visitors.

every so often we have sunday visits from these people!  they come for lunch and to play for just a little while before making the nearly 4 hour trip back home.  just something that they do from time to time. because they miss us;)

they came yesterday and brought us lunch.  i won't say when on this blog, but sometime in the next month or so my dad is going on a week-long trip (little more than a week really).  he's going by himself.  he'll fly to alaska and then go on a *i think* 33 mile hike into canada.  his backpack weighs 42 pounds.  it will probably rain alot of the time.  he'll be camping in a tent.  it will be cold.  he'll be by himself - well, there will be others making the hike, but nobody that he knows.  sounds like a dream vacation to me!! ha!!  i don't really know too much about it because i'm not all that supportive of it.  he won't have cell coverage while he's gone.  it makes me nervous - it makes us all nervous, but if he has his mind set on something then he does it.  so there's very little any of us can say to change his mind.  my labor and delivery nurse even told him he was crazy.

i'm not sure how hayes got in this position but she was knocked out!

i'm sure he'll be fine.  he has been "training" a bit and has gotten real healthy which is great!  this pic is actually really funny to those of us who love him (because we make fun of each other alot)....perhaps mom needs some iphone photography lessons, but anyway, here he is on the treadmill with his pack on.  heehee....

i began to ask him today about certain items ..."do you have gloves? do you have warm socks?" and eventually he said, "i have it all."  so i guess he is prepared.  

so anyway, i'm glad he is getting to do something that he really wants to do!  just wish he wasn't going somewhere quite so remote.  please say a prayer for him to have safe travels.  

love the way beau planted himself in mimi's lap.  my mom babies that dog and wouldn't dream of telling him to get down so this is how she sat (we had to make sk sit there for 5 seconds...she was busy "decorating" a princess cake in the playroom and was quite annoyed to have to stop for a picture.)

 this was supposed to be sk's reward for quitting her thumb-sucking....bullseye, the horse from toy story.  i'm not sure if she sucked her thumb tonight or not but i'm sure she probably did.  

they took this happy girl to yobe.  mimi, papa and sk love their frozen yogurt!!

you stay safe, papa!! and have fun=)  i looked online to see what you should do if you find yourself too close to a bear.  i think that you're supposed to handle yourself differently for each type of bear but the best piece of info/advice i read was:  "if you see a bear enjoy it from a distance" and "never attempt to feed or attract a bear."  sounds simple enough. or you could just tell the darn bear that you have 7 girls and 2 boys back at home who would rather you not be a bear's meal so to just back off.  also, there isn't one person in the entire world who would begrudge you if you get up there to your old "stomping grounds" and decide to just jump on an alaskan cruise and enjoy the sights from a nice boat while enjoying a frothy beer or warm cup of coffee.  not a thing wrong with last minute change of plans.

and if you see a moose (from the cruise ship) take a pic!  i'll never forget seeing a moose for the first time on the side of the road in alaska when you took us.  his head was under the water and it was really something to see him bring his big ole head and antlers out of the water with his mouth full of grass (or whatever lies in the bottom of a roadside pond).  i wish i had that pic!

“Bizarre travel plans are dancing lessons from God.” – Kurt Vonnegut