Some family fun on my birthday!

It has been long time no post for me! Earlier this month we had Aaron, Abie, and all of Abie's family except her oldest brother and his family visit Alaska! The day after they arrived we had a family dinner and fun at a park! It just happened to be my birthday too, it was a fun way to spend the day!

Above is the Bacon side of things, minus Jen and Jimmy... we missed you terribly!

The whole clan!

From Left: Gerry & Heather, Dave & Anita, Nate (Abie's bro), Shar & Asa (Abie's parents), Josiah (Abie's bro), Abie & Aaron, Chris (Abie's bro), Rachael (Abie's sis) & Nick with cuties Hallie & Caden!

This picture cracks me up... it is SO hard to get all of our kids looking, let alone smiling for a picture. Drew was doing a king fu pose, Morgan blocking her eyes from the sun, Gavin doubled over in laughter, and Annika wondering what she has gotten herself into. But it's a memorable shot nonetheless. :)

We didn't get to spend nearly as much time with Aaron and Abie as we'd like... but I'm sure that will come with time! So glad you all came!!!


Annie chillin' in the sun at Aaron & Abie's Alaska reception!

Our 4th of July

Our 4th of July celebration was spent with friends on their lake with a sandy beach! We didn't have any plans so we were content to stay home while Jeremy nursed his knee injury, but our friends called that afternoon to see if we had plans, and we were more than happy to get out of the house and join in on their fun! We played all day in the 80 degree day on the boat, inner tubing, and swimming in the lake. (Brrr... the kids were the only ones brave enough!)

Gavin & Morgan getting ready for their turn! They took many trips on the tube and loved every minute of it.

Even the brave mamas took a turn!

Allison and I had to lay on the tube... I hadn't done that in years! I'm proud to say we didn't fall off.. Klint was nice to us, I guess. But we sure did a lot of laughing and screaming!

Annika enjoying the sand between her toes.

Me and my big girl.


Drewy playing around by the dock. I have a picture of me playing around by a dock in an inner tube when I was about Drew's age... the resemblance is uncanny. I'll find it and post it...


This was an amazing way to spend the 4th. It was so fun to mix it up this year, and have a lake adventure! Thanks Davies fam for inviting us to join in on your day.

Happy Birthday America!!!

veggie mania

I have to say that I'm married to the man with the greenest thumb I've even known! When we moved into our house just over 5 years ago, his dream was to have a garden and grow a few things for us to enjoy all summer. His two raised beds turned into an amazing garden with multiple beds and rows, plus a new greenhouse the he spent last summer building!

I love that he spends his time outside on his hobby, plus he's right here at home! I am taking more pride in it each year and now love taking people on a garden tour and know what each plant is and tidbits of info about them. He is experimenting in the greenhouse this year and is yielding great plants and soon fruits and veggies! Right now we have tiny cucumbers growing, little pumpkin curly-ques entangling, and tomato flowers popping up like crazy! It's SO cool!

This week he has been harvesting rhubarb, strawberries, zucchini, herbs, 8 ball squash, spinach & salad greens, and green onions!

I do a little gardening myself, except I'm in the flower business. I love making our front walk look colorful and welcoming with bright annuals and am enjoying filling up my perennial beds with columbine, tiger lilies, forget me knots, ferns, delphiniums, and daisies. They are multiplying each year and I love all the color combinations.

Our huge green bean patch. We love 'em steamed up best.

Our first go at tomato plants, pumpkins, cucumbers, peppers, corn, and fresh herbs.

We have dill, cilantro, basil, and oregano. I am loving cooking with them. Ooh, they are SO yummy! I am learning to get more creative with them as I go.

Our corn and green pepper experiments...

I took this pic at 5:30 am this morning because I happened to wake up and the sun was reddish/fuchsia and it was truly an amazing sight.. the picture didn't capture any of it! But I thought it was a good view of the garden as well.

The back row is broccoli, cabbage, swiss chard, and carrots. To the far right, there is also a full bed of carrots you can't see.)

Then we have two rows of salad fixin's: mustard greens, spinach, butter crunch lettuce, and collards. Jeremy planted the one at the bottom of the pic most recently so we have lettuces later in the summer too.

potatoes, sugar snap peas, chives, squashes, green beans....


Some flower photos...

Flashback Friday

Finally, after nearly 14 years of not being at the same place at the same time... 4 of us 5 best friends from high school were all together! We missed our buddy Crystal who couldn't make it and who I haven't seen in 9 years, but now lives back in AK!!

From the left is Briana, Raeanne, Jessica, and I.

We met at the park with our kiddos and a picnic lunch for a great day.

We have 11 kids between the 4 of us...

Bri, Jess, and I are living back here, while Rae lives in Austrailia!

We have so many fun memories of sports trips, Seward camping trips, overnighters, movies,

and much, much, more! They are true blue friends and we can easily pick back up where we left

off... I love you, dear friends!

Hopefully the next gathering of all of us will be only a couple years away... 14 is TOO long!

Gavin the Birthday Boy!

Gavin Nathaniel is 7!

This year we made the switch to a family only party one year, then a friends & family party the next... Gavin was the guinea pig with his party and he chose mini golf then ice cream at a new parlor in town! It was SO much fun!! Not to mention our house was left untouched by the whole thing... I think we're onto something here. :)

It was a beautiful, hot summer day for the bash.

We love you, Gavin... you're such a big kid now.

We love your energy and enthusiasm for life and just about anything that comes your way.

You are a caring son and brother and we all love you to pieces!

Auntie Heather & Uncle Gerry

(and don't forget little Dylan who is coming at the end of summer!)

Grandpa Louie and the girlies.

A group shot, thanks to my photo timer. Too bad my photo program isn't loaded yet... or I would have cropped out the brick on the bottom.

The boys strutting their stuff on the course.

Annika stole every ball she could get her little hands

on... including Grandma Marla Kay's.

Before we met up with family for mini golf, we spend the afternoon

playing and biking with the Novaks! Thanks for spending time with us, guys.

It was a fun, full birthday for our Gavin!

her stoop

Annika bolts toward the front door whenever it opens and plops herself down on the front steps any chance she gets. Before she was walking, she'd stay there forever and occasionally venture out across the sharp rocks on her knees. Now, she'll stay there for a couple and then cruise out onto the grass or toward the garden. She LOVES being outdoors. And now that she's not on her knees all day long, she's been wearing lots of sundresses...

Ben + Anita

Yesterday, my dear friend Anita married her sweetheart Ben... it was an amazing day!

Congratulations you two!!

Drew, Gavin, and Morgan had the honor of being the ring bearers and one of the flower girls. They did so well, and looked pretty adorable too.

She walks!!

Tonight, we were quite surprised when Annika took off walking! Drew, Gavin, and Morgan were screaming an cheering and calling Jeremy and I into the living room... they were SO excited she's finally walking. They said she stood up all on her own in the middle of the floor and took off! She has never stood up like that before without something to pull up on. After 7 months of crawling, she's off! She did about 20 laps between couches while we all cheered, clapped, and jumped up and down for her. Then she did a few laps around the kitchen island for show. We love you, Annie-girl!!!! You're such a big girl now!

out of the mouths of babes

This afternoon, Gavin was strolling by me in the house as he headed downstairs saying as he hopped down the steps, "You're going to forget all about me..."

"What???" I said.

"When you die! You're going to forget all about me." He yelled up the stairs matter-of-factly.

"No I won't, I'll be in heaven.... and..." I trailed off as he continued without stopping downstairs. That's as far as I got with my on-the-go little man. I'm not sure where that funny comment came from, that guy cracks me up!

You'll read about our bird adventure below... but I thought it was so funny how my 3 big kids reacted to the thought of losing him to death. I warned them that it looked like he might not live, and this was their reaction:

Morgan, the emotional: (sobbing) "But we'll miss him, and we'll never ever see him again!"

Gavin, the realist: "Oh, that's okay... we'll just take apart his bones and see if we can fit them back together again!"

Drew, the softy: "Well, I'm really glad I found him in that swimming pool. I'm an animal rescuer. First I rescued our 4 puppies, then this! I have to call Charlotte, she's in the Animal Club with us!"

Birdy Friend

Yesterday afternoon, Drew found this little chickadee left for dead in an old swimming pool behind our shed! He was freezing and laying on his tummy in some standing water. We have no idea how he got there or if he fell out of a nest or what... BUT we're so glad Drew found him when he was sneaking up an Annabelle, our doggy, yesterday!

We brought the bird inside, who looked like he would die any minute. We wrapped him in towels to get him warm and slowly he started to stand up and let us hold him on our hands and shoulders. He never gave any hint that he could fly. He accompanied me on my shoulder as I picked up the house. I felt like a cross between Mary Poppins and Dr. Dolittle for a while there. A bit later, when we were outside and he was standing on Gavin's shoulder, he took off all of the sudden and landed in a tree above us... next thing we knew he was off singing in the sky above us! I was wishing we could keep him and that he would need us to care for him, but we're so glad he was feeling better and we could rescue him from a certain death in the birdy-hypothermic water.

I think I'm realizing more and more that I love taking in anyone or anything that needs us. It feels great to provide love and warmth. I think I could love anything or anyone. Sure, there are some unlovely people in the world, but there's just something about a child or a frail animal that screams LOVE ME to this lady. This little chickadee helped me realize that!

I guess that's how God may view us... those unlovely at times, frail, children that need Him.. He wraps us up in the warmth of all that He is and carries us along.

Hoping that we'll stay and be awhile.

He looks pretty awful in these pictures, (as do I!) he dried off and became all fluffy and perfect again.

Bye-Bye Birdy, come back anytime!!!

Happy Father's Day!

For Father's Day this year, we decided to do something different! Instead of staying home and having lunch with family, it was time to get out and enjoy the beauty around us with family! So we headed up to Eklutna Lake and it was beautiful and freezing and windy! We stayed for a couple hours on the shore after eating a fried chicken lunch in the van. Jeremy's parents along with his sister Heather joined us for the fun. My Dad was out of state, but it was fun to celebrate Jeremy and Dave and the amazing fathers they are to their children.

A wind-blown family photo!

Annika showing us were she wants to explore.

The Bits

Drew took this great pic of J & I! He was taking forever to take the photo and then we found out he was workin' the zoom! Good job, buddy!

Happy Father's Day, Jeremy!

You are a loving, caring, hard-working, and stable

Daddy for our brood and for that, I am extremely thankful.

Grandpa David posing with 2 of his 4! We missed you Jen and Aaron!

Heather is 30 weeks pregnant with their first baby! A nephew for us, and a baby cousin for the kids! WE CAN'T WAIT!

Luke & Mayerly... and the hair lady

Last Saturday, Luke & Mayerly were married! Mayerly was one of my youth group girls... my, how things change! She is now a married woman and we love Luke! They are a super fun couple, and it was a beautiful wedding. Mayerly asked me to do her hair for the big day, which scared me to death... I imagined her looking back at her pictures in years to come and wishing she had gone to a "real" hair lady. I was sick to my stomach all morning and praying that God would help me out!!! Well, he did and it turned out beautifully!!! Mayerly has long, gorgeous straight, thick hair that was so fun to work with. I also had the great privilege of doing Emily, Natalie, and Diana's hair as well who were 3 of her bridesmaids. The 4 of them are best buddies and I did prom hair for them when they were in high school... it was a great afternoon that ended in a fabulous and beautiful wedding. I LOVE these girls, and it is such an amazing thing to still be involved in their lives.

Almost done!

Done! The finished hairdo... and in her beautiful dress! She had her mother's wedding dress re-worked for her wedding. I think that is SO cool.

After the orchids were added!

Me with Natalie, Diana, & Emily! It'll be a re-run of events in August when it's Emily's turn to tie the knot!!! Can't wait. But it'll be one more gut-wrenching morning beforehand I'm sure for this not-for-real hair lady.