Washington Vacay

We had a very wonderful visit in Washington this year.  Just the girls and I went this time ~ unfortunately Jon was already back to work and couldn't get away.  The end of July and beginning of August is already a busy, busy time time for him.

The first few days we stayed with my parents and then they moved us to a beach house in Birch Bay... which was beyond amazing.  We were right on the beach!

It was a very fun vacation, packed with all kinds of adventures. Hmmm... what didn't we do? Walks on the beach, exploring the beach, making pickles, making jam, shopping, movies, waterslides, picking berries, picnics, parties, trips to the lake....? Plus a ton of time relaxing, talking and spending time with our family.

 

Birch Bay Waterslides- the girls were here all day and didn't want to leave!

 Running on the beach at low tide

Me & my girls at sunset

 My sister and 2 of her nieces

 The girls as the tide was coming in- the water was pretty warm!

and the two that made all this possible, my wonderful parents at sunset

I've already told my hubby if we get to go again next year this beach house is a definite repeat, but he has to be with us.  I'll be dreaming of sunny days at the beach all winter long....  

Busy

What a busy, amazing summer.... and it is almost over. I am back to work on Monday. But now I have super fast Internet so blogging will be a breeze! No more slow Internet raging!

The two youngest girls and I just got back from WA and I am busy working in my classroom, getting it ready for my soon to be fourth graders.

Papa Paul and GB are here and boy are they busy already! Here are a few pics that our CO, TX and KS family are sure to enjoy.

Remember they are both 70+ & we can barely keep up.

Gorgeous Days at the Lake

We have had a few weeks of some very constant liquid sunshine. Consistent, wet, cold days.... and we are really missing the days we had when it was sunny and hot, and we were at the Lake.

We have so much fun at the Lake.

Some of us almost walk on water.

Or sit in the snow.

Snow & swimsuits in June... yes. Lots of snow, and it was blinding!

We sure have fun; snow, rain or sunshine. We just like it better when it is sunny.

Fishing Fun

Kalin and her first fish from a subsistence net.

Kiley was very excited to pick fish.  She asked everyday if we could go back

Kolbi was happy to help in anyway she could.

This was the first King Salmon picked by the girls.

Kalin was manning the splitting table with her dad.

Kiley and Shannon cutting and hanging strips.

Baby K's Moves.....

This baby loves music, loves it!  She can be screaming her head off, and one of her sisters will put on some tunes and she will stop crying to bust a move.

A little special treat at the end.... a glimpse at 2nd K's moves too!

Gorgeous Weather!

 

We have been experiencing some amazing, hot, gorgeous weather in our neck of the woods.  Perfect temperatures in the high 60's to mid 70's.... and yesterday our thermometer reached a whopping 89 degrees (out of the sun).  Today we are supposed to be getting a high temperature of 86 degrees!  We are melting, but not complaining one bit.  This weather is so unexpected, and appreciated, since we have had to leave Dillingham the past couple of summers to experience anything close to this amount of sunshine and warm temps!  I can count on one hand the times we had temperatures in the 60's and 70's ALL summer last year!

The Clouses have been getting out on the boat and going to the Lake as much as possible. Believe it or not the ice just "went out" a week ago yesterday.  It was worth the wait.

My brother gave us this  dingy that the girls are in, and they LOVE IT.  We put in the back of the big boat and they oar around the lake, as well as having their Dad tow them.

Baby K is loving getting out and being on the beach; tasting rocks, stealing marshmallows, playing in the water, with sticks.... and whatever else she feels like doing.  Even feeding her mom a little bit.

On these hot days we sure appreciate our new boat.... and if this picture doesn't capture that, nothing will! Gotta love these hot, long summer days, we hope they keep on coming!

Somethings not right.....

See if you can spot what is wrong in each of these pictures....

 Can you see it?

Maybe in this one. I'll give you a hint- it's white.

It's SNOW people. We've had snow on the ground up into the first week of June. We had some gorgeous weather at the end of May- enough that our girls and the neighborhood kids thought it was great fun to play in our wading pool (in swimsuits) and in the snow melt in a dinghy that my brother gave to us. Crazy Alaskan kids.... it gets into the high 50's and 60's and they get hot!

I wish I could say the snow was all gone, but it isn't quite yet. We still have patches here and there. BUT the trees are green and we have grass growing, that is progress.

A snowy day... in May!

It was a little snowy in our neck of the woods this morning. 

Just a reminder, its May 17th. Past the mid-May mark.

It's May 17th and it snowed last night and this morning and today. In case you didn't get that.

I'm not sure if we are going to get summer this year.

I might have to move to Texas.

Just hanging around....

Baby K likes to do what her big sisters do. This includes hanging from pull up bars.

It gives her great joy, and me a little heart attack. Every time.
But we can't seem to resist her wishes (she can't talk, but screaming and pointing seem to do the trick), especially when we see that tongue.

I was hoping for a chilled out baby.  I think my hopes have been crushed. Even in a blurry picture you can see the pure joy on her face as she drops.... just like big sister.

A day at the beach

Spring is still toying with us here in our neck of the woods. This morning I woke up to 20 degrees.... last Thursday we woke up to a raging snow storm (yes, "raging"- there is no other way to describe any amount of snow in MAY!). Despite all the snow and cold temps (it does warm up to the mid 40's most days) we are bound and determined to get out and enjoy the sunshine. We recently went to the beach and went for a stroll.

We even got to walk in the water a little bit.

Now before you have a heart attack and think we were letting the girls jump icebergs.... it was high tide. It looks like a lot of water, but it really wasn't. Honest.

Plus we were just a few feet away from them.  Well until first K decided to climb the bluff. She's a daredevil... always testing her limits. She will be the reason I have a full head of grey hair before I turn 40.

Last month the girls got to spend a week with my parents in Washington, I'll need to make some time to share pictures from their awesome trip. They got to go to the beach with Papa..... and they didn't need to wear snow pants, coats or hats!

Maybe they will get to do that here in about a month... or maybe not!

Spring Family Time

Baby looks cranky because she wants to go for a snowmachine ride!

We took advantage of some sun today and went for a walk. Some of us walked, some of us were carried.

Our first K broke out her snowmachine (hopefully for the last time!) and was ripping around the tundra and giving her sisters rides. Baby K can't seem to get enough!

First K got "hot" and stripped down.... too much riding and running around in the snow. Jon told her she was a real Alaskan girl.

I felt that someone else in our family didn't quite dress appropriately for the weather....no gloves or snowpants. I think she is feeling the effects here.

Or maybe that was me, too much snow.

It was a gorgeous day for an evening walk, and I tried to pull the girls together for a picture once we got home... and almost all of them cooperated.