Adjusting to Life with Carson

Carson is 8 weeks old now. I see that it's been about 5 weeks since I last updated this blog - way overdue for an update.

We've been traveling and enjoying summer. We've taken a family vacation to S. Dakota. We drove - yep, you read right - we drove to S. Dakota with Michael, Alex, and Carson in the backseat. The older boys enjoyed their playstation and Carson slept most of the way. We made a stop at the St. Louis Arch. We rode the elevator cars to the top. The view was spectacular - clear skies, little breeze.

Next, we stopped in Kansas City and enjoyed some barbecue at Arthur Bryant's. That might have been Troy's favorite part of the trip. He's been talking about that bbq for weeks now. The sandwiches were piled several inches high with beef brisket. I enjoyed the rich and spicy bbq sauce.

In S. Dakota we spent lots of time with family and friends. Granny Go-Go who's 87 enjoyed meeting Carson. She was so excited to meet him that when we drove into her driveway, she came running out of the house. I couldn't help but smile ear to ear when she got to meet him for the first time. She loves all our boys. I'm so glad that my family has accepted Michael and Alex with open arms. Michael and my cousin, Josh, really hit it off well, as did Alex with Lexi and Landon. It's cool to see the kids connecting with their extended family.

We got to spend a little time with Cheryl Gapp, along with Deena and Burke Perry. It's always good to re-connect with those good friends.

After several days in S. Dakota, we drove to Wisconsin for a little family reunion at Lakeland Resort. Michael felt like he was in heaven, getting to fish for 2 days straight. Our cousin, Randy, took Michael and Josh fishing for several hours in the boat. Alex loved the pool, and hanging out with Lexi and Landon. Cousin Russell allowed Michael, Josh, and Alex a chance to drive his Skidoo. That was a highlight for both of them. Carson enjoyed his time with all the relatives - getting loved on and cuddled.

A few weeks after our S. Dakota trip, Troy, Carson and I took a trip to Alaska. We loved spending time with Laura and Paul. The 4 hour glacier cruise was my favorite. It was incredible seeing all the wildlife - whales, sea otters, sea lions, eagles, various gulls. Then there was the glacier - so cool to hear and see the calving glaciers. Calving is when chunks of the glacier fall into the water causing a thunderous sound and waves. One of the glacier we were near was very active and huge pieces crashed into the ocean. Truly a spectacular event.

Some other places we visited were: Beartooth Grill in Anchorage, The Train Wreck - Smoke Shack Restaurant, Miller's Landing Lodging,  Seward Ship's Drydock, and Resurrection Roadhouse Restaurant.

I need to rap up this post, because I have a doctor's appointment. Trying to be more consistent about updating this blog. I met a very cool person on the flight to Anchorage named Anna who works for Redbook. She's inspired me to write more often. Her life seemed so interesting.