Cool

This is pretty much the coolest thing you're gonna see all day.

Vested

Evangeline got back in the Alaska groove this evening by needing to wear her vest around. She also got some treads for the bath, since she's a shower girl now.

Back To Land Of...

...hanging out on porch in diaper. To be fair, I think Evangeline was the only one in our neighborhood doing this.

Never too young to sweep the porch

Enjoying the evening baby style.

We did let her take a break.

HSH!

We're home after a long but very efficient trip. Evangeline did a little sleeping and a little crying and a little snacking. She was a very good girl. Travelling with a toddler is much better when your husband is with you. We're glad to be home but already missing Alaska. Evangeline seems to feel as if she played with all her toys here yesterday and is even better at picking tomatoes than when she left  three weeks or so ago.

Alaska Week Three

Kyle (Da-doo) is here! Evangeline welcomed her dad into our last week in Alaska by dragging him out in the rain and showing him around. She helped him start the sauna--by handing him wood and crumpling up newspaper as she hasn't yet learned how to strike matches--and gave him a tour of her cabin. It's been pretty rainy since he got here, but that just means more puddles for Evangeline to show us how to splash in.

Rocks, lake...what else could you need?

She did actually wear a swimsuit for part of a morning. She had slid
down the lawn on her bare bum the day before and gotten some
scratches.  But the suit didn't last long. Seems she doesn't care
about scratches.

Yogurt is way better if grandpop feeds it to you. She's
also got her baby here, which she's been toting around
for a couple of weeks now.

Collecting rocks.

Dad's here. Time to play in the rain.

And this is my porch...

Showing dad how to enjoy the view.

Entertaining Ammi on the way to church.

Another after-church picture. We like to take them so
we can squint into the sun. Evangeline was thoughtful
enough to hold GG's cane for her.

With Pastor Tolar. We have a picture of him holding her
at church last year. She was a lot smaller.

This is what she kept doing when I told her to smile.

Alaska Week Two

Evangeline's house. I thought I put these pictures up, but apparently didn't make the dial-up cut. So, here's the house that my dad is making her. He's used the leftover scrap logs from a local sawmill, so The Girl can boast that her house is pretty green. It has a lake view, beach view, and sauna view. Of course, she knows all about life in a log home from staying at her Grandma and Grandpa Mietzner's, so she's pretty much an expert.This is the only summer she won't have a pesky little sister to share it with, so hopefully she's enjoying it enough.

Looking out the beach view window.

Helping grandpop with the roof.

This last week we've had a few sunny days in which Evangeline stayed outside and in the water all day. She's even doing a few swim-like moves in the water. She wants to be outside all the time, even if it's raining. It is more fun for all of us when it's sunny. I'm afraid she's getting rather spoiled staying in a house with two great-grandmothers, grandma and grandpop. Plus various uncles and aunts and cousins. And two dogs. And a cat. But I did remind her about Iago the other day, and she still seemed pretty enthusiastic about shouting his name. She also proved to remember something very important when she found and pointed to a picture of her dad while talking to him on the phone (file under: just when you think they don't really "get" things, you find out they do).

Sharing strawberries. She's good at picking and eating them.

Going over her plans for the day.

Fresh out of the sauna and ready for bed. Best feeling ever.

Waiting for her paddle boat to launch.

A girl, a dog and a grandpop

Captain Evangeline surveys her kingdom

First Week in Alaska

Well, not quite a week. We've been having a great time so far, with cool weather, cooler water, and lots of relatives. And salmon. We also have dial-up internet here at the homestead, and I'm afraid none of our pictures will load. I think I may make the trek into town tomorrow and find a place where I can put up some pictures, mostly because I know The Girl's dad (and probably her grandparents, too) needs to see some. We miss you, Da-doo.

...hey, this might have worked after all. I can't tell. And I surely can't see enough to put up captions...enjoy? Maybe? Goodnight!

Church at St. Luke

Cousin Maci unsure about Evangeline

Unsure about baby shower

Shannon, Ellee and three little girls

Who's up for a little row?

Can you tell which kid went in the lake with her clothes on?

This water is very cold. She doesn't care.

Dancing

Showing Uncle Eli how to ipad

Playin it cool with cousin Simon

Another generation of kids hanging out under the table

Morning coffee and talk with dad

Pancakes with Ellen

Eating caviar