Alaska

There is no way I can do justice in describing what a wonderful, trip of a lifetime we had on our Alaskan cruise.  

We started in Vancouver, Canada, with a trip to the Aquarium.

Zoe, Mia and Sophie getting comfortable in the glass bubble of an aquarium.

Later, on a walk around town, we got to see one of the world's only steam powered clocks. The kids thought this was incredibly interesting. We also went to the look out tower and explored the city.

Our home for the next week would be the Coral Princess. She's one of the smaller cruise ships in the fleet, making it possible to navigate the inner passage and Glacier Bay.

Our first stop was in Ketchikan. We went to a logging show where we all learned how to holler "yo ho!" and we walked around the small section of the town built on stilts over the creek.

YO HO!

The totem polls were impressive to say the least.

 Later that day, Scott and I went zip lining. I was nervous at first, but it was worth it to get a look at the eagles and bears below.

Grandma and Grandpa went fishing while we were out and about. They were allowed to bring their catch back on board, and the chef prepared it as part of our dinners for the next two nights. Yum!

 We were lucky again with the weather when we went whale watching in Juneau.

We saw whales and seals and no shortage of beautiful vistas. If I started including all the gorgeous scenic pictures we took, there would be no end.

From there, we went to Mendenhall Glacier. We were able to take a short hike and explore the visitors' center.

When we weren't on an excursion, there was no shortage of activities on the ship. We had impromptu family dance parties, yoga and zumba, kids club, basketball and shuffle board and swimming. Not to mention an ice cream and pizza parlor by the pool.

 There was also incredible entertainment with magic shows, musicals and lectures. One night, Libby Riddle joined us and that was a thrill. She was the first woman to win the Iditarod. An inspiration.

In Skagway, we took a long train ride to explore the area, and then we went dog sledding. 

After taking a ride on the sleds they use to train on during the summer months, we got to visit the puppies. If we lived any closer, I'm sure we would have been bargaining to take one home.

Back on the boat, we went through College Fjord. Behind us in the Harvard Glacier. Watching them calve (split apart and break into the water) was stunning.

Two other trip highlights were our tours of the galley and the bridge. While the bridge was fascinating to see how they guide the ship and coordinate with other vessels, the kitchens were unbelievable. It is a well-oiled machine.

On our last night on board, we celebrated Grandpa's birthday. I think our waiter was as excited as Grandpa Ed was!

We docked in Whittier and then drove to Anchorage for a visit with friends before heading home. While there, we also went to the museum and the zoo.

At the airport, ready to head home and already thinking about when we could do it again...

A Month of Performances

As the school year ended, the girls showcased new talents and prepared for summer adventures.

Sophie began taking piano, and she'll take any opportunity to sit down and play the few tunes that she has learned. This was a significant milestone for her that she is very proud of. She is engaged in the brief lessons she attends weekly, and practices during the week happily.

 Mia was eager for swim season and swim team to begin. One caution of hers was diving in at the beginning of a meet (instead of jumping in). She felt that now that it was her second year on swim team and she was seven, it was imperative that she dive, although she didn't feel comfortable diving either. She took the impetus to talk to the coach who was incredibly supportive and easy-going about it. Then, she began practicing. In just a week or so, she was diving in at the meets and swimming her hardest.

Zoe had her recorder recital which completely surpassed my expectations. When Zoe practiced the recorder at home, I didn't really get it. I couldn't follow the musical nature of it, and just chalked it up as a third grade rite of passage. In the concert though, to hear all the recorders together with the background music was really lovely. I fully enjoyed listening to it, and was incredibly impressed. Through the summer, Zoe continued with the violin and occasionally plays the piano too. 

And, Sophie finished gymnastics with a mini-performance. Apparently, she has some natural ability because we were informed that she was asked to be included in an invitation only team for little gymnasts. We took a pass this time in an effort not to have an overly crowded schedule, but we'll consider it in a few months. For now, Sophie is delighted that she can do a cart wheel.

Bravo to all!