An Adoption, a Birthday and Christmas Fun

The holidays have come and gone.  Our weekends have been filled with parties and a little quiet family time here and there.  The end of November and most of December brought unseasonably warm weather.  We are now experiencing more typical weather for this time of year; as I write this, it's 40 below in Fairbanks. We hope you all enjoyed the holidays and that this new year brings you happiness, health and everything else hoped for.

It's Official -
November brought an exciting addition to our family. Yuri's brother, Nick, and his wife, Shannon, completed the adoption of Bruce.  Bruce has long been a part of our family but now it's legal.  We love this little guy as he brings much joy to our family.

Below is a picture of us at the courthouse on the big day (you'll notice that Yuri and Rory are missing from the picture...have I mentioned before how Yuri struggles to be on time for events?).  L to R - back row: Me, Shannon, Dorothy (Shannon's little sister), Grandpa Bud, Nick, Steve, Georgianne and Randy.  L to R - front row: Bruce and Linda.

Thanksgiving
We had a wonderfully quiet Thanksgiving this year.  Yuri, the girls and I headed over to my folks house to celebrate and Jesse and Petra were able to make it toward the end of dinner for their second Thanksgiving meal.

Grandma Judy and Rory in the kitchen preparing dinner.  Rory is pretty proud of the new apron her grandma gave her.

Massie hanging out at the dinner table with Uncle Jesse and Petra.

Rory Turns Three!
Rory's birthday was a big deal for her this year.  In addition to her big birthday party, we celebrated as a family (on the actual day) and her daycare also had a party for her.  She is one lucky girl and we'll make sure she knows it.

Below is Rory cuddling up with the new blankets she received for her birthday.

Trying to get a picture of a bunch of children at a birthday party is like herding cats...the picture below is most of the kids in attendance. 

Rory and I had a great time planning her party.  She helped make the cupcake toppers, she decorated the beverage containers, and filled the party favor cups.  As you can see in the pictures below, I made Mickey/Minnie Mouse ears for the party goers.  Also pictured below are the kiddie PB&J sandwiches we made.

Christmas 
We are fortunate to have a lot of family in Fairbanks so Christmas is always a time of running around and catching up with everyone.  Christmas Eve consisted of stopping by uncle Bob and aunt Laverna's house for a visit, then up to the Birch Hill cemetary to pay Zach a visit and tell him how much we miss him, then onto my folks' home to start celbrating with champagne, food and gifts.

Christmas day starts with breakfast for my family while Rory opens Santa's gift (yes, there was only one) and we all open our stocking bags (stockings have morphed into large gift bags as my mom has taken to totally spoiling us with the stocking stuffers).  We then head over to Grandma Linda and Grandpa Steve's house where we meet up with Yuri's side of the family to celebrate and open gifts.  Back to our house for Rory to take a nap and then immediately over to Yuri's Uncle Glen's house for Christmas dinner with the family.

In all of the Christmas Eve and Christmas day activities we didn't have a chance to get to the gifts under our tree...so, we started a new tradition, the Morgan family Christmas takes place the day after Christmas.  It's fun to spread the gift giving/receiving over a few days.  We got totally spoiled by all this year - thank you everyone.

We had the opportunity to visit my great-uncle Bob (my father's uncle on his mother's side) and his wife, Laverna.  It was wonderful to catch up with them and to introduce them to Massie.  Below is a picture of Laverna holding Massie.  I'm sorry to use a picture of her with her eyes closed but it was all I had.

My dad and Uncle Bob going through old pictures.  Bob is still as sharp as ever at 93.

Growing up, my mom put together advent calendars for us kids - a gift for every day of December until Christmas.  She has now started the tradition for Rory and although the picture is blurry, below is a shot of Rory's purple sparkle tree and her advent gifts set-up in her room. 

You can imagine our surprise when Santa wrote letters to both Rory and Massie informing them that they made the "nice" list.  Here is Rory reading her letter to confirm the good news.

Christmas Eve at my folks' house is always a great time.  We get started very early in the day and go late into the night (or until the kids can't take anymore).  Below is Martin, Jesse and Blue relaxing until the next round of drinks and gifts begins.

My Uncle, Randy, Aunt, Cheryl, and Cousin, Jeremy (missing from the picture is cousin Philip) always come over on Christmas Eve.  We don't see them nearly enough so this is the one time a year we know we'll be able to catch up.

My uncle Randy with Massie. He looks so much like my dad and his grin reminds me of Grandma Em...he's such a great guy!

Rory was  surprised when she woke up Christmas morning and discovered that Santa took bites out of her cookies and drank all the milk. It's pretty exciting to get confirmation that the "big guy" was at your house.

Santa brought Rory this dollhouse for Christmas...she thinks Santa is a pretty cool guy.

Eating
Massie has finally taken to eating.  Rory and I thought that the prunes on Massie's face looked quite a bit like a moustache...a fact that Rory got a kick out of.

Miscellaneous
Yuri's sister, Geneveive, was in town for the holidays with her daughter, Estelle and husband, Kirill.  Below is a picture of Estelle, Gen, Massie and Rory (the goofball).

My friend Robyn sent matching hats for the girls...aren't' they cute!?  As usual, Rory is clowning around. Dy - please note the "dominoes" in Rory's hand...she wouldn't put them down.

We don't get outside often but one day during the warm weather in December we put on our gear and hiked out (okay, got out of our car) to see Jesse skijor.  On this particular day it started to rain...very unusual for Fairbanks.

Rory
Rory clowning around with a few of the gifts she received throughout her birthday and the holidays.  Our little free-spirited child.

Modeling her new coat from Lanie and Renee and her "fairy skirt" from Betty and Bruce.  This girl loves clothing!

Massie
Massie is doing well standing and balancing for short periods of time on her own.  She is very proud of herself and is expressive when things go downhill (last picture).

Unlike Rory, Massie loves dogs (much to her grandfather's delight).

Reading time with her dad - full of giggles.

Addy in a serene pose with her cousin.  Addy is so good with the girls, we wish she lived closer so that we could take advantage of her skills!

Happy New Year to you all!  Catch you next month with our January blog update.

Grandma Joyce

Those of you who have followed the blog over the past few years are familiar with Yuri's grandma Joyce (Rory and Massie's great-grandma).  I am sorry to report that shortly before Christmas cancer took this very special woman from us.  Her passing has left a large void in our lives but we are thankful for the memories and the many pictures of our kids with their beloved great-grandma.

On December 11, 2011, Joyce Delores Anderson passed from this life after a 2 ½ year battle with liver cancer while resting peacefully at the Fairbanks Memorial Hospital. Our beloved Joyce was born in Sacramento, California on November 16, 1931 to Charles (Chuck) Ruffner Garvey and Delores (Nonie) Pendleton. She spent the days of her youth on the beaches of Santa Cruz, California and was a vibrant and beautiful California girl through and through.

In 1948, Joyce's adventurous father moved her and her siblings to Fairbanks where he had secured employment in a restaurant and bar business. Her first job in Fairbanks was as a sales clerk for J.Vic Brown Jewelers on 2^nd Avenue.  Soon after her spring arrival, Joyce met the Anderson brothers, T. Garth Anderson and her future husband and partner in life, W. H. “Bud” Anderson. The Anderson brothers owned the first Harley dealership in Fairbanks and their active lifestyles quickly drew Joyce’s attention.

Joyce loved target shooting. One day, Garth borrowed Bud’s new 1950 Studebaker and he and Joyce drove to the hills. After a number of rounds of target practice, Joyce absentmindedly laid the .22 rifle on the front seat. The gun accidentally went off, narrowly missing Garth, and blew a hole in Bud’s new car. They quickly headed back to town to find Bud so Joyce could apologize to him. Apparently, Bud got over it. They married in Santa Cruz on November 11, 1950.

In those early Fairbanks years, Joyce worked alongside her mother-in-law, Annette H. Anderson, caring for a crew of hungry miners at the Miller House in the Circle Mining District.

There was nothing Joyce enjoyed more than caring for and playing with children. Whether it was the children in her family, friends or strangers' families, Joyce always made each child feel special with a big smile, a huge hug, and a kiss that made everything better. She was their biggest fan and attended every event. She always had a closet full of toys and games and her kitchen was always well-supplied with food and snacks. Her employment with the Fairbanks School District as an Administrative Secretary  in the 1970's and early 80's was a perfect fit.

Joyce lived a full, active life. Her fun spirit was contagious. She enjoyed many sports and the companionship of good friends. She was fiercely yet graciously competitive. Besides golf, bowling, curling, tennis, gardening and cards, Joyce loved trap shooting and was a proud member of the NRA.

Most of all, Joyce loved the game of golf. Those who knew her agree that nobody had a prettier swing. Joyce made many lifelong friends playing the sport, both in Alaska and Arizona.

Joyce always put others before herself. She was a terrific gift and card giver, often without a reason. She was gentle, kind and understanding, but never hesitated to be blatantly honest. Joyce will be missed by countless family and friends; her kindness along with her pure, unrelenting passion for life have made us all better people.

Halloween Fun & Great-Grandma Joyce Turns 80!

Winter is here.  We've had thirty below temperatures in Fairbanks for over a week now - needless to say, we've been spending a lot of time inside.  The past month has been filled with many activities , as you will see from the pictures below. Putting this blog together is a great reminder of how lucky we are to have such great friends and family.  We are very fortunate to have you all in our lives.

Angelina's Birthday Party

Rory's best friend, Angelina, recently celebrated her 3rd birthday.  I forgot to bring my camera to the party so this IPhone shot is the best I could do.  These two have been together at "school" in the same classrooms since they were 4 months old. 

Rory enjoying the lollipop from Angelina's Dora the Explorer birthday party.  Looks delicious!

Halloween - 
Pumpkin Carving Party with the Burks

We were invited over to the Burks' fun, family pumpkin carving party.  As always, Megan goes all out ! She had her garage ready for the pumpkin carnage that was soon to come; all the tools we needed (including a drywall saw) and lot of templates to choose from.  A fun time was had by all, especially Rory, as you can see from the picture below.

Group shot of some of the gang...Massie and I had already left the party at this point in the party ... 

Halloween Party

We were invited to an amazing Halloween party at the Bast residence the weekend before Halloween.  Suzan & John Bast were wonderful hosts and their home was warm and inviting.  They  absolutely went all out! I've never been to a party this over-the-top before (in a good way, I assure you).  They had a sit-down dinner for 50 adults and I'd estimate that there were 40 kids also in attendance.  Their garage was set up for the kids with separate craft, food and play/dance areas. 

Below, the girls are all lined up in the kids area preparing for "pinata fun" in the living room.  See Rory right up front?  She was the youngest in the group and therefore got the coveted first spot in line.

Moving onto the living room - below is a picture, taken from the balcony, of the kids preparing for pinata  number 1 of 3. Once the pinatas were busted open, total chaos ensued...not kidding...these kids make crocodiles going after a kill look meek.

Princess Rory and her Rockford Peach mother.

 This is the first time Yuri and I have dressed up together for Halloween.  In fact, it's the first time I've dressed up since High School.  We had a great time.

Halloween Day Finally!

Rory wanted to be a purple princess for Halloween so we bought a party dress at Value Village, tore it apart, and then added purple gems and tulle to make it into a princess dress.  To top it off, we gave her a crown and a princess wand.  She is an adorable little girl.

For those of you unfamiliar with trick-or-treating in Alaska, we don't get to run up and down the streets wearing only our costumes.  In addition, we have to put on snow suits, boots, hats and gloves underneath.  Below is our princess after putting her snow gear on...still adorable.

Rory and her dad ready for trick-or-treating.

Although Massie didn't dress up for Halloween this year, her daycare did have a "crazy hat" day.  So, we topped her off with an old-fashion Scottish golfing cap - don't you just want to eat her up?!

Grandma Joyce Turns 80

Linda threw a party to celebrate Joyce's birthday.  As you can see from the picture below, a lot of Joyce's family and friends showed up to help celebrate the big day.  We had a wonderful time and, as always, we enjoy spending time with Grandma Joyce (especially Rory who just adores her - see Rory sitting on Joyce's lap in the picture below). 

Linda preparing the cake for cutting...Rory on her tiptoes trying to get a good look at what is going on with that cake. Can you tell that Rory wants a piece?

Finally...CAKE!

Rory got to spend some time with her cousin, Estelle, at the party.  Below is Rory looking a little perturbed that Estelle is sitting on her art project.  She's not a very patient child.

Massie fell fast asleep at the party.  This is the first and only time I've seen her suck her thumb.

Rory and I made chocolate spoons (with purple and green chocolate) a few weekends ago.  For those of you who haven't used them, you stir them into warm milk and voila, you have chocolate milk.  Below Rory and her dad do a "cheers" with their spoons.  Look at Rory beaming up at her dad...she sure does love him.

After stirring their warm milk for a while we now have green and purple chocolate milk...yummmm...I think.

Massie Eating Solids

We have been trying to get Massie to eat solids for about a month now.  Every time we try she gives us a look of total disgust and spits out her food.  Below is a picture of Rory trying to feed Massie, along with Massie's reactionary look.

No interest in eating the food...

Rory & Massie
Rory loving on her little sister.

Massie

Massie is now over five months old - I'm not sure where the time is going.  She's a vocal baby who has a special sparkle in her eye and loves to be right in the middle of the action. 

Unlike Rory, Massie loves her Johnny Jump Up.

Next month...We officially get a new family member (hint...Bruce is officially Rory's cousin), Thanksgiving gluttony and Rory celebrates her 3rd Birthday.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!