Alaska Trip

We took a 2 week trip to Alaska at the end of June to visit the grandparents and also see our friends where we used to live and teach in Healy.  It was a wonderful trip!

First we went to Juneau and saw Nana and Grandpa John: we enjoyed fishing, catching crab, visiting the glacier and the kids even got to sing with the children's choir that Nana leads on Father's day which was very sweet!

*The herring the kids caught was used for bait to catch a 60+ lb halibut!

Then we went to Palmer and visited Grandpa Michael and Grammy.  We fed reindeer at the reindeer farm, went for a hike in Hatcher's Pass, played at the playground and had a great time with my stepbrother Zach, his wife Margaret and their little guy Willem.  The kids loved exploring around the grandparents house, in the woods and looking after their (very patient) dog, Buck.

*Yes, Aliana is hiding in this picture.  She was a little nervous around the reindeer :)

On Solstice weekend I ran my first marathon - and finished!  That was my goal :)

We spent our last few days in Healy, staying with our friends the Menke's, visiting our church and just seeing as many people as we possibly could!

*The kids in Peggy's new ride, we had amazing weather the whole trip!

Summer so far

We have been enjoying the first week of summer with our daddy home!

We started with graduation parties for some of Brian's students.  At this particular one they had a cotton candy machine and bounce house!

Carson got an idea from a Curious George episode to build a boat out of recycled materials.  He had a ribbon tied to it and he sailed it at a little lake behind our house.

This past weekend we went to a little festival in a neighboring town.  Our niece ran a 5K and then we went through all these cute little booths and things.  Of course the kids were first in line for facepainting!

Daddy and Aliana

Mom and Carson

We have real vegetables!  A carrot!  Hooray!

Friends

Hope everyone is enjoying the spring weather!  We are happy to be outside!

I think it's spring!

We've been talking a lot about seasons at our house and I think the kids have been confused!  We've had snow on and off the last month, mixed with 60* sunny days.  Carson's had a lot of cancelled midweek soccer practices, but the weather has ended up warmer on the weekends so luckily he's made all his games!  Our "school" year activities are winding down (weekly church choir, gymnastics, swim lessons, etc) and we are looking forward to summer soccer for both kids and t-ball for Carson.  Now that it might actually be spring we have been enjoying more park/playground visits and time outside.

Aliana's school work about seasons.

This is a baby animal nursery the kids set up one morning.

Carson singing one of the songs he learned in his BSF class. BSF stands for Bible Study Fellowship, it is a weekly class we all go to at our church - it is a nondenominational women's and children's Bible study in the community.  This year we have been reading and studying the book of Genesis.  I love it because in the different children's classes the kids read the same chapters that we have read during the week so we can share what we learned at home!  This is a song the kids learned and both sing at home.  I'll see if I can get Aliana singing it for a future post :)

Lots of Pictures!

Not sure how the time has passed so quickly!  Here's what we've been up to - hope everyone is having a great week!!

Family zoo trip over spring break week

Took the kids skiing over spring break 1 day, they both loved it!  Carson had been one time before and it was Aliana's first time.  Daddy is a very good teacher!!

Carson started spring soccer, he is on the same team as this fall and is having a lot of fun.  Aliana enjoys the post-game snacks and other younger siblings she gets to play with :)

The kids enjoyed an Easter egg hunt at church and Easter dinner at Oma & Opa's with their cousins.  I was in California visiting my brother and his family for the week.  Here are some pictures of my niece and nephew.  They are so adorable!!  

Kepler - 2.5 months

Kiki and Kepler, reading and hanging out

Kiki (2.5 years old) Getting ready for dance class :)

It's Been a While!

We got hit with the ear infection bug (which is really weird because ear infections are not contagious as far as I know)... Both Carson and Aliana ended up with ear infections/ ear drum ruptures a week or so ago.  It was no fun!  Kids are doing better now after rounds (and rounds) of antibiotics, drops, sprays, etc.  We had a wonderful visit from Nana and Grandpa John that came just in time to distract us from feeling so yucky.  We went to the zoo, library story time, enjoyed church together, read lots of books and just had a great time playing.  We were sad to see them go but will get to go to Alaska this summer and see both sets of grandparents at their houses!!  We are very excited.

Here's what we've been up to...Hope all of you are having a great week!

The boys busy with their architecture drawings.

Yes, Aliana is actually asleep in this picture - this girl loves pink!  And babies :)

Thank you Nana for letting us play on your phone!  And adding lots of pictures to your photo library :)

This has been the kids' favorite activity the last couple of days.  I have bags of rice, beans, lentils, noodles, etc. and the kids will literally spend an hour (that is a long time) pouring, measuring, dumping, spilling, and scooping the different items.  Notice the vacuum is very close by :)

Carson loves his legos!

Grandpa John taking the kids for a ride in the sled... and then down the steep hill!  It was fun!!

And last but not least, our vegetables are still growing!!! We've graduated the peas and carrots to bigger buckets and they are all doing well.  With our spring weather this week we were happy to get them out into the sunshine!!

Winter days

Ok, well today was a "winter" day so we took advantage and went sledding behind the house on a little hill we have.  It's perfect for the kids as they usually last about 15 minutes :)

We've had round 2 of winter colds at our house so have been entertaining ourselves with forts, marble mazes, and Carson's/Daddy's latest project of growing vegetables in the basement!

Hope everyone is having a good week!!

Paper towel tubes + duct tape = awesome project for rolling marbles

Carson and Daddy's seed project .... not sure what we'll do when these actually grow...

Giant fort in the play room, can you see the kids?? :)

Sledding today

Had to put this one in here, just a cute picture of the kids!  Carson wrote "Happy Birthday Bryce" on the ipad and sent it to his cousin for his birthday :)

This is our good friend Ellie, that used to live in Healy when we lived there.  We've enjoyed getting together with her a couple times a month since she lives in south Denver now.  AND you can see my "new do",  11 inches gone from my hair!