This One's a Doozie, Folks!

This is going to be a lot of pictures, this post.. We're in the middle of a BIG week around here. Lots of "lasts"... A first... Kara's turning 7... Grandparents and a Great Grandma are coming to visit. Daddy's TDY for a few days. DETAILS GALORE. We're at the half-way point. I think we're gonna make it :)

This is Jojo. He's our new cat (said very grudgingly by me). He was clearly abandoned in our neighborhood about a week before the first snow. What were we to do?? He's HUGE! I don't think you can really tell from this picture. I think he's part jackalope.

This Tuesday was the last "Trade-off Tuesday" of the season. This has been a winner of a deal for both the kids and the moms (I think). This day at our house, the sun was out and the kids were literally soaking it in.

Building a campfire in our backyard... fortunately, no matches were involved.

A true first!! April biking with a dog in a backpack (40+ miles in 2 days). Trooper seemed to enjoy himself. He got to stay with us again for a week. Good times, Troopie!

A last: Kara's last field trip as a firstgrader.. We went to the zoo. It was freezing. This was the middle of May in south Anchorage. Fleeces were not overkill this day, sadly enough.

Kara and Mommy.. there was a grizzly bear behind us in case you were wondering!

Clay's last Sunday as a Lutheran :) He's all done with preschool. I can't say enough good things about Little Lambs of Peace Preschool. He has loved going and has learned a lot from Mrs. Hackmann. We'll miss you guys!!!!

Clay's last field trip as a preschooler. We went to Matanuska Creamery in Wasilla. This is Clay milking a fake cow. No words.

Enjoying some very tasty ice cream at the creamery.

Clay and I cheesing it up after we ate cheese curds for the first time. They're not nearly as gross as they sound.

In my mind I am composing an awesome post for Kara's 7th birthday on Friday. I seriously doubt that I'll get it posted in a timely manner.. but it's going to be a good one, I just know it. In case you're wondering, we're having an art birthday party for 7 of her friends on Friday. Kamdon made the cake and it's awesome. I think it's going to be a good time. I'll probably get pictures of the party up on a relatively timely manner.

Aviation Trade Show May 2010

For anyone who might be interested, Clayton is at 1:40ish of this youtube video. Don't know who the people are in the video.. there were so many people filming that day, we knew we'd eventually stumble on a video to share with all our loved ones (cough, choke, gag).

Hellions Angels and a Rockstar

Hello from the most beautiful day on record so far this 2010. It is nearly 60 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. There is still snow on the tops of the mountains and the grass on the ground is starting to get green. You can literally SMELL spring today in Eagle River, Alaska. I NEVER paid attention to the weather coming from Arizona. It was either hot or warm. In Texas, the weather was schizophrenic but at least it was predictable in its unpredictability. Here in AK, it makes TX weather look down right boring. SO, when we get the rare day of warmth AND sun, people sit up and take notice. WHAT?! (insert screeching brake noise here) Am I 50 years old? Did I really just blog a whole paragraph about the weather?! I AM SO SORRY!!!

I wanted to post some pics from our epic weekend. It was pretty jam-packed with a sick kid (Clay) thrown in for good measure... Clayton worked this weekend and I had this thing called a "dining in". It's basically a big banquet for the AF spouses where you have to come up with a theme, a costume and a skit. Yes, there is much potential for lameness and humiliation.. Nevertheless, a few of us decided to fly our freak-flags and give it a whirl. Considering Clayton's squadron is called the Hellions (please keep all comments to yourself.. like we had any say in the name of a squadron), we decided to be original and be biker chicks and call ourselves the Hellions Angels. We made cool vests, came up with a skit and had some awesome table decorations. It was a lot of work over the last month but it was also pretty fun. That and we won "best costume".. Enjoy the pictures...

The Original Hellions Angels: April, Beth, Kamdon, Jen and Camille in front of the table extraordinaire.

Our awesomely gigantic centerpiece. It says 302 which is our squadron # (in case you're wondering).

Sunday brought another work day, a recovering Clay and an aviation trade show. Turns out that Clayton was going to fly a jet from the trade show thing back to Elmendorf. With Clay feeling better, I decided to take the kids down and they could see Daddy take off in the jet a little more up close and personal than usual (which is NEVER that close at all). It was a lovely grey, cold and windy day out at Ted Steven's Airport. Did I take warm enough clothes for myself and my kids? NO WAY! Did we let that deter us? HECK NO! (Alaska has made us all so hardcore) So we traipsed out to this trade show thing that had all kinds of military and private airplanes out on static display. Clay was in hog heaven. The LAST thing he wanted to do was stand still and watch Clayton suit up and taxi the jet out and take-off. I thought that was kind of funny because literally the entire crowd watched this whole ordeal... Honestly, the son of the F22 pilot was more interested in the FedEX jet!! And he kept saying so.. LOUDLY! As an aside, I don't know if I've shared my loathing of air shows. I have a repeating nightmare of being at an air show and planes just falling out of the sky. Therefore, I despise them. Granted, this wasn't an airshow, it was a trade show so there weren't planes flying all the time and doing random tricks, etc.. HOWEVER, this involved a crowd of people watching my husband take off in the rad F22 (said somewhat tongue-in-cheek) so it technically qualified as somewhat of a living nightmare for me. I don't know what it is about that.. I've seen one too many shows on AIR SHOW DISASTERS on Discovery Channel, I guess. Suffice it to say, since I'm snarkily blogging about it, Clayton's plane didn't fall out of the sky (thank God.. again). And even though Clay-Clay was unmoved by his dad's rockstar status, it was not lost on Kara. She LOVED seeing all the little boys (and some big ones, too) go nuts over the F22 knowing Daddy was at the stick (or throttle or whatever it is they call it). She talked about it all evening. Unfortunately, my camera is a piece and the batteries died long before Clayton actually started moving so the pictures are kind of boring.

Clayton and the kids.

Putting on the gear.. it takes a long time..

Clayton climbing in. The kids think it is HILARIOUS that someone has to buckle him in "like he's in a car seat" (said in a wicked voice by Clay-Clay.. he loves to know that someone besides himself is tortured by a 5 point-harness)

It is really too bad that there is no sound in this picture. Perhaps then you would understand why my ears were literally dripping blood by the time Clayton got airborne. (And yes, I had earplugs but I gave them to my kids.. I'm just that good of a mom. I sacrificed my own hearing for that of my kids. Someday they'll thank me...when they're sneaking out and I can't hear them)

Oh Fokker, we give you a lot of grief but we are secretly both thrilled by and proud of you (there is NO DANGER of him ever reading this blog..that's how I can put that!).