Alaska in March

I'm not sure how or why we always end up in Alaska in March... When there's still snow... And it's still cold... This year being the coldest March, yet! Still, we were happy to spend the week+ with the Wall family! Uriah easily had the best time of us all playing with his cousins every day - six kiddos five and under and he's smack in the middle! The naps were short or nonexistent, the dates were plenty, the food impeccable, the laughter nonstop and the love overflowing! 

 ^^ Packed and ready to go! ^^

 ^^ The flights there were actually a little miserable - we landed well after two am and Ezra slept a total of two hours the entire evening. Good thing she's cute...! ^^

 ^^ Several days were spent out at the Walls eating around the time, playing in the snow and chasing the imaginary Easter Bunny around the house ^^

 ^^ The Ice Park! We only managed to make it there once during our stay - the crawl through maze being Uriah's favorite and the train being Ezra's! ^^

 ^^ Naked babies, always! ^^

 ^^ This is Ezra "take pictures for Papa!" to show off her stegosaurus hair-do ^^

 ^^ Library date and of course this one wanted the Ninja Turtle books! ^^

 ^^ 4-wheeler ride out on the river past the island. I have walked and ridden on the river what seems like hundreds of times over the years but I still can't believe it freezes so thick...! ^^

 ^^ Mornings! ^^

 ^^ Uriah got to go ice fishing with Pa and daddy while Ezra went shopping with Baba and mom. He loved it and talked about it non stop when he got back! ^^

 ^^ A birthday party for our very own two year old Donatello! She was spoiled rotten by family and we loved getting to celebrate her all together two years in a row! ^^

 ^^ At the Alaska Club with dad getting their workout on ;) ^^

 ^^ Uriah found Jeff's pelts in the basement and carried them all around the house one morning (the two muskrat pelts are now in his bedroom!) I told him he looked like the Uriah the trapper from dad's bedtime stories :) ^^

 ^^ Uncle Aaron has the best toys! ^^

^^ More snow, more food, more play! ^^

 ^^ I'm not sure how Stephen and I ended up with the kid with the darkest hair... Or how Ezra and Hans look like siblings... Or how Uriah and Skylar look so much alike when they look like their mommas (who aren't related!)... But gosh if they aren't the cutest kiddos...! It was so fun to watch them play together all week - the goodbyes were hard! ^^

^^ Aannnddd HOME ^^

Our non spring break, spring break

Shortly after returning from Idaho (four days after) all four of us packed up and headed to Fairbanks for the first ten days of Stephen's two week vacation block. Traveling with one extra set of helping hands is huge, people! Though I'm a self proclaimed pro, now, at traveling solo with the kids, I will always, always prefer making trips with Stephen (for more than just the extra set of hands!) It felt a little odd packing snow pants and winter coats in March, leaving our little warm city for snow and ice, but the change in weather was worth the change in company!

Lazy mornings, day dates, double dates, family dinners, sledding, snowmobiling, four wheeling, fort building, snow ball fights, cousins playing, birthday celebrating, baby holding, ice park outings... I think we crammed as much into our ten days as we possibly could! Always so grateful for our time with the Wall family as it doesn't happen as often as we'd like. It was so fun to see all six grandkids together - oh the adventures waiting to be had between this group! (and oh the trouble to come...!)