the flats.

palmer hay flats, stretch as far as you can see, in both directions.

what a great new trail to explore.

took advantage on a wednesday evening, shortly before sunset.

one of the last great summer nights.

reflections lake

taking advantage of the blue-skied day. 

 next year, someone will be following duey...

 clearly, not impressed with dylan's splashing.

 thanks, ma!

 the best group shot of the 7 taken... jb...

 yep - this about sums up dyl's attitude lately.

butte with our boys

i'm wondering why dylan was not with us... but on this rare afternoon sans duey, roberta & gaige joined us for a hike.  i realize now, it's likely our last one of the season.  today, our temps have stayed at a balmy, crisp, see-your-breath kinda of day - 27 degrees!  brrrr!



on this day, the sun was shining.  my two layers were a bit much.  i think i even caught a few freckles!

 knik glacier

 just a little windy up top

the boys!

the girls!

fungi

kinda like toddler smooches and knock-you-over hugs, candy and my mom's chicken noodle soup - mushrooms bring a smile to my face.  it's that memory of childhood; summers at my grandparent's home, hunting for them around the birch trees, kicking them over, and ultimately, mushroom fights with my cousins.  that rubbery texture, sticking to my neck and slipping down the back of my hoody, all the while laughing and squealing.  the smell of alaskan air; they're part of that nostalgic space in my brain that fills me with happiness and feel-good goodness.

and now, my children carrying on this silly obsession.  several years ago, it started with jack.  eyes as big as dinner plates.  and, just as soon as he spotted one, he HAD to boot it into smithereens.  this year?  

no, don't touch 'em.  just yook at 'em.  

dylan is the one to come along, teasing her big bro and stomping out the brilliant beauties as if they were on fire.  she is such a turkey.    

so on an afternoon, while both girls were snoozing, jackie and i wandered outside.  he had told me there were huge mushrooms on the other side of the fence, and sure enough, we hit the mother load of fungi.  thank you, nearly 30-days of rain, for our supple supply of toadstools.        

state fair

gosh, the fair ended two weeks ago, but it may as well be two months ago - just feels like a distant {fun!} memory - i guess because we've had so much going on.  surgery, recovery, school, school, school, new babies to-be & born, bulldog drama... life is just too busy at times.

this sounds so silly, especially when i type it out, but i truly thought i was going to have all this extra time to myself once jack started school.  i could not have been more wrong!  i have not driven my truck more, fastened seat belts more, woke up this early since i was in college, made so many lunches in the wee hours...  i'm twice as exhausted as i was when i sat down this evening, just thinking about it!  but oh - back to the fair...

we had a blast this year.  as the kids grow older, the fun gets bigger!  and i should add, tess was a super trouper.  she people-watched, got tons of ooohs and ahhhs and grabbed a snooze here and there.  fun afternoon in sunny palmer, alaska.

rides & more rides

 lovin' on our girls

  carny games - big winners!

jb won candy (that he shared) and dyl won a tail (?) 

and trip #2...  we decided to take in the fair in evening.  brrr!  but oh, the lights on the rides make for an even better time (right?) and because we seem to be gluttons for punishment... nah!  more rides, more face painting, more giggles and smiles.  we miss the fair already!  so much fun crammed into a short amount of time.

oh, yes he did!

already looking forward to next year!

august: at home

i like to blog tell stories with lots & lots of pictures, if i hadn't already made that clear.  there are those moments, where pictures can do all the telling, without my words jumbled in.  this is one of those moments.

glorious summertime.

the end.