Hiking to Castle Rock

Last Saturday we hiked to Castle Rock.  It's so pretty this time of year.  There's green everywhere.

We brought a few 4-wheelers with us so the little kids could ride when they got tired.

We brought a few friends too.  Ms. Regina, driving the 4-wheeler, Lavonne, Aaron, a friend from Port Alsworth, Jerome, Geronimo, and Anthony all came with us.

Mom's turning into a mountain driver. :)

Once you get to as far as you can drive the 4-wheelers, you have to hike through a bunch of bushes then climb up a bunch of rocks. 

Mom, Dad, Sarah and Princess

Me, myself, and I

Once you get to Castle Rock you can keep going farther, up more rocks till you get to the plateau on top of Boys Mountain.  This was the first time Mom, Sarah, and the little boys had been up there because it's hard climbing.  Sarah was great, she just kept climbing and climbing with a little help over the rough spots.

Waiting for Mom and Dad.

It's a long ways down to the 4-wheelers.

We walked across the plateau some and down into crevices.

There's still snow down there even though it's 80 outside.

Sarah collected pretty flowers and put them in her hair.

The little hikers.  Princess was quite the mountain dog.

Deborah and Sarah

Sarah with Lake Clark, Igiugig, and Six Mile in the background.  From the top of the mountain you can see all the way from Lake Clark Pass to Kokhanok.

New family picture with Nondalton in the background.

Aaron helped Sarah get back down through the rocks and bushes.

I'm pretty sure we have about the most beautiful backyard ever. :)

P.S. I figured out how to get the pictures not blurry.  Yay. 

June's Going's On's

At the beginning of the month we got a bunch of wood in for the basement.  MARC brought it in on Samaritan's Purse's Casa.  It's always fun to have a "big" plane come to Nondalton.

Bye Casa, thanks for bringing our stuff!

The boys found a new use for bug spray and a lighter.

Dad bought a fuel truck in Iliamna last summer.  We were going to drive it down this winter but there was to much snow.  So last week Leon was down from Port Alsworth with his barge and brought it across for us.

We had to move things around a bit to make room for it.

We got the garden planted in all this warm weather.

We put a fence all around it to keep the dogs out.

 It has been very warm the past few days.  It hit 80 a couple times.  It hasn't been that warm in years.

We've been outside kayaking and swimming all  the time.

But in the evenings we've been having thunderstorms.  Very rare for Alaska, complete with green sky and everything.

We've had a couple good double rainbows too.

3 Birthdays

 We've had three birthdays since my last birthday post.  Anna turned 13th, Paul turned 50 and Quentin turned 15.

Anna's birthday gives us four wonderful teenagers in the house.  It truly is a blessing to see my children grow to be young adults who love Yhwh and love each other (they aren't perfect, there are times when they forget how much they love each other :)

Anna is still an avid tree climber and book reader.  I haven't seen her washing the dishes with her feet in the sink in a while.  I guess she's finally outgrown that one.

                

The four oldest Clark kids drove their four wheeler and motorcycle the 20 miles to the other side of our lake and then we brought them across in our boat (the motorcycle made the trip too :) for Quentin's birthday.

Sarah, Anna Brendemuhl & Anna Clark

The Clark's came up the day after day Quentin's birthday for the big party.  So, to honor his actual birthday he got an ice cream cone with a candle in it.

Notice the baby picture wall behind Quentin.  Everyone is 6 months old.   My children enjoy rearranging  them, but  in this picture Abigail is at the top and Quentin is on her right.

Quentin eating cake.

Quentin opening presents.

Quentin is Paul's right hand man (he's not afraid to delegate to his younger brothers).  He is becoming a competent mechanic.  He loves electronics and has recently started buying broken ipods and such, repairing and then selling them.

Blowing out all those candles!!!

The favorite birthday game was a one on one, lose one point and you rotate out volleyball game.  Notice the yellow ropes they use for a makeshift net. 

We had a lot of fun playing and fellow shipping with a group of kids that were visiting our village from  Port Alsworth .  They came to share the Gospel and Bible stories.

Half a century!!!  and grinning like a kid!  For his birthday Paul has been living every boy's dream, driving a real live, big backhoe!