My Boys

We went out the other day for a photo shoot since SOMEONE wasn't able to make it to us, and we were trying to drown our sorrows by doing everything we were planning on doing...without them. I guess that doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but there it is. Anyway, I was kind of stupid and was so focused on composition that I completely forgot to check settings except for exposure...and ended up getting home to realize my ISO was up WAY too high. Also, I didn't get many shots either, because it was pretty chilly and we were all cold, (notice Scott's clenched fists?) so we lasted maybe 15 minutes. So, there was only one that turned out well. But I got one decent shot at least!

Baby Animal Days!

In the future, this could possibly turn out to be a family tradition for the duration of our time here. Micah and I drove an hour out to a very beautiful countryside yesterday, to a huge farm-like area that held "Baby Animal Days." It was SO great. For not very much at all, we were able to go on a little train ride, pet numerous animals, enjoy gorgeous natural surroundings, and several other events. We had a lot of fun. Micah definitely enjoyed it! 

Our view as we came in...

Micah really enjoyed the train. :)

Animals!

"Tows!!!"

He likes pretty much anything that looks like a wheel or a ball.

We even enjoyed a free wagon ride!

This was an event that rather shocked me. They let little kids sign up to put a helmet on, and RIDE a SHEEP for as long as they could hold on as the sheep barreled furiously across the corral. Whoever held on the longest won. It was insane and hilarious and I want to see it again.

This was where we hung out for a while and ate lunch. For some reason, people hardly ever walked by this area. But it was beautiful and peaceful and quiet, perfect.

 We had a wonderful time, looking forward to doing it again next year!

Toddler kisses...they're the best!

Last Time

In the wake of another CME (Coronal Mass Ejection), and several e-mails warning us that the Aurora is going to be very active, I've found myself missing Alaska again. It's kind of hard to see so many pictures posted, and be able to join the action no longer. I miss the exciting nights of checking various sites for Aurora forecasts, of driving out into the dark night with a dear friend, and the thrill of seeing that first green glimmer of the lights, even though I'd seen them many times before.

But I am so grateful for the memories made, and that I DID have the opportunity, several times to experience the ethereal beauty of the Northern Lights. There was one last picture I took, of the very last display we saw, that I have not shared yet. It seems a good time now to share it. It was the brightest, most incredible display we'd seen yet. We were even able to see pinks and reds with our naked eyes, which is a rare occurrence, and there were several branches of it that twisted and swirled very quickly as we watched. Unfortunately, they did not last long, and began to dissipate soon after we got to the top of the summit where we wanted to view them. And the wind was terribly, bone-chillingly cold and very strong, making it very difficult to get any decent photos. Still, at least I ended up with this one.

I am grateful to have been witness to such a beautiful display of God's glory in His creation.

Swing, swing, swiiiiiiing!

It got to 70 degrees yesterday. What else do you do with a gorgeous, sunny, spring day than have Daddy build a swing for his boy?

A Little Hike

The weather has been beautiful, so we decided to go on a little hike the other day. And I got some pictures. I was trying to do a "golden hour" shoot with my boys, but I have cheap lenses and they didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped. I'm rather disappointed. Still, I wanted to share the best ones. 

 Scott's face kept being weird. Because, well, Micah.

It was so beautiful. Someday, I'm going to get an awesome lens. And then I'll get to take awesome pictures. 

Reminiscing

I can't believe it's already been 7 months since our last golden, summer days in Alaska. We lived very close to a little state recreation park called the Chena Flood Plain, and during summer we often biked there when the weather was nice. This is an impromptu photo shoot we did during one such outing. I meant to post these a long time ago, but, well, time flies when you have a toddler. ;-)

I still miss Alaska quite a lot. But I am very grateful for the time we got there, the memories we made, and perhaps someday, we can even go back.