Dipnetting for reds at the mouth of Kenai River (all those little dots are people standing in the river)


Mt. Redoubt (Active volcanoe, erupted when I was like 5)

The drive home from Anchorage...

No matter how many times I've driven this road (which usually makes top 10 scenic road trip lists in many magazines) I am still amazed at the beauty! This pics aren't great..just a taste.

Sealed forever!

Airplane ride....

Mady was such an angel for the plane ride..all my worries for nothing. We got dropped off at the I.F. airport only to find out our plane was delayed at least an hour because they had a medical emergency. That made us late for every connecting flight. You know in the movies, when the person is running down the jet way and barely makes it onto the plane, that was us...but we made it to Alaska!!

Bath Time!

Yes..I do have a chubby baby!

HURRAY!

• School is out
• School is out
• School is out
  

It is so automatic for me to plan out what I have to do homework wise, that I'm not even sure what to do with myself. I went to school last fall, gave birth over the Holiday break, went back to school for the winter semester, got 10 days off, went back to school some more for the summer semester. I am so ready for this GLORIOUS 7 week break. Now I can start packing for our trip to Alaska!!

Saturday we drove to Burley and visited with Kendall's Aunt & Uncle for about an hour before we left for Twin Falls, about 45 minutes away. We went to the Twin Falls Temple Open house, where they let the public tour through the temple before it is dedicated and closed to the public. If you ever get the chance to go to an LDS temple open house, take it! It is a great experience to be able to see the inside of a beautiful place if you aren't LDS. When we were in the celestial room, Mady was giggling and laughing, but not at us...it warmed the heart. Angels anyone? :)

Before driving back to Burley, we stopped at Shoshone Falls, and they were pretty spectacular. It was soooo hot though. We drove back to Burley, and aunt Merla had made us a quick dinner and invited Kendall's Aunt Kaye and new husband Park over too. Mady exhibited stranger anxiety for the first time towards them, but warmed up pretty quickly. She didn't show any anxiety with Kaye though, they hit it right off. We all drove to Malta (Kendall's family lived in Burley and Malta until he was about 11 or 12 when they moved to AK) we went to the house that Kendall's Grandpa built. In the cement that held the flag pole, all the kids had stuck their hands and feet, so we took pictures of that.

Trip to Twin Falls, Burley, & Malta

Madeline's Dress for the Temple!

Wacky Beauty Tips

http://lifestyle.msn.com/beautyandfashion/makeupandskincare/articlecosmo.aspx?cp-documentid=8382008&page=2

Some I've heard, some I haven't!

Temple bags..

My amazing friend Wanita made matching temple bags for Kendall & I, and I want to make some for Kendall's parents...so these pictures are more for Jenny, Kendall's mom. These bags are great because they fold up into the bag, but lay out too & have pockets! Thanks Wanita!!

Update

Mady eating banana in her new high chair...



















Kendall & Mady practicing for the airport ...


































Mady wanted to use the spoon herself...




















Last week when we took Mady to get her x-rays, it was horrible & Mady was hysterical, took a few people to hold her down BUT her x-rays were normal, so that's good. Her physical therapist was such a sweet lady, and when we went back for another session, we had the same one, so I'm glad. After a week of doing a few simple exercises, she is already showing some improved range of motion. We got her a new high chair (until now, we've just been putting her at the table with us in her bumbo seat) she loves it. 4th of July was good, we had our friends over & we had a water balloon fight, ate craigos pizza...I know, very patriotic...and played Killer Bunnies & set off fireworks !!! We drove Dolly up to the top of town so we could look out and see all the crazy people setting off the big fireworks all over town. I AM GETTING SO EXCITED/NERVOUS ABOUT FLYING HOME TO ALASKA! I've started making checklists for what to pack! These last two weeks of school are going to be brutal though.

Mady's 6 month check up 16.2 lbs 26 1/2 inches

Mady had her 6 month well-baby appointment yesterday. Like usual, we had an appointment at 8:40 and waited 40 minutes to be seen. The doctor completely dismissed my concerns and questions, and I'm positive he wasn't listening to be questions about flying with Mady. When I asked him about flying on a NON pressurized plane, he looked at me like I was retarded and said "of course she can fly on a plane, just like you or me" and walked out before I could clarify. To get to the town I live in, it is either a 3 hour drive, or 20 minute flight on a tiny airplane that isn't pressurized. Anyways, he came back in (I have no idea where he went) and I asked him about some difficulties we've been having getting Mady to take her bottle so she hasn't been eating more than 20 oz a day. She only gained 1 lb in two months. He just said, she'll eat when she wants too. Wow, thanks. I'm her Mom, you're right, I have no idea when she wants to eat.

The last time I was in, the other doctor mentioned how her neck really leans to one side and that if it didn't get better in a couple weeks to bring her back in and they would probably send her to physical therapy. I wasn't too concerned about it, because I figured it would get better as her neck got stronger. We thought it was, but after looking at some pictures and looking at her from behind, we decided it hadn't changed in the last few months. So when I asked the doctor about it, he just blew me off and said it was nothing, that it was from how she was positioned in utero. Now, of course, I'm no doctor, but that was 6 months ago. With no improvement. Why would the othe doctor say she needs p. t. but this one says not to do anything? Well he hadn't even looked at her neck at this point, so I was like, can you at least look at her neck, so he did and decideds she does INDEED need some xrays. :( Poop. I would have rather had him say she was fine, but I guess we are going to hospital Wed for out patient something or another. GREAT. I had to take her to the hospital every day for 11 days after she was born and every single time it was a hassle...it was the week after the holidays, so I'm hoping they have it together a little more this time. I know I'm going on and on .... I know how lucky I am to have an otherwise healthy baby, and things are going really good!!