Living in Alaska really is like that TV show "Northern Exposure".

Yes this would be our front yard!

HOCKEY SEASON IS HERE!

Family Camp 2009 - In They Go!

How is it that kids can be shivering beyond control and still say that they are NOT cold?

Ready, Set, GO!!

Oh how this makes Daddy so happy to see his boys enjoying fishing on the lake! Quinn caught such a big pike that it scared him and he was a little afraid to catch anything else.

Off they go on another fishing adventure

Another Family Camp filled with great memories

comes to a close at Midnight Sun Bible Camp!!!

Ah how wonderful life is!

THE ALASKA STATE FAIR

Hot weather and SHAVE ICE!!!!!

Watching the reptile show complete with snakes, lizards and turtles. It was heaven for the boys!

On to seal rescue at the SeaLife Center display. Insert feeding tube, reach stomach, see green light flash.....successful rescue feeding! For some reason it was very thrilling to insert the feeding tube down the seal's throat!

What's a Fair without petting some farm animals?

FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

Quinn is looking all grown up as he prepares to go

to his first day of Kindergarten

Lunch packed, supplies ready, backpack on!!

Big brother assures him Kindergarten will be lots of fun!

FIRST DAY OF 2nd GRADE!!

Mitchell was very ready to start back to school

But he sure is going to miss his little brother

BEARS, BEARS, BEARS, BEARS!!!!

So, did I mention that we saw a few bears on The Russian River last week? Well, they were a little too close for comfort considering it was me and a friend with our 4 kids in toe. There were screams of "bear! bear! bear!" and then we saw him emerge from the woods. A black lab was tied to a log nearby and was going crazy. That didn't amuse the bear and so the bear thought he'd take care of that dog. Bear approached, dog barks louder, and louder and louder (probably thinking "someone untie me there's a bear going to eat me"). I truly thought I was going to see a grizzly eat a lab right before my eyes. Then BOOM!!! Lab owner fires a warning shot and the bear runs off. But where? Into the woods right beside the boardwalk where my friend and the kids are. Yikes, off the boardwalk and onto a rocky island for safety. Eyes now wide as dinner plates continually scanning the woods as we are prepared to wrestle any grizzly that dares come close to our little boys! There's one walking up river, we're safe. Then 2 more come into the river between our safe little island and the boardwalk (the way out). He sits in the river and has a light lunch of salmon sushi right in front of us. Head lifts, eyes stare directly at us and the yummy morsels we call our children. We flee our "island of safety" and head down river. We are now in a safe area and see 2 more bears nice and far away. We decide that there has been enough adrenaline pulsing through our veins to last us a very long time and so hop on the ferry to get home. The guys hiked back through the bear zone to get the car!

Wild times in ALASKA!