December Festivities and Family 2010

December was a wonderful month of holiday celebrations, as we had both the Burger and Hyer families visit us to celebrate the Christmas month. We spent much time on the new boat, crabbing and shrimping, and enjoying many meals of the freshest (never frozen) crab and shrimp. Have we mentioned how much we love living here? Here's Calder enjoying the snow in his new snowsuit and boots. He will run to the front door with his boots, just begging to go outside and play:

St.Nick's Day, Southeast Alaska style - put out your X-tra Tuffs and see what St.Nick brings. Here's his friend Zia Hulebak joining in the fun:We had a family first - harvesting a Christmas tree from the woods only 12 miles from our home. We parked Chris' old Chevy truck, then hiked down a side road in search of the perfect SMALL tree. We found this Western Hemlock, which looked so much smaller in the woods than it did in our living room. I also gathered boughs of various trees to make my first wreath:Ready to make my wreath:Chris and I have been waiting for the moment when we could harvest a Christmas tree with his red Chevy:The tree was MUCH bigger than we had anticipated (18 feet!). We had to chop a few feet off both the bottom and top. Here is Chris holding the top of the tree on his head:Our home, Petersburg, from the water:First, the Hyers (Terry, Erin, Barbara, and Travis) all visited. Here's Trav and Chris hauling up a King Crab pot:

Chris recieved a special present of a workbench vise that was his Grandpa's:

Grandma bought us three gals matching pj's for Christmas:

The frozen muskeg in winter, right out our backdoor:

Chris, Calder, and I with our house in the background (the tan house), standing on the frozen muskeg:

Uncle Trav reading to Calder:

Trav, Calder, Terry, and Chris with a fresh King Crab:

Next, the Burgers visited for Christmas. Here's Grandpa with the rocking orca he made for Calder:

On a boat trip, Calder with a shrimp:
Tired mama and baby:

Jen, Calder, and Wisconsin Grandpa:

Calder's first snowman, made on our back porch:

My folks enjoying a drive out the road, almost to the end:

Happy Holidays!!!!

November 2010 Highlights

Out for a sunny walk in the muskeg, Calder enjoying (and often trying to eat) nature: Chris and Calder on the Hungry Point Trail in town:

Two weeks later on that same trail. This was Calder's first sled ride and he loved it (thanks Gina for the idea and sled!):

The "Christmas Tree Lighting Parade" down Main Street. The Hulebak and Hyer families...yes, everyone is IN the parade down to the tree, where it is lit, and then the band starts playing:

Calder playing on our back porch:

Chris and Erik with our new fishing boat, shortly after its arrival by ferry from Washington. It's a 24 foot Hewescraft:

Launch Day!

Chris hauling a crab pot. We have 2 crab pots and 2 shrimp pots:

October 2010: travels and Halloween

October started off in Petersburg with "The Humpy 500," a soap box car race down main street. The kids were pretty creative with their cars:

Chris and Calder went to Washington and Idaho for 10 days (I stayed home in Petersburg and worked). First stop: Tri-Cities Washington to visit Aunt Betty. Here is a pic of Travis and Calder enjoying the sun:

Next stop: Kilroy Bay in Idaho. Calder enjoying the warmth of the fireplace:

Calder and Chris napping by the fire:

Calder, his Grandma, and his Great-Grandma out for a walk:

Another nap by the fire, this time with Grandma:

Enjoying a book together (Erin, Calder, Travis, and Terry):

Back in Petersburg for Halloween. Chris and I carved pumpkins this year:

Chris and I with our little monkey (we are trees):

High Endeavours being pulled out of the water for the winter. This was quite the production:

September Pictures (yes, September!!!)

I just realized that our last post had August photos from our move to Petersburg. Now we've been here over 4 months. My goal is to catch up to 2011 and then we plan to do every other week shorter posts, rather than the "marathon-posting" that we do every few months. We'll see how this goes.

Calder and Jen picking blueberries. Calder was VERY into it:A great day of sailing, our last of the season before putting our boat on the hard for winter:

We took our good friends (Erik, Alice, and baby Zia) who had never been sailing. A great quote of the day was Erik, "Is the boat supposed to be tipped so far over?":

Heading back to Petersburg:

Petersburg from the water:

An unusually sunny September led to starting a lawn project, digging up a flower bed to plant next year:

Getting some cooking done during a phase when Calder only wanted to be held:

Calder has mastered the stairs:

Sunny picnic day excursion to Woodpecker Cove with the Hulebak family:

The view from our back porch. The herons often perch atop the trees:

The muskeg that is our backyard:

Biking to work: