Kodiak Koehler's

See? I told you I'd be better. The kids are SO funny. They love to sing and play the piano. We may have our own house band one day. Donavyn likes to play with the box that is supposed to hold Gabriel's Thomas trains and track. She just dumps it and either climbs in or, as you can see here, put it on her head and pretend she's a space cadet. Ok, so that's what WE say she's doing anyway. Gabriel also REALLY enjoys feeding his sister. It's really sweet. He will take his own snack and feed it to her and she will sometimes to do the same to him. I love that he takes care of her. Granted, he also likes to steal her lovies out of her hands and run off with them, but he is a big brother afterall and he does have brotherly duties to fulfill. He is pretty good about giving them back to her though when she gets REALLY cranky. She just chases him squealing while he taunts her. It takes all I have to not laugh when she gets upset. Alas, I have no pictures of this part, but I...

Ok, two things. 1. We got our paper orders today. We are staying in Kodiak for one more year. Next year we have to do this all over again, so no, we won't know where we are moving until about this time next year. We are going to be back in the lower 48 in 2010 though, so there is that. 2. I created a new blog today. God has really led my heart to do this and I'm finally listening. It just so happens that I chose my 29th birthday to do that. So happy birthday me. Thanks mom and dad for raising me! I love you! Enjoy and let me know what you think! I am the clay .

The past month or so I've really tried to upload pictures and make some update posts, but every time I sit down to do it, I just CAN'T! I've been trying to figure out why exactly it's been so hard and I think I've come to the realization that I just don't like to live in the past. I know it's not really living in the past, but I prefer to post new pics and things as they happen, not two months later. I apologize to my family for not keeping up with this better, and I am going to do my best to start doing that now. With that realization about not living in the past also came the realization that I don't particularly live in the present either. I tend to focus on (many would say worry about) the future. I'm not exactly sure when these truths hit me smack upside the head, but they have. The past few days I've been trying to focus on the present and enjoying things the way they are now. It's important to take the lessons from our past and our hop...

Ok, so I'm REALLY behind, but I'm going to try to catch up in the next few days. I know I've said that before, but I really am this time...I promise. Ok, so you are basically getting just pics (which is all you guys really want anyway, right?). Why does the slideshow start with a pic of Abbie and Jack you ask? Well, on Halloween, we went over to their house for a birthday party for Abbie. It was 10 years from the day she gave her life to God and what a fun time we had. BUT, I left the camera over there. I'm not sharing the pic of Jack mooning the camera...the feds may come after me for that one. What's even funnier is that I didn't even notice it until I was uploading pics to PhotoBucket for the month to make my slideshow, so I must have downloaded the pics and not looked at them right then. Too funny. Some highlights: Seth and Katie got married...again. It was their big white dress wedding. Zach performed the ceremony again and it was fabulous. The bride ...

In my attempt to catch everyone up, I'm going to combine October and November into one post. Not too much went on, so it shouldn't be too bad. ***Ok, so I was going to, but I found too many pics that were just too cute not to share, so this is just October. It's my blog and I'll do what I want to, so there. Pbbth. We started Oct off by going to Anchorage for Zach's sinus surgery. His parents went with us to help take care of the kids while I took care of Zach. He healed very quickly and hasn't had any more problems. It's GREAT! He snores less and he doesn't have to blow his nose a million times a day. He also installed the desk he and his dad built together. It looks great. We already gave one of our computer desks away, now just to figure out what to do with the other one. It was a wedding gift from Zach's parents and we really love that desk, so we are debating what to do with it. While trying to organize the office for our new desk, we were busy s...

Today, Hadley Fox is being laid to rest. Many of you have been praying for the Fox family and now I ask that you all continue your prayers - only for comfort and peace. Last Friday, December 12, Hadley was called home to our Lord. She had been in so much pain and discomfort for so long that while we will miss her here on this earth with us, it's a blessing that she is now happy and pain-free. There are no tears in Heaven. Her story touched us all. While I may have never met Hadley, or any of the Fox family, Angela opened up their story and shared their little girl with the world. They have been an inspiration. They never lost HOPE. You are all in our prayers. We pray for peace, comfort and the faith that you will one day be together again in eternity. I have no doubt that Hadley is dancing and singing in Heaven today. Rest in Peace, Princess Hadley. You have touched our hearts more than you could ever imagine.

Ok, so it's been almost 3 months, but better late than never, right? We had a great time celebrating our little girl. Nana and Poppa were still here and the Griffin's came over and celebrated with us. There were supposed to be several others, but everyone else was sick, working or out of town. So, we had a family party instead. I can't believe how big she is now! Wait until you see recent pics too. And you will soon, I promise. I'm working on it today. I made the cake - it's not pretty, but it was my first time decorating. I'm going to try to take a class before the girl who teaches it moves this summer. Hopefully we won't be moving either. We're still waiting on the detailer to tell us we get to stay (hopefully). Oh! And I made her tutu too! Hee hee...sorry, I had to do it. Seriously though, she and Gabriel still like to play with it. If there are any you want to print from the slideshow, you can just click on the picture and it will bring up the stills...

I can hear you all now. I know, I've taken forever. Here is September - except for Donavyn's birthday party. I'll do that next. It will be mostly in slide show form though. The month started off with the Women's Retreat at Camp Woody ! We had a great time! On the boat heading over with Tina (who was also pregnant at the time and didn't tell us until last week when she was 20 weeks along!) and Melissa. Me and Abbie Some of my girlfriends: Bronwyn, Melissa, Dena and Sarah (she was the preggo this year - about as far along as I was at last years retreat - luckily she delivered on time, so it wasn't the retreat that did it to me afterall!) Donavyn the day I got home. She was so cute playing ball with Snowflake. She just giggles! Peach and Melissa gave Donavyn Peachie's old dollhouse. Donavyn and Gabriel both love to play with it. She had this Sailor dress I completely forgot about until the day before this was taken. She wore it to church and looked so cute. A...

Ok, so to tide you all over while you await our birthday girl pictures, here are the family pictures we had made last week. We used Carol Scott again, the same one who did Donavyn's birth pictures. She didn't take time to crop/edit/touch up since she doesn't know which we'll want to order. Each pose ordered includes one hour of touch up time, so she can make my fly-aways go away (why can't she just follow me around and do this all the time?). Anyway, j ust click on Beth Koehler under "recent photos" and the password is beth (note that is all lowercase). Man, do we have our work cut out for us on finding our favorites to order!

Ok, so here's August for you. Not a lot went on really, so I didn't get many pictures. The first week, Zach was still in Cordova. Here is a pic of a view that he gets when flying there. Pretty, huh? This is the Valdez oil terminal. The big Alaskan oil pipeline that runs from the North Slope of Alaska all the way to Valdez ends right here. This is where they pump it on to big oil tankers to be shipped out. This is the high speed ferry. If we get to stay here for another tour the kids and I will go over to Cordova at the end of one of Zach's deployments, then we will take the ferry over to Seward to see what's there. The most important thing of August....we celebrated our 6 year anniversary. It's funny because we are always amazed that it has been that long, but yet it feels like we have always been together. Zach likes to say that he has forgotten what life without me was like and that he hopes he never has to remember. (Cue "aww") He asked what I wanted ...