Caring for Babies in the Wild

Who needs a stroller when you've got strong arms to carry?

Is this adjusted well?

Let's make sure this is secure.

We don't want her to fall out!

Picking wild raspberries!

Look!  Wild raspberry coffee!

Last week, us girls went for a walk in the wild.  We took our friends from Washington down to the, "Loop-de-loops," as the children have aptly named the bike path located near the end of our gravel road.  Before we left for the hike, all the girls adjusted and readjusted their baby dolls to make sure they were comfortable.  They had run full speed down the road and back before we left and decided it was very hard to do with a baby in tow.  They were laughing and giggling and having a great time. 

We found a patch of wild raspberries and picked to our hearts content.  If you look close in the above picture you will see a raspberry floating in my friends cup!  It dropped in by accident.  My friend was getting ready to take a sweet picture of my little girl sharing her berries with baby brother when suddenly his little hand shot out and grabbed a fist full of her hair instead!  She caught the blurred image on her camera and we had a good laugh!

Four Wheeler Adventure

Taking it for a test ride...

Some more testing and fixing...

Working together

Helping hands, a mix of boy and man...

When our friends were here from Washington, the Daddy spent a whole day working with our son on restoring this four wheeler to working condition.  He also gave a great science lesson on combustion and how an engine works.  We couldn't hardly believe that they got this machine to work!  Someone had brought it over as a project for our son to work on and he'd been looking forward to this visit and working with his best friends Dad on this very project.  He was one happy boy to have spent precious time in this way!

The Caribou Hunt that Never Was

This handsome caribou is also known as a reindeer...

This handsome boy is also known as my firstborn son...

The mighty hunters

Daddy and his longtime hunting buddy and friend, pictured above with our son, went Caribou hunting one evening.  They took the truck and camper fully stocked with food and supplies and were disappointed to realize the next day that it was illegal to hunt caribou in the area they had driven.  It was a good lesson in honesty for all as they had a beautiful reindeer in their sights and no one would've known had they choose to take its life.  They did the right thing and even though they were really disappointed about it, I know God and He will bless regardless.  I was so impressed with the attitudes of these guys when they came home.  The next day they all pitched in and worked on the cabin bathroom.  Nobody sulked around feeling sorry for themselves.  They did what a man's gotta do and that was some amazing teamwork!  I've got the photos to prove it! They read the hunting regulations and studied the map and even called the fish and game to make sure they were in the right season and place.  It was so complicated that even the gov't workers had the wrong impression and they refunded our friends money.  I hope everyone comes again next year to try it all again and come back with a trophy Caribou!

Remodeling Teamwork with Friends

Don't look at the scaffolding, it made me nervous!

Three men bonded together in Christ, working as a team, can get a lot done!

One boy, also walking with Christ, can get a lot done!

Stopping for some directions...

I fit into these boots!  Let me help too!

I couldn't believe the amount of work these guys got done in this bathroom!  The water was shut off for a day and by late evening they had the tub level on the floor with our first real shower installed!  All the plumbing in the walls and flooring was done.  The hot water tank and pressure tank and pump were relocated as well as the shut off valve. 

It's all a bit of a blur because all the days sort of melded into one but they even put a beautiful picture window in the outside wall that lets in a lot of extra light.

For those of you that appreciate thinking outside the box, the shower walls are temporary, consisting of stapled plastic and a bit of shower wall cut for stability around the lower part!  Such ingenuity!  This weekend we will continue working on finishing the shower.  Our friends are gone, but left us with renewed strength and vision to press on!

More Outings With Our Friends

Enjoying an ice cream cone on a chilly day in Pioneer Park

Watching the gold pond...and the ducks...

The famous UAF museum grizzly bear...

Our friends from Southern Oregon

Outings with our Friends



Enjoying each other's company on a chilly day in Pioneer Park

 I enlarged the above photo so you could see the catchy phrase above our friends' head, "Bold Indicates Those Still active."  I didn't notice the sign until I was cropping pictures but how very fitting for this man and his wife!  They are still active in the faith, together, and are bold about it, each in their own style and way.  They have been a source of continued encouragement to us through the Lord Jesus Christ!

My heart is full to bursting when I think of all this family has been through yet still remain faithful to Praise the Lord for it all.  It is not my story.  It is His Story and all I can say is His mercies truly are new every morning. 

I witnessed this beautiful Mother care for my children like they were her own and the Father as well.  I witnessed this Daddy singing God's praises with a mighty voice while playing the old piano in the middle of a historic church located in Pioneer Park, not caring who was around, only that God heard and we all so encouraged by it!  I saw their daughter and my daughters dance to their hearts content to the Daddy's music. 

I've heard so much praise for God and His sovereignty in our lives this past week.  I cannot begin to describe to you the joy of the Lord amongst suffering and pain but it is true and it is wonderful and I hope that someday every one reading this calls out to this same Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in truth and in full surrender and dependence upon Him. 

Friendship from the Lord

We've thoroughly enjoyed our friends' coming to visit from Washington and from Oregon.  We are feeling refreshed mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.  What a blessing to have godly friends!  We shared stories, songs, memories, laughter, tears, and frustrations.   Here are a few pictures of our past week, enjoying one an other's company....

The Three Princesses

What happens when you kiss a frog...

Our friend braided all the girls hair beautifully!

Even the littlest princess...

Help has arrived!

Flyin' high with our friends!

Cleaning out the cooler upon arrival...

Playing a grand game of Tea Party

Some snuggle time with our friends

Some rolling in laughter times with our friends

Who needs a Horse?

Yee Haw!  Ride'em Cowboy!

I can help too!

We see you now taking our picture AGAIN!

During chore time, my daughter had a great little helper.  She began training him, picking up where I left off.... when to push the button and how to hold the hose.  You can see from the pictures that he does have a lovely wooden rocking horse but prefers mans work:  controlling and dominating a moving, whirring machine. 

You can also see from the pictures that our daughter loves her work as well.  She is cheerful and eager to pitch in wherever needed.  She leads quietly by example and noisily when romping and playing with her siblings.  She loves to read books and sometimes I call her, "Belle" because she reminds me of Beauty and the Beast.

Can you believe that I actually miss vacuuming my living room?  I do.  However, it sure is fun taking pictures and recording what is happening in the lives of my loved ones...

Today our friends from Sequim, Washington, are coming to visit!  Also, our friends from Grants Pass, Oregon arrived in town yesterday and they've been celebrating their 10th Wedding Anniversary by touring Alaska.  We are SO looking forward to seeing all their friendly faces and sitting in the warmth of good memories, visiting, relaxing, working, and sightseeing.  I might not even have time to blog!   Don't worry if I don't post for a few days, I'll be back...

Chicken Coop Building Part II

What a nice chicken you are, let me pet you...

Can we bring it in, please?

Big sister takes all my fun away!

A few minutes ago someone opened this window up and little sister stuck her hand out to pet our lone chicken.  The hen's new roost is now the back of a camp chair.  A few minutes later, the dog came tearing through the open door and ran around several times on our almost white living room carpet with muddy paws! 

We just noticed that the old stove pipe is leaking this morning in two places:  upstairs in the kids bedroom and downstairs in what is supposed to have been the bathroom.  It's a good thing we have friends coming to visit from Oregon and from Washington.  Lord knows we need it about now!

If I had any energy left today I'd probably sit down and have a good bawl put I need to conserve my energy for something more creative like figuring out how to fix the stove pipe issue and how to keep five children occupied during week after week of rain... WAIT!!!  I see a patch of blue sky, there is hope!!!  We have had rainless moments through out some of the days these past few weeks, but it hasn't been many...

Yesterday, the children finished the building of the redneck chicken coop... except it didn't contain the chicken like we'd hope as you can see from the above pictures.

Look to the right of the outhouse to see the leafy branched roof of the chicken coop.

 In the above picture, I am rescuing my baby from taking a hatchet, with the blade protected in a leather sleeve, of course, and giving it back to it's misplaced owner.

Hauling branches we cut away from our power lines yesterday
 to put over the coop today, while typing this TOMORROW?

Look how strong I am!  I can haul big branches too!

So can I!  He's only 18 months old, but knows how to work!

What a blessing to have little ones that like to work!  They are creative and enjoy doing it too!  What a blessing to be able to blog!  It could get out of hand, but I believe it is also keeping me sane and positive!  TO GOD BE THE GLORY in it all!

Chickadee at our Recycled Bird Feeder

Eating crushed sunflower seeds, not root beer.

Fly away quick, some one's trying to take a picture!

This was the easiest bird feeder to make!  You can order the plastic feeder part from "My Father's World."  All it takes is a clean 2 liter and you've got a feeder! 

These little chickadees really are friendly.  I'll dig up a photo of them landing in my husband's hand and feeding!

Summer Sunset

View of the sunset from out our front door...

We are surrounded by all sorts of trees and see a small patch of sky.  Our sunsets look so different because we never see the horizon from our vantage point.  The sun is still setting very late in the evening and the angle of the sun rays makes for some very unique colors and lights around the clouds.

Much like the picture of the sunset, we all view from a different vantage point at various locations around the globe. Is the earth still the earth? Yes. Are we all viewing the same sun? Yes. The truth is fixed. It never changes. How we view ourselves in light of the truth should always be changing. The truth should never change. It is not going to evolve into something that better suits our sinful, selfish selves!

Who made this summer sunset possible?  Let's thank the sponsor of this program...

"Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:  for by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers:  all things were created by him, and for him:  and he is before all things, and by him all things consist."  Colossians 1: 15-17

What's the point of preaching and teaching? 

"That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."  Colossians 2:2-3

How can we possibly discern truth from error in this crazy world that we live in today that enjoys evil instead of good, and says of the good, that it is evil!!!???

One of my favorite verses in the whole Bible is Colossians 2:8.  I must add a couple verses previous because they are the key to preventing spoilage:  and I'm thinking there's an awful lot of spoilage going on among people here on this earth...

"As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:  rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.  Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.  And ye are complete in him..."  Colossians 2:6-10a

How to Build a Redneck Chicken Coop

First, find a great location, near the summer outhouse...

Next, enlist some great help...

Add a great boss...

 We've all decided that the free range chicken may no longer freely range.  We've had it with the only by product it leaves behind, which by the way, is not an egg.  We're beginning to think we might have a rooster except that it doesn't crow.  If it doesn't start laying some eggs soon, it will be chicken stew!

The older children and I cut and slashed some spindly trees to make a roof like structure over the existing chicken fence.  We are hoping the chicken will not be able to fly out from under the triangular shaped roof.  It's an experiment.  Surely we could get some credits for geometry or something!

This machete is really sharp!

Look, mom, one slash took this branch right off!

Put that hatchet DOWN!

That's better, right on the target!

What an Alaskan girl she's turning out to be...

Except for the sour berry she just ate...

It was REALLY REALLY sour!