My Random Adventures

Mother's Day

2011-05-08T14:14:00.000-07:00

So, today I am going to be a little more personal in my post and just share some thoughts. Hopefully it will make sense.
Those that know me, understand I am not a super fan of sitting through church and being acknowledged on Mother's Day as I am not a mother. The talks are always great about different mothers and I have an amazing angel mother. However, I have been surprised at how difficult it can be for me to sit in church and listen to talks about how being a mother and raising children is the most nobel of responsibilites we as women are asked to do. I know this to be true, I understand and believe the doctrine of the church, but "being a mom" is not a hat in which I wear.
After sacrament meeting today I was trying to avoid the young men who were handing out treats to all RS aged sisters. Well, it was Rashona's grandson and I thought, just be nice Anne. Attached to a bag of sugar free candies was this thought and I wanted to share.
While we tend to equate motherhood solely with maternity, in the Lord's language, the word Mother has layers of meaning. Of all the words they could have chosen to define her role and her essence, both God the Father and Adam called Eve "The Mother of All Things," and they did so before she ever bore a child. Like Eve, our Motherhood began before we were born. Motherhood is more than bearing children, though it is certainly that. It is the essence of who we are as women. ~Sheri Dew
I really enjoyed that thought and for whatever reason was inspired to post on my blog. For those that read this, know I do not post near enough so this must have left a big impression! Only a handful of people know about this blog so if you are reading this, I love you!

Introducing Sammie

2010-12-20T22:08:00.000-08:00

This is Halloween weekend, the weekend I got Sammie! He took right to Uncle Scottie and loves being up on your shoulder.
Just a view to show how adorably small he is.
He was only 2 pounds in this pic.

He looks sad but he wasn't feeling well.

Luckily we have a good vet and she made my baby better.

This is a coat I bought him for Utah.

However, Vegas had some very cold and windy days

so he got to use his coat early. He had to get used to it,

especially the hood. I usually let him go without, he isn't a fan.

The coat was helpful, he didn't look like he was

going to fly away in the wind.

After we go outside, when he is finished with his duty,

he comes and jumps on my leg to let me know he is ready!

A few new projects...

2010-07-15T22:59:00.000-07:00

My fab friend, Heather, whom I used to babysit now has the cutest one year old ever!!! I noticed she had the cutest headbands in her adorable pics on facebook. I contacted Heather and she told me she got hers from a cute store in Crestview and that she would be happy to get me some. This first pic is of the headbands she sent me- most of the flowers can be clipped on and removed from the band- endless possibilities! Well, my creative mother looked at them and thought we could easily make some. So, off we went to the store!

Here are a few of the ones we came up with!

A few more.... I can't make up my mind so I bought all kinds of colors and lots of fun buttons and used a few beads from another recent project. I think they are super cute and I think they turned out well. What do you think?

This is a baby blanket mom and I made for my friends baby shower. Hope she enjoys!

While in Idaho, Brittany was making watch bands. I asked the lady at the bead store about making just bracelets. She told me what I needed to do and it seemed simple enough. Here are my new fun bracelets! Thanks for the inspiration, Brittany!!!

Also, while in Idaho I went to a favorite craft store of mine. I have always liked the vinyl letters and the tiles but I had yet to attempt one. So, I bought the vinyl I liked and waited to get the tile in Vegas. Today I decided to make it. I'm happy with the results on this as well. I really like the cream and black vinyl on this tile. Enjoying part of my summer spending time on things I have always loved creating as well as learning new ones =)

Meeting Tyler

2010-07-13T23:28:00.001-07:00

His momma is making him smile =)

Now he is making me smile!

Just a few of Tyler's many faces!

2010-07-13T23:23:00.001-07:00

I love his big eyes!

Aunt Annie with Tyler

2010-07-13T23:17:00.001-07:00

I kissed both his cheeks!

Beach

2010-07-13T23:06:00.000-07:00

I think this little guy is going to grow up loving the beach!

Once again my hair disappears when the sun hits it just right.

What a cute family =)

Ry posing again!

Anyone spot Elvis on the beach?

Uncle Scott & Aunt Kelli

2010-07-13T22:58:00.000-07:00

Uncle Scott sure loved playing with Tyler!
Whoa- that lower lip is coming out.

"Money hold"

Aunt Kelli working her magic.

Look how comfy Tyler is with her!

Notice Anything?

2010-07-13T22:56:00.000-07:00

Guitar Hero

2010-07-13T22:50:00.001-07:00

Check out the collar!

Oh so serious

I'm telling you- moms are tough!

Usually one handed and certainly

multi-taskers!

Who do you think won?

Before

2010-07-13T22:21:00.001-07:00

Jessica asked if we had a camera. Since I was traveling, it was in my purse. Kelli took the first picture and Jessica was like- don't smile.

This is me trying to be serious after being told not to smile=) Not an easy task for me.

One side was okay but one side was so choppy and
I had a visible ''hole'' where hair was missing.
When Jessica saw this, she actually teared up.
She said it would be difficult to get it to blend
but she was up to the challenge.

After

2010-07-13T22:15:00.000-07:00

Jessica was amazing! She took her time, explained

everything. Kept Kelli and I laughing.

She loves her job and it's obvious!

Outing in Santa Maria

2010-07-13T22:07:00.000-07:00

I say it's an outing in Santa Maria but Scott and Kelli

always tell us you have to drive a little to do anything.

This wasn't any different. We drove 30 miles or so

away to have dinner together at Chilis.
Tyler chilled most of the time in his car seat.
I think he was sleeping. Once the food came, he
wanted out. Britt is so talented when it comes
to doing most tasks one handed.

Is it me or does Ryan love the camera?

We had a blast spending a few days together!

Thanks Scott and Kelli for letting us crash!

In the Sky

2010-07-13T22:02:00.000-07:00

Tyler did a fantastic job on the flight

from LA to IF. I think he really enjoys traveling!

I support that 100%

Proud New Daddy!

2010-07-13T21:56:00.000-07:00

Ryan calls this the "money hold"
Love those cheeks!

Cheese!

How cute, Ry is already

reading to Ty!

Check out those long fingers and toes!

Murphy and Charlie

2010-07-13T21:43:00.000-07:00

3 dogs, 2 dog toys! Any questions?
I loved how Charlie and Murphy
brought their toy in together!

Murphy and Charlie love to have their best

buddy, Odie, come to the lake to play!

I think Tyler was getting tired of all my snapping of photos!

Wet and heading home!

Yellowstone

2010-07-13T21:17:00.000-07:00

Ryan found out I haven't been to Yellowstone. As soon

as he heard that, he was like- we are going Saturday.

Saturday came and I found out Brittany was sick. I just

figured we wouldn't go, that is cool. Brittany insisted

we could since I hadn't been. We loaded up in the car

with diet pepsi and my iPod. Off we went!!!

Only to be stopped in traffic!

Beautiful!

That is all I kept thinking.

Look but don't touch!

Hot! Hot! Hot!

Thank goodness for Ry. I would

have missed all the wildlife without

his awesome eyesight!

Ry whistled and this beast actually turned his head!

Old Faithful!

"Ets a bawwwled eeeeagle"

Love waterfalls!

Decided we should take a picture on the way home.

Only thing is, I forgot Ry had just zoomed in

on some wildlife and I didn't change the setting!

We watched a ranger stop traffic so

this guy could safely cross the street.

How many do you see?

What a great day!

Wish Britt and Ty could

have joined us. Next time!!!

Play time!

2010-07-13T21:04:00.000-07:00

I love all of his facial expressions.

I'm sure you have noticed he has many ;)

T-shirt Quilt

2009-09-27T13:21:00.001-07:00

This summer I decided before my road trip

I would collect t-shirts at the various

locations and make a t-shirt quilt as a

memory of the trip vs picking up little trinkets

I was bound to lose and brake, etc, etc...

Thanks to a great mom for patiently

working with me to graph out and

plan the attack for making the quilt!

The green shirt in the bottom left is

one of my favorite finds. I grew up

hearing 'gimme sugar' so I couldn't

pass this one up in South Carolina.

I love love love this quilt, but I must say

it was not the easiest one I've ever made.

In fact, might be the hardest because it

wasn't cut and dry with a nice simple

pattern. There was a lot of math and figuring

out how much material was needed on

each side of each t-shirt!

Here is the final project! I didn't take a picture, but

I chose flip flops as the backing since I LOVE flops,

they represent what I mainly wore on this fun

southern road trip! Thanks to everyone that let us

stay with them and for all the fun memories made=)

Teaching Oops!

2009-08-31T17:17:00.000-07:00

This morning the students came in, unpacked, and started right into their morning work. I quickly start to go through homework folders and notice a note on one of the newsletters from last week asking if those were the spelling words. In front of the newsletter was a spelling test on the half sheet of paper, the words didn't match. Initially I was so confused. Then, I looked over at this weeks newsletter and noticed the words on the half sheet matched this weeks list! Holy cow, I gave my class this weeks list last Friday for their test!!! Yes, there is a first time for everything and this one happened during my seventh year teaching. I made a comment about the mistake to the class and they all just acted as if they all knew I had given the wrong list of words. When I asked why no one said anything, one girl said very matter of fact, "You said no talking during the test." While they were in P.E., I had an email from a parent asking if she didn't understand how my newsletter and homework worked. Boy was I embarrassed to reply and explain my mistake. Thursday after work I typed this weeks newsletter. Apparently I never turned the pages back to the correct list, thus giving them the wrong words!!! The class had basically all scored an A or B on the test, so it never set any alarms off that something wasn't right. This week, I expect them to all earn 100% =) Each student went home today with the correct spelling test!!!

1 year ago...

2009-08-30T11:32:00.001-07:00

Happy Anniversary, Ry and Britt! I can't believe it's already been a year. I've enjoyed getting to know Brittany more over the past year. She is one amazing gal and a great addition to our family. They are going to make fantastic parents to their little one on the way. As you can tell in the pictures, they had a beautiful day and everything was perfect. Congrats, I love you guys!

My favorite picture!!!

They got a little messy cutting the cake, but all things considering, they were both very kind. This is one of my favorite cake designs that mom has decorated. She did a great job on their cake, it's beautiful!!!

More Wedding Pics

2009-08-30T11:09:00.000-07:00

The Happy Couple Coming out of the Temple The Entire Group!

Six Smiling Siblings

I love anytime I get to spend with Benjamin and Baley!

Big Squeeze

It was a great day spent with friends and family!

Furniture Find

2008-10-31T20:23:00.000-07:00

So, anyone who knows me, knows I have never been one for decorating. My room has always been very simple. Finding a cute comforter has been about as creative as this gal gets when it comes to home decor. Well, a few months back when I was hunting for a home, I actually purchased a few nice pictures. Then, the housing thing didn’t work out and they just sat there. A few weeks ago, I actually hung them in my room. Then, I decided I needed a few shelves to hang on the wall. While looking for the shelves (which I am still on the hunt for) I came across what I consider to be a really cute bench. Do I need a bench? No. Do I currently have a lot of space I am trying to fill? Nope. Well, I ended up purchasing the bench and a trunk. I figure they will always be needed and would be cute in any bedroom or home that might be in my future, but not near future, that is for sure! Anyhow- enjoy the pictures of my attempt at the age of 28 to decorate all the sudden. Not sure why the font is blue up there or underlined, oops! The trunk was the easy one to get out. I cut the box open and tipped the trunk out.
The bench was the tricky part. I wasn't going to wait for help- I had the bench and was ready to get it in my room. Heaven knows I am not one of strength and I knew there was no way I could lift this puppy out, or tip it over. So, I cut the front part of the box open. Slowly and surely, I was able to shift it out of the box.

Knowing me, if the bench had not been boxed this way, I would have never figured out I could fold the back down to create a flat table area! I think it is cute either way, depending on the purpose.

The trunk is at the end of my bed.

Now I have to figure out what fun treasures will be stored in my trunk.

The bench is against one of my walls. It also opens to provide storage. The shelves I am looking for are actually for this wall also.

I didn't have room to move my queen sized sleigh bed, but this is my bed and it's just great. Lots and lots of pillows and of course, my big ole' pig from ry. I've had him for almost eight years, thanks, Ry!

Creations at Convention!

2008-10-25T17:03:00.001-07:00

These clappers were all over convention. I don't care if you were in a class, listening to a presentation, or attending the awards banquet- ladies loved having their clappers. Judy knew what I thought about hearing those clappers all the time, so we both laughed out loud when we were each given a set at our team meeting. Since when was it so hard to just put your own two hands together and clap when you were so inclined to do so? Ha ha- thanks ladies, now I have my own clappers.

Some fun projects we created in a class or two. I really love the versatility of the new acrylic albums and saw so many fantastic uses for them. Once again, I would have to make the time and come up with something 'super fantastic' on my own. This blog has been hard enough to keep track of, but it's always a nice thought of what I could be doing!

This is the owner of Close to My Heart. After being there for the convention, it was obvious how much fun the company had with the theme of "Magic in the Making" since we were in Orlando, home of all the Magic!!!

Gaylord Palms

2008-10-25T16:41:00.000-07:00

We stayed at the Gaylord while in Orlando. The convention was inside this hotel which made everything super convenient. Inside was gorgeous!!! I absolutely loved being reminded that some places actually have trees, grass, and plants! (Vegas isn't the best place for anything green.) Restaurants, shopping, etc was all inside this hotel. Judy and Ellen would both tell you how funny they thought it was, while we were looking for the elevator to locate our room ,when I spotted a Brighton jewelry shop on site! I can only say, I love that place!!!

This picture was taken from the balcony in our room.

Girl Time!

2008-10-25T16:26:00.000-07:00

Realizing we were in Florida for a scrapbooking convention, we also knew we needed to take some time out for girl time! Ellen isn't a consultant for the company so she enjoyed some R&R while Judy and I attended the convention festivities. So, one afternoon we got pedicures. I would try to talk with my gal, but I don't think she understood English. Very politely she would just nod her head and smile at me anytime I attempted to speak with her. So, I just grabbed a magazine and relaxed once I realized communicating with her wasn't going to work out so well for the two of us. Judy kept spraying her feet with this can so her toes would be perfect! At the end, we took a picture of our three feet and the ladies there were all cracking up!

This big beast was outside the car enjoying life while we were lost and trying to find our way back home. This next picture is of Judy speaking with a police officer, asking for directions. Apparently we were far from our destination. While sitting in the car, I decided this was a great photo opt and snapped a picture. Wouldn't you know both subjects were surprised. The cop quickly turned his head when he noticed the flash and Judy swings around and rather excitedly says, "You did not just take a picture of me"! Guilty, officer! Luckily, we turned around and headed in the right direction!!!

Needing to grab some snacks and drinks to keep in the room, we found a Winn-Dixie. Just another memory of good ole' Crestview, Florida. I have shopped at Winn-Dixie more times than I can count.

Brighton Bathroom

2008-10-25T16:05:00.000-07:00

Ok, yet another random post! While in Florida we needed to find a Florida bracelet from Brighton. Anyone who knows me, knows I love Brighton jewelry! Brighton has state bracelets, but you can only purchase them in that state. Being from Florida, I grabbed one because it is such a cute reminder of home. Ellen wanted one since her son is serving his mission in Florida. What a sacrifice it was to have to hunt down a Brighton Store, ha ha ha. We get to this enormous mall and once we find the store, I immediately look around. Judy comes up to me and tells me I have to go use the restroom. Strange request, but I didn't question her, just followed orders! While waiting in line I notice Ellen come out and wasn't even thinking that Judy had told her the same thing. Once we make our purchases and are all happy for the Florida bracelets, we go to the car. While driving I was like, I shouldn't admit this ladies, but I took pictures inside that bathroom because I thought it was too cute! Simultaneously, Judy and Ellen start to laugh out loud and proceed to say that they both took pictures as well. How funny is that? Yes, I'm a nerd, but once again, I am a scrapbooker!!!

Waffle House

2008-10-25T15:45:00.000-07:00

I know this is probably totally random for most to be reading, but let me explain. While in Orlando we were driving around looking for a place to eat. We passed several buffet style places, some unknown places, and nothing was sounding good. All the sudden I noticed a Waffle House but didn't say anything thinking these ladies would never go for a place like that. Well, to my shock and surprise, Ellen yells, "Waffle House". I was so confused. Granted, I had only met Ellen a few times before taking a weeks vacation with her and quickly found out a few things about her. She and her family discovered a Waffle House on a vacation and loved eating there, who knew! It's not the cleanest place, but from what I remember from the one in my hometown, this place wasn't smoke filled and the employees weren't missing any noticeable teeth. Needless to say, I enjoyed a pecan waffle and was delighted when we went back later in the week! Ellen had wipes for us the second time, it wasn't as clean as the first time. Judy played some songs on the Juke Box and dedicated Will Smith's 'Gettin Jiggy With It' to me! Always a good time with the girls=)

Getting There

2008-10-25T14:10:00.000-07:00

WOW, what a day this was! I had to frantically burn my portfolio for my masters degree on a cd and mail it off. I had every intention of doing this a few days before leaving, but I promise my life wouldn't be mine if it wasn't for rushing and procrastination. As I crossed my fingers and got confirmation on the cd, I wished for the best as I headed out on my adventure to celebrate finishing the degree.

Mom and Dad took us to the airport- dad wanted to take his car but quickly realized the amount of luggage was going to require a larger vehicle. When we got to the airport the guy tells me my smaller suitcase was around 34 pounds and my larger one was 63 pounds. Holy cow, 13 pounds over the limit! At that point, I really thought my only option was to just pay the fee. He was like- we aren't busy- just step to the side and shove stuff in the smaller bag. Jen was the smart one and took an extra bag to carry on if needed. She didn't need the extra bag after all and was kind to let me use it. We went to the side and Jen was the pro at shifting items. Unfortunately, the smaller suitcase was ripped a bit in the process because although it was under the weight limit, it was pretty full for its size to begin with. When we got back to the counter to check the weights, we realized the smaller bag was coming apart! The guy was like, no worries, I have tape for that. Standing there in shock, I watched as he puts tape all over my bag with the words 'Alaska Airline' all over it! Laughing at the thought of boarding the cruise ship with tape all over my luggage, there wasn't anything I could do about the embarrassment now. Amazingly, we got the larger bag to 46 pounds and off we went with a very heavy carry on on my shoulder! Wheels were already spinning in my head about having to purchase a carry on for the trip home knowing Jen would be purchasing items to bring back. No worries, this wasn't the first time I've had to purchase bags to return home after a fun trip=) At the airport in Seattle, I called dad to let him know I was there safely. Any guesses at to what his first question was? Yup- how much did your suitcase weigh, Anne? Sorry, dad!

Going Home!

2008-10-25T14:02:00.000-07:00

All great things must come to an end. After three weeks, it was hard to believe I really had to go home. The trip was amazing, but I was happy to get home to my own bed and a normal sized bathroom! I realize we had a lot of luggage, but how is a girl to pack for three weeks and isn't sure how the weather will be??? That was one challenging task! Thanks to the US Postal Service, lots of fun things were mailed home, most of which was sent directly from stores in Alaska!

Yukon Jeep Adventure

2008-10-25T13:39:00.000-07:00

This fun adventure was in Skagway. We got there and they pair us up with a couple from Australia. I believe their names were Bill and Ulga and let me tell you, they were hilarious! I laughed the entire time, sometimes trying not to laugh too hard. Climbing in and out of the back of a Jeep is not the easiest thing. The seat wouldn't lock in place when you pushed it forward so you are having to fight the chair falling back on you while climbing out with inventive ways to free the hips while not falling on Ulga as she stood there holding the door open! I chose not to get out for two photo opts b/c of the fun of getting in and out. I did get out at Carcross for a few pictures. I wish I had the ability for you to hear Bill's accent and listen to his commentaries, seriously cracked me up!!! I must say as we were about to enter back into the States, I wasn't laughing as I could not find my passport. Poor Jen ended up holding every last item in my backpack. Luckily I found it, but if I didn't have to show it twice, I believe it would have been left in the Jeep. I just knew Jen was going to have to leave me in Canada as she went back to the ship.

Master Chef's Dinner

2008-09-04T21:04:00.000-07:00

Each week, we had a night called The Master Chef's Dinner. The menu was basically decided for us, so it was kinda hard to eat. We had chef's hats at the tables and we enjoyed singing and dancing from the crew workers.

Dessert Extravaganza

2008-09-04T20:50:00.000-07:00

They have Dessert Extravaganza on the cruise ship. It was fun to walk around and see all the cool displays they make. After about twenty minutes for pictures, it is kinda sad to see it all get broken apart as people eat their hearts out! Interestingly, they said they prepare enough for each passenger to eat 2 pounds of chocolate. When I got my fruit, the guy wanted to run it under the chocolate fountain, and was shocked when I told him, "no thanks".

Russian Dancers

2008-09-04T20:40:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed watching the Russian Dancers and listening to the explanations before each dance. We were told that none of the dancers are Russian and that they aren't trained dancers. All of the dancers were volunteers and they were all women, so some had to play the role of men. I love music and dancing!!!

Tea Party Anyone?

2008-09-04T20:27:00.001-07:00

After glassblowing, they served us drinks and finger foods. The lady with us was really funny. We decided to put these hats on and laugh our way through another fun experience!!!

Glassblowing

2008-09-04T18:23:00.000-07:00

It was a nice day to go glassblowing. It was outside and I enjoyed the breeze that came through. Once again, we had to wear some fashionable lab coats for this unique experience. Jen wore dark protective glasses, but I didn't have to since I already sport glasses to protect these baby blues. Apparently the groups usually have ten people, but our group had three. Since it was such a small group and we weren't pressed for time, they let us each make two ornaments! The first one I made was a swirl with aqua and opal. Strawberry speckled was my choice for the second one. Knowing how much I talk, I didn't think blowing would be a hard task, but let me tell you, it was difficult. I decided it was because we had to blow the entire length instead of right up close like she did, but hey, we had to be sanitary and use different tips, so I won't complain!

Sea Life Center in Seward

2008-08-07T22:50:00.000-07:00

Do not fear, Captain Anne is here!

A cute little Harbor Seal
Woody was huge! This seal lion just circled and circled the same path. I am amazed at his size.

Sea Life Discovery by Semi Sub

2008-08-07T22:08:00.000-07:00

We took sooo many forms of transportation on this trip, why not add a semi sub to the list! I am going to show you pictures of how the sub looked from the inside. The water wasn't clear so the pictures aren't the best, but we got some cool ones with the scuba diver. He would go out, grab sea creatures and bring them to the windows for a better look.I also wanted to add the one we took from the monitor inside. The first time the diver went out, he circled the sub with a camera and as he passed us, Jen snapped a picture. It's not the clearest picture, but it is fun none the less! We saw jellyfish, anemones, crabs, fish, starfish, and a variety of acquatic plants I have no clue what they are named!

National Historic Park- Sitka

2008-08-07T21:53:00.001-07:00

I almost didn't post the picture with my hood on, but I wanted to explain. People thought I was nuts being set on getting a rain jacket before leaving. If you notice, I wear that jacket often. Even though we only had one day that rained all day, most days it was enough to need a hood at times and I was sure happy to sport it. (Even if it's not too fashionable) It was easier for me to have the jacket rather than keeping up with an umbrella.

At the end of our tour through the woods, we came upon this totem pole. The guy wasn't there working on it at the time, but apparently he has only been working on it for two months. I thought he was going to tell us two years. The man carves it and his son paints. It is amazing to me to see what they can carve. If you gave me a piece of wood, it would never resemble anything more than a blob.

Raptor Center in Sitka

2008-08-07T21:36:00.001-07:00

This amazing eagle was named, Sitka. What an easy way to remember her name. Before bringing her in, they asked us to stay in our seats. The flash from the cameras was okay because they are all used to that, however, they can become spooked if we stand. Well, don't you know, not thirty seconds after they brought her in, a man right behind us stood up. The worker was like, sir, please sit down. Hello- did you not just listen to the directions- sit your tail down.

I realize I'm not exactly centered, but it was still another fun picture to take!

Whoo hoo!

I was waiting so long for one of the eagles to move. Just before boarding the bus, this guy started to move and this was one of my favorites!!!

Haines, Alaska

2008-08-07T21:25:00.001-07:00

Haines was a small place. In fact, the day the ship stopped there, our tour was in Skagway. When we returned from Skagway we still had a few hours in port so we decided to walk around. Walking is about all we could do. There wasn't much and what there was, it was all closed. We started to walk and found a cute shop that was opened. The shop was part of their home. We continued to walk and noticed a police car. He went by slowly and Jen was like, he is wondering who we are. We kept walking and saw the car to pick you up for the bed and breakfast. I wonder if the car even worked! As we continued walking, we passed the police car again. A few minutes later, he stopped us to talk. He said we were either in town for a few days or on the cruise ship because he didn't know us. We actually talked with him for awhile. We learned the shop we stopped at was the mayors house and we had a nice visit with the mayor without realizing. As busy as same days were on this trip, it was nice to just enjoy a peaceful walk around a cute little town.

Photo Safari- Humpback Whales

2008-08-07T19:40:00.000-07:00

This was just one eagle we randomly saw before beginning the sea portion of our photo safari. We were taken on a smaller boat through Stephens Passage. Not sure what they normally see, but I felt like we were really lucky with how many whales we saw that day! Hope you like the pictures.

Photo Safari- Steller Sea Lions

2008-08-07T19:35:00.000-07:00

The sea lions were fun to watch. They were

awake and making lots of noises. This poor guy

on the left kept jumping up, but he wasn't

successful in joining the bunch. I must say

they weren't very friendly in letting him on.

Photo Safari at Mendenhall Glacier

2008-08-07T19:27:00.001-07:00

The glacier was crazy pretty. We took a lot of pictures, it is so hard to pick which pictures to post. Jen took a picture of me putting my hand in the water. It was pretty darn cold!!!

Photo Safari by Land in Juneau

2008-08-07T19:17:00.001-07:00

We took a photo safari by land and sea. It was really cool. I have too many pictures so I am breaking this tour into several posts. The lady on the trip was very informative and gave great camera tips as part of the tour. Some of the information is probably common knowledge for most, but I learned a lot from her about my camera. These pictures were taken on the Moraine Ecology Trail which lead to the Mendenhall Glacier. She also warned us about bears and told us she will grab us and pull us back if we don't start walking backwards. Apparently folks on previous guides didn't listen and she had to take charge. It would have been cool to see a bear from a distance, but I didn't take a change of clothes in anticipation of running into one along the trail.

Liarsville

2008-08-07T19:11:00.001-07:00

Words can hardly describe, Liarsville. We pulled up on the bus and it's a wonder this is even considered a place. They had some back woods entertainment for us followed by gold panning. Of course each pan is sure to have gold. Don't blink though, you might miss it=) The process of panning for gold was not an easy one for me. She made it look easy, but I would disagree. However, it was a fun experience and she was nice enough to help me!!!

White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad

2008-08-07T18:45:00.001-07:00

The train ride was gorgeous. This was in Skagway, Alaska, and it took us 2,865 feet up into breathtaking scenery. I am just including a few of my favorite shots. The scenery is amazing and I never got bored with how beautiful everything is in Alaska. The waterfalls are everywhere you turn along with eagles. You will see a few eagles in upcoming posts. Once a tour guide was asked, "What time do they turn the waterfalls off?" I laughed so hard. I still laugh every time I think about that. My bet is that was one serious city dweller!

This picture was taken on the way down. After the train ride up, we took a bus down. It was cool because we saw some different scenery and sights. Since we crossed into Fraser, B.C. and needed our passports, we stopped here on the way down for a photo opt. You know I can't pass a great photo opt up!

Totem Bight Park

2008-08-06T14:27:00.000-07:00

This was a cool park to visit. Although at the beginning as we walked through the woods, the guide told us we might see a bear and gave us advice on what to do depending on the type of bear. Let's just say I wasn't ready to hear such advice! You always hear 'low man on the totem pole' well, I learned you want to be the low man on the totem pole. The most important person, usually the leader, is found at the bottom of the totem pole. I also tasted a salmon berry for the first time at this park. They are very bitter berries, but I was willing to try them.

Lumberjack Show

2008-08-06T13:49:00.001-07:00

This was the first show we saw in Alaska. The group was divided into two teams. One team was USA and one was Canada. We were on the Canadian side, with the guys in red. Naturally, our team won!!! The guy on the far left with his hand all wrapped up went through all the events with something broken. I can't remember what he said, but I know he was in pain just seeing the wrap, much less the fresh blood that appeared during the competetion.

Going Underground...

2008-08-06T11:52:00.000-07:00

We had to wear hard hats before entering the mine.

Just more accessories for us to wear on another fun adventure!

Just some machinery in the mine. This was our guide to tell us all about the fun job he has. Sure seems to require patience for any type of results. He demonstrated a few tools they use and we had to wear fashionable ear plugs for that part as well. I thought about bringing home an extra pair Kelli.

We took this picture because Jen was always wearing her flops. I love my flops, heaven knows I do, but I felt like I should be a little more protected on this trip. I don't think I've ever worn these shoes so much!

Go Karts!

2008-08-06T11:29:00.000-07:00

On your mark...
Get set...

GO !!!

Just some random shots I took while
riding through the wilderness.

I know everyone must be jealous of my super hot outfit! I mean- a red helmet, yellow jacket, and green pants- oh baby oh baby! Before we left they said we needed to use the restroom. Those restrooms were portable- I was like- whoa. The guide was like- they are very nice. I just smiled b/c I don't believe nice and portable belong in the same sentence in reference to a restroom, but that is just me=)

A fun shot Jen took before heading back

Float Plane

2008-07-30T19:07:00.001-07:00

The first day, we took a float plane through the Misty Fjords. The view was beautiful and I couldn't believe how many waterfalls there were.

Dog Sledding!

2008-07-29T22:03:00.000-07:00

It was amazing to be pulled by the dogs. The guy told me if I fell off to just run and catch up. It was hard enough to walk in those darn boots, much less run. When we stopped to switch places, I just stood there in amazement realizing I was on a glacier!

Helicopter Ride

2008-07-29T21:14:00.000-07:00

These are the fashionable glacier boots we had to wear for dog sledding. We also had to wear pants. My biggest issue was trying to get in the helicopter with those blasted boots! The helicopter ride was fun. I was soooo worried about it, but it was fun and gorgeous!

Silly Sisters

2008-07-01T21:53:00.001-07:00

Not sure why the pictures are blurry, but we took some photos before church while I was up in Utah. It took a few tries, but we finally got serious.
Gotta love laughter!

These were taken last October while visiting.

I have too much fun getting her to squirm!

A Great Mom

2008-07-01T21:31:00.001-07:00

Alison has always been a great friend, but she is a fantastic mom. I love being able to watch her with Jack. He is one lucky kid!

What a great playmate!

You can always count on Mom

Shopping at Kohl's

Visit with Jack=)

2008-07-01T21:14:00.000-07:00

How can you not love this smile?
Mmmm, good! My first visit to Arctic Circle and Jack enjoyed his ice-cream!

I couldn't resist but to crawl on the floor and play with Jack

I love this picture of Jack chillin on the floor with his cute turtle!

A Sweet Celebration!

2008-07-01T20:41:00.000-07:00

So, on Saturday, June 21st, I submitted the last of my papers for my masters and was so excited!!! I still have the portfolio, but I've tried to celebrate knowing the course work is over! That night Jen and I decided to grab a treat and of all things to do that night, I wanted to scrapbook! When we got home, Jen came out with this bright pink poster board and I wondered what in the world. It was the cutest congratulations candy card! I thought it was extremely nice of her and she was very creative to include one of my favorite treats (Swedish Fish). There weren't any movies out that sounded good to me, so we watched a movie at home. I forgot about all my responsibilities and scrapbooked some dang cute pages!

Dang Doors

2008-06-19T23:59:00.000-07:00

So, tonight I was doing laundry and scrapbooking. (First time in 8 months, scrapbooking- not laundry!) I heard a rather loud noise come from the laundry room. I went to see what in the world happened, except I couldn't open the door. The washing machine had apparently gone hop happy across the floor and blocked me from being able to enter the room. As I pushed on the machine with one arm, the way the machine was sitting, it straightened it out, but caused it to shut the door even more, crushing my arm. I did this a few times and realized I wasn't going to be able to move it the correct way by myself. Apparently I hadn't had my spinach for the day! After calling home and cell phones, I finally got my mom on the phone and asked that she and dad come over soon to help me with a problem. I'm sure they had lots of questions or possible problems, but I am confident not one included a washing machine gone wild! Thanks to dad and mom the door was opened, they leveled the machine out and I was able to finish my laundry!

It's a Miracle!

2008-06-13T16:55:00.000-07:00

So, after months and months of my bff, Alison, asking me to create a blog, here I am! I'm still not sure how often I will post or how entertaining this will be, but here goes nothing! Alison says I can just post pictures from my trips or write stories from my classroom. Granted, my students are dang funny, I cannot post their pictures, so stories will have to do. Hope ya'll enjoy=)