Alaska-Day One: Getting There

Here's the thing about visiting Alaska: it takes a long time to get there!  I was really nervous about getting out there without someone falling apart.  I packed way too much stuff to keep the boys attention... just in case.  We didn't use most of them.  In fact, Alex was more entertained by the plastic trays given to him by the flight attendants than by anything I brought for him.  There were so many nice people on our flights... passengers and flight attendants alike... that it made Alexander's crying (from Houston to Portland) a little more bearable.  One lady traded seats with me so that James, Alex, and I could sit in the back with Rich and William.  Others sympathized as Alex was so fussy--remembering their own days of traveling with a toddler.  The airline worker in OKC were the best--he actually sought me out because he noticed that our family didn't have seats next to each other and told me that he'd do everything he could to get us seats together.  And the flight attendants couldn't have been nicer or more helpful.

 (Sorry for the poor quality... these were taken on my cell phone)

The boys could not wait to get Alaska to see Grandma, Grandpa, and Uncle Jacob.  When James realized Aunt Rachelle would be there he thought that was extra special.

The view coming into Anchorage was amazing!  So many lakes everywhere!  Next stop: Grandma and Grandpa's house!