Our Alaska Vacation

Jeff and I took an Alaskan cruise this summer.  It was such a nice break to get out of the heat!  But can I just tell you, I have never been colder in my whole life.  You will notice that I am wearing the same thing in almost every picture, but thats because it was unseasonable colder than normal and I wore every layer I had, EVERYDAY!!!

Here we are with our good friends, Becky and Wayne getting ready to leave the port.

They are my favorite traveling friends.  So fun, and so easy going!  Wayne has the travel books memorized and makes our trips so incredible!

First port of call in Ketchikan.  I was sooooo cold!!!  

It was such a beautiful place!  

The highlight of Ketchikan was the float plane ride we took through the mountains and landed on a secluded lake.  I can't even describe how incredible and beautiful it was.

Icy Straits was exactly that - ICY (BRRRRRR)!!!  The only thing good about that place was the warm crab and hot chocolate.  Seriously to cold to enjoy.

Okay, It was beautiful too.

The best part of the entire trip was the float plane we took out of Juneau to the Taku Lodge.  Can I just tell you, if you ever take an Alaskan Cruise this is a MUST!

You land in such an amazing spot right in front of a glacier. The lodge is so quaint and cute.  The bear warnings were no joke - they were everywhere!!

The food was so FANTASTIC!!!  Really, it was worth the whole trip just for that meal alone!!

Fresh caught salmon, homemade biscuits, steamed fruit, coleslaw, homemade baked beans.  And the cookies!  Oh I am getting hungry..... (I am pretty sure I gained a few lb's at this one meal alone).

The whole time this bear was sitting in the tree, drooling over our fresh cooked salmon.  Poor fella.

This was the coldest part of the cruise by far.  But what a spectacular view of this glacier!

At this point I didn't care what I looked like - I just wanted to make sure my face didn't freeze off.

After the cruise was over, we spent the day up at the Alyeska Ski Resort.  I wish I had more pictures of this place.  Incredible and so beautiful.  

It was such an incredible trip and I am so grateful to my wonderful in-laws for making this possible.   Thanks again, Dan and Connie!  We love you guys!

Hawaii Trip 2011

In April we went to Hawaii with 3 other couples.  The first day we hit the shrimp truck.  Mmmm good.  Garlic breath the rest of the day!

I think we signed the truck somewhere!

Posing in front of the Hawaii temple.

We took a quad tour through a ranch where several movies were filmed.  So pretty!!

Shane left his helmet on due to his fear of falling rocks.

The girls and I reenacted the Jurassic Park scene where they jump behind the fallen log.  Apparently I was the only one who heard them say "jump"!

Jeff was shaking it at the Polynesian Cultural Center.

It was a fun evening and great entertainment!

Yummy treats and shopping with Meredith!

Jeff and I snuck away and took a helicopter tour of the island.  Soooo scary!!!!!!

I loved it, but I was so scared!  Jeff had them take the doors off the helicopter.   Good thing I was in the middle!  

Bummer I didn't get a picture of the beach house!  It was beautiful and right on the ocean.   

Our last night we had a nice dinner at the Turtle Bay Resort!  Good food, good friends, wonderful night!

Can't wait to go back again!  Kauai next time I think!

Happy Memories

Jeff get's tired of Disneyland after a while.  Not me!  I love it!

It's probably because he has a weak stomach when it comes to roller coasters.
 I could ride on them all day and never get sick.

California Screamin is my favorite!  I love the anticipation when the rides is about to blast you off!  Good times!

A Cold Thanksgiving

So we made it to Utah for the holiday, just in time for the cold temperatures to set in.  As we sat around Thanksgiving morning, we decided to give the Y mountain a try. After all, it's ONLY 16 degrees outside - how bad can it be?

 Actually, it really wasn't that bad.  Once you got movin that is.

 Yes, that's me in my ASU sweatshirt.  Go Devils!

 Allison and Randi were so hot from the hike, the steam was coming off their backs.

 On Friday we checked out the LDS Church History Museum in Salt Lake.  Pretty cool.  Did I mention it was cold outside?

 We headed indoors for a bit to warm up - loaded the kids with hot chocolate - then made our way outdoors again to see the Christmas lights on temple square.  Very pretty.

After that, we took them all to a hot dinner at the Blue Iguana in Salt Lake.  (It's official!  I can never move to Utah!  I would die without good mexican food.) 

Here I come!

I get to spend a week looking at this everyday!  (Okay, maybe not the snow.)  I am ready for a little R & R!  Oh happy days ahead!!!!!!!

Chowder anyone?

What is it about traveling with your kids and throw up? It seems you can't have one without the other.
Today we enjoyed the sights at the Wharf and Pier 39. We had clam chowder in a sour dough bread bowl for lunch, Ghirardelli's chocolate for dessert, and sour dough pizza for dinner.

Around 10 pm this evening, Jeff and I got to enjoy all this lovely food yet again via our son Nathan. The children were all asleep, Jeff and I begin to doze off, when all of the sudden - BAM!! You guessed it. Throw up all over the bed, the bed spread, the floor, the pj's, the chair, and the sink in the bathroom.

I don't think I will ever enjoy another bowl of chowder again - really.

• Flight for 5 with frequent flyer miles - $50 in security fees
• Nice hotel room on fisherman's wharf - $150 a night
• Tossing the vomit stained sheets into the hallway to be hauled away by housekeeping, who then came and re-maid the beds with clean sheets and blankets - priceless
  
  

SSSHHHHHHH!

The kids have a half day of school today to kick off fall break - one whole week of no school.  When they get home at noon, they will be told to pack their bags - but they won't be told where we are going.  They will have to figure that out when we get to the airport.

One week in San Francisco - no rental car (cable cars only).  Alcatraz island, Pier 39, Fisherman's Wharf, Golden Gate Bridge, Lombard Street, and China town are all on the menu!

I am so giddy I can hardly contain my excitement.  I love surprises and this one is going to be so much fun!  

I hope I can keep my mouth shut until then!  Yippee!

The Hawaii Run Down!

Alright!  I am back!   Are you ready for the marathon of pictures I am posting from Hawaii?  Well what do you expect... we were gone for 10 days!!

In the airport!  I hadn't flown in 9 years!

Yippee!  We made it and the plane didn't crash.

Real mature - I know, but that's Jeff for you.   We stayed in Volcano (that's the name of the town) on the big island - and yes- it's currently an active volcano.  Thus the spewing gas.

We explored a volcano tube underground.  Spooky and black.  Something kept grabbing my bum.  (I am assuming it was Jeff).

Cool black sand beach with lot's of turtles.

We snorkeled so much that every night at dinner I still felt like I was moving in the water.  I had a queazy stomach some days.

This day we hiked out to see the lava flowing into the ocean.

It was really cool at night with big explosions of red lava!

We had to stop and get a photo of Jeff in front of BJ's training center! (For all you UFC fans).

Jeff really got into the whole laid back Hawaiian style!

Posing in front of the Kona temple on a Sunday afternoon.

I love it when I have a tan!

You gotta love the poser pictures.  My hubby the "Iron man".

Here we are on a charter boat for the day, checking out all the great snorkle sites.  Very fun!

This was the highlight of the trip!!!   We signed up for a manta ray night dive.   These things had a 12 foot wing span.  They came so close I could reach out and touch them.  Seriously the coolest thing I have ever done!

This ray came up to the boat after we got back in.  

We kayaked out to Cook's monument - very cool and great snorkeling!

But on the way back, we were surrounded by dolphins!!!!

So Jeff decides to jump in the water and check them out.  Pretty soon I was out of the boat too, and we swam with the dolphins.  (Honestly I was afraid they might bite me.  This wasn't Sea World!)

The last day we hung around as all the fishing boats brought in their catch for the international Bill Fish competition.  This one was over 300lbs.  Pretty fishy!

I just thought I would give you a  little glimpse of what my friend Becky and I got to enjoy each and every day while driving all around the big island!  Press play and enjoy my friends!!!!!

It's good to be back!