Monday morning pics

Good morning family and friends!

Happy Monday too.  Hard to believe that Jaydyn is headed into first grade already. Both on the standpoint of how fast six years really flies by and also on the fact that it is already that time of year for school to be in session.  Wow!   Justin took both the kids out on the 4 wheeler the other day and as they were out, Justin reported that Jaydyn was just jabbering away on the 4 wheeler as she was sitting behind him.  When they all got off the bike, JT was thrilled with grabbing and throwing into his any and all berries he could get his little fingers on.  Meanwhile Jaydyn was just walking, chatting away, and dancing around.  Justin said that after about five minutes of watching he asked her what she was doing.  She told him that she was having a dance concert and singing to her fans.  Justin kept scoping for critters while JT continued to fill his belly with berries and Jaydyn kept jabbering away.  Justin then asked her who she was talking to and she said that she was the teacher and she was teaching her students until he interrupted her.  As he loaded the kids back into the bike, Jaydyn continued to talk and kept talking until they got home.  Then Jaydyn asked Justin why he wasn't answering her questions on the 4 wheeler ride.  Justin just shook his head and later told me the story and was miffed on how much that girl can talk.  Hopefully she won't be a jabber jaws in school but if so, I'm sure I will be the first to know since we will be in the same school.  Looking forward to watching Jaydybug continue to develop her skills and grow more confident in reading.

JT certainly enjoys eating berries. This last week, we were picking cranberries since we've already had a few good morning frosts.  Brother Bear finds his area and then just plops down and eats until they are all gone.  Then he tries to take some from the bucket but usually gives up when I don't share.  Eventually he goes and finds another area to chill and eat berries from.  I wondered how JT would do when Jaydyn headed off for this week and I hypothesized that he was going to have a ball trying to get into all of her things.  Much to my surprise, he proved me wrong.  Although he did grab a few things from her room, he just played in his room and then helped Justin outside.  Brother Bear continues to be on the go all day and he's definitely in the phase where we cannot leave him out of our site for even two seconds.  He's a quick, little tornado destroying everything and anything that gets in his path.  MANNNN, this kid is completely different that Jaydyn as far as his playing patterns.  He continues to remind Justin and I that we cannot just relax and think we have this parenting thing down, that's for sure.

Justin is still guiding fishermen.   The season ends on September 15 and then he's headed for a float trip with the company.  That should be a good time for all of them.   The most important item of the trip came in the mail.... The portable toilet.  So, now for the most part, Justin just needs to close out the season with two weeks left and start packing for his float trip.  As Justin's seasonal work wraps up, Alaska's State Fair is going on in Palmer and the kids and I are excited to head that way next weekend.  Then, we will do two school open houses, a hayride, and anxiously await for my Montana Griz friends Jamie and Jason to visit all within the next two weeks.

Winter is on its way in a quick hurray.  The moose are moving around and close to our house.  Hunting season will come to an end here this next month and since we don't have our AK residency yet, we are on the Troopers Road Kill List.  So, hopefully, we will get our freezers full before winter is here for the long haul.  We are also trying to finish up some of our outdoor honey do list items before snow sticks.  Today, Justin finished the coal trailer and headed to grab a few tons of coal for our winter warmth.  Also, as I was trying to finish up staining our deck, mother nature decided to snow.  Although my initial reaction was not so fond of the snow, as I was putting away the materials and trying to warm up my hands, I think about everyone that is stuck in the congestion of the fires in Montana, Washington and Idaho and prayers go out for their safety as well as hoping that mother nature will send some arctic weather southbound.

The fruits of our labor-35 cups of blueberries to get us through until next year's season.  

JT has to have his own bucket so that he stays out of my blueberry bucket.  I share most things-blueberries, chocolate and chai tea are not on my share list.

Justin has a tough job, someone has to do it!  

A day at the office for Justin.

Fall is in the air.   It's the best time of the year in Alaska, in my humble, but not quiet opinion.  We will continue to share our pics with family and friends to enjoy from afar.  There is always an open invitation for a visit to us.  We will even pick you up at the airport and drive you to Cantwell.  :)

News today, McKinley is now officially Denali!  Does that mean we need to change JT's middle name from McKinley to Denali too?

Another day at the office for Justin.

Hoping that momma and her two calves (only one pictured) do not end up being part of the road kill.  Then again.....  not too far from our house if we are next on the list and one gets hit.   Don't judge.....  It's meat in the freezer.

JT loves to help cook and clean.  Thank you Brenda for teaching him all of this last year in Shelby!

This bunny cracks us up.  We are pretty sure Snuggle Bunny is a girl, but we really don't care.  She is already potty trained and is a little piggy with her daily carrots and hay.  She lives up to her name, as she snuggles with us and give us licks on our arms and neck.  What a sweet bunny.

Brother Bear just taking a little bear nap.

JT and Jaydyn are enjoying the four wheeler rides as we are slowly losing our midnight sun.  Darby Harrington, we are at about 15 hours of sun.  The sun is rising at about 6:40am and setting at 9:16pm.  We will soon have less sun and more darkness until December again when we start gaining more sunlight.  

Jaydyn started 1st grade on Wednesday, August 26 2015.  She went from a Shelby Coyote to a Cantwell Hawk.  As we are missing all of our friends, students, staff, colleagues in Shelby, we are making the best of Alaska life and will be in a town that the wind blows just as much as Shelby and it is cold cold cold in the winter.

And these my friends and family are the best nachos around.  We are trying to get our fill of the seafood nachos before the season closes on September 15th.  Too bad I cannot figure out a way to freeze them like we do for the blueberries and then eat on them until next season.

Justin was soooooooooo excited when our friends called and asked him to take their engagement pictures.  I am very proud of Justin and his artistic eye.  This is one of 50 that turned out stunning.  Congrats on your wedding day in September, Taylor and Ametiteta, and thanks for letting the 4JMasons be part of your world!

And what bunny doesn't like going for a ride?

If you look close enough, JT is hiding Snuggle Bunny.

Just proof that yes, I have started to stain my deck before winter.  Look even closer and you will see the white flurries that are preventing me from finishing today.

Thank goodness that Kat explained to me how to cook sweet mama squash.  Otherwise these two were going to use them as warrior hats.  Don't worry, we used paper towels inside to make sure their little heads didn't get 'squashed' too much.

Happy week and have exciting adventures.  Until next time, get outside with your friends and family before the darkness hits.