Look at those cheeks!

Kalin just gets cuter every day! I know I am biased but dang, how can anyone resists those cheeks?

They rule the roost!

They have taken over our bed..... Kiley now calls it the "big bed", not "Mommy/Daddy bed" and has been telling us she can't sleep in her own bed until she is a big, big girl. Hmmmm.... what was all that talk about her sleeping in her bed full time when she became a big sister?

Best Friends!!

Here is an awesome picture of all the little best friends together! All the little cousins- man are we going to be in trouble in a few years!

Kalin Dawn!

Kalin Dawn is finally with us! She was born on March 28th, weighing in at 9 lbs 3oz and 21 inches long. Our labor and delivery went so great, we couldn't have asked for a better experience.

Kiley is pretty excited to be a big sister but she is adjusting to not being the only child anymore- it is going to be rough on her for a few weeks. She has been showered with attention from just about everyone and city life is starting to get to her. Kiley has been telling her Papa and me that Kami misses her, her toys miss her, her house misses her and last but not least her panties miss her. I guess it is time to head home!

Foot Soak

I got a couple of goodies to pamper myself with from my Mom for Christmas and my birthday. Kiley has been bugging me and bugging me to open them up and do them already! She wanted to do a facial, or "this thing mom", and a foot soak..... so she finally wore me down a few weekends ago and we did a foot soak. She lasted, oh about 5 minutes maybe, longer than I thought! Here she is enjoying a little dunk....

Such good helpers!

We have such good helpers- Kiley, Graelin, Camryn, Triston, and Dillon were good enough to help blow out ALL the candles on Auntie Shannon's birthday cake! Phew- I think next year we are going to start taking off instead of adding!

33 already?

Yes I turned 33-- I can admit to it, seems like a great year. Pregnant, wonderful husband, beautiful energetic three year old, great job, great family, house, ahh life is pretty good right now!

SNOW!!

Overhang in front of our house...

Before the overhang fell.....

We have been getting so much snow it is just crazy! Here are some pictures of the snow around our house. I wish I had some energy to go out and enjoy all the snow!

Warm Snow Day!

Kiley and I were so happy to have Jon home on Saturday AND Sunday! It was such a treat for us. What was the icing on the cake was "warmer" weather- we had blizzard conditions all day Saturday and then it finally stopped snowing around 5:00. We put on our winter gear and went outside to enjoy some temperatures above 0 - I think it was around 10 degrees or so.

We have gotten so much snow we must be nearing some kind of record. Jon went out in the snow to get Kami a stick and ended up falling in to about his hip. I tried talking him and Kiley into throwing her in the snow to see how far she would sink, but they wouldn't go for it. Since it is light outside until about 7:00 pm we enjoyed over an hour of snow and fun. It was almost cut short when Kiley got snow down her pants- but she was able to shake it off, luckily. :)

Jon and his B-ball team in BARROW!

This is a great picture of Jon with his team of Dillingham Wolverines in the big town of Barrow, Alaska. One of the first things I noticed is how the boys are dressed!! Did they not realize that the temperature was -50?? The kids we taught in New Stuyahok used to tell us, "But Eskimo's don't FEEL the cold!" Um... not all the kids pictured here are Eskimo! :) I guess you need style even when you are posing for a picture under whale rib bones by the Arctic Ocean. Go figure. But I am jealous that Jon got to go to Barrow and I didn't. Even though he was gone from us for such a long time it sounds like he had a great trip. Barrow has a population of over 5,000 people- three schools (Elementary that sports an indoor playground, Jr. High, High School), a Community Center, a few restaurants, a LARGE AC Store (large grocery chain here in Alaska like a Safeway) and some other activities you wouldn't expect to see above the Arctic Circle.

Barrow Invitational Results

Jon's team won one game and lost three. He thinks they played two great games and were a totally different team by their third match up. We are now happy and together at home in balmy -16 degree temperature. The sun is out, the wind is blowing... what more could one ask for?

Barrow Update #2

Barrow's beach in the spring I think, it doesn't look like this now....

That isn't Jon, just a random shot I took from the Internet.

We hear the Northern Lights are supposed to look like this up there, but Jon hasn't said he's seen any yet.

Jon played his first game last night against Point Hope. They lost. I won't relate the score because it is a painful loss (they got mercied). On an up note the female version of the Wolverines won their game against Point Hope in over time.

But I had to give an update about the weather in Barrow. The current temperature is -30 degrees F, and about -53 degrees F with Windchill. They are just starting to see the sun in Barrow and are getting about 4 hours of daylight. The temperature in Dillingham is 9 degrees with about a -10 degree F temperature. We are getting sun at about 9:00 am until about 7:00 pm. I wish it would actually be warm sun.... but it is nice to see more of it around here.

Barrow Update

Jon made it to Barrow at about 9:00 p.m. last night. He had a layover in Anchorage, and then flew Anchorage- Fairbanks- Barrow. It was -40 in Barrow last night and 2 degrees in Dillingham.

Currently it is -28 degrees in Barrow and -20 in Dillingham (with the wind chill factor). Alamosa has nothing on us people!

Kiley was worried last night that a Polar Bear was going to get her Daddy. I had to reassure her that Daddy won't be close to any Polar Bears (I hope) and that he can run faster (even with a sprained ankle) than any dog gone Polar Bear..... I think I set her mind to ease. Jon's first game is against Point Hope this afternoon.

Basketball Fever..... kind of

Jon is at the peak of basketball season. For those of you who don't know, he is now the head coach of the Dillingham Wolverines (boys). My Dad is coaching the female version of the Wolverines, so my mother and I are officially basketball widows (again) until the season is over in March.

Jon finally had his first home game against Hooper Bay, Chevak and his old basketball team the New Stuyahok Eagles. Kiley and I finally got to be with him for longer than three days....... It is hard to write but the only game he lost was to the Eagles. I was thinking that if I still lived in New Stu how I would have crowed over that win! :) I am still proud of the boys (since I taught every single one of them at one time or another)- the look really good this year and I hope it is the year they win state!

Here are some so-so pictures of Mr. Clouse. He doesn't quite stick out as much as he did in New Stuyahok, but you can still pick him out quite easily. He is quite fond of saying he is a basketball coach coaching wrestlers how to play basketball. My brother Max would like that one......

He is off to Barrow and freezing cold temperatures. Barrow is usually around-30 and has just started seeing the sun again last week. I am really hoping he gets to see at least one polar bear while he is up there.... we'll see!

Jon is still about 6 inches taller than his tallest player.

See him?

Wolverines vs. the Eagles

Walking in a Winter Wonderland!

Last night Kiley, Kami and myself went on a Winter walk with Papa, Gram and Harley. The temperature was just about perfect- hovering around 16 degrees. We had a beautiful evening topped off with a gorgeous sunset behind the Manokotak Mountains. Kiley tried to convince me she was ccoollldd about five minutes into the walk, but I wasn't going for it. I told my Mom and Dad it was like walking into a National Geographic picture- it was that pretty! I was thinking what a great night it would be to go skiing- but with this big belly I'll have to wait to ski until next winter.

Dillingham at -27 (yes, below zero)

December and January were ccccooollldddd months in Dillingham. I think we averaged about -20, but with the warmer days we are experiencing now that might jump up a bit. Luckily we had a lot to keep us occupied inside because it was too cold to do anything outside. My poor little camera had a hard time snapping these pictures, I couldn't quite get the shots I wanted. :0 But you get the drift.

Kiley, Mom and Baby Ariel.....

Well I can't believe that I am posting this picture. I am getting so brave, but here it is anyway! I am entering into my third trimester so I won't be looking like this much longer. Here is a picture of Kiley and I posing with our bellies- she definitely has a Clouse body! :) I am currently 29 weeks along, YIKES!! I've got a few other more decent pictures of the Clouse gals that I will post from home. Maybe I will delete this one.....

We have been holding down the fort pretty well with Jon coaching b-ball- but we are so glad he is back! Kiley was just about doing cartwheels and jumping out of her skin by the time he walked off the plane yesterday. She didn't let him out of her sight all afternoon and evening.

Conked OUT!

After a busy day of playing it took Miss Kiley about 2 minutes to fall asleep in the truck on our way to Papa and Gram's house. If only it was always this easy for her to go to sleep!

Wondering why she has a fur ruff and such a warm coat on? Because it was about -27 below ZERO!! We have been enjoying an average of -20 degree temperature since before Christmas.... I think those of us in Dillingham have had our fair share of this nasty temperature, the break in weather and "warmer" temperatures are much appreciated. I'll share some pictures I took of the -27 temp. in another post.

A big welcome to the newest Clouse Baby!

The AK Clouses would like to welcome the newest Clouse baby to the family! Bella Ryley Clouse joined the Clouse Clan on January 15th at 6:45 am weighing in at EIGHT pounds 22 inches long. She is such a doll baby and Kiley was so excited to see her! She was asking me, is that MY baby Mom? I had to explain to her that it was Uncle Ben and Aunt Jenny's baby but ours was coming soon enough! We are going to have so much fun when all of our girls are together. :)

Merry Christmas.... past and present

We had Santa come to our house, which Kiley didn't like too much. She was scared to death of Santa, as usual. I remember her first Christmas in New Stuyahok where she actually sat on Santa's lap! Maybe she will indulge me next year and think that Santa is a good guy....

Here is her only willing picture sitting on Santa's lap, circa 2004, at about 3 months old.
As soon as we get our Christmas '07 pictures downloaded I'll try to do a few new postings. Happy New Year everyone! We had a great Christmas day and tried to bring the New Year in with a bang.... but this pregnant woman and her three year old daughter didn't quite make it. :)