Another trip to Homer

While our good friends, Leonard and Valerie were visiting, we took them to Homer.  They had a beautiful day to enjoy it.  Sadly, the tide did not get low enough during their stay here to make it as enjoyable as some tide pooling days we've had in the past.

 

Leonard and Valerie above Homer on Skyline Drive



These are the rocks we're normally traipsing all over looking at the wonderful sea creatures below the water line.

Jaedyn and Josiah found interesting sea creatures that looked like
a brain floating in the tide...  anyone know what that was?

To Jaedyn and Josiah, even long sea plants are something fun and interesting

I can never resist shooting pics of lupines anywhere

Of course afterwards we had to visit our favorite restaurant, The Mermaid Inn



Their family has interesting food restrictions similar to ours,
and Valerie, especially enjoyed the menu items as much as we do!

Off of the spit there were three people windsurfing - they were really good. 
Sea otters were there too, but I couldn't seem to get a pic of them together!



A view of the spit from Skyline Drive

The islands in the distance is where Tim and I seakayaked last year for our anniversary!



Some art from the Mermaid Inn

On the spit

Keeping Cool!

A trip to Homer with Grandma and Grandpa (not pictured) at the end of May

Our favorite restaurant/book store in Homer

Tim went hooligan fishing and caught way more than he realized!

Fortunately for him, Jaedyn didn't mind cleaning fish and helped him out!

 

 

With temps up in the 70s and close to the 80s, our family had to get creative about keeping cool.  We don't have air conditioning in Alaska, and some parts of the house even require us to open up the windows (I can rub this in, as I know my brother will be mentioning how nice it is in Texas when the snow is flying here next winter).

 

Our bunnies, Herseys and Luna, got out of their cage
 and danced around in the yard until we realized it was them and rounded them up.



Josiah and Eliana found it was nice to play in the sprinkler, make a pot of grass stew and drink iced tea on the back deck



Then they heated up the stew with a magnifying glass and the sun...



Kenai Wildlife Refuge offers a nice walk on a sunny day.



Our friends, Leonard and Valerie, and their son, Shannon, came to visit for 4-5 days



Jaedyn entered a "Salvage Art" contest at the Kenai River Festival...



... and got 2nd place in her division.
(She's in light blue on the right getting her award - also a recycled piece of art).



Josiah took swimming lessons.  He learned to bob his face in the water...



and kick his legs and swim in the deep end.
Not pictured, he jumped off the diving board and swam to the side!



Right now the mosquitos are horrendous.
 Here Tim has an electic mosquito killer that he is getting he mosquitos with.
The skeeters tend to swarm the door and many come in with you when you go in... :(

Josiah and I went to the Kenai River Festival to enjoy the kids activities
 while the girls and Shannon (our young male visitor) when to watch "Epic" at the Orca Theatre.

Romeo and Juliet - Vampires vs Werewolves

Ciara, topleft.  Elly, front left, and Jaedyn, third from right in back.

The girls were involved with drama camp the last week of May and first week in June.  They had a great time and got to perform a play.  They did excellently.  The play was a take on Romeo and Juliet, written by their camp director, Royce Wood, using vampires and werewolves and even a Michael Jackson character.

Elly, in green, was the princess of Transylvania.  She did an excellent job.  She also got to be the one who introduced the show as well.



Ciara, the one in brown, was Romeo.  She, by far, had the biggest part.  She did great!

Jaedyn, on far right, was Romeo's competition - a comic relief.  She originally wasn't so sure about acting in front of a crowd, pulled herself together and got the most laughs.  I could hear the director laughing so much at her character and the way she played it.  I'm really proud of her.

A mad scientist, Lady Wolfague, Lady Vampulet and the Princess of Transylvania (Elly)

Ready to take a bow

Silly picture of the cast

My three girls - I'm so proud of them!

Romeo and Paris fight over Juliet

Jaedyn did so well with her part that I think some of the audience didn't know she was really a girl!



Finally, little brother Josiah, will rarely let the girls do anything without somehow playing a part. 
Here he is pretending to be dead while his sister, Elly, pretends to mourn his death for the picture!

The following are pics taken from after the show, when we went to celebrate.

Which hand is Romeos?

There's the bunny culprit, photo bomber in the top right!