The Pritchard Cafe: July 2009

This weekend has been the Bear Paw Festival in Eagle River and it has been a HUGE BLAST for me and Joelle. Friday we went to the Teddy Bear Picnic which consisted of kids bringing their teddy bears for a FREE hotdog lunch as well as free face painting, coloring, music making, and giveaways like balloons and fireman's hats. The day was super hot and even humid which made for a somewhat uncomfortable afternoon for pregnant me. Alaska can get warm in the summer! But Saturday has been the most fun of all! As for the weather, it started off cool but warmed up by the afternoon. Joelle and I are sunburned to prove it! We watched the Eagle River parade with our friend Ashley and her daughter Molly and this was just the cutest parade ever. There were great floats with an enormous amount of pride, candy being given out, local Eagle River restaurants handing out samples of their pizza and salads, coupons from area stores.....even our church The Crossing had a float for their school, Birchwood Christian School.

After the ever so cute parade we walked down to the mainstage to await the "World Famous" Slippery Salmon Relay! Ashley and our friend Valerie decided to compete for fun. There were 40 teams total, so 80 people competing. They had to open a can of soda and pour it into a plastic cup, put the full cup and the empty can on a tray while grabbing a huge slippery dead salmon out of a bin. Then they had to carry in one hand the soda tray and in the other hand the salmon and go through relay obstacles without dropping the salmon, the tray or the drinks. They went in and out of cones, through fancy footwork, under a limbo rope, around a pillar and then handed off to their partner who did the same thing. It was all timed and two teams competed at the same time. We were so surprised when they announced that Ashley and Valerie were in the semi-finals, then they made it to the finals......and then they WON!!!!! They received first prize medals and a trophy! This is a huge deal in Eagle River!

All I have to say: ARMY WIVES ROCK!

This is Ashley getting her tray and salmon

Ashley starting the obstacles

Valerie coming into the finish with her soda tray and slippery salmon

Valerie and Ashley on the awards stage finding out they won first place!

The winners with their first place medals and trophy! And these aren't just any Army Wives, these are ladies from our Ft. Richardson PWOC. These are ladies who live their lives loving God and showing it by serving their own families, the families in their neiborhoods and churches, and in their FRG's. So whoever said following Christ isn't cool!?

After the Slippery Salmon Relay victory we decided to watch the outhouse races. Hilarious! No, these were not actual outhouses, they were homemade that had to fall within certain guidelines. They had hilarious names like "Poo Poo Pee Doo", "Cool Runnings", and "Smells Like TP Spirit". They had someone riding inside and the rest of the team pushing the outhouse down the course. They had to turn around a pilar and run back, but when they turned they had people on the sidelines throwing water balloons to make is seem more realistic (you know.....a real outside on wheels making a sharp corner would probably have some spillage of some sort!). Oh my gosh, it was HILARIOUS!