Henry and Becky did experience a taste of the hot summer we are having in Alaska before heading to Wisconsin last week. The picture below is of a Sunday at Maggie's right before the flight south. It began as you see in a windbreaker on the slide, progressed to a t-shirt as Henry and Maggie watered (read: dowsed endlessly) some plants, and finally ended in a shirtless Henry running around the front yard in the 70 degree sun proclaiming, "naked guy". We're a classy bunch.



The red eye flight with Grandpa and Lucille was as smooth as it could have been, though Henry only made it through an hour of sleep before a screaming baby on the plane woke him up. He then shifted into quietly looking out the window and just taking in his surroundings. Becky and company landed without sleep firmly in zombie mode, but Henry was a polite air traveler, which is all we can ask.

Amongst the text messages and photos I receive telling me all about Henry's travels across the various lakes and playgrounds of Waushara County runs the constant thread of his happiness. He enjoys all the folks he's meeting, loves the weather, and crashes out every night. I hope he has some gas left in the tank when I arrive later next week.

Grandpa and Lucille's visit is winding down and later tonight Becky and Henry will join them on a trip back to the midwest. I'll be joining them in a few more weeks and attending the Barnes reunion in Marshfield, WI. When Alaskans travel to the lover 48 in June we typically expect to get a dose of summer heat. Thus far, Wisconsin looks to have had a less than stellar summer. Alaska has been blue skies, 70 degree temps, and near 20 hours of daylight for the past 2 weeks (minus the day of the triathlon, thank you). At a glance, it looks like Wisconsin might be a step back for us. We're looking forward to seeing family and friends, hopefully tracking down some sweet corn, and sleeping under the blanket of a star filled night.

Henry has happily soaked up all the retaining wall construction he's had a chance to observe. Whether it be watching the cement mixer churn or inspecting the brush pile with Grandpa, Hank is signed up. I foresee many baths thanks to the digging and inspecting going on in outdoor Indiana and Wisconsin.

Our gears have happily shifted to fun activities with our visitors -- Grandpa Barnes and Aunt Lucille. The weather has been close enough to Wisconsin's, so our guests feel more at home then they might have expected (minus a few nasty, rainy days). Grandpa Barnes is working away at Randy's new retaining wall and Aunt Lucille has been enjoying some time at our home. In the midst of it all Henry is filled with glee at the happy visitors, heavy machinery in Chugiak, and hikes through our backyard bog. Along the most recent hike with Lucille this moose cruised across the trail. We really do know how to put on a show for the tourists.




I am very silly at times. In January I decided to participate in the Eagle River Triathlon for the third time. It is always fun and is an excellent push to hit the gym and steam through the remainder of winter -- It sets a bullseye on Spring. My training went well and I entered the home stretch fitter and faster than ever, though unfortunately the home stretch ended at a 40 degree rainy day in June. I would not see all of those training hours cast away, so I plowed ahead. Ultimately it was a fun event and I was pleased with my times, though I could have taken a pass on the need to run wearing gloves in June.

It will give you whiplash up here. 9 days ago it was snowing strongly, and now it is 80 degrees and a constant commercial for all of the reasons anyone would want to live in Alaska -- blue skies, sunshine, 20 hours of daylight, and miles and miles of trails.

Henry and I headed out to the Eagle River Nature Center for some hiking, deciding to choose the jogging stroller over the backpack. The trails are pretty wide and mellow for the first several miles so the stroller was an excellent choice. As for the trail alongside the river on the return leg, I quickly found myself carrying the stroller with Henry and the diaper bag inside over 20-30 yard stretches of mud and downed trees. In the past I have been guilty of describing hikes with Henry as short, mild walks that I hoped would become longer and more rigorous as time goes on. On Sunday this 2 hour hike gave me all I could handle.





As I become muddier and muddier while carrying a charioted Henry over the obstacles, he began playing peek-a-boo to the huffing and puffing Daddy above him. He had a great time and we will be hiking again as soon as possible, though in the future the Albert Loop is not on the list of choices.

Yes, it did indeed snow on Saturday. We set the record for longest winter on record here in Anchorage. It's a brutal prize to hold aloft, but here we stand doing so with pride. We'll mark it down, roll our eyes at each other, type out some snarky facebook posts, and then quickly hope for Summer. We will probably hit 60 by the end of the week, which means summer is here. It also appears to be dry as well for the next handful of days. Carpe Diem.



Henry spent the early part of last week coming off a persistent cough and runny nose. He's never been a whiner when sick, but this time he did debut some longer tantrums. He's knocking on his second birthday so perhaps the terrible two's joined forces with a lethargic head cold to create a few days of fussiness. He's happy and 100% again so there is nothing to complain about, though as parents we did fear the tantrums as an arrival of a new normal. They may someday become the new normal, but that day is not today, so we are thankful for what we have.

Due to a daycare scheduling gap with friends of ours, Maggie was our daytime guest for the past 3 weeks. Henry and Maggie have always played well together, so it was a natural fit. There were quite a few trips to the playground as temperatures climbed into the 40's, not to mention the delight of playing at the Spenard Rec Center. Becky did a great job juggling two toddlers and always found a way to have them smiling and ready for their much needed naps.



Aside from getting used to seeing Maggie less often, Henry is wrestling down a runny nose and a cough (as is Becky). I've avoided the Spring cold traveling around our home, but thankfully everyone is on the mend. Henry is taking long naps, gobbling up oranges, and turning the corner. With any luck he'll be in the bike trailer this coming weekend.

Turnagain Terror

The slowest Spring in recent memory drips along at a glacial pace. Some days we hit 40, some days we settle for 35 with sunshine, and the state has extended the studded tire removal deadline for the second time. Summer will come, and I hope it decides to burn a little brighter when it arrives. We're ready.

Temperature notwithstanding, the roads are dry and the bike racing season is marching forward. In anticipation of a 200 mile ride in July I've penciled in a few races to tune up my legs. On Sunday I did my best in a time trial down the Turnagain Arm -- 20 miles of feeling the wind at my back, side, and face. Chills aside, it was a fun time (as is any day on a bike) and happily Becky and Henry picked me up at the finish line to spare me the pedal back to my truck. We paused for some pictures of the blue sky and snow capped mountains and found that Henry was having none of it. Between the wind and the chill, he ceased to be a happy camper.



Mega Blocks are the name of the game around here. The goal is to build and build until the spirit moves Henry to smash the created structure. The spirit moves him fairly often, though he quickly switches back to building mode. When he gets a little older, Legos are going to be a hit.