Darwin's Butts

This was last weekend, but I wanted to get it posted to have proof that I still know how to fish after all the fish that Jared caught over memorial day weekend. Now I did not catch as many fish as Jared, my limit was only two fish, but I was able to get a little more meat in the end.

The Friday before we took the kids to twin lakes I was feeling a little frustrated that I had not caught any fish yet. My job was sending me to Excursion Inlet to do some inspections. So I combined the fact that I was out and about with the desire to fish and went looking for fish in an area that I do not normally go to. I got up early to fish and ended up not leaving until around 0800. I went to Sister's island first and was unable to catch a thing, even though the boats around me were catching small halibut, pacific cod and some other fish. I was a little frustrated at this point, not having caught a halibut this year so i decided to go out a lot further then I have done to date.

On the way out the water actually became a little calmer and I was able to see whales, porpoise, sea otters, etc., and the sun even came out for part of the trip. I anchored in about 150ft of water and drifted my line out with 20 ounces of weight and began to work on lunch. I had dumped a can of soup in a small pot and started the small single burner propane stove when I heard the sing of the drag on the fishing pole. I quickly turned off the stove and grabbed the fishing pole and battled the fish to the boat for about 10 minutes. When the fish finally came to the surface I saw it was about 30lbs and since I was by myself I was unsure how I was going to get it in the boat. With the rod in one hand and the gaff in the other, I tried several attempts to get the fish on the gaff with very little luck. Finally I hooked the fish and drug it in the boat and the fish expressed his displeasure at being out of the water. This was my first halibut in awhile so I beat the cheeks of the fish, trying to get him to calm down before I hit the head where the brain was to get him to relax. I gilled the halibut and put him on a line over the side of the boat and let my line out again.

Just as I was getting ready to start the stove again, I heard the drag sing again and I put aside lunch to focus at the task at hand. This fish was a little more aggressive and it took a lot longer to reel it in. In fact, a couple of times, the fish decided to go back to the bottom and I was nothing but a bystander watching the line payout after several minutes of hard work. Eventually, I did prevail and was able to bring the fish to the surface. This time it was a 55lb halibut and I was faced with the same dilema of gaffing the fish, while holding the rod, and not falling overboard. I was able to drag the fish in the boat and with a now practiced hand, I was able to motivate the fish to stop moving. Once this fish was on the stringer I settled down and ate lunch and watched the porpoises play about 10 feet off the stern of the boat.

When I got back to Excursion Inlet I noticed that the weather was calm, so I decided to run home and take care of the meat. I got home about midnight and Melissa and I worked on fish until 0130. We processed 21, 1 1/2lb bags of meat, from two fish. Boy I love fishing in AK.

The sad part is that I was alone, so after my two fish, I had to come home even though there was likely a lot more fish to be caught...so please come and help me catch fish ;)

Family fishing day at Twin Lakes

Today we took the kids to family fishing day at the lake. The lake is usually stocked with little salmon...but no one seemed to be catching anything. There were a few other activities for the kids and we had fun, but I wish they could have caught more than seaweed! Brooklin was in Anchorage for the youth temple trip, so she wasn't with us this morning. I will try and find some pictures of her there (I made her take her camera), but I don't have any on my computer yet. She had a great time. It was her first trip on an airplane without anyone from the family! She was pretty nervous when I dropped her off yesterday morning, but she just got back and said she had a lot of fun.

Just flowers from my yard

I don't know what any of these are called...but they are all growing in my flowerbeds.

The sun never goes to bed, and neither do my children!

In a week or two we will have our longest day of the year. As of today, the sun doesn't go down until 11pm, and is coming back up by 4 am. This is a problem because it makes it hard to go to sleep at night...especially for the kids. Darwin and I have been getting to bed later as well. So, the first day of summer vacation, I helped the kids make their own sleeping masks! I have TONS of scrap fabric and they each got to pick out their own colors and textures. I already had a book with a pattern for a sleeping mask in it, so this project was "free". They all cut out their own fabric and I made the binding and pinned them together. The three older kids used the sewing machine mostly by themselves, and Isaiah sat on my lap and pushed the foot peddle to sew his. This is their finished projects!

Who knows how long before the fun wears off, but they were sure excited to use them tonight!

Happy 7th Birthday Isaiah!

Isaiah and London made me wishlists for their birthdays. They were hilarious! One of the things on both of their lists, was "yarn"...??? So as a trick, we wrapped up five small balls of yarn, and that was the only present we set out for Isaiah in the morning. (The kids only get five presents) Anyway, he opened the yarn, counted it, and then we told him that was all his presents! He was not happy...but he has lived with us too long to know that that really was the end of his presents. We play too many tricks for him to believe this one! He also got a sunday suit (I bought him sunday clothes, but gave them to him last week, so the suit Gammy bought him got wrapped up for his birthday), a coloring book, an "Ugly Pole" as he calles it, a tackle box, and a book and bowling game from my parents. He also asked to go fishing for his birthday, so we went out all day on the boat too.

The tackle box and fishing pole were his favorite presents. We added several random things to the tackle box...a carabeaner, a box of bandaids, a magnifying glass, stickers, a pulley, and rope...because one time, my parents gave my brother a box of random stuff for his birthday, and he thought it was the greatest thing ever. Aparently it is!

Happy about the yarn, and then kind of fake sad!

Sunday suit and coloring book.

Thank you gammy and gampy (and Marnie and Logan)


Tackle box and Ugly Pole

We went out in the boat for the rest of the day. We tried for awhile to catch some salmon for bait, but they really aren't in yet, so we went out and set the crab pots. After that, we tried fishing for halibut. Brooklin got a pacific cod, but as soon as she got it up out of the water, it flipped off the hook and back to the ocean it went. The only other fish we caught were two double uglies. We decided to be done fishing after several hours... and three bored kids... We went to check the crab pots on the way in. There were two dungeness crab in the first pot (one keeper) and three in the second pot (one keeper). That really wasn't enough for us to keep, so we gave them to a friend of ours who was out pulling his pots. He had a bunch of company, and was grateful we shared.


I think I will copy their birthday lists into the next post...they really were funny!

London & Isaiah's birthday wishlists

London

• Nintendo DS Light
• a night light
• yarn
• new shoes
• a hair cut
• shorts and t-shirts
• sunglasses
• skateboard
• IPod touch
• new pet shop toys
• a jump rope
• water balloons
• mini TV
• laptop
• toy bow and arrow
• new bike and helmet
• notebook
• a good looking book to read
• polly pockets
• fairy dolls

Isaiah

• jump rope
• water balloons
• safari hat
• squirt gun set
• april fools dinner
• r2d2 cake
• mini trampoline
• boy polly pockets
• the yellow bike at Fred Meyer
• Nintendo DS light
• fishing pole
• scuba gear (with flippers)
• sunscreen
• my own Idaho Spud bar
• flashlight
• a new sleeping bag
• yarn
• swimming suit
• new shoes
• golf set
• a kite that's really cool
• mini tv
• a coloring book
• a mohawk

There are a few other things on their lists that I can't make out...but they made me smile!

Last Day of School

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Here are the kids on their last day of 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th grades. The elementary had a bbq/picnic and it was early release. Next year, we'll have two in middle school and two in elementary. Hooray for summer break!

To see what they all looked like on the first day of school...click here.

5th grade promotion

Caleb has graduated from elementary school and will be going to middle school next year with Brooklin!! His school had a fun little ceremony for the them and their families. The principal started by giving out special awards. Caleb was surprised to have his name called for a special award. He got a Certificate of Recognition for Outstanding Citizenship and Courteousness. There were about seven other kids that received this award, and the certificate came with a pin.

After the special awards, they called each of the kids up to receive their "diplomas". When that was done, they had their school band play, and then this drum group play (it was all 4th and 5th graders in the band and drum groups). Next the entire 5th grade did this really cool step/clap dance and then the Virginia Reel...I got those on video.

I can't believe Caleb is old enough to go to middle school next year. Brooklin asked if she had to walk home with him after school...ummm YEA! She will be in 8th grade and isn't interested in being seen with a lowly 6th grader... =)

Caleb with his teacher, Mrs. Vreeland, and with his two certificates.

Receiving his award and diploma from Mr. Wilson the principal

this is the step and reel dances...it is 6 minutes long, but it was pretty cool.
(Caleb is hard to see, but he is in the center line...right under the word Valley on the sign...and he is fifth back, wearing a navy blue shirt)

Happy 9th Birthday London!

London's 9th birthday was today! She got earrings, two shirts, a skirt, a journal, a bunch of Littlest Pet Shop figures, a craft kit from Gammy, and a new bike. We went tonight to let her pick out the bike. I told her that the sign said it was a boys bike, but she didn't care, because the bike was blue and she really like it. She had just barely learned to ride without the training wheels right before we left Maui, and once we got here, it was too wet and snowy. We just pulled their bikes out recently, and everyone's chains are completely rusted and the tires were all flat and cracked, so now everyone needs new bikes again...blah! She has had a lot of fun riding her new bike.

We didn't have cake today because it got too late (after going to the store to get the bike after dinner) and I volunteered at the school all day today for field day, so we are just going to have cake for her and Isaiah on his birthday (on Sat.)

Piano Recital

Today was Brooklin and London's piano recital. The recital was supposed to be last Sunday, but we told the teacher we couldn't come, so she changed it for us! (Good thing too...four of her other students are also LDS, and may not have been able to come either). The girls did a great job. I am so impressed with how far they have come in the 9 months they have been taking lessons here. Their teacher (in the blue dress next to London) is a classically trained pianst from China, and has only lived in the United States for two or three years. She is very strict and it's hard to understand her sometimes, but they are learning so much from her. Her husband teaches Suzuki violin lessons and is an expert violinist. I'm not sure of the names of either of the songs the girls played...the titles were written in Chinese...but they did a really good job.

London

Brooklin
(she got lost once, but she had the whole song memorized, so I still think this is amazing!)

Melissa's suprise trip to Idaho

I mentioned in the previous post that I had to miss out on the final hike at the third grade camp, so I could run home, shower, repack a few things, and make it to the airport to catch a plane to Idaho. I decided on Sunday, May 17th that I was going to Idaho. I bought my ticket on Monday, packed for two different trips on Monday and Tuesday, went camping Wed, Thurs, and Friday, and then flew to Idaho from Friday the 22nd to Thursday the 28th. My brother, Micah and his wife Cori adopted a baby boy in Sept. 2008, and his adoption was finalized on Thursday May 21st, 2009. In our religion, we believe that families can be sealed together for time and eternity in the temple. They were taking their son to the temple to get him sealed to them on Sat. the 23rd. The whole family was going to attend (except for me because I live so far away), but I decided to surprise them all. I only told one of my brothers that I was coming and swore him to secrecy. The only reason I told him was he was thinking of not coming, and if he came, all eight of my parent's children would be together for the first time in seven years!

I got into Boise, ID at 11pm. I hauled my luggage out to the rental car parking lot, and my car was in the very last row, very last spot, furthest from the door parking space available. I got to drive a 2008 Dodge Journey. It was fun looking, it was electric blue, and had a place to cool soda's via the air conditioner right inside the glove box...but it did not get up and go when I told it to. I drove to Darwin's brother's house by midnight and found the hidden key by stumbling around in the dark and using my cell phone as a flashlight. =) His brother's family was camping for the three-day weekend so they weren't home, but they were glad to have someone to watch the house and water their garden while they were away.

I woke up at 6:30 am on Saturday morning and got ready for the day. The sealing wasn't until 2:30 pm, but I wanted to try and get two sessions in at the temple before the sealing, since we don't have a temple nearby where I live. On a side note, I have been able to attend four sessions in the temple this year...twice in Seattle, and twice in Boise! I am so excited that I've had the opportunity to visit the temple so many times this year. It is so refreshing and awesome at the temple. Anyway, back to the story. I parked at the temple at 8:45 am, ran inside, changed my clothes, and made it into the 9am session by a hair! As soon as the 9am session was over, I quickly (and reverently) ;) walked back to the chapel and just barely made it to the 11am session. The session ended at 1pm, and I changed back into my regular clothes and went to the temple cafeteria to have lunch. I got done at 1:30, and wondered what I was going to do for the half hour that was left before people started showing up. I ran into a family friend and sat chatted for a few minutes, then I saw Micah and Cori checking in at the front desk. I forgot they would have to be there early to get their kids situated and to get instructions on how things would proceed. I sat and watched them pull out their recommends and Cori was the first to see me. Her eyes got really big, and her mouth was hanging open! Without taking her eyes off me, she started patting Micah on his shoulder and pointing. He didn't know why she was frantically pointing and nudging him for a minute, but then he saw me, and they were both in shock! It was so fun! I got to witness this reaction several more times, as the members of my family came to the front desk, checked in, and then had to do a double or triple take trying to place me. "It looked just like you, but I knew it couldn't be you, because you are in Alaska!" My mom about had a heart attack and my dad started tearing up. It was the best surprise ever! My favorite line though was from my sister-in-law, Lila. She said, (something to the effect of) "This must be what it is like to go to heaven. You check in at the front desk, and then you get to reunite with family that you haven't seen in a long time."

The sealing was very beautiful, and I am so glad that I was able to attend. My younger siblings were not old enough to go into the sealing room, so they waited in the waiting room with their nieces and nephews. I got to do more surprising and it was so fun to see their faces. My mom didn't let me out of her sight, because she was sure that it wasn't real. =) After the sealing, we all went to a bbq at Micah's house.

My trip was amazing. I got to meet my two adopted nephews (Calvin and Teagan), and one niece(Cambry) and one foster niece(N-baby) that have joined the family since last July when I was there. I got to visit with my friend from elementary school and go shopping at Target and Deseret Book. I got to enjoy my siblings and parents and just have no worries for a few days. It was so wonderful, and I owe it all to my amazing husband...who told me to just go and he would take care of everything while I was gone. He did a great job taking the kids fishing, getting them off to school and piano lessons, and generally holding down the fort. I am so grateful for his willingness to let me go and have fun while he took over for me. Thank you!!!! I love you!!!!

Now for the pictures. I so didn't want to download 50 something pictures on here, since it will only let me do 5 at a time, so I am going to try it this way. I have an album on facebook of my trip, and it says that I can share the album even if you all don't have a facebook. The link is below, and if it doesn't work, will someone please let me know? I can upload them here, and normally I would, but I wanted to try it this way this time.

album

Oh, there was one more surprise at the end of my trip. I was supposed to come home on Wed. night. I got to the airport, turned in my rental car, got my boarding pass, went through security, got a snack and went to wait at my assigned gate. No sooner had I sat down and started enjoying my fruit/granola yogurt, than the desk agent gets on the intercom and announces that anyone on flight (whatever my flight number was) had to come and see her. Turns out the plane I was supposed to get on had raditor problems wherever it was coming from so it was going to be an hour late getting into Boise. I only had an hour layover in Seattle, so there was no way I was going to make my connection. They gave me two options that involved a lot of sleeping and waiting in different airports, or I could stay in Boise an extra night and fly out in the morning. So I got to spend an extra night with my family before flying home.

3rd grade camp out

This week I went on a field trip with London's class. It was a 3 day/2 night camp out (in cabins) with 45 third graders! We left the school around 9am on Wed. morning and drove out the road, to the Southeast Methodist Camp. They have cabins, a lodge with a kitchen, and working toilets and showers. I didn't take a shower because the floor was kind of gross and the shower heads didn't work very well, but it was nice to have sinks and real toilets.

I was not happy (initially) about this field trip. First, we don't do "spend the nights"... period...and this was sleeping over for two nights. Second, it was a $40 field trip. Third, I don't really even like camping (tent camping to be more specific, and this was going to be cabin camping so not too bad, but still...) The only way London was going to get to go was if I went with her. (Yes, I'm that protective... =P )

I ended up really enjoying myself...and London had a ball. There were a lot of activities that kept the kids engaged and active all throughout the day. I was in a cabin with 16 third grade girls and four other moms. The first night the girls WOULD NOT settle down. After getting their breakfast last the next morning (for bad behavior) they didn't make a peep the next night.

This was just a REALLY funny cart. They shortened the name of the camp to make it fit...but they didn't think about what it said on it. We took the 3rd graders to the "SE Meth Camp"! I told one of the moms, and she joked "Yeah, next time we should take them to the Pot Farm"!



The first day the kids played several games. In this one, the kids were predators, and they had to sneak up on a sleeping kid who was the prey. The "prey" had on a blindfold and had to point if he heard any sounds, and the predator he heard would have to go back to the start.

Wednesday night, we walked over to Eagle Beach and had a BBQ. I hadn't ever been to Eagle Beach, and it is really beautiful. Incidentally, that night during the BBQ was the only time it rained the whole three days! We have had such a wonderfully sunny spring...more sun than rain, which is amazing.

Thursday, the kids cooked their own lunches. They were given a hobo stove made out of a coffee can, and a can of heat made out of a tuna can filled with cardboard and wax. They cooked hamburger patties on the hobo stoves, and had chips and a drink to go with it.

The parent helpers got their hamburgers cooked on a grill, since we were all needed, to make sure no one got burned and had fully cooked hamburgers to eat.

London and I roughing it! ;)

During the day on Thursday, the kids were broken up into four groups and had four, hour long activities to do. One was weaving, one was locating mosquito larvae or bugs and inspecting them, one was learning about survival, and the final was a nature hike. Me and one other mom, along with a high school student volunteer, took the kids on the nature hike. The other mom and I thought it was quite ironic that the two moms who were most afraid of seeing a bear, were assigned to lead the nature hike! We taught the kids about beavers, an alluvial fan, nurse trees and had them do a "micro-hike" with magnifying glasses. We (the moms) also learned about "dancing with devil's club", but I will explain more about that in a different post.

London and I in the devil's club

I am explaining the micro hike to the kids.

London on her "micro-hike"

She found mosquito larvae...but you can't really see it in this photo.

The last day was spent cleaning up camp and then going on one more hike. I helped clean up, but didn't get to go on the hike, because I had to run home to shower and catch a plane to Idaho to surprise my family. I had way more fun on this field trip than I ever thought I would, and even found myself getting excited that we would still be living here when Isaiah is in 3rd grade, and I can go again! (It actually startled me that I was excited to go again!)