and off goes Ben!

Ben started walking at 14 months and a day. He still prefers to crawl when he wants to get somewhere fast, but he's slowly starting to walk more and more. He gets so excited with himself when he's walking, and I think it's his excitement that often throws off his balance.

Sigh...my babies aren't babies anymore! It's slightly depressing, but the fun of watching them grow and learn new things outweighs any nostalgia I may have.

Jaunt to Seattle

Late in the afternoon on Friday Darius calls me up from work and tells me to pack a bag for the boys and I. His boss told him she wouldn't be calling him into work on any of his upcoming days off, and to take advantage of a late flight to Seattle (these are rare out of Cordova). Darius had to work the flight we left on and boarded with me and the boys after he helped load all the cargo and luggage. The flight was nice and spacious with only two or three other people on the plane.

We arrived in Seattle around 4:00AM and checked into a hotel near the airport for some rest before we started our day. After we checked in early at The Paramount Hotel, we headed straight for Pike Place Market. It's been about 10 years since I was last there, and about 6 for Darius. It's just the way we remembered it! We loaded up on lots of delicious fruit and marveled at how cheap it all was! The boys loved it all, but particularly the strawberries. Ben would shove entire (and very large) strawberries into his mouth.

It was fun to see all the signs in the market for fresh Copper River salmon. Darius likely helped load a lot of the very fish we saw on display.

One of my favorite things from the market are the beautiful bouquets of fresh flowers that they wrap in craft paper. The colors are great and you see people carrying them all over downtown.

As I've mentioned before, I'm not a big fan of shopping. I did however come across my all time favorite clothing store (H&M) and had to stop in. They have the best stuff and there are so many different styles and colors to choose from. Darius got some shopping in for himself, and we both had fun finding things for Ben & Zach.

It's been quite a while since Darius and I have been able to splurge on a great dinner. We did just that at Cutters Bayhouse located at the end of Pikes Place Market. It was so delicious! It was definitely the best meal we've had since the dinner we enjoyed on our wedding night at A&B Lobster House in Key West.

We did a lot of the same stuff on Sunday. Tackling the crowds at the market is tricky with a double stroller on it's last leg, so I sat with our sleeping boys in a park area near the market and Darius went in search of food for us. He came back with piroshky from Piroshky Piroshky. YUM!

After lunch we took the boys to the Seattle Aquarium. When you enter the aquarium there is a huge tank of tropical fish. We got there during feeding time and there was a scuba diver in the tank feeding the fish. The diver interacted with the kids on the other side and played peek-a-boo with Ben and Zach, which made them both laugh.

It was great to be able to get away and enjoy the buzz of a city for the weekend. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and the weather was excellent the entire time. The boys did really well and they were excellent travelers on the flight home.

Copper River Opener

This past week there were about 500 boats that participated in the first commercial Copper River salmon opener. Over the past month people have been pouring into Cordova and the harbor has been filling up. My walks around town with the boys use to be pretty quiet, but now there's a lot more activity.

I didn't understand much about the fishing industry in Cordova until we moved here. There's a lot that I still don't know, but I've been trying to pay attention and I can share a very little bit of what I've learned.

There are about two openers held every week. The openers are usually 24 or 48 hours in length. Most of the boats will leave the harbor the night before an opener and return the following evening with their catch. It's pretty cool to watch all the boats coming and going from the harbor. We have an excellent view from the house!

I did a little bit of research online and was able to find out that during the first opener there were about 18,600 Red Salmon & about 1,400 King Salmon caught. I don't know how those numbers measure up to past years. I guess it's hard to make comparisons until the season is over.

After all the fishermen return with their catch, they off load to one of the several canneries here in Cordova. The fish is then prepped and shipped out. This is where Darius' job comes in. I don't know how he does it, but between him and the other guys he works with (which aren't many) they load all that fish on cargo planes and off it goes. I can't remember if it was the first or second opener, but he ended up working 26 hours straight without sleep. Needless to say we don't see much of him while this is going on. Some nights he's at the airport and works straight through his shift the following day.

Alaska Airlines in Cordova shipped out nearly 162,000 lbs of salmon as a result of an opener on the 19th. That's about 100,000 lbs more than what was shipped after the first opener of the season. It's not official, but it's likely a new record for the amount of Copper River salmon transported in a day.

I guess the lack of sleep is one thing, but I cringe at the thought of how physcially draining it must be for Darius to help stack all those boxes of fish on the planes. I don't know how he does it, but I adore him for how hard he works for his family.

Traveling with Twins

Darius has some great benefits with his job, and Joy and I were very fortunate to be able to test them out on our recent trip with the boys to Utah. Unfortunately Darius wasn't able to join us, and I really missed him while we were gone.

Before the trip I had a lot of reservations about traveling with Ben and Zach at the age they're at now. There were several times I almost changed my mind about going on the trip, but I'm glad we went.

I won't say that it was easy. There were a few minutes on the flight home that I was on the verge of tears. Ben was having such a hard time and there didn't seem to be anything I could do to help him feel better. But, despite the sticky spots I think the boys did okay overall.

Joy was a saint to come along as my helper. I don't think she knew what she was signing up for until it was too late to turn back! She was great with the boys, and it was good for them to have her around.

I know it was stressful at times, but the trip wouldn't have been possible without you, Joy. Thanks for all your help!

Utah to Idaho

Friday was our last day in Utah. Connie had been busy during the week with finals, but came over Thursday night. It was good to be able to spend a little time with her before we left. It's rare that all of my sisters are together for a picture, so I thought 4 out of 5 was pretty good.

Joy and I stopped in Brigham City to see Grandma Ruth one more time. She was happy to see us and the boys, and we all went to Taco Time for lunch. I don't think our trip to Utah would have been complete without eating at Brigham City's Taco Time. It was sad to say goodbye to Grandma, as she stood in the driveway and waved to us as we left.

We drove up to Rexburg, ID to stay the night with James and Brooke before our flight the following day. They made dinner for us which was really yummy! They have a great place right next to the BYU ID campus. They have a huge backyard with this awesome free standing brick fireplace/stove in the middle of the yard. It looks like it was used to cook with (who knows how long ago), and James got a fire going in it for marshmallow roasting.

Brooke and James have a friend with twins that are a few months away from turning two. They came over to play and have smores with us. The kids had fun watching the fire, playing in the leaves, and playing with the wheel barrow in the yard.

After the boys were asleep we played a few games of Bang! and I finished packing. What do I find in one of the boy's diaper bags as I'm packing? A pewter figurine of a stinking clown. James knows how much I dislike clowns, and I'm sure he thought it was just hilarious to not only hide one in the bag, but also on the pillows of their guest bed I was sleeping in. I guess he's getting back at me for all the years of abuse he suffered from me when we were kids. Or, maybe it was payback for the insanely early ride he gave us to the airport the next morning.

We have such an awesome family! It was great to be able to see everyone! Thanks again to all of you that gave us a place to stay, fed us, drove us around, helped with the boys, met with us to do fun stuff, shopped with us, etc... Love you all so much!

Utah - Visit with Sarah

I don't keep in touch with more than a couple of friends from high school. Sarah is one of them and I try to meet up with her whenever I'm in Utah. Thursday I took the boys and drove to Heber City to visit her. The drive there and back from Carrie's house was an hour each way, which gave the boys time to nap. I enjoyed the quiet drive and scenery along the way.

Sarah lives in a great neighborhood and has a beautiful home. It was great to see her and her family! We enjoyed lunch outside and the boys had fun playing in the yard. Ben had fun pushing around a toy vacuum cleaner, Zach made friends with Fezzik the dog, and they both enjoyed playing/tasting the sidewalk chalk.

Sarah's kids are adorable, and I got to meet little Max for the first time. He got so excited when Ben and Zach would get close to him and I'm sure he would have joined them in play if he had been mobile.

It always seems like our visits are too short, but I'm happy to have whatever time I can get to see my friend and catch up in person. Thanks for the good visit Sarah!

Utah - Hogle Zoo

Wednesday morning I took Ben and Zach to a zoo for the first time. They have always enjoyed looking at animals in books and on DVDs, so I was excited to see what their reactions would be to live animals.

There was a good sized group of us that went. Carrie and Joy came with me and the boys and we met up with Clair, Stacey, Makenna and Hope at the Hogle Zoo. The first animals we saw were the monkeys and the elephants. Their eyes got all big watching the elephants and Zach oohed a lot over them.

The carousel in the zoo was great and I think it was probably the biggest hit among all the kids. Looking back on it now I wish I would have taken the boys on it. I wasn't sure how they would react, but after seeing how Hope enjoyed it I think they would have had fun.

By the time we reached the giraffes the boys fell asleep. We spent some more time walking through the zoo with everyone before we headed out. Carrie had a staring match with a giraffe and Joy got drooled on by a sloth...good times!

It was great to see Clair and his family and I appreciated the time they took to come down to Salt Lake to meet up with us.

After leaving the zoo Carrie navigated us to Lone Star Taqueria for lunch. The little taco joint has some massive burritos and I'm all about a good burrito, so I was excited to try one. I wasn't disappointed, but my belly could have gone with the half size rather than full.

We spent the rest of the afternoon shopping (yuck). I really dislike shopping, but in Cordova your shopping options are slim, if not altogether void. I had a modest list and stuck to it pretty good, which made it a little less painful. Carrie was a great help to me and watched the boys when I had clothes I needed to try on. I was able to get pretty much everything I needed for myself, Darius and the boys in one area, and was happy to have it out of the way.

Utah - Saffy's Birthday

On Tuesday evening we went to Eric and Melinda's house for dinner. It was Saffy's 4th birthday and we brought her some pink balloons that she seemed to really enjoy. Melinda and Miles made mini pizzas and bread sticks that were delicious. Ben sat with Carrie and he chowed down on the pizza. Zach wasn't too interested in dinner and had fun playing with the vacuum cleaner instead.

Rather than cake, Saffy had candles in a bread stick that she blew out. Very cute!

Ben and Zach had fun playing with all the plastic kitchen and food toys that the kids brought out for them. They also enjoyed knocking over the card houses that Miles and Ian were trying to build.

After dinner we all went to a game store in the neighborhood so that I could buy Bang! for Mom for a Mother's Day gift. It was fun to see all the games the store offered. Next door to the game store we stopped in the Tea Grotto. If I had two sleeping angels instead of squirmy worms, I definitely would have stayed for a cup of tea. What a terrific shop! Eric got a refill on two delicious smelling teas that I'm sure are delicious. The gingerbread cookie tea even had bits of dried fruit in it.

Utah - Carrie & Bobby's House

Carrie and Bobby are gracious hosts to all their guests and I immediately feel relaxed and comfortable whenever I visit them. They were awesome to put us up for the rest of our stay in Utah. Bless them for opening their home to loud, very curious, hands-on twins, and their slightly crazed mommy!

Carrie had presents for us when we arrived. Stuffed Cat in the Hat plush toys for the boys and a bottle of my favorite perfume that I thought was long gone. When I was in high school I used to wear Grass from Gap and it was discontinued. Imagine my surprise when she had a bottle of it waiting for me on the dresser.

Not only were the gifts super sweet, but Carrie also had food she thought the boys would enjoy and even my favorite coffee creamer waiting next to fresh coffee in the morning. Ben and Zach love opening cupboards and she let the boys peruse all her cupboards and empty their contents all over her floor. She's even conditioned her cat Max to tolerate a bit of tough love, and the boys loved playing with him.

I think one of the things I was looking forward to the most during our visit, besides seeing family, was letting the boys play outside. They really enjoyed exploring the backyard. They sampled dirt, ripped leaves and played with a plastic golf set I bought for them.

Carrie & Bobby - Thank you both so much for having us in your home and making our stay so comfortable. I appreciate your awesome hospitality. Love you!

Utah - New House

After leaving Brigham City Monday evening, we stopped by to see Michel and Brent's family near Ogden. They're living temporarily in a rental while their new home is being built. We had dinner with them and later drove to the site of the new house. They're going to be living in a beautiful neighborhood. Nearby there are nature trails, a great park and the Ogden Athletic Club.

After my parents retire next year they're moving back to Utah and will be living in the new house with Michel and Brent's family. It 's a little odd for me to envision my parents someplace other than where they are now, but after seeing their new neighborhood I felt better. They're going to have a comfortable home to live in and be surrounded by family. I'm sure they will miss Cordova, but I know how excited they are to be moving back to Utah.

Brenton and Jarom giving their new house enthusiastic thumbs up.

Kylee in what will be her new bedroom.

Utah - Grandma Ruth

Last week I went to Utah with Ben & Zach, and Joy came along to help me on the flights. We flew into the Idaho Falls airport and were welcomed by James, Brooke and Connie. After lunch with everyone, Connie drove us to Brigham City and we spent a couple of days with Grandma Ruth. Thanks again Connie for all the driving you did for us! Love you!

Monday was Grandma's 89th birthday and we took her to Ogden to have lunch at Union Grill with Carrie, Clair, Stacey, Makenna and Hope. I thought it was nice that a good chunk of our family was able to spend time with Grandma on her birthday.

Ben & Zach didn't seem to remember their Great Grandma very well, but despite her disappointment that they didn't want to sit on her lap and cuddle, she still enjoyed watching them tear around her house. Every time they passed by her chair she tried to persuade them to come to her and even tried snagging them a few times.