Adventures of a Catholic homeschooling family in Alaska.
When the boys and I visited the snow sculptures at Fur Rondy this year, there was a man making bubbles for the kids. These were not your tiny backyard bubbles, but rather large ones at times. It was so much fun to watch the kids running around to pop them! (Note ~ I planned [Read On]
Late February is always the time for the annual Fur Rondy event in Anchorage. There are a variety of experiences and so far we’ve usually missed them as little kids and super cold weather do not always mix well for this mama. However, this year we met up with other homeschool families to look at [Read On]
After last year’s record snowfall, this year has seemed like a ‘dud’ to the boys. But, they are more than happy to head outside when we do have a bit of the old white stuff on the ground. Don’t you love the creative use of a sled? How do YOU and YOUR FAMILY [Read On]
She’s doing a theme for each week and this week is Autumn. Make sure you visit her post (if you haven’t already) to see a nice collection of photos. We do have autumn here in Alaska, although the colors are more limited than what we saw living in New York, Ohio and Maryland. Also, the [Read On]
She’s doing a theme for each week and this week is Railroad/Train/Train Tracks. Make sure you visit her post (if you haven’t already) to see a nice collection of photos. I pulled photos from a few ‘adventures’ on the Alaska Railroad to share here. Spencer Glacier Whistle Stop Boy Scout Trip Last Summer, the [Read On]
Anyone that knows our family is fully aware that Mr. O is a huge nature lover and the boys typically follow suit. I enjoy my occasional explorations as well, although the rustic backpack camping expeditions that the boys do with their dad and the Scout Troop are not my cup of tea. For this week’s [Read On]
The past few weeks have been crazy at best. Back on September 4th, we had a major wind storm come through that knocked our power out for 35 hours. Hubby was out of town on business and it took P and I a while to figure out the portable generator and get the chest freezer [Read On]
Put my name on the ‘bad blogger’ list when it comes to planning out posts when I know that I’m going to be off the computer. I was so busy getting the posts set for Monday that I ran out of time to write anything else. Where have I been? Well if you were checking [Read On]
It was overcast, drizzly and quite windy up here in Alaska. But, we made a conscious decision to join in on the fun to celebrate Collective Bias’ 3rd birthday. Collective Bias sent me a lovely goodie package that included a yummy Marathon bar by Snickers and lovely flip cap water bottle. Our hiking venue [Read On]
Over the past few weeks, you could find multiple pots simmering on our stove top. At first, the liquid was clear… But, with time it darkened…. Until it was quite dark and ready for the freezer. So, what were we making? Here’s a clue in photos: Have [Read On]
So much for utilizing our “Alaskan Freezer” for bread products!
I shared a bit of our trip up to Fairbanks last August while my parents were here in two different posts: Visiting Denali and Santa Claus at North Pole. What I didn’t get around to sharing was our visit to the Museum of the North on the campus of University of Alaska Fairbanks and [Read On]
Alaska State Fair 2011 This year, the boys and I made the trek up to Palmer for the first day of the fair. Those discount admission tickets are quite appealing and I had a very specific reason for going. It was all about the big building of vendors and the knowledge of the cable company [Read On]
When things got busy, it seemed like several post ideas got pushed onto the back burner. Before I knew it, months had passed. So, I decided to think of warmer temperatures and green grass while writing about what we’d done in a short series of post showcasing our adventures. Vacation Bible School This past [Read On]
I didn’t get what I’d consider the best photo of the view. But, I had to share what the winter scene looks like in our front yard. Does it remind anyone of a particular fictional location? I’m a bit partial to the B&W filter on the shot, though….
If there is one thing you are guaranteed when living in Alaska, it is that you’ll have more than your fair share of winter weather. Snow, ice, and temperatures that dip well below zero are practically commonplace. Many of the areas in South Central Alaska have had far more snow falling than usual, so [Read On]
Outside of the little community of Hope, Alaska, you’ll find a state park area where people still go gold panning. We scoped it out earlier in the summer and then brought some family members out to experience it first hand. Our outing was blessed with fantastic weather. The previous summer had so much rain [Read On]
Friday is about to begin here in Alaska and once again time has flown. -1- The inevitable happened Wednesday morning. We got snow at our house. Anchorage proper didn’t see any and Mr. O was puzzled when he called for his morning check-in and I shared that P was out clearing the driveway. It [Read On]
After our brief visit to Denali National Park, we went up to Fairbanks to visit my mom’s cousin. She hadn’t seen him in years and I’m not sure if I’d met him before then. We ‘camped’ out at his house in the woods in a community outside of Fairbanks. But, we also did a few [Read On]
This August when my parents were visiting, we made a trek up to Fairbanks. It was quite the adventure! Dad rented a RV for the trip. However, we soon discovered that not all the seats were too be used while driving AND J’s car seat could not be tightly strapped into any of the [Read On]
I finally got a chance to compile some short video segments from our visit at the Alaska Native Heritage Center in Anchorage. Pictures are great, but sometimes you need to see the motions! Enjoy!
Yesterday, I shared from the demonstrations we saw at the Alaska Native Heritage Center. Today, I want to share from the outdoor trail that we took to see the traditional structures of the Alaskan Native groups. The mini-long home up on stilts outside the main structure below would be a food cache. It’s height [Read On]
This summer we found out about an added benefit to being members of the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. The first Sunday of each summer month would get us into the Alaska Native Heritage Center! That is a place on my list of ones to visit,but the admission for all of us was more than we [Read On]
These photos are from our first visit to the area, the same day we visited Hope proper. Mr. O had a co-worker tell him about a camping area in the hills, so we took a drive up. The road seemed to go forever with gorgeous views along the way. It was a [Read On]
Another mid-July adventure for us was a trip up to the area known as Hatcher’s Pass in the Mat-Su Valley. Up in the hills, there’s the remnants of a gold mining operation known as Independence Mine. The day we went was not especially cold, but being that high up made for a chilly visit when [Read On]
It has been a crazy summer in some ways. While we’ve been busy, it has also provided the opportunity to see more of this area of Alaska. Back in July while we had one visitor with us, we took a trip to a small town called Hope. This community sits along the southside [Read On]
Last year while my parents were visiting, we made a trek down to the Alaskan Wildlife Conservation Center. I shared some photos in a post titled Viewing Alaskan Wildlife in Portage. This summer we made two visits there. The first was on the way back home after going to Seward for a day. [Read On]
During the VBS our parish was holding, we had the opportunity to have park time with a few other families. It was a spur of the moment thing, but we all enjoyed the glorious weather we had. D and J enjoy some lunch, including french fries ‘donated’ by one of the families there. [Read On]
We have been quite busy getting out and seeing new sights here in south-central Alaska. Between visitors, summer camps, and our own desire to experience Alaska, we’ve had our weekends pretty much booked up this summer. While summer is winding down, we still have a few places we want to visit before winter weather [Read On]
Back in early June, our pastor asked to meet with those of us who homeschool so he could learn the best ways to support our efforts. With a new Catholic co-op in the diocese, the need to have cooperative learning at the parish isn’t truly present. But, we did all agree that having ways [Read On]
