Summer Fun

Building houses in Colorado means a big hole!!! (for the basement) which means a big dirt pile, this one was behind our home. The kids in the neighborhood had a great time climbing on all the mini mountains.

Backyard camping.

Water play!

Fall Harvest

This was just a bunch of stuff I picked as the weather was getting colder. We had been reaping the rewards of a garden for the whole summer.

Cucumber Siamese Twins (they became relish!!).

One of my watermelons. Nothing is better then homegrown!

Some of my cantaloupes and peppers behind them.

All my kids love the fresh fruit!

Apples from our tree about ready to become apple sauce. My kids take turns peeling them so they can eat the skins.

Almost gone

Dale has always been my independent child. If I don't anticipate his needs, he will take care of himself. For example when he was a toddler we lived in a sorority as house parents. We had our meals prepared for us and often we would eat in our apartment while the girls had some meeting going on. I never prepared any food in our apartment (no kitchen) so the only thing in our main trash was our discarded food from the most recent meal, junk mail or maybe a left overs from a craft or two. (I give you this back ground information so you won't be as horrified as could be.) Anyway, I often figured out that Dale was hungry because he was eating food out of the trash!!!

Just like those days he still wants to do for himself. While Jordan has had all his teeth pulled by a parent Dale pulls his own.

This picture is of it almost out.

All the way gone!

While I water or pull weed in the garden the girls love to play out side with me. Jasmin was just playing so quietly, I didn't notice that I lost one of my children to the hot July heat!

Amelia is totally gone!

Super Bath Time

After a long few days of play it was time for a good scrubbing. Cousins are so much fun!!!

Boon Docks

My Dad, brother, sister and her kids came to see us during the summer of 2010. Boon Docks was one of the activities we did while they were here.

Batting cages; If the baseballs could feel, I know they wouldn't have been very happy after Tim kept hitting them like he was.

My dad picked a bad site and they were sending them so low he had to get on his knees to hit anything well. Even my sister took her time with the bat although, I don't think the baseballs minded her around. Just kidding I am sure she hit one or two. :) At least she got in there! Getting ready for mini golf with Hyrum and Eliana. And the race track, which Amelia did love despite her face.

They look nervous.

Taylor and Amelia.

My dad in blue. My brother Tim.

We sure have fun when family comes I hope we get to see more of everyone.

Lake Side

There is a very fun amusement park in Denver called Lake Side which Shanna (Taylor's mom) found for us. We have taken our kids a couple of times and they have a lot of fun! This is the kids section (which is the only part we have ever been to). There are never any lines, Jazz is able to go on all of the rides except Frog Hopper (and remember she is only two at this time).

Jazz got a nasty mosquito bite that morning and by the end of the day she could hardly open her eye. :( You can even see it swelling in this picture.

On Board

This cruise had two formal nights.

Getting ready for formal night number one.

Us with the Cornaby's just before dinner.

Dinner's are always so yummy on a cruise. Great opportunity to try new things.

Just before the magic show. There is always one big show and multiple small shows every night to watch.

This was the second one. (I know I posted this picture before but it is a cruise picture :)

Last sea day. It rained almost all week but the sun came out for our last sea day and activities in B.C. Canada. I used to be the kind of person that would feel a vacation like this was ruined by the rain. But it didn't bother me at all. Maybe being able to see so many new things, having all meals prepared and cleaned up for me and no kids to whine and say they are cold or tired, made this an amazing trip.

This is what we came back to each night, made bed cute little towel animal and yummy chocolates to finish out our day.

Excursion

On this excursion we took a boat to an unpopulated island, unless you count the eagles.

This first picture, taken from the speed boat, is of someones air plane house. In the sides of the door way there are panels that swing out to allow the wings to pass through and then the plane can slide down the ramp into the water. Crazy life where your only connection with people outside your town is by boat or plane.

I wish I could circle the nest in this picture. It is in the top of the tree on the left. This next we were told is the size of a queen mattress.

Here is one of the many eagles we saw. For some of you this isn't exciting at all. We see eagles often in Colorado and in Alaska they are like rats eating every ones garbage. But if you are like me I still have this sense of amazement seeing an animal that while growing up was endangered.

Just another pretty view from our boat.

Everyone on our tour was to chicken to hold any of the sea creatures except me. I guess it was from my time studying Marine Biology in college that it just excited and fascinated me. I held all sorts of star fish crabs and even one massive slug (which left a super slimy mess on my hand!).

Tay and I just before we started our hike.

Do you like Tay's purple Jacket they had all of us where jump suites over our clothes so that while on the boat we wouldn't get to wet from the spray. Don't ask me why the larger size was purple and my was blue!?! See the fallen tree behind me? Can you see all the new trees growing out of the root system?

This is called a nurse tree. The ground in coastal Alaska is only about two feet of rich soil and then you hit rock. As the trees become large it only takes a very small breeze to knock one of the big ones down. After only a year new plants have taken root in these "nurse trees" and they will send their roots down along or through cracks in the tree until they hit soil. They will use what nutrition they can from these fallen or dead trees as they decompose. It was amazing to see these tall trees that actually look upside down because six feet of roots are exposed after the nurse tree has totally disappeared.

Heading back. This really was an amazing thing to see and do. I will look forward to doing this again. Anyone want to come with me?