Lazy Days of Summer

Hi all, I noticed I haven't posted at all in August so I guess it's time for an update. I've been spending my time at home cleaning out closets and our spare bedroom. Skip went scuba diving last weekend up in Puget Sound, which he was anxious to do since he got his cast removed last month. Of course I've been staying up way too late watching the Olympics! I haven't really gotten into the Olympics since I was a kid, but I enjoyed watching swimming and gymnastics this time around!

I'm most excited about our possibility of being homeowners in the near future! We are STILL renting and I'm so ready to get a place of our own! We've met with a real estate agent and are meeting with a lender this weekend to get the ball rolling! Skip and I went to an open house at a new construction site and it was really fun just to go look through houses!! It makes me anxious to think about all of the responsibility that comes with having a house, but it would be worth it! So we'll be sure to keep you updated on how things are going :)

It's back to work for me this Friday, with the kids starting next Wednesday. I can't believe summer vacation is almost over :( But I'm excited to meet my little kiddos, which is one of my favorite parts of the year! As of now I only have 23 students, but I usually end up with at least a few more when the year begins. It's still better than the 27 I started with last year.

Alaska=Fun!!!

Skip and I recently took a trip to Anchorage, Alaska to visit my grandparents. The one week we stayed was full of fun, but not even close to being long enough. Alaska is a beautiful place, I was in awe everywhere we went (maybe with the exception of downtown!) Around here we might see a deer or coyote walking along the road...in Alaska we saw several moose out and about. I can't even describe how amazing this vacation was, and we can't wait to go back!

Grandpa and Betty Sue loading up the 4-wheelers and getting the camper ready for our weekend camping trip to Sutton.
Their cat, Hemi, makes himself comfortable. This cat is so sweet and loving!
Here I am getting my quick instruction before taking off for our first ride.
Betty Sue taking it easy!
Sharing a great moment with grandpa! I really enjoyed the time we had together!

Muddy 4-Wheeling!

On Saturday morning we took off on our first ride. We went through just about everything you can imagine...mud, rivers of mud, rivers, grass and gravel. It was an awesome ride!

Here Skip and Grandpa cross the river. I waited patiently on the sidelines.
All the mud clogged up the radiators, so we stopped at this lake to clean up a bit. There were some people gliding peacefully in their canoe...until we came along and interrupted their quiet.

Waterfall Ride

After some lunch we set out for a second ride up to a waterfall. It was a VERY difficult ride, but I trusted my family to keep me safe!

This was about halfway up the trail where we stopped for a breather. If it wasn't so cloudy, I'm sure we could have seen on forever...
The infamous waterfall! We were just about to the top of the mountain so I'm not sure where all the water was coming from (most of the snow melt was gone.) The water was mighty cold!
Me and grandpa heading back from the waterfall.
Another scenic moment :)

Summer in Alaska

This is what the sky looked like when we got back from our second ride of the day. It was just after 10PM!! The sun doesn't set during part of the summer, and while we were there the sun never set. It was so weird waking up during the night and having no idea if it was 2AM or 8AM!

Musk Ox Farm

We visited this musk ox farm, and these babies were the closest we got to any of them.

Yummy Chocolate!

We stopped by the Alaskan Wildberry Chocolate Factory for some sweet treats! Each of these bricks of chocolate weighs 10 pounds. You can buy them for $49 (then pay $100 to pack it home in your suitcase!)

Alaskan Wildlife Conservation Center

Thank goodness for fences!!

Up close and personal with this friendly moose.

This eagle had been found out in the forest and had been shot in the left wing. It's wing was amputated, so he'll live the rest of his life in this cage.

Skip really liked this photograph of a musk ox with it's baby, so I bought it for him for his birthday. As I was in line to make my purchase, a guy behind me said, "Thanks for buying that picture." I asked if he was the photographer, and he said that he was. He photographs the animals in the conservation center to sell in the gift shop. Every penny that he makes goes to helping the animals at the center.

Whittier Bay

Whittier Bay is a very small village that is popular among fisherman, ferries and cruise ships.

Pictures cannot do this place justice!

The only road out of Whittier!

Audra Anne

On our way out of Whittier, we stopped to visit the Audra Anne, a 110' yacht. My grandpa had worked on the engines a few years back, and I was lucky enough to spend a weekend on it when it was docked in Bellingham, WA.

Portage Glacier

On our way back from Whittier Bay, we stopped at the Portage Glacier Visitor's Center. The glacier is cradled in the valley of the mountains. About 40 years ago, the glacier reached all the way to where I was standing.
Skip's holding a piece of the iceberg that made it to shore.
Another cold iceberg!

Skip's Birthday Dinner

To celebrate Skip's birthday and our time in Alaska, my grandparents took us to the Double Musky Inn for dinner. The restaurant is tucked up in the woods near the ski slopes and is very popular among the locals. The food was delicious, and Skip managed to finish all of his 16 ounce pepper steak! I think the best part of the meal was the dessert, and since everyone at the table ordered something different, we tried it all!!

Skip's feeling a little full after dinner!

Time to Say Good-bye

The morning that we left, Hemi was helping me pack our things. I just think he wanted to come home with us, but I don't think my grandparents would agree!

Our Little Hike

Skip loves to explore caves, so while vacationing in Bend I agreed to take a nice hike in the desert through central Oregon to find some cave that he had seen on a map. Needless to say, we didn't find the cave...so on our hike back to the car I took two pictures. The first one shows what was behind us, the second one shows what was ahead of us. Thank goodness I lathered up on the sunscreen!

Mirror Pond isn't just a beer!

Skip's favorite beer is Mirror Pond, so one of our first stops in Bend was the Deschutes Brewery Pubhouse for a fresh, cold beer! But before that we took a walk through Drake Park, just west of downtown Bend. That is where we found Mirror Pond, a spot along the Deschutes River that was full of geese, ducks, and one white swan. The park was beautiful and was one of our fave spots in Bend.

Here's the queen (or king) of Mirror Pond.

This guy kept giving me the evil eye, so I had my escape plan ready to go!

We ended our trip to the park with a game of Duck, Duck, Goose!

Bend Pics....Finally

Sunset atop Pilot Butte with Bend below. The Three Sisters are the mountains to the left of the sun, with Broken Top on the far left.

Looking up the side of Lava Butte, which spewed out all of this black lava into the valley.

On the top of Lava Butte, can you tell how mature we are??? The view from up here was amazing! We learned that all these butte's are vent holes from the volcanoes, and there are more than 400 in this area.

Almost Free!

I don't know who this girl is, but she conveys my feelings right now perfectly! Excited, ecstatic, and just plain happy that summer vacation is starting so soon! One more half-day and it's adios!

I'm also happy because Skip and I are celebrating our 2nd wedding anniversary. We'll cross paths in between our jobs, but we're going to Bend this weekend to celebrate!

12 Days of School Left!!!

I'm so excited that there are only 12 days of school left! On June 10th, I'll be waving good-bye to my 25 little darlings and welcoming summer vacation! This job can really suck the life out of you, and this year has been absolutely no exception. I love what I do, but it can be so very trying. Unfortunately, things are going to get worse before they get any better because our bond for a new elementary school failed on Tuesday. We are almost 300 students over capacity right now, and our little town is growing by the day. I honestly believe that I could end up with 30 students within the next few years. And I'm set to do this for the next 30 years?? And while I'm on this venting spree, I have to start on my master's degree soon so that I can keep my job! Of course, I have to pay for it. One of my coworkers just paid off her student loans....she's 41. I'm really not as bitter as I may sound, it just would be nice if teachers would be treated like the professionals that we are.

Heaven in a Pita

Anyone who has lived in Pullman knows the longing that takes place when you crave a delicious pita, but there is no where to get such a gratifying meal! Well, the wait for us in Vancouver is over, because we now have a Pita Pit of our very own! I hope they have a punch card because I'm going to be a frequent flyer!

Two for Two!

So my life hasn't been the most exciting since returning from Vegas, but I finally have something report on! I've now won the second Survivor pool in a row at work. Last season my boy Todd won it all, and this time Parvati somehow managed to win. I'm still not sure really why she won, but it's all good for me since it means another $50 in my pocket!