Falling into Autumn

My goal of updating the blog twice a month has changed to once a month! You know how it goes, right? :) So I am just barely squeezing one in for September and looking back through our pictures over the last month or so, we have been super busy! We got to hike to the fossil beds here at Victory as a family and get a nice picture! We are all facing the camera...it's amazing! We also got a few neat fossils to take home.

Evie stands by the loader (forgive me if I don't know my heavy machinery). We got a new roof put on our house by the owner and an awesome work team. It was noisy and exciting!

We went camping and hiking in Hatcher Pass at the end of August. It was gorgeous!

Adventures by the river while hiking

Grady was VERY excited for an entire marshmallow to himself!

Our campsite neighbors did an impromptu fireworks display as darkness fell! 

What a cute bunch of kiddos. It's bizarre how well they are all looking at the camera and smiling! We were 2 for 2 on photo ops. :)

A snowmelt lake in April Bowl at Hatcher Pass

We celebrated Evie's 6th birthday. She is our helper at home and such a good big sister! What a blessing from God she is to us.

Norah helps Grady maneuver the dump truck he 'picked out' to use his birthday money on. :)

This boy is 13 months old now! Here he is on his birthday destroying a cupcake. It ended up in his hair, his ears, and his nose...exactly what I expected! 

We made a trip to Kenai that ended up being on my birthday. Yes, late summer/autumn is birthday season in our Hostetter household! Norah is preparing to help me blow out my candle. It was heartwarming to get to have my big family sing happy birthday to me.

Before...

Norah is a Cubbie this fall and Evie is continuing Sparks! We have the whole family involved in AWANA club this year. Justin has stepped in to be commander since our regular leader is in Ireland for the fall. I have been teaching Cubbies, and Grady comes along to be an honorary Cubbie. We have also begun our 2nd year of homeschooling and it is such a joy, albeit crazy and chaotic at times. It's a good thing Evie is a smart little cookie and that she's patient with a sometimes less-than-stellar teacher. :)

We were BEYOND excited to have a family that supports us fix up and donate a 4-wheeler to our family! This makes life much easier (and also more fun!) around camp for us and saves us on gas too. We are so thankful that God has blessed us in this way!

A lovely sunrise view from the front window of our house

...and after! This goofy girl and I decided she needed a new do now that she's the ripe old age of 6. I think she was more excited to realize that it takes less time to brush her hair now. :)

Here are some ways you can be praying for us, and camp, right now:
-We have 7 Outpost students here or in process of arriving for a yearlong internship. Outpost is the new name for our internship program and I believe it is also now college accredited! These awesome young college age guys and girls are here to serve God for the next year and learn all about camp ministry. Pray for safety, health, and a teachable spirit as I know they will be at times out of their comfort zone, missing home, and learning a lot. Pray for them to grow closer to their Heavenly Father as a result of their time here.
-Pray for the shifting of roles as we continue to cover guest services as a group rather than just one person. Pray that any tensions or faulty communication this may cause will fall away and that we will have one goal and one heart for our guests, and to effectively show them God's love through our actions and words.

-We have a mama moose and her baby who have taken up residence on our stretch of road. Unfortunately she is a very grouchy and aggressive mama and our pets and children aren't always safe outside their own homes. (She took a run at Justin and gave our dog Mercedes quite a beating!) Pray that she chooses to move on and that we can remember to be alert when going outside! Only in Alaska, right?

-I have been experiencing lots of health issues in the last few months. It makes life difficult and I don't have time to be sick right now! :) Health insurance (or lack thereof) is also a big hurdle when it comes to healthcare. Please pray for direction and knowledge so we can pinpoint exactly what's going on. 
Thank you for your love, prayers, and support!