Alaska - From the Midwest to the Far Northwest: Winter 2022

This was the winter of SNOW, SNOW, SNOW! We had record consecutive days of snow dumps, like waking up to 2 feet of new snow, multiple days a week. Plus, our snowplows weren't prepared. The muni was understaffed for plow drivers and parts for repairs/maintenance were still unavailable due to the pandemic. This meant.......snow days! I'd start my morning off with a ski, starting right from our garage and around our neighborhood. More than once, I would briefly take off my skiis to help dig out a vehicle that had gotten stuck while trying to get to work. Then I would take care of our driveway in order for my Kinder Ready Kids parents to drop off once they were able to make it to our house from theirs. My regular preschoolers would be joined by their siblings for a day at KRK. Which meant hours of playing in the fresh snow, eating fresh snow cones, watching Frosty the Snowman, cocoa cups, and fort building! It was very helpful was in the routine of mostly working remote and wasn't often required to report to the hospital.

Skiing down our street

Forts, forts, forts!

Getting everyone geared up was always the most stressful part of the day, I was thankful most of my kiddos were nearly independent and had prepared parents!

Oh yes, we even had Lucy(named by Josie), our neighborhood moose, find her way into our backyard to lick the remnants of the snowcone cones and drippings. Girl would've walked right in, had we opened the door for her!

This photo sums up Josie as a 4 year old!

Josie participated in a gymnastics/dance class at the Alaska Moving Arts Center. She made some friends and seemed to enjoy each class, but decided she didn't want to do it anymore.

I believe this fishing trip was to Big Lake. We will take the opportunity to hit the ice when time adn weather allows! Arctic Char salmon were a new species for us to target.

Lake transportation!

Christmas break!

The crawler! Creepily crawls up and down stairs.

Back to Missouri first, where the theme of "SNOW" followed us. They rarely get snow, but it seems to show up when we are there! The Stout family always meets us in Missouri to celebrate Christmas together, but unfortunately, this year they weren't able to come due to illness. Dang winter germs! We sure missed them, Ashton and Josie enjoy their cousin time.

Side-by-side ride with GG and Teddy!

Ash and Jos sure enjoyed their time with Grandma Grandma!

Sharing her Rapunzel necklace

Josie even got to try on Grandma Grandma's clip ons!

Papa loves reading books to the kids, especially when covered in a warm blanket with a pup on his lap!

Ash can't be near the water with out getting a line wet!

His turn to take GG for a ride

Wahoo! A biter, he proved he could catch a bass even when its cold enough to snow!

Josie loving her Papa time

Hmmmmm.... were they just out for a joy ride or racing!?!??!

Something about Missouri- it can be snowing and cold one day and then sunny and warm the next! Fishing off Papa and GG's beach.

Fish weren't biting so they decided to try out the water themselves! Crazy Alaskans!

Auntie Deanna hit the mark with Josie's Rapunzel obsession

The older cousins are so good with Ashton and Josie

Bapa, Sheriff of Tama County had to go into the office. We took the opportunity to get a photo with him dressed in uniform!

Our oldest niece, Sydney, got married to Luke on New Year's Eve. She asked Ash to be ring security and Jos to be the flower girl!

I was a bride attendant!

They did so well and were adorable! The wedding was amazing and our crew outlasted the other wedding's guests that were in the same building. Syd and Luke had a charcuterie style meal that was DELICIOUS! I wish I had taken a photo of their spread as it was also set up so beautiful.

The Kucera cousins chose the trampoline park as their experience gift this year!

Per usual, we took over the dodgeball area. Only the bravest of kids stayed in there to play with us!

Our crew! Unfortunately, Breanna broke her ankle on the basketball trampoline. She sat and watched, in pain, as they tried to assess what needed to happen. She later found out it was broken. Poor girl! No more trampoline parks for us!

We went axe throwing for the first time with Brandon, Deanna, Syd, and Luke to celebrate Syd and Luke getting married! It was sooo much fun. Syd and Luke tried out all the throwing styles.

Brandon and Deanna were both prettttttty good at throwing those axes!

The kids helped Nana make a birthday cake for daddy. Poppyseed!

A couple other events during our Traer stay were...

*Dinner, game night, and sleepover at Brandon and Deanna's. My cousin's family, the Elliotts, joined us as they usually do. They have 3 boys, its always fun and a bit chaotic to get all 5 kids together!

*My cousins Danae and Katie surprised me with lunch at the Bohemian Blonde in Clutier (owned and very well ran by a highschool friend of ours) and a trip to the cemetery to visit Gma K and Grandpa's grave. We shared some chips ahoy and pickles with Gma K. This meant a lot to me.

Since we weren't able to see the Stout family in Missouri, we left the Kuceras a bit early so that we could stop by their house on the way to the airport. Since everyone was feeling better, we spent a few hours with them. I didn't get a good photo though.

After leaving their house and almost to Kansas City, I received a phone call from my mom, who was clearly upset. Amy, my brother's long-term girlfriend had passed away in her sleep. This was devastating news. It was unexpected. She was Adam's person, they had encouraged and supported each other through so much. Adam and Amy had come so far together. This was heartbreaking. Absolutely heartbreaking. This is my favorite photo of them, she was Adam's fishing buddy, even on those cold Iowa winter days, out on the ice. Rest in Peace sweet Amy.

Back in Alaska, Lady Aurora put on quite a show. These were taken from our back deck. Such a beautiful and mesmerizing experience, to watch these lights dance across the sky.

Snow= skiing! We went to Skeetawk in Hatcher's Pass with the Nabers. It's a smaller resort in it's first stages of development but a good day trip for the kids to practice their skills (and the adults to try and keep up!)

Erin and I with Remi

Uncle Shawn took Josie down for a few runs

Ellie and Ashton skiied together a bit, leaving Adam in their dust!

Ashton's best buddy Joe Joe had his birthday party, nerf gun style. His parents did an amazing job setting up targets and games. Josie was shooting at cups, if she broke the paper, she got to claim the prize inside.

Ashton got to try out a boys' automatic nerf gun at the hanging targets. They had eye protection and ammo wristbands for each kiddo too!

With just a quick 25min drive, I was able to get the kids on their skiis again to practice at Arctic Valley.

It was a cold one, proven by Josie's rosy cheeks and frosted hair,

Cabin weekend at the Naber's cabin in Willow! Depending on weather and conditions, our winter activities at the cabin includes snow machines, XC skiis, icefishing, sledding, snowball fights, and movie nights.

We got to see a dog sled team running the trail too

The new favorite activity- sledding down the road and getting pulled back up by Uncle Adam.

Such a beautiful little cabin that holds many memories.

Ellie and I went for a spin. She drove me around too!

Can't beat that sunshine on a winter day.

Josie also tried out "Ninja Class" at Pacific Rim Athletics. She was brave and oh so strong in trying out new skills at the class. Unfortunately, they didn't continue the class. She was disappointed.

KRK kids defending themselves with sled shields, from Mr. Adam's snow bombs. So many giggles!

Love this photo. Dinner and game night at our house, complete with a nerf gun battle and Josie picking on Kevin!

Ashton chose Chuckie Cheese for his 6th birthday party. He invited KRK friends and some classmates.

Golden dragon cake was his request from mama's bakery.

Black Panther enjoying his favorite foods for his birthday meal. He wanted crab, which was ridiculously expensive, so the boy got a $40 crab leg to enjoy himself while we all drooled.

Loving on our birthday boy.

Lake Louise fishing! We try to get to Lake Louise at least once a winter, over a long weekend. Burbot and lake trout are our targets. Snow cones, snow machine sledding, XC skiing, northern lights, and a lodge visits are the fun extras that we enjoy.

This was a first..... a state trooper landed on the lake with his plane on skiis to check our licenses!

Ashton trying out XC skiing, to my surprise, he liked it!

Catching those burbot for our culdesac fish fry! This one was a hog!

They were trying to catch some white fish in the shallow waters and ended up with this beast of a lake trout! Insane! It went back in the hole, it was ancient.

This was at like -15degrees! The kids were outside playing while Adam worked to get things situated...... and I was inside the camper trying to warm up! Alaska grown kids for sure.