2009!

Happy 2009!!
Blessings on you this New Year!

We're headed over to Clayton's mom's first cousin's house for a New Year get together.. April will be skipping the champagne in favor of Percocet. 2008's ending will forever be linked with the incomplete root canal that got infected on December 30th. (ugh...)

...more pictures of Santa Fokker

Clayton's glasses weren't frosted...they were fogging up from his profuse sweating!!  What's funny is that Clay has no idea it was Clayton.. Kara figured it out because Clayton was wearing his regular shoes.  She kind of went back and forth on it but I've been laughing about it all day with my friends on the phone so she's fairly convinced it was Clayton.  Funny.

Here He Comes to Save the Day!!!!

So, yesterday afternoon (on the shortest day of the year, we're getting about 5 minutes of sunlight from here on until 6/21) the 477 FS had the kid's Christmas party at the base bowling alley.  As is tradition with these affairs, there is a Santa... only, the guy who was going to be Santa was a no-show.

Who you gonna call?

Call Fokker!!!

Yep.  In the suit.  Sweating his butt off.

Enjoy.

(I apologize for the poor video quality.... obviously, bowling alleys are dark.  However, I knew that certain people in AZ, would LOVE this so I put it up, bad quality and all!)

Lights, Camera, Action!

Kara had a little sing-along at school last week.  The kid in the front kind of gets in the way.. and the silver-hat-boy, but she's in the back cheesing at the camera :)

TAG! I'm it :) 7 Random Things About Me :)

My sister-in-law Michelle tagged me.. now, you may be thinking to yourself:  "Hmmmm, April must have a lot of free time on her hands to always be doing these weird tag things".  You thought wrong :)  I have PLENTY of things I should be doing (like mailing my last box to AZ, bathing my kids, cleaning my house.. you get the picture) but I LIKE to read these things from other people. And it's my blog, I can tag if I want to!!

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1.   My first job was a grocery bagger in my grandparents' grocery store in Duncan, AZ.  I did this in the summers.  My next first job that lasted all through college was a front-office girl at a busy podiatry practice in Tempe.

2.  I won a car on The Price Is Right when I was 18.  Yes, I had to pay taxes.. about $1800.  It was a Mitsubishi Mirage.  I drove it for 6 years.  Yes, I kissed Bob Barker.  Yes, he was old. (these are the typical questions I'm asked when people hear this info for the first time)

3.  I have only been to Canada and Mexico as my foreign country visits though I have resided in Arizona, Oklahoma, Texas and now Alaska (Please, Lord, let Alaska be the last new state for us!!!).

4.  I have big food-texture issues.  I HATE super creamy foods that include: cheese cake, yogurt, pudding, cream cheese, whipped cream, pudding, yogurt, pudding, yogurt.... Those bad boys trigger my gag reflex in a MIGHTY way.

5.  I can quote virtually every line from every episode of the Brady Bunch.  It's stupid, I know.. but I LOVED that show.  My friend's ex-husband and I could also sing most of their stupid songs they sang as a "group" on the show.  Fun.  "When it's time to change, you've got to rearrange who you are into what you're gonna be!  Sha-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na!!! "

6.  In high school I had my ears double pierced which made my dad mad.  When I got a single third hole in my left ear, he told me I looked like a prostitute which is funnier today than it was then (my friend Holly and I rolled when he said that even though he was TOTALLY serious..that is the biggest reason I never got the tattoo I always wanted! ).

7.  I played the violin reasonably well from about 4th grade through high school.  I didn't practice nearly as often as I should have,  but I did enjoy it.  And here's the kicker, I'm "friends" with my childhood violin teacher on facebook (possibly the single most genius ways to keep in touch with old friends!).

I think I'll tag Suzanne and Susan.. big surprise but they always fill theirs out and, as said above, I like reading them :)

April + Post Office (@ Christmas) = Bad Attitude!!!

Yesterday I had to go to the post office to mail a package and to pick up a package (which is in itself a whole other post on WHY they won't leave my packages in the mail box things!!!!).. if you've never had the opportunity to visit the Eagle River PO in December, count yourself as lucky.  It's a ZOO!!!  Obviously, most of us in Alaska are mailing gifts to the lower 48....at the exact minute as one another, apparently.  I had about 30 minutes before picking Kara up at school and the line was L-O-N-G.  And the postal workers are sort of slow... and the people who dressed for -1 F weather are overheating in the 75F room so they're getting grouchy.. and Clay is whining...  you can see that this may turn out to be a perfect storm.  Actually, it ended up OK because I was able to use the kiosk to mail my package and they opened up a line to just pick up packages so we were in and out in about 15 minutes.  Whew :)

But, it got me thinking.. my friend Kamdon was telling me how her mom started every morning at their house with the vintage Sunday School classic  "This is the Day that the Lord Has Made".  She said that she tries to remember that when her own mommy days get long.. That sounded like a good idea to me so I have been singing the little song trying to focus on the good things instead of the "bad" or the downright irritating (and often singing through clenched teeth).   I started to think of all the things that had irritated me yesterday and looked for the good.. I came up with the following:

1.  Post Office Nightmare:  better to wait in line at USPS than to be waiting at a Dr. appt with a sick baby (or sick self!!).

2.  Lots of slipping and sliding while driving:  I never skidded into the intersection when stopping and I slid only in my lane.

3.  Nearly falling flat on my face NUMEROUS times walking through the parking lot:  NOT falling, only coming close.

4.  Whiney son:  Having a son who can speak and communicate his "needs" :)

My new little exercise has actually turned my frown upside down.   Anybody want to join  me in a rousing rendition of "This is the Day"??  All together now!!!!!!

A Christmas Letter

(sometimes I write a Christmas letter and sometimes I don't.. I compromised this year and am posting on the blog)

Merry Christmas to our friends and family (all 5 of you faithful readers!)..

2008 has been a crazy year for our family! Besides the obvious move to Alaska, it's been a doozy. We've said many good-byes starting last January when we bid farewell to the Spads. I was really sad to leave the F16 (well, not the jet so much but the squadron). I knew of F16s before I knew of the Air Force having been around the Naylors for so long :) Clayton left for F22 training in January and did not return to TX except for the odd weekend here and there. Our sweet friends really circled the wagons 'round the kids and I while Clayton was gone.. they and their families exemplified friendship to us and saved me more than one nervous breakdown in the process!!! I said the long-goodbye to our friends and adopted family (you know who you are!) for the last time at the end of May. What a bittersweet time the winter and spring were for me. We lived a lot of life in TX in the short 6 years we were there and there's a hole in our hearts for having left.
In between saying good-bye and moving across the world, we had some really fun family trips that included (but were certainly not limited to..) a week at Disneyworld with Grandma and Grandpa; a week at St Joe's beach with Troy, Melissa and fam; nearly a month of FUN with our Phoenix extended family that included a side-trip to Sedona for Aunt Cindy's beautiful wedding to Uncle Daniel (welcome to the family..ha ha), swimming lessons and endless fun with all of our precious nephews. We miss our family! Most of the time it doesn't feel so far away being in Alaska until a baby is born (welcome Grayson and Hugh!!!!) or holidays roll around and we know you all are together without us (sniff).

I think, though, that if I had to sum up our year in a word, I'd have to say: blessed. God has been so good to us this year!! There were plenty of times I wondered if we'd make it to Alaska in once piece but we did.. and not only that, we had fun getting here! We've made new friends and found a church. The kids are learning to sled and ski. We love our house. We're healthy!! God is good.

Merry Christmas and we hope that 2009 is one of your best years yet!

PS. Obviously I have to shamelessly plug our new home state of Alaska.. it's lovely here and we have some extra room for you to come and stay. I'd like to lie and say that rooms are booking fast but they aren't (yet) :)

"Russ, we checked every light bulb didn't we?"

I harbor a secret desire to one day have a Griswold-like light display.. until I convince Clayton to put up thousands of twinkling lights, the simple lawn deer and trees will have to do :)

Mommy, I went Skedding! Like a big boy!

Clayton took Clay-Clay skiing yesterday afternoon (yes, this picture is about 4:00pm).  Clay's version of the events is a little different from his Daddy's but he has nothing but fun memories today (Clay didn't know how to turn so he just plowed down the mountain and crash-landed at the bottom...many tears and asking to go home until he got back to the top to do it all again).  There's a little ski hill on base here and it's cheapo for little guys.  They were gone for about 3 hours and Clayton got a great workout dragging Clay up the hill after skiing down... he's too little for the tow rope!  We've decided against snowboarding for the kids based on some APA recommendations (thanks Jackie!) to hold off until after 7 yrs old (Clayton has a lot of crow to eat because he said his kids weren't going to ski!).  I think the kids and I will find ourselves in ski school soon...    

Friends

I wanted to post a picture of Clay and one of his little friends making/"helping" with chocolate chip cookies.  They were pretty funny.. definitely enjoyed eating more than helping me make them!  

Better Late than Never??

Here are some pictures of what we've been doing the last week or so :)

The Thanksgiving turkey.. it was 25#! Way too big but I think it was good even though the gravy was way too salty (and I didn't add any salt!).

Kara & I went to the Nutcracker the night after T-day.  She LOVED it.  We went with some friends and Kara had a great time.  She's holding a "Clara" ornament.  I loved watching her watch the ballet even though she asked why they weren't talking!

Gingerbread Mansion building at the Sutterfields!  Kamdon is VERY creative and she invited me and the kids over one night when Clayton was gone to construct these masterpieces.  Obviously, there was as much sugar consumed as went on the chateaus.

Last night we had Clayton's reserve Christmas party.. it was bad timing in that Clayton flew in from Fairbanks at 4:00, party at 6:00!  I forgot my camera so no pics (figures).  Obviously, Clayton survived survival no worse for the wear.  He was STARVING by the time we had dinner and he entertained our table eating 2 huge plates of food... he only had 1 MRE for ~48 hours.

Merry Christmas.. Don't be a Grinch... Put this on your blog, too :)

Merry Christmas
I stalk my sisters-in-law's blogs (is that a word??) and Michelle and Melissa both had this on their blogs. So, tonight, as I wait for Kara to come home from AWANA, I give you this:

1. Wrapping paper or bags? Paper.. I'm a hideous wrapper of gifts and I think wrapping paper is a waste of money yet I continue to wrap presents badly. It's a special tradition.
2. Real or artificial tree? Fake. I grew up with real trees and they are beautiful and they smell delicious. However, they are expensive and died so fast in the AZ dry weather.. what sealed the deal was Troy becoming a fireman.. Clayton refused to buy real ones after some of Troy's war stories.
3. When do you put of the tree? The weekend after Thanksgiving.. we were raised that it was punishable by law to do ANYTHING Christmas before Thanksgiving. Like it matters... but I still follow that rule.
4. When do you take the tree down? Ha. Ha.. for sure after New Year's.
5. Do you like Eggnog? Considering my issues with food consistency, I will NEVER get egg nog near my mouth. I hate really creamy things (besides ice cream). Even if they're laced with booze.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? One year I got a Barbie townhouse, the one with the elevator and I LOVED it!! Another year, right after we were married, Clayton got me a Kitchen Aid Mixer.. also loved it.
7. Hardest person to buy for? Troy is hard to buy for, but I always pass that along to Clayton... it's his brother after all. I will say that Clayton is hard to buy for. Really hard.
8. Easiest person to buy for? My mom or my mother-in-law.
9. Do you have a nativity? Yes. Several.. like 5. I love them all and I'm always looking for more if you see any after Christmas that are practically free :)
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Funny you should ask.. I mail cards but this year I'm skipping the Christmas Letter and I put my blog address on the photo card. LAME! but kind of smart.. you have to admit.
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Melissa hit the nail on the head. Hands down.
12. Favorite Christmas movie? It's a tie between Christmas Story and Christmas Vacation. Who can resist the fragile leg lamp or Cousin Eddie in his blue leisure suit?
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Sometimes the day after Christmas but often, I lose those gifts and forget about them for years... usually in October officially.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Not yet.. but that's an interesting idea.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Anne's toffee and caramel chex mix (I have all the ingredients to make my own..)
16. Lights on the tree? Yes. Our fake tree is pre-lit with white lights.
17. Favorite Christmas song? "Oh Holy Night" and pretty much anything from Handel's "Messiah".
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Until this year, we've ALWAYS traveled to AZ for Christmas... however, due to high ticket prices at Christmas, we're having our first Christmas as a family at our home in Alaska. It's going to be fun but a little sad at the same time.
19. Can you name all of Santa's Reindeer? Not only can I name them all, I can recite "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" in its entirety.
20. Angel on the tree top or star? Star. My darling children have both noted that our star this year is crooked. A move to AK was hard on our fake tree but we kept it because the lights still work. This is not surprising to anyone who knows Clayton.
21. Open present on Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas morning.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? It's driving me crazy how my kids are constantly whining about what they want for Christmas.. when they have too much already! Like they need more... I think the consumerism of Christmas makes me the most nuts.
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Airplanes are becoming a real traditional ornament but my favorite are the Pottery Barn frame ornaments I've been buying every year since we've been married. They have the year engraved and it's fun to look at them every year and see all the changes...
24. Favorite food for Christmas dinner? I love Christmas breakfasts of cinnamon rolls and egg dishes (Michelle.. can you send me one of your delicious egg dishes, please?)
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? World Peace.. oh, wait, that's what I'm going to say at Mrs. America. I don't want anything. I'm just happy Clayton's not in Iraq.
26. Who is most likely to respond to this? Sweet Susan Miller.
27. Who is least likely to respond? I would have said Adriane but I think Michelle threw down the gauntlet and she might do it :)