Pictures from the 2009 Alaska State Fair!!

Summer in Alaska

So, we are quite behind on updating our blog and so much has happened since mom and dad's visit in May! Brant has spent a lot weekends fishing this summer...I went along on the ones that didn't start at 5am!! We didn't have much luck fishing for red's this year, but Brant did get a couple silver and a halibut - which will fill our freezer until next summer. The summer weather has been absolutely gorgeous this year - mostly in the low to mid 60s. We've enjoyed fishing, camping, hiking, and having dinner













on our back porch. Brant's birthday was July 13th, and we celebrated by having a cookout with a few friends. It was the first year in a LONG time it was not celebrated out on Lake Hartwell. Brant was thinking of














running over and jumping into Lower Fireweed Lake just to say he did get in the lake on his birthday, but we weren't prepared with our wet suits :)

We moved out of our home in Eagle River and up the road about 15 minutes to Chugiak, AK. The owners of our home in Eagle River are coming back from their deployment in mid-September, so we began looking in July for a new place. The first day we went looking, we found a house that both Brant and I really loved. It's a great log cabin home away from town, and has a big yard that Duke loves! We have a few neighbors, and Brant can't wait to build a firepit in the backyard. The first day we were out here, Duke ran circles around the house as fast as he could until he collapsed, so we knew he liked it too! With the help of a few of




























Brant's buddies from the dental clinic, we got all of our furniture moved in in 1 day. then we spent about 3 weeks going back and forth everynight after work and every weekend until we got everything moved out and the house cleaned. We are finally in our newhouse, although boxes are still everywhere! It has a great little wood stove that we can't wait to use this winter and a great backyard where we put up an outdoor kennel for Duke during the day.

Brant graduated from his residency on August 14th - YAY!! He is now officially on his own and loving it. He wasted no time starting to use his accrued leave time after graduation. He left this morning at 5:30am for an 8 day float fishing trip down the Kasilof River with 2 other guys from the clinic. They were flown out this morning in a small single engine plane and dropped off with their gear and a boat in the middle of nowhere, AK. They'll float for 8 days, catch and release trout. He gets home for 1 day and then leaves for 4 on a moose hunting trip with 2 other friends. Hard life! haha. Brant has been working with Duke, training him, so he is able to accompany him on some hunts next year. As of now, he's still a wild man :) He just turned 7 months and is 70 pounds! He loves running through tall grass, stealing neighbors' newspapers, swimming, playing ball, and hiding his tennis balls under the couch and then crying until we dig them out for him.


The leaves have started to change this week and fall is in the air! The weather is still beautiful, but we know snow is only about 6 weeks away! We're going to enjoy as much sunshine until then as we can!