Cabin Fun

Over the Labor Day Weekend we went to Matt's parents cabin with his cousin Theresa and her family. We always have great time relaxing, going on bike rides, hikes and making smores. Another tradition at the cabin is for the young kids to get a cabin bath, which means just in the kitchen sink with a picture taken.

Contest Winner

Matt submitted this picture of Ethan during the 4th of July to a photo contest and it won first prize. Ethan is playing in the founain that is in front of the movie theatres where we watch the fireworks in downtown Sparks.

Ethan Turns 1

A Year of Firsts

This year we have had a year of firsts, Aiden learned how to ride a bike without training wheels, Isaac learned how to ride a bike and Ethan learned how to walk. Aiden and Isaac started swim lessons, Aiden has his first day of kindergarten and Isaac started Pre-School. We are a mobile family now, though sometimes we wish that Ethan was a little less mobile!

4th of July

This year, as in years past, we joined our friends at downtown Sparks for a movie and bar-be-que. The kids played in the water at the fountain and we wnjoyed a great firework show.

Toothless

Aiden has lost his first two teeth!! He no longer has his two bottom middle teeth.

Prince Rupert, BC

LUNCH!!!

The fourth and final spot on our Alaskan Cruise was in Prince Rupert, British Columbia, Canada. We started our day with a walk around the town of Prince Rupert to see the totem poles and the sunken gardens. In Prince Rupert we saw a lot of Bald Eagles. After that we went on a canoe ride across the channel and went on a hike through a temperate rain forest that used to be an ancient native village. Our guide through the village was a native tribesman! After the hike, we had a crab feast. Kent, our brother-in-law, and Matt were the only two that ate the crab. Larry tried but only lasted for one bite. He compared cracking a crab leg open to get to the meat to having to de-feather a chicken to get to the meat. YUCK!!!

Sumdum Glacier

Our third stop on our Alaskan Cruise was to Sumdum Glacier in the Hobart Bay, Tracy Arm Fjord. We were originally supposed to go to Sawyer Glacier that was in Tracy Arm Fjord, but due to heavy ice conditions, the ship was not allowed in there. This, in turn, worked out great for us because, according to the ship’s cruise director, we got closer to the glacier then any other cruise ship our size has ever been. The most impressive thing was that whenever the ice would move you could hear it cracking, and it sounded like someone was setting off dynamite up the canyon! On the way out from the glacier we saw seals all over the place. There were hundreds just lounging on all of the ice that was floating in the water.

Skagway, Alaska

Our second port was in Skagway where we hiked up to a place called Reid Falls. It was so beautiful there! The falls fell hundreds of feet and towards the bottom there were these great little stream pools. After the hike we took the White Pass Train up the trail that led to the Klondike Gold Rush. This was a spectacular ride and we saw moutain goats and caribou.

Juneau, Alaska

Our first port of call on the cruise was Juneau. We decided to go zip-lining... This took a lot of convincing for me to do it, but in the end it was great!!! We were at times over 200 feet above the ground in the tree canopy and going over 35 MPH!!!!! After that we wandered around Juneau and did some shopping.

Alaska!

In June, Matt and I had the chance to go on an Alaskan Cruise with my parents,my brother and sisters and all their spouses. We also had two nieces with us. We had a tons of fun! We stopped in Juneau, Skagway, and Prince Rupert, BC. We even got up close and personal to Sumdum Glacier. It was beautiful, breathtaking and amazing to hear and see parts of the glacier crack and fall into the ocean! What a site! Itwas great to catch up with family. This is the first time since Hawaii that we have all been together...so 2 years! As you can see in the photo, Matt no longer has a goatee. He had to shave it for his new job. Matt has had his goatee for 15 years, so none of us had seen him without it! It took all of us a few days to get adjusted to the new "Matt".