Kate's birthday

 Kate turned 10 in June and was able to get her ears pierced! She was so excited, we were at Claire's right as it opened on her birthday. She was very brave during the whole thing!

Kate is so sweet and loving and we are so happy to have her in our family. She loves reading and playing the piano and is excited to learn to play the viola when school starts.

The Mendenhall Glacier (juneau) and Skagway

 On our way back from the whale watching, we stopped to admire this beauty: the Mendenhall Glacier. I wish we had to more to go exploring there. 

 Our next stop was Skagway, a town north of Juneau.

 Daddy with his girls.

 Rachel showing off her best side;)

 I was surprised to see all the mountains in Alaska, I really had no idea it was so beautiful.

Our Alaska adventure: Whale Watching

 Last week the Heckerts, Farrs, Borgets, Alisha, and Grandma took a cruise to the last frontier: Alaska. 

It was an awesome trip, and when it was all done, we asked the girls what their favorite thing about the trip was; it was unanimous: Whale Watching in Juneau!

 Juneau was our first port and the anticipation was high as we all boarded a whale watching vessel.

I was trying  not to get too excited, but I couldn't help it, I was really really excited to see humpback whales!

 Most of the girls were happy to go, but we had a couple tell us how much they wanted to go back to the ship because they didn't want to see any ole' whales. Let me tell you, that did not last long.

 Rachel did not love the life preserver

 Kate, Meg, and Lily are ready to see some whales!

 Melissa and Christopher

 The two kiddos with the least enthusiasm ( at least at first)

 Mom and Alisha!

We were ready for adventure as we cruised along: the sun was out, the temps not too cold, but the water seemed so quiet. And then...

 We saw it! A whale!

 The girls were screaming (and so were a couple of Moms) with pure joy! The next couple of hours were filled with amazement. The the tour guide was completely entertained with our excitement; the girls really made the whole experience that much more fun. 

The day after our excursion, I was talking with someone on the cruise ship about the whale watching tour and it turned out they were out on the water at the same time we were in and could hear the girls (okay me too) screaming! She told me that whenever they heard the girls they knew a whale was near! It was a really a wonderful time.

 Waiting with bated breath

 A spout from a blow hole!

 Ahhh!

 All the Kuhlenhoelter girls except Emily (we missed you!)

Another fun viewing: Sea Lions fighting over a buoy...hilarious!

Catching up! Feb-April

 I had no realized how long it had been since I posted last! Here is a very quick overview of the last few months. In February we visited my family in Utah/Idaho. It was so much fun! BYU had an art exhibit of Norman Rockwell art which we all enjoyed.

 And we braved the unseasonable warm temperatures and visited a (melting) ice castle. 

 Recently my Grandpa Claire's health has deteriorated and he is now in a nursing home. I was very thankful my children were able to visit him. I hope they will have a least a few memories of my Grandparents in Idaho, they are wonderful people.

 Kate participated in a Math competition and her team came in 2nd!

 AND we moved! Last July Drew took over an office in Mt. Vernon (20  minutes west of Evansville) and was commuting 45 minutes each way. After months of looking we were able to find a fantastic house in a location that cut his commute to 15 minutes. We have 4 HUGE pine trees in front that the girls live in. 

Rachel turned 18 months in April and started going to nursery at church. She is getting so big! She loves loves loves to run, be outside, eat any type of berry, and get into whatever her sisters are playing with. 

More Cruise and orlando

 Getting off the boat at Nassau, Bahamas

 A very very old fort built by the British

 The Queen's Steps, This canyon was carved out by slave hands and took over a decade to complete. 

 Back on the boat we were able to hang out with Goofy

 And enjoy a port hole!

 One night at dinner

 At Universal we bought a donut at Lardboy's donuts, and it was amazing and HUGE! 

 On the Hogwarts Express...so cool

 Hogwarts

 A Korean BBQ place in Orlando. 

You order meats off the menu and then cook them right at the table. 

We had a great time.

One of the girls' favorite things was playing at an Arcade with Drew, Drew had a blast also.