Girls Girls Girls

When Sylvia came to Anchorage from Abilene Christian University (ACU) for Spring Break Campaign, Mitchell and Quinn were delighted to have their favorite cousin stay with them for a week. The boys were surrounded by beautiful college girls and we're talking gorgeous - every single one of them! Now it's clear that they absolutely love Sylvia beyond measure but they also fell in love with Ashton, one of the ACU students. When we said good-bye at the airport, Mitchell kept saying to her, "You are the most beautiful girl in the universe"! Ever since spring break, when Mitchell and Quinn say their bedtime prayers and thank God for all the people in their life, they also say, "And thank you especially for Ashton!"

Ice Skating

When Sylvia came to Anchorage from Abilene Christian University for Spring Break Campaign we all went downtown to see the ice sculptures. Pretty cool thing to see when you're from Texas! Mitchell and Quinn were ice skating while the ACU students were being silly on the ice and horsing around with our boys. Then we all stood in a circle and sang songs until the Texans were numb from the beautiful Alaskan winter weather.

Hockey Fans

On Quinn's 3rd birthday we went to a hockey game with Sylvia. It is always a great time to go to the games, especially with someone that has never been to one. Sylvia enjoyed herself, even though jetlag was setting in and she was anxious to hit the pillow. Mitchell and Quinn like seeing Bomer the mascot, cheering for our team and eating popcorn!

Another Milestone!

Happy Birthday Quinn! On Quinn's third birthday his cousin Sylvia came to visit ... the best present ever! We went to Moose's Tooth for pizza and then to the Alaska Aces hockey game. A great time! Quinn's birthday cake had a Hawaiian scene on it, complete with palm trees, fish in the ocean, the beach and umbrellas!

Where did THAT come from?

ALOHA

In February 2007 we took a family vacation to Maui, Hawaii. We spent nine glorious days soaking up the sun, playing in the surf, eating tropical fruit and enjoying time together. It was hard to drag Mom home after such a great trip!

Whoa! Mom there's something on your head!

Hula Girl

Mitchell LOVED the Hula Girls but he was so embarrassed to stand beside one for a photo. Perhaps this is just the beginning!

Burned Out!

I guess Quinn just couldn't build anymore sand castles or jump in any more waves or run up and down the beach any longer without catching a few winks first!

Waiting

We're not exactly sure what Mitchell is waiting for. Perhaps he's waiting for his ship to come in, or for the next big wave to knock him off his bucket. Regardless, he was having a blast sitting on his bucket looking out to sea, enjoying the sounds and sights of God's marvelous creation.

Boogie Boy

It took a little convincing to get Mitchell on the boogie board. He usually wasn't quite centered on the board and so would fall off and get a mouthful of water and sand. He got it right a few times and had a nice ride up the beach. Dad, on the other hand, was a boogie boarding fool! He was way out in the giant waves going for ride after ride. He was really doing great and riding some pretty huge waves. That doesn't mean that he didn't take his share of poundings in the big surf. By the end of the day, Dad was pretty tired too!

Waves

The winds were very strong during our trip and so that made for some awesome waves. The boys loved jumping in them with Dad. Every now and then a big one would come and splash them in the face causing great squeals of fear combined with delight. It was so much fun to watch them with smiles from ear to ear and complete exhaustion by the end of each day.

Jumping Bean

Here's Quinn at the Keiki (kiddie) pool at the Condo. Jumping in and diving for toys was a favorite activity for him.

Sand Castles

Great pleasure was taken in the daily construction of the sand castle masterpiece. Mostly Quinn enjoyed watching others fill his bucket and make the castles for him. Both Quinn and Mitchell were pretty good at knocking them down.

There was sand in swimsuits, diapers, under fingernails and in hair at the end of each trip to the beach! I've never seen so much sand trapped on the bodies of two little boys.

Snorkel Boys

It was at this cove that Mitchell saw "Gill" from Finding Nemo and was just thrilled! It was a great place for snorkeling with the boys. Since it was calm there, they also enjoyed swimming way out in the deep water.

The Banyon Tree

In the town of Lahina on Maui is found the world's largest Banyon tree. It has several trunks, all from the same tree and it spans a city block. It is a beautiful tree that the Lahina residents have taken pride in preserving. The boys thought it was pretty cool, however there were signs posted everywhere that there was no climbing!

Fun in the Sun!

Could there possibly be two happier faces?

One Fish, Two Fish

Mitchell and Quinn took swimming lessons at a place called "Swim Like a Fish". They both learned so much and improved greatly. Quinn was diving to the bottom for a toy while kicking, paddling with his arms and blowing bubbles. At not even 3 years old yet, it was truly amazing. Mitchell learned front crawl, back stroke and breast stroke. He is completely comfortable in the water, diving to the bottom and learning new skills. I'm convinced he has gills!

SNOWMACHINING

Snowbuddies!!



Ready Mom! The entire 7 mile ride to Midnight Sun Bible Camp (our church camp) Quinn kept saying "go fast Mom". He did great! The ride back however, was a different story. Before we were off Lynx Lake (that's about 2 minutes) Quinn was fast asleep! Must have been all the sledding and a great day outdoors that did it!

SLEDDING!!

Big or small - all the 'kids' had a blast!

Ready for the trip!

Everyone looks ready to go!

SNOWSTORM!

A snowstorm is always so exciting when you have kids who love snow. We've had more snow this year than I've ever seen! The boys were up to their thighs as they attempted to walk through the front yard. We've recently enjoyed sledding, ice skating and cross country skiing. Mitchell has improved greatly on his single-blade skates but he really enjoys the skiing. Quinn has recently shown improvement on his double-blade skates and his confidence is growing. Winter is so much FUN!

Pure Admiration

If this isn't a little boy looking up to his big brother I don't know what is.

Merry Christmas

This is what the boys think we should do for Santa

Mom: Would you like to bake cookies at Grammy's house and leave them out for Santa?
Mitchell: Yes, but too many cookies isn't healthy for Santa.
Mom: What should we do?
Mitchell: Maybe we could leave some cookies and some other food.
Mom: Great idea, what do you think Santa would like?
Mitchell: Some cookies and tomato salad.
Quinn: And Cheese!!

Pals

Biker Boys

Everyday last summer the boys cruised around the neighborhood. It took Quinn a while to conquer the hill but he did it! Mitchell just can't seem to go fast enough for his liking.

Exhausted!

After a weekend of fishing, treasure hunting on the beach, chasing the dogs, hiking, kite flying, eating ice cream, learning to skip rocks, collecting fire wood, and being little boys...what else would you expect!