On Monday Dad and I took Maike, Scott, Candice and Mickayla to the San Juan Islands. We took a ferry to Orcas Island. Here we are waiting for the ferry. The wind is cold but it isn't to bad. We had no idea what was coming. When we got to Orcas Island the road was closed going up to Mt Constitution. Usually we enjoy a nice drive up to a gorgeous view. When we got there we found the road was closed. Little did we know that it was beause of deep snow. We were soon to find out. We were dressed for a drive not a long hike through the snow but we decided to hike up the mountain. We made it though, with a little trouble and a very worn out little girl. She got carried down the mountain by every one but me. I gave her a sled ride on my coat for a little ways and then I left the group to hike down a little faster to go get the car and drive it closer to the the gate so they wouldn't have to go as far. (It only shortened the hike a little.)Each of the rest of them had to carry Mickayla down the mountain. We used the road not the trail for the down hill hike. It made it easier for Kim and I where we didn't have hiking shoes on. We were all very tired at the end. It was an event we will NEVER forget!! 

We stopped for some fun on the way. We didn't know that further up the mountain we would have all the snow we wanted. We thought this was going to be as deep as it came.  

Scott was funny in our snowball fight. Just like any smart married man he used his wife as a shield. 

Dad was a good shot. He hit Candice right in the forhead 

This was the group of us pretty fresh. We had just hiked a 1.3 miles. We felt great. We had 2 plus miles to go to the top of Mt. Contitution. Little did we know that we had 6 inches of snow to climb through at a straight up incline. 

There was a tower to climb up in to look over the San Jaun Islands at the top of the hike. Maike, Scott and Mickayla were already at the top of the tower when I got there. I was not thrilled to see I would have to climb some more. But I did. The view was beautiful. 

This is what we found after our hike up. It was beautiful. We couldn't stay long because we needed to catch the ferry home. It was to darn cold to want to stay any longer anyhow. 

We were all shot after such a long hard day. Candice and Scott slept on the ferry. The rest of us sat back and enjoyed the ride. We were to tired to play games. 

Maike and I went to Seattle on Tuesday. We went to the Seattle center, Pike place market and then on to the water front where we found the Argasy cruise of the bay for half price. So we went. We had a great time! The weather was great. I liked the idea we were seeing a lot and learning the history and we were seating on our bottoms and not on our feet, especially after the day we had the day before. 

Maike and I met Candice in Bellevue after a fun day in Seattle. We went to resturaunt after resturaunt but every one was full. We were getting hungry. It was a Tuesday night. We didn't expect trouble find a place to eat. As you can see Candice and Maike were pretty hungry by the time we found a resturaunt that didn't have a hour wait. 

Kim and I took Maike to Levenworth. We had a great time. She seemed to enjoy it. The weather was great. She had never been to Levenworth before. She didn't get to go when she lived here with us. Hopefully she didn't mind going with two old people.  

Erin took all the pictures for the guest book. While she wasn't looking I got one of her. I like how Will hung out at the open house. I would have liked to be carried around and looked so relaxed. 

Candice and Scott at the open house. They are so cute together 

Here is a wierd happening! I was looking at the pictures I just had developed from my camera. This a my large camera I use all the time. I had pictures on Reed and Blake's wrestling banquet awards (I thought), Candice's open house and a few other things. When I looked at the pictures this is all I had on the banquet (the rest is on another roll so I know I do have some pictures of this event). I couldn't figure it out. Then I saw the two pictures before it. What a shock. 

This is what came up. Some how there were two pictures from when we went to California about 10 years ago on this film. I have no idea how though. It is a total mystery! I loaded the film in myself. It was a fresh roll of film. There were two old pictures and one that was half old and half new. 

Read the blog picture below this first. I had put this picture up so it would come after the other picture but when I viewed the blog this one had not posted.
Mickayla's trap worked pretty good. This morning when she got up she had a Lebrachan hat in her trap. He must have been in a big hurry to get away to leave his hat behind. Mickayla will take the trap and hat to school today for the other kids to see. Most of the kids got notes from the Lebrachans telling them what nice traps the students had made, but the weren't clever enough. 

Mickayla had to make a lebrachan trap for school this week. That was her homework. She thought hard and decided she wanted to make a trap out of a can. She did the hard part - thinking of what to make it out of. Then Dad and Blake went to work putting a trap together. (Isn't this how elementary homework works?) The trap was cool. There was a net in the can with a gold ring dangling up inside of the can by fishing wire. The fishing wire was connected to a mouse trap. When the Lebrachan grab the ring the trap went off pulling the net up around the Lebrachan.  

Maike arrived on Tuesday. She had first flown from Germany to Georgia and spent some time with a friend there. She then flew here. I put her right to work. The poor girl saved me, but she is going to be exhausted. She iced a wedding cake, made refreshments and helped with anything I needed help with. She was a wonderful help to me!! She at least knows how to put on an American Open house. She told me she wants us to come to Germany and help her put her wedding together. She decided she wants and American wedding cake. After she was done helping me she may could do her own. 

Lillian gave Mickayla and her doll matching P.Js. Mickayla loves them. (Can we say SPOILED) 

Maike and William. She had never feed a baby a bottle before. She got her chance with William. I don't know if I'll get her to try to change his diaper though. He sprayed all over me when I was changing him. She and Erin thought it was funny. 

Mickayla took Maike as her show and tell at school for the letter G. (German) Mickayla was so excited. She told me she thought she was the luckiest girl in the world. Maike was great at the class. One of the girls raised her hand and said, "I like her because she is so beautiful." I think Maike liked that. I really don't think that anyone in the class knew what a German was, even if Maike talked to them in German. 

Maike, Mickayla and Mickayla's whole kindergarten class 

Maike was a great help setting up. Here she is putting out the fruit for the chocolate fountain. She made everything look so beautiful! 

This is Gwen helping with the shrimp tray. She was a great help to us, not only providing the house but helping with the preperation. The floral arrangement in the back ground is one of the arrangements that Brenda made for the night. They were all beautiful.  

This is the line at the open house. Mickayla lasted 2 mintues and then she was off to play