Hidden Falls

We just had the greatest vacation with Ben and Jacquie at Hidden Falls on the other side of the island. They moved over there to run the hatchery. There are only thirteen people over there, so it's a little small but beautiful. We wanted to all go to visit, but then we weren't going to all fit on the float plane, so the kids couldn't come. BUT... last minute, we realized we could pay to use the bigger plane and YEAH!!! the kids got to come and it was a great family vacation. We flew over the island in a float plane. It was gorgeous! I would have done the whole trip just for those views. No wonder Adam loves flying up here. The mountains, snow, lakes, glacier ice... it was just breathtaking. The pilot even flew us around to find some mountain goats. I took about a million pictures. I always think how much Christ must have enjoyed creating the earth and what a great job he did.

We landed at the dock and it was great seeing our friends again. We really love Ben and Jacquie. We haven't had double friends since Paula and Travi, so we were so blessed to live next to them the last few years. The kids love them too. Seth couldn't wait to see Mr. Ben and play X-box together. Ryan was too excited to see "Emmy" (Ryan started calling Emma that last time they came over).

Well, besides having a great time with our friends playing and visiting, we got to see so many cool things. A humpback whale has learned to come to the hatchery when they release the salmon to eat them-- bad for Ben, good for us! It was better than Sea World. Standing on the dock, he surfaced five feet away. He hung around for all four days. It was amazing! He blows bubbles in a circle to trap the fish and then eat them, Wow! There were also two seals just swimming around next to the lagoon across the the bearcub the first evening. We saw a mink and otters. The next night, we were all in the hottub overlooking the seals in the lagoon and watching the whale when one of the guys yelled that there was a bear on the trail. I finally got out to check. As I stood at the top of the dock, looking for the bear and watching the whale, here he comes walking out the woods about thirty yards away. I quickly skipped back to the hot tub and of course, everyone scrambled out, but before the kids made it out, Ben had run up the stairs to yell at the bear that was standing outside his house. It was all incredible. Sitting in the hot tub surrounded by nature, I was simply awe-struck. I am really grateful that we got to be there as a family with such wonderful friends.

The kids got to help feed the baby salmon flinging the food into the pools. They loved it. Just like the first time we helped Ben feed them and Seth dropped the scooper, this time he dropped his sunglasses to the bottom. As always, they were great about taking turns and helping each other carry the buckets. After we finished "working", Seth, Adam and Ben did some fishing off the dock. Seth loved it. He spent hours our there with the boys fishing and catching baby salmon. But Ben did get one huge King even though they weren't quite running yet.

One day, we all boated to a white sandy beach where we collected shells, ate snacks, but most importantly, Seth and Ryan both shot their first gun, a little .22 rifle. Now they really can't wait until they're 8- yes, unfortunately they think of 8 as getting their first gun instead of getting baptized. I've still got some time to change that or at least have them thinking of both of them!

Ben and Adam set pots and returned the next day with shrimp and crab to complete our cheese and chocolate fondue dinner. Yum! I, of course, brought our cream cheese coffee cakes for Jacquie and I, even though we have to share with the kids now. Why did we ever let them try them in the first place? OK, if I hadn't made Jacquie try it, I wouldn't have to buy her one either. But I like having a friend sharing in my great tradition. (Ben loves that I finished an entire coffee cake by myself one night while we were playing Mexican train-- He definitely egged me on and has continued to do so... I'm not sure if Adam is proud or just a little embarassed.) So after fondue and putting the kids upstairs with a movie, we played mexican train with the yellow train mexican (yes, Ben, I know that everytime you see the yellow, you think of me-- the Mexican!). I killed them this time. We didn't give Ben a chance to whip us in hearts this trip, but maybe now that he has a job and isn't "practicing" it on the computer all the time, we'll stand a chance. As always, Jacquie took the place of Wendy, keeping Adam and Ben in line with their messy trains. We miss Jeff and Wendy, too, on our train nights, but someday we'll all live in Lewiston (yes, Ben, Idaho, not Texas) and resume our pizza/Mexican train nights.

Well, back to Hidden Falls. It was a just a wonderful time and a great way to say goodbye to Alaska-- great places and great friends!

Skate Park

We had Subway at the skate park tonight. The kids and I went the other night and just watched the boys skateboard and bike, but tonight WE PARTICIPATED! The kids brought their scooters. While I was busy having multiple mini heart attacks that Seth was going to fall into the "swimming pool", the kids scootered up and down the small concrete hills. OK, so Ryan didn't make it too far up each one, but each attempt was done with a "woohoo" to herself and a lot of encouragement to her scooter- "come on you can do it". Seth wrecked five times, but no tears. He got really good going up and down and even learned to do a wheely so the scooter didn't get stuck in the middle. We all did some running down in the "pool". Adam was running around so fast that he was sideways. When I was getting out, Ryan said, "Hey Mama, do you need a hand?" It was just a great evening- the sun was shining, the weather was warm and nobody broke any bones... yet!

Moving Time

We've known that we would be transferring to DC for eight months now and it has been hard to be in between- not being too excited to move because we weren't going anywhere for awhile and not becoming too attached to staying because we would be leaving. But with that said this weekend finally felt like we are really close to moving. We have five weeks left and it is kinda weird that in a month this will no longer be our house, or our schools, or are car (OK, I'm excited about that one)...

(Adam just got made fun of for being a closet-facebooker again. He uses my facebook account, but everyone knows its him and not me.)

I have to remember how exciting moving is. We have been here for a long time, four years. But it is going to be great in DC to have lots of sunshine (despite the psycho heat) and especially to be near family- Dad is 2 hours away and Misty is in NY about 6 hours and $100 but it will be great!

Wow, I am looking outside at the beautiful trees in our backyard and just being happy that we got to experience this gorgeous place. It has been so fun being here. I love the small community and am really going to miss that. I think between here and Astoria, Adam and I have decided that we are truly small town people. We love going anywhere and being able to wave to people we know. Although it may be nice to run into the grocery store without having to stop to talk to everyone or having ward council because the entire ward is there. The schools here are amazing and all the parents too. I am hoping that staying involved can make a big city feel like a small community though. Even if it doesn't there are going to be different wonderful things in our next home. Yeah for change!!

Cute Seth

We were driving today and I said how beautiful and green everything looked in the sunshine. Seth said, "It looks like its St. Patrick's Day for the earth."

Seth at gymanstics

He loves it and he is actually quite good. He loves the bouncy platform where he runs and jumps onto the tall mat. He can finally do a backbend this year, even if he barely gets his head off the ground. In fact, Adam did one the other day, while we were having lunch outside the hideout (see Mother's Day). It inspired me to do it too... And I did it! I was really pretty surprised I still could.

This is so he keeps his legs together while doing a sommersault.

Happy Mother's Day to Me!

Adam was on duty Sunday, but the kids picked me a bouquet after church and couldn't wait to give me their presents. Their excitement was a present itself. In fact, I had to talk them into waiting for Adam. When he got home, they took turns giving me the hearts they decorated at church, the presents they made at school and the best one- "My Picher Book"!

Ryan painted a pot at school and Seth tissue-papered a beautiful bottle with two tissue-paper daffodils (one of my favorite flowers). Ryan made a card that had all the reasons she loved me and Seth drew his card of my vase with flowers. But the best one is the book I am holding. Seth came down on Saturday and asked what I would like from the house. I knew he was thinking of a present because they love to find things and wrap them for us. I asked him if he meant like food. He said, no, something small like this and with his hands shaped a rectangle. I asked, "How about a drawing, I love those." He answered, "That isn't small, that's long and skinny." I told him that he and Ryan could make a little book of pictures or stories together and that could be small. With that he ran upstairs.

Later, they both came down and asked if I could help make a hideout. Ryan said, "We need a hideout because we are going to make you a book." At which Seth promptly said, "Don't tell her!" I then, in very mom-like fashion asked, "You want me to help make a hideout so you can 'read' a book?" Seth said, "Yeah, yeah, read a book!" (Hee, hee, I felt very mommish with that trick.) So we went upstairs where they had two chairs ready next to the short file cabinet with a paper on top. I threw some blankets over the treadmill and office chair and they had a hideout. A little later, they came back downstairs to get some crayons because they had "decided to also do some coloring". Ahhhh, sure! I took them some lunch which they first wanted to eat inside, but quickly came out to eat with us on the ground. Anyway, they were in there for awhile and a little later, but I didn't think they had actually finished anything. Adam was gone from that afternoon until Sunday when they gave me the presents, so he didn't help them at all. So I was so surprised when after they had given me the presents from school and church, they gave me one last one. "Here's a gift for you Mother. This is a book of pichers. by Seth and Ryan" The first page is a garden by Seth. The second is a garden by Ryan and the last is a picture of our family all saying bye, bye by Seth and Ryan. The four pages are all stapled together like a book. I have the best kids. They are amazing to each other and to me. Yes, I am crying right now, kids. It's the happy kind, when you really love somebody and it makes you feel good. What a great team we make!

That night Adam made me surf and turf, yum, yum, and the missionaries stopped by and ate strawberries with whipped cream with us.

Instead of taking me out to dinner on Monday as Adam planned, I had already planned to go to a spaghetti dinner/dessert auction for FHE. A friend from another church was helping raise money to build a well in Mozambique. So we learned about service and donating money to good causes and we also learned about sharing because we won a whole plateful of lemon bars for my Mother's Day dessert which we shared with our friends. It was a great Mother's Day!

Hammering at the bonfire!

After roasting hot dogs and smores, Seth went into the house and reappeared in this costume, hammer and nails in hand.

They hammer them in and then pull them out (after Dad explains how to do that)

Seth started the nails for Ryan until she got the hang of it.

Adam is also doing some repairs. He is changing his mountain bike tires to rode tires for his upcoming Triathlon.

I am busy eating a foil banana with rolos and marshmallows (cut banana in half in peel, insert three rolos and four marshmallows, cover in foil, and place in coals, eat when hot)-- Yummm! That is definitely on my diet!

NOAA Research Vessel Tour

We always have really cool boats that come to Sitka. Actually, we always have really cool everything that comes to Sitka.


--view from the boat-- That's the CG boat in the distance and the bridge Adam takes to work everyday is to the left of that.

Aye Aye, Captain!

MEN OVERBOARD!

The aftermath of sunny days in Sitka...

One of Seth and Ryan's jobs is to carry the dirty clothes downstairs and sort the laundry into the white, light, dark and towel buckets. But when the sun comes out it Sitka not a lot of chores get done inside. Adam asked if we were trying to set a record. The kids made another tower of darks in the laundry room and told me to be very careful. When I made it fall putting some of the clothes into the wash, they said, "Mom, we told you you shouldn't touch it."

Cutie pie... Oh, no, please, who me?

Yes, really, it doesn't get much cuter than this- Ryan in her new pink swim cap.

St. Patrick's Day Relief Society Service Auction

Here we are...... and here we are laughing at who knows what, oh yeah, ME! We did this great service auction where we all donated services, took a quiz for points and then bid and laughed and bid and laughed. I love Relief Society!!!

St.Patrick's Day!

We had an all green breakfast last year with Grandma Jones. We were sad not to have her here this year but what a great tradition!

Seth is minus a tooth!

Seth has finally lost his first tooth. It has been quite an adventure. We first noticed it was loose quite a while ago (actually both of the bottoms were loose) and that was exciting in and of itself. But then lately it got REALLY loose. I tried to get Seth to let me pull it out for him so it didn't keep hurting during the day. I told him it would still hurt but only once and it would be over. I told him the story of when Daddy tied the string onto my tooth to slam the door and pull it out. I really didn't want him to and did a lot of moaning and groaning and when he was about ready to shut the door, he held up my tooth. He had pulled it out while tying the string to a different tooth and I was so worried I never even noticed.
But none of that worked until finally Seth decided that I should pull it out while he was sleeping. The first night he moaned and said, " ...when I'm sleeping... I'm awake... I'm awake..." while he turned from side to side. The next night I couldn't even get his head to stay still and the third night he wouldn't even open his mouth. Each morning he just gave his cute big smile and said try it tonight again. One of those nights, Dad got the pliers and after slipping off a couple of times decided it wasn't really ready to come out. Then finally, Sunday at the end of sacrament meeting, I told Seth I could just do it right then, which of course he said no to, do it tonight. I told him if I don't do it soon, he better not let Daddy do it. Which of course, Adam said come over here... Seth opened his mouth and Adam pulled it right out. We tissued up a little blood and Voila! Seth wa minus a tooth!
He already had a tooth holder that our girl from Unalaska bought him. So he put it right in and wrote a note to the tooth fairy, "can you give me a sacaguwea doller please?" And the next morning that is what he got. (Good thing he came in way early and fell back asleep with me so the "tooth fairy" remembered and could quickly switch things out at 6am. He was still sleeping so it counts and he never knew the difference.)

1,2,3... cheese!

Ryan posing at a birthday party in her party dress. How she loves to dress up! She just had to look "pretty" for this party

Missionary transfer

We have some great missionaries in Sitka right now, Elder Hawkes (on the left) and Elder Murphy (the right). Elder Murphy is transferring today and Elder Hawkes is finishing his mission with us in Sitka. I have been helping them teach lessons to Brandi. The missionaries tracked into her and the kids and I have been helping teach at her house. The kids play with her daughter and we have lessons. It has been great! She is amazing. When they asked if she thought Joseph Smith was a prophet, after watching a wonderful video about hime, she simply said, "Yes." I was surprised. It was very simple for her, just like it is for me. She is now struggling with the commitment of coming to church every week. She believes the doctrine to be true, but is scared more with the culture. I am sure hanging out with us Relief Society women will cure her of that in no time. But whether she ends up with us or not, this has been another great missionary experience.