Busy Bee's

Lately it feels like we are moving in super-sonic speed. This summer was a wet one which deterred many of our plans. We still manged to go camping, rent a paddle boat, and hit a few trails. If you are on FB, you probably already know all the details. If not, here is the readers digest version:

Moose, there are LOTS of moose in Alaska. This year we've seen quite a few black bear too.

This was our cabin... we could hear the wolves howl every night.

and the paddle boat on Otter Lake

We hit the Crow Creek Mine, and Winner Creek Trail - highly recommended!

If you go on the hike, beware of dogs with a bad attitude or you could get one of these...

That sucker lasted 3 weeks. Jon also had an "adventure" with the scouts. They canoed for almost a week

straight with nothing but their packs.

we attended the Arctic Thunder Air Show

my business has been growing like crazy... I'm much busier than I expected

We celebrated a few birthday's, had several bbq's, stayed up late, ate too many smores, biked, hiked, and soaked up every spare minute of sunshine. Even though the summer felt short, we tried to make the most of it. Now the kids are in school and Jon and I will be soon. Bring on the fall!

Crafty, Crafty.

Lately I've been doing lots of little projects. I think those annoying little items that never get crossed off on my "To-Do" list finally got to me. I always sit on the floor to apply my makeup. I don't know why, but I always have. Let's just say more often than not my makeup doesn't get put away and Addison LOVES to get into my makeup, particularly my brushes. Like most girls I have quite a few brushes. I found several great tutorials for crayon rolls and decided to make one. It's nothing fancy, but it keeps my brushes safe from a curious 1yr. old who puts everything in her mouth.

My next project was actually for my sister. She wanted something for her kids. Kaydance's was the first, I have Aiden's nearly done, and when JoAnn's finally stocks more letters I will do Allyson's. I think they turned out super cute. I am amazed what spray paint can do... that's right, SPRAY paint. It's a revolution (just ask the hubs).

WARNING - Picture overload!

Where to start... Addie has turned into quite the sneaky little child. I am constantly finding her "hiding".  More than once I've been looking for her and opened a cabinet door to see THIS...

Thursday was the last day of school for both Reagan and Gavin. On Wednesday Reagan's class had a party. Here is a pic of her class at Orion Elementary.

Reagan and her 1st grade teacher Mr. VonGemmingen

Addie and her new fav. trick (waving)

We are so excited to start the SUMMER! As an early birthday gift Reagan and Gavin got a trampoline. This has already been so much fun. I love that I can send them outside to play and they have something to do (that will wear them out).

As promised, here is a pic of Jade with her cone of shame.

She is doing much better and we are ALL grateful the cone is gone! You will have to wait on the other pics I promised. Sorry, but time is short and I've got a bazillion things to do. If you haven't read about it on FB, we decided to re-do our 1/2 bath and that among all my other projects and orders has kept me pretty busy. Hopefully you are getting ready to enjoy your summer, we sure are!

Lots going on...

On the 2nd we were out for an evening walk and that's when things got crazy. Reagan and Gavin were taking turns on the Razor, I was pushing Addie in the stroller, and Jon was walking Jade. We noticed a large lab mix off leash and made a mental note (this is a BIG deal on base). The dog came over to us, sniffed Jade, she sniffed him, and everything seemed fine. Jon started to walk away with Jade when for no reason the other dog snapped. Before we had time to respond he locked his jaw on Jade's head and threw her to the ground. I ran over and tried to help Jon pry the dog off Jade. She was yelping for help. I was punching and kicking the dog as hard as I could (he didn't flinch) and Jon was trying to pull him off. In the mix Jon's knuckles were bloodied up and Jade was bleeding pretty badly. The owner came out to see what was going on. After calling security forces and taking the kids to a friend's house we rushed Jade to the Emergency Clinic. They had to knock her out in order to stitch her up. She was in a lot of pain, but has been healing quite well.



Over the week Gavin started to get sick. He was coughing so hard he nearly threw up. Friday we had to take Jade back to the vet. She managed to open some of her sutures. Luckily they were able to just glue it shut. Armed with the Cone-of-Shame, we returned home. Addie caught the bug next. This particular bug included noses that POUR and have a disabled shut-off valve. Before long Reagan and Jon were hacking.


Sunday... ah, Sunday. After another night of no sleep (thanks to a so-snotty-she-can't-breathe Addie), 3 sick kids, a sick hubby, and a recovering dog, I was not expecting a great Mother's Day. Jon really is the best husband. He gave me flowers, let me nap, cleaned the house, cooked, made an amazing cake (pics to come), and made sure I felt loved. This poor man looked like death. It was a great day despite all the challenges.


On to Monday. Addie is at that age... you know, the age where she wants to be independent and get into everything. Yesterday she was pulling herself up on a chair when she lost her footing and whacked her head right on the corner of the chair. Yup, my 1yr. old has a black eye (also pics to come). On a side-note, she has taken 8 steps consecutively and is determined to walk. Crawling is so last week. Well hopefully you survived this long picture-less post. If time allows I'll get some pics up soon. Until next time!

Big Changes

You may have noticed a lot of changes going on. With new church callings, recently opening a business, a school year coming to a close, and gearing up for a summer filled with camping and hiking there is never a dull moment for the Graves family. In light of our busy schedule, our blog will also be changing. Instead of having individual pages, we will now have one for our family. What better way to start things off, than with Addie's 1st Birthday! Enjoy the pics from her big day...

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Well, another AMAZING St. Patrick's Day has come and gone. Each year our celebration seems to grow. This was such a fun year thanks to our GREAT friends! Here are a few pics of the festivities…

Spring Break!

For years I never understood why parents loathed breaks such as Spring Break, Christmas Break, or even the summer between school years. Now I understand... the constant bickering and arguing. This has never really been an issue for our family, UNTIL NOW. I love having my kids home with me. I love spending time with them. I even plot ways to keep them home from school. Now I am at my wits end trying to keep the peace and end wars. WHAT HAS HAPPENED to my CHILDREN? If we all survive this it will be a miracle. In an effort to keep our home a "happy" one we are trying to find activities for the rest of the week. If you have any suggestions let me know. Jon took the kids to Fur Rondy, we went to Arctic Oasis, and tomorrow is looking like a great museum day. Hopefully you are enjoying your Spring Break :)

In addition to caring for the previously mentioned three *delightful* (insert any antonym) children and trying to maintain a clean home, my business has really taken off. I have been working like crazy. Provided I manage my time efficiently, this is AWESOME. If you were wondering about the pic, it's Addie reminding me to let "come what may and LOVE it". Jon has been working hard, providing for our family. He (like the rest of us) can’t wait for the snow to disappear so we can dive into all the summer activities we love. Until next time…

Nothing Noteworthy

You may have noticed our page hasn't been updated... well, there hasn't been much to update. Other than my boutique, we are just going from one day to the next. We are grateful we haven't had any "exciting" news and that things are slowing down. When we have something truly "blog-worthy" our page will once again be updated!

Christmas... better late than never!

We woke up at 4 a.m. on December 16th and headed for the airport. After 3 connections (Juneau, Seattle, Portland) and a 2 hour drive, we finally arrived at Jon’s parents home. The next day was Jon’s birthday and we woke to hear news that his great uncle passed away. This was not the way we anticipated our trip to start. Later we drove to Albany and spent a little time with Jon’s Grandmother. We met up with Nick and Katelyn followed by dinner at Carino’s. I can still taste the Scallopini, Yum!

The rest of the weekend was spent wrapping up Christmas shopping, kicking back with family, and preparing for the week ahead. Jon, Nick, and several of their cousins had continual Airsoft battles. Monday we attended services for Jon’s great uncle. After the burial we had scheduled family pictures. We drove back to Albany and were notified Jon’s grandmother was not going to make the pictures. She was feeling very ill. Tragically she passed away that evening. We spent most of our trip tending to family, and ensuring Grandma’s things were taken care of.

We were able to spend Christmas Eve with all of Jon’s siblings, their children, and his parents. Our children were spoiled and had a great time. Christmas day was more mellow and calm. The kids were thrilled to find what treasures Santa left for them.

All too soon it was time to head home. Tuesday we began our drive to Portland. We left a few hours early, allowing time to hit Deseret Book before our flight. The weather took a turn for the worst and we were crawling bumper to bumper on slick roads. The typical 2 hour drive took 5 hours. Luckily we made our flight with time to spare. After a long 4 hour flight we arrived in Anchorage. We had a little trouble locating our car but made it home safe and sound.

Despite all the challenges and tragedies, Christmas was still one we will treasure. We were able to see loved ones, reflect on the true meaning of Christmas, and lean on each other through this difficult time. We hope you all had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!