Spring has sprung

Spring is here!!!!
It has happened.  We knew it would come... and sure enough the sun has come out and the snow is melting away.  We love that our home faces south.  Our front yard melted fast.  We just have a small patch of snow left in the shady back yard.
The sky is blue and this place is buzzing with activity.
Everyone is out raking their yards, sweeping up the gravel :) and even watering the grass.  Tonight on our walk, we saw a sprinkler on in a front yard watering the snow still there, helping it melt and wash away.
We have plans to finish our front yard and porch in the coming weeks.
This weekend we are anxious to wash our cars and wash out our garage.
This may not be exciting news for you.... but it is for us.
Welcome spring... we're glad you're here.
Here is the back yard... just a touch of snow left.

All gone in the front.

Check this out!!

Erin and dad went on an afternoon walk yesterday and Erin ran

in to grab the camera and they came back laughing

Check out how deep the snow is on our street...

It's been a long winter  :)

Church Prom

Last Saturday was the church Prom
here are a few pictures of Erin...


Erin leaving for her afternoon date
to play camera scavenger hunt at the mall.

Sister Bowen curling Erin's hair in long wavy curls

Last minute touches...

           Getting ready to leave with Derek

Dad caught her dancing with his phone camera...

The Iditarod

Two Saturday's ago  was the start of the Iditarod...
the Last Great Race on Earth.



Here are a few of the racers we caught
a glimpse of as they raced by us.




Check out their booties

Notice the snazzy booties on these guys

              

It was actually not too cold that day... 

it was a balmy 10 degrees 

Here is Bob reaching out to high five one of the mushers

These last two pictures are of my favorite

pairs of dogs... 

aren't they beautiful!

                       

dads birthday

A few pictures of dads birthday evening
Here is dad modeling his new jeans...
you know how he does his mannequin pose...
nice huh

We stopped by to meet with Josh Romney
who was in Eagle River for the evening
He was so personable and it was nice to
hear him talk about his dad

     Then we went to Olive Garden for dinner

those two... goofing off

                   

         yum

Sunday night youth fireside

Sunday night the youth had a stake fireside.  They talked about their new theme Arise and Shine Forth.

The stake leaders had each youth write down something they wanted to improve on during the upcoming year, things that would  help them let their lights shine forth.  Then they went outside and attached what they had written to their lanterns and they lit their lantern and let them go.  

They all floated upward into the dark ski.  Here is Erin's little group.

moose in the church parking lot

Today after church, there was a moose
standing right outside the church door,
as if to shake our hands and wish us a
good week as we left.
The primary kids were so thrilled.
I can never get enough of these gorgeous
creatures.  They just delight me.  I am always
so surprised to see them here and there.  They
are hungry and the snow is so deep this year
that they've come down to get food.

I saw this moose this past week on the way to school

              And this moose was right across the street eating.
             He moseyed across the street to the house next door to us...

                   
                                   where he ate a a few branches...

                     and then laid down for a little snooze in the trees.

Saturday at the climbing wall on base

We went over to the base to play miniature golf Saturday
             and Erin climbed the climbing wall

snow.... again

ok, I know this might be getting old, but

here is our snowman to date.  :)

only Kodiak's lone trail out back and

around the corner

here is his trailing off the porch... no 3 steps down 

Record Cold Temperatures

Good Grief, we've had record cold temperatures.

Bob walks Kodiak every night, no exceptions.

I go with him.... most nights.

Here we are the other night getting ready 

to head out.  The temp was 11 below..... burrrrr

Kodiak with his little orange coat on.

He loves his walk... he runs and runs

 and leaps in and out of the snow.

He comes home most nights with

frost all over his whiskers.

I couldn't resist.  Here is dad right after our walk

with frost on his eyelashes.

Our eyes water as we walk and it does hurt the

inside of our noses we don't cover them up.

It also hurts my chest as we walk our steep

hill up and around the corner.