Whew!  So the system I've been using of trying to blog after each significant event in our lives obviously hasn't been working.  Or we haven't had any such events since October....   Anyhow, I'm taking the newer, lazier approach.  I figure most people probably just want to see the photos anyhow.  So I'm going through all the photos on this computer and posting some of the good ones and then I'll go through and post a bunch that reside on the other computer.  Of course this will mess up the chronological order a bit, but it will get more photos up there which is the whole purpose.  We'll see how it goes.

Nick being recognized for having a 4.0 grade point average!

Alex posing with his Revolutionary War era figure.  Unfortunately I can't remember who it is...

Grammi visits for Thanksgiving

Thankgiving photo, with a nice bandage to cover up some sun damage removed by the dermatologist

Thanksgiving at the Andress's house

KM and Grammi with another of KM's creations

Nick with his new braces

An early Feb flight in the mtns up by some glaciers

The ice is fascinating to look at

Our house, notice the lack of snow.  It was a terrible winter for snow

Skiing inside the mall in Dubai

More fall photos, and Halloween

More pics of this fall and our activities

This fall we got the kids involved in some cyclocross racing.  Basically its a course where they race on dirt trails and have to negotiate obstacles like mud, sand, and barriers which require them to carry the bike for a little ways.  They had a blast and it was fun listening to them talk about the races afterwards.

Nick negotiating a jump near a barrier, you'll notice an airborne upside down bike on his left.  That was a kid that tried to pass him on the left and rode into the barrier.  He was not injured and it was another of the great stories I got hear in the car on the way home

Alex riding hard

Max negotiating a barrier

Its a lot harder when the barrier comes up past your knees and the bike is almost half your weight!

Birthday date night, we had a blast watching Wayne Brady the comedian.

Alex and Max loved wearing Mom's Halloween wigs around

Nick looked like an emo rocker

Gracie was not sure what to think!

Nick had the opportunity to play with his Pipes and Drums band at the airport to honor a group of WWII vets that were returning from a trip to DC

Looking sharp in his uniform.  Alex and Max are working hard to earn their own positions in the band

Halloween costumes.  A redneck hunter, a caribou, and a Shrubbery (Monty Python fans!!)

And a sexy Mom!!

Alex's broken tooth worked well for his costume

FedEx gave us the opportunity to bring the kids to the simulator this year.  They all got a chance to land in Anchorage, they also had a hard time believing that the simulator wasn't moving, because the visuals are that good.

Max in the Captains seat, maybe some day I'll get to sit there too!

Alex working hard to line up on the runway

They also got to play in the safety equipment room

And hang with all their friends and eat the free food!

This guy showed up in our back yard the other day.  He's only 2 or maybe 3 years old, he'll be a bruiser in a few more years.  Even though we see Moose a lot, it still amazes me how big they are when you get really close.  This guy was only about 15 ft away out the kitchen window and he is easily 6 ft at the shoulders.

Hunting and Cross country running

More pics of the fall activities

Nick had a blast on the Cross Country running team this fall.  He did great and made lots of friends.  He even got a lesson in responsibility when he lost his jacket and thought he was going to have to cough up $85 dollars of his own money, lucky for him the vice principal had it and just made him sweat it out until the end of the year!

Me with my post surgery beard, I basically did nothing other than lay on the floor for two weeks.  It was a lot of fun...not.

Nick on his way to a top 12 finish

Nick racing his friend Torston to the finish.  Nick lost this one by a step, but in the region finals he beat Torston by the same margin.  It was fun to watch.

Nick was a referee for flag football this year

KM buying fresh cranberry sauce, 60 miles from the nearest paved road.

Our hunting trip on the Denali Hwy.  We had a blast and got to see and almost sneak up on some caribou, but alas we came home empty handed.  Everyone had fun and we saw some amazing country

Mom and her boys, Alex is apparently asleep

The views were incredible, the weather however was not incredible

These clowns can't be serious for a second

The boys meeting the neighbors new dog, Dandy

More Denali Hwy pics with my sweetie

Alex is awake for this one

Happy couple

Nick and Mom after a successful race

Max with his best friend Shyan

Nick and Torston at the region finals

Alex and Max with their big brother

Pals

TONS of berries this year!!  Lots of fun to go pick and then eat them, even made a blueberry pie!