Cozy with Grandma & Papa

Josh's parents visit was awesome.  The weather was fantastic, the company was fun & the boys were overjoyed to have Grandma & Papa here for a while.

Carol & Carl both seemed happy to be here as well.  They both loved the adventures we took, the slow pace of the village, and the natural beauty that surrounds us here in Marshall.

Carol loved the snowmobile & the culture.  She & Josh attended another Eskimo dance, and she enjoyed getting to know the children we saw while playing out with Logan & Jack.

This may have been their "vacation", but Carol made it her goal to give me the break.  While she was here, she did all the dishes, the laundry, bath time, story time and geared the kids up in their snow stuff to go outside.

Today I had to do all of the above (minus bedtime) by myself. Ugh.. Back to reality, Shelly!

I'm not the only one missing Grandma.  Tuesday morning I came downstairs and Logan told me, "Jack lied to me.  He told me Grandma was here, but she isn't." He was indignant.

Then he looked sadly at the floor, and back up at me and said, "I wished grandma was here to take care of me."

 Papa Carl also seemed to enjoy the visit.  I was pleasantly surprised when he accurately told the twins apart, for the entire duration of his visit.  I enjoyed his help with the maple bars, gearing up the kids, and he and Josh spent some time together doing a handful projects as well.

He & Carol brought us groceries from home in their HUGE suitcases so we could stock our freezer.  Bacon, cheese, butter, chicken nuggets, eggs, cheese hot dogs... There was a TON of food.  One bag didn't make it from Anchorage in time to be on their flight to Marshall. It arrived the next day.  And when it did, Carl opened it to find that the lasagna we had been so excited for, had fallen out when the zipper broke unexpectedly.  Carl assured me he would send the ingredients for homemade lasagna and that I could then add it to my ever-growing list of "foods I can cook".  I am kind of excited to try it!

They are also sending us flour, an ice cream scoop & whip cream.  Carl is a master packer. I seriously do not know how he gets as much into those flat rate boxes as he does. He should hire out his services. He could save a company some serious money with his mad skills.

The whole time they were here, they were so thoughtful.  Not only did they bring groceries we had requested, they also brought things they thought the kids would like, such as whip cream.  And for me, Carl brought two real maple bars from Winco in town, packed tightly into the perfect size box so they wouldn't get crushed during transit.  I was so touched I just up and hugged him!

They also bought things while they were here... Chips for the boys, Butterfingers for me, Pickles for us, and a whole host of other things that made their way into their shopping cart at the Co-op.

During one trip out on their own to the store, they returned with a new hat for me, made by a native here in Marshall.

Isn't it adorable? I love it!

Our mornings tended to be very chill.  Hanging out at the house, playing with the kids, watching Shrek, Ratatoullie, and Cars 2.  Afternoons were spent out adventuring, playing in the snow, sledding or walking to the river, store or post office.  Once the boys were in bed, we would stay up late talking about family, Alaska, Carol & Carl's parents, and funny stories or anecdotes.

I find that we are all missing them very much.  It was so nice to share our life here with someone from home, and I am feeling especially grateful that we go home in just six weeks!