Saturday, June 08, 2019

G Dog's 2019 Summer Visit

After the parade, while the guys fished, Stacia, Nolan and I drove into Anchorage to pick up DAD!
Stacia and Dad 

Dad visited last summer for 2 weeks. There is something "right" about having him with us....and two weeks just wasn't long enough. Dad is the only grandparent our children have left and we love any time we can spend with him. He called recently and asked about coming up  this summer. Will (my brother) agreed a summer visit sounded great. The doctors were all on board for 3 months - and here he is!

We ran by Lowes on the way home. Dad experienced culture shock at the prices of hanging baskets. Stacia and I picked out some petunias and baskets to make our own. They won't be nearly as pretty - but the price fits our budget better than $40-50 a basket.

A stop for dinner ended our Anchorage adventures.  

We  wondered how Benny would react to Dad. He did great. He ran upstairs to visit. I told him this was "G G" (Great Grandpa).  He said GG...but within minutes had christened Dad with a Benny name...G Dog. ::snort:: Stacia is yay - a. Michael is Papa. I'm whatever he decides on any given day. LOL Arielle has moved from "My mama" to mama. 

After Benny was in bed and the fish were cleaned - we settled in for the first game of Farkle with G Dog.  G Dog handily beat us all. Sweet times. I always miss Mom and Lorri when we play - but this time I wasn't missing Dad! 
Dad, Nolan, Michael 

OUR FIRST REDS OF THE YEAR!

Michael and Alex joined Josiah in Seward today.  We've all been itching to get to Seward, to fish, to play. Michael being laid up threw plans off by 2 weeks.  He was feeling good enough to give it a try. 
Photo by Josiah

The men won the responsibility of hosting Mr. Gingerbread man again this year. He was starting to despair of ever getting out of our living room. Today - he went fishing in Seward!

Michael and Alex both limited. Our first REDS of the year! Yay! Fresh caught, wild Alaskan Reds for Sunday Dinner tomorrow.
Photo by Josiah

Michael's back was ready to be pampered. Alex took care of filleting the salmon. 

Ewww......
Another first - Josiah flooded his waders. ::snort:: 
Photo by Josiah


Colony Day Parade 2019

Bre invited us to meet them at the Colony Day Parade today. I couldn't sleep last night. I missed getting to sleep when the sun went down... and then the sun came up.....I thought I'd catch a bit of sleep and then clean the house well before Dad arrived. We decided not to go.  BUT....Arielle wanted us to go with her and Benny...and it's always hard to take a baby into a big crowd alone....I decided Dad wouldn't care if the house was family clean instead of company clean. We went to make memories. 

Annie's First Parade
Izaak, Bella, Arielle, Benny, Stacia
Back - Annie, Bre, Gideon 
Arielle staked out the perfect spot.  It was a great spot - at the start of the parade with "easy getaway" in mind. It was also rather away from the majority of the crowd as the parade got ready to begin. I commented, "Oh - this is the spot for the anti-social parade goer." We laughed. 
Note Benny's expression - he's impressed! 

We hadn't been on our corner long before I spotted Al, a friend from church. Elaine, his mom, is the friend I had tea with on Friday.  I rectified my deplorable failure to take photos this week with friends. I also called them to come watch the parade with us. Arielle joked that I'd build a crowd before too long....and as late comers joined us our corner did become quite full.
Al, Elaine, Me
 This was Benny's favorite

The family Arielle works for drove/rode on this float.

People kept putting candy in his stroller...Arielle kept snagging it....



The first Lynden Tractor Trailer to be driven to Alaska in 1954.  


Cousins

::snort:: He managed to unwrap and insert lollipop without Mom catching him. 

The end of our parade. 

Is there anything more sweetly innocent than a founders parade in a small town on a sunny day? Three generations enjoying it together! Great memories!  I am glad Bre and Arielle instigated this break in the schedule. LOL