The Santa Clause House

We took a trip to Fairbanks and went over to North Pole to let the kids have pictures and storytime with Santa. In North Pole, all of the street lights are shaped and painted like candy canes. I wanted to get out and lick one, but due to the sub-zero temperatures, decided it would be a Christmas memory I don't really need to have. If I would have been "triple dog dared" that might have have been different! This hall's walls are covered with letters that kids have written to Santa at the North Pole.
Rachel's favorite animal is a moose. I don't really know what sound a moose makes, so it's hard to have a moose on Old MacDonald's farm.

Bridger looks sooooo excited! He planted himself here and flat refused to go see Santa. Baa Humbug! Good thing the hotel had a swimming pool so he was still able to enjoy himself.

Here's Rachel and Porter with the big guy.

We're making progress! Molly SCREAMED when we handed her to the Santa at the church, here she just got a little concerned.

I love the family, but the elves look kind of psycho!

We're not sure if this is Dasher or Comet or Cupid, because they put up 10 layers of fencing since the last time we were there! We could hardly see the reindeer.

Molly is DONE! She's ready to get out of the cold!

Thanksgiving!

OK - So, I'm really behind on posting! Here's some pictures from Thanksgiving, I'll post Christmas really soon!

Rachel & Lakell

Landon & Branson

Porter & Bridger

Molly.... mmmm good grub!

Close encounters with the furry kind!

The other day, Bridger started yelling in his room. I finally went in and lifted up his curtain to find just a big patch of brown hair leaning against the glass.
Since we've gotten a lot of snow, I guess this grass was prime real estate!

This moose wasn't too thrilled with the papparazzi and wandered off.

Oh no! Molly outgrows her bed!!

Molly is getting bigger, and her bed is getting small!!


Help! I'm going to jump out and land on my head!

Ahhh, chillin' with my bro. Much better. He's reading me a cool story that I don't quite understand. If I could just chew on it.....

Now that I've got my beauty sleep, let's go!

Arctic Thunderbirds Airshow

Porter and Bridger had a fun time at the airshow! They wanted to take the hummer home. Some of the airplanes were unbelievably huge!

Bridger has wanted to be a helicopter pilot ever since he two and called it a "heli-top-top-top-topper." He still hasn't changed his mind. We'll see.

Prince William Sound - College Fjord

We went camping with the Rice's in the Prince William Sound. We had eight little kids (two of them were small babies!) in the wilderness, with no communcation or transportation. We were either the bravest, most adventurous people, or the stupidest! In all fairness, we could have probably tried to wave down a ship. All in all we had a great time with some fun memories.

There was a seagull nest next to the latrine. I never knew seagulls could be so violent! Craig, Cali, and Robin all got pooped on. The kids all got dive bombed over and over. We finally learned to put a stick in the air, and then they would dive bomb the stick (the highest point) instead of us.

A little game of baseball on the fourth of July.

Our lefty makes the pitch!

Two sunburned, worn out kids.

Our campsite

Just ahead to the right is the mouth of the Coghill river where my dad went fishing and stopped counting after catching over 82 salmon.

Bear in camp!! Quick feed him some bacon!

Some of the local yocals.

Out came the sun.....

And dried up all the rain, and the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again.

Molly loves this little song and likes the sun part the best as you can see in the photo!

Molly's Blessing - Porter's Confirmation

- Mr. GQ -

Notice our church is made out of logs?? Oh, and it's May, see the nice little snow pile under the eaves?

A special day, for two kids!

And here's the whole fam.

Porter's Baptism

Porter got baptized in Prator Lake in May, 2008. It was a beautiful day, but the lake was cold! He had to be baptized twice because his elbow came up the first time. He was quite a trooper. We then went back to the Rice's house for talks and treats. He got confirmed the next day at church.

Bridger being the usual mountain lion he seems to think he is.

Prator Lake

26 Glacier Cruise

May 2008 - We took a 26 glacier cruise out of Whittier with Grandma Patterson and Grandma and Grandpa Fletcher when they were up for Porter's baptism and Molly's blessing. We loved it even though it was a rainy, foggy day and we could hardly see the 26 glaciers. We got to see the marine wildlife instead, a whale, tons of otters, seals, and a rookery of birds. I personally like that better anyway, since we see glaciers all the time.

Rachel looking sassy!

Molly was oblivious, the rocking of the boat pretty much kept her happy.

Here's Grandma Patterson

And Grandma Fletcher (I think Grandpa Fletcher was outside)

Two cheesy boys as we were pulling into the harbor. They along with Rachel were proud new owners of stuffed sea otters. They STILL love stuffed animals.