ALASKA

I am just about ready to finish up a vision trip to Alaska. I have been here about 10 days, and will be returning home in 2 days. I have joined with a group that goes to small villages throughout the the Alaskan Bush to provide eye exams and glasses. Just myself and one other person (the optician) go out together. This is the second trip I have taken with them, and let me tell you, it is an adventure. I am currently in the village of Dillingham (fortunately, I have internet service). Other villages I have been to include Naknek, Togiak, Manakotak, Nome, Kotzebue, Shishmaref, and others. I could write for hours about the adventures I've had, but for now, I'll stick with some of the highlights:
--Staying at a "Bed & Breakfast" which was actually just a double-wide trailor with microwave breakfasts in the freezer.
--Giving Sarah Palin her cool glasses that everybody is talking about (OK, so I didn't really do that)
--11 plane rides in 12 days
--4-passenger, single-engine bush planes flying low over the Bering Sea (Yes, that's the same sea from the t.v show "The Deadliest Catch." Scary!)
--Not getting sick (see the previous 2 highlights)
--Seeing the mountains of Russia in the distance while flying out to the St. Lawrence Island (didn't realize that Alaska was so close to Russia)
--NOT having enough time to go Salmon fishing (OK, that's not a highlight--it's a discouragement).
--Arriving in a small village on Sunday. The local native trading store was closed, and so a local rounded up some supplies for us and charged us $50.00 for a loaf of bread, a gallon of water, and a six-pack of pop.
--Staying at a local search and rescue building for 3 days, with no running water, a "honey-bucket" for the toilet, and having to dump all water out the window because the pipes had all frozen and cracked. However, they did have the internet (go figure).
--ALMOST taking a bush flight with a local pilot until we heard he had crashed 4 times in the past 12 months (we decided to wait on that one).
--Never getting dark (and hearing kids outside playing until 1 am in the morning).
--The breathtaking rivers and valleys that abound throughout Alaska.
--and on and on....
I'm sure there will be more to tell about in the future, so I'll try my best to keep you updated. Unfortunately, I currently don't have a way to download my pictures, so after I get home I'll try to post some pictures.
The biggest highlight, of course, will be in 2 days when I step off that plane and see my family. Only 2 more days!

Back to School

As great as summer is, it's always good when school starts again. That probably holds true more for the parents than it does for the kids. Caleb is now in 4th grade, and Kaden is in 2nd grade. The big thing this year, however, is that Katelyn is now old enough to go to preschool. Kristen really debated about whether to put her in this year, or to wait one more year before starting preschool. But Katelyn has been dying to go. She somehow knew she would be going to the same preschool where her big brothers went--Bear Hollow--and she has been counting down the days. Her best friend would be going to the same preschool, and that made her even more excited to go. I've been afraid that Kristen was going to have separation anxiety or something. I've been trying to reassure her that it would actually be a good thing. That it would give her a couple hours a week where she wouldn't have to worry about kids, and have some time just for her. She finally agreed. Preschool started a week later than regular school did, and Katelyn was having a hard time with the fact that the boys started school but she couldn't go yet. For months Kristen has been saying that she will be sad when her baby goes off to school. After coming home from school her first day Katelyn asked her mom a very logical question--"Mommy, did you cry?" Although I wasn't there as a witness, I'm pretty sure that she did. Even if it was just a little!

Getting ready for school

Audrey & Katelyn

Kaden & Caleb ready for school

Trip to the Dentist

Katelyn had her first official trip to the dentist. She wasn't real excited about it either. She didn't mind the hygenist part, but when the doctor came in, that was a whole different story. The fact that the dentist was her best friend's dad didn't help make it any easier. But she finally warmed up and let him look in her mouth. The verdict: all is well. The boys had their teeth checked also. Unfortunately, the verdict wasn't quite as pleasing for them! Looks like they'll be coming back.

"See, this isn't so bad"

" Look Mom, no cavities!"

Kaden and Caleb anxiously awaiting their turn