Vacation...

Da Baums are head to Florida for a much needed vacation. Yes we are going to try to kill something on this vacation. It wouldn't be much of a vacation if we didn't.

Between Yakatat, cruise ship season, Ketchikan business, Wrangle, hunting season, school and fishery openings, we haven’t gotten to see much of each other. Thus we decided to escape to warm, sunny Destin, Florida.

Thankfully we have family there and they have a boat!

For the next 9 days we intend on catching some rays (something we haven't seen in Ketchikan for awhile). We also hope to catch at least one of the following; billfish, sailfish, white marlin, blue marlin, dolphin, wahoo, grouper, warsaw, amberjack, scamp, triggerfish, Spanish mackerel, bluefish, king mackerel, tarpon or blackfin tuna!

As you can see there are a lot of fish to be caught in the Destin area. So Jeremy is just giddy with pleasure! I am hoping to catch a gator but I don't know how well that will work.

Jeremy’s dad has been out finding all the good fishing spots and testing the lures. So hopefully we will be dialed in to do some serious fishing!

Also, Destin has a HUGE Target so I plan on doing a little shopping too!

More student pictures

The kids love P.E. with Mr. Miller.

He has been a great addition to the Clover Pass staff.

My shy student - Jaden.

Da Baum Squad

Today we celebrated one month of school! Yipee, one down and nine more to go! Here are some pictures of my class, otherwise known as the Baum Squad!


Becky always had pictures of her kids working hard so I thougth I would follow suit and put a couple pictures of my hardworking students!

Jaden and Alex - Kindergarteners

Brenden and Brandon - 2nd graders

As you can tell Jaden does not like his kindergarten buddy Alex at all!

Please keep my class and our school in your prayers. Thankfully the Lord blessed me with a great class this year but we could always use your prayers!

Iron Roughneck - pumpkin pie anyone?

A guy in the Kenai area, Kristi's hometown, grew this gigantic pumpkin in his greenhouse. It weighs 1,016lbs and is 5 feet wide, 46 inches from blossom to stem and 39 inches tall.

This picture was taken by Kristi's dad at the Kenai Safeway!

The guy began growing the pumpkin seed March 25 in moist paper towels. It sprouted two days later and was transplanted to soil. Then on May 28, he manually pollinated the plant and a pumpkin began to grow days later, but it wasn’t growing in the ideal location. It grew off the second vine, instead of the main vine.

The vines are the supply lines to the pumpkin, which at its peak will consume 100 to 120 gallons of water a day. I can't even imagine how long it takes to water that baby! It is amazing it got so big because the secondary vine is roughly the size of a garden hose, as opposed to the fire hose-sized main vine.

The pumpkin also developed many tiny cracks and blemishes that would heal, then redevelop, then heal again in a constant cycle throughout the gourd’s growth. This is how the pumpkin got the name “Iron Roughneck”.

My question is, how many pies is that baby going to make!?!?!

Shylo has Puppies!

Awh isn't my baby precious!

On August 26th Shylo had her puppies!

We had 6 girls and 1 boy, however we did lose one girl. She had really broad shoulders and got stuck for awhile. But thank God Shylo was able to push her out and we did not have to get a c-section.

Both mother and puppies are doing well.

Shylo is a great first-time mother.

At first she was bewildered by the whole situation

but she now has the handle on it.

This is a great picture of Shylo's "What is going on!" look. Luckily after the first day she figured out it was easier to just lay down and sleep during feeding time.

Chicks with bows…

Jeremy’s best friend’s wife, Tanya, has taken up bow hunting. Tanya and Clint recently moved to Montana and Tanya got rid of her gun and bought herself a bow!

She has been practicing and practicing and finally it all paid off! Last week she got her antelope!

Congrats Tanya you are a super cool chick!