Alaskan Summer Days

I love Alaska summer days...most of the time. Now I'm not going to deny complaining about rain, a lot of rain, and cooler temperatures during the summer. I am guilty of that, but it still doesn't keep us inside. As I've posted before and have many other pictures and stories to share, we definitely still get out and enjoy ourselves in the rain. BUT....we definitely do when the sun is shining and it's warm! And it shines a LOT here :) 

Today was one of those perfect days. Clear blue skies, sunshine, warm temps and no wind. Ahhhhh.... Jocelynn and I took advantage! We went to our friend's Holly and Aubree's house to play in the pool and soak up the sun. Joce LOVED it! She and Aubree are so sweet together. I'm glad she has a friend like her. 

 

Aubree was either tired or more concerned about her tan than the water. She kept laying out on her towel and snuggling with her "kitty." It was so cute! And Joce just splashed and lounged around in the pool. She would've stayed there all day if I'd let her. 

I have a hard time coming inside or calling it a night when it stays so bright and nice outside so late. So we went on a walk to the park instead of getting ready for bed. We can sleep during the dark winter, right? :)  

It amazes me how differently Joce plays on toys now than she did even just a month ago. She's getting more daring all the time, rides the little spring pony super fast, and is such a good climber. She's growing so fast!

Tonight Desoto played on the toys with us, and stood guard when other dogs entered the park haha. I think he needed this as much as we did. 

This is a weird picture, but while we were on the playground a man close by on a path in the trees crooned on his saxophone. We thoroughly enjoyed the jazz and soul background music and I couldn't help but sing along when he played, "Yesterday." 

I'm grateful for the simple joys in life, even so much as sunshine, a little pool, a song in the park. I'm grateful for a daughter who loves to enjoy these things with me.

Summer Fun

We've had an excellent summer so far, in both the sun and rain! In Alaska the long sunny days are so incredible that you never want to go to sleep. Sometimes it's hard to believe how light it really does stay, but it does and I LOVE it! I may or may not still be afraid of the dark sometimes...

We figured out last year that even with the summer having great weather it still rains a lot, so we invested in rain boots and gear. There's no sense in staying inside when it's just wet! Splashing in puddles and playing in the rain can be just as much fun as playing in the sun, as long as you get both. Plus, we typically see more moose when we hike in the rain! Bonus!

Summer came earlier this year so we took advantage and have been camping, hiking and biking as soon as the snow melted. It is hard to live far away from family, but the incredible beauties around us and all of the close access to fun adventures helps make up for it. We love it!

Smile

Last weekend was Mother's Day weekend but it was also the birthday of the super special man in my life. Since Sunday was going to be a shared celebration, we celebrated his birthday all weekend. The food, the activities, talking to family and everything else was the perfect combination for all of us. 

Jocelynn and I started the weekend with a big breakfast, most importantly, decorations for Justin. Joce was obsessed with the balloons and stuff, so of course we dressed her up as one of his birthday presents :) This face cracks me up!

Saturday we went on a long bike ride and had a picnic in a sunny park next to a creek. 

We also took a drive through some incredible Alaskan scenery looking for bears. No luck there but Justin sure would be a great sheep hunter!

Mid-drive we stopped at a random trailhead and went on a little hike. This is definitely not the first time Joce has been hiking in the woods but was the first time she could walk the whole way. Man, oh man, she was in heaven! She beamed and sang and "oooo'd" the whole time. We love that our incredible girl has a love for the outdoors like we do. 

Don't mind the blur, there were so many mosquitoes when we'd stop!  

That night we chowed down on some Red Robin fries with the campfire sauce of course! (Thank you Red Robin birthday burger for Justin). 

Sunday, being Mother's Day, I was treated to some incredible breakfast by my doting husband and baby girl. After Sacrament meeting we Skyped with both of our entire families! This happens only twice a year because one of my sisters and Justin's sister are both serving missions. It was so awesome to see all of the people we love the most in one day! And on such a special day too! It's such a blessing to have family who are faithful, fun and involved in great things. We are truly blessed!

Following our Skype sessions Justin used his new birthday gift to grill us up some fabulous food. We had flavorful kebabs,

 

juicy corn on the cob and bacon wrapped jalapenos (which were actually sooo amazing!)

 We'll definitely be eating well with Justin behind the grill. 

The double layer coke cake nearly melted with all of the candles I had to put on it haha

No matter how many candles, how good the food is or how fun the adventures can be, none of it would be the same without this guy. I'm so grateful for his adventuresome spirit, his casual attitude, his humor and love. I'm grateful for the Dad he is to our daughter who rightly adores him. I'm grateful for who he helps me to be. Happy birthday, babe.

 

 I love being a wife and a mother. I am so blessed to have these two incredible people in my life. 

Maybe I'll write more about it someday, but they are the main reason I smile. 

It's Time

Skyping with Justin tonight was an exciting thing for us that Desoto even wanted in on the action. It's not that anything big and grand was happening or that technology was running smoothly and allowing for a perfect, uninterrupted call with no delays, blurriness or frozen screens. But, for the most part, Justin and Joce could both see AND hear each other, which was the perfect end to the day. 

Jocelynn has been pretty sick for the past week, nothing major, but really any sickness that involves a need for medicine is new and different for Joce. (We've been very blessed with her in that area). Because of this she's (we've) had many sleepless nights and long days. Add to that, Justin working out of town and we've had the perfect storm because we're always a bit off when he's gone anyway. 

Early early this morning, while trying to get back to sleep with Jocelynn finally sleeping soundly on my face, I had an overwhelming reminder of how much I loved this little one. Sometimes I get too caught up in the day to day of everything else that I don't take much time to sit down and just play with her for as long as she wants to play, to read as long as she wants, to give her as much love as she can stand. As an adult with other responsibilities it's typically me who ends the playing, reading, dancing and just hanging out. So, with my face squished with toddler love I decided today was going to be Jocelynn's day. It was time. Cleaning and shopping and everything else could wait, but my child needed her Mom and she couldn't wait. 

With that resolve I fell asleep and woke up happy and actually refreshed for the first time in a long time. Sweet Jocelynn must have known because she woke up practically laughing as well. We played ball and hide-n-seek, danced around the kitchen, tinkered on the piano, explored a neighborhood and read to her hearts' content. Miraculously she also ate like she normally does and took her naps as usual too. It was an awesome day!

We were both feeling great and chowing down on some banana pancakes for dinner when Justin called on Skype. For the only 5 minutes he had he "played" with his little girl, who just so happens to adore him :) She was so excited to see him that when he said he needed to say goodbye she gave him such a stink eye and grumpy face! She held it too...making sure he knew she wasn't happy to say goodbye to the Dad who holds her heart. She did eventually wave and blow him kisses, enthusiastically sending him on his way. 

Not every day can be entirely encompassed by this sweet baby girl that I love, but I know that she should always come before anything else, even when I'm tired and cranky too. I am grateful for that reminder in the middle of the night and for the opportunity that I get to try again to be a better mom for her every day. 

That Moment

We all day dream about how our lives are going to turn out, what is going to happen in them and about specific moments we hope we'll have. As a little girl one of mine was meeting and marrying Prince Charming and living Happily Ever After. Another was to be the nicest School Bus Driver around (maybe because my kindergarten bus driver was AWESOME). Eventually my dreams included college, dream jobs, places to live or visit and... babies, my own babies.

I watched my older siblings start having and raising kids, with the big momentous occasions and small memorable moments that come with it. In watching them my dreams about my own kiddos started being more specific. Now I can't tell you I picked out hair and eye color and everything about my kids in dreams. I definitely didn't even do what most girls do in choosing their kids names before they're even married. But I DID dream about the special moments I'd have with them. Moments like holding them for the first time, being the one they came to for comfort, watching their Dad play with them, hearing them laugh, watching them meet milestones and do or say the littlest things kids say or do that are always so cute, and everything in between and forever.
 
Jocelynn is now 11 months old (so crazy!) and we have had a lot of those moments I dreamed about. I've known I've been living my dreams since I got married and we had Jocelynn. But I'm writing this now because the other night we were all in perfect bliss together and I realized DURING the moment that I had dreamed of that moment, and it was a reality. Maybe that doesn't sound so momentous, but it was a sweet thing for me and a time I'll always remember and smile about. So let me tell you about THAT MOMENT.

Justin had been gone for the last 7 of 10 weeks and was leaving again the next week. We were soaking up all the time together that we all had.
Jocelynn has been growing like crazy and is trying to be even more mobile by attempting to crawl on the furniture, standing for longer on her own and walking all over the place while holding onto our fingers or her walking toy.
Since we were finally together we could assume the classic position across from each other for her to try walking from one parent to the other. Jocelynn was SO excited to go from one of us to the other and she took her first steps!! She fell a lot, always with us right there of course. But she did walk!! And it was the cutest thing. As soon as she'd get to Justin she'd giggle and spin around ready to come back to me. And then she'd giggle and spin around when she got to me, excited to go back to her Dad.
We were so excited that she was taking steps on her own that we were clapping and cheering her on (there's never a better cheerleader than a parent). One time she had just made it to me and we started clapping. She looked at her clapping Dad, crawled really fast to him and then sat at his feet and clapped too as if to say, "Look Dad! I can do that too!" It was the cutest thing.
From then on she stepped and fell and walked and laughed and clapped any chance she could, even while walking. And we were doing the same thing.
It was a good moment. It was a family moment. I'm grateful for my little eternal family and many more moments of bliss with them.

Jocelynn in June & July

We have some great friends here and get to see them quite often. Since Jocelynn is becoming more and more mobile she's trying to play more with the "big" kids. And not just that, but trying to do more on her own and is a lot more happier, if that is possible! :) She changes so much so quickly (and I take so many pictures) that this in just her in June and July.

Red Robin for a friend's birthday. This wasn't even all of the babies there but was just funny to see them all lines up together. 

She crawling and climbing all over everything and everyone she can. 

Since the weather has been so warm we've been going swimming at the lake! Love babies in swimsuits! And how hard they crash for their naps after playing in the sun, sand and water. 

While in Idaho Jocelynn's cousins introduced her to dolls. She LOVED Leah's Bell doll so much so I decided we'd see what she thought of a baby. Ya, I'm glad I got it. She loves it!

We have some friends from our group who're also in our ward. Every once in a while we sit by them during Sacrament meeting and this is what happens. See, she's getting in there with the big kids. 

Jocelynn even gets to share her trailer on bike rides with friends, though her friends don't love it as much as she does. 

Joce loves water and taking baths. She also loves to make a huge mess when she eats so she ends up in the sink half of the time after meals. I don't think she's complaining. 

Jocelynn started crawling in the end of June, just after we got back from Idaho. With the crawling came pulling herself to a stand and stepping along furniture too. I couldn't believe she was doing it all at once and all of a sudden felt this rush of emotion like I wanted her to slow down, though that emotion isn't new to me. Though she seemed like she was going to walk at any time, she didn't, and I'm grateful. I wanted to enjoy the crawling stage for a bit and we are! She's not a toddler just yet and we're grateful! 

In the second picture we're playing chase, which she absolutely loves and laughs the whole time. She doesn't quite get the whole concept because sometimes she'll crawl right at you really fast when you start crawling to get her, but either way it's fun and we all end up laughing. 

Jocelynn LOVES Desoto! He's still not so keen on her, especially now that she can get to him practically wherever he is, but he's getting better. A lot of the time they play "chase" around the island in our kitchen. He'll walk around the corner to get away from her while she crawls after him laughing. The he watches her go around the corner from the other side until she realizes he's now behind her, laughs and turns to go after him the other way. And on and on.  

 Jocelynn is so curious about everything and I love how fascinated she gets with things. This was a flower that had broken off my birthday bouquet from my parents. She doesn't know how to smell the flowers yet, but they sure looks cool and tasted good! 

Oh how I love this face! This picture was taken in July and she doesn't poke her cheeks out like that anymore. It cracks me up though! Just love this girl!

She is so precious and I love being her mom! 

June & July Fun!

 Just to warn you, there's probably going to be an overload of pictures and posts here in the next little bit. Busy days + Justin traveling + Summer fun + Computer cords crashing = No Blogging. So let me show you about what we've been up to! This time in the end of June and July.

The weather was incredible with sunny and warm days and very very little darkness. We took advantage of it. 

Taking a break from running around in the field and woods. 

The 4th of July!! This day was rainy and cold, not like the typical 4th we're used to. We still went to the parade and carnival, had some great food and even saw a couple of fireworks, though it wasn't really dark enough for them. 

Short hair! As most already probably know, I cut my hair! I've been thinking of going short for years but never had the guts and was too attached to my long hair. Well, I cut 10 inches off in March and then another 8 in July and it's now official! I was in mourning for a few days but now I love it!

Bike rides! We have LOVED getting on our bikes, strapping Jocelynn in her trailer and taking to the many paths throughout the parks in the city. They run for miles and miles through beautiful woods or along the coast. Justin has also really gotten into mountain biking along the awesome trails through the woods. 

 

Watching the planes! Lake Hood is the world's largest float plane lake, and it's 5 minutes from our house! There are a ton coming in and out all day and are pretty cool to watch take off and land, especially on a warm, sunny day!

 

Company picnic! I should've taken more pictures because of the fun friends we have who's husbands work with Justin. But it was a great night and Joce got her face painted for the first time! Justin's company merged with BDO in July so this was a picnic with both old and new.  

Walk and Hiking! Biking isn't the only way we've been getting around :) 

Oh Desoto... he's been enjoying the outdoors too whether in our backyard or the woods, which sometimes is close to the same thing if we let him outside the gate. However, he can't go everywhere with us so one of the times we left this is what I saw peeking from the garage...watch out neighbor kids! 

Missing Sunsets. People really are so right when they say the summers in Alaska are incredible. This summer we hit a record for the most consecutive days over 75 degrees, which started late after the record for the longest winter, but we'll take it! I know, 75 degrees isn't all that hot, but it was still GREAT! And with the sun not going down at all or not until the wee hours of the morning, there was a lot to do and no missing out on the beautiful skies and landscapes. These pictures were both taken after midnight from our upstairs window. The tall building you can see is Justin's work. 

 

Birthday! It was my turn for a birthday this month and though Justin was traveling that week I was blessed with no shortage of love from family and friends. 

 Justin home! It's the busy season so Justin has been traveling a bunch, but when he is home he doesn't miss a beat in getting into the fun of it all. These are Jocelynn's sunglasses haha! 

Picture overload! I know we're already way past picture overload, but I have so many that I want to share and have for keepsakes so bare with me! 

Fun at Home! These pictures I just thought were so cute and funny. While we've had a bunch of fun outside doing all sorts of things, some of the best times are also playing around at home.