Mushroom Hike ~ Girdwood, AK

Our 12th wedding anniversary was spent in the delicious marshy northernmost rain forest in the world!  Love love love!  The goal ~ find the most unique mushroom for mom to photograph.  Of course I did not have my 50 mm, but hey we sure had great time!





8.26.12 ~ Happy Anniversary!

He LOVES his daddy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Red Shirt Lake

If you don't pack it...you don't have it.  This concept becomes a little more critical when you have small people.  Our first experience proved successful.  Yes, we overpacked, but nothing super important was forgotten.  Our little man even managed to bring along a few cars. 

Ready to hit the trail ~ 6.9.12

It was great to be on the water!  Brian looks a little serious, but he is really just super relaxed. 

Megan and Omar found our cabin.  Pretty fantastic to have your own island.

You have to find your wood.  Our island was really picked over so we canoed to a different piece of land and literally loaded one of our canoes to the top.  Didn't have the camera along for that adventure. 

Boys loving up their daddy!

Time to fall asleep in the midnight sun!

Good Morning!!!

Morning ride with aunt Megan and Omar.  Good stuff!!

We had our own island on Red Shirt Lake.  We had a roof over our heads ~ public use cabin number 3 at Nancy Lake State Recreational Area and canoes and two feet as our mode of transportation.  The hike in was 3 miles followed by a quick relaxing canoe ride.  Success!  http://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/units/nancylk/nancylk.htm

Kenai Lake Walk

Beautiful, relaxing and fun for everyone...go for a nice long family walk along Kenai Lake http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenai_Lake in Cooper Landing!  We parked at the Quartz Creek campground boat launch parking lot.  If you RV, the campground looks like an AMAZING place to be! 

Bogs and rainpants are certainly a bonus!

Kenai Lake ~ Mother's Day 2012

Puppies REALLY love the lake!

Drift wood playground equipment

We only had one minor mishap, which should be easily avoidable, unless you also have a four year old whose idea of skipping rocks is to throw a handful up in the air.  Sometimes buddy...they drop down on your face. 

Iditarod 2012

The day was fantastic!  The bright blue sky was amazing!  Our hosts were beyond gracious!  To top it all off, it was grandpa's first Iditarod!

Big grandpa hugs!  3.4.12

Complete comfort!

Grandpa is rooting for Kristy and Anna Berington.  They are 28 year old twin sisters who live in Kasilof.  Kristy in the photo above placed 29th last year!  Oh and PS they are beautiful blonds.  :)

Everyone gave grandpa a hard time for running out to high five Kristy so Anna (the rookie) only got a wave and a good luck.  :)

This is Dallas Seavey.  He is my pick.  He is a third generation musher, the 2011 Yukon Quest champ and has placed in the top 8 in the last three races.  Besides that, he is a kid...only 25 years old.  Go Dallas!!

Here is Lance Mackey.  He won four straight Iditarods in a row.  He is Levan's pick.  Lance was very friendly to my enthusiastic seven year old!

Here are my boys being well...BOYS!  This entire experience is aligned with their souls.  Don't get run over by the dogs B!

Wrestling...of course.  Levan is a very good big brother. 

Snow fight!!

Thunderbird Falls Fun

Up the first tiny hill and Bensen says, "Hey dad, we forgot my backpack." What does this mean?  It means it has been a cold Alaska winter and we are out of practice.  Our four year old wants a ride.  Thankfully he bucked up a few minutes later and was full of energy the rest of the trip (1 mile in - 1 mile back).  No whining from that boy.  My seven year old didn’t share the enthusiasm, but this momma enjoyed every breath of the fresh crisp air!

Heading to the Thunderbird Falls

Guster - enjoying every second!

Grandpa, Grandma and B

Family shot ~ 2.18.12

Grandpa and Grandma

View from the trail

Giggle Time

7200 Squirts

Some hikes are simply not glamorous and it has nothing do with the scenery.  Our hike up Pioneer Ridge Trail will be remembered simply for the circumstances of the day. 

Eager to soak in Saturday, we got moving early, hung out at Barnes and Noble for an hour or so, loaded back up and drove north on the Glen.  (To get to this trailhead – exit onto the Old Glen before reaching the Knik River.  Follow this road until reaching the bridge…don’t go over it, take a right and stay beside the mountain.  Continue for 5 miles and look for a parking lot on the right hand side.)

We bundled up and took off up the trail.  Within 500 feet the saga began.  Bensen got a bad case of what he affectionately calls “the squirts”.  If you know Bensen, you know that outdoor pooping is not really that big of a show stopper.  This is the same kiddo who was running and playing with all his buddies at a campground this summer and needed to poop, so he simple dropped his drawers, squatted and got the job done….to our friends complete amusement.  It became a show stopper when we came to a halt to “squirt” every 5 minutes…no exaggeration. 

At some point we decided to set a goal of getting up the mountain 7,200 feet and then we would simply turn around.  We made it, but it was nasty.  This time I’ll spare the details. 

About ½ ways down, Levan declared that we should pray to God to stop Bensen’s squirts.  So we all took turns praying for Bensen’s butt.  Not another squirt the remainder of the hike and most importantly the 45 minute drive home!!

Daddy and Bensen heading up the trail ~ 10.1.11

Levan and Gussy having a chat ~ Gussy was the only one who truly loved this hike!

The view

7,200 feet of pure fun!

Whittier ~ you couldn’t be prettier

Catching Whittier http://www.whittieralaska.gov/ on a blue sky day is fantastic.  Hiking the Portage Pass trail in these conditions is nothing less than phenomenal. 

After you pass through the Whittier tunnel, the longest combined vehicle-railroad tunnel in North America http://www.dot.state.ak.us/creg/whittiertunnel/, take a right past the restrooms.  Head down a little gravel road and soon you will see a Portage Pass sign. 

Levan reached Portage Valley first.  His exact words, “Oh mom hurry, it’s like a wonderland!”  And that description…pretty much nails it!

Picture Perfect ~ 9.25.11

What a great valley to explore!

Looking Back at Whittier

Portage Glacier

Mt. Baldy ~ our final hike before the termination dust

Fall is my all time favorite season.  In Alaska, it comes and goes super quick, so when it is here you better suck in all its glory. 

View from Mt. Baldy

Have you ever put your face into the side of a mountain full of crow berries?  If not, put it on your bucket list.  I will remember that smell. I will remember this day because of my momma’s strength. What an accomplishment, when only 8 little months ago her lungs couldn’t even breathe on their own.  How great is our God! 

 Hand in Hand

 Hike down the backside

 God's Promise

Levan with a handful of crow berries

The cornfields burned...and the mountains bloomed

He brought me into the wilderness.  His gracious attempt to take me away from the things I depended on.  In hopes that I would discover that only God can truly help us. 

Two years ago today, I was living in Lincoln, NE, in a beautiful house, in a family neighborhood, with wonderful neighbors, great friends to work with, my amazing husband and two little boys.  Jobless...wondering how in the world we would make our next mortgage payment.  Praying for a miracle.  Four days later, it was a signed done deal.  New job, new home.  A home far far away from the flat Midwest crop land.  Alaska!

We moved sight unseen.  I wept the first day I arrived.  Brian and I drove down the Turnagain Arm, which offers dramatic views of mountains and Cook
Inlet.  The gratitude I felt was so overwhelming, I couldn’t contain it.  A new wholeness and peace sank deep into my pores…

And so here is where I begin our blog…Alaska Family Outside

View of Turnagain Arm from one of our many hikes.