Cordova

Our big trip with my dad was a day trip to Cordova on Prince William Sound. This town is only accessible by plane or boat, and is mostly a fishing community. My dad, who is quite interested in history, wanted to see the Million Dollar Bridge that his maternal grandfather helped build in the early 1900s. We flew ERA to Cordova yesterday morning, and drove a rental car 35 miles to the bridge.

We also visited Child's Glacier, which calves ice regularly. We all hollered at the top of our lungs, "ICEBERG!!!" over and over again, and whether we caused it or not, the kids believed they knocked down a big chunk of ice into the water. Lots of fun!

The remainder of the day was a tour through the town- gift shops, museum, fishing docks, and the beach. My dad had stopped here while fishing in 1961, and was reminiscing with some of the locals about how the town used to look. We ended the evening with a dinner in the sunshine on the deck of a nice restaurant overlooking the harbor.

Our wildlife tally for the day was: 3 swans, more than 10 beaver houses, 2 moose, a squirrel, 2 mice, many seals, an otter, a halibut carcass, and more minnows than we could count.

Hey Brother, you won't believe this one!

Check out my dad!!! :-) What a good sport! We have had a fun week with my dad visiting. He is napping on our couch right now, after an action-packed few days. Thanks for the trampoline, Dad- we LOVE it! I can't wait til the kids go to bed- then it's my turn!!!

T Ball Superstar

David gave t-ball a try this summer! He made a great first baseman, and could really slug the ball! Way to go, David!

Hiking the Butte with Friends

We tried once, and it rained buckets... this is our successful hike of the Butte with our friends Caleb, Luke, Baby Eli, and Amber (my friend and job-share partner). These mommas were proud to brave a hike with 5 kids aged 6 and under up the slippery Butte in Palmer on Memorial Day. We had a blast directing foot traffic, dodging paintballs, doling out motivational snacks, and administering first aid. A great way to spend a summer day! :-) You can see the Matanuska Glacier and River in the views below the kids.

Hello Summer!

Bring on the sun! This was our first lunch in the backyard! Woo Hoo! David didn't want his legs to get sun-burned after such a long winter...

Happy Graduation

Congratulations to our youth group kids! I know we didn't catch you all on film, but we are so proud of all of you! "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you, and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

Happy Birthday, David!

We celebrated as a family on May 6th. Our birthday boy's menu for dinner was Dino Chicken nuggets, all the colors of peppers, and blue jello. David chose carrot cake (but had never tasted it!)- "the one with the little orange frosting carrots, Mom." He was so happy to have a Star Wars Lego theme! His party was the first one ever to be "boys only." He had 5 friends come over afterschool on Friday to have a Lego Star Wars themed party and pizza for dinner. Lots of fun!

Alaska Zoo Run

The kids participated in the Alaska Zoo Fun Run back in May- lots of fun running with the wolves and Musk Ox (they stayed in their habitats, of course!). Abby and I ran together- she got a little nervous going alone (as you can see in the photo taken right before the start of the race!). David met us at the finish line! Fun and tshirts for all! We're thinking of making this an annual event for the kids- a great way to encourage exercise and see the zoo together!