Whales & Tails

Upon arrival in Alaska, we recommend dressing appropriately. This means a pair of ExtraTuff rain boots and a ratty old hooded sweatshirt will instatly have you looking like a native. Apparently, Carharts are a nice touch, and since Carharts are standard apparel for us anyway, we fit right in, and had people asking if we were from AK. Beaver hat, optional. As soon as we arrived in Juneau, we motored the boat towards Hoonah, out Icy Straight, where we were excited to do some Halibut fishing and see the native town. Juneau was still in our sights when we passed through a pod of whales, which were amazingly close and really put on a show! We saw many more whales on the trip, including Orcas, but they were never dancing around again quite like this! My favorite shot is already posted in Alaska At-last-a.
This guy was REALLY close to the boat--no zoom at all. When they were this close, Brandon would get terribly worried that they were going to hit the boat.

Kate and Jessa were TAGGED!

8 Things You May Not Know About Me.

Kate
1. I practically live in a swimsuit, regardless of the climate or whether or not swimming is something I will actually be doing anytime soon (we're even talking months here).
2. "Don't tell me what to do!" is a phrase I often use, even though it doesn't make my mom very happy. I learned it from "Uncle" Chad, who jokingly uses it ALL the time. That's what uncles are for.
3. I am a carnivore. All I want to eat is meat, and I like it medium-rare. Steak is my favorite, and yes I eat a whole one by myself, so don't even try to feed me one of those hotdogs!
4. I was born 2 weeks late. I like to do things at my own pace.
5. I have been all over Guatemala, hiking ruins, and parts of Honduras.
6. I can identify more African mammals than my mother, and she even has a biology degree!
7. I love to pitch horsehoes, and can cast my own fishing pole.
8. I make friends very easily wherever I go because I love to talk to everyone and dish out sweet, sincere compliments.

Jessa
1. No milk for me. I don't like it one bit.
2. I was born on my due date--Jan. 15th, less than 1 hour after my mom made it to the hospital. Whew. I guess she learned that when I mean business, I mean RIGHT NOW!
3. I am a happy, happy girl. Until I get frustrated. We are working on my patience, because I go from happy to frustrated instantaneously. You should see me attempt to tie my own shoelace, and I am only 1.5!
4. I am a jabberbox and have been babbling incomprehensables for over a year now.
5. I can sing my ABC's. Over. And over. And over. And over again.
6. You will rarely see me when I am not eating food. My parents call me the Lemur because I can consume fruit, and any food for that matter, nonstop.
7. I could sit outside and watch the chickens in the coop. All. Day. Long.
8. I am very neat and tidy. I love to help pick up trash or shoes, or put things back where they belong (I am trying to teach my sister, but normally I am picking up after her).

Thanks to Eden for the TAG! Cara (Josie, Cody, Allie, & Cash) and Hilary (Abby & Chloe) TAG you're it!

Alaska, At-last-a!

I have spent my lifetime dreaming of Alaska, imagining insanely amazing spectacles everywhere I turned--like this, for example:

you know, scenes like this:

I imagined wildlife THIS close:

an expected food this fresh, hunted and gathered by yours truly:

I fantasized about little towns like this:

and alpenglow on snow-covered mountains in the heat of summer!

The realist in me knew this place could only possibly exist in dreamland, and I was all but guaranteed the disappointment destined to accompany my quixotically high expectations. Someone please tell me how it is not only POSSIBLE, but that Alaska actually IS all I imagined, and MORE? Ahhh, just thinking about it now makes me relax and smile--my Alaska, At-last-a!

Bubba Louie Flys the Nest

On June 12th, my little brother Brett graduated from high school. I can remember when he was born, so surely this means I am now supposed to stop telling people my real age. Just to reinforce this, even though nearly a million pictures were taken (remember, this is MY camera, so I am not really exaggerating much), this is the only one I felt I looked decent enough in to actually post. I am generally not really self-conscious about this sort of thing, but I think the fact that I actually took that shirt from my grandmother's wardrobe that very morning was making me guiltily self-conscious. Really, I did. I am not joking one bit.

Here is the whole crew--the offspring of my wonderful parents: me, Brandon, Johnny, Brett (holding my Kate) April, & Cara. All my siblings were there to celebrate Brett's special day! It was a very special day, because for most of his school-years, we questioned the reality of this day...just kidding! Brett, I am ridiculously proud of you! And, being the over-achiever that this guy is, he also received his Eagle Scout award. Way to spread those wings and fly Bubba Louie! I finally got my Eagle Scout award too, even though my husband has been insisting for the last 11 years that it would be impossible since I am a GIRL and that Eagle's are for BOYscouts. Hah. I showed him! Brett surprised me with he honor of being his Eagle Scout Mentor, and I have a big shinny gold pin that you may see me showing off on occasion. According to the speech he gave at his Court of Honor, this means that I did an Eagle Project but he got all the credit for it. You gotta loooove this guy!

Here is an overjoyed Brett hugging beloved card-sharking, slot machine-dominating, bowling ball-throwing, Grandma Siemers. I love this woman so much, and if you know her, you know how wonderful she is, and that it is an honor to even touch her clothing, let alone actually wear an article of it.