Alaska: Glaciers

Finally, photos from our Alaskan cruise with my mom and grandma in May.

Alaska is very beautiful...I especially loved the combination of huge mountains right on the water. One of our favorite parts of our trip to Alaska was seeing a few active glaciers. Our cruise ship journeyed up Endicott Arm Fjord one day for an up close view of a glacier. We even got to see it "calve"--watch/hear a piece of it break off and fall into the ocean.

Entering the Arm

Beautiful glacial carved U-shaped valleys

Waterfalls and lots of floating ice...which seals use to sun bathe

Approaching Dawes Glacier

Close-up view of the edge of the glacier

The family in front of the glacier.

We also were able to visit Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau

Sea Lions & Whales

Another favorite part of our trip was getting see some wildlife...we saw mostly seals, sea lions and humpback whales...including a calf and its mother. We saw these both from the cruise ship and we did a Whale-watching excursion in Juneau. Sadly, we didn't get to see any bears or Orcas. Here are a few of our best photos.

On the Ship

A few pictures of how we spent our time on the ship

*Eating- the food wasn't as good as I expected from what other cruisers had said, maybe mostly because I am scared of buffets...which was probably a good thing; but we did have some nice dinner meals.a poor photo which shows the great table with a view we had for dinner, so we could continue whale-watching and observing the beautiful scenerya few pictures from one of the formal dinner nights

*Exercising- we walked around the track on the top deck and visited the gym a few times (Jake & my mom more than I)

*Playing cards *Whale watching...

*Jake & I also spent a lot of time re-reading Harry Potter 6 (and then 7) in preparation for the new movie :)

Ports of Call

Here are a few photos of the ports we visited along the way

*Icy Strait Point- near Hoonah, AK , a Tlingit village

*SkagwayWe were able to ride the Whitepass & Yukon Route Railway, which is a rather steep climb and has interesting gold rush history. Below a view looking back at the port and cruise ships from the train *Haines- on the recommendation of one of my friends who used to live there, we took the ferry from Skagway to check out Haines. It was also a very beautiful little port town with lots of dogs and friendly people....and home to a huge Bald Eagle Preserve.

AND there was a beach...and the weather was beautiful and there were lots of kids out playing in the water...a site we never considered we would see in Alaska!
*Juneau- our final port was Juneau, where unfortunately we didn't have much time to explore the city, but we were able to go on a whale-watching tour, which also included a trip to Medenhall Glacier and a yummy Salmon lunch at Orca Point Lodge.

Ciao Babe

This weekend I flew to Denver to help the Duncan's and Jenkins' move to Louisville for Seminary (Southern Baptist Theological Seminary). Corey asked me if I was up for a road trip months ago and as a special bonus - Amie and Jared decided to move at the same time. I was greeted at the Denver Airport by two 26 ft moving vans each towing a vehicle, and the Jenkins truck towing a boat.

This was a pretty special trip for me. It was very cool to be able to spend so much time with people who've meant so much to me in my spiritual growth. To be able to be with them on their way to seminary was a beautiful thing. I found out about Salt Company (the campus ministry at the Univ of Utah through which I came to faith in Christ) through Amie. Our first year at school she was roommates with a friend of mine from high school. I got to know Jared through Salt Company and became good friends when he and Amie moved back to SLC. Jared and Amie took over leadership of the Salt Company after Erin and I moved in 2005 and I was so encouraged knowing that they were there. I knew Corey from Salt Co also... but we fell in hetero-love when we went to Italy together in the Summer of 2002. Corey and I spent the summer working with refugees... we shared a small one bedroom apt with another guy and that combination of stench and closeness has a way of bonding people.

Kansas is not interesting in the least in terms of scenery. The coolest thing about it was the signs. This one is for the 2nd friendliest yarn store in the universe... bold claim. We also saw signs for a live 5-legged steer, and the world's largest prairie dog.

Corey is demonstrating safe-driving techniques and flawless concentration.

After unloading Corey's moving van - we all went to visit a purveyor of food and beverage in their fare city. Here's a picture of Amie and Jared. (Happy 7th Anniversary!)

And here's one of Corey and I.
Here's a picture of the new Duncan abode. I'm not sure if Jenni will be mad at me for posting a picture of her house before she's even arrived in Louisville.... but I think we both now that it will be 2012 before the Duncan's update their blog again... so I feel safe in doing this.

Anyway - we had a blast on our roadie... we ate a lot of pumpkin chocolate chip cookies thanks to Jenni (who outsourced this task to the Wolff twins... thanks ladies). We got to hit up some authentic KC BBQ, and the four of us got to share a room at a Motel 6 complete with sketchy dudes hanging outside the hotel late at night, roaches, and what looked like blood in the bathtub and toilet seat. Road trips are awesome.

Good luck in Seminary Duncan's and Jenkins'! We're proud of you.

I'm on a boat.

Erin and I went on an Alaskan Cruise the week after her graduation. Erin likes to go through all of our pictures and select the ones she likes the best... this picture wouldn't make the cut. But she's at a mtg tonight... so at least for a couple of hours I give you this:

Summer Flowers

a random little post of pictures of some of my pretty flowers...it seems I haven't taken any pictures of my roses or garden this year...but my favorite flowers are lilies...and I have been taking pictures of them

this lily has been especially surprising this year, it was a birthday gift...and strangely the first 2 years I had it it bloomed solid yellow...and then...this year it decided to bloom the color it was supposed to be, a very beautiful purple

p.s. for those that have been asking, thus far I am surviving and enjoying internship! it does help though that I have started on an easy rotation without call :)