Final week in Fairbanks

First sorry we have been a bit slow on getting these out this year. We had a busy last week in Fairbanks. The boys and I went to Pioneer Park again and Ty even got a hole in one on the Putt Putt course. We played a few games and then got smoked out of our game on Thursday. We took the players out bowling and to dinner which was fun. Then on Friday we got to meet with our friends the Ryan's at Pioneer Park. We have been praying for them this past year as their dad is deployed in Iraq. He will get home on Sept 20th. It was fun to see them. Then on Friday we were meant to play a double header but the other team didn't show up...so we finished packing up instead. Then on Saturday morning we said good bye to our friends the host families and drove for 6 hours to Anchorage. We then played last night but lost. Today is our last day here in Alaska....we have a game at 7pm and then after a quick dinner and shower we will jump on the bus to take us to the airport for a 1:30am flight! Yes I typed that right so please pray for us because once we land in California at 8 or 9 am...we will then drive 5 hours to LA to see Grammy. Pray that all of us will have Happy Hearts.
We have had so much fun with our players. Pray for them as they say good bye to one another. They are nervous to go home and to live out what they believe. Pray that they will find a solid Christian support system at home and they will be men that Stand for Truth!
Thanks for praying for us so faithfully all summer!
Danielle

Praise the Lord

We have exciting news...two more of our players (Cameron Heath and Ben Minard) accepted the Lord. It has been so neat to see the other guys on the team really talking to their teammates and sharing their heart for the Lord. We are very excited. We also shared with the Kenai Oilers last night and it went well. Both Hank and Brad did a great job sharing their testimony and the gospel. Knowing these guys are making decisions for eternity makes everything seem so worthwhile.

We also had our host family appreciation dinner last night after the game (which we won ). We have some great families who really enjoy getting to know their guys and diving into their lives also. We truly couldn't do this with out them. Of course my boys love this evening because it is non stop party food.

Today we have a double header with Kenai. Please continue to pray for a couple of our players who still haven't committed their life to Christ. Also pray for us that we will make the most of every opportunity and that we will Finish Strong!
Danielle

Back in Fairbanks

Well the next day we went and played Putt Putt with Alex and then to our game which we won! Then bright and early the next morning we got in the car for 6 hours to Fairbanks. We saw a moose with her calf which was cool. Then we had the day off today. The boys wanted to stop at a military surplus sale where they spent their money on BDU's . They are happily playing army. Although it is a day off...we are busy getting ready for our final week here in Alaska.

Danielle

Hatchers Pass & Independence Mine

Then after an exciting sleepover we all drove to Hatcher Pass. It was beautiful and thankfully we didn't get any rain although it was chilly. We had learned about Hatcher Pass this school while studying the Gold Rush. We toured through Independence Mine which was pretty neat. The owner Stohl really tried to keep his miners happy through good food, piano music, shooting range, movies and even brightly painted buildings. The mine closed in 1943 due to WWII. It was very interesting we even tried to pan for gold ourselves but we didn't find any gold. Then after a picnic lunch we went on a hike up the mountain to a small lake. It was beautiful. The kids were tired but loved getting to run through all the rocks and fields. Thanks Ty and Adria did a great job and we didn't have to carry them too much. The top picture is actually Ty trying to help Adria up the path. After a full day we headed down to the valley to our baseball game. It was very cold and windy but we cheered on our guys anyway.

Danielle

Sleepover

We got to sleep over at Alex's house. First we played basketball in their house....isn't that cool....their mom actually lets them play with a real ball in the house. Then we had a dart gun war, ate pizza and watched a movie. That night we got to sleep in a tent in their house. Unfortunately we woke up at 6:30 am which I bet was a bummer for Mrs Wuerth. But she made Swedish Pancakes which are yummy. Ryan even tried them this year and he thinks they rock. Jackson

Prayer Calendar

Well the boys are off to Alex's house for a slumber party tonight. They are very excited. Although Jack is a bit tired from puking up Taco Bell last night...not such a good idea late at night. Anyway I took advantage of these precious hours while my dear friend watches my kids to spend some time with the Lord. And as I opened my Bible I looked at my prayer calendar that many of you pray for us for throughout the summer. Yesterday you prayed for Joe who ended up pitching last night and did a great job to lead us to a win. Today I am on the calendar and how fitting that I am getting a moment to myself after being up half the night with Jack. Thanks for praying for us.....it is such an encouragement to us. Pray that we will finish strong and make these last two weeks count with our guys. Pray for our kids too that they will finish strong even though they miss home and that our health will endure!
Thankful....Danielle

Bee Stings and Chickens

Today was an eventful day. We went to the Wuerths and played baseball. Then Mr Wuerth had a an idea to throw basketballs at a bees nest. Unfortunatly I said yes and we threw basketballs for about 10 minutes. Then I hit the bees nest and part of it fell down. And we all ran in the house. But the bees didn't come so we went back and kept throwing the balls. Well it fell down and a bee stung my chin. I learned it isn't such a bright idea to throw basketballs at a bees nest. Luckily I found out that I am not allergic to bee stings but it hurt really bad.
Then tonight we went to the ballpark and they had the San Diego Chicken. Well Ty was in the dugout as the bat boy. As you all know the Chicken likes to mess around with the visiting team which was us. At one point our team was throwing water balloons at the Chicken (this is all part of his act)...well Ty got to throw them at him too, although he missed. Then the Chicken was playing around with the Umpire and Ty brought out a bag too her. The Chicken said he would work for food....well there was a big KFC bucket in the bag. Ty did a good job helping out the chicken. He got a stuffed animal "chicken" for his hard work. We also had a great game and actually WON! All in all a very eventful day. Tomorrow we get to stay the night at the Wuerths......we are staying away from the backyard and the bees!
Jackson

Win!

Sorry for the lack of blogging. We have been enjoying having daddy home the last week....we head back to Anchorage on Sunday morning for a week. The great thing is we have been wining our last few games which is always fun. Chris went fishing last night after the game. He wasn't able to reel in the 6 that he caught but he had a great time. Tonight Ryan went camping with Donny & Dustin Duke. He was very excited so hopefully tomorrow he will blog all that he did. Jack and Ty are begging for a longer kids game tonight after the game.
Danielle

Daddy is home!

Well after a week on the road...Chris has come back with the team. They were 4 - 4 on the road. They had a great time hanging out with the guys. Ryan Hutson a friend of ours from Faith Bible Church in Ohio was the discipler and had a great time with the guys. The guys loved what he taught them too. So Thursday the team traveled back to Fairbanks. Yesterday they had a game and lost 11-9. Today we have another game against the Bucs. Of course the boys were thrilled to see daddy and the players. And the Kids Game last night after the game is always a highlight.

El Dorado Gold Mine

We went to El Dorado Gold Mine while daddy was gone. We got to ride a train. First we saw different ways they mined the gold. Then they let us pan for gold. They gave us a bag of dirt which we panned. My first two bags only had two tiny specks of gold so I got a third bag. But that is okay I got tons of GOLD. I got more than everyone. Mom made $4 worth of gold, Jack got $9 worth, Ryan got $6 bucks worth and I got $31 worth. I rock. We had fun. Then they gave us cookies to eat :)

Ty

Happy 4th of July

Today we went to the 4th of July celebration at Pioneer Park. We saw the military band and a 50 gun salute. We also participated in the three legged race and the water balloon toss. We had fun at the Air Museum and playing on the playground. While there we got a text from dad that one of our players, Matt Freeman had accepted Christ last night. We are excited for him and although we don't know all the details we think one of our players led him to the Lord. Tonight we are relaxing with Snacky Wacky Dinner and a movie. Happy 4th of July.....We have Freedom because of the Brave.

Ryan

Dinner at the Dukes

The other night while Chris was gone we went over to the Duke's for dinner. After a yummy meal of Hamburgers and Hot dogs (my kids favorite) we had a game of wiffle ball in their yard. My boys love playing in their yard since they have a great hedge which my kids call the home run wall. Ryan went yard and was thrilled. After that Mr Duke took the boys to the Chena river to see if the King Salmon were running which they weren't. Then the best surprise came....FIREWORKS. Because we are always in Alaska for the 4th of July and the sun doesn't go down in the summer we have never really done much with fireworks. But it was awesome. There were a lot of different types and the boys loved it especially the torch that the Dukes use to light their fireworks. We had such a great time with friends....we feel truly blessed.

Danielle

Snakes! Snakes! Snakes!

At the library they had an afternoon of snakes! One of the snakes was an albino Burmese Python and the other was a green anaconda. The owners told us all about their snakes. The Anaconda can get to over 25 feet long. They like to wrap around things. We also learned they have a great sense of smell. The owner of these snakes feeds these two snakes goats! After the talk they let us pet the Python.....my mom even touched it! That was impressive for my mom. The part my mom was most excited about was to learn that there are NO snakes in Alaska because it is too cold. The people here that own snakes as pets have to warm up their cages, since they are cold blooded.

Ryan

Pioneer Park

We went to Pioneer Park. We rode the carousel. Carl lets us go on the carousel for free. He also comes and watches our games. We also rode the train for Ty. And then we played Putt Putt. My mom won, with Ryan in second and Ty beat me in third place. I am sure I will win next time though. That evening we watched FireHouse Dog! We had fun!
Jackson

Daddy on a roadtrip

Well on Wednesday daddy left for a roadtrip to Kenai with the team. I am really sad that he had to leave without us. He will be gone for a week. I wish I could have gone but I am glad I missed the 12 hour drive....my buns would have been burning! Daddy arrived safely but he saw a bear and almost hit a moose while driving!

Ty

Still Raining

Yep it is Wednesday...and it is still raining...45 degrees....sleet expected tonight...so the game is cancelled tonight...and I have three sad bat boys....
Danielle

Gross things in Cambodia

While I was in Cambodia I noticed there are millions of puddles in the streets of Phnom Phen. My uncle told me that not all the puddles are water but most of them are urine puddles. You see most people there don't go to a bathroom they just go where ever they want to. So you don't go walking through the puddles there.
Another interesting thing there is a restaurant that my cousin Kamryn loves to go to. It is called the Snake House. They have tons of snakes there. The tables are made glasses and you look down into a pit of snakes. I got to see a Malayan Pit Viper, which was cool. This snake has a quick bite and the venom can kill you. The good news about the Snake House is that they had cheeseburgers, which is what I ate of course. We also saw a lizard eating a mouse right behind us. My grammy didn't care for this restaurant too much, but I liked it.
Also another thing that I saw was that in the markets there was jars and carts full of edible bugs that you can eat. This included locust, beetles and crickets. A lot of the people there like them but I wasn't brave enough to try them. My uncle has tried them but didn't care for them very much.
Even though there are some gross things about Cambodia I really had a great time and hope to go back someday.

Back in Fairbanks

Well we are back in Fairbanks. After 6 hours in the car we are back in the interior of Alaska. Everything looks the same...and I think we have even had this apartment before. The boys are thrilled because we are on the first floor which means they don't have to tip toe around the apartment and they can just be boys. After signing up for the library program and grocery shopping they checked out the playground and within 5 minutes had a neighborhood game of football started. Our first home game is tomorrow night with Ty as bat boy, Jackson the ball boy and Ryan and I working the ticket booth :) Chris is doing the discipleship teaching right now which is going well. It has started many conversations with the players.
Oh I forgot to mention we celebrated Father's Day with Moose Tooth Pizza and Night at The Musuem 2...which by the way was funny!

Another loss

Well we just got home from Matsu and we had another loss. We have lost the last 4 games...which is a bummer. Side note though...tonight I met Bristol Palin. She was there with her son and two sisters. We chatted for a bit. She is a kind gal from first impression.
The boys had a fun day playing at the play place at McDonald's though. We look forward to an off day tomorrow and celebrating Father's Day early with Chris.

Ty is the Bat Boy

Well Ty's dreams came true last night as he was able to be the bat boy all by himself last night. He smiled every time he ran out for the bat. Although he was tired and asked dad to take an inning (which dad didn't) he did great. At one point he asked Chris if he could ask the players to throw the bats a little closer so that he wouldn't have to run so far. Chris told him it was just part of the job. He was thrilled.
A side note we also saw Bristol Palin at the game with her son, and Willow and their brother. Small world here in Alaska.

We have been having fun spending time with Alex and Adira Wuerth who we always see when we are in town. The boys had their own game of baseball this afternoon with Alex which was fun.

Danielle

Last few days in Cali

Well we had a great time in California. On Sunday we went to church at WHCC...which is always such a blessing. After a great time of worship and fellowship we went out to lunch and ran a few errands. That evening though we roasted hot dogs on the fire with the Wells and had chocolate fondue and very yummy tradition that we have. Then on Monday we finished packing up and hung out with the Well and the Hauges came for a visit. Then after loading up the bus and checking in the team (and thankfully not being charged for every bag over the first bag) we boarded the plane for Alaska. We arrived safely late last night. We got the guys all squared away in their host families and we came back to the hotel...so far no over flowing toilets though :) Tonight is our first game in the Alaska Baseball League. We have a great group of guys and they seem to play well together.
Danielle

Still Catching up

On Friday we went to San Francisco. We went on the usually driving tour headed up by Mr Conde. We saw Coit Towers, Steepest Street, Curvy Road, Mrs Doubtfire House, Full House House, giant Stadium, Golden Gate Bridge and then stopped at the Pier 39. We ate dinner and then saw the seals and of course got our usually donuts down their. We also went antique arcade which was pretty fun. The bummer was that we didn't get to go to the Giants game cause the tickets were too pricey. Some of the players went on their own though.

The next day we had the Warnock party which is usually one of my favorite days of the year, except this year because the table got turned and I got thrown into the pool instead of my dad getting thrown in. But we played Knock out, baseball and in the pool. It was great and the food was yummy.
Ryan

Catching Up

We have been a bit behind so here is our attempt to catch up...
It was the Wells girls last day of school so we went to Panera for lunch and then we went and saw UP. It was really funny although a bit sad that the man's wife had died. The dog in the movie is really funny along with Rusell the boy scout.
The next we went to the beach. It was a little stinky and cold when we first arrived but then it got warm. We played in the waves and made sand tunnels and castles. It was fun. That night we came home and had Mrs Wells enchiladas which are way better than my moms. They were yummy.
Jackson

Back from LA

We are back from LA. We had a great trip getting reunited with Ryan and visiting with Grammy and Nana. We didn't end up at the Dodger game, but that was alright. We drove back up on Monday and met with the team for dinner. Yesterday we got to meet with some friends who use to be with AIA..the Harkeys...we had a great time visiting and playing with them. Then we went to the game in San Mateo. The team won.
Danielle

My Homecoming!

The first day that I was in Cambodia I discovered it was a whole new world of hotness, mosquitoes and brownness. It was weird that the first night that I was there I got to stay up late because of jet lag. The flight was cool because I had my own TV with video games. It was long though. My favorite part about the trip was seeing Ankor Wat. Ankor Wat use to be the capital of Cambodia and it is many temples. I liked it because I saw the dinosaur carving that I was hoping to see. The dinosaur carving is something that Creationist point too that proves that dinosaurs existed with people. I think that Cambodia should be called the the Land of Fans because everyone has them on since it is so hot. The last few days Uncle Daren took us to a beach resort. We boogie boarded and kayaked. That was fun. I got a blister kayak which ended up getting infected. The infection started moving up my arm so when my mom saw me on Thursday she rushed me to the Urgent Care Clinic where I got antibiotics and a shot. The infection has cleared though which is good.
I also got to go to Andong is out in the province. And Uncle Daren works alongside the local church there. I got to meet Pastor Abraham there. Uncle Daren helps with a feeding program for the children there. They get one meal a day. I got to help serve the kids that day. We gave them Khmer hot dogs which I got to try, which was nasty tasting. But these kids didn't mind it is all they get. They got that with a small package of noodles. When I handed them the food they said thank you and they all waited to pray together before they started to eat. They were very grateful and happy. They had some of the best manners I have ever seen and they have nothing. Then Uncle Daren walked me through the village. The houses are on stilts. They take a ladder up to a wooden plank floor. Then the house has a metal roof there are no walls around the house. They either have hammocks for beds or sleep on the floor. The whole village shares one bathroom. The kids didn't have toys. I saw one kid play with a knife. They grow food to try to feed themselves. It was very sad to see how poor they are.
Americans have a lot to be thankful for even with the economy not being good. I will tell you more about my trip later.
Ryan

Feeling Better

Thankful Jackson is feeling better from his Strep Throat. Also so far Ty hasn't gotten it. Please continue to pray that no one else gets it. Our coaches come in today and players on Thursday. Also Ryan is heading on airplane today back to the USA....pray he has a safe trip and we will see him on Thursday.

Sick within 24 hours

Well unfortunately we have beaten our record and have two sick children within the first 24 hours of being here. Ty had a fever on Saturday although he is now his spunky self. But Jackson on the other hand had a fever yesterday of 101 and today it is 102. And he generally feels miserable. Pray that our kids would get better and that no one else including the Wells who we are staying with will get it. Pray also for Chris and I will have wisdom whether to take them in to the doctor or wait it out. We have a lot on our schedule and pray that this will be short lived.
Thanks for praying...Danielle

Leaving Tomorrow

Well tomorrow we will head out onto a plane for California and start our summer adventure. Jack and Ty are excited although sad about leaving friends at home. So today we are busy packing, cleaning and saying good bye. We heard from Ryan this morning from Cambodia. We will see him a week from today in Southern California. He is having a great time with the cousins although he seems a bit homesick. He said he was trying not to show it too much though. He is having fun though and excited to head to the beach this weekend. Thanks for praying for our flight tomorrow and for Ryan in his final week in Cambodia.
Danielle

Packing Again

Well it is May 22 and we are packing again for another summer. Ryan is currently in Cambodia with Grammy visiting Auntie Jodi, Uncle Daren and the cousins. It seems like he is having a great time with everyone exploring the country and culture of Cambodia. We look forward to hearing all about it. We are packing up because we leave a week from today to head out to Morgan Hill, Ca. Ty asked me this morning if he could help pack since he thought that was way too much work for me alone....hopefully it won't be way too much work with his "help". Anyway we just wanted to get the blog up and running and look forward to sharing about our summer from our family perspective! Have a great Memorial Day Weekend!
Danielle