Our shop

Andrew has been building his shop now for several months and now the "siding" going on the outside of it. We bought a bunch of galvanized metal siding, it looks like an old gold mine camp. I am really liking it. It's not your every day normal siding anyway!!

It's a hot one!!

Well, for those of you who think Alaska doesn't ever get warm.......

This was at 9:30 this morning

This was at 1:45 this afternoon

I'd venture to say, that is HOT in anybody's book. I am getting out there and storing heat for the winter time. Lyn and I have been laying out just about every day. We are both pretty brown now, sorta like brown lobsters. heehee

Soccer

I have been dragging Lyn and the kids to soccer games twice a week this summer, so far. This is Grant's first year to play. Those little kids are so cute out there. They hardly have an idea of how to play the game so they just end up chasing the ball around. It is sooooo cute to watch them. Here are a few pictures of what the games are like.

Taylor, Grant, Tyler, Kelsea, Lyn, and Drew

Grant in his uniform

During the game

Let sleeping boys lie.

We have been running all over the place, soccer games, softball games, etc., etc. The twins hardly ever get a nap so they are so tired they fall asleep wherever they stop. We caught these cute moments this past week.

Taylor

Tyler

The lawn and Katie and Kelsea

Here is the latest on the lawn. We have a light green color showing up as you can see. I can't wait until it gets long enough to mow. Don't laugh at me, I LOVE to mow and everyone has suggested that we get a riding lawn mower but I said NO!!!!! Don't want no ridin' lawn mower. I want a push mower and Andrew said we could get a new one this year. So, I'm excited!!!

Front lawn

Back lawn

Lyn and Lincoln, Keith and Kelsea came on June 12th. We are soooooo happy to have them here visiting and working. Katie and Kelsea are best buddies and took their own picture here. Lyn and I think their eyes look alike. They are like two peas in a pod.

I'll try to get more pictures of the rest of the family posted sometime in the next week or so. It is hard for me to remember to take my camera everywhere but I will try to remember to do it so I can take some candids that might be interesting for everyone.

Working on our house

I thought you might like to see what "the guys" have to go through to work on our house at this point. They are putting up the fashia (sp?) and are on our second level deck, which has no railing, on top of scaffold. What do you think about the two colors... Our roof is green as well as the 1st few inches of fashia... I'm sure there is a name for it but I don't know what it is. Then we added deep red fachia to the lower 4-6 inches. We really like it but it is very different.

Then I thought I would add a picture of my flower pots that I just planted on Saturday. They are looking so nice and colorful.

Back Yard

I decided to post some pictures of the back yard going in. Tom Smith (Max and Sherry Shelton's son-in-law) has been doing alot of work around the house this summer and also helping for the job in Ft, Yukon. So he and his wife, Chrystal, and Daniel Ridenour (a guy from our church) were out there putting the seed, fertilizer and water on the lawn. Chrystal is watering in this picture.

The light patch on the top left of the picture is where we are planning to put a swing set/playground-type area with pea gravel for the kids. The trampoline is straight back behind the largest white tree.

Here is what the front of the house looks like now. Hopefully in about 10 days or so I can post a picture that has a nice green lawn. We also plan to plant a few birch trees in the lawn as well, but that will need to be in the late summer or fall.
These are my favorite wild flowers here in Alaska. They are wild roses and they smell delicious but they bloom only about two or three weeks.

The lawn is going in!!

Well, we are getting the lawn put in and I am thrilled. Over the last week or so since I've been home we have gotten several truck loads of top soil and had someone spread it all over the front and back of the house. Then Andrew's guys have watered, raked and compressed and watered, raked and compressed until they are sick of it, I'm sure. Last night the guy came and did the seeding and put on fertilizer and raked and compressed some more. They only got the front yard done. I imagine they will get the back yard done tonight or sometime this weekend. YAY!!!

Here are Drew and Grant using the "compresser", it is a metal roller full of water. Andrew is going to spread the extra rocks that you see at the top of the picture all along the same semi circle of rocks that is already there.
I was on the deck taking pictures and looked down and saw Tyler, so I called him and then snapped the picture.
Sorry this picture is blurry. Taylor was too busy riding his bike through the mud puddles to help with the lawn. :) This makes the backs of their shirts covered with mud because the mud splashes up from off the back tire. :( Pray that I will someday get all this laundry done. :)

Happy Birthday Drew

Today our oldest son turns 11. Drew is a fun-loving, hard-working boy who plays hard and is constantly moving. We are so glad to have him in our family. Andrew has taken him to Ft. Yukon to work for the last couple of weeks, and he has enjoyed the Dad time. When Andrew has something for him to do, he works. But otherwise he rides his bike and plays with Gale's sons who are usually up there too.

Here is Drew's birthday cake, chocolate cake with chocolate icing, just like both of his namesake's and his Papaw Sankey!! (and there are a few more of us too but we won't mention it)
Sorry about his blurry face. I am having problems with my camera and can't change the settings. Time for a new camera, I guess.

And I thought I would add one of Grant blowing his candles out. (blurry face again)

Thank you to all who have wished the kids Happy Birthday this week, or sent e-cards. Three birthday's down, three to go...... :)

Happy Birthday Grant

Today is Grant's 7th birthday. He is such a fun kid. Tough, smart, happy, fun and the softest cheeks in the whole world. We are so happy to have him in our family. We love you Grant!

San Diego

Well, you haven't heard from me in a good long while because I've been in San Diego, hanging out with my Mom. We had an awesome time, relaxing, shopping, walking, talking and laughing our heads off. Here are a few pictures so you can see some of what we saw.

This is a beautiful bush/tree that grew flat along the back wall of the hotel. There were several all along the wall.

This is a bouquet of spring flowers that my dear husband sent to me while I was there. Look at that daisy toward the bottom. Have you ever seen anything so beautiful?

Pretty flower!

This is a picture of the grounds of the motel right outside of our door from the balcony. It was kept impeccably. (word?) The days were marvelous. They would start off completely overcast but by 10 or 11 all the clouds would be burned off and the rest of the day would be sunny and 75 degrees with a constant breeze. Just gorgeous. Good times......