Halloween

Although we can't go to Jucker Farm anymore to see the pumpkin displays, we are lucky to live near Half Moon Bay - which is a pumpkin patch mecca. We hit 2 patches this year: one for the hay bale maze (takes nearly an hour to get through) and another for the better (cheaper) ;-) pumpkins for purchase.

This year we also combined our pumpkin patch outing with another excursion: An 85 foot pregnant blue whale had died (presumably hit by a cargo ship) & washed up on beach very close to the coastal pumpkin patches. We couldn't pass up the opportunity to see the largest animal on earth. The whale had only been on the beach for about 5 days before we went to see it, but the stench was overpowering - Lukas & I, seriously, almost vomited. But it was amazing to see.

Enjoying the beach (upwind) from the whale

On to trick-or-treating. This year Lukas wanted to be a skeleton & Marieke was a pumpkin. Lukas was REALLY into the candy this year & hit quite a few houses. Marieke held up pretty well too.

At the last minute, Rob & I dressed up too. I don't know why we never plan it better. We always want to dress up, but don't think about costumes until literally a few minutes before we head out the door to trick-or-treat. Resolution this year to to plan ahead!

Lukas turns 6!

Lukas wanted an "Underwater Adventure" birthday party this year. He loves everything to do with sea creatures. As usual, I planned/researched ideas/bought supplies & then Rob provided the artistic talent. Rob painted a huge shark with a cut-out for taking pics of the kids which they later turned into picture frames. I think it turned out pretty good. He also made a great cake.

Pin the leg on the octopus

It was only a 2.5 hour party, but after about an hour the kids had already whipped through all of our games/activities. Rob & I kind of looked at each other in panic... we pulled out Hullabaloo which thankfully kept them busy.

Legos were still the coveted gift this year & he got plenty...

2nd Annual Chestnut Picking

Our 2nd Annual Chestnut Picking was even better than the first. The weather was perfect. We also are now experienced and know to pack a picnic lunch & hot chocolate to enjoy after our "work". Picking was definitely more tricky this year - trying to keep Marieke happy but off the ground & away from the prickly outer shells of all the chestnuts. But we still managed to pick way more than we needed.....



Lukas holds our loot & Marieke just thinks the chairs are fun.

Car conversation with Lukas

"Mom, you know "goop", right? If a piece of goop about the size of Marieke fell from outer space to earth, how big of a crater would it make?"


"If that piece of goop fell on a porcupine, would the porcupine get smooshed or would the porcurpine quills poke through the goop."

"help" in the garden

I love working in my garden and love it even more when I get some help:

First Day of Kindergarten

Lukas was neither excited nor scared to start kindergarten. For him, it was just an accepted fact of growing older.

Alaska!

I visited my sister in Alaska once before - in the winter - we went sledding, snowshoeing & dog-mushing. I've been wanting to go in the summer & when she offered to also take the kids for a few days so Rob & I could do more adventure stuff - that sealed the deal! Our plan was to fly into Anchorage & meet Anita & family for a few days of camping. Then Lukas would drive the 8 hour trip back to Fairbanks with them while my niece would fly back to Fairbanks w/Marieke (I love my sis & wouldn't subject her to 8 hours in a car with a crying baby - although she ended up with 8 hours in a car w/ a puking kid (Pukey Lukey)- hmmmm....which is worse?!) Then Rob & I would have 4 days to ourselves - the first time we've ever left Lukas for more than one night.

Our trip started off rocky when our flight to Anchorage was delayed by 3 hours - getting us into Anchorage by 2:30am. When we went to get our rental car - we discovered that the rental counter closed at 2 am. Ugh! But after that - everything went great. We rented a cabin in Girwood & went on a pretty hike where we also had to cross a ravine with a hand tram:



Then on to the Russian River for camping, salmon fishing & bear watching! We were just a few days early for the salmon spawning season but we were still able to see some of them jumping upstream & a bear trying to fish some out.


Momma bear & cub







After camping, Rob & I headed towards Valdez for some kayaking. It was about an 8 hour drive which - without kids - was actually quite nice to enjoy the scenery. We had planned to stop 1/2 way and camp for the night, but it started POURING and the idea of setting up tents in that wasn't so appealing. Not a lot of hotels outside of major cities in Alaska, so we totally lucked out when we found a B&B along our route. It was EXACTLY the perfect Alaskan log cabin that I could have dreamed up on a beautiful spot on a lake. In the morning we could sit on our deck in big fluffy robes, drinking hot coffee, (along with M&M's from a moose dispenser in the cabin), reading bear attack stories from a book on the nightstand or looking through the owners' photo book. The owner was a character - BIG TIME hunter. When we went to the main house for breakfast he gave us a tour - and although I don't like hunting - the pictures & all of the stuffed heads/furs/horns/bones were pretty amazing. I would have liked to stay an extra night - but we had reservations for kayaking the next day.



Rob on the deck of our perfect log cabin (made entirely by hand by the owner).


View from our deck.


Alaskan pipeline which was just across the street from our B&B.

Some things are hard to find in Alaska, but definitely not Espresso huts. These huts were everywhere, even in the most remote, unlikely spots.

Fishing boats in Valdez

Kayaking was amazing. We got good weather which is lucky for the area which gets lots of rain. It was still cold, though, with the wind off the ice making it feel like you've just opened the freezer door.


Columbia Glacier Bay






















After kayaking, we made the long drive back up to Fairbanks to reclaim our kids. Lukas didn't seem to have missed us much - my sister has Wii (with Lego starwars), a trampoline, a big lego table with tons of legos...

In Fairbanks/North Pole we did some hikes, went gold panning, visited the Christmas House and - finally - saw some moose just in my sister's neighborhood.


Lukas pours out his "poke" of paydirt


Rob & Lukas pan for gold. Our take? Lukas: $8, Marieke: $8, Inga: $10, Rob $16























Beautiful hike near Fairbanks, but the infamous mosquitos killed us!

Despite the nearly 11:30p.m. sunset, it wasn't too hard to get the kids to sleep at night while we were camping. They stayed up til 10p.m. and were pretty exhaused by that time anyways from all the excitement during the day. On one of the last nights at my sister's house, though we put Lukas to be around 10. When I headed up to bed after 11p.m. I heard Lukas calling my name. "I can't sleep Mom, it's too bright". I walk into his room where the sun was setting & DIRECTLY shining onto his bed - I swear it was as bright as a summer day on the beach.

Strawberry picking - Half Moon Bay

Lukas shows off the perfectly ripe strawberries



Even Marieke got in on the act

Annual Father's Day Hike

We had such a good time last year that this year we did our 2nd annual hike up Mt. Tam for the father's day pancake breakfast with our friends. Lukas did his 2nd annual puke on the drive up. But after that, things went smoothly. The kids (other than Marieke) are getting so big that we now are saying "hey, wait up for us at the next turn!" rather than having to constantly try to coax them along. It was a beautiful fun morning - can't wait til next year!

Like father - like son

Rob isn't bike racing anymore due to 2 cute little energy/time zappers. But I know he misses it. This past weekend there was a bike race nearby that also had a kids' race. Lukas was very excited to sign up & don a racing number on his back. Lots of questions preceded the race - most focusing on whether other kids would have training wheels - which he was hoping for so that he'd have an advantage. ;-) The course was .7 kilometers on closed city streets. I waited halfway down the route to cheer him on. He looked so cute pedaling with all his might & laughing at the same time because he got the pedals going so fast he couldn't keep his feet on them. He did great & was happy with his race (6th or 7th place he says). Of course everyone was a winner with a medal & ice cream at the end!

Rob talks pre-race strategy with Lukas



A medal + an icecream = one happy racer!

Stillwater Cove

Our cute cottage by the coast. Rob poses for the camera while Lukas keeps an eye out for peacocks.

Since Marieke has been born, we haven't done much travelling or wkd adventures and I was starting to go kind of stir crazy. So at the last minute with some luck of a cancellation, I booked a wkd at Stillwater Cove. We had beautiful warm weather, a cute cottage on a ranch with lots of animals for the kids, great hikes right off the property and amazing coastal views. Perfect weekend to recharge!

It was mating season for the peacocks (there were 25 on the property) so the males were in constant display mode. Although they weren't aggressive, they also weren't afraid of people. And with feathers up, they easily outsized Lukas. And boy were they loud!

The ranch had sheep with an amazing view


Watching the sunset from the bluff


Of course - no matter where you go - there's always the old-fashioned jump-across-the-beds fun

Topsy Turvey Day

Lukas sports a blue mohawk - and some attitude - for Topsy Turvey Day - one of the last days of preschool.