Morgan's White Shoes

Too Funny. Morgan sang this great song for me over dinner. I loved it so much that I recorded her so I could share it with everyone.

Hope you all enjoy it as much as I did.

Bunk Beds...a work in progress

I spent hours researching beds for the girls.  I almost purchased a bunk bed set from Sam's Club, painted an espresso color.  Alas, we passed on it because Morgan insisted she on a pink bunk bed.  Why, when there are a gazillion other colors out there, would my child pick the one color i am least fond of.  How could i deny that sweet child of mine.  We decided to make our own bunk beds to honor her request.

We downloaded the bunk bed plans for a simple twin bed from Ana-White's web site (a homemaker turned amateur carpenter from Delta, a town two hours west of Fairbanks).  We altered the plan slightly by making all headboards instead of two headboards and two foot-boards.  After much negotiation (with Morgan), we decided to paint the beds pink and green with an ivory crackle.  I know it sounds funky but i had painted a dresser using this method but with a blue base and it turned out beautifully.  Morgan helped pick out the colors which were based on a shirt the girls had worn when they were 18 months old.

We are months behind schedule.  We should have started this project in May but, of course, we put it off as we had the whole summer ahead of us.  Now Fall is upon us and we are in a mad dash to get the project finished and behind us.  Of course, now we have Mother Nature to contend with and i am not talking about the beautiful fall colors we have as a back drop for project.  It is more planning the days we will paint around the rain and picking the leaves and birch seeds off of the fresh paint.  Grrr!!  Will we never learn.

With that said, Morgan and Riley's bunk beds are coming along.  The first two headboards have a lot more character than the last two as we really had no idea of what were doing.  The bugs were horrible, taking advantage of us as we were hunched over the sawhorses, nailing and gluing the boards together.  Don't get me started on the sanding....as i slaved away, i recalled a comment by a couple we know who made the same bed.  They used their date night to have a quiet dinner out and then rush home to sand because "it is hard to find time to sand".  I now understand the comment.  The sanding took a few days as my hands hurt from the vibrations of the sander.

These comments are not to deter anyone from making these beds.  I encourage you to check out Ana's web site.  She has many wonderful plans that are relatively simple to do.  This just happens to be Jeff and my first project together and it is a bit of work.

I initially thought the colors were quite shocking but i have since warmed up to them.  I have a final coat of the colors and will then start the antiquing process sometime this weekend....assuming the weather holds.  I am hoping to continue painting outdoors but with the cooling temperatures, it is taking the paint too long to dry and the winds are adding an unwanted rustic touch to the paint job.

I will try to post pictures once we the project is finished but until then, enjoy the work in progress.

Arrgh!! It's a Pirate's Life, I Want.

Arrgh!!

Ahoy me hearties.  Back in May, Captain Morgan and her trusty first mate, Riley, celebrated their 5th and 2nd birthdays together.  While Riley enjoyed the festivities, the party was more for Morgan and her motley crew of scallywags. A great day, indeed, for pirate activities/games, delicious grub, and a treasure hunt.

As the kids arrived, we fitted them with pirate hats.  Morgan likes color so rather than having just black hats, we let the kids choose the color hat they wanted and adorning skull and feathers.  They also got to pick a patch and grab their newspaper swords.  Arrgh, they unleashed their inner pirates as they ran around the yard.

I had 6 stations for all the kids:

• Shark Bay - A body of water made of blue nylon with card board shark fins sticking out.  The kids used rope taped together, forming rings, and tried to toss them onto a fin.  Sounds cool but the rings were not large enough to fit well over the fins and shark hunter, Riley, plucked the fins off the sharks when people were not looking.  Luckily, we had the staple gun still handy.

• Sink the Ship - I took Styrofoam balls and painted them black to make cannon balls.  I taped pirate ships to plastic bottles and piled them high.  The kids would throw the cannon ball at the bottles to see how many they could know down.

• Walk the Plank - I placed one board on the ground (easy) and another elevated 6-8 in off the ground (hard).  The kids were forced to walk the plank, they got to choose which one.

• Plunder for Treasure - The kids would dig for large acrylic diamonds and exchange them for a ring sucker.  Unfortunately, Morgan had been playing with the night before and misplaced half of them  We still had enough for the game, though.

• Arrgh - Picture taken with a bonafide pirate's parrot.

• Scallywags - Pirate Tattoos makes the outfit complete.

Joaquin, Elias, and Ceder
trying to Sink Ships.

Captain Logan at Shark Bay

I divided the group of kids into smaller groups and with the aide of parents, the pirates were off on their adventure.  The games had their flaws but i don't think the kids paid no never mind and a lot of fun.

After the games, i handed the kids a scavenger hunt.  They looked for pictures that matched the pictures on their paper and wrote down the corresponding letter.  Solving the puzzle would lead them to the buried treasure.  They unearthed a box filled mini paper mache treasure chests for each of the kids.  The treasure chests were filled with pirate coins, jeweled rings, beads in the shape of jewels to make bracelets or whatever they wished, and, of course, chocolates.  

Morgan painting the sword hilt or guard.

The mini treasure chests.

Morgan was a lot of help in the planning of her party. She helped make a lot of the game pieces (painting the fins and gluing the pirate ships on the bottles).  She also helped paint the swords and treasure boxes, glued the gems on top, and helped make all the beautiful rings.

We ended the party with singing Happy Birthday to both girls and devouring a mix of red velvet, chocolate, and white cupcakes with either chocolate or cream cheese frosting.  Yum.

She is already excited for next years party.  The theme...Barbie.  I know, gag.  No worries, i am already putting my spin on the theme so i stomach planning it.  I am thinking, Barbie meets Mad Scientist.  I have a wonderful book on science experiments.  Hmm, i wonder if i could get my hands on some liquid nitrogen to make ice cream.

Good Times

Earlier this year, we decided to move our '89 RV from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho to Fairbanks, Alaska.  When we originally purchased the RV from Jeff's parents, we planned to use it to tour the lower 48 states (yup, that's how we Alaskans refer to the rest of the states, excluding our wintering grounds, Hawaii).  Two kids later and half the household income, we decided it would be better used up here traveling Alaska.

My mom and dad with their grand kids.

Jeff, the girls, and i were going to take a family vacation and drive the RV up.  As usual, our plans changed as i decided to get a part-time job at the end of March.  My new job meant i could no longer take extended vacations whenever i wanted.  Just as well.  Morgan starts kindergarten this year which would have also put the kibosh on long visits outside Alaska.  Thankfully, my brother, Gene, and dad were able to make the trip with Jeff.

Grandpa with Morgan and Riley.

The guys made it here in record time.  I had expected them to take approximately 7 days to drive the length of the  Alcan.  They left Idaho mid-day on a Monday, swung by Bothell, Washington to pickup my brother and were on the road to Canada the same day.  They were in Fairbanks late Thursday night.  Jeff kept a quick pace and drove most of the way.  Hmm, i wonder if it was because he was stuck with my family.  :)

Dad and Gene were not scheduled to leave for a whole week.  It was great having them both here.  Gene visited us twice since 2008 but only for a couple days at a time.  My dad had never visited before and i worry this may be his only trip so we packed as much touristy activities as we could into the week: Alyeska Pipeline, Santa Claus House, Denali National Park, Salmon Bake (good but sooo not worth the money), Chena Lake, Visitors' Center (highly recommend), shopping downtown, Pioneer Park, UAF museum, and Chena Hot Springs.

Chena Hot Springs Ice Hotel

 My favorite places to visit when we have out of town guests are the Visitors' Center, Santa Claus House, and Chena Hot Springs.  We went shopping downtown looking for souvenirs, visited the Yukon Quest Store, walked along the Chena, checked out the WWII Memorial, and ended at the Visitors' Center.  The Visitors' Center is free and they have done an excellent job of capturing life in Fairbanks.  I love going to the Santa Claus House because the Santa there has known my daughter Morgan since she was 18 months old.  Whenever we go to Santa Claus House, Santa always picks her out of a crowd and says her name.  The hots springs is a great stop anytime of the year.  When heading out to the hot springs, it is nice to stop at Angel Rocks for a quick 3.5 mile hike and then head to the springs to check out the ice hotel and go for a dip.  I personally don't care to take dip during the summer as it is too hot.  Winter visits are the best.

I am thankful my family was able to come up for a visit in so many ways.  My dad had the opportunity to see the life we have carved out for ourselves here in Alaska.  I got to have both my parents together for the first time in over 15 years.  My best memory though will be seeing the both of my parents side by side with my girls, their grandchildren.  I will cherish that moment.  Thanks mom and dad.

Oh and if you are reading this Gene....uh, i cherish you, too.  :)

Pre Chilkoot Trail Ramblings

My day started at 4am with only two to two and half hours of sleep.  I showered as it may be my last shower for the next week and packed my hotel pack for the trip. The bulk of my gear is with the other Chilkoot Chicks who left Thursday.  My mom and Morgan were going to drive me to the airport. I went to wake up Morgan who had stayed awake most of the night waiting for me to return from work.  She did not wake up on my first attempt. I thought about letting her sleep but I knew she would be very upset if she did not see me off. I have to admit, I wanted to hold my beautiful tantrum proned little girl one more time. She awoke on my second attempt but so did Riley. I pulled my two year old into my arms and she snuggled close. My heart felt like it was breaking. A few tears escape, I did not want to say good-bye to my girls.  I drive us to the airport. Morgan is wide-eyed and Riley is snuggling her blanket with her thumb in her mouth. She is fast asleep. Everyone stays in the van but me as I have my first flight to catch.  I hug Morgan close and make her promise to be good for dad and grandma. My voice cracks and another tear escapes. Morgan is near tears so i muster a smile and tell her I love her. I promise to send her a post card and Skype her before I hit the trail.  Riley wakes so I close Morgan's door and head over to Riley's to say bye.    Riley cries and I cry. I also tell her I love her and will be home soon. I tuck her blanket around her. It soothes her.  I ask my mom to take good care of my girls and with a quick last goodbye I shut the door and head into the airport. I don't dare look back.  My eyes are filled with unshed tears. 

Forgive any grammar or spelling errors. This is typed on my iPhone. It looks like I won't be able to post photos till I return home. Look for them to be added at a later date.

Chilkoot Trail - Pre Hike Post

Early last year an idea was bounced around a little moms group about a backpacking trip...possibly the Chilkoot Trail a thirty some odd hike from Skagway, Alaska to somewhere over in Canada.  At least that is what i remember when a couple of the moms asked if i was interested in going on the trip.  Having never hiked more than 5 miles (excluding Military) in one day, let alone hiking daily over the course of a week, and not having any backpacking experience or gear, i immediately said, "Yes, count me in".

Wickersham Dome with Sadie and Sarah, Sept 2011.

Scenic Wickersham Dome, Sept 2011.

Mud Boardwalk Wickersham, Sept 2011

Wickersham Dome with Bobbi
(fellow Chilkoot Chick), June 2012.

Once i made the decision, i started hiking as often as i could during the summer of 2011.  I did not have a backpack yet but it did not stop me from using my little day pack and adding approximately 20lbs of weight.  I hiked Wickersham Dome, Angel Rock to Chena Hot Springs, and my usual Thursday night fun hikes with the local hiking club.  I planned on maintaining my training throughout the winter by purchasing snow shoes (outings with the hiking club) and skis (outings with my biking club, Ladies of Leisure).  The snow shoes did not get used but i did go skiing and even took Morgan out a few times. I also played hockey and went on a very strict diet to drop my post pregnancy weight.  I figured i would rather carry the weight in my pack and not on my body.  I am very proud to say i dropped 40lbs and have kept it off for almost 4 months. Only time will tell if i can maintain it, especially once the big hike is behind me.

Angel Rock/Chena Hot Springs Hike, Sept 2011.

Scenic Angel Rock/Chena Hot Springs Hike, Sept 2011.

Once the weather warmed and the snow melted, myself, Bobbi, and Amanda, three of the four Chilkoot Chicks, started a rigurous hiking schedule.  We hiked twice a week, usually Thursday evening for a couple hours (mostly with the hiking club on their Thursday fun hikes) and Saturdays for longer excursions.  For the most part, we hiked together (with the exception of our fourth person, Blythe (Bobbi's sister), who lived in Anchorage, six hours away.  Blythe did make a trip to Fairbanks.  We did have a small hike, minus Amanda,  on the Angle Rock Loop.  A nice hike but we did get caught in a freak rain storm which freaked out the two little ones (Bobbi's boys, ages 1 and 4).  Luckily, it did not last long and we continued on our hike.

My last hike before i leave on my trip was Angel Rock and the trail to Chena Hot Springs.  I had planned to stop hiking about a week before my Chilkoot trip but the local hiking group was doing this hike and i really wanted to join it.  Why...last year, we lost the trail and it took a fellow hiker ~20min to find it again.  I really enjoyed the hike but because of this issue, i wanted to wait to hike it with someone that new the trails.  It was a great day with the hiking club.  I had no problems following the trail.  8.5 miles later, i was sitting at the hot springs enjoying a cold draft of Alaskan Amber followed by a very hot dip in the springs.  A great final hike before the big trip.

Chilkoot Chicks (Amanda, Bobbi, and Loda)
somewhere in the woods, June 2012

Today is Thursday, July 5th.  I picked Blythe up at the airport and took her to Bobbi's house to rendezvous with our hiking group.  We are doing a final check of gear, divvying up the community gear (tents, stoves, first aid, bear spray, and the like), and swapping snacks.  We each bought a box of trail bars or the like for the trip split with the group.  It makes me feel like i am in grade school again.  We load Amanda's Subaru with our four backpacks, post hike packs (which we will leave at the post hike hotel), and their miscellaneous gear they will need for the drive down.  We take a couple of fun photos and say our goodbyes to Bobbi's family and each other.  Or rather, "see you soons", as i we will  rendezvous  again in Skagway this Saturday.

Packing for the Great Adventure, July 5, 2012.

The three ladies are driving to Haines and then taking the fast ferry to Skagway.  I will be flying out early Saturday morning to Juneau and then hopping another flight to Skagway.  I should arrive a couple hours before the ladies, meeting them at the fairy to grab my gear and carry our post trip packs.  Once the hike has concluded, Blythe will head off into the sunset with her man, Dustin.  I will be joining Amanda and Bobbi on the drive back home.  I am hoping to do the drive in one day as Jeff leaves the next day for Idaho to pick up our RV.  The RV is another future post....or many future posts with my dad and brother, Gene, joining Jeff on his adventure.  Not to mention, we will still have a whole month left of summer to take the RV out for a spin.

See you in Skagway Ladies, July 5, 2012.

Happy 4th of July - 2012

The Fourth of July is one of the few holidays where both Jeff and i are off at the same time.  It also happens to fall on a Wednesday so we get a mid-week break from our busy work schedule to enjoy family time.  We did not have a whole lot planned for the day.  I just wanted to stay close to home, enjoy some great food, and create some new and wonderful memories.

The day started off pretty great.  We all slept in till almost 8am.  That is a true feat in our house. I am the early riser, up for work anywhere between 4:45 and 6 am.  Yikes, i know.  Jeff usually has to get the kids off to daycare or my work so he is usually up around 6:30 with the kids following close behind.  Luckily, Grandma is visiting until September so the kids can sleep in most days.  Of course, Riley still has daycare once a week so she has to be up early on that one day.

But, I digress.  The day started off pretty great with sleeping in and then feasting on thick slices of smoked bacon and raspberry cream cheese stuffed french toast with a smidgen of lemon curd and real maple syrup.  Yum.  Somebody must love their family very much or have severe cravings to make such splendid dishes.  I admit, it was a little bit of both.  The kids were not overly fond of the french toast but could eat an entire plate of bacon if we let them.  Jeff must have liked it as he had seconds.  This is very rare, indeed.  Its not that i am bad cook, far from it.  Jeff is just particular and he happened to LOVE (dare i say) my dish this day.  It was not grandma's favorite but she polished off her food.  I will say i LOVED my breakfast, too.  I had two helpings of french toast drenched in real maple syrup and three helpings of bacon.  Hey, its Independence Day and i will soon be on the Chilkoot Trail without such grand fare (but that's a whole different post) so why not be a little glutinous.

Unfortunately, the day soured fast.  I guess Morgan did not wake up on the right side of bed so she was banished to our room for a mid-morning nap.  She slept for quite a few hours and was in a much better mood when she awoke.  Riley headed to North Pole with her dad to check out the North Pole parade and pick up propane for the grill.  The parade is quite small but Santa does make an appearance every year which is always a treat.  I was busy packing my backpack for the Chilkoot Trail, i have mentioned it yet (ah, that's another post entirely).  I leave Saturday.  Can't wait. Woo hoo.

Once Jeff returned home, he busied himself with making our 4th of July dinner:

BBQ Pork Ribs, Marinated Beef Ribs, Potato Salad, Baked Beans, Whipped Lemon Cheesecake, Corn on the cob, and Deviled Eggs
Okay, dinner is a little misleading.  It was yet another feast in the Griffeth household.  Everything was tasty...well, except the beans as Jeff put too much brown sugar in them.  Jeff made deviled eggs out of 4 eggs which would be eight deviled eggs.  By the time the family sat down for dinner, there was only one on the plate after each person except myself at the table took one and placed it on their plate.  That means three were missing.  I thought for sure Jeff had been nibbling prior to dinner but oh no, it was not him.  Riley polished off 5 deviled eggs, three before dinner began and two more while we sat at the table.  Crazy.

After dinner, i finished packing the rest of my stuff while grandma cleaned the kitchen. Jeff took the girls outside to finish off the fireworks we had been storing since New Years Eve. Grandma and i eventually headed outside to watch the fun. The girls enjoyed the mini show and the sparklers afterwards. A nice end to a wonderful day.




Happy Fourth of July everyone.

Early Summer Fun at Chena Lake

May was a glorious month.  It was a warm and sunny month.  The snow melted quickly and we were itching for some summer fun.  I am not much of a beach bum but the girls love to play in the water and sand so we decided to hit Chena Lake.  During the summer, it is a great rec area with a playground, piers for fishing, nice size lake for boating and swimming.  We are at the lake at least 3-4 times a month fishing and beaching bumming.  This year, i think we may try out a boat rental, hit the biking trails (Morgan got a bike for her 5th birthday), and kiting (a gift from her preschool teacher, Ms. Bouschard).  

While the days may have been warm, the water was still quite chilly.  Morgan and Riley enjoyed wading through the water and building sand castles with moats.  I enjoyed reading a book, taking photos, and just watching them have fun.  A couple of the days, we were joined by friends. Below are some of my favorite photos from a few outings to the lake.  Morgan is such a fun and photogenic kid.  I love taking photos of her.

Play dates with friends are even better when it is at the lake.  I loved how Lillie's little hind end was covered in sand.

 Riley sporting her beach body and a smile.

The girls first fishing trip over Memorial Day weekend, which happened to also be my birthday weekend.  Happy 38th Birthday to me.  I wanted to do something fun with the family so we went fishing with the girls.  Wouldn't you know it...once the poles were in the water, it started to rain.  We stayed less than an hour as we did not see a single fish in the water.  No one was catching fish that day.  

The Ice Breakers

Morgan played soccer last year as an arctic kicker.  The age group (U5) was broken up into two four-week sessions.  They were in need of coaches so i volunteered with the stipulation that i would need a co-coach or assistant coach to help out as i did not know anything about soccer.

Morgan and her friend, Caiden, hydrating
between plays.

I had a great first session with 8 wonderful kids and my co-coach Jennifer.  We both had girls on the team and we both knew nothing about soccer.  Funny, we were so worried about it that we watched videos on soccer and met weekly to figure out what we would cover in our weekly practices.  Jennifer and i were a great team which made coaching fun and easy.

And the kids....Logan was the youngest on the team.  He would always make these sour puss faces whenever someone had the ball. It did not matter if it was another team or fellow teammate.  My favorite memory of him was when he stopped in the middle of a game to look at a flower.  It reminded me of the book Ferdinand.  Avalon who was very shy.  Keira, Jennifer's daughter, was a great soccer player with those long legs.  I remember her running up to me and hugging me so very tight like we had known each other forever instead of just a few short weeks.  Anna, with her long, dark pig tails, would look for fellow girl teammates so she could hold their hands and play rather than score goals.  I had to separate her and Morgan many times because all they would do is hold hands and skip.  Levi was probably our best player.  I had him work on his team skills by having him try to pass the ball at least once before scoring a goal.  

The Ice Breakers: Taylor or Tatar Tot, Jett, Caiden, Morgan, Lilly,
Quinton, and Madison.

The second session was not as easy.  The parents were not as helpful and i did not have the same connection to the kids this time around as i did in the first session.  I also missed my co-coach.  Jennifer's daughter decided she did not want to play soccer second session so there was no need for her to coach.  After second session, i was ready to be done with coaching for the season and future seasons.

Riley and Jeff watching the
Ice Breakers.

Summer 2012.  Morgan decided to give soccer another shot.  I also signed her up for soccer camp, in hopes that it would give her a stronger start this season, and that she might fall in love with it.  I was also hoping a parent would step up and coach  the team.  I waited and waited.  I almost relented a few times when i read the FYSA emails about coach shortages and how my daughter's team still did not have a coach.  I was too busy to coach and i did my duty last year.  Surely another parent with more time and, possibly, soccer knowledge would step up.  The day before Morgan's first game, i signed up as coach and picked up gear.  I should have just signed up weeks ago rather than fight it.  Now i was struggling to contact parents, issue gear, find a practice field, come up with a practice schedule, figure out snacks,  and other coach craziness.  

Our first game was Wednesday, May 30th.  This was the first time the kids, coach, and parents had met.  That first game was magical.  The kids ran around that field like they had known each other and played like all-stars.  I don't know if the Refs keep score but i am sure if they had, we would have won the game.  I hope the first game is a sign of good a season ahead for the Ice Breakers and my coaching them.  

What have i learned so far this season.....We have met Caiden previously at swimming and he will be attending school with Morgan at Barnett in the fall.  Yeah!!  He is super lovable and gives the best hugs.  Unlike the rest of the kids that played last year on U5, this is Taylor's first year playing soccer.  You would never know it with the way she handles the soccer ball and scores.  Jett is our all star who is dying to head butt the soccer ball during the game.  He asks to do this at least once a game.  I think he feels i am holding him back from this...he is right.  Lilly is a sweetheart and great helper.  Quinton is great dancer and easily distracted but watch out when he gets that ball, he can run it the length of the field and score.  Madi is another sweetheart and also a top scorer on the team.  As for my sweet Morgan, she runs after the ball but does not always connect with it.  She also has great hair as she is always adjusting that headband of hers.  I also have a co-coach and one that knows how to play soccer.  It is Madi's Aunt Britney.

Coaching is hard and very time consuming.  I am also thinking it just might be worth it.

North Star Ballet Camp 2012

I took Morgan to the North Star Ballet 2011 Spring Gala of Snow White.  Morgan loved the performance so much that i signed her up for their 2011 ballet camp on Snow White.  At 4, this was Morgan's first formal dance lesson and her first camp.  The camp was only three hours a day for five days.  She loved learning her new ballet steps and the choreography, creating her costumes, and playing with other young girls her age.  At the end of the week, the campers put on a small play for their family and friends.

Morgan as, one of many, Snow White.

Morgan, donning the hat she decorated, with one of the ballet instructors.

The following fall, i enrolled Morgan in the North Star Ballet School's Creative Movements Class for 4-5 year old kids.  Morgan has been taking ballet for a year now.  I, once again, took her to the North Star Ballet Spring Gala and signed her up for their camp.  This years gala was on Alice in Wonderland, a phenomenal performance considering it was just a local production.  Due to the dark story line of Alice in Wonderland, they decided to go with Sleeping Beauty for the ballet camp theme this year.

Morgan, as Sleeping Beauty, on the cover of their souvenir book.

Morgan and fellow campers are fairies at the christening of Sleeping Beauty.

Morgan as Sleeping Beauty after she awakens from her deep sleep.

Morgan as a blue bird partying it up at the wedding of the prince and princess.

The best year yet.  Each of the girls got to be play multiple characters in the story of Sleeping Beauty from the fairies that bless the princess with special gifts, to the princess, to the animals that dance through the story.  Luckily, the week Morgan attend three boys also attended.  The boys played the role of prince battling the evil fairy and, eventually, awakening and marrying the princess.  It was decided that a kiss was unnecessary as the battle itself was enough to awaken the princess.  Love it!