Springing Up

We Interrupt this Blog Break...

.....with an actual post!  My apologies for not getting back to the Alaska trip coverage.  Hopefully that can resume at a later date.

Since November, my thoughts have been more focused on a different topic--weddings! : )  Yes, plural!

T and J announced their engagement in November!

M and B announced their engagement in December!

Oh dear, I may have to break down and start using actual names on my blog, or we'll all be totally confused.  : )  It won't even work to use last name initials, as those overlap with some of our first name initials!  Yep, I think it may be time.

So.......

Matthew (our oldest) and Brittany will be married in Louisiana, where she is from, the beginning of May!

Trina (our youngest) and Josh's wedding will be here, at our home church, the end of June.

Meanwhile, in January, Kelsey (our second born) and Adam bought their first house, an older farmhouse, that they are so happy to call theirs!  That meant the fun of helping with their move.  (Really, it was fun!)  Of course Benny and I realized there will be two more moves to help with later in the year, so guess we were just getting practiced up!

 (taken at annual New Year's Eve party, this year at Other Farming Couple's home)

And the Answer (finally) Is........

Alaska!

Yes, it's true (sorry Janet!)--in August B. and I took a trip to that definitely north of Kansas state.  Thank you to those of you who took time to comment and make guesses!

The "really big hint" in the previous post--that was Mount McKinley in the background.  You know--that really big mountain, the one that's the highest in North America.  But it's okay if you didn't recognize it.  I wouldn't have either, before our trip.

So, where do I begin to summarize a fantastic, two-week trip?  Obviously I can't publish all 755 photos!  Guess I'll try to break them down into categories.

Today I'll focus on Family and Friends that we were able to see.

 B's sister, L, lives in Soldotna, on the Kenai Peninsula.  She and her husband graciously picked us up from the airport in Anchorage, let us use their vehicle until we rented one, gave us a place to stay while in their part of the state, and basically treated us like royalty!
THANK YOU, L and C!

 

L went with us on a day cruise from Homer to the fun little town of Seldovia.  You can't drive to get there!

 

She bought a different variety of flower from one of Seldovia's shops right on the bay.....
 

...to add to the MANY she has planted around their place.

One afternoon L's friend, C, had just finished giving a riding lesson, so she let me mount up for awhile.  It had been years since I'd been on a horse.  Thanks, C!

Here's B with the V family.  They lived just a couple of miles from us when the kids were little, but have been living in Alaska for a good number of years now, where they built their beautiful home.  It was so good to see and spend a bit of time visiting with B, J, C, K, and K!  Their other son, B, was away. 

Checking out one of Alaska's amazing rivers up close...

 .....and from far above, another one that had a completely different attitude!

  

L and B at the Soldotna visitor's center a couple of days before we headed home.

The next Alaska post I do (though not necessarily the next post) will include wildlife!

Final Hint--a REALLY BIG one!

If you checked in on my previous post, http://joeks55.blogspot.com/2011/10/big-hint.html , or a few of posts ago, http://joeks55.blogspot.com/2011/09/some-questions-some-answers.html ,  then you know I've been leaving hints about where B and I went on vacation in August. 

This is the final hint.  I'd say that it's a REALLY BIG one.  (hint, hint)

Next time I'll reveal where we went.

A Hint

Here's a hint about where we went on that summer vacation that I still need to blog about.

Chirp, Chirp! #1--Singing Sunshine

Caught this oriole swaying on a branch outside my kitchen window early one May.  Love its color!

For N.Y. Martha : )

Whoops!  I let August get away, but  here's your reminder, Martha!

Better late than never!

Some Questions, Some Answers

Who..... has continued to check in on my blog, even though I have been very lax about posting?  I don't really know, but hope that not everyone has given up on me!

What..... have I been doing all summer?  Well, there's been VBS, cat-sitting, serving free monthly meals with our church project, celebrating birthdays, taking a vacation with B, and trying to get the computer room/office in order, but probably nothing that really justifies my extended absence here.

When..... will I post again?  I would promise a post every week, or every few days, or... but I don't want to make any promises I can't won't keep.  ; )

Where..... did we go this summer?  Hmmm... that sounds like a post (or two) of its own.  I'll just give you this hint for now--it was farther north than Kansas!  (No fair giving it away in comments if you already know.)

Why..... don't I post some pictures?  I don't know.  Maybe I will!

Hey, western Kansas friend, R--this photo of our yuccas in bloom is for you!

Spud, our visitor for half the summer.

T (my brother) and Mom when we celebrated her birthday.

This is just a quilt I saw during our vacation.

See you next post!

One Small Thing After Another

One small thing after another adds up to be......Clutter! Ugh. It seems so never-ending. I'm not sure I'll ever get it ALL conquered, but I keep trying.

There must be hundreds of websites with advice on dealing with it, ranging from elaborate programs to simple daily suggestions. It's nice to be able to pick up an idea here and another there, but of course it all comes down to JUST DEALING WITH IT (one small thing after another), because it sure isn't going to leave the house on its own!

Organizing Junkie--http://bit.ly/lZ8sJu-- is giving away a book called Clutter Rehab today. Who knows, maybe I'll win and get even more inspiration!

Pink Sun Planet

The sun looked like a planet this evening. It was such an unusual color before even getting down to the horizon.