Last Days in Arizona- June 2016

June starts out with a very special celebration, OTTO TURNS 2! We had plans to get together with Grandma Carolyn, Aunt Lisa with her husband and children, and Aunt Tiffany and cousin Shelby, all from out of town, at Uncle James and Aunt LaRee's house with cousin Stephanie and her family!. . . Whew. Tummy Mommy Marissa was also scheduled to visit a week or two after that, and since everyone wouldn't all be in town the same time we decided to forgo an official celebration and have a family dinner and cake at home instead. We had a great big shindig last year for Otto's first birthday, so I know he wouldn't mind. I think we can get away with not having a big to-do until he turns 4. It takes me about that long to plan and prepare anyway.
We honored our June 2nd, Otto's birthmas, with our traditional Asian noodles dinner. This time, all of Tummy Mommy's family joined in from across the 2 states and posted pics of their noodle dinner. 

We had a special lunch at Village Inn with Daddy,

 we spent the day getting checked by his doctor, and getting an ice cream treat. We waited until the weekend to have a birthday celebrations on Saturday after his birthday. We took him to the Phoenix Children's museum for a day of fun. He was in heaven with so many ball toys and car activities. He wanted to sit and play with the big wooden blocks and dump trucks forever.

Then, we had a dinner Skype date with Aunt Megan, Papa and Nana where we ate cake and opened presents. He got Thomas coloring book from Grandma Becky and Papa Wheelie (Mike).

It was just 2 weeks later that we got to squeeze in a quick lunch visit with Tummy Mommy Marissa and Zach on their visit to Arizona. We had a great time catching up and being silly (Otto mostly) over a delicious vegan meal. Hopefully in the future we can plan our trips to Arizona at the same time and keep seeing each other. She is doing well in Colorado and we will be moving closer to her sister Lori and her family in Utah, so I know we will all stay close.

 Matt and Otto sport their new Phoenix Children's Museum shirts. Otto's says, "I Play with Cars" and Matt's says, "I still Play with Cars"

The next event in this crazy month of June, our trip to Alaska! My sister and her husband were having their open house where his family lives. We knew it could be cutting it close to our own packing and moving whirlwind, but sometime in life you have to say, "Fudge it!" and buy three tickets to Anchorage. Best. Decision. Ever
We had the best time being personally escorted and toured around by the Bohman family. We were provided with a beautiful cabin-like home to stay in by Trina and Richard's best friends. Mike was a wonderful host to us, perfect strangers. Mike took Matt out on his 4x4 in the trails through the forest all around their house. He also picked up a Lightening McQueen bucket so Otto could pick up rocks and flowers around the yard.
We took beautiful day trips to Wittier to see the boats coming in and out, Anchorage to take a trolley tour (Brennan Bohman was THE BEST tour guide). take walking hikes, see the nature preserve, and see actual glaciers. We stopped at a fresh cool water spring on the side of the road that is said to be cleansing and cures your ailments. We stopped 3 or 4 times to fill up our water bottles.
Alaska is not the place I would have ever chosen to take a family vacation, but with a reason to go, we are so glad we did. We had the best time. We needed the beauty, fresh air, sunshine, and unpolluted landscape to clear our heads. Otto was excited as he exclaimed, "We are in ALASKA!"
Megan and Coltan had a beautiful reception for friends and family, in which it seems NONE of us got pictures of. WHA WHA WHA. . .

 We were so excited to see Nana and Papa again!
This is our first family breakfast at a true Alaskan breakfast joint.
We had the pleasure of dining with Coltan's family and meet his sister-in-law, Sheila (check for spelling) and her adorable daughter Zahar. Otto had a friend to play with on our visit!

 We hung out in Anchorage for the day, seeing the salmon fished from the river, and how an Ulu knife is made and used. 
After a hot summer in Phoenix, the weather was perfect and the air was clean and crisp.











Brennan Bohman was a funny and charming tour guide on the Anchorage Trolley Tours. We enjoyed seeing the puddle jumper planes, learning the history of Anchorage, and the earthquake that nearly destroyed it. Otto. . . was asleep about 2 minutes into it. Ah well.




Coltan acted as our tour guide for the rest of the trip and chauffeured us around in a 10 passenger van. 

It was AMAZING scenery day and night. The hardest part to get accustomed was the night that never came. We had an infinite number of hours to see everything and do everything, but when to sleep? We were constantly asking what time it was because our internal clocks were so messed up. 




We enjoyed the hikes. We got to see the same hand-pull bridge that Coltan proposed to Megan. Unfortunately, it wasn't operating, but we had a great time hiking to it! 

 This is Matt posing at the Wildlife Conservation Park. 






I like to say that Alaska is the romantic capital of the U.S. 

Maybe not, but it felt like it to me! 

 On our way to Whittier, we stopped to see the glacier in something-or-other bay. We saw a piece of ice floating out in the water and Coltan was able to wrestle it with a stick. Of course, Matt wanted to get in on the action and take a picture with it. This ice is VERY old! 



 While the family went about the town, Megan and I had a pedicure/manicure date. She is the Bride afterall!