When the Hunter's away...Aunt Maureen will play...

...or was that WORK ??

And So it begins ... Breakfast for 38

Menu: baited water

YUMMMMMY

The Chef: Aunt Maureen

The Server: Aunt Maureen

The Poop Scoopers: In the house sleeping ;-)

Food prep

The happy Chef

Look at her cookin' !!!

Serving Yunice...the gentleman :)

Sarah waits with unbridled anticipation...

Emma's next :)

Don't forget Taz & Jarvis !!

Koda (a rather rambunctious fella!!)

The rewards are endless...

Let the kissing begin!

(ahhh Maureen you ARE a good sport!!)

This would be Bria saying "Thanks"

and Maui...Such a grateful soul...

Sarah is right in on the appreciation thing...

Ahhh..Akiak is SO gentle with her praises...

Bria saying "Thanks" Again !!:)

A Job Well Done... & the Final Seal of Approval

by the Lead Dogs

Maui gives a big High Five !!

Starah says "Put one there Mo" !!

Sarah telling her new best friend "You go girl" !!

Maui & Aunt Maureen wrapping up Breakfast Chores

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And when all is said and done...

The POOP-SCOOPERS sleep on....

...& the Hunter returns to a happy home :)

WE LOVE YOU AUNT MAUREEN

Da Daaaa !!!

ADELAIDE ANNE

(September 28 - too early in the morning!!)

We just KNEW she could do it!! Adelaide has STOOD!! Now honestly...the first time she did, I was too slow with the camera &, truth be told, she was on a 45' angle to the floor (not exactly balanced or straight...) So....Here is a photo of the FIRST real success at standing! And to think, the wee one waited for me to get all the way down stairs to find the camera & then get all the way up stairs to capture the moment...

Well "all the way" is relative...when you live in a tiny Yukon cabin, NOTHING is all that far away ;-)

Adelaide was saving THIS smile for her Daddy!!

God help me now!! Next thing you know the girls are going to be running about the cabin & getting into even MORE...if that is even possible!

Domesticity in a 21 Century Yukon Cabin...

This would be Wellington & me watching our

first load of laundry!!

Notice the stackable dryer is absent?

Sears goofed up & delivered the wrong one...

now we have to wait for the proper dryer to come in...

Oh well, nothing like "freeze-dried" clothes!!

Mum must be laughing now...

or simply wondering what ever happened to that daughter that she knew...

Well Mum...I moved to the North...met a Musher & now

I spend my Saturday nights entertained by how little

water & suds there are in my NEW washer!

How life has changed hasn't it??

& poor Sean...
The day he met me...he had NO idea what would become of his humble dwelling ...

insulation, paint, stairs...fridge, stove, a microwave

(did I mention the HUGE TV from Brenda & Michael??)

& now

Home Laundry Facility!!

Ahhh...the bliss of domesticity in a

21st Century Yukon cabin ;-)

Today's Girly Adventure...

Today the girls & I drove to the Fire hall to volunteer some time towards

a search effort that is underway for a missing local man.

There were enough people on hand to man the radios &

any other tasks at the command centre so, off we went on a girls afternoon...
With the sky so blue & the mountains freshly dusted with snow,

we headed off to Kathleen Lake! Oh, and Aunt Maureen,

You'll be pleased to know that your nieces were dressed

in their Toronto Maple Leafs sleepers!!! Photos to follow ;-)

It was chilly at the lake but we bundled up in blankets & faced the glorious sun...The wind wasn't too strong but was just enough to keep the black flies at bay (I was grateful for that!!)

Sarah

Adelaide

I had intended to relax with a good book but a German couple visiting the Yukon became enthralled with the girls & the book got left on the picnic table. The couple wasn't our only visitor...

a pair of Grey Jays danced & fluttered about...probably in hopes of a scrap or two...

An hour or so later we were back on the road to the Junction. We stopped in on their "My Martin"' but he wasn't home so we continued on back to the village.

It was far too nice to simply go home to the cabin so we decided to pay a visit to our new neighbours! The whole family was so thrilled with our spontaneous drop in that they all come to welcome us :) I really MUST make an effort to get their names.....In fact, the Mrs. is expecting any day now!!!!! How exciting!! A new baby for the twins to visit!!

(Spruce on the left & AlPine on the right)

Upon our return home, we were greeted by our own family!! They are in rather high spirits with the -8 nights & the sunny days...I'm SURE they can smell the snow in the mountains and are dreaming of carrying the twins to victory over finish-lines!!

Adelaide

Back home & resting in a sunspot of our own...

Sarah

....and what a cozy home it is....

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Hey gang Sarah here...Daddy predicts my top left tooth will be here tomorrow!!

& I'm Adelaide....just seconds after I STOOD for my first time EVER!!!

Tomorrow we're off on another adventure...we pick-up Mummy's new washer & dryer!!

YAHOO!! CLEAN SLEEPERS!!
Well...that's all for now!!

Time to think about changing diapers & heating up some mushed chicken...

(or was that pureed moose tonight?)

;-)

Happy Birthday to me :)

It's my Birthday Party!!!

& look who is celebrating!!

Leading up to my Birthday, we celebrated with Aunt Maureen at Boston Pizza...where the girls enjoyed a Birthday Cookie :) Yummmmmy !!
Somehow they STILL look too small to be in those high chairs!

The next morning, after Maureen was flying home, the FitzGeralds were off to breakfast at the Westmark!! Now THESE chairs work!!

Adelaide took the liberty of ordering for the table!
"the light breakfast for Mummy, bacon & eggs for Daddy & hot water with a side of blueberry jam for my sister & me please! "
Adelaide had come prepared with cereal & formula for the two of them...the jam was a bonus treat!
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Today was my Birthday...September 23

I turned 43

I'm not sure how I got here or where all of the years disappeared to but, somehow I've gone from being a kid to being a Wife & Mum & all in 11 months!

Heck I've gone from being Kinda cute & young to...well...old!

What happened??

I do love the Wife & Mum part

I do love the staying at home most of the year part

I love my summer employment

& ....well....

I love my life

I just can't believe that I have 10 1/2 month old twins & I'm 43 !!!

Today Sean brought the girls to bed for a snuggle & then made my coffee...he fed the dogs & cleaned up the girls then helped to dress them for the big day. We fed them breakfast (porridge & blueberries) and then off we went. We drove down the Haines Highway stopping to visit with a friendly Park's Warden (I had a few photos for him) & we then headed for Klukshu. It's an old old Indian Village that dates back to the beginning of time!

High Cash & Smoke House along the Klukshu River bank

A very cool looking old cabin in the Village

Not too many people were around & the shop was closed but the fall colours were in full bloom & the few Sockeye Salmon that are still running were in the creek. What a beautiful place!!

On route home, we stopped at Madley's General Store where, Sean bought me a dozen roses, a cheese cake & 3 birthday candles...what a guy ;)
The girls almost made it home in happy spirits but Sarah had come down with a nasty cold this morning & our outing was about 10 minutes too long for her! All in all - we had a really nice family day and that is a gift better than anything else!!

Martin came by for dinner - we ate lamb, Martin ate chicken strips - and we all shared the cake...even the girls had a taste of my birthday cake & ice cream! God are they ever cute! So does cake hit the hips if it's your birthday cake??? I'll have to ask the Jennifer the Dietitian!!
..............
Hay, by the way, is anyone interested in hearing about my DOGS??? Ya know...the "Dancing Paws" ?? This IS suppose to be about my dogs too, right?? Hummm - OK so I'm mostly cabin bound these day & can't seem to find the time to play with my dogs & feed babies & change babies & play floor time with babies & change babies (ya ya ya I know I said "change babies" already but do you really think that it only happens once a day??)... & make baby food ... what's wrong with me?? Thank God for Sean!

Regardless, I could STILL introduce you to my cuddly (or more accurately ...SPAZZY ) dogs!

This looker is Emma! God she's cute...nuts...but cute!!

& this beauty is AlPine :)

She's singing Happy Birthday to me :) Ya gotta love a dog as talented as this girl :)

..................................

So ... did you make it? To the end of this Posting I mean

WOW...good for you! I'm impressed!

A tad scattered, yes?

I know...that's just how one is after having twins!

(& I'm going to milk that excuse as long as I'm able ;)

Their "My Martin" at his best!!

I think I'm third down the list...

#1) Dada

#2) "My Martin"

#3) Mummy

"Even on his side, he's cool...& how about those whiskers!"

He takes a licking & keeps on ticking!

Martin arrives & the girls flock

And for the piece de' restistance.....

Moving to the North has been interesting in many ways! THIS is one of the "ways" :) When family is far away...friends are everything !!

SO.....

meet Adelaide's & Sarah's "My Martin"

(just rememer Martin...they WILL beat you in the Quest300 in about 2025)

A bit of back-tracking

The humble dwelling is up for a feature in "Better Caves & Cabins" since my week with Maureen!! We spent time unpacking boxes, finding my counter tops & digging out the pantry!! & still, the "puppy dogs & dancing paws" were diaper changed & fed!! Not bad, don't you think??

Well...Maureen is back in Vancouver, Sean is off to work, the girls are sleeping soundly, Wellington is dreaming away on the couch & the Huskies are snug in their dog houses...the temperature outside is reading a crisp -6.5 The fire is crackling & life is cozy in my cabin :) Fall is really here!

I should be posting updated photos of the past few days but instead I thought I'd back track a bit...Summer was so awesome & you all missed it (with me off line & most of you in the hot & humid south)! Sean, the girls & I went hiking with friends & tourists through Kluane & the trails were beautiful...from the bees to the moth sex to the mountains to the wild flowers to the smiles...(yes, moth sex...see Stacie's blog for pics) & who could forget the bears!

Mid June Grizzly tracks on the St.Elias Trail - Kluane

Wild flowers over cultivated gardens in the North !!

A bear rub tree

A friendly visit :)

Picnic lunch at the end of a sunny trail...

& to think THIS was a WORK DAY!!
I still vote for a Northern Office over a Southern Office :) Heck Adelaide & Sarah even joined in on this one for their first official hike in the Park!!

There are a ton of things to post! Things about the girls...how Adelaide is bound for the sciences & Sarah for animal medicine...how Jack is still one of the most beautiful huskies to ever be born & how my husband is a master hunter. I could post about my friends...how they are talented & interesting people...Stacie is building her own stunning cabin in the Yukon Wild & Laura is a Search & Rescue hero, Martin is going after the YukonQuest 300 & Marguerite is moving mountains with her smile & humor....Oh...and Little Isaac is waiting patiently to become a big brother ;) to a little one he'd like to call "Sing" ...all in good time Rosemary ;)

All good things to share & I will...so stay tuned...