Boy, is that an understatement. It seems like life for us has been on fast forward since Halloween, which turned into Malcolm's birthday, then Brandon's birthday, then a visit from Brandon's brother Ryan, which became Thanksgiving, which became Christmas, which is now turning into the New Year, and finally beginning to settle down. And throughout the past two months, we've had winter to work with (trust us, it starts earlier up here), plus soccer, kindergarten, preschool, work and of course, the next little Tucker! It's more than enough to interrupt our blogging intentions, but our apologies all the same.Halloween was great this year. If climate change has an upside, this had to be it. Our first two Halloweens in Alaska were eye-openers, to say the least. By the end of October there's usually snow and ice all around, and temperatures are well below freezing. 2007 was the exception. The weather was merely cool by our shifting standards, and the kids had a blast once again visiting the retirees at the Pioneer village. Living to old age in Alaska is something to be celebrated, and the Pioneers at the local retirement home put on a terrific show for trick-or-treating kids.
Our big boy turned 6!!! It's hard to fathom how quickly they're both growing up. We had a great turn-out at his party, and the weather was beautiful - bright and sunny, with enough snow on the ground for all the kids (and Brandon) to play outside.
As always, it was wonderful to see Ryan. Now that the kids are out of their toddler years, they know very well who Uncle Ryan is, and we all had a terrific time during his visit. Brandon is likewise preparing to fly out to see Ryan and Heather in Charlotte for the birth of their son Jack in March. We're separated only by geography, but are otherwise very close.
Thanksgiving was quite the feast, and we continued our tradition of hosting Brandon's friend Don and his son Justin. None of us have extended family up here, so it's always good to surround ourselves with people we care about, especially during the holidays. Speaking of which, Christmas was great this year. Malcolm wrote a letter to Santa at the North Pole (AKA North Pole, Alaska), asking for a new saucer sled. Sure enough, the big guy came through! And in Malcolm's favorite color, no less! The kids had an absolutely marvelous time ripping through their presents, and all despite the near catastrophe that eupted in our house only 48 hours prior...
At about 3:30 on the morning of Sunday (12/23), a downpour suddenly started inside a closet. It turns out that what began as a bitter cold spell the week before was now manifesting itself, thanks to several burst hot water pipes upstairs. Over the course of the next two days, nearly 20 gallons of water dripped, trickled and outright poured from our downstairs ceiling, having collected over the days in the crawlspaces and insulation above our heads. Stephanie and the kids had to spend that night in a hotel, while Brandon stayed behind with no heat or water to keep up the vigil. We're now in the midst of the repairs and renovation (our heat and water have both been restored), all of which will end up costing thousands. Fortunately, our insurance policy is covering everything. And yet we were still able to enjoy a truly happy Christmas, so we're thankful things weren't worse.
Stephanie's pregnancy has progressed perfectly, and "Blueberry" is growing up right on schedule. We expect to greet her or him around June 17th. Malcolm's soccer season has come to an end, and he's decided to work on his ice skating now, in the hopes of joining a hockey team in 2008. Chloe's undecided whether she wants to try soccer, or follow what seems to be her true passion and take dance classes.
It's the small things that we really enjoy, though. We spend most of our free time together as a family, just having fun. We do a lot of sledding and playing in the snow. A few weeks ago we took the kids to Benihana for dinner. Brandon had been showing them online videos of Benihana chefs doing their stuff, so they were excited to see the real thing for themselves. We want to take them to one of the many local dogsled camps, where visitors can meet the dog teams, eat a meal with the drivers, and enjoy a day of mushing through the woods. We've been ice skating a lot now, and lastnight we all went to the indoor pool at the high school. Brandon recently spoke with a local dairy farm about setting up a tour, and we're eager to take Chloe and Malcolm soon. Anchorage's Fur Rendezvous ("Fur Rondy") starts February 22nd, and of course the Iditarod begins on March 1st. Winter in Alaska isn't for the faint of heart, but it's fun!
We hope you've all had a wonderful holiday season, and we wish you a healthy and joyous 2008. Take care of each other!
Love always,
Chloe, Malcolm, Stephanie and Brandon
