First Steps

In all the commotion of getting home and unpacking, I've failed to mention that Libby has now taken her first steps. It happened on Thursday (August 14) while we were at Dane's mom's house celebrating her 50th birthday. I happened to have the camera there and got it on video. Here it is! We're so proud of her!

Also, Ty has taken to get really jealous of all the attention that we give Libby sometimes, so now that we're practicing walking with her, after she takes a couple steps, Ty goes "Ty's turn." Then he'll take a couple steps from one of us to the other and expect all sorts of praise. Tough luck kid!

Pictures of Alaska

WARNING: Many pictures of Alaska ahead. Proceed with caution.

Syracuse airport. Ty playing in the cockpit in the play area. (Side note: Syracuse had the best play area of ANY other airports. Atlanta didn't even have one, and it's the busiest airport in the USA.)

Granddad and Libby at Syracuse.

Daddy and Libby on our first plane to Cincinnati.

Play area at Cincinnati. The astute eye will note that both of my children have airport tags on them (Ty's belt strap and Libby's right shoe). Why not?

She loved climbing this slide. It was the perfect size for her.

Ty in the play house.

Yay! Alaska mountains!

More mountains!

Ty and Mommy happy to soon be off the plane!

"Sleeping Lady" mountain that you can see from Anchorage.

Libby and Mommy.

Ty loved playing on this old train in downtown Anchorage. It used to be used on the railroads, but was taken off around 1950 and was placed here for kids to explore. Dane's dad even remembers playing on this when he was a kid!

Ty the conductor.

Ty upset that we have to leave the train.

Ty on a tire swing at Grandpa's house.

Now playing tee-ball.

Of course Dane had to show Ty how it's really done.

Libby and Uncle Bubby (Dustin).

This is on the way to Portage Glacier. It's an old train car that would go in front and plow the snow ahead of the main train.

It's really big!

"Cheese!"

Libby and Daddy at Portage Glacier.

An iceberg that broke off from the glacier.

Ilene, Alison, Jack, and Ty at the visitor's center at Portage Glacier. (They're Dane's cousins, so Ty's second cousins I think.)

Ty giving Smokey the Bear a hug.

Jack and Ty running around after eating lunch in Girdwood at Chair 5.

Ty looking very concentrated, a.k.a. the Joe Downing look.

Dane and his Aunt Donna.

Ty jumping off a rock into Grandpa's arms.

Great-Grandpa, Libby, and me.

Four generations.

Ty, Libby, Alison, Jack, and Ilene.

A little blurry, but this is a cool see-saw at Nana's house (Dane's Grandma's house).

Ty showing off his pajamas outside Grandpa's house.

Libby in her pajamas, too.

Dane pummelling me as a sumo wrestler.

We gained a little bit of weight in Alaska. Hope you can't really tell!

Ty trying to win a prize throwing rings on the bottles. (The rings he threw went way off, it was cute.)

Now right after he caught a duck with a net, going to get a prize.

The ice skating rink in the middle of the mall.

Grandpa and Ty at Saturday market.

Ty trying on hats.

Riding Clifford at Chuck E Cheese.

Libby and her slide obsession!

"Cheese!"

Apparently Bob the Builder offended Libby during her ride. She looks like she's scolding him.

But Ty had fun in the ride!

Then they were spent after Chuck E Cheese!

A house near Dane's dad. Very nice. Notice the garage on the left...

This is a better shot of the garages. Note that the car garages are on the right. The huge one on the left is their own personal airplane hangar. Crazy!

A moose on the side of a road.

Dane at dusk (11pm) overlooking Anchorage.

Dane, excited to climb Flattop Mountain.

On our way up Flattop.

Me, half-way up. We ended up enveloped in that cloud behind me.

Yay! We reached the peak!

On the side of the mountain.

Our way down was just as hard.

We were proud of our accomplishment!