Start of School

chillin'

hikin'

cruzin'

School is back in session. Janelle is busy as usual and already planning fundraisers. Jake just changed over to a purchasing agent position in the business office, and is continuing to take classes for his accounting degree. Daniel starts preschool next Monday, and is typing his own name on the computer every chance he gets. Jonah is keeping all of us on our toes, trying out new words and taking steps with just one-handed help.

Jake heads to Anchorage in a few weeks for a couple of days to renew his driver's license (which we both forgot to do while we were in town this summer)! We're doing well. Hope all of you are the same. Love you and miss you.

Summer in Unalakleet (Early June, Mid-Late July)

Although we were busy moving for a lot of June, we still got out for several short hikes and trips to the playground. Once we got back from our trip, we've been doing the normal UNK summer things: boating, BBQing, fishing, berry picking, jelly & jam making, canning other stuff, hiking with the dogs, and just spending time together as a family. The outdoor fun never gets old... the views are stunning, the land plentiful, and we love seeing the wildlife even when Jake's not hunting. =) We saw a cow and calf moose and several rabbits last time we took the dogs for a run up the hill. Jake always packs a gun with him when we go out, but knock on wood, we have yet to see any bear very close on our hikes. They're out and about though. While we were gone on vacation, one of our friends who lives outside of town here came downstairs at hearing some racket and found herself face-to-face with a grizzly inside her front door. Yikes!!!
Out for Hikes on Army Hill
Summer is so beautiful here; we're enjoying our time and praying that this next winter will not be as bad as the last one. We've told many of our friends here that, had our first winter been as ugly as this last one--or if we would not have moved in in early July to experience the gorgeous Unalakleet summer--we would not have signed on for a second year. We've acclimated and we love it here, but last winter's storms were ridiculous. God showed us the good stuff and made us fall in love with AK before he brought out the Mother Nature's big guns. =) Daniel with his black eye (from turning into our kitchen counter too fast)
Rainbow
Bodie and Molly, enjoying the hikes and the tundraMolly and Bodie are best buds now, and have a great time playing together, especially when we all go out for hikes. We take them far enough out of town that we just let them off their leashes, and they run crazy until they wear themselves out. They're still getting used to the new house, and we've had some trouble keeping them quiet at night with all the dog, foot, and ATV traffic that goes past their dog houses. As soon as our friend Shelley gets back to town and her dog Aurora isn't staying with us anymore, our two pups will sleep inside with us again. Bodie also went out in the boat with us last time, and had a great time... definitely a water dog!
Takin' care of business on the trail (Daniel has been accident-free since July 8!)

Out for walks (Deej is behind, pushing)

Janelle and Jonah

Jonah is always happy for bath time

Jonah is stil not crawling, but has no trouble getting where he wants to go, and is pulling up on everything and starting to cruise... perhaps he'll skip crawling all together. He's so BUSY and LOUD! -Notices everything. Opinionated, but also full of laughs, smiles, and giggles. He'll be 10 mo on the 2nd of August, and he's keeping us on our toes. =)

Jonah playing with his bald eagle

Happy Brothers --they have such fun together (most of the time)
Daniel took this picture of Sarah Palin with his babysitter, Darlene (after he played with the settings on his camera--can you tell?) She came to Unalakleet July 17 to sign an energy bill, and there was a potluck (including lots of king crab!) in the community center. When Daniel approached Sarah, she asked him if he wanted to get his picture taken with her. He replied, "No, I wan to take yours piture." =) If he hadn't set his camera to flash on the "fork and knife" (plating/food) setting it might have been a decent picture.

Jake bringing in his first fish of the year (a female humpy)

Hangin' out on the water

Jonah's first (non-Ferry) boat ride

Jake is still taking classes and working full-time, but spends all of his free time doing stuff with and for the family including great cooking; maintaining our truck, 4-wheeler, and boat; building a smokehouse and a garden storage shed... and of course being the most awesome husband and father ever like he usually is. =) Life is good.

Daniel wearing an ice cream mustache @ the community pick-up bbq

Deej on the twirly slide @ the playground

My good friends Nathan and Angie (Jonah's godparents) JUST had their first baby--a boy named Johnathan. Congratulations!!! We are so happy for you!

Hope all of you--whether we've been able to see you or not--have had a wonderful and memorable summer so far. You're in our thoughts, prayers, and hearts.

Trip To WA, Part II (July)

Jake, Daniel, Janelle, and Jonah after Great Aunt Coral took us out to Sizzler in Lacey

We left Port Townsend and headed across the state towards Clarkston. On the way we stopped in Tri-cities to see our college friends Jeff & Eileen, Sarah and Mons (again), and Nate and Anne... had a bbq @ Nate & Anne's new house. It was so fun to see everyone!!! Except for our kids, Sarah's slightly round belly, and occasional "potty" talk on Daniel's behalf, it was as if no time had passed. Good friends with truly kindred spirits don't happen every day... we are so thankful for our friends, no matter how long it is between visits. We forgot to take any pictures! :-( Next time (when there will be more babies in the pix)!

We celebrated the 4th (Happy Anniversary Angie & Nathan too) with Jake's family, including Jake's parents Bill & Loretta, Jake's brother Jared, Tracy (Jared's girlfriend), Jake's Aunt Darla and Uncle Dean, their kids Brady & Ian, and Jake's Grandma Betty. No surprise, Daniel took a nosedive on the concrete, and scuffed up his nose pretty bad. We met up with Kyra (Jacobsen) M. and met her husband Shawn and their son for the first time the next day. DJ always seems to run into something and injure himself right before we visit people or get pictures. ;-)Deej enjoying the sparklers on the 4th @ Papa Bill & Grandma Retta's house

Jonah loungin' in the swing @ "The Castle Park" in Lewiston when we saw Kyra

While we were in Clarkston, we (our family, Jake's parents, and Jake's brother Jared) took a day trip to Spokane so that Daniel could go to Chuck E. Cheese with his Papa Bill and Grandma Retta, and to visit friends. First we stopped off to see our friend Walter @ his work in Airway Heights. We're missing attending his wedding, :-( but were very happy to get a chance to see him. Congrats, Walter & Amber!!!

After seeing Walter G3, we met @ Holmberg park and got to see Jeff and Monica (and Jamie), Teah (and her little sis), Angela S., and Andi (who brought 2 mo old Chloe w/ her--what a sweetheart!) After that, Sarah (Hall) P. met us @ the cheesy mouse restaurant with her husband and 2 girls. It was great seeing everyone and meeting new family members of my friends. All-in-all, a great day.

Jamie (Jeff & Monica's son) who Daniel has played with every summer since they were born

Teah, Janelle, Angela

Andi with Chloe (2 mo), Janelle with Jonah (9 mo)

It was over 100 degrees F for 5 of the days we were in the valley, I think... too hot for us Alaskans, anyway. We bought a blow-up pool for the kids and Bill and Loretta filled it in their garage so we'd be a little cooler. It was the best $30 purchase I've made in a while. The kids had a great time, and we used it almost every day we were there.

Daniel, Jonah and Janelle

We visited Jake's HS friend Phil N. @ work like we always do, and got to talk to him for a bit. We enjoyed Loretta's cooking, going out to eat, and spending time with everyone. Daniel got to experience his first ice cream truck. Daniel was also allowed to pick (and eat) his Great-Grandma Betty's strawberries. Ian (and my b-i-l Jeff too) had his birthday while we were down, and we ALL (even Jake's Uncle Dwight and a few friends of Brady and Ian's) went out for a pizza party @ Fizzari's. Happy Birthday Ian and Jeff!

Janelle and Daniel @ Ian's party

All of us with Grandma (and Great Grandma) Betty

At the end of the trip, Jake's parents and brother drove with us back across the state, and Jake's Great Aunt Coral treated us all to dinner out. The last time we'd seen her was with Great Uncle Wally (who has since passed) @ Great Uncle Art's Funeral. It was fun visiting with her, and to thank her in person for crocheting some adorable duds for Jonah some months back.
We spent that night @ my sisters house again, and the next day Teya and I had a sister day (Jamba Juice and fresh sushi from Central Market... mmmmm!) while Jake's family, Jake and the boys, and Teya's family all went to "Ride The Ducks" in downtown Seattle. Then everyone helped to get all four of us and ALL of our stuff to the airport. Jonah's two bottom teeth were finally all the way in at this point, so teething worries for the trip home. (Did I mention in the Part 1 post that Jonah cut his 1st tooth ON the flight down from ANC to SEA, and that when my parents watched the boys, Jonah was teething with fevers and all that? Ugh.)

Loretta, Brenna, Jared, Daniel, Jacob, Jonah, Bill, Jeff

We did our normal shopping in Anchorage, and arrived home ready to do some fishing!

More on our summer here in Unalakleet coming up...

Trip to WA, Part I (June)

Sorry we haven't posted for so long. End of school, moving, the trip to WA, Jonah becoming more mobile, trying to enjoy the good weather when it comes... well, being on the computer becomes less and less of a priority. =) Any any case, here is the first installment/post to make up for my slovenly and sluggish blogging habits.

Deej on his first pony ride @ the Anchorage Downtown Market

We took a 3-wk trip to WA state starting mid June. On our way down, we visited with both Gayle and Jessica (and of course went to The Downtown Market, Chuck E. Cheese, and Bouncing Bears) in Anchorage. When we arrived in Anchorage, Jake and I realized we had forgotten both cameras (these things seem to happen when you're traveling with 2 little guys)... we had been planning to get a cheap digital camera for Daniel anyway, but when we went shopping for them, the "cheap" ones were still $60, and were poorly made with minimal features... so, we opted for a regular little Coolpix Nikon (with the insurance against bumping, dropping, H2O immersion, etc.) and bought a ridiculously nice camera for our 3-yr-old. It has actually proved an awesome investment. Daniel has been a little photographer for over a month now, and aside from a slight obsession with feet and foot pictures, he has done quite well. His is careful with his camera, and has taken several of the photos you'll see in this and subsequent posts. Go DJ!

Daniel's favorite subject when he's behind the camera lens: the feet

(For those of you who don't recognize the sexy toes in the above picture, they're mine.)

DJ riding the push train cars @ the Downtown Anchorage Market

My sister Teya came to SeaTac to pick us up, and we spent a few nights @ her new house with her, Jeff, Brennan, their new beagle puppy, Buttercup, and their ever-psycho cat, Mr. Binks. We went to a Mariner's game together. They lost, but the game was at least interesting for the last 3 innings, and we had fun anyway.

DJ, Brennan, Jonah, and Buttercup (who was amazingly well-behaved for a puppy)

At the M's game

My Aunt Lynette and Uncle Kent came to dinner for a bbq while we were there, and we got to visit with them. Uncle Kent helped me decorate my patriotic angelfood cake. The white raspberries just weren't working out until he stepped in and saved the day. ;-)

Next we drove to Port Townsend to visit my parents, Pat and Gary, @ their retirement house (under construction). On the drive, we had lunch with my MS/HS friend Megan in Seattle, and then met up for coffee with our good friends Mons and Sarah (with their kids Serina, Ben, and a baby on board) @ a coffee shop for a few hours since they were on that side of the state visiting her parents anyway.

DJ enjoying the waves and sand @ the beach in Fort Warden State Park

Jonah on the deck @ his Papa Gary and Grandma Pat's houseDJ on a real John Deere tractor that was doing construction @ the site

Jonah posing with his Grandma Pat so Deej could take a picture

We stayed in Port Townsend for one night, and then left Daniel and Jonah with them and took a trip with just Jake and I to Orcas Island. We stayed in our own little cabin with a private hot tub in the back. Jake arranged for roses, chocolates, and champagne to surprise me when we opened the door. As you may have heard, we had an eventful first night there: as Jake started to open the wire on the bottle of bubbly, the cork came out on its own, bounced off the ceiling, bopped me in the shoulder, and landed way across the room... then later, our king-size bed broke (while we were SLEEPING, thank you) at about 6:30 in the morning... so our dreams of sleeping in with no kids never materialized. But we had fun anyway. The guy running the resort gave us a pretty hard time, but just joking... the bed had been broken before we got there, and we just helped get it all the way to the floor. Jake and I had great fun hiking, sea kayaking, and going up to Mt. Constitution (we could even see Rainier from the top).

Our cabin

The bed we broke

On a hike on Orcas Island

Sea KayakingWe stayed one more night with a fixed bed, then took an early ferry back to PT and spent a few more days visiting with my parents all together. It was great to see my folks' dream house on the ocean materializing right in front of us. They're very excited to start their retirement. The most fun we had was probably swimming at the clubhouse. Daniel actually got in the water and had fun (an impossibility last summer) and Jonah had a blast too.
Me, DJ, my dad, and Jonah swimming @ the clubhouse

Me on my parents' deck @ sunset (Protection Island in the background)

More to come...