Catch Up

My blog has been neglected for some time and it's time to catch up!! Get ready for a bunch of posts in a row!!

Polar Express ADDICT!!

Tanner is a Polar Express addict.  He still seems too young to like movies but he LOVES them!!!  Maybe because it's a new discovery??  His favorite is the Polar Express and he will sit through almost the whole thing!! CRAZY!  This is him yesterday morning just having a lazy morning on Mom and Dad's bed watching the Polar Express.  What a silly kid :) 

Hebgen Lake

At the end of August we went to Hebgen Lake with the Hurst's.  It was SO MUCH FUN!  I love that place.  It was cold and a little rainy but we had so fun times driving through the park and just hanging out together.

The night before we went we made cookies to take.   Tanner is always my best cookie maker helper (daddy helped too). 

Every morning it seemed Tanner and Brigham were the first ones up so we'd get them some cereal and they'd watch a show on the laptop (with their blankets of course).



We had so much fun playing outside!!  The lake is beautiful and we got to take the boat out mostly to take Mike (my brother) out fishing.

Brigham showing me his cool rock!

Sarah and Eliza

We went into the park one day and watched Old Faithful go off.  It was cold so you could hardly see it because of the steam but it was still neat as always.

Mike (brother), Seve, Ariena, my Dad, Tanner, Me, my Mom

The beautiful lake one foggy morning.  There was ice on the dock...it was COLD!

On Sunday we had quite the day.  My parents, Sarah and Dave and their kids, and Tanner and I decided to go to sacrament meeting (which was great).  When we got out of the meeting Sarah and Dave had a flat tire so my dad went to find a gas station with something to temorarily fix the tire.  I decided to go back to the cabin with Tanner.  Just before we were out of the parking lot he started crying the saddest "hurt" cry so I stopped to see what was the matter.  He was pulling at his shoe so I took it off and there was a big lump under his sock!  My first thought was that a spider was in his sock biting him so I took his sock off quick and the lump was his toe (next to his big toe) totally bent backwards.  I turned around and told Sarah Tanner's toe was broken and I didn't know what to do.  She hopped in the car with me to go find a clinic.  We passed my parents and my mom and Sarah switched places.  Tanner was still crying a little at this point and didn't want anyone to touch his toe but it was looking a little better.  The clinic in town wasn't open on Sunday so we decided to go back to the cabin and decide if we needed to drive 50 miles to the hospital.  By the time we got back to the cabin Tanner was asleep and his toe looked pretty normal again (it was swollen and purple).  After that we had no problems with it...WEIRD!!  Just a dislocated toe for a minute I guess...

Meanwhile Sarah and Dave found a guy in the ward we went to that had an air compresser.  They filled their tire enough to get it home and had bought a tire repair kit for the time being... 

We were able to relax the rest of the day and just play.



Grandma and Ari.
Ari didn't like being dirty at all.  She was very concerned about the dirt.



Tanner of course loved it.

Going on a boat ride!

We just saw these baby bears sleeping on the side of the road... okay maybe we went to bear world on the way home.

Tanner loved feeding the animals.  A deer, however, must have thought he looked appetizing because he game right up and bit his ear!  Poor kid!

This goat was so funny!  He knew where the food was coming from.

Tanner feeding the goat.

Us at bear world.



WE HAD A BLAST AT HEBGEN LAKE!!!  Thanks Sarah and Dave!!

August Update!

We went to Star Valley for the 24th of July (it somehow ended up in my August post).  We decided to go to Teton National park and walk/drive around.  It was a beautiful day and we had so much fun!  

Mike, Stacie, and Tanner in front of the Tetons.

Tanner throwing rocks into Jenny's Lake.  He wouldn't look at me for a picture...just too much concentration.

For the first weekend of August we headed to Bear Lake.  We had a blast there (as always) and Tanner LOVED the sand and water.  We left for the day on Saturday to go to the Hurst family reuniun and then headed back to Bear Lake Saturday night.  I just love the campfires and hanging out with family.  Tanner slept so good in the tent all three nights!  What a trooper!

Tanner LOVES water.  He drenched himself a couple times but just wanted to keep playing with the hose.

Me and Tanner chillin' at Bear Lake.

Daddy and Tanner chillin' at Bear Lake.  (Notice Tanner examining his cookie)

The tent was a hit.

Tanner could've played ALL DAY in the water.  Too cute.

Immediately following Bear Lake I headed to girls camp and left Tanner with Daddy (thanks Angie for watching him during the day!)  It was so fun to spend some quality time with the Young Women.  They are so great!

All the YW at girl's camp.  Cute girls!!

At the end of August we headed to Hebgan Lake/Yellowstone with the Hurst's.  It was a PERFECT way to end summer (and it felt like the end of summer...it was COLD!!)  Pictures are coming of the that adventure.    

July Update

July was full of festivities.  We went to the Logan fireworks with Angie and Rob and their kids.  It's always a blast every year!  Then for the 4th of July we headed to Ogden.  We went to the North Ogden Cherry Days parade and then had a picnic on the deck at my parents and some water festivites for the kids in the backyard.  Fun!  We had a fun July.  Here's some pics.

Me and Tanner at the  Logan fireworks! 

Eliza.  Isn't she a cutie!?

Dave, Sarah, Brigham, and Eliza

Mike, Seve, and Ariena

Brigham, Ari, Alexis, and Tanner (a.k.a. the wildman)  This is about how all the grandkid pictures look (we are missing Colbie and Eliza in this pic)

The kids playing in the water (Tanner, Brigham, and Alexis)

Shaun, Emily, Alexis, and Colbie

The picnic setup on the deck.  So cute!

Grandpa Hurst with Tanner and Ari watching the parade (Isn't Tanner just the spitting image of his Grandpa?)

ALASKA CRUISE

OUR ALASKAN CRUISE!

At the end of June we went with MIke's family on an Alaskan Cruise.  It was spectacular!  I loved it and I've been having cruise withdrawls since :)  Here is our trip day by day:

Day 1 - Sunday

Tanner woke up at 6:30 today ready to play (which was good, in a way, so we could see him before we left).  We got our things ready and left my parents house and met Angie & Rob at McDonald's so we could ride together to the airport.  We met up with everyone and were on our way to Seattle at 11:00!  When we got there it was rainy and 50 degrees (not much of a change from what we came from in Utah actually).  We boarded the ship and started partying!  We immediately went to the buffet because we were all starving from traveling all day.  That night we all met for dinner and then went to a singing/dancing performance and a comedian act.  Mike and I thought we could catch a late night movie of "How to Train Your Dragon" but we only lasted 5 minutes and then fell asleep.

Day 2 - Monday

Today was a day at sea.  We (the girls on the trip) went to a port and shopping show which turned into a show about how to buy diamonds in Alaska (which I'm not too interested in).  The seas were a little rocky today and I got motion sick so we just rested for a lot of the day.  Tonight was "Formal Night" so we dressed up in our formal wear and went to dinner.  The dinners are delicious!  We then went to a show called the Piano Man.  The piano player was the highlight for me.  He was amazing!  After the show we headed to Club Fusion where I competed in the first heat of "Princess Pop Star" (an American Idol type contest).  I didn't make it to the next round...but I had a blast!  It was just fun to get out of my comfort zone and try something new. 

Day 3 - Tuesday

This morning we arrived in Ketchecan.  It is a cute little fishing town.  We walked down Creek Street which used to be the red light district there for the fisherman.  We then walked up to the Totem Museum.  The tradition of carving Totem poles is interesting.  They have poles collected from mountains and beaches mostly from the Tlinget tribe.  We walked into some shops in town and then went back to the boat.  Something I loved about Ketchecan was all the seaplanes taking off and landing.  Many of the homes in the harbour had planes parked on the water behind their houses.  There is no way to get to Ketchecan by land.  After we got back on the boat we went to "How to Train Your Dragon", had some dinner, and went to bed!

 

Day 4 - Wednesday

We were up bright and early for scenic cruising through Tracy Arm Fjord.  Beautiful views of icebergs and waterfalls and a magnificent glacier at the end of the Fjord.  It was rainy and COLD my feet and pants were soaked from standing on the deck to see the views and try to get some good pictures, but I wouldn't have missed it for anything!  After leaving the Fjord we all decided to play BINGO.  Mike and I were a team...we were on the last game (the Jackpot game)...and 3 numbers away when they called those very numbers!!!  We won $500!  LUCKY!  Then that afternoon we arrived in Jueneau.  It was so cold that we only ventured out for a bit.  We rode the bus into town and walked around some shops then headed back to the ship.  What a small little town for the capital of Alaska!  We had dinner at our usual time of 5:30 and relaxed for the evening. 

Day 5: Thursday

Today we woke up in Skagway.  We immediately got up (well actually we slept in a little bit....) and we went into town.  Our weather was so much better today!  I loved Skagway!  It is an old gold mining town with a whopping 800 residents.  W went and saw some historic sites and watched a video at the visitor's center.  We bought fudge and a Mountain Dew for Mike at the Alaskan Fudge Company.  We then got back on the ship and relaxed for the afternoon.  We went to dinner and then the show "I've Got The Music in Me".  It was fun. 

Day 6: Friday

Today we headed back toward Victoria.  We were at sea all day today.  We enjoyed breakfast together (yet again) and then went to a cooking demontration and tour of the galley.  It was interesting.  They make mass amounts of food on this ship.  We went to karaoke at noon.  Mike and I sang "I Got You Babe".  It was fun but I don't know that I can count on Mike ever doing that with me again.  Angie also sang.  It was a blast!  Tonight was formal night again.  We had so much fun and stayed in our formal wear for most of the night. 

 

Day 7: Saturday

Today was really our last day on the ship.  We did the usual relaxation and wandered around for most of the morning.  We went to BINGO again (Mike and I sat this one out) and Pat WON $150!!  I guess we were a lucky group this trip.  We sat on our balcony most of the day because the sun finally showed itself.  We arrived in Victoria in the evening and took a bus tour through town on our way to Buchart Gardens.  It was so beautiful and relaxing!  Victoria is a quaint little city and I hope to vaction there again.  I loved it there.  We then got back on the boat and Mike and I enjoyed the full moon out on the deck.  We walked around and then hit the buffet at 12:30.  Crazy us!  It was a fun last day!

Day 8: Sunday

We disembarked today and rode a bus to Seatlle Airport.  They wouldn't let us check our bags yet so we couldn't really go anywhere while hauling all that luggage so we bumbed around the airport until our flight left.  Once we got through security there were shops and a big food court where we could walk around.

I would call our cruise a success!  We had so much fun!