The Great AK outdoors

We have really been enjoying the outdoors. We made another trip to the Knik River and as always, we all had an awesome time. Here is Phillip floating down the river on Ryans raft, Brandon posing with his four wheeler, and Donovan enjoying some good Tonka Time by the water.

FYI

I don't know if those of you who read my blog know it, but you can click on my pics and it will allow you to see them, enlarged! I am back to babysitting now and Brandon has to begin school on Monday. Doesn't seem possible that the summer is already over. My love to you all!
I just had to add a couple more pics:
Here are the boys in an old cart on the rainroad tracks above the mine, and then my precious parents, near the waterfall.

Last Fun Days Before School Starts.....

My Aunt Ilene and Uncle Keith are visiting from California! We have had so much fun taking them around and doing things together. We had two beautiful sunny days (imagine that) and we spent the first day four-wheeling and picnicing at Knik River and then the next at Hatcher's Pass and Independence Mine. At the river bed, we took turns riding the four wheelers, ate hamburgers and hot dogs and enjoyed each other's company. At the mine, we took a pretty lengthy hike and even found some gold flecks in the river streams at the top of the mountain. Donovan was such a trooper, he hiked the whole 4 (give or take) miles!



Our family, at the bottom of the mine, near the water. You can see the mountain behind us.

Tysen at the river bed, eating gravel.... again and again. Seems as soon as we flushed his mouth out, he would eat some more and cry again! lol

Brandon, taller than mountains! This pose turned out real cute!

My honey and I by one of the waterfalls. Aren't we cute?

Daddy and Donovan "ready to roll!" Luckily, he is too young to know or care that he is borrowing his cousin, Sydnie's pink helmet! lol.

The New Pets

Brandon finally got a pet. Dad said no dog. period. So, we went to the pet store and he picked out a big hermit crab for him and Donovan. They are actually pretty cool! They are much bigger than than appear in these pics. Donovan named his Blue but Brandon is still thinking of the perfect name.


B and his new pet. It is actually stuck back in the shell here.

Taking care of every detail.

Yet to be named, exploring in his new home.

Finally, a sunny day!

After a couple of weeks of rain, we finally had some sun yesterday! yay!
It was short-lived. It is back to the rain today. Anyhow, we got to get outide for a short bit and enjoy the swingset and yard.

elphinium.
Ty Ty in the back flower bed in my blue d

This is perhaps my favorite flower in the flowerbed. I have it in purple too, but this midnight blue is my favorite. It is tall, about 4.5 feet high!

Deedah and his attempt to smile....

Ty in his infant swing. When we first bought it, at the beginning of the summer, he didn't like it at all. Now, he loves it!

Whenever I ask Donovan to smile, he gives me this weird, wanna-be-smile and yells "cheese." I have given up on getting a real smile from him!

Dillingham, 2008

The boys and I traveled home to Dillingham for a few weeks and arrived back to Wasilla yesterday. It was, as always, fun and exciting. The boys had a blast playing outside and staying up late at night. I helped my mom put up salmon... lots and lots of it. We froze, canned and smoked king and red salmon. I also went commercial fishing for my dad for about a week and a half. Brandon enjoyed his 9th season on the boat. He is getting to be quite the deckhand, picks fish in a hurry. Back in Wasilla, I came home to find tons of moose tracks in my garden, the moose and her babies made meals of my lettuce and other veggies. Anyways it is good to be back home with our Daddy and Phillip. Love to you all = hope your summer is great!

Reds smoking in the smoke house



Mom and I splitting fish .... all day!

Brandon laying in a bed of salmon

3 generations of Nicholsons on the Jennifer Lynn in Bristol Bay, AK

My Big king salmon

Dad and I, all muddy after we missed the tide and had to pick our fish out of the mud... ewww!

Tysen kissed each of the bags of fish after we finished sealing them!

My Garden and Peter Rabbit

I have spent the last week or so in my yard, creating a garden, putting in raspberry and strawberry planters and getting the boys a new swing set. It was a lot of work, but I had lots of great help! I had rabbits in it from the start, so we had to put the green fence up to keep them out.


Raking and Raking and Raking!


Putting it all together....

Here are some rows of lettuce

Look, green veggies!


The strawberry planter made from cedar timbers.... there are 4 raspberry planters behind it.