Lake Serene

Once in 5 years we manage to take one of those "hikes to remember". Dale and Luke Flickinger led us on this particularly memorable trip in the Cascades.

These guys are the ones with all the gear, "know how", guide books, experience, muscles, etc. The rest of us managed to carry our little fanny packs and a few bottles of water while they hauled in their big backpacks full of food, dry clothing (it was raining a wee bit), tarp, binoculars, camera, hammocks, toilet paper, first-aid kit, towels and the travel pillow that Alicia managed to sneak into Dale's pack. Go figure.

Here are just a few of the incredible highlights that only our awesome CREATOR could dream up making us all the richer (and stiffer) for having experienced.

I think this must be Narnia.


Yep, definitely Narnia.

Water falls being fed by melting ice and snow...FABULOUS!!!

No, we are not posing. This is a "well-deserved" rest. We figured that trees this size would manage to hold us up just fine.


Did I mention the waterfalls???


THIS is Lake Serene. Can you imagine being the first one to ever find this place?




I know, I know...we are looking terribly romantic in this picture...truth is I am actually freezing to death and Ken is so pooped that he can't stand up straight anymore. And this was BEFORE we made our way back down! :)

An information board at the trail head gave this description of the hike up to Lake Serene.
distance: 3.6 miles ONE way
switchbacks: 23
level of difficulty: STRENUOUS

I can't say how grateful I was that I only read the info board AFTER we made it down...it is true...ignorance is bliss!


Anabel made it the WHOLE way! I was terribly impressed. The Grand Prize for climbing all the way up was...SNOW!!

A Little Bump in the Road

Anabel sporting her new brace.

This past week Alicia and Anabel were having a grand time staying with friends and family north of Seattle, WA, while Ken was in Brazil an I was in Iowa with Jessica.

Their time was only made more memorable when Anabel took a spill on a scooter and skinned her knees...well, we thought that was all she had done. Anabel cries "wolf" quite often, so when she complained of her wrist hurting, too, it was decided to just watch and see. When I got back a few days later, we decided to take her in to a clinic and have it checked out. Low and behold, she did indeed have a problem. There was a "greenstick" fracture in both bones of her left wrist.

These are not Anabel's x-rays, but it shows what happens to the bone when it is stressed causing this kind of injury.

FYI: A greenstick fracture is not really a fracture in the technical sense. Wikipedia defines it as: the bending of a bone with incomplete fracture involving the convex side of the curve only, green stick fractures are characterized by a break in the bone which partially extends across and then along the length of the bone forming the characteristic fracture pattern for which it is named.

Instead of a cast, Anabel can wear a brace on her arm that she can take off when showering or washing her hands. I guess if you are going to "break" your arm, this must be the way to do it!

So, the little "bump" in the road (or sidewalk in this case) caused an even smaller "bump" in the road for Anabel...and, believe me, that is all it amounts to. She is just as onery as ever...nothing this insignificant is going to keep her down!


A special THANKS to all who helped make their time here in Washington special while "mommy AND daddy" were away. We are extremely grateful for your care and friendship!

Just so you know...

Jessica in front of a sign (in Montana) with the same name as her new school (in Iowa)

Well, this is it. Jessica is starting school on Monday the 18th at Grandview Park Baptist School in Des Moines, Iowa. She will be living with the Korthals family...check out the July 2007 post http://loristucky.blogspot.com/2007/07/9-women-and-2-guys.html.

She would love to hear from you at jessicastucky@gmail.com

You can check out her school from the air on Google Earth by typing the following address in the search feature: 1701 E. 33rd Des Moines.

If you don't have Google Earth (it is really awesome) you can find and download it at http://earth.google.com/intl/en/

Leaving Jessica in Des Moines right now isn't so bad, because we will be back in the area 3 more times. If you were thinking of praying for us, go for it.

Now you know...


Jessica at the Iowa State Fair with the "Blue Ribbon"

Moving West

This was the SECOND hail storm in Bozeman, Montana this particular day...the girls couldn't wait to get outside (while the hail was beating down on everything in sight) to touch it and play with it. I had to strongly suggest that they put shoes on because they were just going to run out in it barefoot.

Linda Englet, who visited Brazil 3 years ago, was working on a painting of one of our neighbors back home when we stopped to visit her last week.

Some of the Stuckys got together out at "the farm" in Ephrata, WA. Lots of good food...sweet corn, poppyseed roll, cheese cake, roast beef, and on and on...

This was too good to pass up...now we are in search of a town by the same name! :)

Racing Across America

First time ever...the girls in the family finally made it to Mt. Rushmore...FANTASTIC!!!



Alicia along side the bust of the brainchild of the 4 presidents at Rushmore

Captial City Band of Pierre, SD...the longest running municipal band in South Dakota.

The director of the band gave the ALPHA Junior High Band the cornet he started out playing as a kid.

Alicia "rock climbing" at Byron Bible Camp north of Huron, SD

What's a Hayroll?!?!

Finally close enough to touch...Anabel is posing beside a real live "hayroll".

Times have changed. When I was a kid, people baled square hay bales, threw them on the flatbed and then hauled them up into the hay loft of the barn. Now the bales are these gigantic round things that are left out in the fields and fascinate kids who have grown up in another country/culture. Never having seen such a sight, Anabel asked what all those "hay rolls" are for. Sorry, can't answer that...I think they are just for lookin' at. :)


A real live "hay roll" machine!

An Unforgetable 4th of July

A PINK barn????

This 4th of July is one we are not likely to forget. I don't ever remember a day so full of surprises as this one. After taking off out of Waconia, MN, we headed west to South Dakota. I was shocked to see some REALLY PINK buildings at a farm along the way. We stopped at this farm and visited with the owners who informed us that the entire farm has been painted pink since 1904!

The ex-pats at the Watertown 4th of July parade.

In Watertown, SD we caught up with friends who have lived in Australia for the last two years and were visiting relatives in the US. It was fun to catch up and find out what their life is like living "down under".

The color guard and the National Anthem brought everyone to their feet and tears to my eyes. This is still the greatest nation on earth.

This poor clown couldn't put a smile on his face even with these funny kids posing beside him.

Ken (from Brazil) riding along with Keith (from Australia), who drives his Camero in the parade every year...entry number 100!