Wings of the Morning

Friday, June 29, 2012

Made it here!

We arrived at David's on Tuesday afternoon, & we've been having a grand time! Just got to internet and will post more and pictures later. Wanted to let you know we got here and have been welcomed warmly. Our adventures and pictures and life with 12 children around will be a later post. :)

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Crossed the Border to Alaska

Disclaimer* Not a Blog Professional.. I can't figure out why my text and things are messing up..

We crossed the border into Alaska on Saturday. Yay!! Hank was excited to not have to convert kilometers to miles and liters to gallons anymore! :) The neatest birthday gift for me was to be in two countries on the same day! Also very special was a gift (a box of pretty notecards) that Nikita had packed in her bag & brought along because she had thought ahead. And not to mention the breakfast fixed by Hank & Nikita, with helpers, Brandy, Aspen & Lacy. We dined on sausage & eggs and biscuits- all homemade! It was delicious! We stayed at a pull out along the road almost to Northway Junction.

Ate our supper at the picnic table in the woods

My little boy- not a baby any more

After having Devotions the next morning, we took our time and headed toward Tok, Alaska. One of the first things we wanted to do upon entering Alaska, was to get our fishing license.( which we did.) We made it to Tok and went on past,almost to Dot Lake, to a smaller lake called Jan Lake, that we were told had some fish to catch. We wanted to camp there overnight, but the sign said 'No Overnight Parking'.. even though the other two RV's looked like they had been there for a few days...we didn't stay there overnight. We were there to catch some fish! Hunter had just went to sleep for his nap, & I was feeling tired myself, so I thought I'd just take a nap too while every one else went fishing. Then, I couldn't let them go & have all the fun! Since we were way back off the road & the pond wasn't far, & he usually sleeps a long time, we locked the doors and off we went. Our first fishing experience...was exactly that, an experience. We had a grand time! Walked down the path to the pond. It had this grass-like stuff all around the outside edge. At the place where the grass-like stuff was the closest to shore, a man & woman were already there fishing, and were standing out in the water to do their fishing... Soo, we started through the woods around the lake. Got to a spot far enough away from the other two people fishing so we wouldn't be on top of them and headed out of the woods to the pond edge. Except that grass-like stuff was there and it grows in the water. You can't walk up to the edge of the pond and cast in your fishing hook. What one does is wades out in the grasses and then you can fish.

Nikita waded out in those tall grasses right behind Shane

The girls are standing in water at the 'edge' of the pond.. Shane is at the edge of the grasses..

Had alot of fun, they got wet, & we trekked back through the woods to the bus. Hunter still slept on even with all the commotion of the girls all changing clothes & such. We headed Gus back towards Tok. It was probably around 30 mile or so. We didn't see any fish at Jan Lake, but we did see the tallest Dandelion we'd ever seen before!!

On the way, we stopped along the road several times at pull-off's and Shane, Hank, & Nikita would go fishing. We got back to Tok, then turned off the Alaska Highway onto the Tok Cutoff or Glenn Highway towards Anchorage, went a ways when we found a nice turn-off beside 'Little Tok River'. A pond was close by so, so we tried fishing at both. We then decided to have everyone practice casting a fishing line with a weight on the end and reeling in on the gravel. There was a puddle near that made a good target. The girls had alot of fun and got pretty good at it. We stayed here the night.

Hank fishing in the pond

Keeping Hunter from getting to close to the water..

Traveled on down the Glenn Highway towards Anchorage, and after we passed Glennallen there was a campground called Tolsona Wilderness Campground & RV Park. We pulled in there early, alittle after lunch, and were the only campers for several hours. Shane took the children out fishing and I got our lunch. Ramen noodles(without the flavor packs, I used my own seasonings & used chicken bullion with no MSG) crackers & cheese, & carrots & dip. Some of us put Tabasco or Cayenne Pepper or Hot red pepper flakes on our noodles to spice it up. When they came in for lunch, Hank had caught a fish!! Our supper was on the stringer.. After lunch, Shane said he'd stay in with Aspen & Lacy while they took a nap & I could go fishing. Hunter had already taken his nap, so Hank, Nikita, Brandy, Hunter & I took off. Four fishing poles, tackle box, map & toddler. Oh and took the mosquitoes also! Was using something natural that we took and used in Thailand, which was vanilla diluted with water in a spray bottle. That seemed to work in the Thailand, and seemed to work at the other places we stopped.. but not today. Maybe I diluted it to much? or the mosquitoes are way more plentiful here? Did I mention at this campground that the Tolsona Creek winds through the campground with every site being a creekside site? It is a beautiful campground and all, but they do have the mosquitoes that try to carry you off. Soo, out came the spray with 100% Deet. That worked, only our two little bottles that had some spray in them are now empty. I mistakenly thought one was full when I packed it. Back to the fishing, I caught a fish! Hank & I both caught Artic Grayling. They weren't very big, but we had them for supper along with our beans and rice. The fish was good, what there was of it!
We are planning to get to David & Holly's tomorrow night. Yay! Praising God that we have had this time of traveling with our family. It has been a tremendous blessing. God has been teaching me so much!

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Family Scenes

Another beautiful picture, the road winding through

majestic mountains & trees.

A scene of daily life, Hank is on the bed in back reading, Aspen & Lacy are playing at the table, Hunter is playing in his carseat.. he sits in it a couple times a day, helps him feel secure, he hasn't fussed about being in it. Brandy is getting her water bottle, I am reading. Nikita took the picture, she is 'The Milepost' reader-(a book of the Alaska highway that tells where you are) & Shane is driving-& doing a great job! Nikita, Hank, & I take turns with the front seat & the reader job.

Playing stack-a-peg game

Look at my fingers! - Lacy

Miss Lacy Iris

Mr Hunter saying 'cheese' for his buddy Steve (Crist)!!

Looking at 'Busy Busy Town'

Road Traveled

Beautiful-pics can't capture it!

the road we're traveling..

Stayed at Dawson Creek in the Wal-Mart parking lot. The next night we stayed at Toad River Lodge & RV Park. This was a beautiful campground and had a beaver pond near by with busy beavers working. We were able to sit and watch the beavers dive to the bottom to get big armfuls of mud and swim to the dam they were building and mud it in. They were always busy! Soon we heard commotion over on the other side of the lake and saw a big bull moose in the lake feeding. He kept putting his whole head under and must've been eating underwater plants. He was there for a very long time. It is always enjoyable to talk to other travelers, and our children really don't know a stranger. (it's a good and bad thing...) I've told them that Jesus sent His disciples out by two's and to always follow that example, & watch out for each other.

White Mountain Sheep & their babies

We've been seeing lots of wildlife along side the road eating in the side ditch or resting there. To date we have seen a fox, 5 deer, 20 black bears, 7 elk, 30 white mountain sheep, 5 beavers, 1 moose, 15 wild horses, and 70 or so buffalo. Even been animals on the road.. white mountain sheep, & buffalo. Talk about excited!! We don't even have to stop for pictures.. just take it while we motor slowly by in our bus!
Thursday we stopped at Liard River Hotsprings Provincial Park for a few hours. We forgot the camera on our hike. All of us enjoyed swimming in the hot springs!! The coolest area was as warm as bath water, then in the next area up it was as hot as a hot tub, then just kept getting hotter! It was amazing! I have never saw anything like it! God's creation causes us to marvel and worship Him! We didn't stay the night at the park, instead we drove farther and stayed along the road.

Allen's Lookout was the place. There was a fire pit and picnic tables. It overlooked the river, we were very high up. Hank got out his boots and proceeded down this mountain path towards the river, and had Nikita down there with him.

I think they got about 2/3rds the way down, when Hank decided to come back up to get the binoculars. So over to the bus he goes and when he got back, he said a trucker, that was stopped there also, had talked to him out the window & motioned over towards the woods next to the road. There was a black bear. I very hastily told Hank to go fetch his sister from down the steep path and lo, she had already made it up. We retreated into the bus to watch the black bear. Hank climbed the ladder on the back of Gus and said he saw more bears.. looked like a mother with cubs. We had a fire going in the firepit, then a storm blew in and it rained..HARD! By the look on Lacy & Hunter's face, we realized they had never seen rain like that before!! In Washington where we live, it never (well almost) rains hard, more like an eastern sprinkle, is called rain. Some decided it would be fun to stand in the rain...

Nikita & Brandy getting wet!

This morning before we left there, a big buffalo came out and crossed the road. We had a hard day of driving today and stopped at Otter Falls Cutoff RV Park.
We haven't ate out any. We did buy 4 or 5 things at one of the first Wal-Mart's we stopped at. Some of our meals have been, Sausage patties on tortillas, hotdogs & buns, salad, cornbread with fried burger & onions served with ketchup, salsa, & bbq sauce, beans & tortillas, rice & sausage dish, carrots, hotdogs on tortillas with sourkrat, spaghetti, fruit smoothies..... etc... :)

Friday, June 22, 2012

What We Left Behind At Toad River

What DID we leave behind at Toad River Lodge & RV Park????

Can you tell by this picture?

This Picture?

Hunter BEFORE....

Hunter AFTER

My baby is a little boy!!

Hunter Lee Turner

Haircuts for all three..

It was Hunter's idea.. after he saw Daddy getting one, he had to have one too!

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

“…Yes, I feel like traveling on…”

a post by Nikita

shane did a great job & they had a pull thru long enough.. 61 ft total

Crossed into British Columbia, Canada and got on 97C at Westbank. Then took 8 over to Spences Bridge, a very petty drive along the Nicola River. From Spences Bridge we took 1 to the town Cache Creek. Spent the night at Brookside Campsite campground. We dumped our tanks & filled up with fresh water. Had a wonderful walk after supper. Saw a Beaver Pond/Dam & took a long walk back in the woods. Very enjoyable.

hiking the trails

up & down a few times..

look at me.. i can do it all by myself!!

Then took our first {HOT} showers after leaving. Also did our laundry. Left at checkout time (11:00am) We also met some wonderful neighbors…(parked right beside us) Scott & Donna were going to Queznel, just like us. Then we took the road to Queznel. Parked in Wal-Mart parking-lot & quess who showed up, Scott & Donna! They said they saw us & couldn’t resist stopping by to say Hi. They also brought their dog Little Bear a Schipperke means “little shepherd”. They are good at: herding livestock, catching rats, &being watch dogs.

We have been opening lots of Care Packages. They all have wonderful surprises awaiting some VERY anxious children! I’ve been reading a book called A Song for Your Honor. A very touching story.

wal-marts are always busy..am i supposed to be going to bed??

Switching from seat to seat, bed to bed = Lots of Love & an Opportunity to share with siblings!! A great way to connect with your family!

I had this wonderful verse come to me last night. I’d like to share,

Matthew 11:28-30 says: 28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my Yoke upon you , and learn of me: for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest for your souls. 30 For my Yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

AND you thought fuel prices were high in usa....:)

Canada, to me, doesn’t seem like a foreign country. They speak French & English. But they do not have miles or gallons. Ie.. Our speed limit signs say something like 60MPH. Well, in Canada they say 100km & our fuel prices say 3.14 & theirs say 103.9 Very interesting!!

Posted by: Nikita

John 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.