What a Summer!

Since our last post a couple of months ago, we have moved in to our very first home in North Pole. It's been awhile since I've moved with a toddler! It took a little longer to get unpacked than usual, but we're all settled now.

Kaylee and Jackie started school. It's hard to believe that Kaylee is a senior. She is having a blast so far. Jackie is enjoying JV cheerleading and is looking forward to getting her braces off in a few weeks.

Johnnie and I flew to Seattle on Sept. 6th and had a wonderful time seeing many family and friends. My friend, Sonya, who worked at AK Airlines gave Jonathan and I guest passes; we were both able to fly round trip for just over $300 total!! My Mom's cousins threw Jonathan a 'Welcome to the Family' party, and we had a blast.

Mom & Jim watched Johnnie for the three days I participated in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day, 60-mile breast cancer walk. There were 3500 walkers in Seattle and 400 volunteer crew members. Together, we raised 8.2 million dollars for breast cancer research! My feet are still blistered, and I'm hobbling a lot, but all the pain was definitely worth the experience. I walked my friend, Sherry, who I went to Jr/Sr high school with.

While in Seattle, we got to visit the locks (where boats go from Lake Washington into the Puget Sound (fresh water to salt water) and the Woodland Park Zoo. Johnnie has seen the zoo animals in books, but never in real life. It was a blast!!

Scott has been busy getting the house ready for winter. He has cut down, chopped, and stacked about 5 chords of wood to burn in our wood-burning stove. I never knew cutting wood was so much work!! He's taken a couple of weeks off to hunt moose in the local area. He hasn't had any luck yet, but he's grown almost a full beard while on leave and looks very handsome! I had to laugh when he picked Jonathan and I up at the airport because his beard is sprinkled with gray. Oh, the joys of aging!

Jonathan turns 3 years old next month. I can hardly believe how fast time is flying. This boy has grown leaps and bounds not only physically, but also in speaking English. This boy is a sponge, and he is extremely interested in figuring out how things work. I have a feeling we're going to end up with a lot of disassembled items around the house :).

I've started watching our pastor's 2-year old daughter part-time. She and Jonathan have a lot of fun together. I'm going to begin doing pre-school with them soon.
I'm staying busy heading up the PTSA and Graduation Bash at the Jr/Sr High School. I'm going to start doing some volunteer work in the North Pole and hope to run for city council in the next couple of years. Now that we have permanently settled down, I would like to do everything I can to make this little city the best it can be!

Until the next time I write, be blessed and keep loving Jesus!!