Yes, We are still alive!

Well, it has been a busy run since school started in August, and I am more than a bit remiss in my posting. For me, I have finished the last of my certification requirements, and I am currently teaching in a 2nd grade classroom.  The position is taking over for a teacher on leave. It is so rewarding, but it does keep us busy.  Jake is much the same - except taller with longer and browner hair.  He played flag football this fall, and he enjoyed it very much.  Brian was roped into co-coaching, and thankfully he had a great time.  I cringed a few times when I heard him yell things like, 'My grandma can run faster than that'. But no one seemed to mind, and the boys thought it was funny.  Their season ended with a Turkey Bowl.  Then he played on a basketball team, which he also enjoyed.  The games and practices for both kept us running in many directions, but it was fun to introduce him to those sports.  Annie is also much the same - except that she has grown slightly taller and is now missing two front teeth.  I signed her up for a small basketball camp, even though she didn't want to go.  Annie is very 'coachable' and follows all the directions, but she doesn't quite have a dribble down.   Both are taking a 6-week ski program this winter.   Aunt Annie came to visit for Thanksgiving and Grandpa John came to visit for Christmas.   So nice to see family!  We cut down our Christmas Tree in the Lolo National Forest, continuing a tradition we started in Arizona.  One of my new years resolutions - to take more pictures and keep the blog updated.   Happy New Year!

Aunt Annie's Visit - Glacier NP & Camping

Aunt Annie had a great 2 week visit - at least we thought it was great; Aunt Annie may have found domestic life with kids a bit much after the first few days!   We are hoping she'll consider coming again during ski season (Christmas??)   Anyway, we went to Glacier National Park for 2 nights of camping at Fish Creek Campground on McDonald Lake.   Aunt Annie and Brian trekked the entire High Line Trail, all 14 miles across the peaks of the park with views of Grinell Glacier.   Little Annie, Jake and I did a section of the trail and we walked right past a few mountain goats lounging on the rocks (see top picture).   Aunt Annie requested no additional pictures of her, which I honored, as I also don't always like to be in pictures.    The bottom pictures are from an overnight camping trip to Rainy Lake, where we canoed, camped, swam and fished - a last hurrah before school starts on Tuesday. 

Annie's Birthday!

Little Annie had a fun 7 year-old celebration.  It started on the eve of her birthday with a small family affair - presents, cake and the like.   Her namesake, Aunt Annie, is also visiting, which adds to the excitement.   On August 14th, she had a party with her friends.  We did some crafts, painted toe/finger nails, made tie-dye t-shirts and danced.    

Brian's Family Visit & Camping in the Parks

We had another, and last for the season, extended road trip.  We covered over 1800 miles on this one, as we worked our way to meet up with Brian's family.   We rendezvous-ed with them in Colorado, a half-point of sorts between Kansas and Montana.   All of Brian's immediate family came, and we settled into a nice townhome for our stay.    It was great to meet baby Jonah, whom Jake and Annie adored, and to let the cousins play and adults visit.   A long over-due visit, and we were glad it worked out for everyone.  On our trek to Colorado, we broke it up with camping stays at Clark Canyon Reservoir, MT and Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area, Utah.    Clark Canyon was typical, scenic Montana and Flaming Gorge is aptly named and was surprising in its unique rocky, steep, red features.   We also squeezed in a trip to Dinosaur National Park, where we were able to see an actual dinosaur quarry with real dinosaur bones.  Apparently it was a bend in a fast flowing river, and dinosaur carcasses collected there.    On the way home we camped at Grand Teton National Park, where we hiked, fished and swam.    We also saw the largest elk ever - it had antlers that were almost the size of its body, and it was quite majestic.    Then we travelled up John D Rockefeller Parkway to Yellowstone National Park.   We had to do the Old Faithful viewing, along with the masses of humanity.   Beyond the fascinating,  yet touristy, stops along the geysers, paint-points, and boiling waters, we hiked and fished some as well.  I got a true taste for the wild nature of Yellowstone when we walked off the beaten path, only to find a huge moose carcass that was spread across a small area.  Clearly killed and eaten by something stronger than it.   The footprints of various animals were all around it.  We also saw a coyote, tons of pronghorn antelope, bison and elk.    No bear, thankfully, though the black variety visit our backyard too much for my taste.   As always, the three national parks we visited did not disappoint.

Vacation - Part 5 - National Parks

We were able to go to the 3 National Parks on our road-trip.  Each park was spectacular in its own right.   Redwoods National Park (Stout Grove), Crater Lake National Park and John Day Fossil Beds National Monument.   The camera does not do justice to the locations.   The redwoods were larger than they show in the pictures, and the setting was naturally silent, which only added to their stature.   Crater Lake is bluer and more majestic, and we splurged on an overnight in the secluded historic lodge.   The final park was the fossil beds, which was beautiful in its high desert surroundings, and fascinating in its fossil record. 

Vacation - Part 4 - Beach

A couple of pictures from the coast.  Annie collected bags full of sea shells, sand dollars, crab shells and rocks.   Jake mostly climbed about and played in the sand.  The Oregon coast is striking, but a bit chilly.

Vacation - Part 3 - Fishing

The boys fished along the Oregon coast, where the temperatures were chilled by the significant wind.   They caught several red-tailed surf perch, and we were able to feast on them one night.   It was an experience for Jake, who had never 'killed' a fish before.  He struggled with the concept, especially after seeing a gull pick apart one of his fish before it swam back to sea.  I think he is much more comfortable with catch and release.   The surf perch were all caught at the mouth of the Rogue River, where shrimp was the bait and dozens of osprey, seagulls, pelicans and sea lions feasted on the fish runs as well.