More of our Homer adventure...we visited this wonderful hidden treasure of a spot up on the hillside of Homer, The Win Nature Center. It took a map to get us there, but it was way worth it! We had a chance to talk with two naturalists about the wildflowers of the area, and then we went on a partillay guided, partially self-guided 2 mile hike with wildflower identification charts. Abby and I were very pre-occupied finding and photgraphing every type of wildflower. We got over 20 kinds! The entire hiking trail was marked with interesting notations about moose tracks and trails, fire information, and just general info about the flora and fauna. Another great thing about the Win Nature Center is that they are connected with schools and other groups interested in tours, like Girl Scouts, etc. As we were leaving one of the naturalists was setting up a GPS scavenger hunt for a Girl Scout group coming in later that afternoon. I think it is neat to discover this kind of place to tuck in my memory as a resource for later. This one was a keeper! The most interesting fact I can recall is about the stinky smell of the beautiful chocolate lily pictured below. The smell is meant to smell like rotting moose carcass to attract the flies who can pollinate the lily. What an awesome and creative God we have!
The Islands and Oceans center has such a wide variety of activities... we were there just in time for an open science lab focused on crustaceans. The kids made bookmarks, used microscopes, observed all kinds of crustaceans- dead and alive, and even experienced a touch tank. On hand were many summer interns who are working on their master's degrees in marine biology. It was so neat. We spent 5 hours looking at exhibits, taking the trail to the beach, watching films about scientists and how they research, attending the lab, and listening to a wildlife talk from a ranger. David took the camera for a while in the lab to record his favorites...
A starfish (or seastar as it is supposed to be called- we learned this) eating it's lunch. 
Steve on the beach.
Sea Otter poop. Another photo by David. This has been cleaned of course, but was a fascinating part of the lab. These are all mussel shells and crab parts... what do you think that sea otter had for dinner?
The Homer 4th of July Parade... wow... it was a candy-fest. I have never seen more candy distributed- the kids had more in their bags than 2 Halloweens combined. on bikes, all the fire trucks.
Here's the beginning of our summer. I actually made a summer photo CD- the first CD I've ever burned ever!- and thought I should put a few of the memories on the blog. I did forget that I need to upload the photos in a different order, so the top should really be the bottom... These couple are from our 4th of July camping trip on the Homer Spit. We had a fabulous time camping in the sand and cooking over the fire. We spent hours looking for treasures, playing catch and chasing games, and visiting the Islands and Oceans center. More pics of this on the next posting...
This is of a fun hike up to Gold Cord Lake in Hatcher's Pass. The lake is crystal clear and FREEZING! The day was so warm, we all peeled off our shoes and rolled up our pants to cool off. 
This is the true David. Animal with a squirt gun. No mercy. No fear. Ruthless. Born sniper.
Our Sand Castle cake. The kids picked this idea out of the Family Fun magazine. We made it for a dinner with some fun favorite friends. Such a fun project with a major sugar high afterward! Went to 3 stores looking for Rock Pebble candy...
Our slip and slide rides again! We got some great video of this particular afternoon. The favorite position for the slip and slide this summer was attaching the hose to the top of the swingset slide with the slip and slide at the bottom. Lots of momentum going on then! By mid-June I had to duck tape the corners of the crash-landing pool and the hose connection. My mom sent this up a few summers ago, and last summer was so wet I don't think we even got it out!
Our annual trek to the Butte. Another gorgeous day in the Matanuska Valley. No band-aids this year, amazing!
The Mosquito Knights! The theme of camp was Knights of Carlquist Court- so as you can see, most activities related to knighthood. Very fun!
Sword fighting on the playground duing free-time.
BB Guns, David's favorite.
The National Guard visited and let the Scouts try out the Hum-V.
Water Bombs and catapults!
Scooter Jousting.
Tying the Clover Hitch.
A friend sawing his shield.
Bows and arrows.
Our day began early with a trip into Anchorage to watch Steve pursue his latest passion: road bike racing! We set out at 8 a.m. with our fingers crossed that it wouldn't be raining in Anchorage like it was in Palmer, the van packed with kid activities, movies, and snacks and met up with the Kroons to view the guys in action. The rain stopped, the guys raced, and the kids had a blast cheering on their dads and playing in the dirt! Rachel and I needed a latte to chat over, but as it was between bikers and 5 kids next to the road we didn't finish a sentence! Steve's gift of new bike shorts and jersey don't arrive at REI until Tuesday, I was bummed he didn't have them for the race. It was so fun to watch him work so hard! The course had a major long and steep hill up Old Rabbit Creek Road, and they had to climb it 10 times! Yikes! Steve clocked 19 something miles going all out today. I am way impressed. The guy is doing a fabulous job for just entering this competitive sport this year! Kep was amazing too- he came up from behind due to a technicality, and ended up passing most everyone! Way to Go, Steve and Kep!
Our Tiger Cub Scout has won the Tiger Cub Division of the Pinewood Derby for Pack 360! Woo Hoo! Could it be the cool car design with the black paint and gold shimmery stripe? Could it be that he sanded it and carved it with his new pocket knife? Could it be that he prayed every night for a week that he would win? Could it be that Steve researched ancient Pinewood Derby secrets on the internet? I don't know, but the combination worked! David came home with a whopper of a trophy, and an even bigger smile! His car had to be confiscated until the final race-off at the Scout-a-rama next month- we wouldn't want to send it home with a chance for modifications.... In the photos, David's car is painted black with a gold stripe running down the middle of the car. Go, David, Go!
A close up of Lance Mackey's dogs.
A photo of the winning team: it's Lance Mackey, 2009 Iditarod winner! Way to go, Lance!
A team in action! For all of you in the lower 48, this race is thriling to watch! The dogs are so happy and you get to be right there!
Climbing trees between mushers. Tree climbing is David's latest favorite outdoor activity.
David petting the "display" dogs at the Campbell Creek Science Center. This was the best place to view the race- no fences, woods to play in, and hot chocolate and bathrooms in the science center building. The kids loved the trivia games and Iditarod history dislays there too. David won an Iditarod trail marker, and Abby won a poster.
Abby waiting for a high five from musher 27 (not sure who it is). She was tossed a dog booty for her dedication to cheering on the mushers and giving high fives!
Playing on the train. (While I waited in line for the dog sled rides!) What a beautiful day!
The dog sled ride around the Park Strip was so fun. David was in tears when he found out he couldn't be the musher. The smile gives it away, he had a great ride afterall!
Abby has a dream come true! When she was little, she wanted to ride in a kangaroo's pouch, this is as close as she'll get in Alaska!
