Picture Tag

Well, my wonderful sister-in law, Erika (love ya Erke!), has tagged me for this 6th folder, 6th picture thing, so being on the laptop, this is the one that I got. This is Addison on her first Christmas. The kids were so excited in opening their presents that Addison ended up with a massive pile of wrapping paper all around. A baby's dream! She had a hay day in that paper! I can't believe she's almost 3 years old now - she's still just as beautiful and just as high maintenance!

Arrow of Light and Ice Fishing

During the "Blue and Gold" Banquet at Scouts last week, Chance was able to receive his Arrow of Light badge which is a highest accomplishment in cub scouts. He was also able to officially "Cross Over" into Boy Scouts. They had a really neat ceremony before Chance crossed over, where the cubmaster was dressed up like an Indian Chief, and presented him with an arrow (complete with authentic arrowhead and Eagle's feathers on it) which represented the path he would take that would lead him on the course to Eagle Scout. They had built a wooden bridge that he crossed over to meet the boy scouts on the other side and then he was given his new neckerchief. The troop here really put a lot into it and made it very special for us all. Chance's first outing with the scouts was this past Saturday, where he went ice fishing. It was very cold and snowy that day, but he and BJ had a good time and learned some tips for the next time they go.

We finally saw one!

(Okay, so this isn't the one we saw, because it was still dark and I didn't figure my camera would do her any justice - but this one's very similar to the one we saw.)

Well, we finally saw our first moose since coming to Alaska. I was beginning to think people were just telling us stories about them coming into yards, but it's true! BJ was getting ready to start his truck this morning at 6:15 am, when he ran back up the stairs to wake me up and tell me there was a moose out front. It was a cow, and by the time we got down there, she had moved next door into our neighbor's yard to nibble on their tree. It was snowing a little and so quiet and dark still, that we just watched her a bit. She didn't have a baby with her so she seemed pretty unconcerned with us. She was so big and it was truly amazing to see one so close. I was afraid for BJ to start his truck thinking it might frighten her, but as he did, she didn't even look and eventually just went to the next house to snack on some bushes. We were the fortunate ones, though, because she left us a pretty large present beside our tree - either it was her, or we have some giant rabbits running around too!

Thar' She Blows????????

Okay, so we studied Pompeii and that devastating volcanic eruption in homeschool, but I never realized we would have our own little hands on experience with it. Here we are still in the midst of chaos and boxes and now the priority has to be preparing ourselves for the eruption of a volcano about 100 miles away. Evidently we live just a little too close to one of the more active volcanoes here in Alaska, Mt. Redoubt. It is now listed at an "orange level" which is the highest you go before the actual eruption. BJ's Elder's quorum lesson was on getting prepared for "Doomsday" and he is having continual briefings and info from the base on it. Needless to say, we got rid of a lot of our supplies during this huge move because of the possibility of things freezing, bursting, etc. during the transit/storage time. We are going to have to get out and make sure we have the things we need tomorrow - that is, if anything is left. The problem for us will be the ash fall and not being able to really get out and things. So anyway, say a prayer for us and hopefully we will be able to get everything in before she blows! I've heard of going out with a bang, but coming in with one? Our new adventures in Alaska continue.....

We Made It!

Just a quick post to let everyone know that we have made it safe and sound to a very melted Alaska. Must be "global warming" (ha!ha!) It was a long flight and we have all been trying to adjust to the time difference. We've been "camping out" at our new house for the past few days, but we are having household goods delivered today so we will be in the midst of cardboard boxes and chaos for the next several days. We're bouncing off of someone else's wireless connection, so I'll try to post more when I can. Just thought I would post a picture of the view from our living room window - nice, huh?

Catch Up

It's been a while since I posted so I thought I would try to catch everyone up with the goings on of the Holmes' Home. We are currently "homeless" since we moved out of our house in Ohio on December 1st. We stayed in TLF for a week and have since been going around visiting family since and will continue to do so until January 15th when we will fly from North Carolina to Alaska to make a new home there for the next 3 years at least. So here are some highlights:

BJ graduated from the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences on December 5th with his Masters Degree in Anesthesia. A week later he took his board exam and passed and is now a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthestist (CRNA for short). It has been a very long and stressful 30 month program for us all and we are very proud and happy that he has reached his goal! Way to go BJ!

Right before Christmas, Savannah FINALLY lost (with a little help from Daddy) her other top front tooth. She was able to sing the "All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth" song even though she wanted a whole lot more than that!

We had a great Christmas! We spent some pre-Christmas time in Kentucky with my family and then came to North Carolina to spend the big event with them. The kids were thrilled to get a Wii and have played it so much with all of the family. We've had a lot of fun. Chance was thrilled to get some airplanes (especially the F-15 and F-22's that will be flying at Elmendorf AFB) and legos and a North Carolina basketball jersey, Colton stocked up on Star Wars figures, Addison has been enchanted with her Tinkerbell movie and fairies, and Savannah had "the best Christmas ever" (in her words) after receiving an American Girl doll and a digital camera.

The day after Christmas, Chance celebrated his 11th birthday. We had a yummy birthday supper and North Carolina cake. The greatest gift he received was tickets to a North Carolina basketball game that he went to with his dad and two uncles. You've got to realize that this is a dream for him. He was able to see his idol, Tyler Hansbrough, play and create a memory that will forever be in his best of bests.

Here are the boys at the game.

We're planning on spending a relaxing New Year's here with the family and then Friday, BJ and I are taking a Carribean Cruise for 7 days. We're going to try to soak up as many UV rays as we can before we head up to the cold north!

Way to go Chance!

We attended Chance's last pack meeting here in Ohio where he received his Webelos rank along with 4 more activity pins and his Compass Point Emblem along with 2 more Compass points. That means that he has completed 16 out of 20 Webelos activity pins in less than a year. He will receive his Arrow of Light once we get to Alaska and then advance on to the "Boy Scouts". For those of you that have been through scouts or have sons in it, you know how much work this requires. We are very proud of him, and I couldn't resist giving him a big hug - it seems like we've been real partners this past year in trying to achieve this.