Adventure #3 Hidden Creek Trail

Today...yes today I got all my pictures to load in about 2 hours!! I know it is still a long time....but we are seeing some improvement! :)  Anyway, today Crystal and I took the kids to Hidden Creek Trail to hike and the day was mostly beautiful for it!  We did get a down pour once we were at Skilak lake, but we found a wonderful tree that kept us all dry.  The kids threw rocks in the lake for a while, and then we continued on the loop back up to the van and headed home!  The trip was about 2.6 miles this time around, and the furthest that we have taken the kids on a hike.  Most of them did very well, and while we had squables and the occasional youngster wanting to be carried, they all did very well!

Most of the group

The group minus me and Elijah, who was in the stroller

we are not sure why this milage is given, since just a 100ft down the trail it says 2.6 miles....

being silly on a rock

Eli

staring into a pond

friends!

Ahh the walking stick....Crystal and I are not so fond of the walking sticks....in fact we pretty much hate them!!!  Many fights are caused by walking sticks, and then there is the constant finding of new walking sticks that make us stop every 3 seconds!!!

Heidi

Skilak Lake

Throwing rocks.....

sitting under our "protection" eating while we wait out the rain

that little mark by his eye is a wound from the rock throwing....one was accidentally launched in his direction :(  He is fine though, as long as you don't bring it up!

Hiking buddies

At the end waiting for the others to catch up

Had to get a picture of me in there too, just to show that I do go on the hikes :) So here is Crystal and I still smiling after finishing another great adventure!

Emma stole Zechary's hat and she looks quite cute in it!

That looks sums up how the kids were feeling after the hike....They were very tired!  I think they will sleep well tonigh!

Girlst Night

This week has gone by as quickly as the last and again we are at a close.  Emma made it through a whole week of camp, and did very well.  So well that she has not been crabby or cranky at all today, and helped with whatever I needed without any complaint!!  Her siblings missed her a lot though, and so did I.  I don't know what I am going to do when the grandparents want the kids to come stay with them for the summer! :)  Anyway, this week was the first full week of camp, and I decided it would be fun to have a "girls night" with the staff that stuck around for the weekend.  There were 6 counselors and an LT who showed up and we watched a movie, did our nails, soaked our feet, had popcorn, drank tea, and talked and giggled!  It was so much fun and relaxing that it might become a little tradition for Saturday night!  It was fun for me, because it is a way for me to stay connected to the staff, and I miss that from the old days of being on program.  Next week is Hockey camp at Lakeside, and an all girls horse camp at Wagon Train, so I pray that they get the rest they need to start another week of camp, and that they stay mindful of God knowing that He is in control.

Adventure #2 Skyline 6/20/11

So again with blogger it has taken me all week to load my pictures on here.  Liz and I hiked Skyline on Monday and I started loading pictures on Tuesday, and now I finally can post about it! :)  We had a good hike.  The trail is only a mile up to the saddle, which is the deciding point of which hill to climb to the top of either left or right and then another .5 miles to the very top, and it is all straight uphill.  In the 1.5 miles to the very top, you gain 1800 feet in elevation!  It took Liz and I 1hour 40 minutes to get a little past the saddle.  We figured we almost did 2.5 miles, and it took us about an hour to get down.  Our legs were feeling it but we had fun and we are ready to go hike it again.  It took me 2.5 days to fully recover, so it should only get better from here on out. :)  We missed our two friends that plan on doing more hikes with us this summer, but both were unable to get away.  Next week is a new adventure and we are looking forward to it! :)

Smiling and laughing before we start the hike!

lovely flowers

Skyline Lake

It was much hotter and muggier than we anticipated, luckily for Liz she had shorts....I did not :(

looking out towads Soldotna area

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Still smiling when we stopped to turn around :)

Skilak lake in behind the hills

Clam Gulch Staff Trip

Yesterday Heidi and Mason and I went to Clam Gulch with the summer staff to relax and enjoy the sunny day.  Emma and Madison headed to Anchorage with Chad on the bus run and get back today at 5. 

We had a good time getting to know the counselors and leadership trainees a little bit better, and they all seem to love the kids!  Mason even played a little football :).

Clam Gulch during low tides is an excellent place to catch razor clams, and while I would have loved to find some to take home, I could not do that and keep and eye on the kiddo's.  So I will have to return for that adventure :)

Ben, our Wilderness Program leader, climbing the rocks

lots of staff playing in the water and attempting to build sand castles!

Mason,  well.....being Mason I guess!

Lots of motorhomes dot the edge of the beach, but this one was abandoned and was full of bullet marks and holes.

This is what is left of a whale that was washed ashore this spring....you can barely make out the tail....it was pretty disgusting!

Getting ready to play football!

Heidi stole Adrian's hat and was looking pretty adorable in it!

Mason playing football with the Torkelson boys!