HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVE!!!!

Dave got to ride in a float plane for his birthday. Its a super-cub.





Dave had a good birthday, he chose to skip a party and go biking/4-wheeling with a couple friends. He had a good time.





Then grandpa surprised him with a ride in a float plane (he knows a guy!) ok he is actually our bishop, very nice man. Dave couldn't have been happier. He even let him fly it for a while. They flew over our house, and there was a moose in our driveway.

The Death of David

SO last night, David says to me:
Mom, I think we need to make an appointment at the Medicenter to see Grandpa.
Why, I ask.
Well, I think I am slowly dying.
Are you sure I ask?
Yes, pretty sure.
What makes you think that?
Well, when I run too long in PE, my side hurts, and sometimes other things hurt, like my ankle will hurt and even sometimes my arm. Just all of a sudden things hurt sometimes.

Does it last long I ask?
NO, but it just happens randomly, and usually after I do things like playing............

So We consulted Grandpa when he got home, and Grandpa said:
Dave, you are right. You are slowly dying, But then... that's what everyone does, they are born and are alive, but each day, you get closer to death. So yes, you are technically slowly dying.

SO we didn't make an appointment.

Poor little lamb.....

So I have a funny story I want to share with you all:
Emma was sick yesterday. She was nauseous. She did not have a fever, but was sick to her stomach. She still really wanted to go to school. She got up nicely and let me do her hair, She just said, "mama, can I lay my head on your shoulder while you comb my hair?" she didn't fuss or cry or yell at all. I thought this is really weird, what does she want??? At this point she hadn't really mentioned she was feeling bad. Then when she saw grandpa at breakfast (which she didn't eat) she told him about her stomach. He said she should probably stay home. She did not like that answer, so she got a bucket and headed to the car. She was very mad when I reminded her she should stay home and she was not allowed to go to school. She didn't see the problem. After all, she got dressed, did her hair, and GOT HER BUCKET to take to school with her. She thought she had covered all her basis. But, much to her dismay, she did stay home and slept all day.
So the moral of the story is: Sometimes you still have to stay home, even if you remember to bring your bucket.
P.S. Today she is feeling better. I just thought it was cute wanted to share it with you.

BERRIES....

We have been picking raspberries from our yard. The kids eat them while they pick so it takes a while to fill thier buckets! It's pretty fun and nice to have fresh berries.

Floating the Upper Kenai River

This is Emma and our friend Nick. She caught a baby salmon, and he filleted it for her.

Here is Dave's rainbow trout he caught.........

Emma and her silly imagination....
Nick caught a red salmon just for fun. He was going for the rainbow trout that feed on the salmon, but got this first. They are weird in real life...
The boys are getting the fishing poles ready....
We are getting ready to float the Kenai River on a pontoon.
Nick helped Emma catch a Red salmon, notice all the scales have fallen off now and the red skin is showing now. This is why they call them Red Salmon. Usually when we catch them they are silver because of the scales. They are no good to eat like this. They are mushy. Our hands were red after we touched it. When they turn this color, they are finally home and ready to spawn and die.
Here's a nice trout.....Dave is taking a break while we pulled off on to a bank to fish for a while and pick berries.

My first trout I caught......not as fun as catching a silver salmon but still cool. Emma thought she was incharge of all the fish, she kept petting them and checking on them. She did mention they would be a good pet even if they were dead, and an even better pet if they were still alive, but she was ok that we were going to have them for dinner too.
PS mary, we got out right before the canyon..... no class III rapids for us.

Labor Day Camping Trip

Rain anyone....

Dave and Ashley singing kareoke, "I swear"
Dave, Emma, Ashley singing "Life is a highway"
Cool reflection huh!!!!!!!

Dave catching frogs and fish.....

Emma, Ashley and Sydney looking for bugs........of any kind.

While we were kayaking, it started downpouring so hard we could not see where we were going. We were of course, clear across the lake.
Dave was catching all the kids little fishes.
Dutch Oven cooking........mmmm...mmmm good!
What a nice sunset!!!!

The kids just couldn't take anymore!

So we went camping this weekend. The camping spot is by the lake. It was really fun. The kids swam, biked, and played hard all day. It rained alot.

Well, it's been a good day at the fair, got that case of smilin rocks for the garden....

So the fair was fun, we saw all the Alaska Grown veggies, they grow more than I would have expected up here. Emma got to ride the mechanical salmon. Dave spent all day watching the MX dirt bikers practice for a big show, he opted out of rides for this. So I sat with him. Grandma and Grandpa took Emma to things.