Our first snow!

I never thought I would be posting this in SEPTEMBER! Ryan is so terribly excited (threatening to put his skies on and wait in the front yard), but I definitely have mixed emotions about it. On the one hand, if it's going to be cold it might as well snow. On the other hand, I really feel like I totally missed summer! I still have so much left to do to get ready for the "real" snow, so that better hold off for a little while longer!


Can you see the snowflakes? Oh my goodness, that's really snow!



Termination dust on the mountains is something that happened literally over night! I'm not ready!!!!!!!

First Day of Fall in AK

Fall has come to Alaska and it is beautiful! I can't believe how gorgeous the weather has been and we are taking full advantage! Playing outside as much as possible! We went for a little hike on the cross country ski trails up by Eagle River highschool and doing a little recon for ski season which will be here sooner than we know!


My double fisted carrot eater! I love that he is into eating carrots lately!

Oh the little angels in this photo, where are they in real life? hahaha! I love these guys!

Declan is really into collecting "fire wood" on our hikes lately and this face just makes me laugh. I'm sure he's pretending to fart or something like that. Oh life with boys!


To catch Ian in a picture with him not making a goofy face is a rarity lately so here is one for the record.

Gorgeous Eagle River Alaska!




Declan being Declan! He is such a fun kid!

My Second Scarf

I completed another project for my knitting portfolio and I really love it! It's so fun to start a project and actually finish it! I was just looking for a simple scarf that was cute and that I could do with some really great yarn I found at The Tangled Skein here in Eagle River. I often look online for free patterns that mostly end up in the "knitting" folder on my computer but rarely come to life, but this one made the cut. I'm grateful for the people that create these "easy" patterns and put them out there for free. I love FREE! So here is the link that I'm passing on for those who love free too. Holding Hands Feeding Ducks Scarf, hope you like it as much as I did!

Denali in the fall

Just doing a little catch up on the blog. For Labor Day weekend we took the drive to Denali again and it was absolutely beautiful again! The fall colors were just breathtaking and we saw wildlife that I didn't get to see the first time. We stayed two nights rather than just one and it still wasn't long enough!

Grandma and Declan on a little hike by our cabins. I just thought this was such a sweet picture of the two of them!

Mt McKinley just outside of Cantwell, AK.

My great little hikers!

Our little hiking friend, the Arctic ground squirrel.

Gorgeous bull moose in the amazing fall colors!

More amazing fall colors!

Ryan and Declan being the handsome men that they are!

My guys in the token signage shot. ; )

Our family!

My Super Kids!

Last week in Ian's preschool class it was Ian's turn to be the "Super Kid". It's basically a week that the class focuses on one specific kid. He and I needed to make a poster of things that Ian picked out. This was his creation. I loved going through the pictures and seeing what he wanted to share with his class. He was so proud and is really growing up before our eyes!

Ian's first field trip

Ian recently had his first field trip to Pyrah's Pioneer Peak Farm. It just so happened that it was when Grandma and Grandpa were here and they were able to come also. We arrived and went on a hay ride and were able to go through the fields and pick our own veggies. The boys had so much fun and discovering new stuff like kohlrabi and familiar ones like sweet peas.
Grandpa and the boys checking out the tractors that would pull us on the hay ride.
How can a little boy resist a giant mud puddle?
I've never been on a farm with such an amazing backdrop of incredible mountains!
Ian the Veggie Hunter! He was having such a fun time, but was completely disappointed that the carrots were not ready to be picked.
Declan was totally into picking peas! He didn't want to stop! Such a funny kid.

The Alaska State Fair

This was my very first state fair and it was really fun except for the rain. I basically gorged myself on the beloved "fair food". I know we will definitely be going back next year!


Grandma, Grandpa, and the boys in a kettle corn sugar high! Such troopers despite being totally soaked from the rain.


MMMM....Chocolate covered bacon. All I can say is, interesting.




I love making my husband pose for these pictures and I'm so glad he humors me! I'm so blessed!

Fun at the Anchorage Museum

We had a very rainy Saturday so we decided to take advantage and check out the Anchorage Museum. Most of our time there was spent in the Imaginarium with the kids, if you can believe that. It was a whirlwind adventure and he boys loved it! We will definitely be going back!




I'm not sure who enjoyed the bubble station more, the kids or Grandpa?






Declan found a sand drum and just went to town on that thing. He is totally my little drummer boy! I got video of it too!



Daddy and his boys.



After the museum we all went to Humpy's (a great little restaurant/bar) for dinner and had some super yummy food!

It's not wrestling, it's brotherly love!

More Caldwells Come to AK

We have guests again and we are loving it! Ryan's parents and uncle came up the end of August and we have been keeping very busy ever since! Surprise surprise, the boys are totally loving having their grandparents here.

There is something amazingly soothing having Grandpa reading to my children. It's like this magic power he has!

Ryan took his parents for a little hike up Mt Baldy and they had a great time!

We got to a little lake in the Kincaid Park and the men were getting the boys (Batman and Spider man) fishing rods ready to go. Thank you Uncle Greg!

Grandpa trying to cast Ian's Batman rod.

My little fisherman!

And this was Ian's fabulous experience. It did get better like 5 minutes before we left and of course I didn't get any pictures of that.

A Finished Project

It's been awhile since I finished any of my knitting projects and I needed something quick and easy to finish. Nothing like a simple project to get you back on the road to creativity. And Declan was pretty please with it too!