We're not in Alaska

But Eric is. They're ready to hike and wrestle bears if needed. (I started this post when he was gone and didn't get it finish it until today.) 

They saw a lot of bears and other creatures -- foxes, caribou, moose. I talked to Eric a couple of times while he was gone, when they were in cell range, and every time he said, "it's so big, everything is just so big." He was in awe of the land. Hopefully someday we can go see it with our kids. 

While he was gone 4th of July happened. I took the kids to the parade and fireworks on my own. (Yes, I'm patting myself on the back.) Even with our stock of water bottles it was hot hot hot. Halfway through the parade Sommer came over to me and said she was going to be sick. She dry heaved into the gutter but nothing came up. I had her sit down by me for a while in what shade I could make for her then she stood up again and almost got sick again. It must have been heat related. By the end of the parade we were so exhausted it was hard to be excited about the water parade coming. We packed up our things and almost left but didn't. The tankers came rumbling down the street and drenched us. It felt so good even though it was kind of terrifying to have the huge hoses come raining down on us. 

Ridge got a prime seat during the parade on the Pedal Away Parkinson's float with other scouts from our neighborhood.

This was fast Sunday. We've been taking Sunday family pictures all year and didn't want to miss a day. I'm smiling because I cheated on my fast and ate. With 1 o'clock church I couldn't muster the strength to get through my fast until 4. I felt myself getting angry and exhausted and on the verge of tears. It wasn't an ideal situation for a Sunday, especially not one on my own. So I prayed about it, not very happily and apologized to the Lord that I just couldn't get through the day. Then I ate a Cliff bar and drank water and I felt so much better. That's why I'm smiling in this picture. We made it.