Plants of Unusual Size

I wrote this just before we left Alaska for Kansas City. I neglected to post it then, but I will do so now for your reading pleasure...

Yesterday was beautiful. It was sunny and warm. Today you can see your breath, or at least you could this morning, and as of just after lunch, the clouds and rain are back again. It's fall, but the only riot of color we have to signify it is the yellowing of the leaves of the plants on the ground, and two small  deciduous  trees planted behind the house. Pretty much all of the other trees here are conifers, or pine trees, so they are always green. The mushrooms are unlike anything I have ever seen. Most of them are poisonous, and they can grow to be quite large if left undisturbed. Alaska has the most interesting plants, and the very best part, no ticks or poison ivy! It does however have horseflies. It also has Devil's Club and Indian Rhubarb. Devil's Club looks like a big brown stick with spikes all over it. It has HUGE leaves, I am talking bigger than your head. It takes a bit, I am told, to get injured by the barbs, just brushing against it won't hurt you. You have to really smack it.  Indian Rhubarb is fine coexisting with you, until you cause trauma to the plant somehow. The sap inside gets on your skin and can cause blistering sores and burning, especially if the affected skin is exposed to sunlight.  A lady that was here on a work team thought it was Queen Anne's Lace because it has these delicate looking white flowers. It's a good thing she didn't pick any!

 Skunk Cabbage Flowers

Close Up of Devil's Club

There are no skunks here, which surprised me, since they have a plant called "skunk cabbage". That's another odd looking plant. In the spring, it has huge yellow flowers, and by late summer, those flowers have turned green and the leaves surrounding them are the size of snowshoes! Bears like to eat them, but I'm not sure if they like the leaves or the flowers. I've also heard they can smell pretty bad if disturbed. I've never gotten close enough to find out.

Blue Skies

This is the first sunny day we have had in over two weeks. It started out as just a few patches in a mostly cloudy sky and I figured they were just "sucker holes" (see previous post) But then they began to join together and the sun started to shine through. I was getting the boys up from their first nap of the day, and started singing, "Let the sun shine, let the sun shine in..." and dancing around the room. I guess the lack of sunshine can do strange things to you (LOL). Although there was a distinctively fall-like chill in the air that reminded you that this is still September in Alaska, it was a glorious day. Which is good. Because our grocery truck got a flat somehow on it's way around the cove. Two people went out to help. They couldn't get the spare to release from the cable that holds it on, so a third person had to go out with cable cutters. By the time they were done, they were only 10 or 15 minutes from being caught by the tide. If it had been raining, I don't think they would have made it in time. All is well that ends well, right?
 We have a retreat group here tonight that has been coming for a number of years and this is the first year in a long time that they have been able to have their campfire actually on the beach. Usually they have to cook their smores at the fireplace in the dining hall!!
The only real drawback (and I am by NO means complaining one bit, this is just an observation) to the awesome weather today is that the fireweed has gotten an opportunity to dry out and it is taking advantage of it by all going to "seed" at once, or as I like to call it, "poofing". There were so many fireweed seeds floating in the air today that it looked like it was snowing pretty much all afternoon. It was a sight to behold.

Say What?!

There are a couple of  phrases we have learned here that I have never heard before. As winter approaches in Alaska, these two terms are in more and more frequent use. The first one is "sucker hole".
It rains a lot here in the fall. Weeks can go by without a single hour of sunshine. A sucker hole is a patch of beautiful, clear blue sky right in the middle of all these clouds. Your heart leaps for joy! It's going to clear up! And then.....it's gone, and you can almost hear it saying, "Sucker!!"
The second one is "termination dust". This one seems to be exclusively Alaskan. Termination dust is when the first hint of snow arrives on the surrounding mountain peaks. It signals that summer is "terminated" and winter is on its way. To me, the phrase sounds so final. It makes me think of a permanent ending, rather than a temporary parting. Although I don't know what I would use instead. Termination dust DOES have a bit of romantic flair to it...and after seven or eight months of winter, it probably feels like spring IS never coming back!
If you are interested in other Alaskan slang, here's a website for you! A little heads up though, there is one word listed that some parents might find questionable, so please view with discretion.
http://www.decorphoto.com/ak-slang.htm

The Last Day of Camp

Friday was the long-anticipated last day of camp. The hard-working kitchen staff created a delicious feast last night, as a "thank you" for all of the counselor's hard work. It included steak, halibut, twice-baked potatoes, warm rolls and much more. Afterwards, a large group went down to the beach for a game or two of sand volleyball and some fireside fellowship. It has been a sweet time for them of relaxation (finally!)  and friendship. Josh's last sermon to the counselors is about coming down from the mountain after experiencing the Transfiguration. This has been a mountain-top experience for many of them. It's so tempting to want to stay and not go back down to "the real world". Josh will be sharing with them why going down is important and what they can expect. It's a hard transition sometimes.

The twins are going to have their OWN transition time. They have been shown so much affection and attention by the counselors this summer that when they all leave tomorrow, I think the boys might just go through some kind of withdrawal! And although I have had a few rough days this summer, the next couple will likely be the hardest emotionally. Thankfully, my sister is coming to visit just in time.
God is awesome like that, because she didn't know that the counselors were leaving until after she had picked out her arrival date. Please pray for safety and smoothness in travel for her.

In other news, the boys have discovered horse poo. We took them to the park yesterday, since it was very nice and sunny out, and they played for a long time. Xander likes to pick stuff up and carry it around (I have a feeling that I will be finding rocks and other "treasures" in his pockets as he gets older) At one point he had two small sticks and a couple of pine cones. If the next item he finds is interesting enough, he will drop what he has and pick it up instead. I saw him pick something up, and from where I was, it looked like another pine cone, but I figured that I better investigate just in case.
When I got there, I could see it wasn't a pine cone, it looked like a clod of dirt. Except dirt doesn't clod here. It's too sandy. And he had pulled it apart so he had some in each hand. I called Josh over to help me get it out of his little talons. It must have felt kind of interesting  because he did NOT want to release it. Thankfully, it was older horse poo, not fresh, especially since after we got the "dirt" out of his hands and headed home to clean up, Xander did what he usually does. He stuck his thumb in his mouth. Ugh. Well, what doesn't kill us makes us stronger, right? Also, as we were pushing the stroller home a few days ago, Josiah decided that he needed to sample some of the local greenery. Unbeknownest to us, he grabbed a leaf off a wild rosebush (I think) as we passed by, and stuck it in his mouth. By the time we got home (probably a minute or so) he had decided he didn't like the taste but couldn't get it out of his mouth. So he started screaming. Which was when I saw the leaf on his tongue. I managed to fish it out and then gave him lots of water to rinse out the taste and also to wash out anything I might have missed. I was a bit worried at the time, not knowing if there were any poisonous plants here (I know what they are now) but he seems to have suffered no ill effects... Ahhhhh, adventures....

Finishing Well

This is the last week of camp. For most of the counselors, it got here far too quickly. In a little over a week, most of the counselors will be heading home, with memories of Echo Ranch forever in their hearts. It's also come too quickly for us. Although we will be here until mid-September , a part of us will go with all the counselors. We have enjoyed their company , their energy, their enthusiasm and their sweet spirits. The boys will also miss them, especially their "buddies".  I know they will look for them for days after they have gone...
In the weeks to follow, there is a jam-packed schedule of retreats here which will tax the staff tremendously. Tired as many are, this is when patience may run thin and tempers may run hot. It's not an easy time, the staff is cut in half but the duties do not decrease. This is a time to guard our unity, to protect our fellowship, to be patient and kind with one another and to bear one anothers burdens.
We have been encouraging the counselors to finish well, but we need to do the same! We need to run the race marked out for us with perseverance. We need to fix our eyes on Jesus, for He is the author and perfecter of our faith. He marked out this race, for us, just as He marked out YOUR race for you. And He will help both of us to rejoice in the path that He has chosen as we seek His provision and grace. May we not forget that the joy of the Lord IS our strength. What a gift He has given us, to be able to serve Him!

The Past Month

Has it really been over a month since I blogged? My apologies! It has been a crazy few weeks. The boys had a lovely 1st birthday. They each had their own "smash cake" It had their names in icing and had two little tiers. Everyone  sang Happy Birthday to them, and we "helped" them blow out their candle. Xander promptly and obediently "smashed" his cake. Right into the front of his shirt. Once he figured out that you were supposed to eat it, he went at it with relish, gnawing the cake like an apple. Josiah, on the other hand, was overwhelmed by all the kids gathered around to watch him, and all the noise, so I had to hold him on my lap and feed him bits of cake which he reluctantly ate. Consequently, the boys were not the only ones wearing frosting in their hair and on their clothes!
Once they hit the year mark, Josiah decided to become the fearless climber. He has climbed onto the couch, onto his crib, into dresser drawers, into chairs, and daily, he turns over his toy box, and balances on top of it, waving his arms, and shouting. Xander decided to be our talker. He says "cow" (although to him, a cow and a zebra are the same thing) Just this week, Xander was trying to get his shoes down from the table, and I asked if he wanted them. He looked at me and clearly said "shoes". I think he wanted them because he knows that if we put on their shoes, a trip to the park is coming. To give Josiah credit, I am pretty sure that he has learned the word "yes" although I am not yet sure if he knows what it means. He seems to know it is a response to a question though!
We also had a lovely anniversary in the past month! My very thoughtful husband arranged a night out for the just the two of us, and on our way home, Josh got to see his first bear!! It was super close. I literally could have hit it with the door of the car.
Josh has been giving most of the sermons and staff devotionals as well as trying to help with regular "camp stuff" when he is able. I have been able to drive a bus a few times this summer, and have really enjoyed getting to know some of the counselors. One of them is trying to teach me to crochet! I don't quite have the hang of it yet...
We were able to get into town a few weeks ago for the boys 12 month Doctor visit. They did great, especially considering how badly they were off schedule--their appointment was right in the middle of their usual nap. Josh was also able to get needed blood work done and we were able to get a few other long overdue tasks accomplished. The boys got a soft Tonka truck each afterwards for being so very good. They also had their 1st meal at the Golden Arches. McNuggets, apple dippers and milk. They loved it. We went shopping for some needed items, and the boys got to "drive" the car shopping cart, as it was a double seater (Thanks Lord!)
The theme for last month at camp was "Adventures on the High Seas" which was a lot of fun, and this month, every single day of the camp week is a different holiday (which means a lot of tear down and put up of decorations)
Bronco Camp--10 and 11 year olds--#2 was last week, and like the first one, so many kids had questions and were truly interested in spiritual things! Josh was able to be available during some devotions, and answer a number of the kids questions--and let me tell you, they had some good ones!
This blog is getting waaay too long, so I will try not to let so much time lapse before another update.

Firsts

We have had lots of firsts here in Alaska. I've killed my first crab, rode my first horse, and touched my first live starfish. Josh has created his first Chapel series, given his first daily devotionals, and he will be visiting his first Wilderness Camp this week. The boys will have their first birthdays this month. This is where they got their first mosquito bites and took their first steps. They had their first Cheerios here. They enjoyed their first time on a baby swing and their first trip down a slide. Soon they will have their first cake.
All these "firsts" remind me of the most important first. Keeping Jesus first. He is my first love.
Sometimes I struggle to keep my time with my Lord as a priority. Sometimes I'd rather sleep than study or I'd rather e-mail than pray. But without His direction, my day goes nowhere. Without seeking first (there it is again!!)His kingdom and His righteousness, my day is incomplete, and my efforts mostly ineffective. I want to give Jesus my best, not my leftovers. I don't want Him to be an afterthought, but the focus of my every thought. I need His guidance daily. We make time for what we love. We plan for it. We arrange things so that we can be involved in whatever it is. I commit to doing the same in my relationship with the One who loves me more than His own life. Let's put Him first no matter what else is on our schedule!