Merry Christmas!

From the House of Clouse to yours.... we hope you had a wonderful day!

Piano Recitals

The girls worked very hard at their piano lessons from September through December.  The piano recital was the venue to show off their hard work.

How Dinosaurs Say Merry Christmas, read by Kalin

Kalin was chosen by her teacher this year to read a Christmas themed story for our local radio station.  We are so proud of her and how it turned out!  We will be able to listen to her on the radio on Christmas day.

Santa Visit

It wasn't traumatic for everyone.  Even Kolbi enjoyed herself most of the time.

Clouse Girls Love Santa

Don't judge me, it is now a family tradition.

She won't remember anyway....

A little fish

Now why would I title this post "A little fish" you ask? Well at our elementary school we like to encourage our students for reading.  One of the ways we do this is by recognizing them at our Friday assembly when they have completed reading a series.Their name is written on a little fish and posted on a poster for the whole school to see.

First K has had the pleasure of having her name called and being recognized for finishing a multiple of series. Once second K figured out why kids (and her sister) were getting to stand up on Fridays she was bound and determined to get her chance.

This picture captures the moment when they said her name and she got to stand up.

She finished reading all of the "Fly Guy" books by Ted Arnold.  Her name is now on a little fish in her school.

We couldn't be prouder.

A Million Words

Recently our oldest was recognized in front of her elementary school for reading a million words.  She is now a member of the 2013 "Million Word Club", the fourth student to be inducted so far this year. I am beyond proud of her, she has been a reading machine and has worked very hard to reach this goal!  Her elementary school tracks word status by using the Accelerated Reader program, and First K has read about 85 books to reach a million words!

Harvest

We had another great harvest from our garden this year, and with a summer like we had I would have been very surprised if we didn't!  We grew mostly those plants that have produced for us in the past, but Jon did break out and plan kohlrabi this year.  We were pleasantly surprised at how well it grew and how good it tasted. 
We gad an amazing amount of lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, snap peas and cabbage. I was disappointed in the size of our carrots, but the ones we got were delicious even though they were fairly small.

I am proud to report that I was even able to produce multiple tomatoes from my green house this year! If you look close you can even see the jalapenos I grew. These beauties made some very delicious salsa!

I was going to put in a post about our potato harvest too... but that deserves its very own post. We were very happy with the amount we got this year!

First tooth gone!

She's been working on a loose tooth for what seems like months... and with the help of her Dad it finally came out this week.  She has now joined the "First Lost Tooth" club.  There were some tears and blood but she survived.

The Tooth Fairy brought $2, a Laffy Taffy and a giant beef stick, which made it allll worth it.

She's got the moves like Jaggar...

We really need to just carry around a video camera to keep track of all the cute things this kid does and a camera handy just to document her moves!

GB & Papa Paul

She was forced on this boat ride, but I got a smile out of her anyway.

 
Every year GB makes a trip up to Alaska to help us manage our chaotic lives.  This year we knew it was going to be worse than usual so both GB and Papa Paul came up to help.  Papa Paul stayed for 10 days and then went home, but GB stayed longer.

Papa Paul tried on this sweet jacket we had at our house, and it fit!

 I honestly don't know how we would make it through the start of school without her. Jon works pretty much 7 days a week from 7 am until...... who knows.  I started a new position with new everything, so I began the year over my head, and was also working 7 days a week. It only got better from there.

Once the school year officially started.... honestly its a blur.  But again, I am so thankful she was here. I can't even begin to explain how helpful it was to my psychie to know that someone who loved my children was taking care of them, my house was kept in tip top shape, the never ending laundry was done on a daily basis and there was always a delicious meal to come home to every night.

Thank you GB. 

Can you come back soon? We sure miss you in this neck of the woods.

Many firsts

We've had many firsts these last few weeks at the House of Clouse.  First K started third grade, yikes, how on earth did our first born be old enough to be in third grade? 

Sis started Kindergarten!! Boy oh boy was she ever ready to be in school. Beyond ready.  Her first week has gone really well, she's made some new friends and really likes her teacher.  I asked her what the best part of school was? Recess! she replied.

Baby K started "Baby School", which is a local daycare here in town. We were lucky enough to start 1/2 days with Bonnie here, then we moved into a full day schedule this week. It was rough in the beginning, but she seems to like it now.

 Even Mom had her first day of school.... the first one for me in eight years! (double yikes!) I am teaching fourth grade this year,  in my home town! I was beyond nervous and excited, but everything came together for me. I have a fantastic group of kids, but even fantastic kids have bumps in the road.

We have been rocking and rolling trying to get into a rhythm at our house.  It hasn't been easy, our days are very long and full, but we are doing our best and that is all we can do.

Washington Vacay

We had a very wonderful visit in Washington this year.  Just the girls and I went this time ~ unfortunately Jon was already back to work and couldn't get away.  The end of July and beginning of August is already a busy, busy time time for him.

The first few days we stayed with my parents and then they moved us to a beach house in Birch Bay... which was beyond amazing.  We were right on the beach!

It was a very fun vacation, packed with all kinds of adventures. Hmmm... what didn't we do? Walks on the beach, exploring the beach, making pickles, making jam, shopping, movies, waterslides, picking berries, picnics, parties, trips to the lake....? Plus a ton of time relaxing, talking and spending time with our family.

 

Birch Bay Waterslides- the girls were here all day and didn't want to leave!

 Running on the beach at low tide

Me & my girls at sunset

 My sister and 2 of her nieces

 The girls as the tide was coming in- the water was pretty warm!

and the two that made all this possible, my wonderful parents at sunset

I've already told my hubby if we get to go again next year this beach house is a definite repeat, but he has to be with us.  I'll be dreaming of sunny days at the beach all winter long....  

Busy

What a busy, amazing summer.... and it is almost over. I am back to work on Monday. But now I have super fast Internet so blogging will be a breeze! No more slow Internet raging!

The two youngest girls and I just got back from WA and I am busy working in my classroom, getting it ready for my soon to be fourth graders.

Papa Paul and GB are here and boy are they busy already! Here are a few pics that our CO, TX and KS family are sure to enjoy.

Remember they are both 70+ & we can barely keep up.

Gorgeous Days at the Lake

We have had a few weeks of some very constant liquid sunshine. Consistent, wet, cold days.... and we are really missing the days we had when it was sunny and hot, and we were at the Lake.

We have so much fun at the Lake.

Some of us almost walk on water.

Or sit in the snow.

Snow & swimsuits in June... yes. Lots of snow, and it was blinding!

We sure have fun; snow, rain or sunshine. We just like it better when it is sunny.

Fishing Fun

Kalin and her first fish from a subsistence net.

Kiley was very excited to pick fish.  She asked everyday if we could go back

Kolbi was happy to help in anyway she could.

This was the first King Salmon picked by the girls.

Kalin was manning the splitting table with her dad.

Kiley and Shannon cutting and hanging strips.

Baby K's Moves.....

This baby loves music, loves it!  She can be screaming her head off, and one of her sisters will put on some tunes and she will stop crying to bust a move.

A little special treat at the end.... a glimpse at 2nd K's moves too!

Gorgeous Weather!

 

We have been experiencing some amazing, hot, gorgeous weather in our neck of the woods.  Perfect temperatures in the high 60's to mid 70's.... and yesterday our thermometer reached a whopping 89 degrees (out of the sun).  Today we are supposed to be getting a high temperature of 86 degrees!  We are melting, but not complaining one bit.  This weather is so unexpected, and appreciated, since we have had to leave Dillingham the past couple of summers to experience anything close to this amount of sunshine and warm temps!  I can count on one hand the times we had temperatures in the 60's and 70's ALL summer last year!

The Clouses have been getting out on the boat and going to the Lake as much as possible. Believe it or not the ice just "went out" a week ago yesterday.  It was worth the wait.

My brother gave us this  dingy that the girls are in, and they LOVE IT.  We put in the back of the big boat and they oar around the lake, as well as having their Dad tow them.

Baby K is loving getting out and being on the beach; tasting rocks, stealing marshmallows, playing in the water, with sticks.... and whatever else she feels like doing.  Even feeding her mom a little bit.

On these hot days we sure appreciate our new boat.... and if this picture doesn't capture that, nothing will! Gotta love these hot, long summer days, we hope they keep on coming!