Elyse is 19!

Today Elyse celebrated her 19th Birthday. Terence's family came over we had a BBQ, made dutch oven potatoes & lit some fireworks. Happy Birthday Elyse we love you!

Hike up Harbor Mtn. King Cove, AK.

Today Jane, Rodney, and I took a hike up Harbor Mtn. Last night the police shot at a bear and chased him up the same trail we hiked up, EEK! Let me tell you I was very uneasy the whole time, but we took guns and made plenty of noise. We also took Neisha's pup Sierra so we would know if any bears were close by. We made it up to 15,000 ft. which made for some nice shots of King Cove. It began to get yucky so we didn't make it to the top. Maybe another day, NOT! We also had a welcome home party for the Bird. They stayed up all night and ate waffles for breakfast! She is sooo glad to be home, and we are sooo glad that she is too! Welcome Home Saije! We love you!

It's Cherie's Birthday

It's my party and I can eat cake if I want to! Brandi made the cake, with no age thank you! It was nice to have a party with my brother Bill and his family. We ate huevos rancheros, and watched Bill play baseball. The kids had fun playing frisbee and cheering for their dad and uncle Bill. Trace kept yelling, hit the ball this isn't the pro's. They had a pitcher that threw a lot of balls & no strikes. It made Trace want to go out and show them how it was done. Bills team lost which was nothing out of the ordinary, but fun to watch. Trace also got a new hair cut while we were there. Isn't he cute? He also got a new cowboy hat for his up coming birthday. What a handsome boy! Saije has been counting down the days to get back to King Cove. We have had a great trip in the lower 48, but it is time to head home to our own beds. Thanks Bill and Brandi for everything! We love you Daven and Reed!

Visiting Bill, Brandi, Daven, & Reed

After hanging out in Kingsburg, CA. we got to stay with my brother Bill and his family in Sacramento. While there we drove to San Fransisco and went to Seven Peaks. It was so dang hot, Trace and I went on a water ride and cooled off. Daven, Reed, Chloe and Trace enjoyed Thomas The Train, watching the Dolphins (the dolphin off 50 first dates), Shuka the Whale, the Walrus, and petting Sting Rays. They had a great water park where Trace, Chloe, and Daven ran wild and got soaked! Well Bill, Neisha, Saije, Dakota and I got a turn on the Medusa and some twisted roller coaster ride. I got very sick! My mom had to pull over on the way home so I didn't make a mess in the truck, YUCK! We were all tired and ready to hit the sack after all the fun.

10 Days in Kingsburg, CA.

For the next 10 days we attended the California State Trap Shoot. The first day I thought we would all end up in intensive care for dehydration! 105 degrees next to the King River, which was 60 degrees. The water runs straight out of the Sierra Mountains. It is like swimming in a steam of gold flakes. It is full of fools gold. It is sooo cool! It was like jumping in a glass of Ice Water! The kids couldn't stay out of it. Saije and I could only wade in it, it was freezing. Neisha and Dakota floated for hours on end. Chloe and Trace swam as if in bath water. The kids got plenty of sun and made tons of new friends. My mom Christine and I got caught up on the past 2 years and tried to sell everything she brought to sell. I love and miss you like crazy mom! We had a great 10 days! Chloe and trace became brother and sister within hours. They wore cowboy hats and ate otter pops like they were going out of style. The one thing that I took back with me to King Cove with me was my sun burn! Yipee!

Midway for 2 weeks

After saying goodbye to everyone and Trace learning how the Sacrament is given in an Elderly Ladies home, we hit the road. The next five hours did not fly by, Trace asked every 20 to 30 min. "Are we there yet?" When we did arrive, Traces uncle Adam and cousin Adalee were waiting in the drive way! From that day on the two were inseparable. They rode horses, went camping & ate dutch oven potatoes, rode bikes, built volcanoes and jumped on the trampoline. We had dentist appointments, a going away party for Saije, and floated the canal for old time sakes. I got together with a group of good friends and saw Reckless Kelly play in Park City, Ut. We hung out around bonfires ate trout tacos and got caught up on the local gossip. Marilyn and Lowell got as much of the family together as possible and we Bar-B-Q'd let the kids run, jump and play. It was good to see Ben, B'Andra, and Guidian. Oh and Jecca too. Lou and Joce came up to visit their Aunt in Provo so we met them at the mall and ate lunch. B'Andra happened to be getting her car alarm fixed in Provo also so she and Guidian joined us. Lowell works for Zermont and got us a room to stay in so we could go check out the place. Trace swam, and Nena, Bird and I layed out and got a SUN BURN!!!! Oh it hurt soooo good. Saije took off to girls camp and said good bye to all her friends. I have a feeling she will miss this place called Midway, we all will.

Day 3

We started out by eating pancakes made by Dylan. What a chef! Then headed out to visit all the family at Gordon's house. Picked up Lou and Joce then went to lunch with them and my Sister Ann. We ate way too much but had plenty left over for a late night snack. The kids went swimming, Trace started out all gangbusters and jumped in and sunk right to the bottom. It had been 2 years since his swimming lessons, and he forgot all the techniques! It didn't stop him from putting on a life vest and swimming until the wee hours of the night! Lou and Joce swam around with him, while Nena and Bird soaked up as much sun as they could! The one thing King Cove was lacking! All the boys decided to go rock climbing and All the girl cousins decided to go Bowling!! So off we went. After a couple of crazies tailgating us and 70 bucks later, we dropped everyone off and then hit the sack! Our time in St. George went way to fast!

Day 2

We woke up in Las Vegas! I got to see my dads new pad. Very close to almost everything except his job, which is a 3 hour drive to the middle of no where! I got to sleep on the most comfortable hide-a-bed in the world. Charlene customized it with a nice feather bed mattress which put Trace and I in seventh heaven! I got to catch up on a few things, but my visit to Vegas was cut short because a beautiful young lady graduating in St. George, Ut. So my dad got us up and at 'em about 10 am and we hit the highway. I headed strait to see my amazing Grandma Brooks/Phillips first! She is 85 I believe and I haven't got to see her for 2 plus years. It was such a nice surprise to see her . She was worried about the way she looked when all I cared about was just SEEING HER! I held her and cried way too long! It was also my Aunt Joey's birthday so I not only got to see my Dad & Charlene, but my Aunt Suzie& Uncle Frank and her son's Greg & Corey and his beautiful family, Aunt Dawn and her son Richard, and Aunt Joey, Happy Birthday! It was a small but adequate family reunion! I got to visit them for a few hours a day until I left to northern Utah. My Dad and I didn't get much visiting time, he was too busy getting to places on time. Thank you Dad I love you, I promise the next visit will be longer! I also got a visit from my long lost daughter Saije Marie! She was brought down by her Grandma & Grandpa Larsen that she has been living with for the past year. First they picked up my daughter Neisha at the airport in Salt Lake, she flew out 2 days before I did. It even made the family reunion that more special. After visiting we headed over to the Big Graduation of Amanda, Andy's oldest daughter.
She looked so grown up and made it hard for me to stop crying. We got invited over to her Grad party and ate some awesome food her mother prepared and watched our children all frolic! Trace spent the night at Uncle Gordon's and Aunt Debbie's with Grandma and Grandpa Larsen. I got to go stay with my wonderful Sister Ann and her family. When I arrived at her house My younger sister Jackie and her family was there waiting. I tell ya, I have the best family ever! Jackie is going to have a baby in Sept. so she was very tired and needed to get home and get some rest. I stayed up visiting with my sister Ann and enjoyed all the memories that came flooding in. I miss your guts!

Visiting the lower 48 - Day 1

Trace and I started off our trip on a small super cub, 4 seater plus luggage out of King Cove. Trace had never flown before and my arm still has finger marks on it from the return flight home. Next we got on a Saab, 30 seater out of Cold Bay. My friend Cheryl and her daughter Saskia (they used to live in KC) picked us up at the airport in Anchorage for dinner, we had a 4 hour layover. We ate at McDonalds ( Trace hasn't eaten out for 2 years, so of course it would be McDonalds for playland) We stopped off and visited the lake where all the float planes take off and land. Then on a 747 out of Anchorage to Seattle. Upon arriving we were very tired and had yet another layover of 6 hours and it was 1 am. A police officer directed us to the meditation room were it would be safe to rest. ( Definitely a good place to go, quiet with soft benches) Then.......we flew out on a slightly smaller plane which seated about 60 out of Seattle to Las Vegas. It was so good to see my dad and Charlene's face. We found them waiting patiently at the baggage claim and the car parked close by for a quick get away! Thanks Dad & Charlene! And Trace was satisfied once again to go to McDonalds, not eating a thing but going strait to playland!