Sweet Home Alaska

I am proud to announce that I have finally compiled some key photos from our wonderful July trip to Alaska. (We won't call too much attention to the fact that we've actually been home from Alaska for a month now.)

Being that it was a week-long family reunion...and there were thirty of us in attendance...and each day had at least one photo-worthy activity...and Justin and I love to snap lots of photos, there is no way I can possibly post all the photos here. Instead, I have narrowed it down to one or two photos for each of the 9 days we were in Fairbanks. If, however, you are on my Shutterfly mailing list, you can expect to receive the full album from our trip shortly.

Now, let's begin...

BINDER FAMILY REUNION 2010: FAIRBANKS, ALASKA

No reunion is official without a t-shirt:

The back reads: "Some family trees bear an enormous crop of nuts. -Wayne H."

Day 1 Activities: I actually woke up early and went for a 5.6 mile run (ouch!) with my sister-in-law, Kia. What a way to start my vacation! Then it was off to run some errands with my sister-in-law Kathy for last minute preparation for the Reunion Kickoff Luau. Kathy and I were in charge of decorations: In mid-afternoon everyone arrived at the P's house for party time.

I love cuddling with my little man, especially on vacation!

My Pops and brother-in-law Mike worked on the pig while the kiddos looked on. Shortly after this photo, and the decapitation of the pig, my 4-year-old nephew Dominic (the worried-looking one in the background) inquired: "Excuse me? Did you just cut his head off?" Hmmm...I wonder if we made vegetarians out of any of the kiddos this reunion?

Then we wrapped up Day 1's festivities with my Pops sharing the story of how he met my Mom - thus creating the legacy that is our family - followed by a game of family trivia.

Day 2 Activities: HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!! We headed off to church on Sunday morning, where a tired little Kendry promptly fell asleep in my brother John's arms and slept there the entire service. Where is the camera when you need it!? Then we all ended up back at the P's house again for a traditional July 4th BBQ. It doesn't get any more American than this, folks: my red, white and blue clad kiddo chowing down on his first piece of buttery corn on the cob.If you know anything about my family you know we aren't competitive in the least.

Okay, thats a lie.

But maybe you would believe me if all the adults in this photo didn't have incredibly intense expressions on their faces during the 3-legged race. Jaimee and Greg (third from the left) were the winners.

FYI: No pregnant women were harmed in the taking of this photo. My little sis, Angel (third person from the left) is due in October, and my sis-in-law, Kathy (sixth person from the right), is due in February. This family just keeps growing...

Anyway, we did a few more games, which included one very memorable egg-on-a-spoon race incident not many of us will soon forget (ahem, Gho family!). But like I said, its not like we're competitive anyway.

In honor of the 4th, my Grandmother did her intriguing presentation on the symbols of our nation. Then it was on to some hot-tubbing and hanging out around the fire pit before calling it a day.

Day 3 Activities: The morning was kicked-off by a professional photo shoot of the entire family. My P's have a beautiful yard and porch, perfect for such a photo op. Sadly, it was raining pretty steadily when the photographer arrived, so we had to move the shoot indoors. Talk about one cozy living room. We haven't received our prints just yet, but the proofs look great!

The afternoon of Day 3 was supposed to be spent hiking Angel Rocks. However, due to the aforementioned rain, everyone made alternative plans. Some of us headed off to go bowling. And some others headed off... well, I'm not really sure where they went cuz I wasn't in their group.

The boys' bowling team:

And, yet again, it was back to the P's in the evening. By this time the rain had let up and we had beautiful weather for some volleyball in the yard.

This is my sister Jaimee (w/ her new puppy Cruise) sporting one of my Mom's many animal print get-ups.

Day 4 Activities: We awoke early and headed up to Hilltop truck stop with my Pops for our traditional breakfast. Yummers! (For you newbies, this is the truck stop where my hubby proposed to me.)

Then it was time to pack up the P's RV and head out to Chena Lakes for an overnight camping trip. After setting up camp (in all we took up 4 camp sites), we took the kiddos down to the lake.

This is Alexis, my beautiful little niece, who is 3 weeks younger than Kendry:

It does my heart good to see Kendry so at ease with my family when he only sees them about once a year.

Day 5 Activities: Breakfast time at the P's campsite!

That's my sis, Stephanie, cooking for us: After some more time at the lake we packed up and headed back home mid-afternoon. Once we were unpacked and showered, it was relaxation time.


Talk about a full tub:






Day 6 Activities: The morning activity was floating down the Chena River. Our family opted to pass on this activity and headed to the mall instead, hoping to find Justin some sunglasses to replace the beloved (and ancient) Oakleys he lost on the flight to Fairbanks. No luck. Not that we were surprised since the mall has a whopping 7 stores - and thats including kiosks. It makes Lewiston's mall not seem so pathetic.


Then we met up with everyone else at Alaskaland for lunch and fun in the sun. This park is a neat way to experience Fairbanks' history. It was renamed Pioneer Park several years ago, but the loyal Fairbanksans refuse to conform to the new name. It will always be Alaskaland to me.


Brett Favre meets a malemute (my high school mascot, BTW):

The hubby and me:


Day 7 Activities: In the morning we said goodbye to John, Kia and the kids. Then we drove out to Angel Rocks for a 3 mile hike. When it was all said and done, I'm pretty sure we did more than 3 miles since we took a wrong turn along the way. Whoops!


Kendry and Mommy taking a break for lunch at the top:

My Dad drove his Harley out to the trailhead to meet us when we finished. I rode back in to town with him, experiencing the thrill of riding a motorcyle in the rain. (I didn't get nearly as wet as I thought I would.)

In the evening we said goodbye to GG. Then several of us headed over to Jaimee and Greg's new house for a nightcap, and stayed up WAY too late.

Day 8 Activities: With activities winding down, the big mission for the day was getting Alexis' ears pierced. Mission accomplished!

She was such a trooper!

Shortly afterwards, we said goodbye to Justin, Kathy and the kids. Then Angel and I headed off for some sister time (aka Thai food lunch and shopping). Mom, Jaimee and Stephanie joined us for a girls' dinner a little later.

Then it was time for a big highlight of the trip: segwaying! (Can segway be a verb?) This is a new tourist activity in the Fairbanks area. The owners made a special exception and squeezed us in at the last minute. If you ever have a chance to ride one of these things, DO IT! It was awesome!

Move over, Mallcop - there are some new riders in town:

Alas, after this adventure I had to say goodbye to Jaimee and Stephanie, as our flight was leaving Fairbanks at 7am the following day.

Or so we thought...

Day 9 Activities: We got up at the crack of dawn, finished packing everything up, dragged our sleepy toddler out of bed, gave him some Tylenol on the way to the airport, and were checking in at the ticket counter at 5:45am. Of course, this was news to Alaska Airlines. It seems our reservations got screwy between our flight up and our return flight. They told us we were supposed to fly out the night before, and now that we hadn't, they could put us on the current flight, but we would have to sit in Seattle all day because our original Seattle to Lewiston flight was now overbooked. Hmmm...sit in SeaTac all day with a toddler? I think not!

This was Sunday. Justin and I had both taken Monday off from work to just be at home and relax before heading back into the routine, so we weren't pressured to fly back no matter what on Sunday. Long story short, we re-booked our original itinerary for Monday instead (goodbye relaxing Monday at home), and then headed back to my P's house for our bonus day. Our Tylenol-influenced toddler went right back to sleep, as did we.

As we didn't plan to still be in Fairbanks this day, we didn't feel obligated to take any pics. Sorry! But it was a wonderful day just the same. I got a pedicure and had some much-needed girl time with my Mom while the guys hung out at home. Ahhhh, just the right finish to a wonderful vacation!

We love you, Binder Family! And we miss you all so much already!

On a side note, one of the most precious memories of our trip was seeing Kendry play with his cousin Addysen, my sister Angel's little girl. They are 5.5 months apart. I cannot tell you how many photos I took of these two spunky kiddos together. This is only the beginning of a beautiful and, no doubt, mischievous friendship.

Baby joy ride in the RV, anyone?

***This family reunion brought to you by Jack & Linda's (my P's) ancient can of Amway bug spray.*** Seriously, how long have they had this stuff?

Ten on Tuesday

1. Twilight update: I have now read the first two books and watched the first two movies – and somehow got my hubby to watch the movies with me. Summation: I am and will probably always be a diehard Jacob fan. Sorry, Edward.

2. Our mornings have been in the 60's this week, giving us a small taste of the impending fall. I love summer, but I am in love with fall!

3. My love affair with fall inspires my creativity. I'm planning to make Kendry's Halloween costume again this year (a Jedi) and a personalized canvas trick-or-treating bag. I realize Halloween is still two months away, but I am determined to thwart my procrastinating tendencies and get these projects started early. So stay tuned!

4. We are even growing our own pumpkins this year! (pics to come in October)

Okay, enough about fall.

5. Disney Movie Trivia:

“He throws an angry tantrum if he cannot have his way. He calls for Mom and sucks his thumb and doesn't want to play. Too late to be known as John the First, he's sure to be known as John the Worst!”

6. On Saturday we went to our niece Ava's 1st birthday party, where we had a wonderful time!

Kisses for the beautiful birthday girl from her uncle:Kendry and Mommy matching (this was not planned):My cutie patootie having a ball; he thought rolling around on the picnic blanket was funny:Look at Ava clawing into that birthday cake:Happy 1st Birthday, Ava!

7. Kendry has his 15 month check-up next week. Being that our scale is still broken I am quite eager to see how much the kiddo is weighing these days.

8. We have an aquatic center just minutes from our house, complete with a wave pool, toddler wading area, and waterslides. It was our goal to take Kendry there at least once this summer, although we hated the thought of spending $17 to get the two of us admitted (Kendry would be free), only to leave an hour later when Kendry was worn out. But as our luck would have it, we didn't have to shell out any money - our church rented out the facility for the congregation on Sunday evening.

Kendry was a little uncertain at first:Then he took a tumble and went completely under water:
We will make a swimmer out of him yet.

9. Have I mentioned that Rick Springfield is performing in concert here in just two more weeks? Oh, to hear "Jesse's Girl" performed live...

10. You know football season is just around the corner when my hubby is compiling Excel spreadsheets for his upcoming Fantasy Football Draft 2010.

Ten on Tuesday

1. Okie dokie! I’m back to calling it Ten on Tuesday (TOT). I think this is a catchier title; plus, I’m hoping it will help me be more consistent.

2. There is nothing like a fun piece of home décor to get you inspired. This one I bought with some birthday money at Walmart last week:

I am not really a Walmart fan but I am LOVING their Better Homes & Gardens collection. I haven’t decided where I’m going to put it just yet, or what I will use it for. Holding my cooking utensils on the kitchen counter? Use it as a flower vase on my dining room table? Oh, the possibilities!

3. As mentioned in my birthday post two weeks ago, Kendry is learning how to feed himself. His first challenge was his breakfast yogurt. Can you say “messy”?

He doesn’t seem to favor a certain hand just yet; rather, he swaps the fork/spoon between both hands at least ten times while he is eating. However, his left hand appears more coordinated than his right when it comes to stabbing food with his fork. Where I tend to encourage Kendry’s right hand simply out of habit, Justin encourages the left. How else will Kendry become a left-handed major league pitcher, right?

4. Blog Confession: I have a serious crush on Tom Selleck.

It doesn't matter if he is playing Magnum, Jesse Stone, Richard on "Friends", or Peter in "3 Men and a Baby". I love the guy! And what could be better than Tom as a cowboy ("Quigley Down Under")? Tom in a cop uniform! In case you haven't heard, he is starring in a new show this fall called "Blue Bloods" on CBS. Welcome back, Tom! I'll be watching you. (wink, wink)

5. Disney Movie Trivia:
"We're rehearsing a - a scene for the upcoming company play called uh, Put That Thing Back Where It Came From Or So Help Me. It's a musical. "Put that thing back where it came from or so help me... so help me, so help me..." and cut. We're still working on it, it's a work in progress but, hey, we need ushers."

(Note: this one might be a little tougher than weeks past. Good luck!)

6. I recently got a babycenter.com update titled "7 Foods Your Toddler Should Be Eating". This list includes: yogurt, avocado, salmon, blueberries, spinach, oats, and sweet potatoes. I've hit the head on half of these, but have slacked on the others. Time to get going on my toddler's nutrition! I would love suggestions on fun ways to serve avocado and spinach to a toddler. You should know that Justin and I are non-avocado eaters so I don't plan on squeezing any avocado into a community dinner dish; but I will take any other suggestions you might have.

7. Last night I watched as Kendry figured out how to independently climb up a small ladder on a Little Tikes climber in the church nursery. About a half hour before this he was needing my help to climb that same ladder. How much of a sap am I for nearly crying when he did it all by himself? He is growing up too darn fast.

8. Last night, in anticipation for the start of football season 2010, Justin pulled out and inspected Kendry's vintage Brett Favre jersey in size 2T and Matt Hasselbeck jersey in size 3T. Folks, the kiddo is ready for kickoff!

9. Hold the phone! Did I just say "football season"?! Are we there already?!

10. And speaking of fall, the big half-marathon is just two months away! Do I dare admit that I got somewhat bored running only 5 miles the other day? What have I signed myself up for?

Keepin' it Cool

Our hot August days (and nights) have arrived, and we cannot rave enough about our first summer with central air installed. Pure bliss! But chilling inside with the A/C and a glass of peach tea isn't all that appealing to an active toddler. Regardless of temperature, Kendry would much rather be in the back yard running around like crazy, splashing in his wading pool, and getting acquainted with the garden hose. Who needs toys when the hose can keep the kiddo entertained for hours on end?

They say profile shots are more flattering.

"They" have never met my kiddo's overhanging belly.

Now soaked from head to toe, he can't figure out why he keeps slipping in his attempts to climb up the slide.

Momma's happy boy:

He is one busy kiddo. If you listen closely as he runs from place to place you can hear him say two of his current favorite words: 'hi' and 'outside'.

This weekend we bought some grasshopper pie ice cream and sugar cones in anticipation for Kendry's first official ice cream cone.

But does it still count as an official first cone when the cone itself is barely the size of my thumb? Seriously, I didn't know they even sold these teeny, tiny cones in grocery stores; I figured this size was carried exclusively by ice cream shops solely for sampling purposes.

What a joke.

Alas, after a good chuckle at myself, and a mental note to pay attention next time when the fine print on the front of the box says "actual size", we decided it was probably good to start Kendry out small anyway. He still made a fun mess with his mini cone.

"Hmmm...thats pretty good stuff."

Brain freeze!

Gasp! "What is this all over my belly?!"

"Maybe I can just rub it in like lotion."

"Ahhh, thanks Mom!"

Precious Hands & Feet

For Father's Day this year Kendry and I got Justin a kit to make a mosaic stone for his rose garden, the idea being that Kendry would put a handprint on the stone. I opted not to present Justin with the completed stone on Father's Day because I knew there was no way I could get Kendry to produce a decent handprint all by myself. So, nearly six weeks after Father's Day, we finally opened the kit as a family and got started.

Mixin, mixin, mixin...

Setting the mix:

Kendry got ahold of the glass mosaic pieces, which I realized a few minutes after taking this photo were the perfect size for a toddler to eat. (Way to go, Mom.) Fortunately I confiscated them before an ingestion.

And as it turns out, even as a team Justin and I can't get a decent handprint out of Kendry. After two attempts, all we had to show for our efforts was a botched stone and an uncooperative, squirming toddler whose hands were covered with the cement mix.

On to the backup plan: feet. And voila, we have a mosiac!

We had quite a bit of leftover mix so we made two more small stones. By the third one (bottom center) Kendry was done - we couldn't get one more footprint out of him. So Justin stuck his toes in instead. Somehow it doesn't quite have the same nostalgic appeal as the other two. I wonder why.

I would love to have my kiddo(s) do one of these for their daddy every Father's Day. Justin loves his yard, so it is special to have little reminders like this for him to see when he is out there.

And while we're on the subject of hands and feet, I finally framed one of my most treasured photos this week. Shortly after Kendry was born I received a beautiful plaque from my dear friend Phyllis. The glass plaque has a child's hand holding onto his mother's finger and reads: a mother holds her child's hand for a short while and their heart forever. When Kendry was six weeks old we took him to Alaska, where I had professional photos done by Kelly Atlee at Portraits Photography Studio. Kendry was very uncooperative, but Kelly still got some great shots. Its amazing what you can photograph when an infant is sleeping. As soon as I saw the proof for this photo I knew it had to go framed right next to my plaque.
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT!!