Independence Day - July 4-6, 2014

Friday July 4th - It's a whole weekend of celebration!

 

Lincoln helped me put the finishing touches on a banana cream pie for the town potluck lunch.

 

Lincoln and Natalie Niles hold hands during the kids' races.  For this race, the kids had to run the short distance holding hands with a friend.  The older kids actually had their legs tied together, but this was safer.  Pretty fun!

 

 

Saturday, July 5th - we took the river boat down Eyak River and stopped at a sand bar to play.

Sunday, July 6th - we drove out to about 8 mile and set off fireworks with Grandpa and Grandma.  At 10 pm it was definitely not dark, so we didn't set off fountains or rockets.  We set off parachutes and sparklers.  Happy Independence Day!

 

Anatomy Ultrasound - July 1, 2014

(ultrasound pictures)

Such excitement!  The whole family came to Anchorage for this adventure.  We stayed one night in a hotel, had appointments and then flew back to Cordova. 

20 weeks pregnant on our way to the anatomy ultrasound. This is the one where they measure everything to make sure baby is developing normally. And if we're lucky, we'll also know baby's gender!  My guess is GIRL!

Lincoln loved going to the appointments.  So many different toys!  First we went to the ultrasound appointment. Then the midwife. And finally the eye doctor before flying home again.

We all sat in the ultrasound room and watched while the tech measured and she recorded the ultrasound onto DVD for us.  When we got to gender, we asked Linc if he thought he was going to have a brother or a sister.  He said sister. He is RIGHT!  We're having our GIRL!!!


Lincoln tried on a few pair of kid glasses at the eye doctor.

My super men on the escalator - going home again. Can't wait to tell our family the big news!  SHE's on her way!

Girls Camp - June 8-13, 2014

One of the perks of being Young Women's President is that I got to go to girls camp.  This year, in Alaska, the entire state got together at the fairgrounds in Palmer for camp.  900+ young women, their leaders, priesthood holders, tents, motorhomes and cook stoves.  It was huge.  And fun.  And work. And spiritual. And wet and cold.  And I got to sleep in a motorhome. Yay!

 

Service project at the Musk Ox farm.  We dug holes in the sod that would later be planted with trees.  Some trees for protection and some trees for 'snacks'.

Some wards were "host" wards and provided tents and food.  Some wards and branches were their "sister ward/branch".  Our group had the Wasilla Ward (host) and the Cordova Branch (Sara and me) and the Kodiak Branch (also in the Soldotna Stake - our stake).  Our campsite was the Pink Salmon and together we did a "heart attack" with happy messages for one of the visiting General Young Women Presidency before her devotional.

Our camping group and another camping group were paired up for the hike.  We 'hiked' along the Anchorage greenbelt for about 8 miles and then took a bus for a short drive. Then got back out and walked another half-mile to the temple.  The theme of the walk was how the YW values prepare you to go to the temple.  So every mile along the hike, we'd stop at a Value marker and one of the Laurels would talk about that value and how it prepares us to be worthy to go to the temple. And then we ended up at the temple and the nearby stake center for a short devotional.  I loved it.

Here's just the pink salmon in front of the Anchorage Temple.

And the Cordova Branch - Sara Hamberger.

Adventures with Uncle Bob and Aunt Terry - May 19-23, 2014

May 20 - Lincoln went with Uncle Bob and Aunt Terry to help with the salmon fry (meaning baby fish, not fried fish).  The truck in the first picture has a tank with small fish that are released into a net enclosure.  The salmon are protected while they grow and later the net will be removed and the salmon will swim out into the ocean to grow on their own.

May 22 - Exploring the shore of Eyak Lake

 

Thank you Uncle Bob and Aunt Terry for taking care of Lincoln this week. 

He had a wonderful time!

 

Lincoln and James' overnight adventure - April 29-30, 2014

James and Lincoln went to Anchorage to bring back my 'new' car - a 2004 Subaru Forester.  It was during the week, so I had to stay behind and work.  Lucky for me, the guys stopped by to say "Bye!"

 

When they got to Anchorage, they poked around the float plane / small airport.

And they stayed in Eagle River at Tom and Leah Rawlins house.

In the morning, they loaded up and headed for Whittier and Lincoln's first ferry ride.

In Whittier, there were rocks to throw into the harbor.

And then a ferry ride!  Pretty day for an adventure!

 

And of course, returned home with my new wheels - The Green Lantern.  Thanks guys!

First Campfire Dinner of the "summer" - April 14, 2014

We drove out to 22-mile Alaganik campground and had a hot dog roast on a campfire.  There's still snow on the ground and I wouldn't want to fall in the river.