I'm back.

You know when you have a bunch of pictures you want to put on your blog, but you realize that you cannot justifiably do so until previously taken photos are posted first (because chronological order MUST be maintained) so you just don't post anything at all? In a word, that's what happened to me. For this reason, the next few posts will not be in any particular order, but mere highlights of the last 6 months.

4th of July!

We went to Donnelly ID for the 4th and played in the water. Kate much preferred the opaque greenish yellow water (many cows graze nearby) to her grandparents' pool back home. Added buoyancy perhaps? I was excited for her to watch fireworks for the first time. Unfortunately, she was sound asleep by the time they started, and not even the finale could wake her.

Maybe next year!

Kate and Moose

Papa T built this airplane swing for the grandkids. He used to swing us on one just like it when we were little, and we LOVED it!

Roaring Springs!

Kelsey and I took Shae and Kate to Roaring Springs! It was a perfect day, and we had sooo much fun! I had no idea there was so much for toddlers to do there! I think just being around Shae makes Kate more brave in the water (Shae is 1/4 merman).

Where is this child's mother?

Alaska: Cute Cousins

Kate and baby Alison

HELP!

Alison has no problem telling us just how she feels about this photo shoot.

Alaska: fish hatchery

I think the fish hatchery was my favorite thing in Juneau, believe it or not. It was fascinating! I have never seen so many salmon in once place! We took a private tour and had a great guide who was very understanding. She was willing to follow us around and yell out information as my mom and I tried to contain our 2 out of control toddlers.

I would love to share everything I learned there, about the life cycles of the salmon and what exactly the fish hatchery does, but it would be far too demanding of my brain and fingers. So visit your local hatchery! Or look is up online. It really is cool.

This is one of those funny, non-threatening grizzlies. They're my favorite kind.

Inside the hatchery were a bunch of aquariums. Kate liked to race that big silver fish around and around the cylindric tank.

tickle tickle!

My favorite thing within the hatchery was the Touch Tank. There were open shallow tanks filled with relatively harmless sea creatures for people to hold and examine.

King Crab

If this crab looks angry, it's probably because half of his legs are missing.

Here we have a sea cucumber "releasing" (ahem) it's water onto another sea cucumber. Kate found this quite amusing. (ok, so did I)

Alaska: a day at the beach

I couldn't resist slipping in this picture that shows off Kate's mullet so marvelously.

Alaska: wicked versatile park

This was the sweetest playground I've ever seen! And the really cool thing is that it was built entirely by volunteers from the community! The pictures don't do it justice, it is enormous. An added bonus is that the ground is covered with delicious recycled rubber chunks (taste-tested by k8).

Alaska: the tram

We took a tram up almost to the top of a mountain, then hiked around when we got off. Kate followed Darin around like a puppy and had to do exactly what Darin did. She is his biggest fan :)