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.

San Diego Christmas

We had a fabulous time with friends and family over the  Christmas.  We started out with a crazy flight down to San Diego  complete with mechanical failure and 12 hour delay, but we eventually made it and oh, was it worth it!

  We wasted no time jumping into the pool/ocean while the surrounding Californians looked at us like we were crazy (65 degrees  to them is bone chilling).  The kids loved every minute of it and basically swam every day they could the entire time  we were there.

Soon after our arrival, we took advantage of free Disney birthdays at Disneyland.  We  also  went to California Adventures for the first  time.  I think we still prefer the Magic Kingdom, but there were  some great attractions at CA (Grizzly Rapids, Soarin’, etc.).  I didn’t know if they’d have any little kid rides, but they really do.  Our kids are only mild to moderately daring and they had plenty of stuff for them to keep them occupied.  Disneyland never disappoints and it continues to be one of our favorite places to go (for parents and kids).  Pirates of the Carribean was one of the favorite rides and we actually got  to see the back of the ride as it stopped mid way through and we were escorted out the side door.  It’s pretty amazing to see the infrastructure needed to keep those things going.  The girls finally were chosen to do the “Jedi Training” which they loved.  We also enjoyed the parade, fireworks, churros and all the kids made it on Big Thunder which was a first for most of them.  Owen even opted for a second helping.

Back in San Diego, we were soon greeted by the NC Hammonds (my brother and family).  All the kids had a great time playing together at the park, swimming and going to the beach.  We all went on a surry ride where the young boys and older women pummeled my dad and me in several races.  Don’t mess with Annie and Carol!

  We decided to head to Utah for Christmas to see more family.  We drove and were greeted by one of those huge mid-Utah dumps with blowing wind and crazy truckers.  It took about 8 hours to get from Cedar City to SLC, but we did finally make it.  In Utah, we got to see more cousins and hang out with Gram and company for their grand Christmas Eve celebration.  We usually miss that every year as I’m usually working, but we did make it this year and it was definitely worth it.  Gram got a Karaoke machine and everyone took a turn.  We also got to see some real musical talent from adults and kids alike (piano, guitar, etc.).  My sister and family were there so we also got to spend some time with them as well which was great.

Back so San Diego we went for more time with the NC Hammonds,  Maama and Popop.  The time went by too quickly but we got some great memories out of it that’ll last us through the winter.

More photos here.

Hawaii Photos

Carol posted a bunch of our Hawaii photos.  I did finally get through editing them and they’re now on the Zenfolio site (pretty much the same photos).  You can see them here.  What a great trip!

Another one…

JibJab Christmas Movie