Alaska #1

May ended with our trip to Alaska.  Jared's sister moved up there last August, we decided to get up there as soon as they were done with school, just in case she decided one Alaska winter was enough for her!  Thankfully, she didn't!  And thankfully we made it up there for some wonderful family fun and got to see the Lord's beautiful creation that is on display everywhere you look in Alaska!

Our trip started with some family fun!  We got in late Saturday night, at 11:00pm, but the sun was still shining so we were filled with energy and able to chat!  Sunday morning came early and we were off to church then back to the house for some quality cousin fun!!  The kids were entertained most of the day by these balloons!

Here they are about 9pm, bouncing away in their pj's!  Thomas loved this!  Getting to be outside, with his cousins, jumping.

Monday morning we headed down the coast on Highway 1 towards Seward.  Everywhere I looked caused my mouth to drop open at the majesty of creation.  I couldn't get enough pictures along the highway.  Out one window was snow, the other, dry mountains with waterfalls of snow melt running down.  Around every turn was more beauty.

The boys did a great job on the 3 hour drive.  They kept themselves entertained with some fun car activities and keeping their eyes out for a moose.

(these picutres should actually be after the conservation pictures, but just go along with me!)
Monday late afternoon we got into Seward and went straight to the Aquarium where the boys were able to get up close to all sorts of sea life.  This was extra good timing for Thomas because they were right in the middle of studying the ocean at school!

Benjamin was fascinated with everything:

Thomas was excited to tell Grammy Berry that he got to meet some Puffins.  This one was super friendly.  If you waved at him he would wave back, the boys loved it.

They had this awesome touch pool, which was probably Ben's favorite.

Eventually we made our way downstairs to this awesome scene!  A 1700lb Stellar Sea Lion named Woody, was gracefully swimming around.

We ended our tour back at this fun boat play area and got Thomas to take our picture.

Now back to the first part of our day:

This is one of my favorite shots, not amazing quality or anything, just the beauty of the snow, mountains and water.

We came across the Wildlife Conservation Center that my parents had visited and raved about.  It was a great place to see the wild life that Alaska has to offer. We saw Moose, Bears, Bison, an Eagle and so much more!

Thomas saw the snow up in the mountains and desperately wanted to play in it.  He was thrilled when we found this pile of collected and dirty snow and went to town.  Isn't it amazing there, just check out the background.

We stayed in Seward at a holiday inn with a pool.  Imagine swimming in Alaska!  We actually had to go to Walmart to get bathing suits because who brings their bathing suits to Alaska!!!  Well, the hotel was fine, until the electricity went out in the middle of the night and the elevator starting beeping.  Oh well, always an adventure.  Thomas favorite part of the hotel was bed hopping.  Every boys favorite part of a hotel!

We had a chance on Tuesday to take a boat tour and see some wildlife in their natural habitat.  It was amazing!!  We saw birds, an otter mama floating on her back with her pup on her belly, goats climbing the mountain side, porpoises, someone saw a bear on the mountain side, a bald eagle in its nest and just the beauty of the landscape.

The best part was when we saw the stellar sea lions lounging and barking and then saw 4 killer whales (orcas) swimming on down ready for a hunt.  It was amazing to see them, real life national geographic's played out in front of our eyes!

While on board, Thomas got pinned as a Jr. Ranger.  He had a book he had to complete and then had a whole ceremony and everything.  It was cute to see him take it so seriously.

Part of the cruise was a salmon and prime rib lunch, which was fabulous, on a little island.  We got to explore and skip some rocks.

On our way back to Anchorage we made a little detour to a glacier.  Well the road was closed up to it, but we got a great view and had a fun snowball fight.  Off the overpass looking down into a river we saw some HUGE moose tracks!  They had to be the size of my head!!  The view was breath taking and the camera was dead!!  I got a bunch of pictures of the snowball fight, the view, Nope... Oh well

IT was amazing to have a couple days to just take in the beauty of God's Earth.  We spent the rest of the time enjoying family and checking out their area.

This How We Celebrate 5!!

5's a big deal around here! (just in case you couldn't tell by the trip to Disneyland!)  It feels like it's the jumping point into boyhood.  He's no longer a toddler, not a pre-schooler, not a little boy - He's a boy! (and boy-oh-boy is he all boy!)  I'm so proud (and humbled by) of this sweet, shy, goofy, precious blessing from God, I'm bursting at the seams.  What a gift he his.  I'm amazed that God entrusted this sweet life into my hands.  His life is one to celebrate, so we did it up big!

After the Disneyland trip, we celebrated his birthday on Mother's Day with all the family.

Here he is with Auntie and the awesome superhero cake she made:

I missed the blow out the candle picture, so here he is being silly and trying to "fake it" for me:

Here's the bday boy posing with his two favorite guys!

Opening presents with the help of his favorite cousin! (these 2 love each other!!)

Enjoying his strawberry birthday cake, his choice, don't know where that idea came from!

He got to celebrate his actual birth-day at pre-school with all of his little friends.  He loved getting to wear the birthday crown!

Getting sung to.  He's so funny, he's so shy, yet you could see him beaming at the attention.

I "made" ice cream cups with super hero suckers popping out the top.  He wanted ice cream to take to school and I was more than happy not to bake!

Then, later that afternoon, we had three friends over to celebrate with a few games and more ice cream.
Here's our superhero tower that was knocked down (in the backyard) by the marshmallow shooters below. (thank you pinterest!)

Another pinterest find, water balloon pinatas!  These guys were harder to pop then we thought they would be!

 The birthday guests!

 The "cake" is a box of vanilla ice cream with re-used decorations from the cake my sister made and it's surrounded by all of Thomas' favorite ice cream toppings.

Uh-oh!!!  Here's Thomas with two of his friends from church (they are also in mom's group with him and our weekly home group).  If you ask him if he has a girlfriend, he will shyly answer that it's the sweet one on the right!! (just had to note that for the future!)

And here's his best buddy!  These two crack me up!  They have so much fun running around together.  Can't wait to see them grow up together.

Oh my sweet Thomas, what a love you are!!  I praise Jesus for you everyday!!

More May Fun!

To kick off our May fun, was a visit from Jared's cousin and her sweet family.  What a great time we had together!  I've had the pleasure of meeting Kristina just a few times.  Once on her vacation out here with her dad and brother while Jared & I were dating, then a trip to Missouri for us for her wedding and this trip.  I remember meeting her and instantly loved her!  She is such a sweet girl and so happy to call her family!!

We had a great time visiting and hanging out.  We made it out to ice cream, just the adults, the same night they arrived after a rather exciting plane ride! Then the next day was filled with even more fun!

We made it out to Davis for the Farmer's Market, a taste of true California!!

 Then, we were off to the Ladies Tea at my church!  I was so excited they were up for some girl time fun, while the boys hung out and watched the kids!

Finally, we made it back to our house for a BBQ and just some simple family time!  Her daughter is just as cute as can be, isn't she!!!

Thanks so much for coming to visit, Kristina!  Can't wait to come and see you in Missouri!!

Christmas Day

What a joy to celebrate Christmas Joy, Christmas Day, Christ's Birth on a Sunday!!  Sure, it made things a little more scrunched, the morning a little rushed, but to be in church and sing of His glories on a day to celebrate His the coming.  The coming that meant our salvation!!  Glory!!  I feel like I should, like I could end this post right there... but alas, the pictures!!  Hopefully, He was honored in our celebration.

Sweet Thomas!

4 and a half years old

snuggling his spiderman he received from Grammy Berry

With his superhero shirt

The boys checking out their Christmas goodies

 and Thomas already hard at work in his notebook.

Sweet Benjamin

at 17months

also, holding Thomas' spiderman

At Church, all dressed up for Christmas Sunday

Took the opportunity to snap a picture with a good friend

My family, 

my beautiful boys and my wonderful husband,

what more could a girl want!!

We enjoyed an amazing dinner, mostly prepared by my in-laws.

BBQ'd lamb, mashed and scalloped potatoes, lots of veggies and delish rolls!

Lots of time after for playing games, football, naps and talks over coffee