Alaska Vacation Day 2

 

Day 2 of our Alaska Vacation had us leaving our comfy cabin on the Knik River and heading down to Seward for an evening stay.
Things got off to great start when 13-years after starting our initial search to find a Moose (this began when we moved back to Maine) we finally saw one and it was right down the road from our cabin (actually the first two we saw jumped out on the road in front of us, but quickly scampered away). From that point on we were seeing them left and right...ok...maybe every once-in-a-while, but when you were like us and running on no-Mooses for a decade, it seemed like they were coming out of the woodwork.
After the sighting, we made our way to Anchorage (found a Starbucks) and headed South to the Turnagain Arm and the Seward Highway. Several scenic stops later, we crossed into the Kenai Peninsula. We stopped off in Copper Landing for lunch, than worked our way through Fisherman traffic (the salmon were running heavy) and headed to Soldotna and Kenai, before backtracking and driving to Seward. All in all another great day of weather - some wind and cooler temperatures - but we did hit 70 degrees again.
Once we checked into our hotel, we shot straight out to Exit Glacier which comes off the Harding Ice Field. Exit Glacier is receeding back up the hill and a sign showing where it stood in 1998 really give you an idea how these big masses of Ice are always on the move.
After the hike, we settled in for a healthy dinner of Stouffer's Mac and Cheese and Haagen Das Ice Cream (ok, maybe my definition of healthy).
Tomorrow, we're off to Whittier for a 26-Glacier Cruise and then another road-trip to Wasilla for an evening stay.
Moose Count: 6
Whale Count: 0
Bear Count: 0
Dall Sheep Count: 2

This one didn't jump out at us...but he did seem intent on a stare down

 

Panorama View of the Turnagain Arm - just south of Anchorage on one of the most beautiful highway drives in America
 

Julie working on getting the Dall Sheep Count up at one of the scenic stops in the Turnagain Arm


 



Standing above the edge of the Exit Glacier off the Harding Ice Field. This thing is pretty good size...if you look closely, you might see some teenie-tiny people off the path to the right side.

Alaska Vacation Day 1

Yes, it's been a while. Yes, we've had lots of exciting things happening in our lifes - and we'll catch up on all of those events as soon as we get back. But for now, both Julie and I are crossing off the list, the only state both of us have not been to - Alaska.
We headed out of Seattle this morning and in three hours -almost less time than it takes for us to drive down to see Adam and Brook - we landed in Anchorage, where the natives were very quick to point out that they were experiencing an incredibly hot summer (it ramped up to a scorching 72 degrees today). But we'll take it (see one of our earlier posts about our cruise to the Bahamas). In fact, short of a projected small shower or two, the weather is supposed to be abnormally hot.
Tonight we are staying in Palmer which is Northeast of Anchorage by about 45 minutes. Actually we are a ways out of Palmer on the Knik (kah-nik) River at the very end of a gravel road. And we're staying in a nice little cabin, cozy enough for the two of us. It's nearly 10 PM as I do this post and the sun is still way up in sky and it's light enough I could be golfing!

The cabin big enough for two!

 

This one is for Greyson...Papi and Grammy haven't seen a moose or a bear yet (not to mention a Polar Bear)...but we did have an in-coming helicopter from a Glacier Tour land at the cabins.

Julie at the top of Hatcher's Pass. This was an old mining community with great hiking opportunities if you got there early enough to do so (gate closed at 9 PM and we got there at 7:30 PM)



Almost 10 PM and the sun is still up and going strong.



Looking back down to Palmer from the top of Hatcher's Pass. That's our little Ford Focus in the background. It should be a nice brownish-red color by the vacation's end.

Josiah Part 2

Josiah Adam Puckett 10-8-2011

We'd like to introduce you to our newest grandchild - Josiah Adam Puckett. We were blessed with his arrival into this world at 3:54 AM this morning - October 8th, 2011.
Josiah made it three for three on 8th birthdays (Michaela, August 8th and Greyson, July 8th).



Josiah weighed in at 8 lbs 3 oz and was 20.5" long. Brook was a speedy deliverer this time around, checking in to the hospital at around 1 AM and delivering just a few hours later - which meant that Julie and I missed the delivery on the drive down from Seabeck.
We'll put some more pictures on in a couple of days, but short sleep means it is time to go!

Yes. it's been a while...

So, yes, it has been a while since we've posted anything.
Not that we haven't been doing fun and exciting things - we have - it's just you lose track of time, keep the photos in the camera for quite a while and the next thing you know...people are telling you that it's been 10 months since anything has been updated.

So here you go.

We celebrated Greyson's first birthday at Abbey and Dave's house this past weekend and had Adam, Brook and Michaela home as well. The great grandparents -Mimi, Papa, GGPa (greatgrandpa Puckett) and Great Grandma (Dave's mom's mom) - were on hand also as well as many members of our church family.

It was a great weekend and its just so much fun (and scary) to see how fast these little ones are growing up!

Following are some shots from the big First Birthday Party!

Meanwhile earlier in the weekend, Michaela found that it was kind of fun to push her cousin around on hardwood floor and while the occasional sharp turn was a little scary - Greyson stayed in the driver's seat!

Michaela was excited to try on the new dress that Grammy made and patient enough to get measured for the hem.

At least it isn't the newspaper...Grammy helps do double duty - potty training and reading.

Papi gets to read to both little ones.

Danskin Triathalon 2010

First let me say how proud I am of Julie!
She competed in her third Seattle Danskin Triathalon Sunday
and finished in a time of 1:36:26.
That was good enough to be in the top 12-percent of the field
(a total of 3,317 finished the race) placing 399th overall and 28th
in her age division (you can ask her yourself what one that was).
And all but one of the women in front of her in the division were younger!

(left) Julie and Heidi Zylstra get their bikes racked on Saturday
afternoon. Sunday morning at 6:50 AM, Julie (right) hits the water to
get ready for the start of the event.

The ladies go off in waves of roughly 100 - and only set apart
by the color of their caps. This is Julie's group getting the final
pep-talk and then taking off (this always reminds me of the
National Geographic documentaries on pirahnas) on their 800-yard
swim leg.

Out of the water and finished with the first leg, in a time of

18:17, Julie takes a 4:12 transition to get semi dried off and bikes shoes

on then it's on to the bike ride - a 12.1 mile trek down Lake

Washington Blvd, onto the I-90 bridge, a ways into Mercer

Island and then back.

At this point she is still smiling (left) as she finished the bike

leg in a time of 42:47. Another transition of 2:24 (to get running

shoes on and some water) and she's off for the final leg - a 5K

run.

After another 28:44, she hits the finish line. Incredibly tired

but pretty satisfied that another triathalon is in the books.

The Seabeck team (Heidi Zylstra, Dawn Boyle, Mardell Ryan

and Julie) flash their smiles and their hardware!

A Day of 1's

Sunday was a day of 1's for our family - Michaela's 1-year birthday and
Greyson's 1-month birthday. So we headed to Durham, Oregon to celebrate
the primary event -Michaela's birthday and her dedication which took place at
the Tigard Friends Church. It was a great day spent with family members
from both sides and friends of Adam and Brook.

Michaela (left) was excited at the thought of her first rather-large sugar experience,

while Greyson (right) was looking rather dapper in his Sunday outfit.


While Michaela made quick work of her Birthday cupcake, Greyson

thought the day was best suited for rest and relaxation.

Having dismantled her 1st Birthday carrot cake cupcake, Brook and Adam

pose while Michaela has her sights on sugar-fix 2.

Midway through the presentation of packages (left), Michaela had it down -

although I am not sure if she was more interested in the physical contents of

the package or the paper that wrapped them!

She might not be the "little old lady from Pasadena (right), but she did look pretty

cool on her "Musical Parade Car"