What we've been up to...

The past few months have flown by! I don't have any good reasons for not blogging other than Josh is using the computer most nights for his online physics class which is killing us all! It is so time consuming that for the past 6 weeks we feel like the only thing we have done is this physics class. Of course it's Josh's class and he does all the work but I feel

like it is so time consuming that I'm taking the class too! Anyway, we have had a great couple of months. There are a lot of pictures so beware!! This first one is of Jackson in his Handy Manny hat! He wears this thing ALL THE TIME! He even wanted to wear it to bed the other night. Such a silly dude! He is now 18 months old and goes to nursery on Sundays. He learns and grows so much every day. He is talking so much now and learning more and more words each day! He loves to wrestle with Dad, eats all day long, pile things, climb,

do puzzles, read, bubbles, baths, swimming, and the list goes on. He is such a joy to have around and truly the light of our lives!

The Recalde family came to visit us this past week. Punj had been doing his internship in SLC so they took a quick trip to come visit us. We spent 2 nights in Havasu then 1 night in Vegas. It was so great to see them and we had a blast with them! Below are some pictures of shopping in Vegas and we also ate at one of our favorite restaurants (Texas de Brazil) to celebrate Jamie's birthday.

Yes that is Jackson hanging upside down!

Jackson on the ride to Vegas, such a happy little man!

So bummed this pic didn't turn out, it was taken at the park in Havasu...would've been soo cute!

Jackson LOVES the park! Not only does he love the playground, but also chasing the animals. We have bunnies, birds, skunks, and bats at our local park and he loves to look for all of them! He also loves to try to join in on the big boys soccer games!

These next pictures were taken last Sunday before church. I was trying to capture him looking at the bugs outside the window with his Handy Manny hat but he saw me and then only wanted the camera. This is him crying because I wouldn't let him take the pictures.

In August we went to Flagstaff for a long weekend. Josh had to take the GRE and we took the opportunity to check out the area and the PT program at NAU. We really liked Flagstaff and could see us living there. It's a small resort/college town so it's expensive but very pretty. We'll just have to wait and see what happens. These few pictures were taken at a small community park just outside of Flagstaff. I loved the area but there are only houses. You have to travel on the highway into Flagstaff for anything- even groceries!

Jackson has been taking swimming lessons off and on for the past few months. He is learning so fast and loves to swim! His swim teachers told us that he was the best swimmer out of all of their swim classes which includes kids 3 and under! He will swim from the wall to us under water holding his breath! He will walk along the walls of the pool to get where he wants. He will cruise around for hours if we let him in his little floaty tube.

The Ginn family was in Vegas so Josh and Jackson went to see them one day in August. I couldn't go since I was working. They had a great time though.

The Stoker's came to visit us over Labor Day weekend. We went to Vegas to pick them up from the airport and spent the day cruising around the strip, going to Hoover Dam, then shopping at Costco before heading back to Havasu. We had a great time hanging out with them and Jackson loved having Jet around!

Alaska Trip July 2010

I have been trying to post these pictures for a week now and I was having trouble loading the pictures on blogger. I had more luck today but still didn't post all the pictures I wanted to. Josh had such an amazing time last year that we decided we all needed a little bit of it this year! Plus it helps that Arianne (Josh's sister) and her family now live near Anchorage. We spent 12 days with Josh's family, most of it in Eagle River. We also spent a few days in Soldotna, Alaska and were able to come home with 50lbs of salmon and halibut! Alaska is beautiful and we can't wait to go back again! Below are pictures of some of the different adventures we went on including hiking on a glacier, fishing, playing at the park, etc.

Josh and Arianne toting their babies on our hike to the glacier.

Playing at the park in Soldotna: Kyla, Ella, Jackson, Wyatt

Jackson loved to go down the slide!

About half of the salmon that Ron and Josh caught on the Kenai River

Jackson wanted a turn at fishing too!

The city of Eagle River was having the Bear Paw Festival while we were there, this picture was taken at the car show.

Nana and Papa with Ella and Jackson at the cabin we rented in Soldotna

Watching the parade at the Bear Paw Festival, just after the 5k which Arianne and I ran

On the trail that led us from the cabin to the river while fishing in Soldotna

Ron with some of the salmon caught early in the day

Josh and Jackson on the glacier

Our family on the glacier, overlooking the lake and river on the glacier

Most of the group on the glacier. Josh, Ron and I hiked further to the lake but the rest turned around here. The glacier is 26ish miles long and if I remember correctly about 3 miles at its widest point wide. Just huge! It also moves 12in every day. Pretty cool.

Jackson loved riding in Makenna's barbie jeep!

Josh helping his mom on the ice at the glacier.

Arianne and Ella

Ron, Josh and I went out halibut fishing out of Ninelchik. We caught our limit but they were small...

Where they load and unload the fishing boats

That mountain in the background is a volcano

Me and the halibut boat we chartered

Just playing around outside in Eagle River on the sunny afternoons

Back at the Kenai while we stayed in Soldotna