End of Summer Fun!

I have to return to work next Monday so these past couple weeks have been full of trying to live it up before school hits! We have spent many days at the pool with the Saunders family, celebrated Julianna's birthday, playing with our toys and new toys Nana gave us, and last minute cleaning and shopping. Meredith has really enjoyed helping with laundry--she goes into the bedrooms and drags clothes from my sorted piles to me in the laundry room. She just thrives on the praises I give her and just looks for new ways to please John and I. It seems like she has grown so much this summer and her vocabulary is just exploding.

Some other new things she learned this summer are:

*the color yellow

*she loves to pretend read to herself

*she can point various objects in books and tell me what they are (dog, cat, sheep, fly, ball, banana, milk, flower, seat, etc.)

*she knows how to say her name

*she answers the question of "Meredith, how old are you" by putting up her pointer finger and saying "One".

*she can make animal sounds such as baa, ruff, and meow as well as tell us that a train goes "choo choo"

*she points to pictures of family members and tells me who they are...our favorite is when she points to our Auntie Melissa and calls her "Hey Baby" because that is what Auntie always says to her.

*she asks us "what did you do?", "where did it go?", "who's that?", and "what's that?"

*she recognizes when her daddy gets home and squeals with excitement

*she comes up to us and gives us hugs and kisses as well as shows love to her "babies"

*she can put puzzle pieces in the correct spot but can't quite turn them right yet

*she loves to chase us around and go "tickle tickle"

*she now recognizes the camera and says "cheese"

*she loves loves loves fruit and when she gets excited and wants it now, she yells "bee-bop!!!" which we can only figure means "I want it!!!!"

*she loves corn on the cob and prefers corn that way...good thing we have some frozen from Papa's farm!

Meredith will be 18 months this week.....it is hard to believe! She moves out of the church nursery this month and it just breaks my heart that she is heading to the toddler room. Our little girl is growing up.

A-las-ka!

We're back! What a cruise what a cruise! First thing, we would like to thank Ben and Elaine (mom and dad/granna and papa) for taking us on the cruise through the inside passage of Alaska! There are so many memories and things to tell you about the cruise, so, I will go through each day and post pictures that depict that day (CLICK ON PHOTO FOR LARGER VIEW). Should you want to see all of our pictures, check out my facebook page!

Day 1: Travel to Vancouver, Canada

We left very early in the morning (4AM) to be at the airport on time to fly out. We were nervous of how Meredith would do, but she did great! She took a nap, colored, read books, and played with her toys. It also didn't hurt that she had her entire extended family on John's side with her to look to for entertainment! We arrived, were herded around by Carnival staff, got settled in our room, learned about our Muster station, ate dinner, and crashed.

Day 2: Day at Sea

We had a great time sleeping in and then letting Meredith run around on her new "sea legs" on the top decks of the Carnival Spirit. This also allowed for me to learn about this whole cruise culture--WOW! I mean, what a great idea for a vacation! Why did it take me so long? We also enjoyed our first formal night and relaxed on our balcony taking in the beautiful landscapes that surrounded us. The big excitement were our first whale sightings which was soon to become "normal" and expected.

Day 3: Ketchikan, AK

At Ketchikan, it was pouring in the morning which stressed this momma out since we were to head out in the town with Meredith. We had an excursion called the "Semi-Submersion Wildlife Excursion". We got into a semi-submarine where we were able to see the marine life below the ship through windows down below, and the wildlife that lived on land and above the water from the top deck of the ship. It was really neat! We saw lots of jellyfish, starfish, sea urchins, and bald eagles. We enjoyed a restful afternoon letting Meredith again just play. That evening, we were reaching an area that whales were likely to be seen so we congregated in the freezing cold and high winds to whale watch in the front of the ship at sunset. We saw a couple whales and it was all worth it!

Day 4: Juneau, AK

In Juneau, we were able to jump on a bus that took us to Mendenhall Glacier. On the trails around the glacier, we were able to see a momma bear and her two cubs as well as spawning salmon. However, the glacier was enough to visit by itself without being disappointed. It was gorgeous! That afternoon, after Mer's nap, we went up a tram to the top of a mountain where we saw a rehabilitated bald eagle and took a nice hike further up the mountain. We finished up with some great shopping and a great dinner!

Day 5: Skagway, AK

In Skagway, we went on the White Pass and Yukon Railway Excursion which was a 3 hour trainride through the very rugged and gorgeous trails travelled by many in the past during the Alaskan Gold Rush. It was again GORGEOUS and relaxing. We then took in some shopping and relaxed that afternoon followed by another great formal night in the dining room.

Day 6: Sitka, AK

In Sitka, we went on the "Sea Otter and Wildlife Boat Excursion" which had a rough start but by the end was the best excursion of the trip. Meredith and I both got sick on the way out to see but felt much better when we saw tons of sea otters and were able to see 4 whales or so. One humpback whale surfaced and slapped its tail consecutively 5-6 times. It was incredible. Meredith kept yelling "Whale! Whale!"

Day 7: Last day at Sea

On this day, we relaxed and packed anticipating a busy travel day the following day. At dinner, the pilot of the ship stopped at a glacier and allowed the ship to just be anchored there for a couple hours. It provided a great view at dinner!

Day 8: Whittier/Anchorage, AK and Departure for Home

We arrived in Whittier and were bused to Anchorage. The busride was great even if I had been up the whole night before sick in the bathroom and was still feeling and looking quite green. John's parents and Anna Ruth were able to take Meredith to a Science Children's Museum (I can't believe I missed out) while I collapsed and tried to get over the nausea on a couch in the town's convention center. We had a red-eye out and arrived back to NC on Thursday morning at approximately 10AM.

My favorite memories are just the laughs at the kids during dinner, spending lots of time with Anna Ruth and Baylee (we don't get to see them much since they live in FL), reading LOTS on the balcony overlooking the beautiful landscapes, and taking a great break from summer. We are forever indebted to Ben and Elaine for the great opportunity and blessed we were able to travel there as well as take Meredith. I strongly recommend the vacation!

Hello and Good-Bye, Wonderful July!

Whew! What a July! It has been a while since we have posted and my what an update to give you!

On July 4th weekend, we went to the beach with my mother and brothers and had a great holiday weekend! We spent mornings at the pool, afternoons reading or relaxing during Meredith's naptime, late afternoons at the beach, and evenings eating good food and playing board/card games while watching movies! It had been a really long time since all three of us kids were able to be together for a vacation and I sure was glad that we were able to do it in celebration of the 4th as well as my mother's 50th birthday. We went and had a photo taken of all of us kids, John, and Meredith and presented it to her framed for her birthday!

Following that holiday weekend, I was in a 3 week whirlwind workshop in Raleigh that kept me away for most of those weeks. I was able to meet up with several friends and catch up as well as just enjoy being on my ol' stompin grounds of NCSU. The workshop should be fruitful for my students and I should I be able to catch on and implement the teaching methods effectively. I was thankful to also have received a nice little paycheck which covered us on our cruise to Alaska....

Ahh...Alaska. How I miss thee! With your cool days and your beautiful landscapes, why did we have to leave? I want to devote a posting just to Alaska, so stay tuned!