Juneau, Alaska

Our first stop was in Juneau, Alaska. We had a bit of a rough start, but we mad it to Mendenhall Glacier, where we saw the bald eagle and the baby porcupine. We also saw a black bear and some salmon but no pictures of that. The Alaskan Malamute was named Timber and was a huge hit with everyone. We also got to ride the tram up the side of Mt Roberts in Juneau just before the clouds rolled in. A nice view up there as well a visitor center at the top. The grizzly print compared to Jillian's hand is quite impressive.

The Cruise Part 1

Grandma and Grandpa Texas were kind enough to take us on a cruise to Alaska. Here's the first few pictures including one of 2 sunny days (the day we left from Seattle.) Also shown are some from Jillian and Julie's girls night, and our sleeping quarters.

Umbella Falls hike

Before the Texas grandparents showed up in Oregon, we went on a hike to Umbrella Falls. The day was incredible, with some snow still on the mountain to wipe on our faces to cool off with. We saw a deer and a few chipmunks and had lunch at the half way point. Jillian even had a butterfly land on her bright pink shirt thinking it was a flower.  Jillian did the whole 6 mile hike (and more elevation gain than we expected) with no complaints.

Random Pics to Start

So we have Jillian on one of her longest bike rides of the summer. The three of us rode down to OMSI and back which is about 5 miles round trip. We also have pictures of Julie shooting a pistol for the first time. So far it's been the only time. We also have another first in these pictures. Jillian ate her first hamburger this summer. Yes she has had the opportunity, but she never wanted to until the beginning of this summer. She also has become the proud owner of a few Nerf guns. The neighbor boys try to invade her house, but she does a good job fending them off. Jillian is also continuing her artistic endeavors, as proven by her picture of her best friend.

No Explanation

I'm not going to even try to explain the reasons for not posting anything to this blog for the whole summer. Lets just say that facebook had most of the photos posted and with my parents here in Oregon it was just forgotten. So, onward to a few posts to recap the summer...