: my favorite green smoothie (from Hummusapien obv like 90% of my diet) and a yoga vid.
And I couldn't end without saying CONGRATULATIONS to Ellen and Corey on their engagement!!! I'm so proud of you sis and so excited to get a new brother in law!! :) Let the wedding festivities begin!
Now on to the holidaaaaaaaaaaaaaays! 🦃🎄✨
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