Recent Random Pictures

I'd have to say this was the favorite birthday present (Thanks Uncle Danny). Not only did it stay suspended in the air for 6 weeks, but Jake carried it around with him ALL the time.

An afternoon at the beach. He loves the sand but won't have anything to do with the water.

Talk about monkey business! The kid scaled this 6 foot ladder! Good thing silence means trouble (as in, it's too quiet, what is he up to?) or we may not have caught him before he got hurt. I love the look of "I did it!" on his face.

Jake loves oranges. :) I remember doing that with orange slices as a kid.

Jake's favorite sleeping position.

Good thing he's so cute when he's alseep. Peeking in on him does make me remember that I think he's an angel (at least for part of the day).

For Sale

Remember Shel Silverstein's book, "Where the Sidewalk Ends"? I loved that book as a kid, with its silly poems and pictures. Long before I ever had a child, I made sure that book took up residence in my personal library. One poem in particular has been running through my head the last couple of weeks, and by the photograph that precedes this post, you may already know which one that is. Here is my current rendition of For Sale by Shel Silverstein.

One toddler for sale!
One toddler for sale!
One crying and whining young toddler for sale!
I’m really not kidding,
So who’ll start the bidding?
Do I hear a dollar?
A nickel?
A penny?
Oh, isn’t there, isn’t there, isn’t there any
Someone that will buy this little kid for sale,
This crying and whining young toddler for sale?

I love my child, don't get me wrong. But I sometimes wonder if having a birthday didn't flip a switch that turned on the whining, crying, demanding little monster inside of him. I seriously question where my sweet little baby went. And I also question my own abilities to show him the necessary patience so that we both make it through this stage in one piece. I look around and see many families who have children older than two or three years of age, so there is a way for parent and child to survive, family relationships intact even.

I'm hoping that someone else out there can relate...it can't just be my own personal world...Any words of wisdom or even commiseration would be appreciated.

Family Pictures

We had family pictures done at Whatcom Falls Park when we were in Washington last month. They turned out fabulous (at least I like to think so) and we owe a huge thank you to Amy, our photographer, for her talents and patience with a squirmy baby.

On to Alaska with the Millers

A number of years ago, I had the privilege of discovering the beauty and wonder of Southeast Alaska, in particular the historic town of Skagway. It was once a booming Gold Rush town, the beginning of many a prospector's journey towards the Yukon gold fields and potential prosperity, and is now a quaint little town of about 800, with the wonders of the Alaskan wilderness quite literally in your backyard. During the summer months, the population swells easily to over 10,000 people every day, as it is now a cruise ship port. The two summers I spent working there are forever etched in my heart, and I have spent a lot of time sharing my experiences and love of Alaska with my husband. So, this summer we decided to become one of the masses that sail through the Inside Passage and cruise to Alaska! We left our little one in the willing and capable hands of Nana and Papa, and spent a week alone together, a first since Jake was born. What an adventure! We visited the ports of Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway, sailed through Glacier Bay National Park and College Fjord, and saw many a tidewater and hanging glacier (it either touches the water or it doesn't, hence the differentiation in terms). We even saw a couple of glaciers calving (huge chunks breaking off the face and falling into the water...it was awesome!) We saw a humpback whale breaching in the water (he did it again and again and again!), bald eagles flying, and a hungry grizzly bear looking for dinner from about 30 feet away! The ship itself was a lot of fun, with evening shows, comedians, a formal evening (tuxedo and all), and, of course, wonderful food. We had halibut, lobster, humongous prawns, and filet mignon, just to name a few. If you asked us what our favorite food onboard was, I would bet both Brian and I would say the pineapple. It was delicioso, even better than the stuff we had in Hawaii on our honeymoon.
All in all, we had a wonderful trip, and I think I won't have to work so hard next time to convince my husband to take another trip to Alaska.

Glacier Bay National Park

Marjorie Glacier

Grizzly Bear in Dyea
Brian tasting glacier water on top of Meade Glacier
Riding the White Pass train with my sister Kristen
Mendenhall Glacier (Juneau)
Totem poles in Ketchikan
the handsome husband

And now for the rest of the story...

The vacation didn't stop with our cruise to Alaska. We spent some more time in Washington with my family, enjoyed the abundance of blueberries and raspberries in my parents' backyard, saw some dear friends who moved from the East to the West Coast shortly after I moved out here, had family pictures taken, and then flew to Utah for my niece Bailey's baptism. It was great to catch up with both Brian's and my families and friends while there, and we miss everyone already.

Our friends Lindsay & Eric--try getting 3 little boys to hold still for a picture. Yeah, right!

4 generations of Robinsons

Jake on Papa's new motorcycle.

Jake and Bailey