Alaska: Rich's last day

Thursday ended up being one of the only rainy days while we were in Alaska (which is pretty amazing considering that it was rainy almost every day the last time we were visiting!)  It was a bummer that it also happened to be Rich's last day in town.  We made the most of it though! 

Our first stop was to the Wells Fargo Museum.  It was full of Native Alaska artifacts and even had some hands on stuff for the boys.

It was pretty neat to explore this tiny museum and learn more about the native culture.

The next stop was the Alaska Fur Exchange.  The boys were in awe over all the animals up on the walls.

I'm pretty sure at least one of them wanted these hats.

And the wolves were pretty awesome too.

The amount of furs in this little shop was amazing!  It was a fun little place to browse.

Because the weather outside was still damp we headed over to the church to get some energy out.  Jacob even decided to join us here (he decided that the other places were too boring and didn't want to come.)  The boys played dodgeball and basketball and generally just ran around and got their energy out.

That night we ordered pizza and had a great time visiting.  Once the boys were in bed we even managed to squeeze in a board game before taking Rich to the airport.

Alaska: Cars, Hot Tub, and Shooting Range

On Wednesday we decided to have the boys wash the cars.  They were really surprised to find that Grandpa's car was blue!  They were sure it was brown because it was so dirty!

Henry really wasn't much help... but he had fun!

 Jacob even decided to join us.

 (While we were outside I loved looking at my mom's flowers out front.  They are so pretty!)

As a reward for their hard work--and to warm themselves up--the boys hopped into the hot tub again.  When we were there 4 years ago it wasn't working so we really loved playing in it this trip.

Later in the afternoon James, William, Jacob, Rich, and Grandpa went over to the shooting range.  The boys thought it was great!  They still have their targets hanging up on their bedrooms.

Thanks Grandpa for taking them!

Alaska: Canoeing, Kites, and the Temple

So we didn't get to see a bear... but we did get to taste it.  One of the things Alex really wanted to do while we were in Alaska was to taste bear.  My dad was able to get some from a member of their stake presidency.  My dad took Alex with him to pick it up (where Alex wowed him with his knowledge of the gospel).  Alex said that it was good but spicy. 

 Tuesday wasn't so windy so we seized the opportunity to take the canoe out on the lake. Rachelle and Rich were the first to head out and were brave enough to take both Henry and Alex.

 William really enjoyed going out with Grandpa and learning to row.

Those who weren't in the canoe flew kites.

 Grandpa and I took William and James out in the canoe (no pictures).   And then Grandpa was extra brave and took Henry and Alex out by himself!

Grandma even went out for a little while with Grandpa.

The boys had a good time playing in the sand.

Alex really wanted to wear Grandpa's fishing vest.

That evening Rich and I were able to go on a little date to the temple.  We tried to take a selfie but the sun was right in our eyes!  It was an especially neat experience because my dad led the session that night.  Thanks mom for watching the boys for us!

On our way home we stopped at Tastee Freeze for a little treat... a nice ending to a nice day.

Alaska: Hiking the Russian River

First thing Monday morning we drove a few hours down to the Russian River.

 It was a beautiful, easy hike... although slow going because we had a 3-year-old with us!

 Henry liked to take lots of rest stops for snacks.

At some point we ended up in two different groups.  Dad, Rachelle, Peter, Jacob, and William were really fast.  The rest of us took our time and stayed back with Henry.

 We all eventually made it to the waterfall though.  It was amazing to watch the salmon jump up the waterfall!

On the way back we split into two groups again.  This time because Rachelle couldn't take her stroller on the other trail.  So Jacob, Rachelle, Peter, and Mom headed back the same way we came.  The Cranes and my dad hiked along the river.

This trail was much harder than the paved path we had started on--but beautiful!

My dad even pointed out where he had shot his bear.

My dad led the way with the three boys right behind followed by me.

Rich and Henry brought up the rear.  Rich was amazing and carried Henry nearly the entire way.  It was a little treacherous for a 3-year-old to do on his own.  (Note: Rich is packing some heat--in case of a bear encounter.)

We stopped occasionally for snacks.

The boys really wanted to spot a bear.  Thankfully we didn't although we did see some other wildlife including a few golden eagles, lots of seagulls, salmon, and this large family of ducks.

We passed by a ton of fishermen--one of which had just caught a huge salmon.  We also saw fish skeletons galore--maybe eaten by a bear?!

I always love all the wildflowers I see in Alaska.

The boys were really great hikers and hardly complained at all.  They all said that it was worth it to go the extra long, hard way back because it was like a real hike and not just a walk.

At the very end of the hike we saw signs warning of a mother bear with cubs that had been seen in the area.  Thank goodness we didn't run into her.  But the boys found this tree which they were certain a bear had clawed.

When we finally made it back to the cars we discovered that the rest of our group had been waiting for over an hour!  We definitely took the long, scenic route--but I'm glad we did.


And just for fun--a few pictures of my little nephew, Peter, who was my seat-mate on the ride.  Isn't he the cutest?!