Alaska Day 1-Cruising and the Hubbard Glacier

 Our first day on the cruise we just sailed south towards Juneau.  Along the way they stopped at the Hubbard Glacier.  All the mountains that were covered in snow were just gorgeous!!!  God's creation is so beautiful and wonderful!  As we were getting towards the glacier there was a really dense fog so we had to wait about an hour or two and it finally started drifting out towards the ship and then it cleared up and we were able to get a little closer to it.  There was a really large ice field in front of the glacier which prevented the captain from getting very close to it.  Alaska was having a warm spell while we were there and I'm wondering if the glacier was calving more because of it.  There were pieces of ice everywhere.

 Each of us posing with the ocean and the mountains behind us.

 Starting to see some of the icebergs floating away from the glacier area.

 We had to go get our coats because it was freezing at the front of the boat and getting colder the closer we got to the glacier.

 The Hubbard Glacier.  It is HUGE and so beautiful!  They say when they can get closer it makes the ship look really small.   Can you see the large ice field in front of it?

 This iceberg broke, rolled, and flipped over right in front of us.  It was pretty cool to see happening. 

 I was so thankful the fog left because I would have been really disappointed if we hadn't gotten to see it.  God answered that prayer for me that day=)

 We played putt putt golf that morning.  So fun!

 How gorgeous is this place?  These pictures can't even do it justice.

 Our first towel animal.  We loved seeing what we would get each night.

 Our interior cabin room.   Not much to see so you definitely don't spend a ton of time in there.

The first formal night.  They only had two formal nights and all the other nights were casual or semi-casual which was nice.  Dinners were fantastic and our head waiters were AWESOME!!!  We chose to do the late dinner seating at 8:30pm so we wouldn't have to rush when we came in from port or our excursions.  It was a great choice for us.  

ALASKA

Michael and I took a seven night Alaskan cruise for a late 10 year anniversary trip.   It had always been a dream of mine to go to Alaska and it was everything I had imagined and more.  We cruised on the Radiance of the Seas by Royal Caribbean.  We sailed from Seward, Alaska down to Vancouver, Canada.  We LOVED it!  Neither of us had cruised before and didn't really know what to expect.  I did end up having to take an anti-nausea med each morning but I never got sick or anything which was good.  I would just feel the boat sway here and there a little more than at other times.

Michael and I drove to Dallas on Thursday, June 20th to fly from Dallas to Los Angeles and then on to Anchorage, Alaska.  We landed in Anchorage around midnight (3 am central time) and it was still light outside.  Crazy!!!  We got a ride to our hotel and fell asleep fairly well.  On the 21st, we woke up and rode back to the airport to check in for our train that we were taking from Anchorage to Seward, where the ship was in port.  The train ride was so fun and the views were incredible along the way.  I'm so glad we did that and not the bus.

Michael and I in the Dallas airport waiting for our flight to leave.

Boarding our train.

Just a few of the views we had along the way and through the train windows!

Just got on the ship and need to go find our room. 

Our ship left port at 8pm on the 21st.  It was so fun trying to find our way around the ship that first night without getting lost or turned around.  It was pretty funny.  We had our first dinner with our table mates and got to know them.  Thankfully we ended up with a great group of people to have dinner with each night.  

Swimming and Summer FUN!

Eden signed up for the Bryant Barracudas swim team and has really enjoyed it.  They provide swim lessons everyday from May until mid July and they have swim meets on Saturday mornings.  You even have the option to do them or not and it is cheap.   Eden loved getting up most mornings and going straight to her swim lessons at 7:45am Monday - Friday.  She learned a ton and can now swim without any floats in the pool.   She can jump off the diving board and swim to the side without me having to worry a lot about her, which has been fantastic with having to watch Harper like a hawk;)  She had the absolute best swim coaches and we couldn't think Casey, Kyle, or Emily enough for always encouraging her to keep trying and doing her best.  Eden really took to Casey and he is fantastic with kids and always joking and messing with them.  He taught her each week and really got her swimming.   We have really enjoyed it and looking forward to next year!

Eden during one of her practices.

 Getting ready for her first swim meet!  She did great and we could not have been more proud of her for trying her hardest.

 Waiting with the other kids in her heat before lining up to start.

We have had a great summer so far and love getting together with all of our friends.  

 Eden and Jackson, and Harper and Molly.  Harper and Molly play so well together.  They are so funny to watch and we try to sneak in to take pictures of them playing.  They were playing doctor the other day and it was the most precious thing ever!

Eden with her friend Caden.  They are hilarious together.

Harper lately has really taken to Hannah Keim and she calls her name over and over again when we are with them.  She is always wanting Hannah to watch her do something or just wanting her attention.  It is so sweet and Hannah is so good with Harper and so patient.  I really need to get a picture of the two of them together.  

Camping at Petit Jean State Park

Our Sunday morning church class planned a camping trip to Petit Jean State Park which is about an hour from Little Rock.   There were eight families that had signed up to go but only four families (us, the Keim's, the Haustein's, and the Neese's) ended up going because there was a small threat of severe weather but I'm so glad we went and didn't change our minds.  We had a fantastic weekend.  The only rain we got was on Saturday from about 6:15am to 1pm.  During that time we made breakfast at camp and then headed to Mather Lodge and played games and hung out.  After it stopped raining we went and hiked to Cedar Falls.  It was so gorgeous.  We had never been to Petit Jean before and we had a great time.  There is so much to do and see there.  On Saturday night, we took a night hike with a park ranger to Turtle Rock and see an old cave that had old Indian art on the inside walls.  It was really neat to see.

On Sunday we went to the Petit Jean church and then headed out for a few short hikes at the Falls Overlook and to Bear Cave.  The weather Sunday was PERFECT!!!!!  We only took Eden because I just knew Harper would have ended up hurt or in the fire as clumsy as she is and it was the best decision ever.  Thanks so much to Granna for keeping Harper!!!!  She definitely had a blast hanging out and being the center of attention I'm sure=)

The three of us about to take off on the Cedar Falls Hike.

 Cedar Falls

 Eden in front of Cedar Falls.  She did so great on the hikes.  She loved being a big girl and doing things on her own.  

 We made it!!!

 Family picture with the falls behind us!

 The sunset on Saturday night after the rains.  GORGEOUS!!!

 Kris and Jamie

 Cedar Falls from above it.

 All the kiddos that were there:  Layton, Lincoln, Paul, Ivy, Hannah, and Eden

 Eden in front of one of the caves.

 Michael and Eden.

 Eden and I together.

 The Keim Family

 Our family picture.

 The Neese's and I guess I didn't get one of the Haustien's;(

 Climbing 

 Mather Lodge where we spent Saturday morning out of the rain.

 The kiddos holding the roof up=)