Black Bear!!!!! saturday,June 11,2011

Sarah, Momma, and I saw a Black Bear, when we were at the archery range for an class. Sarah was taking her last turn before we left. Then an asian lady with crutches saw the black bear in the bushes and shouted. Everyone's heads turned and some people didn't see it, but I did. The black bear looked kind of small compared to what I thought they would be, but we only saw part of it's body. Then one of the instructors scared  it away by hiting a piece of wood against the ground.  Everyone left talking about it.  I thought it was awesome!

Soccer in Alaska!-by Chenda

Co-ed Rec. Adult Soccer:
         Brian and I joined the Alaska Rush Parents Soccer team here in Anchorage.  We e-contacted the head of the club team that we are coaching an academy camp for twice a week (more on this later)and he got us connected to the adult league.  We were very fortunate to find such a fun/competitive team to play with weeks before we arrived!  I like our team manager's philosophy of just have fun and play safely bc we are a bunch of oldies that need to be able to walk the next day.  This doesn't mean that we are not intense though.  Some of us are larger than others (the ones with the Y chromosome) and use the advantage well.  A bit more aggression dispalyed than the "love fest" Monday games with CCS.
       We kicked off our season last week with a 2-0 win (I gave Brian a really nice cross from the right side of the box and he knocked it in with his left!  Quite a moment for me, since I haven't played a "real" game with just adults ever!)  We had to miss our last game due to coaching obligations, but we have been playing pick up soccer on Fridays for the kids and Sundays for the older part of the family and academy 2x/wk, though.  So we are all getting lots of playing time.
      My fav. soccer resource so far here:  the Rush soccer Friday "kids only (age.9yrs-18)" Pick-up Fridays.  There were aprox.50 kids out there last Friday with a couple of Rush coaches just supplying the pennies and balls; one ran a goalie clinic and one roamed the 3 levels of scrimmage games that went on.  1.5 hrs. scrimmages -kids rule: then 1.5 hrs. Finishing clinics (2 levels: a couple of "coaches") - Flying changes format;  All had fun and it was optional participation, so the kids that were present were the motivated ones.  Great resource, not much hassel or management, and it was free.
Coaching:
      Like I said earlier, Brian and I are coaching a developmental academy Tuesday and Thursday evenings, mostly bc we love to coach and secondly, to check out the youth soccer seen here in AK.  Plus the kids get to participate at no cost!  Win-win-win!  Really though, we do it for the T-shirts ;).
      The dedication parents feel to local youth activities is immense.  It says alot about Alaskans in general.
     It's been interesting to see how involved and hardy these Alaskans are.  I've asked the key question to parents that will speak to me:  "How do you deal with the extremes in temp. and light here?" to the people that make the world go round, heathy,- the moms.  Their response:  "You'd have to get out everyday no matter what.  Keep everyone active!"  They've got a challenging job since it could get down to -30F with wind and rain and we are just getting a taste of the mosquitoes!  Or should I say, they are just beginning to get a taste of us!  So far, I've found lots of soccer, swimming, fishing, hunting, baseball, lots of lit ski trails and dif. programs to go with them, running, hiking, boating etc., flying, lots of ice rinks (indoor and outdoor), and then there are the indoor court activities.  And have witnessed many hikers (young and old and inbetween) on the trails, even in hail, wind and rain.  These people get out!!

kids don't float

                                                                                                                                                  6/9/2011


    Today and yesterday I went swiming at Jewel Lake. At Jewel Lake there is a sign that says Kids Don't
Float.Under  the sign there are tons of life vests. It's funny because kids do float. We were there because I wanted to swim. Everyone thought I was crazy because they thought it was really cold but I didn't think it was. I swam in the little buoyed area that was next to a little beach. That was fun because that was my first time swiming in a long time. On that day the water was warmer then outside. It was awesome!!

THE END

Fun with Guns! (aka hunters ed)

Today Zander, my dad and I went to the shooting range at 8am (soooo early!!! i almost died) and went to this classroom thinging right next to it. The class wasnt as boring as i thought it was going to be and we went outside alot to go to the shooting range and take a little walk and stuff. The shooting part was really fun!! It was the first time i ever shot a gun ever so it was kinda scary but i got over it. i beat Zander and daddy at shooting and it was epiccc. then we went on a little hike thing and found little wooden animals and had to judge how far away they were from the trail. after that, we went back inside and took the test which was really easy and i got a 100% on it. it was really funny in a stupid kinda way haha. but anyway they gave us donuts and hot cocoa so i liked it :))
~ Mia

Here's Zander and I with our big guns!! That gross color is called hunters orange and all the hunters are supposed to wear it so they don't shoot eachother. It has saved many lives ;)

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Also..... talking about guns!! Zander and daddy went to the gun shup to try to buy a gun and they kicked them outt!!! I guess it was because they were only supposed to sell guns to residents of Alaska and daddy has a California drivers license!! i think they were just jealous of they california hotnesss ;) but now we're gunna try to get a gun from a private party insead of some store!!!

The Moose

                                                                                                                                     6/4/11

        Today I saw a moose in the senter of  Anchorage crosing a 6 way trafic light. The moose was biger
than a elk. But the moose looked like a elk.The moose was broun and it had spiky fur because it was
sheding. The moose was a baby and itw was like 6 feet tall.




                           The   End          

Today:) 6/5/2011

Today Daddy and us kids went to a go-kart place this morning. Daddy bought six tickets, one extra for the winer. I got the 2nd go-kart in the line, the track was short but really curvy. The first round Mia won so she got the extra ticket. Every one else owed Daddy 3 dollers for another  round. This time I missed a lap and I ran into the side of the track, then Sarah ran into me and by the time we were back on track some people had laped us.  Then we went fishing at Jewel lake.




- Kayley  

Flattop Mountain Hike

 On Friday we hiked up this giant mountain with a flat top (hence the name). This hike was windy, cold, rainy, cold, snowy, cold, and... cold (it was really cold). It reaminded me alot of when we hiked Mt. Washington last summer. It was all rocky and really reallly windy. And cold.... but at least there was a warm lodge thing at the top of Washington and food and stuff.  But on the flat top of Flattop there was just a buncha piles of rocks that were supposed to sheild you from the wind. The trail was supposed to be switchbacks but no one fenced it off so there were a bunch of little trails that went all over the place from people cutting the swithchbacks. It was pretty crazy. It was still pretty fun though!!!

~ mia