Movin'

When you live in a place where materials are expensive and hard to come by, recycling becomes important.  Building and houses are often moved from one location to another.  In fact, just a few days ago I saw an ad for a house for sale for a really decent price, but it turned out that the price was so good because you had to move it off of the lot so you were only buying the house and not the land with it.  

There arent very many other things to do so following a moving building down the road may be the most interesting thing that happens in awhile.  There was a long line of kids hanging around the building watching its slow progression through the busiest part of town during the busiest part of the day.  There were cars cutting through the grocery store parking lot to get around it.  Interesting thing to see and a small reminder of what an interesting place this is to live.

Number 16: Read a Stephen Kind novel

It took about 6 weeks, but I was finally able to finish reading The Stand by Stephen King.  I asked many people for suggestions on which Stephen King book I should read and there were many people who suggested The Stand.  I really enjoyed reading the book and thought that King's writing style was very interesting.  It was a very long novel, but very engaging.  Some people would say that the book was slow and that it did not have very much action.  The foundation of the book definitely focuses on character development and the action happens subtly between the characters.  There really is no major, outright action.  The action is based on the interactions between characters and the core struggle of every human being to decide where they STAND.

First CC Medal

 Avery has been running cross country this year.  It's his new found passion.  He likes to run. 

 The Bethel invitational is held in the sand pit and is known to be the hardest course in the region. 

 Avery ran hard and held fifth place for almost the entire race, the in the last 100 yards, he put the kid in front of him in his sights.  

 He kicked it into high gear and passed him right before crossing the finish line.   It was the most exciting finish of the whole race.  Even though I only had about half of my voice, I still did alot of yelling and screaming.  I might not even have a voice left tomorrow. 

 Overall, he came in 4th place in the tournament and will be travelling to the regional competition next weekend in King Salmon.

It was his first CC medal and I'm so proud of him.  He pushed himself hard and his hard work paid off. 

A little dog visitor

My most recent foster dog was a friendly and cute Beagle mix.  Unfortunately, this is the first foster dog that I havent been able to find a home for and we ended up sending him in to Anchorage for placement there.  I've really enjoyed helping with the Bethel Friends of Canines when I can!  There are so many less dogs on the streets of Bethel.  It's wonderful!

God's gift to cinnamon rolls

Last year for my birthday, my friend gave me some real vanilla extract that she had made.  That day was the day that I learned what I'd been missing by buying the fake stuff.  I'll never be able to go back to the fake stuff again.  That was the day my homemade sourdough cinnamon rolls got the frosting they deserved.  And who knew that making your own vanilla extract was so easy and inexpensive?  This fall my friend gave me a jar of cinnamon extract, but I couldnt wait to have some more REAL vanilla so I gave making it a shot.  All it takes is 6 vanilla beans for every cup of vodka, a cool dark place, and about 6 months.

My Puppy

I've really been enjoying being home with my puppy.  He's such a good dog!  I was expecting to come home to this big, over grown dog, but he's really not that much bigger than when I left.  He's such a funny puppy.  He bounces up and down when he wants food.  He throws his squeaky toys around the living room and pounces on them.  He's great for cuddling up with on the couch for a movie.  He thinks he fits in a little dog bed, but he really doesnt.  He's a funny dog.

Home.

 Home is where you can dress up as a superhero and play golf in a gigantic sandpit just for fun.  

And no one will judge you.

In fact, they'll join you.

A little time with a little man

Before heading back to Alaska, I was able to squeeze in a few extra hours with this little guy.  I just sat and held him for a long, long time.  The next time I see him, he'll be nearly a year old and so much bigger.  Time goes by way to fast.  I cant wait to see him next summer!!!  Oh...Kas...I have an idea...how about you and Ricky go on your honeymoon next summer and the boys can stay with me!!!!   Yes...good plan!  Tell me what you think!

Wedding Bells

The grand finale of my summer was the wedding of Sadie and Ben Priem.  It was a perfect day!  It was sunny and the perfect temperature.  The bride had the perfect summer wedding dress and the groom sported a pair of sweet shades.  The wedding was beautiful and the reception was perfect.  The bride and groom arrived at the reception on the back of a shiny Harley Davidson.  There was a big tent and all the family was together, including a few members of the Bethel family.  There was a ton of food and it was all the best summer BBQ stuff.  Seriously, the best corn on the cob EVER; somebody said it was Amish corn.  We sat by the fire late at night and Ben cooked us breakfast in the morning.  It was really a great way to end a great summer!

Camping around Michigan

 Angie, Avery, and I took a 10 day camping trip that started along the SW coast of Michigan and covered nearly all of the state except the UP and the SE/Detriot area.  We covered alot of ground on our trip and saw alot of what Michigan had to offer.

 At Silver Lake, Avery decided to bury me in the sand and Angie crashed her quad in the dunes.

 At Sleeping Bear, we climbed the dunes and saw an amphibious car drive through the lake.

 Avery ran all the way across the dune to the lake and back.

 We checked out the beautiful northern shore and bought tea from the only organic tea farm in North America.

 In Mackinaw City, we got rained on for the first time during our trip.

 So, we built a tarp city and played cards and dice and enjoyed each others company.

 Except Avery who mostly sat in the rain with his phone in a plastic bag and texted.

The camping trip ended with a wedding in Bay City, Michigan, but I'll save that for another post.