Homer, Alaska

We took my parents and Katie and her family down to Homer for a couple of days.  We spent some time at the beach...it was really cold and windy.  The boys had a great time and watching them you would have thought they were in California!  It was a beautiful sunny day!

Our beach toes!

And what would a vacation be without yummy food?  We ate a lot of Alaskan seafood!  Sushi, Shrimp, Halibut, and Nathan even tried his first "FRESH" oyster....yummy!

Mt. Baldy

There is a mountain not far from our house that is called Baldy.  It starts off with thick trees and vegetation and then as you get to the top it turns into tundra and open land....hence baldy!  We took the kids on this hike multiple times.  It isn't very long, but really steep.  It is beautiful all the way up and the view on top...although one night we got caught in the clouds and could't see much.  One night, Jared decided to take us down a different way then we ever had before.  It was a disaster!  VERY steep and lots of loose rocks and dirt.  My dad and mom both biffed it.  My dad did multiple summersaults down the mountain with hid nice camera in hand.  My mom tried to hurry to help him and fell herself.  It was a nightmare.  We all came away ok,  but we will NEVER take that way again!

We also found wild blueberries growing on the way up.  We all spent some time picking them and of course eating them!

Cousins come to Alaska!

My sister Katie and her boys, Ben and Sam came to visit!

We were so excited!  The boys had the time of their life!  They spent hours building a zipline in the back yard and hours jumping on the tramp.  we did lots of hiking, shopping, and exploring.  We were exhausted!

One day it was so warm (really in the 80's) so we took them to Mirror Lake.  They had a great time rafting and having water gun fights.  Nathan Ben swam across the whole lake (remember, Alaska water isn't warm) to the Scout Camp.  Katie took the boat over to rescue Ben, but Nate swam back.

We also took them over to Lake Hood.  This is the largest water airport in the USA.  We watched some planes land and take off, and wished we could fly on one!

The Otis's come to visit!!!!!

Our best friends from Louisiana came to experience their trip of a lifetime in Alaska!  It was so great to reconnect and get the two Nathan's together again!  They couldn't of had better weather for their vacation...sun, sun and more sun!

We were able to spend a few days with them showing them some great hikes close to our house!  We hiked Baldy one day and they got their first view of Mt. McKinley.

We also hiked to Thunderbird Falls one evening.

We had a couple other adventures planned...river rafting and glacier hiking, but some of them got sick....guess that just means they have to come back again!

Fishing....Alaska Style

 Jared took the boys on two weekend jaunts at all early or late hours of the day on their adventure of a lifetime!

The beach along the Kenai River is a makeshift village of tents, tarps, coolers and folding chairs. In the water, a snaking line of dipnetters, poised like great blue herons, use gigantic butterfly nets to scoop up huge sockeye salmon.   During dipnet season, covering just a few weeks a year in Alaska, residents are allowed to fish with homemade nets attached to long metal poles.  (Taken from NPR article)

This is something you can do when you have lived in Alaska for one year.  It is substance fishing, and is ment to help families survive.  And survive we will.  Between the three boys, we maxed out our family limit of 55 salmon.  Our freezer is packed!

The even learned the art of filleting salmon.  Nathan became quite the pro!

The were utterly exhausted on the way home!

Beauty!

Taken at 10:45 at night!

Summer of Scouting!

I AM BACK!!!!!

This summer was packed with scouting activities for the boys and Jared.  Jared and Nathan both went with the scouts from our ward on a high adventure rafting trip down the Gulkana River.  All I can say is there is a reason Mom's aren't invited...fires, rock jumping, stinky shirt-less boys....need I say more!  The had a great time without me!

Next it was Joshua's turn.  He had 11year old camp.  It was a 3 day day camp with a one night campout.  Glad Jared could make that.  Joshua had a great time hanging out with his friends and doing boy things all day!

Lastly, Jared was able to spend a week at Philmont Scout Camp in New Mexico, for training.  He had a fabulous time and came home on a spiritual high...we regretted not paying for and having the whole family go.  Lesson learned!