The photo above was taken in the Anchorage airport when the children arrived.

We fly back to Chevak tomorrow. Elizabeth flew back to Georgia last night. Charlie will leave tonight at 1 am. I'm afraid the kids were anxious to get home. We have so much running around to do when we are here for the Christmas break, I 'm afraid we have worn both of them out. We mailed back over 26 boxes of food and supplies, including a big sled and an exercise machine which we airfreighted out this morning. We will take back two ice chests of meat and several dozen eggs which tom will hand carry on the plane. We've eaten pizza and wings and fajitas and ribs and apples and oranges and chocolate covered cherries. Charlie gave us electric toothbrushes for Christmas, we got him a computer case and got Elizabeth two overcoats and gloves. She got us nothing!

The children flew in together on the 20th and we met them at the airport. They helped us shop and pack groceries and then mail them. Charlie brought his computer so there were two computers going all the time, and Liz helped me learn how to work my iPod. We drove down to Alyeska in Girdwood - which is a winter resort. They had great snow for skiing which I thought the kids would enjoy. However, the interest level was quite low and the price for skiing was pretty high. So we just enjoyed to snow and and the beauty of the place and only stayed two nights. We wanted to get back to Blockbuster and our $42 dollar townhouse at Elmendorf. They had great food at Alyeska at "great" prices - Christmas dinner was special. The ride down to Girdwood and back to Anchorage was just beautiful - like a winter wonderland.

Found out that Charles will not graduate until May. Enough said about that.

Elizabeth and I kept looking up places for her to live and get a real job once she gets her masters work done - which could be as early as August. It is so exciting seeing her grow up and make big decisions!

Here are a few photos from our Christmas:


Tom and the kids in a snowball fight somewhere.





The road from Girdwood to Anchorage was actually pretty clear.


Oodles of these ice things coming off the mountains and rocks along the highway - like water falls frozen in motion...



Tom and Charlie took snowboarding lessons at Alyeska. They had 26 inches of snow at the top of the slopes - very nice, good food, a lovely Christmas, but a little pricey for the Benders.


We went bowling one night at Elmendorf Air Force Base. I love Elmendorf. Tom now has a permanent pass on his truck.


Here's Charlie and Liz under the lighted arbor at Alyeska. Charlie wore his orange knit cap and his long green overcoat the whole time. The locals at Alyeska kept calling him "Flynn". Seems there is a local man there that Charlies resembles both in looks and clothing choice. It got to be quite funny after so many people said "Hey Flynn", "What's up Flynn?"

My little movie is short but sweet.

We are having the strangest weather. This winter is even warmer than last winter - so far. Actually all the snow we had earlier melted completely. We have some frozen water puddles and then we had bare frozen ground. I actually did not mind that because it was certainly easy to walk on and walk quickly on. If it is wet, then there's mud boots and mud to deal with. If is is all snowy and sloshy - then you've got the slipping and sliding and dragging snow inside. I may have a big surprise after we come back from Christmas - but right now - it is rather warm.

Christmas plans have been finalized to a point. Tom and I fly in on the 18th to Anchorage. We will do some food shopping and a couple of medical appointments. Charlie and Liz fly in on the night of the 20th. Hoping they will pack our groceries and mail them for us - hoping. We are just too old to do that stuff - it completely wears us out. Then on the 23rd we drive down to Girdwood where we will spend some holidays at Alyeska Ski Resort - assuming there is enough snow for the kids to ski. If there isn't we will just enjoy the pool and the scenery. Liz flies home on the 28th. We will then buy and freeze our meet and head back to Chevak with Charles in tow on the 30th. He will spend two weeks in Chevak. Not too much impresses Charlie - but I believe life in Chevak will...

I am almost finished with my Big6 class. Whatever possessed me to put in my grant to take a college class is simply beyond me. I can not concentrate on that stuff anymore - I am totally task oriented now in my later years.

The kids are really enjoying the new computers. I am also enjoying all the new equipment and books and DVDs and Playaways and the extended library hours. It is actually a lot of fun.