Happy Halloween

Glinda, Elphaba, and the Orca whale!

Mom and Dad even got into the fun this year!

The cutest Shamu there ever was!

Alcan

So just in case anyone was wondering, we did make it up the Alcan to Fairbanks.  It was a great trip and actually went a lot faster than I thought.  The kids did pretty well considering how much driving we had to do and the scenery was amazing.  Gram went with Carol and the kids to Seattle which they absolutely loved.  We got to spend a day there at the Space Needle and then it was off to Canada.  We went up the Cassiar Highway instead of the traditional route (it’s a path up by Whistler and BC instead of going through Calgary and Alberta.  We stayed a day in Whistler which is a biking paradise and another day (pretty much) in Stewart where they have some pretty sweet bear viewing.  Thanks go Gram for loaning Zorro to us.  I don’t think we would have made it up without him!

 

The Nutcracker

Beth and Izzie were in The Nutcracker this weekend.  The North Star Ballet puts it on every year and it is a really amazing effort.  They use some outside dancers as well as some local talent and lot of eager kids.  The girls did it for the first time this year and absolutely loved it.  There’s also a TON of “behind the scenes” work that parents pick up and Carol was there most of the week helping out.  Thanks to all who made it possible.  I’m pretty sure the girls are hooked and will be back for more next year.

 

  

Izzie Got Glasses

We just discovered that Isabel needs a little bit of help seeing things far away.  She got her first pair of glasses last week and she is pretty excited about it.  We just thought you would all like to see her with her new look. 

Southeast Alaska

We were able to spend a few wonderful days in the southeast part of our state.  It’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen and I thought I’d post some pictures for everyone.  Love to you all!

 

Ice Park

The ice park came and went again this year.  The slides have now melted and the birch buds are out today.  The park is always great and especially so this year because Maama and Popop were here with us!  It’s amazing to see the sculptures, but the kids basically just run for the slides.  The big animal slides were a bit toned down this year, but the sled slides (like a very short bobsled run) were the usual bumpy crazy ride.  I took a couple of rides as did Popop (he actually took quite a few more than I did) and it’s definitely hard on the bones.  The kids had a wonderful time and it’s become  something we really look forward to every year.  The website for the event is here and more photos of our kids/family are here.

Monty!

 

The kids have been asking about a dog for as long as I can remember and it has become much more frenzied in the last year.  Carol and I always thought at some point we may have a dog, but we hadn’t really planned on doing it this quickly.  My dad was getting a boston terrier (he had one as a child and then I had two in high school/college in Utah) which he had been without for quite a few years.  He was pretty excited about it and would send us pictures from the breeder of Harvey (the new dog).  Carol and I noticed another dog in the background with Harvey so I emailed the breeder to ask.  This was Harvey’s brother and yes, he was available.  We exchanged a couple of emails and after finding out a little bit more, we decided to take the plunge.

This all happened about a month ago.  Thank you to all those who helped us keep this a secret from the kids for so long.  My dad actually picked up both dogs and brought Monty up here two days ago.  We are very grateful for that as getting a dog to Alaska is no easy task.

Monty arrived late Thursday night and we got him settled down in his new bed (crate…love the crate training).  Friday morning was basically like Christmas.  We woke the kids up early and told them to go surprise Maama and Popop in the basement.  Down there already, Maama and Popop were strategically placed and waiting.  When the kids first went down, they thought Monty was Harvey.  They were very excited to see any dog but even more so when we told them that this was their dog and would be here for a (hopefully) long time.

The next day was spent petting and walking and feeding and cleaning up after Monty.  They’re still in doggy heaven (both kids and to some degree Carol and I).   Monty really is a great dog.  He is calm and loving, yet playful and energetic.  We couldn’t be happier.  The full name is Belmont (Monty for short).  My dad has what I think is a fun tradition of naming his boston terriers after Boston suburbs.  My two dogs growing up were Winchester and Roxbury.  Harvey is named after Harvard.  Belmont is actually the Boston suburb I grew up in until I was about 4 years old, so  it seemed like a good fit.

More photos I’m sure will follow.  We are excited and nervous, but mostly excited.  Welcome Monty!!!

More photos here.