The Mini-Gun is mounted outside our shop for customers that don't want to co-operate.
Bernie with the Humvee and M-249 SAW .

This is a Humvee that was hit by an IED (Improvised Exploding Devise)

The ground cannot absorb the water as fast as what it rains here resulting in small ponds every where you go. The mud is like a peanut butter consistency and just as tough to get off you boots!

This is our pods (housing). Each unit has 3 rooms approx. 10x10. Not bad and a lot better than the tents that several troops live in. There is no running water in the room so outhouses and shower trailers (shown above) are the norm. Each pod area is surrounded by T-barriers and sand bags to protect the pod from frag blast.

To the left is a few confiscated weapons from the Insurgents being prepared for destruction.
Below is my customer service tech with a 50 cal sniper rifle.

Happy New Year!! It's hard to believe it's already 2006!!! Hallelujah! Here are some recent photos of our Christmas vacation. Please continue to pray for Bernie as he is in Balad, Iraq for the next four months.

"The Lord is my strength and my shield. My heart trusts in Him.' Psalms 22:8" "The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God is my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge, and my saviour--from violent men you save me. I call to the Lord who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from mine enemies". II Samuel 22:2-6

This is the new tile in the apartment bathroom. Phil and Dad laid it Wednesday night. I love the color. It is a off-white kind of marbled look to it and the grout is taupe. They did a great job! Phil is a pro. I hope it gets sealed tomorrow so we can put the vanity and medicine cabinet mirror in. Dad bought some plumbing parts yesterday to install. I have my eye on some pretty carpet at Home Depot.

Our weather has really warmed up. Last week it got up to 48 degrees. Much of the snow is melted. Weird weather for Alaska.

Hi to everyone and a blessed merry Christmas season to all. Hopefully you are enjoying the start of December. We had our Ladies Christmas Tea at church. Annie and I took a table and decorated it with a blue and snowflake theme. What fun!! She is the crafty one who made the centerpiece..a frosty white/silver tree with blue snowflakes and also the take home magnets which said.."wash me and I shall be whiter than snow". I brought the tablecloth, china, and silverware. We both made something yummy to eat. Annie made her famous scones and butter sauce and I made an apple/walnut cake. Gretchen came and we had our picture taken in front of the Christmas tree. It was lots of mothers and their young daughters so I insisted and Gretchen complied...a little reluctantly. Dad had Guard weekend so work progress stopped on the garage apartment. Tonight Phil is coming to lay the tile in th ebathroom. We will update you with pictures shortly.

Hi to everyone. Lookee here now...a new fridge, stove, dishwasher, and a microwave and hood which you cannot see. Also new baseboard heaters which were installed yesterday. We even have our thermostats set...which is great because it is very cold here. Tonight Dad and RJ are out there wiring outlets and smoke detectors. I'm inside all cozy blogging away. I hauled out Christmas decorations..not to set up yet but to look for some Christmas decorations for a Christmas Tea at church on Sat. I believe it's like the one your church had Natalie. Annie and I are in charge of decorating and we are doing it with a blue/silver snowflake theme. I'm bringing the china and glassware. We may do little favors for everyone depending on time.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO EVERYONE!!! We are incredibly thankful for where we are and what God has done in our lives. We have had 20 inches of snow within the last 24 hours!! That is a heap! Dad has already plowed like three times and he still has one more driveway and the walkways to go. Here is the progress we have made this past week on laying the laminate floor. We only have the hallway to go. I am so excited. The electrician will hopefully show up and do some finish wiring and then we will hang our light fixtures. Little by little progress is made.

Hi Everyone. Like this color? I wanted to show the pictures of the new countertops. Dad is in the garage and working to get things arrranged on shelves. Last weekend, Gretchen and I along with the neighbor kids helped Dad move all his tools and stuff into the newly painted garage.

The color of the High Mac (like Corian) coutnertops is called Desert Sand. The cabinets are called Spice and the walls are butter colored. The flooring is laminate and it matches pretty well. We will begin on that soon. Dad is leaving in about one week for one week it may have to wait. We also have to pick out lighting fixtures as well but the finish electical comes first. We are looking at purchasing a toilet right now while Home Depot has them on sale. We have been parking in the garage all week. Hooray! The temperature has been 0. BBbbbbrrrrrr!!

Hi there everyone. Back at it. We have been busy in September. First we ordered the sheetrock which you can see got delivered from Spenards Building Supply. They unloaded it with a the boom truck so Dad wouldn't have to carry up the stairs. Backbreaking. Then the hanging procedure went up. Many days and nights of long work. Our new friend Ralph was hired to do the taping and texturing. He also hung sheetrock as well. Laney Anderson helped Dad too. Now that is a friend! Ralph should be done with the texture this weekend and also Dad and Branden Goulet will hang the sheetrock on the ceiling of the garage stalls downstairs. Ralph will then firetape it. After all this then the cabinets can be installed upstairs. Whoops I did forget about the painting. I believe we have chosen a butter yellow for all the walls. So pretty. Dad works on this project almost every night until 8 pm. He works so hard. I am the assistant and help out where I can, insulating and sweeping. I have hung a few pieces of sheetrock but cannot really do the pieces on the ceiling.

Also I have been crafting my beautiful silverware creations for Christmas gifts. Try to act surprised. I have thoroughly enjoyed this. I found a new bead shop in Eagle River and have been buying all the heavy stainless steel shiny serving pieces I can find. I got this great idea from Rhonda. So I need to find out what color you each want for Christmas. Remember...act surprised. Here is a couple pictures of a tote full..not organized yet, plus a sample of spoons.

Hi there. Gretchen and Phil have been at it all weekend with their new remodel. Look at their progress!!

MY 48th BIRTHDAY!!!

I had an outstanding time with Bridgette, Chad, and Emme in Boise! For my birthday we went to an upscale restaurant for lunch in downtown Boise. We had turkey panini sandwiches with sundried tomatoes and some mild chili pepper, along with sweet potato fries. Yum and plus it was healthy!!! Emme enjoyed her lunch in the stroller. We were enjoying the last days of summer in the sunshine. After lunch, we travelled on the the Boise Botanical Gardens. It was a nice walk with the stroller through the different areas of rose gardens, fountains, and shaded areas with pretty flowers and trees. We had a wonderful time but alas, all good things must come to an end. Bridgette made her special Peruvian chicken for dinner that night and we had lemon curd for dessert which was delightful. It was great. Emme missed her nap that afternoon but was behaving herself. Thank you Bridgette and Chad for a wonderful vacation. I'll never forget it!!

Thanks to Bernie who picked me up at the airport at 2 AM and who also encouraged me to go to Boise to visit. All in al. I had a fantastic birthday and am thankful God has blessed me with a wonderful husband and four awesome children and sons in-law who love the Lord. No to mention the beautiful grandbaby, Emme Kate. Anymore I don't know about...Natalie and Gretchen...????? God is so good to me!!!!!

This is a picture of the little princess swimming in her borrowed inflatable craft. She loved it. We all had a good time in the pool!!

We had a wonderful time picking blackberries. Emme was eating them as fast as I could give them to her. She was one sticky baby when we were through. It only took about 20 minutes to pick 7 lbs. We also bought some fresh corn on the cob.

This picture of the inflatable swimming pool is one I found in the empty lot next door. It got washed out and it holds water. Emme likes to splash around in it. We only had a small amount of water in it.

Yesterday Emme and I rode up to McCall,Idaho with some friends, Michael and Donna. The ride was beautiful and she did sleep for about 30 minutes. Bridgette and Chad had spent the night with their friends at their cabin which was really a 2,000 sq ft. home. Everyone was very nice. We took a couple of walks with Emme in the stroller while the guys went golfing. Later when everyone got together again, we went swimming in their community pool. McCall has grown in leaps and bounds with recreational cabins. One lot is between $80,000 - 100,000 dollars. WOW!!!

Bridgette and I went into town and went to a farmer's market. I bought two apples and Emme sure did like eating it. We walked along the Cascade Lake and put our feet into the water. We had great weather the whole day and got home late that night.