We hate Mosquitos!!!

They are huge, vicious, relentless & merciless!!!! 

Which photo do you think we should use for next year's Cmas card?!? Lol!

In addition to the Mosquitos getting on our nerves, we are also growing weary of our tent leaking (and dealing with the aftermath of drying out the tent, sleeping bags, therma rests, air mattress....). We have had standing water in it 3 times now and it is an expensive North Face tent! We are going to try to swap it out at the REI store in Anchorage, since they have a life-time guarantee on all their purchases (we bought it at an REI in Minneapolis in 2010, but this is only our 3rd summer using it because we had the 2 Africa summers in there where we didn't do a long road trip). We are sooo grateful for friends & family's houses to stay at in-between where we can dry out, do laundry, fuel up on delicious food, sleep with a roof over our heads, etc!! It has TRULY been a blessing!!! 

Other than the normal road-trip stress of living out of a tiny cramped vehicle (things falling on you when Joey slams on the brakes to avoid hitting a frost heave, everyone being in each other's space, trying to keep everything organized so that it all fits just right, no leg room, etc.), our only other on-going frustration is the kids' squabbling....they are even more relentless than the Mosquitos and dealing with their behavior is even more exhausting than unpacking & repacking the car every day! They sure know how to zap the fun right out of a glorious vacation! But as parents, we have no choice, but to....

(We found this sticker and had to put it on the dashboard as a constant reminder to ourselves! ;)

We are not even half-way done with our trip yet, so on we tarry, knowing there is more of God's beauty waiting to astound us around each corner! And always hoping that each tomorrow will be filled with blue skies, no Mosquitos and peaceful children!