Finally!

I figured "Finally" was a good title because this week had quite a few conclusions to many things we were waiting for. The first thing is that Daddy came home! Yay! We did survive the two weeks with him gone, but just barely. We were really ready to have him home. To our surprise he took off most of Friday so he got to spend the day with us. The kids followed him around the house for the next two days. Every time he went outside there was a lot of screaming and crying..."No daddy don't go!" It was sorta cute.

The other "finally" we got this week was that Mt. Redoubt finally went off and spit ash in our direction. That is not an great thing, but we have been preparing and waiting for months. So it is sorta nice to have it over with. We did get about 1/8th inch of ash on Thursday. I got the call about 9:30am and had to get the kids dressed and headed outside to make sure everything was put away and ready for the nasty dust that was estimated to fall at about 12pm. So once the bunny was in the dog box in the hallway, the cat enjoying his time inside (hiding from the kids) and Moses living the good dog's life in front of the fire, we were ready. Shortly after everything was settled a dark cloud appeared on the horizon. If I didn't know it was an ash cloud it would have looked like a storm cloud from back home. It wasn't moving too fast but once it was over the house it was a sight to be seen. The dark eerie cloud seemed to engulf everything in it's path, including the sun. Once I got the kids down for a nap I noticed that the ash was starting to fall. The once white snow was grey and sooty. At that point I realize the awesomeness if the ash fall was over and now it was just a mess. So for the last few days all I have been doing is trying to keep the ash out of the house. The ash is microscopic rocks that contains glass and other bad things. So needless to say you don't want to breath it or get it in your eyes. Thank God for the snow that is coming down now, it will cover the ash and then we wont have to worry about it.

The final "finally" is that yesterday Jesse and the kids brought home our first big purchase as adults (excluding our house or car), a living room set. If you know us you know that I am a bargain hunter. I don't buy things new. And if you have ever been to our house you know we have the world most uncomfortable futon and recliner that both were well used hand-me-downs. With that said we set out to find some cozy furniture...and we did. Yay us. After Sadlers put on a protective coating (hoping it will be Cress kid proof microfiber) it was all ours. Now I am sitting with my feet up snuggled next to my hunny on our loveseat and all is well with the world.This is the cloud approaching...nothing exciting....Now it is almost over the house.It is going to eat the SUN!You can see the contrast between the snow and the ash on the snowman and fort wall... "Ah man it killed my snowman" -Auden

Busy Busy Bees!

Wow so lets just say it has been a whirl wind this last few days. Jesse is still working up in Kenai for the rest of week. So the kids and I decided to head up and make a visit. We set out on Wednesday and this stopped by Daddy's big job. He is putting up big poles and big wire. He is loving the experience! Plus he gets to operate all the machinery so he is a happy man. Here are a few pictures of all of Jesse's fun.



Visiting daddy on the job site. Doesn't he look handsome!
I don't think this is Jesse...but someone had to take the picture and someone had to actually do the work.So while daddy is out working hard, we hung out with Grandma Karen and all the aunts and uncles. There was lots of playing and very little napping but all in all it was a good time. I got to get out and socialize with actual adults! Plus as an added bonus Jesse got sunday off! Much to my suprise my hubby (with child care help from Grandma) took me to buy new livingroom furniture. Yay us. I guess when everyone who has been to your house and sat on your frumpy futon says that it is time...it is time. So thankfully now we will be able to entertain in style. After a long week it was great to crawl into bed and have a good night rest...but that was not to be. At about 1 am Grandad was knocking on our door telling us that the volcano had finally erupted! Wow that is something new to wake up to! Thankfully, the wind was going away from us and we have not gotten any ashfall as of now. I headed home bright and early this morning to make sure that all was well, and to make sure we were ready just incase the wind changed. Only to find my rabbit cage tore apart and my dad there to tell me that stray dogs were trying to eat poor Nicholas! Wow like I said it has been a busy few days! So now I sit infront of the tv were the one button I need to work on the remote doesn't, but thankfully I don't care that much. Well I hope all of you are health and happy and you are blessed beyond measure. Here are just a few pictures of all our craziness...







Grampy's own rendition of how auden with look with facial hair. I love what she does with her eyes! It is hilarious. What is even more hilarious is where the video stops.


Grampy got a little carried away with the markers. I love the fact that he had to draw in hair due to a over done haircut! Auden LOVES to hold baby Nate! This is when he was just a five hours old. She was quite taken with him.

While Daddy is away.....

Well we are on day three without daddy. For those of you amazing people following our blog you know were Jesse is but for those of you just tuning in Jesse is working up in Kenai for the week or more to get this new line put up. So that means Mommy and Bumpkees are on their own. So far so good. We are just now starting to have Daddy meltdown and that is really only when Mommy says no or at night time. We have been blessed with Grammy Terry and Grampy time on monday and tuesday which helped occupy our time. Then for St. Patty's day I made corned beef and cabbage and had our very good friends the Jaworski's ( Auden's little friend Leif's mom and dad)whom we like to call Aunty Dana and Uncle Jeff, who just welcomed their second son Nate, Yay! We fell so blessed to have such good friends up here. Since I have never made a corned beef or cabbage for that matter, I needed alittle coaching from Aunty Dana, and Uncle Jeff tackled the cabbage. It was a hit! Well today is shaping up to be bright and sunny. And I am sure we will continue to make it through each day. The days here are getting longer and it doesn't get dark her until about nine so that really helps the motivation. I had a list of chores wot do while Jesse is gone so I bet keep this short...but I do have to say I finally had my whole house clean all at the sametime! It was a pure act of God. Ok well keep on keeping on...until next time...
Play doh can help kill a good half an hour!



She is such a poser...but cute!



I love brahm's squishy face in this picture...

So it has been a day or two since I have last reported on the happenings here at the cress compound, and all I a can say is oh what a busy last few days. Not that we actually did anything or went anywhere, but I feel like I have been putting out one fire after another. The most memorable thing of the last few days all has to do with poop so if you are squimish you should be advised. I know most people would not write about poop in there there blog but if anyone has raised childern they know that it is a natural and frequent topic. Also if anyone knows me they know I am not afraid to post things like this for all to read. Oh so here it goes. Auden, Brahm and I are all having a pretty typical morning just hanging out and watching alittle WORD WORLD while mommy makes breakfast. My first alarm should have sounded when I didn't hear much from the kids for atleast 30 seconds. Well the next thing I know is Auden screaming: "MOM! Brahm is squishing my turd!". At that point alot of alarms are sounding! I run to the bathroom to find Auden standing over the toilet with a look of shock and disgust on her face, and my son with a huge smile on his face and a nugget in his hand. After choking down my repulltion I assess the damage and decide it could have been worse. So after everyone is cleaned, disinfected and feed, we head outside play and do the chores. Well, as my back was turned, my poop obsessed son crawled underneith the rabbit cage (you could imaging what was under a rabbits hutch). To my dismay I drag him out and notice he had a really unsatifying look upon his face and I take a closer look and see that he had something in his mouth....You guessed it! After wrestling him to open his mouth and him winning and swolling it, I asked him what he ate and he pointed to the poo pile. NOT GOOD! I am not sure how much he managed to obtain and eat but I know that when we got in the house he drank a sippy cup full of water in less then a minute! Oh the joys of parenting. Well at least it will be a good bunch of stories to tell to his future wife. Auden won't kiss him anymore either so that just made it funny. Other then poo, we are just hanging out and doing the "I wish it were spring thing". Jesse gets to work on the big distrubution line that is going up in the town to the north, Kenai. He is excited and will get lots of overtime, so for that we are thankful. Two weeks without seeing him will be hard. He will come home on weekend. Oh Auden and Brahm got their own snow machine this winter and they have only gotten the courage two ride it twice but still it is fun. I know after a while they will be old pros. Well hope you all are hanging in there and enjoying what is left of winter!

Just thoughts!

It is funny before I started this blog I had so much to say and so much to share. However, now I sit in front of the computer with a blank screen. So I figure I might as well just share what is going on in our life those far. After a week or so of sickness in our house we have stayed pretty close to home. Just when I thought it was over we all switched sickness. And of course Mommy got the worst. But despite that we have managed to have some fun. Thanks to a big box of fancy dresses Auden is now a girly girl. Up until this point she was super happy in here carhardts and extra tuff rubber boots. But now it is all about twirling and being pretty. Which is good. The fact that she also likes to dress her brother up is sorta funny, the fact that he goes along with it is hilarious. Both of them twirl round and around in the living room. I am sure he is going to love these pictures when he is a teenager. I am still figuring out how to add these pictures and such so bear with me. Overall I have been thinking about how hard it is to keep focused. Not just with day to day things but in life in general. With all the uncertainty that surrounds us it is easy to get wrapped up in the fear and uncertainty. Yet over and over again I just keep telling myself that God is in control. There is nothing that I can do to change things so why worry. Matthew 6 tells us to not to worry about food, clothes, well anything really. So that is my moto for now. I know that God is good and I am to trust. So in the meantime I am going to keep on: singing, reading, and tickling my kids, loving my strong capable husband, and enjoying the beauty that is my home. So with that here are a few pictures of the things I love. May you all be blessed and feel God's comfort and care throughout the week.

I love this picture because A: it has darn cute kids in it! B: It looks like Brahm is standing like a man surveying the world he is about to conquer and Auden is the fair maiden.



I can't believe I live in a place where such beauty is a daily blessing.



This man is the love of my life! And I do have to say we make darn good looking kids!





It may just look like a normal snowman, but this is my blood sweat and perseverance. Auden wanted a BIG snowman, so being the mommy I am said Yay whoo! Well I over looked that fact that I would be the one lifting the body parts into place. With a little cheering and a lot of praying I did it!

So Here We Go!

Hello all, or should I say me, because you all don't know I am here yet! So this is Sarah and I have decided to give more of a glimpse into our life....I know some of you are flipping out say "AHHHHHH" but don't worry it will all be ok. So we are in the midst of march and that means that we are finally starting to have normal days as far as light goes. Which in our world means the kids don't sleep as long as I would hope, but that is the price you pay for daylight which is well worth it. Winter is still here in full swing, and we all are having a little cabin fever. That just means that the kids and us are alittle loopier then normal if you can believe it! So check in every now and again as see what craziness we are up to. Oh and don't be silent let me know you are here! So until next time....