Alaska trip

Hello blog readers - this is Richard, taking over for a little while. Andrea has blogger's fatigue so I wanted to take on the posting after our amazing trip to Alaska. This state defies description, and I won't try to bore you with stats. Let's just say this it is big, varied, and sort of empty. Our excuse was the awesome wedding of my cousin Maddie and her new hubby Mike Olaire. Congrats to the happy couple! We were treated to so many treats that we would never otherwise have gotten to enjoy.

We flew to Anchorage arriving late but still in broad daylight. Drinks, snack, relaxing, got tired, went to sleep. All in daylight.

The next day we were treated to a beautiful drive south on Cook Inlet to Homer, which took us over the western-most drivable point in the US. (Other cities like Nome have roads, but you need to get there by boat or plane.)  Mountains, clouds, seashore, glaciers - wow.

That night we took a boat cruise across the bay and enjoyed great hospitality from Maddie and Mike's friends, ate yummy food, and ended up enjoying drinks in a big family group at The Salty Dawg (which incidentally was flooded in the Great Alaska Earthquake, a bit of American history I did not know much about.)

The wedding was a huge treat - Alaska style - laid back and a potluck. Beautiful setting that I can scarcely describe but the purple fireweed was magnificent.

We had a great time talking with the alaskans, all of whom had interesting things to share. Mike and Maddie were a very handsome couple and we were thrilled to share their day.

The following day Chuck, Jim, and I went out halibut fishing which was fantastic. Here is the man on the boat filleting the fish - he did roughly 40 without stopping.

The following day we kayaked on the south side of the bay. Unfortunately I don't have any photos easily available - we saw sea stars (can't say starfish any more), bald eagles, sea otters, seals, and had a ball learning about all the wildlife.

The next day (Tuesday) we drove to Seward. This was followed by a day of hiking on Exit Glacier which was an incredible experience - walking on very dynamic (daily changing) piece of flowing ice.

We loved learning about ice.

Finally we got back to Anchorage and enjoyed seeing the Alaska Museum with my parents on Wednesday. Thursday Andrea and I did the coastal trail bike ride around western Anchorage. As usual, it was hit. Also, we saw two big moose bulls but the blog software is on the blink so those photos will have to wait.

Alaska, you rule. We'll be back.

priceless

Nothing better than being with our best friends and going to a splash park on November 2nd!  We didn't know the fountains would be on but couldn't resist letting the kids get down to their undies and having fun!  Wish I had more pictures to show from our awesome weekend with Emily and the kids in town - it was great and so hard to put them back on the plane to Denver.  We miss you guys already!!

a few more pumpkins

the weekend before halloween we hit a big pumpkin patch north of dallas for some pumpkin time with daddy (and so many of our favorite cartoon characters - what a treat!)

we did this barrel tractor ride, a real hay ride, hay mazes and took lots of pictures (again!)

so exciting to see lightning mcqueen and all our favorite CARS friends

it was like going to california to CARS land for free!  at least for a 3 year old!

Toy Story Kiddos

 

Happy Halloween everyone! we had so much fun preparing for halloween this year. I thought Kate would make a perfect Jessie (the cowgirl from Toy Story) and planned out her costume. When I asked Brooks if he would like to be another character from Toy Story he was excited! I thought he would pick Woody or Buzz Lightyear or even Rex the dinosaur, but no, he said "Mr. Potato Head." I had a lot of work ahead of me!

 

Brooks's school halloween concert - this is his class.  He wanted to wear the shoes and all to the concert and managed to walk around the gym with 50 kids and sing the songs.

 

Getting ready to trick or treat with the Browns, McCollums and Turners - what a cute group - and they all sat together so well for pictures!

Earlier in the week we went to a church carnival - kate's first taste of trick or treating and she loved it!

For the second time in a month, Brooks waited in line to do the big trampoline bungee jump - our cautious and reserved little man loves this thing!

He also loved all the carnival games and winning candy - putting, baseball, ring toss...it was awesome!

More trick or treating pics with Henry - what a cute cowboy/cowgirl couple!

 

We had a great halloween!

 

It's pumpkin time

you just can't beat the Dallas Arboretum for great fall pumpkin pictures - tens of thousands of pumpkins, pumkin houses and bails of hay just waiting for people to dress up their kids and grab their cameras - i'm a sucker for it!

The "Home" Team

They aren't even that good, but our family is still excited about the Broncos!  Tebow isn't there and neither are we, but oh well - we're hooked!

Kate's first day of "school"

Unbelievable really, but Kate has started her first Mother's Day Out one day a week and will tell you that she is going to "school."  Our baby thinks she is a big girl, and in so many ways, really is!  Two weeks in, "school" is going well.  Her teachers love her, she hasn't really cried at dropoff, she slept one day at nap time for 45 minutes, and she seems to want to go back. 

On the first day Kate wanted to bring every lovie and baby from her crib - that has been the only sticking point in going really.  She loves her new running shoes that she got for school - she picked them out at target and loves the pink!  Kate is becomming so chatty and loves the color pink - such a little girl!  I keep thinking I should write down all the words she is saying, but then i realize she will say any word that you say - there must be hundreds in her little brain right now!  just today I asked her if her lunch was going in her tummy and she told me "no, in my mouth."  then she started lifting up her dress to put the ham sandwich "in her tummy."  this girl keeps us on our toes for sure.

 

 

Brooks helping to carry all of Kate's school stuff to the car.  she has a little bag of clothes, a lunch and her napmat.  Both kids go to the same little school and overlap on Thursdays.  I think it would be cute to be a fly on the wall watching them interact as they pass in the hallway or on the way to the gym.