The News is Out

So, it's out. We're expecting another little addition to our family. This is a new but familiar road for us, our fourth pregnancy but, first to follow Angela. We're happy and ready to have a little one to watch, hear and hold!

More information to come later. The little one's anticipated arrival is about the end of March, beginning of April.

Dipnetting at the Kenai River

We had a great and dreadful time dipnetting at the mouth of the Kenai this year (dreadful for the fish and or our pack up job! :)). It was an adventure, our first time camping on a beach, we improvised our car mat into a tent rug entry...bad idea but, good effort! It was sunny the first day and rainy, windy and cold on the second. We were very happy to be packed up and in the car by the end. The fish run was slow but, we still managed to have the excitement of feeling a few salmon tugging in our nets. It is one of my top experiences in Alaska, seeing all of the folks lined up on the shores with their nets in the water and family and friends on the beach watching for them to pull in their nets and start the process of "processing" the fish. Some do everything there on the beach, which makes for plenty of work on the part of the seagulls. This year I saw a few people quickly filetting their salmon with ulu knives, some on coolers, wooden planks or even well-used ironing boards! I love the atmosphere, even with the fish remains (you should see those Kings!), there are a lot of families there, kids playing on the beach or helping out with the fishing. It's great. We even ran into the Elders serving in the Kenai area, one of them was in our Anchorage ward last year, Elder Bedke from Oakley, Idaho. We wore mom out, but she was great sport and the toys she brought were a big hit with the girls while they played in the tent on the second day!

One year later

Angela Jex Boyle

June 15, 2007

On Saturday, we made a lady bug cake, thanks to Sharon Hamrick, and put 2 candles in it, one for each girl to blow out. On Sunday, we barbecued Copper River red salmon and some King salmon which I don't think I had ever tried. El Re was red steak, but both were, as Lucy would say, "Duh-lishis"!!
Last year, the night before we found out about Angela's death, we ate Copper River reds given to us by the Wilbur G. There was a sweet overlap in time this year, as Rob was on the Copper River getting some reds with Wilbur on that same evening that last year we were eating it. To me, it was all poetry.

We celebrated Angela's birth on Sunday coupled with Father's Day and it was a beautiful day. We drove up into the hills above Anchorage. There, Susanna and Lucy decided on a name for her bear, nameless for one full year! Her name is Sara.

At first I was worried about remembering what she looked like as we only had her with us for just a while. Thanks to photos from Laurel we have a way to look back on those moments. I am also thankful for Susanna and Lucile who remember her everyday. Michelene created an Angela song which Lucy sang spontaneously Sunday. Susanna makes sure Sara is in just the right position on the shelf. Tonight, Lucy fell asleep quick after our prayers, stories and songs, I love seeing Angela's features in Lucy's face. Thank heavens for sisters!

Life is beautiful. I am becoming a better person thanks to my third daughter. I am thankful for the roundabout way that through her, my eyes are opening and I see things differently, see life differently. And I love it!