Another Mama in the Neighborhood...

There's a mama moose who lives in the woods next to our house. Each Winter, we watch as she chases out her yearling so that she can get ready for her next little baby - who generally appears sometime in late Spring. We'll see the yearling stumble out of the woods, just to trot back, and be chased out again. It's always bittersweet to watch. Eventually, he gets the idea and goes off to do his own thing. Around mid April each year, I begin to anticipate the grand appearance of the newest member of mama moose's family. *This* year, as I carry my own little one, I was even more eager to see mama proudly tromp out of the woods with her clumsy, wobbly baby following close behind. It is truly my very favorite "Alaskan wildlife" picture to behold. I waited and waited, and started to get sad when she and baby never appeared. I even asked Charley about a week ago why we hadn't seen mama and new baby yet... I mean, it IS almost June already. He said to give it a few more days. THEN, last night, guess who showed up in our back yard? Yup! Mama and not one, but TWO little babies! She had twins! :)


I was washing dishes and noticed Mama out my window, as well as baby number 1 as they chomped on some weeds and bushes next to our house. Then, they both stopped, looked back and became fixated on something. That's when I saw baby number 2 stumble out and trot up next to them. Then all three continued with their dinner. I knew I'd be able to see them better once they went over to the little pond/puddle at the end of our road for a drink - so I grabbed my camera and headed outside. Sure enough, they went over to the 'water hole' (really just an area where there's no good drainage so water likes to gather), and started snapping pictures. They were too far to get any good ones, so I eventually went back inside and continued watching from my kitchen window.

About 10 minutes later, I noticed them coming around the side of our house, so I went out on the back porch, and there they were, tromping right through our backyard, literally only a few feet away from me! Mama didn't seem disturbed by her family's new paparazzi (in fact, she almost seemed to enjoy it). She and babies stopped right there a few feet from the porch, and just stared at me, allowing me to take as many pics as my little heart desired. It was SO cool (it was also reassuring to know that just one step backwards, and I'd be in the safety of my own home with a closed door between us if she *did* try anything funny. Mama moose can be VERY protective of her little ones!).



Within minutes of my photography session, Charley's sister, Sarah and her family arrived at our house. They just got up here from Wyoming. Each year they come up to Alaska to go out to Preston/Brown fishcamp for about 2 months to commercial fish (which is how they make their living so that Mike can stay home throughout the school year and help homeschool the kids). I *adore* their family. We had invited her and Mike and their four sweet, very well-behaved kids- Colby, Titus, and the twins- Sylvia and Timmy over for a bbq. Tomorrow, Mike and the two older boys will head out to set up fish camp and Sarah will stay at our house with the twins (not the moose ones... though, they'll be around too) for the weekend. Charley is going down to Homer (where his folks live) from Friday night through Sunday night to do some halibut fishing (my fingers are crossed that he'll get some because we are plumb out!), so I'm looking forward to some good 'sis time' with Sarah while our hubbies are gone. She is so awesome. Then Mike, Colby, and Titus will come in and get Sarah and the twins on Monday to head back out to fishcamp, and we won't see them again until they're done, sometime in mid July. Charley also spent each summer growing up out at fish camp. His parents started their fishing operation back in the 80s. They have a BEAUTIFUL camp/cove out in Prince William Sound (about 40 miles by boat out of a little community called Whittier -which is 40 miles South of Anchorage), and that's where the Browns (Mike and Sarah's family) continue to fish today, along with Charley's brother Toby, and his 20 year old son, Caleb. Charley's Dad doesn't go out anymore, but his Mom still does (her unofficial title being camp cook/nurse/prayer warrior/and encourager). Commercial fishing is a lot of work, but some of Charley's best childhood memories were made out there. Anyways, aren't you glad to know all about the Preston/Brown commercial fishing outfit now? :)

Here are some pictures of 'fishcamp'.

This is picture from a few years ago when Charley and I went out there just after we'd gotten married... From left to right: me and Charley, Caleb (Toby's son), Jan (Charley and Toby's mom), Colby, Sylvia, Mike and Toby- and then down below is Sarah holding Timmy with Titus next to her

This is the beach infront of their camp

This is "Preston Cove" looking out from their camp

This is on the 'outside' beach- basically 'around the corner' from their campsite

In other news, I'm about 33 weeks now! We only have 5 or 6 weeks left (unless little Jumping Bean decides to hang out in there for longer than she's 'supposed' to). My sister and Coie will be here two days before she's due, July 16th. I. Can't. Wait! Jen hasn't been to Anchorage (or South central AK) in the Summer, and Coie has never been to AK at all! It will be hard for me to not over-do it wanting to show them around. Alaska is the most gorgeous state, and SO fun to show off to visitors - *especially* in the Summer. And WOW has it been beautiful lately. It's been in the 70s pretty consistently, which is not normal and quite the treat for us Anchoragites. Normally the temperature in Alaska during the Summer hangs somewhere between a warm 55 and 65, spiking up into the 70s only occasionally. Funny thing is, however, since the sun is always up and shining brightly, our '70' feels like '80' in the lower 48. It's wonderful. I do not like really hot weather, so our Summers are PERFECT. Especially after growing up in Sacramento where it's grossly hot and humid... yuck.

Please keep me in your prayers as I near the end of this pregnancy. I'm a little apprehensive about the labor and delivery. I've never done this before, so I guess those feelings are normal. Eden is (and has been) head down, and I've been having a few regular contractions each day... so I know my body is starting to gear up. But your prayers are still coveted, and I'm just asking that the Lord blesses us with good nurses and a smooth labor and delivery- and most of all, a healthy, strong little baby girl in the end. God is faithful and thanks to the consistent prayers of my parents-in-law, my sister and so many other wonderful friends and family, I know that this pregnancy has already been far more smooth than it could have been.

:)