Erasers do not make good earplugs!

So this is a photo of the eraser that is still lodged in TJ's ear after two trips to the clinic to trying get it removed.  

It looks like you should be able to get it but when we try he cries so bad we have to stop.  I'm hoping we won't have to fly to Anchorage to have it removed.  A sister from the Bush branch said they had to do a surgery to have a bean removed from a boys ear.  I hope it doesn't come to that.

For now the plan is to wait until we travel, but I have to talk to a specialist.  Poor TJ is pretty upset and it hurts him a lot when we touch it.  However he would like to go to Anchorage so he could go to McDonald's.  That will be one expensive happy meal!

Happy 10th Birthday TJ!

Wishing a Very Special Birthday to this Awesome 10 year old Boy!

He is literally the best son I could wish for!

The Captain Literally cake I made for TJ.  He loves Studio C on BYU TV!

TJ's buddy William Guidry Jr. came over and spent the day partying with TJ.

July in Saint Mary's

Something for everyone. 
Gracie loves climbing to the top of the pole at the
school playground

TJ found that there are a few rare day's up here where it's
"hot out" even though we're not in Hawaii.

 

There aren't any gecko's to catch.  But  Gracie will alway's find something!

Yes, this is a real sign, it's not the only one standing in a barrell. 
The  pase is much slower here, and things are simpler.

Happy 4th of July!
It wasn't a warm day, but it was a good one.
Hope declared her Independance by taking her 1st step.

We walked all over the village trying to find the start of the parade.
Come to find out we could have just stayed at the house and it would have
passed us twice.

Did I mention things are simpler here?  Very small parade without any
traditional floats.  Just some vehicles and 4-wheelers and
a whole bunch of candy!

 

Gracie doesn't look like she should be able to hold Hope
but she packs her around all the time.

Heading up the hill to  watch the parade pass by again.
(and hopefully get more candy.)
Everywhere you go in Saint Mary's is either up or down hill.

This local dwelling has a great village of the Andreafsky River. 
I just hope it doesn't fall down the hill.

The barge brings supplies (and hopefully soon our truck) up the river.

Back in Alaska June 2012

Saint Mary's Alaska

 

Life doesn't always work out the way you expect.  I certainly never expected to be living back in Bush Alaska.  But if I have to come back, it's nice to be in a village as beautiful as Saint Mary's.

Saint Mary's cemetery, over looking the Andreafsky River

some familiar flowers to welcome us home

fireweed buds mark the beginning of summer

It's not Hawaii, but the kids managed shorts on hot days.  (This is not our dog.  But the kids sure wish it was!)

June in Unalakleet

 Got Crab?

 Fresh crab is one of my favorite things about Unalakleet!

Very fresh... notice how he's holding a pencil in his claw.... he's still got some fight in him!

Crab vs. Faith.... crab wins every time.   She runs away from them screaming!

Log wars at the beach

 playing at the beach

time out at the beach

 pouting at the beach

 getting hugs at the beach

getting over it at the beach

 Something else I'll never see anywhere but Unalakleet.

Notice the little Eskimo boy riding in the boat, on the tractor, down the street.

Brent wants you to think this was a terrible day fishing (like 24 trout or something)  

Really they had a good time fishing with our friends the Egli's.   We do realize that this would be the worlds best fishing day in Utah.   But they really are junk fish here in Unalakleet.  Why eat trout when you can have salmon?

Mmmmm..... pizza sandwiches

I've been trying to let the kids to be a little more independent.  Faith was hungry so I told her to get a piece of bread and the jam and I would come help her.  

I go in and she has not jam but pizza sauce.  Brent thought it was funny and opened it up so she could smell that "yummy jam" surprisingly she said "mmmm! that smells good!"    I told her it was pizza sauce not jam.... but she still wanted it.   Now she has a new favorite sandwich.... pizza sauce sandwich.  That's one way to show your independence sweetie!

The house that Brent built...

Well it's a little log fort really.  He built it last year, but now the roof is missing.   So he's been taking his ax out and building it up again.   The kids think it's good fun. 

This is what happens when Gracie watches Ninja Warrior....

Almost there baby girl!

Happy Fathers Day!

On Father's Day we headed back out to work on the fort and spend some time at the beach.

Then we headed up into the hills to enjoy a world that is finally green and starting to flower. 

Unalakleet really is a beautiful place.

And I really have some beautiful girls.  Here they are getting flowers in their hair so they can look pretty for a picture.  (never mind the soot on their faces)

Awww.   They're adorable and the soot is oh so charming.

This is one of my favorites!

TJ is such a free spirit.  He's so uniquely expressive and full of life!

 I love this picture of Brent and me.   Father's Day isn't the only day I'm thankful for him.  I still remember that 13 year old girl who was so madly in love with him,  Now we've been married for almost 13 years and I love him so much more than I ever did!   He's such a wonderful husband and father.

Brent took these pictures of me and the girls and his future daughter.   Boy that's a whole lot of women in his life!

 King Salmon!   Brent is so excited to have caught his 1st King this year.... he's having a good year!    He went fishing with a buddy and they got these. 

 The next day he and TJ got this one. 

Brent hooked this King and TJ reeled it in.   TJ informed me that Dad's the best hooker ever.... in any other situation that comment would be offensive but in this case it's true.   TJ makes me laugh.