Happy birthday, Cassandra!

 Happy birthday, Cassandra!!  We had the cake we look forward to every year - dump cake.

Lego gift number one...

Caleb and Ayla were quite interested in Cassandra's new lego collection (via Skype to North Carolina.)

Cassandra and Brad were making a fighter spaceship at Caleb's request.

Cassandra was very pleased with her new presents.

Thanksgiving 2013

Samantha, Ben, Kaitlin, Stan, Michelle, and Artem.

Where are Pete and Loreen?  Where is Cassandra?
Where are Mike, Emily, Ayla, and Caleb?

Nobody left the table hungry.

Playing Catch Phrase.



After the "boys" won the first game and the "girls" won the second game,

 we had room for some pumpkin and/or apple pie with ice cream.





House Exterior Remodel

After many years of house maintenance neglect and Stan working away from home during the construction season we have begun the process of residing/reshingling our home.  It sure is nice to have heavy equipment to make this process easier than the first time we did it. 

The triangular side behind the forklift never did get sided.  It will this time.

All the cedar siding is off, nails are out of the old boards, and as Stan said, "It's a wrap."  The weather has been very warm and the mosquitos don't know to stay in the shade during the hottest part of the day.  We have gone through a lot of bug spray and have been wearing long pants and long sleeves on occasion for a little relief.  When we originally sided the house the biting yellow jackets were everywhere.  I guess nature lets us know when the time is right (??) for us to take on these projects.

One side is just about complete.  The siding (which is only primed) is on.  The siding is not on the top part of the chimney chase and the cedar shakes are not installed on the gable end, but I think you can get a feel for what it will look like - except for the color we have yet to pick.

303 13th Street North Bathroom Remodel

On a recent trip to Minnesota Stan remodeled one of the bathrooms. His parents were having trouble getting over the high curb of the tub to take a shower. It shouldn't be a problem any more.

Before:



After:



Chilkoot Trail

Six of us ladies hiked the Chilkoot Trail - the old stampeder trail used by the gold miners in 1898.  It was 33 miles and was absolutely beautiful!  (Stories and more pictures to follow.  I thought I would at least get a few pictures out there.)

June 6, 2012 - at the head of the Chilkoot Trail in Dyea, Alaska

Holly, Lee Ann, Tammy, Michelle, Loreen, and Samantha

I seem to never get enough pictures of water, rocks, or moss...

 

Day 3 of the hike - from Sheep Camp to Happy Camp - going into Canada at the summit.  The "rock slide" on the upper left/middle is "The Golden Staircase."  (More about that at a later date...)

July 10 - at the end of the trail in Bennet-

6 ladies very proud of their accomplishments!

Also, looking forward to a hot meal (that is not made in a bag by pouring

hot water onto dehydrated food) at the railroad station.