Alaskan Paradise

The first week in December Josh interviewed and then accepted a position with the Alaska Eye Care Centers. This was a definite dream job and amazing opportunity for our family. We had fallen in love with Alaska on our trip up in October and were excited for the chance to make it our home. Here are just a few pictures from our Sunday drive to the Nature Center last week. It is beautiful here and the pictures really don't do it justice!

Family Pictures Part 1 & 2

This will be the first of many updates since we have been crazy busy and without the internet. Before we left Texas our friend Brekke took a few pictures of our little family at Hermann Park. She did a great job working with the boys, especially in the cold and wind.





Part two was pictures with my family in Utah by the talented Heather Telford. We all voted on summer pictures so we don't have to stand out in the freezing cold next time!

Food Glorious Food!

We started to feed Jaxson rice cereal this week and it was hilarious. The boy definitely loves his food and was sucking the spoon clean every time.

Brotherly Love

I think the pictures say it all, but there is definitely a lot of brotherly love going on in our house. Houston and Jaxson can always keep each other laughing and entertained. I guess I better take advantage of all of these moments while I can.

Halloween

We had a great time this year visiting with friends, going to the ward party, and Trick-or-treating! Houston has decided that he is going to be a cowboy next year as well as the years to follow.


Reach for the sky!!!




There's a new Sheriff in town









The kids took over handing out candy at the trunk or treat. I think Houston ended up getting candy from a fellow trick-or-treater, instead of the other way around.

Pumpkin Carving & Bowling

We decided that we were going to carve a pumpkin for family night this year and Houston was so excited. That morning Houston and I made a special trip to the store to find a pumpkin carving kit and then He and Josh went and picked out the perfect pumpkin.


Houston and I cleaned out the pumpkin guts and then Josh carved it with some assistance. It's a good thing that Josh has mad carving skills, because he picked out the most intricate pattern in the book.


Here is the finished project- "The Haunted Mummy"


With Josh's Wednesday through Saturday schedule right now, we have been able to have a lot of great family adventures. Our latest adventure was to take Houston to the local bowling alley. If we would have known how much fun he was going have, we would have taken him sooner.






He was so excited about his turn to go and trying to get strikes, that he would pick up his bowling ball anytime someone was in between turns. Towards the end of the game Josh and I were having so much fun watching him, that we let him play for us too.





Next time I think we may just pay for him to bowl by himself, it was so much fun!

Alaska

A few weeks ago Josh had a job interview up in Alaska and they let us tag along for the ride...which was AMAZING! The scenery was beautiful, the people were friendly and we had a great time exploring Alaska.

The boys and I at the start of our flying adventure. Houston was so excited to be on an airplane again, it was all he could talk about for days (before and after) Jaxson seemed to enjoy flying too, or maybe it was just that he got to be held so much.


Houston James Cook with Captain James Cook


Our hotel was called "The Hotel Captain Cook", so the boys were good sports and let me take a lot of pictures in front of everything that said Cook on it! (I really wanted to take the Captain Cook towels home)


Maybe it was because we were starving, but we had the best buffet ever while we were there. Houston did a great job keeping Jaxson entertained while Josh and I were trying to eat our body weight in food!


Jaxson did a pretty good job packing down the food too!


Houston with Annie the Office Manager. She was so sweet and took him around to meet everyone in the office.


The view from Doctor Wolf's back yard....I wish I had a better camera, so I could do it justice.


Jaxson loved the attention and the Doctor's kids and wife had him laughing and squealing, it was so cute.


They had great parks and lakes everywhere, Josh was in Heaven


My cute boys


Houston on Lake Lucille behind our Bed and Breakfast


More shots behind our B&B



Although Josh didn't end up accepting the position there, the trip was great and we made some good memories!