Throwback Thursday: Berry Picking

Can I just say I love Josh's kids? (That's what I call his students.)  Each one has a special place in my heart and I especially love how tender they are with my kids.  Any time one of them sees the four of us (out in the village or at the playground) they always say hello to every single one of us. "Hi Shelly! Hi Logan! Hi Jack! Hi Wyatt!"  They say it like we are the highlight of their week, and it never fails to make me smile.

I loved looking back at these pictures of our adventure hiking Mt. Pilcher on a field trip day back in September.  The students were super helpful, assisting the twins in berry picking and encouraging them to try each kind of berry.

I also loved looking back because in these pictures I can really see that I have trimmed down from working out the last four months.  I may not be dropping the pounds, but I am definitely in better shape. Literally!

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Berry Hunting

As has become tradition, we joined Josh's class on their field trip berry hunting near Mt. Pilcher.  The boys love searching for berries on the tundra and climbing around on Mt. Pilcher once we're done.

{See the birds?}

This is the "road" we take out.  It's quite bumpy!

The berries (cranberries, salmonberries & blackberries) all grow close to the ground, on the tundra.  We didn't find any salmonberries, but plenty of blackberries & a few cranberries.  The blackberries here are different than the ones I grew up with that looked like black raspberries.  The ones here are like small black blueberries.

{blackberries}

The tundra cover is a mix of different plants, and very, very bumpy to walk on.  The water settles into the low parts, so you can walk along and suddenly be knee deep in a puddle.  The tundra has a lot of give, it's super spongey.

{The road up Mt. Pilcher}

Strangest thing ever to go on a field trip & have the teacher carry a gun.  Am I right?!?  But just the day before our trip, a black bear was spotted near Mt. Pilcher, and we live in one of few places where both black & brown bears live.  So we had to be safe!

The students got out to climb around Pilcher.

While Wyatt slept peacefully on my lap.  All that exhausting tundra walking did him in.

{Sweet sleepy boy}

{Those colors... spectacular!}

In addition to berries, we found caterpillars.  Our boys got one that we kept in a jar in our house as a pet for two days.  Then the boys decided to set it free.  

I am so grateful when my boys get to experience things like this.

Thanks for taking us along, Josh!