Our Splendid Seneca Nation: September 2009

Friends

9/27/09

The Senecas are the luckiest Indians around.....we have the most wonderful friends in the world! We've been able to hang out with our pals a lot lately - play dates, girls' night out, dinner plans....it's been great.

Alisa and her boys came over for a playdate....we had a great time. We chatted, the kids bounced off the walls and fought over toys...the usual. We love kickin it with the Parrents, time flies when you're sharing recipes and griping about husbands. :)

The boys being extra sweaty after jumping off the coffee table and shooting junk with a bow and arrow.

Alisa and her little chunker, Boden, having a moment. I love this picture!

That night, Lauren came over and we hopped on over to Lindsay's house in Eagle River. It was a great Girls Night Out....even if we didn't go outside! We ate sushi, painted our toes, made caramel apples, and watched "Adventures In Babysitting" (which Lindsay had never seen...but that's a whole other post....just kidding Lindsay. But not really.)! These girls escaped making the blog yet again because I forgot my camera....I am determined to harass next time so watch out.

We had our besties, the Ryders over for dinner last night. Grilled salmon, asparagus, mac n cheese and chocolate molten lava cake....YUM! But the best part was getting to hear Dave's giggle again after 5 long months of him being in Guam.

So nice to have the Lovebirds back together again! Can't you tell they love it when I pull out the camera?? I keep it in my apron for just this type of "moment". HA.

Well at least the kids don't mind the camera. A little Lady Gaga, vanilla ice cream and the pure joy of being 2, 3, and 4 yrs.old? This is what happens.

Ditto on the ice cream:

Allison sent the kids a Fall package of goodies so Bubs was hard at work coloring his trucks. Check out that beak! He's back in action, ladies.

"Oh hey, Mommy! Didn't see you there". I asked him if coloring the wheels was tricky and he said, "I'm fine Mommy cause I'm a tricky boy". Charmer.

Thank you for thinking of my punks, Allison! They LOVE anything you send. Love it!

This morning after breakfast, Colin and Bubs left to go grouse hunting out in the wilderness. They didn't get anything but Bubs reported that Dada took a shot and missed. Ha ha...sell out.

On their way. In matching coats. Delicious.

Colin was kind enough to take along the camera and capture the spirit of the day. I declined to include the ones of Bubs trying to climb a tree.

Ice cream two days in a row? The child has not stopped smiling since 10 this morning.

My boys are currently rotting their brains on the couch, watching football. What a wonderful Saturday for a couple of Alaskan Men....Claire hasn't been feeling well so she took a 3 hour nap today. I was able to get every last stitch of dirty laundry cleaned today. A glorious day for all the Senecas!

Here is Claire to leave you with The ABC Song to get stuck in your heads. So what if she forgot "w, x, y and z"?? She's still brilliant and adorable to boot.
And also loves her some PapaGa!

Oh, and.....I got another hair cut.....chopped it all off.
So here's my sass face showing you the new do.

Happy Sunday everyone!

Daddy's Home!

9/23/09

The gang's all back together again....Colin had a great (and quick, yay!) trip to Soldotna with his co-workers to fish on the Kenai. He was a little wind-burned when he got home and was very tired! But....we now have more Silvers marinating in the fridge. This batch is going to be a sweet whiskey flavor. A man and his catch....is there anything more beautiful? Or delicious?

The kids were quite happy to see him.

"Dada! Looka my painting and my LaQueen hat! You need a sola-pop wif your dinner??".

She did not want to get down. Loves her some Dada.

Bubs has been having a wonderful time at school. He painted a fall tree the other day and got to bring it home. When I went to pick him up, his teacher told me he and a little blonde haired, blue eyed girl named Hailey are super BFF. She said they giggle all day long and hold hands and always want to sit together. Aaaaggghhh! Breathe.....just breathe.

Quite the little artist.

I painted Sissy's fingers and toes last night and boy does she love them. I think it was the first time she willingly used a fork at dinner, just so she didn't mess up the paint job.

Man is it fun having a girl!!

Bella came over to play today for a little bit....her Mommy brought chocolate muffins (and a latte for me!!! Wendy is mine...and I will not share) and they had a great time playing outside, watching a movie and calling each other on play phones. They had full on conversations while in separate rooms and it was hilarious!

Bubs would crouch up behind Bella and make a silly face. Poor girl....she has no idea this is what her Prom picture is going to look like if she lets Bubs take her.

My baby 10 minutes after Bella left:

Claire had a 2-nap day today too. We love the Ryders for many reasons....and that is one of them!

The kids slept late and I even fell asleep on the couch downstairs...I woke to Colin rubbing my back (awwww) and steathily stealing the remote to switch it to the Outdoor Channel. We lazed until the kids got up, and let me tell you.....it was a treat. It is rare that we are alone at 5pm on a Wednesday.

Claire woke up and Colin got this cutie shot of the two of us. We were naming body parts and she was requesting a back rub....in her own little Sissy way: "You wanna rubback?!".

Tonight was all about cleaning up the yard and getting ready for winter. I cannot believe how cold it is outside...the punks were SO not appreciating having to wear hats. That's what I do. So there.

Colin powering through the last lawn mow of the year...

I picked up a small bikey thing at a garage sale a couple of weeks ago....My bestie Kate stored it in her car and dropped it off to me so we could hide it in the shed. It was going to be Claire's gifty pooh from Santa this year....but.....I found an awesome tricycle on Craigslist that I'm going to pick up tomorrow! Don't hate me Kate, thanks for doing my dirty work!

So I brought it out and they went nuts. Bubs was very good about pushing Claire around. :)

Look at the joy on this child's face. For real.

And this kid. What a good brother she has.

We ended the night on a high note when Claire broke her "Brother" and couldn't quite figure out how it happened. "Dada fixin it! Dada fixin it!". Seven signs of a serial killer.....

Canoes and Caramel Apples

9/20/09

Today was our last summer time adventure....taking our new canoe out to Cheney Lake to have a paddling adventure! It was a lot of fun, the punks loved fishing with their poles and the best part? We didn't tip over. Bubs was a bit of a Nervous Nelly.....Claire learned to sit down on her hiney as soon as she heard his whining. Teamwork. That's what the Senecas are all about.

Let's get the party started with a little Stink Eye on the way to the lake, courtesy of Sissy.

Jackets? Check. Boots? Check. Fishing Poles? Check. Outdoor Loving Adorableness?

Double Check.

I felt like the 2009 (and white) version of Pochahontas...look at these delicious Indian boys.

Oh, you don't like the canoe being rocked like that? That's mean to keep doing that Daddy. And Mommy. Well! It was funny.

Aaahhh....much better once Daddy showed him how to work his reel.

Oh. Well hello there, Sailor.

Claire had a great time with her fruit snacks and screaming for the duckies. She even got a little fishing in with her "Pin-cess" pole.

Look at this weather! Aren't the trees beautiful? Isn't the guy in the picture beautiful?

I know....I have a problem.

Alright, alright.....here's the beautiful tree line and reflection, sans my husband. Gorgeous day for a canoe ride!

Bubs would now like to take a moment to explain how he would help if Daddy killed another moose:

The best part of the afternoon for the kids was getting to go at it on the playground. "Slide! Slide! We want the slide!". It really helped to set the peaceful mood on the lake.

Think she likes to slide? Nahhhh....

"Whoa, Nelly!"

All together now...."Awwwwwwww"......

We hurried home so Claire could get her beauty rest and Bubs and I could whip up some delicious caramel apples. Hmm....yummy. Uncle White stopped by to hang out for a little bit, we love our Uncle White....almost as much as caramel apples!

Being spoiled by his Mommy's baking addiction is really hard work.

Here, Moosey Moosey.....

9/19/09

Before I say anything....I need to bring attention to this adorableness I captured on camera yesterday...Bubs helping his sister put her shoes on. No asking, no prompting, no encouraging. So sweet. This, my friends, is why God gives us babies. Specifically, older brothers with little sisters. Makes my heart sing to know my smallest punk will be looked after in High School.

We woke up this morning with a master plan of cleaning out all the closets of our summer junk and replacing with (dun, dun, dun.....) winter clothes. Yuck. We got as far as the upstairs and had to take an outside break. I supervised the kids while they worked their little fingers to the bone. Okay, not really. They let me take this picture and then used the rakes as swords.

Colin's buddy at the office, Tim, stopped by this afternoon with a prize for us.....a canoe! It's really nice and he gave us a great price - we're taking it out on Cheney Lake tomorrow. You should expect to see about 6,000 photos of that. Here is lovely and generous Tim explaining to Colin how not to tip the entire family into cold water. That Tim, gotta love him.

And here are the happy paddlers, just itching to get on the water.

Let's climb a tree while we wait for Daddy and Tim to stop talkin shop. Oh, and how bout I'll be the cutest thing you've ever seen while I'm at it?

Can't forget this cutie pie. She was crammed up into the tip of the canoe screaming, "Pider! Pider! Pider!". A girl who is fascinated with bugs? Only mine.

Finally, most of the Nation in their newest summer prize. We scoured Anchorage today for life vests....we may just have to attach helium balloons to their little waists.

We ran a ton of errands, had a delicious dinner at Subway and house-hunted until about 8pm. It was a wonderful and relaxing day....Colin is upstairs marinating more moose meat for jerky, the kids are snoozing and I'm enjoying a Diet Pepsi with ice and the atrocity of "Toddlers & Tiaras". Good Lord, how Saturday nights have changed since I was in college.

On the way home, we met somebodies future main dish. What do we have here?? DISCLAIMER: Not a good idea to make mating calls to a rutting moose who wants to hump anything in sight. Apparently, he could have rammed the nearest thing if he wasn't a "city moose". That is information Colin told me after I sat right next to him and encouraged this nonsense. Only in Alaska! (And def. only my husband).

Precious Baby Aurelia Rose Is Home!!

9/18/09

You're looking at a proud new Mama of a second daughter....my oldest sister Wendy and her beautiful new baby, Aurelia Rose. The delicious chunky monkey was born on the 15th and is finally getting to go home today! She spent some time in the NICU after swallowing a ton of fluid, but she's fine now and ready to take her place as Pesky Little Sister in the Shephard House! I just love her biscuit arms.

Full-On Frontal Chunk!

The kids spent some time today coloring pictures for Aurelia and her big sister, Evelyn. I can't wait to get my hands on my little neices!

Oh, know what makes you #1 Queen Grand Master of the Bestest Mommies in the Whole Wide Honkin' Live Long World? Lightning McQueen, popcorn, chocolate milk and kissies after lunch on a Friday afternoon.

Toddlers occupied = Mommy gaining 5 lbs. on each of her thighs by making these bad boys: Cheddar, Bacon and Onion Biscuits....Oh, Lord.

Damn you Pioneer Woman! Damn you!!

I put the kids to bed at 6pm last night and paid for it this morning when I awoke to about 40 Hershey Kiss wrappers on the playroom floor. Hmmm.....they are dastardly little animals after a good night's sleep. But I did happen upon this deliciousness this morning. Good little punks kept busy while I got 2 loads of laundry done. I think I'll let them sleep inside tonight.

And I miss this guy.

He's in Kotzebue for work...maybe he'll be home tonight, maybe tomorrow. He's having fun, eating crappy Korean food (apparently there are a ton of Korean people in Kotzebue?!), talking shop and kickin it in Carharrt's. But man, oh man...do I miss him.

This is my most recent favorite picture of my handsome man, taken by Scott after they shot their moose. It's all that I love about this guy....he's so strong and smart and proud. Proud! Can't you just hear him...."It came at me like this!".

It's nice to get to marry your soul mate. But it's extra nice when said soul mate is the hottest thing this side of the Mississippi.

Friends

Daddy's Home!

Canoes and Caramel Apples

Here, Moosey Moosey.....

Precious Baby Aurelia Rose Is Home!!

Our Blessed Little Life

What We Be Lookin At On That Thar Internets

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