Spring Scrambles and Bunnies

Spring is Here!!!!

With Spring comes the end of the Legislative Session which means that Yuri is home - there are three girls in the Morgan household that are very excited!

The snow that you'll see in the pictures below is nearly gone and to celebrate, we're getting our deck furniture out of storage this weekend.  The temperatures have been above normal and the sun is always shining...I love where I live!

The past few weeks have been filled with excitement as you will see from the pictures below.  So, rather than go on and on, I'll let you dive into the latest happenings.

4th Annual Beer Scramble
The city of Nenana used to sponsor an event during Tripod Days called the "Beer Scramble". The beer scramble consisted of a street littered with beer cans and a mad dash of participants to gather up as many cans as possible (kind of like an Easter egg hunt for adults). It was quite a sight and participants always went home with a lot of free beer. Unfortunately, they no longer host it and instead they turned it into a "Pop Scramble" - fun for kids but not so much fun for the adults. So, we decided four years ago to recreate it and it gets better every year.  


Below is a picture of the kids after their pop scramble.

Below is the entire beer scramble group, minus my mom who was taking the picture.

Grandad Andy, Grandma Judy and Massie - loving the sun shine!

Massie getting flying lessons from her dad...she is one happy baby.

Neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt
Last year a few neighborhood gals and I decided to host a neighborhood Easter egg hunt.  Well, it was a success and this year we put together the 2nd annual hunt!  Tons of people showed and the kids had a wonderful time.  In addition to the hunt, there were games for the kiddo's - an egg toss (kid favorite), races, bubbles and more.  Oh, and the Easter bunny even made a showing.

Below is the invite Meadow put together (not sure why my copy is so blurry) - so fun!

This is what 1600 eggs filled with candy and toys looks like.

One of our neighbors, Kelly, with the Bailey girls...taking a ride on the Sundborg golf cart.  It was the easy way to get from one end of the hunt to the other.  After utilizing this for the day, everyone in the 'hood wants one of these!

People starting to congregate before the hunt began.  We had a coffee and hot cocoa station (right) and in the left of the picture is the table of prizes - mondo chocolate Easter bunnies, bags of toys and about 60 bags of candy.  We even had a "sportsmanship award" - it's amazing how well behaved these kids were.

Below is Rory looking a little lost amidst all the activities.  Yes, her jacket is about two sizes too small...I really should have bought her a new jacket this year. 

Yuri holding Rory and Massie before the race began.  Neither kid had very much fun at the event.  Rory is scared of the Easter Bunny and is also apparently afraid of large hunts (who knew).  Massie was sick with hand, foot and mouth disease...more on that below but beware, it's nasty.

Wargan/Morwick Easter
After 37 years of life, I've finally realized that Easter is my favorite holiday.  There are so many fun activities going on...I just love it!

Here are Rory and Yuri coloring eggs...Rory's a little artist (and never makes a mess - good girl!).

She is able to really focus on tasks...she is a little OCD perfectionist. 

Alli Wilken (maiden name) posted this idea on facebook - pouring the left over egg coloring into the snow.  We had a colorful driveway for a few days.

Well, as I mentioned above, Rory is frightened of the Easter Bunny.  But, she was pretty happy with the goodies that he left for her. 

My happy little flower girl...

After Rory found her eggs and treats at our house, we headed over to the Warwick house for what is becoming the Christmas of Easter Egg hunts.  This year, the Bailey's joined our family and it was wonderful to have them there!  My folks always go way over-the-top and fun is had by all.

Below are the kids (plus Meadow) showing off their loot.  The kids had their hunt first so that they didn't get in the way of the adult hunt - really, it's for their own safety :-).  I'm happy to report that there were no injuries this year - Jesse is mellowing in his old age (30).

After the Warwick hunt we hit the street to give Rory's new kite a test run.  She loved it!

Yuri and Massie (on his back) in the background watching Rory successfully fly her kite.

There was a lot of activity in the neighborhood on Easter...on our walk home we ran into Roger and Bentley in the loader. 

Rory trying out the bike the Easter Bunny had brought her that morning.  Unfortunately, the only bike we could find in her size was a boy's dinosaur bike.  I did my best to girl it up with accessories and covered the dinosaur pads with silver sparkle material.  It's really not too bad.  In the background you can see the Burks' boys scraping the ice off our driveway...thanks guys!

Yuri just couldn't resist.

Radiant Rory
Our happy and sassy little girl.

Maniacal Massie
Massie is a wonder to us all.  She is so different from Rory and that really shakes up our household.  She officially took her first steps last week (at 10 months that is a good two months quicker than Rory) and although she's not running around the house yet (thankfully) she is scooting around pretty well with her baby stroller (see video below).

She's a beautiful child with a happy but VERY mischievous personality.  She is into everything and doesn't listen when told "no".  That special look in her eyes tells me that the next 18 years aren't going to be carefree. 

As mentioned in my post last month, both kids have been sick on and off for about 6 weeks...I didn't think it could get worse but it did (warning...picture below is nasty).  Just before Easter Massie came down with hand, foot and mouth disease.  It's a virus that is all over Fairbanks although Massie got is worse than any case I saw.  The virus causes blisters on the face, mouth, hands and feet.  Unfortunately for Massie she got them everywhere and then they got infected.  To top that off she also got ANOTHER ear infection in conjunction with it. 

Here is a picture of my poor sleeping baby with the virus.  It was awful to see her like this and we are all happy that the virus has now run it its course.  She no longer looks like this and her skin is much better but it appears to me that there is some scaring - I'm sure it will lessen with time.

Well, here is to a healthy and happy spring and summer!

Milestones Galore!

As you probably gathered by the title of this blog, Massie is making great strides towards toddler hood (more on this below).  In addition to the excitement-that-is-Massie, I have had my hands full taking care of the girls through multiple sicknesses.  As I type this, I'm home from work taking care of Rory.  This appears to be her second bout of the flu in two weeks.  In addition to the flu she has also had a pretty nasty cold - all in the last month.  But, Rory wasn't alone, not only did Massie also get the flu, she also had a cold and ear infection.  Serenity Now!  Let me just say that I'm pretty excited that Session is almost over so that we can have a full-time dad back shortly.

Enough whining - Spring is officially here, the snow is melting, the sun is shining and we are able to get outdoors more often now.  Life is certainly good here in Fairbanks.

Massie's Milestone

As predicted, Massie started crawling about a week after my last post.  She has the wonderful ability to see the one thing in the room that would be dangerous for her to touch and b-line for it.  In addition to this great milestone, in the last month she has sprouted two teeth and is feeding herself finger food!  Even though she can crawl she still prefers to be standing.  She gets herself up to a table and, using any available surface, walks to where there is danger.

Below is the video I took of Massie a day or two after her first official crawl.  I chose this video because Rory also gets a little face-time.  Also, I do recognize that I'm talking to my children like they are dogs...I'll work on that.

Massie standing at her play area.

Martin's 8th Birthday

Our dear friend, Martin, celebrates his birthday on February 29th which obviously means he only celebrates it (officially) every 4 years.  Well, this year he turned 8 and we had a celebration at the glass studio.  Below is a grainy IPhone picture of Martin watching Ella and Rory blow out his candles. 

Outdoor Ice Skating

Several weeks ago, in an attempt to get some fresh air, we decided to head across the street to the pond for some good old fashion outdoor ice skating.  We had a nice time - there is something refreshing and energizing about skating on a frozen pond. 

Below is a picture of Bill and Yuri clearing a rink for us.  I had forgotten how much snow we had so the shoveling got a little cumbersome for Yuri.  Luckily Bill showed up with his snow blower and between the two of them they created a nice little area for us to skate in no time.

Rory and me skating 

Ice Park Visit

We are so lucky to have the World Ice Art competition take place in our home town. Last weekend we loaded up the kids and headed down to the park.  It was an absolutely gorgeous day and we had a blast looking at the sculptures and playing on the slides.

The picture isn't great but below is Yuri and Rory "riding" the ice horse. 

Yuri and Rory at the entrance to the kiddy maze.

Wheeeeeeeee!!!!!

Rory knocked her head on one of the slippery play things and informed me that "hot chocolate will make me feel better".  Here she is enjoying her cocoa.

Forest Reeve's Birthday

As I've mentioned in this blog before, my friend Renee recently got married.  Not only was she lucky enough to marry a great guy but she also got a wonderful stepson, Forest, in the deal.  Forest is a freshman at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks.  When Renee was in town from Anchorage last week it just happened to be Forest's birthday.  So, we had him and four of his friends over for a birthday celebration.  Forest is in the picture far left and Renee, well obviously she's the only girl in the picture.

I love this picture.  At this point in the evening Forest's friends have bet him $50 that he can't eat an entire raw onion.  Here he is peeling the onion, his friend on the left (you only see his hands) is counting out the funds.  I'm sorry to report he was unable to successfully complete the dare.

It was great to have Renee in town - it just so happened that Massie was sick during her visit so Renee got to get some baby snuggling in (usually Massie is not the snuggling type).

Gymnastics

Rory and her friend, Angelina, attended a gymnastics class last weekend.  Since Rory changed schools she doesn't get to see Angelina much so it was nice to get them together again.  Both children were hesitant to join in the class but once they saw each other they loosened up a bit.

Rory doing a back bend.

My First Parrish Piece

I received a belated Christmas present (or is it an early birthday present?) from my folks.  Nelson Parrish, a wonderfully gifted artist and friend, created this little masterpiece for me.  You'd have to see it on my wall to fully appreciate it but let me assure you, it is one of my most coveted pieces.  Did I mention that several "rich and famous" type folks are also collectors of his work?  I'm a lucky girl!

Sisters
Rory and Massie love being with each other.  My sweet little girls...

Rory loving on Massie...

Rory reading to Massie - Massie is eating it up!

We call this game "put the burp cloth on the baby".

All suited up for an excursion...notice the beaming spring sun.  I do feel a little bad that Massie always seems to be dressed like a boy...I hope she forgives me when she gets older.

Ice Cream Night
The Baileys and my folks have a standing weekly date for ice cream night.  We Morgans crashed it a few weeks back and Rory chose the chocolate version as you can tell.

The Tongue
Massie loves to play with her tongue and to lick things...strange child.

We've got a fun filled month ahead of us, we'll update you soon!

Dancing Through the Winter

It's been too long since I last updated the blog but I do have an excuse, or rather two.  For those of you with children you know how little time you have for things that don't directly involve your kids.  And, to add to that, Yuri is now spending a lot of time in Juneau for session.  Regardless, we are having fun and have successfully made it out of an extremely cold spell.  We had several weeks of 30 to 50 below weather and are happy to report that we are now experiencing unseasonably warm temperatures of around 20-30 degrees (above zero!).  We're rooting for global warming in a big way here in Fairbanks.


Christmas Continued
Our neighborhood WWWW (Wild Women who Wine in Westgate) celebrated Christmas in January.  Below is a picture of me with my childhood friend, Trina Bailey, who made an appearance at our party. Thanks to Bill for a picture that makes both his sister and me look pretty darned good.

The second Christmas party in January was the Doyon Utilities bash.  Because my father is on the Board, my folks are always in attendance which makes it even more enjoyable.  Below is a picture of my mom and me enjoying the night.

 

Mom and Dad's Birthday

My folks celebrate their birthdays just four days apart in early January.   We always have a get-together and this year we were fortunate to have Sid and Karen in town to celebrate with us.  Below (Clockwise from Left): Massie, Yuri, Martin, Lenka, Andy, Judy, Karen, Sid, Merik and Rory.  By now you know who Martin is - Lenka is his fabulous, rock star, girlfriend and Merik (spelling?) was a visiting glass artist also from the Czech Republic.

Rory got her water served in a "little fancy glass" - aka shot glass.  Here she is with her Grandad Andy doing "Cheers".

Blowing the candles out on the cake that Merik made for my folks.  This is the first time ever that Rory hasn't participated in blowing out the candles.

Future Ballerina?
Rory began her ballet and tap classes last month and she was adorable in her outfit.  Unfortunately, she didn't like the classes and informed me that she "needed more space" to dance.  I'm now convinced that she is more of a free spirit - modern dancer.  We'll see.  Anyways, enjoy the cute ballet pictures because there likely won't be anymore.

Yuri's Last 30's Birthday
It's true, the man who still gets carded is now 39 and as you can see, we had a small get together to help him celebrate.  We Morgans like to party and Rory loves her cupcakes.

Excitement leading up to the blowing of the candles...

Skating
Surprisingly, Rory has enjoyed learning to skate.  I say surprisingly as she is a cautious child that gets scared easily.  She's picking it up quickly and we are enjoying the sport together.  Below is a picture (L to R) of Bruce, Sydney, Rory, Dorothy and Grandma Linda at the rink.

Look at that form - bunny hops here we come!

At Home Dancing
Even though Rory didn't want to continue ballet doesn't mean the girl can't dance.  Almost nightly we plug my iPhone into the docking station, crank the tunes and dance our hearts out.  After we noticed cars slowing down in front of our house we decided to shut the shades :-).  Rory has great rhythm and she can interpretive dance with the best of them. 

On this particular dance night Rory felt like wearing a tutu with no top was appropriate - should I be concerned?  Here she is working the play list.

Grandpa Sid & Grandma Karen Visit
Sid and Karen made their way up north from Juneau to visit the munchkins.  It's always nice to have them visit and the girls had a great time with them. 

Below is the only picture we got of Karen.  Here she is with the kids in their fort - you've got to love Massie's expression - "what kind of shenanigans are going on here?!"

Valentines day
I didn't take pictures of the flowers, candy and cards we all received for Valentine's day but below are pictures of Rory and Massie with the cute dolls Marty and Steve Fisher sent them for Valentines day.  Thanks guys, we miss you! 

Massie's doll tastes great!

Sledding
Now that the unbearably cold weather has passed we can now get outside.   It may look like Rory is pulling a sled of clothing but she is actually pulling Massie.  What a good sister.

Massie enjoying her day out of the house.

Go Red
This year I served on the decorating committee for the Go Red for Women luncheon. This year over 650 people attended.  Our little committed was responsible for decorating the entire Carlson Center for the event.  This was a tall order but in the end it looked great.  Below are just two of the 83 centerpieces we created for the event.

The Many Faces of Rory
Rory has a larger-than-life personality that, although cautious at times, reflects her enjoyment of life.  At Yuri's birthday party Ella got a hold of Bill's camera and took the following shots.  I think you'll all agree that she has a good eye!

 

Once a month Rory is responsible for bringing in a show-and-tell item.  This month she had her first-and-tell and the theme was "my family's food".  Since we have no real ethnic cuisine to share with everyone she brought some of her baby sister's food to show everyone.  She enjoyed herself and the kids got a kick out of trying the baby crackers.  Below is a picture one of her teachers snapped of her while she was giving her presentation.

The kid has a million expressions...

Yummmmmmmmmm....cake batter.

Massie - 8 Months and Growing Like a Weed
As I type this Massie is already up past her bedtime.  She is a child who marches to her own drummer.  Just because her mom says it's time for bed doesn't mean it is so.  She has a sparkle in her eye that indicates to me that once she is mobile life as we knew it will be over.  It's time to start baby proofing (something we didn't have to do with Rory, the child who understood the rules).  Massie is just days away from an official crawl and walking won't be far behind.  She watches her sister closely and it's obvious that she's not willing to wait much longer to grow up.

Massie has her dad's hair - crazy Chia Pet hair.  This mowhawk wasn't created by us...it is a natural phenominum.

Martin explaining the difference between blown and fused glass to a confused little girl.

Asleep at the Super Bowl party.

Another great shot by Ella...we'll have to start paying her for these.

Massie and Rory...two sweet little girls.

Renee's Wedding Reception
Our dear friend, Renee, eloped several months ago and to celebrate, she and her new husband, Michael, threw a wedding reception that will be talked about for years to come.  I got a lot of great pictures but I've talked my friend Bill Bailey into helping me touch them up a bit (I really need to read the manual to my camera so that my shots don't need so much cleaning up) so I don't want to post them quite yet.  Here is a taste of what the night brought - sent from Lanie's cell phone.  The picture includes Dyanne, me and Sara Gill who is strategically located just behind Dy...we sure do love our champagne!

Until next time...