First Day of School!

It finally came! The day arrived! Ben started Pre-school! He had eagerly been waiting for the day to arrive. Mommy and Daddy were both able to go to "Meet-Your-Teacher" day. Ben's teacher, Ms. Shawn is a very bubbly, energetic lady. After only a moment's hesitation, he took to her right away. He was very disappointed when we had to leave. He was fully expecting to get to stay at school for the whole day and didn't realize that he had another week to wait for that First Day!

When the day finally came, Mommy was able to skip a few class periods to take Ben. It was a nice surprise to run into his little sweetie, Justice. He marched right in, found out where to hang his back-pack and coat then proceded to start in on the puzzles. Mom held it together until she was in the car on the way back to her school when the tears came. Benjamin came home tired, happy and eager to go again!

Bonfires and s'mores!

An evening at camp just wouldn't be complete without a big roaring campfire and s'mores. Lori has the chocolate melting down to a fine art. Ben is getting the hang of roasting marshmallows. However, he doesn't have the patience to wait for them to be roasted to perfection and tends to eat them raw.

Water Tubing!

Benjamin has certainly developed a love of the water. He got very brave and went water tubing with Daddy out on the lake. I say brave not only because he was going to be pulled behind a speeding boat, but because the water was also very cool! He had a total blast! The ear-to-ear smile on his face was all the proof needed. R. J. let him wear his goggles while on the boat. Ben loved them so much that he wouldn't take them off. We finally had to wait until he fell asleep that night to remove them.

Camping Accommodations

Our luxuriant accommodations at Family Camp. This has to be one of the most beautiful places that we visit, whether rain, snow, or sun. We look forward to coming out here every year. Here is a view of our nearest toilette, natural stairway and lodgings. The "Hilton" houses the kitchen and dining hall. It had to have some major repairs done before the start of this year's summer camp sessions. Most of the foundation had rotted away, and it was on the brink of sliding down the hill towards the lake! As rustic as our over-night lodgings look, we really do have access to running water, flushing toilets and showers. Last year, repairs had to be done on the 7-mile, bumpy, muddy, 4-wheel-drive-only, dirt road. Dad and Rob joined the work crew that installed a new bridge so that we could get safely across the creek to camp.

Family Camp on Lynx Lake

Family camp signals the end of summer and the start of a new school year. We were truly blessed with a beautiful sunny Saturday afternoon. Sunshine has been so scarce this year that we all wanted to just drink it in! Everyone especially had fun playing in and on the water. Whether it was riding in the paddle boat, the speed boat, or just playing at the waters edge, Ben couldn't get enough of sand, sun and surf!

Fly in Fishin'

Even though we left Daddy all by himself for two whole weeks, he certainly had nothing to complain about. He got to go on some awesome fishing trips. Probably the most memorable was flying out to the other side of Mount Susitna (aka: Sleeping Lady) in Tim Delph's 1950's PA 12 airplane. On the return trip, Rob got to fly the plane home. Needless to say, he was one happy guy! He is hooked on flying and now wants to take lessons!

The Three Faces of Ben!

Wild Animal Safari

We spent a day in Winston, Oregon driving through the Wild Animal Safari. It was 97 degrees and Ben had never been in temperatures that hot before. It had been a while for mom, too! However, the bright, sunny day was a nice change from the cloudy, cool, 65 degree summer we had been having back home in Anchorage. Ben got to see animals that he had never seen before. There were giraffes, hippos, cheetahs, lions, zebras, ostriches, flamingos, and some kind of white deer, just to name a few.

After driving through the park, we got to get out and visit a petting zoo, ride a small train, and visit the gift shop. Ben set a record for the shortest amount of time playing in the children's park. It was so hot that he only lasted 5 minutes! He really wanted to go play in the elephant fountain. Luckily, he spotted a snow cone stand and told the lady operating it, that he was from Alaska and he was hot. She felt pity on him and gave him a snow cone!

Splashin' in the Waves

Ben and Daisha had a blast running on the sand, and being chased by waves from the incoming tide. Just being able to walk barefoot on the sand in warm water was fun for mom, too! Aunt Cathy spotted a live crab that the kids were totally fascinated with!

More fun at Grandma's!

Cousin's galore to play with made Ben one happy little boy!

Family Picnic

We enjoyed a family picnic at Grandma's house. In addition to all of the cousin's that Ben had to play with, he also had Uncle's to play with. Uncle Steve and Uncle John were lot's of fun!

Brand New Cousins!

Three new cousins have been added to our ever growing family. It was great fun to meet Tyson, Dylan and Kole for the first time. Their proud mommies loved to show them off!

A Trip to the Reindeer Farm

The day that Ben and Mommy were to leave for two weeks in Washington, Daddy got to take the day off to spend with us. We decided to head to Palmer to visit the Reindeer Farm. Do you know how to tell the difference between reindeer and caribou? Reindeer can fly! As long as you have food in your hand, the reindeer are your very best friends. However, when the food is all gone, so are they. The elk enjoyed eating the green grass that Ben kept poking through the fence. Pioneer Peak made the perfect backdrop to our beautiful day, even though fresh snow dusted the tops of the mountains...hinting of things to come.