Henry started preschool a few weeks ago and has been enjoying it so much that it seems like he's always been there. Our commute to the southside has pretty much been dialed in and it's a real challenge to get a good-bye hug from him once he's in Ms Debbie's classroom. Any fears about a tough adjustment have proven unfounded, which is a relief. I know one little classmate is literally dragged down the steps to the room many days. We hear song fragments at dinnertime and are told bluntly the virtues of sharing. Something is sinking during those weekday mornings.




From Henry's point of view, the crown jewel of Grammy and Grandpa's visit most certainly was the Alaska State Fair. He walked the entire day even though the jogging stroller shadowed him as a backup. It ended up carrying some gear, which was just fine. Henry rode his first carnival rides (merry go round and dump trucks) and thanks to getting there right when the gates opened, was able to walk through all of the exhibits, petting zoos, and tractors without any crowds.

The plan worked perfectly in that we were able to get to the Lumberjack show early enough to secure front row seats. Henry was satiated with a light lunch as the bleachers filled in. Soon the show started and all three competitors were introduced -- representing British Columbia, Stevens Point, and Hayward, Wisconsin. Early in the show Henry was presented with a cutoff from our lumberjack and he was rendered speechless. It was an impressive gift.




By the time we had the car loaded up and were headed back to Anchorage, nap time had long since passed. I thought for sure our all day walker would pass out as soon as the car started humming along, but he decided to stay awake until we were ten minutes from home. So, we ran an errand where I stayed in the parking lot with him and he snoozed away. We definitely got our money's worth this year.





State Fair photos here.

Where to begin? Life has been a blur lately, as we pretty much expected it to be once Piper zoomed into our lives.

Grammy and Grandpa Turek were up for a well timed visit. Piper had been home for a week and we were settled in a bit, the weather was still warm, the trees remained mostly green, the state fair chugged along up in Palmer, and Henry's preschool start date was right in front of us. I don't know how we fit it all in, but we did.

Piper was baptized at St Patrick's and seemed to enjoy the process. We spent most of our time occupying a fidgeting Henry and his desire to run around an empty church. Piper wore the same baptismal gown as Henry, which is the also the same gown Chris and Grandpa Turek wore. The gown started as a wedding dress for Grandma Josie quite a while back (That would make the fabric close to 70 years old?) . The tradition is well worth maintaining and the silk fabric is beautiful, though we had to be very mindful of how slick a baby in silk is within your arms.




Find the Alaskan in the below picture. It's the person that doesn't seem cold and has mud boots on.