*Lawlar Family Trail Cam Update*

Oh my gosh, I'm doing a little happy dance!  We pulled the trail cam down and guess what we have...!!

A BIG FAT BEAR BUTT!!!

Isn't it just the cutest bear butt you ever did see?  

I just replaced the camera on that tree that is leaning.  I placed it up higher so it will be capturing pictures of anything that walks below it.  We also had some deer back pictures.  I think the camera was a little too high on the tree before so hopefully this new position will give us more to look at:)

If Your Going To Visit Juneau...Do It Right Part 1

Hi everyone!

So the time is quickly approaching that life in Juneau will be very similar to life in a fish bowl :)  Locals, you know what I'm talking about.  The constant sound of helicopters overhead, tour buses going up and down Mendenhall Loop Rd, plenty of tourists jaywalking and of course the return of all the shop owners who make downtown Juneau look deserted over the winter.   On May 3rd the tram to the top of Mt. Roberts reopens and with it comes the cruises and backpackers and thrill seekers.

  Brotherhood Trail 2.2 miles,  all paved very easy walking or running.

So you've decided to come to Juneau, by cruise boat or plane, do you have a car or are you only on foot and tour bus?  Trying to get the most of your tourist experience or would you rather get to know Juneau like the locals know Juneau?

I am going to highlight a few areas of interest in order for you to make the most of your time here.






1.  If you're going to come to Juneau you need to try to make it to Alaskan Brewing Company.  Only in Alaska can you be sitting in church and see a 12 year old boy wearing an Alaskan Brewery hoodie and it not be inappropriate...seriously, only here :)   Alaskan Brewery is my all time favorite beer maker.   Their Winter Ale with Sitka Spruce tips is amazing.  If you make it over there you will enjoy (so long as you don't get sloshed)  8 ounce glasses of beer for free.  They have all kinds to sample and will keep refilling your glass as you look at their bottle collection, brewing equipment and souvenirs.   The staff is always friendly and laid back.  Finding it can be a challenge if you don't have a tour or taxi...but mapquest from your location to the brewery should get you there and when all else fails, stop and ask for directions :)

2. If you like to bike I suggest the Herbert Glacier Trail.  Our three kids have done it a few times and lived to tell about it so if a 6 yr old can make (he was 5 at the time)  just about anyone can.  It gets bumpy in spots due to tree roots so just go slow and you will be fine.  It's about a 9 mile round trip bike ride,  it is considered a "locals special" because it is not a spot the cruise boat passengers go.  It's a ways out the road so if you are on a time schedule you need to calculate in about a 45 min out there and 45 back.

3.  If you want to see the Mendenhall Glacier better than just at the visitors center I suggest you hike the West Glacier Trail. It will get you right to the ice caves...however I do not suggest you go in them or climb on it. Just saying.  We have done this trail with our kids as well. There are steep rugged parts that require a little bit of work but the rewards are worth it.

So I will give you more spots to see next time, for example my favorite and really only place we eat out at in Juneau.  It's good stuff and down home friendly with virtually no tourism except the workers on cruise ship that ask the taxi's to take them somewhere they won't run into passengers :)

Until then!
~Angie~

Good lord, What A Day

Wow...just...Wow.

I don't even know where to start.

Well, here goes. 

Currently I am sitting on the deck enjoying a glass of wine and a little bit of quiet.  The weather started off rough with the weatherman calling for increasing clouds and rain this evening.   Hmmmm....leave it to Juneau weatherman to get it completely backwards.  So as the day progressed we got decreasing clouds :)  Perfectly fine with me. 

The day was pretty normal, I got work done, went for my run, picked up the kids from school.  Came home to get a little more work done and pulled around two very fun little people on a big radio flyer...that is when things began to unravel *cue the sob story music now*

Someone (who shall remain nameless to save what little pride he may have left) thought it would be fine with Mom to ride the long board sans helmet.  I can be laid back about a lot of things but safety is not one of them.  I make the kids wear helmets even when they sled anymore.  Anyway, I with my best stern voice said

 "Nameless Person, don't you set foot on that long board with out a helmet."

 Nameless Person looked right at me and stepped up on the longboard.  I think my jaw hit the pavement.  You see, it's not often that my kids get that blatantly defiant.  At this point it is fight or flight in the parenting department.  Should I shrug it off and let him go, or do I stand my ground?  I stood my ground.  I calmly walked over to Nameless Person held his hand, walked him inside the house, set him on the stairs and set the time for 7 minutes.  Super Nanny would be so proud :)

I walked away and then commenced the biggest, loudest tantrum I have ever heard come out of him.  Keeping in Super Nanny style I calmly told him that once he finished his meltdown I would resume the timer.  At about this point, I noticed that my good old buddy wasn't around.  Where is Reuben?

I'm calling for him and not hearing his tags jingle.  Ok. Panicking a little bit now.  I walk outside and call him again. Still nothing.  Ok.  Panicking a lot now.  Maybe he got locked in the shed, that has happened before, so I go to get my shoes and run out there when Breckon yells and says

"Oh! Oh, my gosh Mom!  Reuben! What did you do?!  Oh my gosh Mom!  He's covered from head to toe in mud!  And he's all wet!" 

Oy.

Something you should know.  We live next to a mini farm called Swampy Acres.  It has horses, bunnies, chickens, goats and lord knows what else.  I'm pretty sure Reuben made his way over there, and I'm just keeping my fingers crossed he didn't do any harm to the poor horses or chickens or goats.  

You know what, I'm really glad that today was the day that the Juneau weather man decided to totally screw up the prediction.  Because I have a hot water and cold water spout outside. *Cue Splish Splash I Was Taking A Bath*  So I hooked up the hose and began to attempt to clean him.

He's totally guilty and knows it.  This is his Please Forgive Me face :)

I took him inside and he's not moved from the rug I made him sit on....yep, still laying there.

So back to the Nameless Person that kicked off the calamity.  He came over, gave me a big hug, said "I'm sorry Mom, I'm really hungry"  Yep, that kid turns into a little monster when he's hungry...should have seen that one coming.   

I can not take credit for the idea behind this pic. I found it on Pinterest :) But I will take credit for that smiling, fudgepop bearded little boy.

And what about my buddy you ask?  Well, Reuben, despite his flaws is my very favorite canine...still.  

~Angie~

Transracial Dinner Talk

The Lawlar Crew has been discussing a big word lately... Transracial.

Over dinner we have been talking to the kids about what "transracial" means.  Personally I'm not a big fan of the word but have not told them that.  The dictionary meaning is Involving two or more races.   I truly wish I could tell my kids that we live in a world that is not discriminatory of the color of ones skin, that when we talk about race we are talking about the human race not sub-races within the human race.  Unfortunately that is not the case. 

We have approached the kids with a few questions at the dinner table.

1.  You guys do realize that people might say mean things about little sister?

2.  People might say means things about Dad and Mom

3.  People might say mean things about you.

 We have always raised our children to understand that no matter the color of skin, fat, thin, short or tall, no matter what country you hail from, no matter how much money your family has, people are people and deserve our kindness and respect. 

The kids asked "Well what kind of mean things?"    Hmmm...

Rusty and I- "Well guys, people might say mean things because little sister will have a different color skin than we do."

The Kids- "That is not a reason to say mean things."

Rusty and I- "Very true, but how are you going to handle someone saying mean things about sister or us because we might not look the same?"

Riley- "Nobody looks the same, everyone looks a little different from one another."

Breckon-  "They can say mean things about me, I don't care, but they better not say mean things about my sister.  They will have to deal with me if they do."

Maddox- "Yeah, me too, they better not say mean things about her."

Oh little girl, you are going to be so fiercely protected and loved.   You have a Mom that will tell you it is perfectly fine to rock a tutu on the soccer field, a sister who will tell you all about Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman and many other influential women, a Daddy who will tell you that there is no reason for you to change your last name when you get married...make your husband become a Lawlar, and two brothers that will hover over you guarding your feelings and protecting you from anyone or thing they see as a threat. 

You will be raised to be a strong, independent, free thinker who will not let a stigma of what society deems to be a proper family get you down because we will be right there beside you fighting for your success.
 ~Angie~

Trail Cam Mystery

Hi Everyone!

It's Friday...finally.  We have a jam packed weekend full of volley ball tournaments and baseball/softball, and on Sunday we have another long run.  Should be fun :)

Rusty and I have been truly blessed to live in some pretty amazing areas.  Rusty grew up in Wyoming, where as I grew up in Egypt.  Together we have been able to live in  Evanston Wyoming, Coeur D'Alene Idaho, Spokane Washington and now Juneau Alaska.  Each place has it's own unique beauty and while Coeur D'Alene is our home base in life we have loved living in each spot.

It hasn't been until we moved to Juneau that we have lived in an area where we can set up a trail cam outside the house to catch pictures of cool animals.   My parents live in a great location....well, for gardening it kind of stinks because they have found there is just no competing with the elk and deer.

Picture courtesy of my Dad after he shooed them out of the garden area

Guaranteed they are going to have to replace some trees and plants every year due to the wildlife around them. 

 Rusty and I moved into a fantastic house this past fall.  We have loads of outdoor play space for the kids, we are bordering city forest with no other houses, and there is a cute little creek that runs right by the house. A perfect location to set up a trail cam.   This past fall we got a few shots of a local deer that has become friends with Reuben...I'm actually not kidding.   So when we pulled the camera off the tree and saw that more pictures had been taken we were anxious to see what we had captured.

Bears have been spotted out and about and I'm dying to see one walk across my yard.  Don't get me wrong, I don't want to be outside when it walks by, just inside safely with my camera.   I thought for sure the camera would have pictures of our deer, or our massive porcupine that keeps making the motion sensor spotlights go off at night, or even better... a bear.   Here is what the camera caught...

Sometimes he can be mistaken for a bear with his behavior but for the most part he's more teddy than bear :)   Well, we will put the camera back out there and hopefully be able to show you some real wildlife photos later this spring and summer.   Have a great weekend everyone!
~Angie~

Mountainside Meltdown = A Great Weekend

Hi everyone!

I hope you all had a great Easter Weekend. I am currently trying to recover from a sugar induced hangover from all the chocolate and jellybeans we have around the house.   Just think, no more candy holidays until Halloween :)

Our weather here in Juneau has been outstanding.  I'm a little nervous that it means our summer is going to suck but come what may I'm enjoying it while I've got it.  This weekend was just exactly what the Lawlar Crew needed.  We relaxed, enjoyed family time, dyed eggs with very little mess, smoked two turkey breasts and didn't have any issues with bears!   The best was sitting on the deck in the late afternoon and enjoying the scenery and sunny weather.

On Sunday, after church (even though it was sunny out we hauled our butts into the service) we booked it out to the East Glacier Trail. You know, when all the snow melts, or if we would have had the ice clamps it would have been just fine.  But combining snow/ice, three kids, a dog that ALWAYS wants to lead, some very steep and icy bits and you have a minor disaster on your hands.  Oh and let's not forget that we have one child who is extremely afraid of heights.

According to Rusty (I had my back turned and was trying to get Maddox over a wicked spot) Breckon, our 9 year old, looked over the edge and froze.  Reuben decided he was gung ho and tried to pass her with his leash on.  Rusty called Reuben back and he walked back on the other side of Breckon now twisting her up completely in the leash.  Our oldest decided he would try to pass all of them at this point.  Tears commenced and when I returned for Breckon we both white knuckled it to the other side.  Here is a pic, just after the drama in a safe zone  :)

Yes, that would be Maddox in Sister's raincoat being a total goofball.

 Breckon in her SLUGS and pair of the Madd Man's Bogs.

This kick off hike for 2012 kept in Lawlar fashion.  There is always something that goes haywire, we always miscalculate just exactly how long it will take us to do the trail and by the time we get to the bottom, Rusty and I are ready for a beer and to call it good.   Reuben was so tired afterwards you could have waved a steak in front of his face and he wouldn't have known it :) 

Hope you have a great week!

~Angie~

Risk The Ocean

Hi everyone,

I wanted to give you an update on the adoption process.

Do you ever have times where you can't see or understand when you are in a situation?  When it feels like it's taking forever, that nothing is moving or getting anywhere?   Two days ago I was filing my quarterly taxes for Steampunk Funk.  I decided to go back and see what I had made from 2011's 4th quarter and compare it to the first quarter of 2012.     Just to be clear, the 4th quarter of 2011 was a crazy busy period, orders coming in left and right.  I was blown away by how the business had taken off in a boom.

The first quarter of 2012, I made more money and completed more orders than the Christmas crunch, 4th quarter of 2011.   I had to look twice to be sure that I hadn't misread the numbers.   While I couldn't see it while I was in it and while if felt like nothing was moving or getting anywhere,  taking a step back and looking made it very clear, something bigger than me is moving in a great way.   At the rate my sales are currently,  I will have made enough by the end of December 2012 to pay fully for the adoption.  

When we first started this journey I wasn't sure where the money would come from.  I had faith it would come but really had no clue how I would make enough to get her home anytime soon.  I am happy to say we are very close to being able to submit and pay for the first big chunk of the agencies fees ($4000)  I didn't anticipate paying for that until later this summer and it looks like I might be able to get it by May.

I personally believe that is a direct result of prayer.   I have no other explanation for it.

Around our house I have drilled into my kids head that Mom would walk through fire for them.  I would do whatever it takes to keep them safe, I will go to bat for them any day. If there was ever a time I could offer up myself in place of them I would do it without another thought or question, those kids are my whole world.   The thought came to me, I've always said I'd walk through fire for them, but what do you say when it isn't fire that is separating you from your child?  What do you say when it's an ocean that is between you two?

Here's a little fact about me that only close family and friends know...I'm terrified of sharks.  It's silly I realize, I'd much rather face a bear than a shark.  I prefer my bum in the sand at the beach then out in the water, you couldn't pay me enough to go out in the middle of the ocean and jump out of boat.  Here's the deal though, if you told me I need to swim across shark infested waters to get to my kids I'd dive in head first and start hauling it to get to them.  I'd risk the ocean.  For this child of mine that is separated from our family by a massive body of water I will risk the ocean.

This new bracelet does not leave my wrist.  It reminds me what is separating us from our girl, and what we will have to do to get to her.   I have put out a challenge to all who purchase it, to post pics on my Facebook page of every mountain it climbs and ever ocean it risks with you.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Steampunk-Funk/193725820639712

 I'll be posting mine on mountains here in Juneau but ultimately in Ethiopia, with a very special little girl.... 

Lawlar Crew Member #4

By purchasing this bracelet or donating you are helping me risk the ocean and I thank you so much for your support.   Let the adventure begin!

Busy Bees

Sports, sports, sports, birthday parties, sports, school, sports, family time, sports.  :)  Did I mention sports?  With three kids our schedule can get really filled up pretty fast.   I'm not complaining, I do quite enjoy having something to do and somewhere to be.  But come the weekend I really just want to relax and that is when all the games are as well as birthday parties.  

The past few weeks the weather has been absolutely gorgeous here in Juneau.  We have enjoyed being outside when we can, and sulking when we are stuck inside a gym.  Can you blame us? :)   Here are some quick pics from our last couple of weeks...

We have been enjoying dinners on the beach, long hikes, Smores and loads of tide pooling.  Spring time has arrived in Juneau...knock on wood.

Hope you had a great weekend!
~Angie~