Rain, sunshine, crab, camping...ah, summer!

After our two weeks of sun I guess it was time for a little bit of rain...not sure any of us thought so, but someone must have needed it. What do you do with 13 kids when it is raining all week? Well, for awhile it works to play Legos, games, dolls, cars and trucks, coloring, reading...but when they start getting too rowdy then they get sent outside despite the weather! An hour in the rain and they are generally ready to come back in to play quietly, well at least some of them!

By the way...the Germains have returned from their time in Juneau and I think they must have brought the rain back with them! I know they would have preferred the rain stay there and the sunshine stay here! Oh well... So we are enjoying our last two weeks with them before they get back on the plane for the Philippines. Can't believe their time in Alaska is coming to an end...summer's just fly by too quickly! So despite the rainy we had last week we managed to find plenty to do...

Steve and I with kids went to a CCS school reunion on Wednesday night, Thursday night, and Saturday...it was fun catching up with friends from our school days at CCS. The school is no longer open, but both Steve and I attended from grade school through high school graduation. Steve was the first graduate of CCS and that was 20 years ago! Ethan also attended CCS for three years until the school closed. Ethan was one of the few second generation CCS students. Thursday night was basketball in the gym, so we loaded up the bus with all 13 kids and took them there for a chance to run around inside instead of in the rain! Saturday was a BBQ over at the homestead and then the kids got to do some playing and fishing at the river...thankfully it turned out to be a nice day without any wet stuff!

Saturday evening Steve, Joe and 7 kids went out on the boat with my dad to pick crab pots...they had quite the fun adventure learning about picking crab pots. Crabbing is open in Kachemak Bay for subsistence, so you just have to get a permit and know someone with a boat! The pots had quite a few treasures, but not too many that were keepers. They ended up with five crabs that were the right size so we had a delicious dinner of crab...only a little for everyone, but we certainly enjoyed it!

On Sunday our kids had their program at church to end the summer before the fall schedule starts. The kids all did great singing and saying their verses! The Germains headed up the road to Nikiski to speak at a church that they attended when they lived there. They were back in time for our Sunday Nite BBQ...we had a beautiful day without rain even though a few dark clouds were threatening to let loose, but the bugs sure were out in force! Even several coats of Off! still didn't detour those pesky bugs and soon they drove us indoors! But we still had a fun evening of visiting and kids playing.

This week so far has been nice, and no rain!! Today was beautiful and warm...one of those days you just feel like sitting on the lawn and soaking it in! Joe and Steve took the kids over to the river last night to camp out since it was such a nice day, and Jen, Ann Marie, Meghan, Levi, and I went over until bed time then came home. Steve had to go to work this morning, but Joe spent the morning at the river with the kids letting them play and play...they had so much fun...the river sure can provide endless hours of adventure! Jen did some packing while the house was quiet and I took care of a bunch of vegetables that needed to be put in the freezer. It's always so satisfying to be filling the freezer for winter! Now we just gotta find a moose since hunting season opened today!?!