Horse Rides!

Cousin Sandy was really sweet and took the boys on a horse ride.  They got to ride her horse, Leon.  This was Graysen's first horse ride, and only Caleb's second.  (Caleb's first ride was with Sandy five years ago!)  The first picture is of Caleb's first ride with Sandy on her horse, Diamond.  The rest of the pictures are from this trip.  It is amazing how much they have changed!  The boys loved riding the horse and had the sweetest grin on their faces the entire time.

(5 Years Ago)

Navy Pier

On the final day in Chicago, we took a boat ride from Navy Pier up the Chicago River.  It was a beautiful tour and one of my favorite things that we did.

 Navy Pier

The locks that lead from Lake Michigan into the Chicago River. 

Museum of Science and Industry

We spent today at the Museum of Science and Industry, which has always been one of my favorite museums.  The boys had a wonderful time, and I think they learned a lot too.  Here are just a few pictures from the day.

 Caleb studying the Periodic Table of Elements

 U-Boat 505  (We were able to walk through it.  It is a great tour!)

 The coal mine tour.

Graysen and Caleb watching their own, personal, gyroscope being made while learning about automated manufacturing systems.

The boys with the finished product.

Downtown Chicago

The focus of today was taking the Metra train into downtown Chicago and going to the top of the Sears/Willis Tower.  The boys loved the double decker commuter train and had a fun day downtown.

 The boys enjoying a snack at the train station while waiting for our train.

 Caleb on the train.  They chose to sit on the top floor.

 The Willis/Sears Tower

 The views from the 103rd floor were beautiful!  It is a great way to acquaint the boys with downtown Chicago.

 Mommy and her boys.  It is impossible to get a good picture of both boys at the same time.

 La Salle Street Station

 On the way home, we stopped at an "oasis."  Those are rest area/food courts above the toll roads.  The boys thought they were really neat.

The boys enjoying a treat while watching cars and trucks drive under them.

Shedd Aquarium and Field Museum

Today, the boys, Grammy, Aunt Dolores, and I headed to the Shedd Aquarium and Field Museum.  Both museums are great! Graysen, my animal boy, enjoyed seeing his favorite animal (the sea turtle) at the aquarium.  Caleb enjoyed seeing the Field Museum's rock collection and learning about mummies.  Here are a few pictures from our day.

The Shedd Aquarium

 Mommy and Baby

 I have a true phobia of fish.  So, going to an aquarium is just like watching a horror movie to me.  I get so freaked out by all of the crazy fish.  

 Getting ready to watch a 3-D movie on prehistoric "sea monsters." Caleb loved the movie.  Graysen refused to wear the glasses because he didn't like the creatures close to him.

 The boys with Aunt Dolores and a great view of Chicago.

 The Field Museum

 Graysen loved seeing the dinosaur bones.  He would have me take his picture in front of each one while he told me how the particular dinosaur compared to his favorite dino-bot.

Graysen passed out with his new sea turtle after a long day in Chicago.

Road Trip to Chicago

My mom and I are on a road trip taking the boys to visit family in Chicago.  Unfortunately, the picture shown above is the best picture of the trip so far.  The boys are not photogenic during 12+ hours of driving.  They are excellent little travelers, but all of the travel pictures turned out terrible.  This picture is of our hotel in Louisville where we stopped to break up the drive.  We will be in Chicago all week, enjoying the fun things the city has to offer.  We finally made it safe and sound and are ready to relax.  Hopefully, I will get some better pictures tomorrow.

Photos from Alaska

To keep the amount of pictures manageable, I have broken the pictures up into one post per city.  The trip was absolutely amazing!  Alaska is beautiful and I can't wait to return one day.  We just scratched the surface of what is there.  The picture above is my first view of Alaska.  I woke up the morning of June 30th to beautiful mountains and fog on either side of the boat.  It was a very cozy trip and I loved every minute of it.  Lee's pictures are much better than mine.  I have just posted a few to give an idea of the trip, and am sure that Lee will post his pictures in the upcoming week. 

Seattle

The cruise departed from Seattle, which is one of my favorite U.S. cities.  I love visiting Seattle and we arrived a day early to enjoy the sights.

 Friday evening, we had dinner at the Space Needle.  It was, hands down, one of the best dinners of my life.  The restaurant rotates as you eat dinner, so that you can get 360° views of the city.  The food is wonderful and I enjoyed my favorite Seattle dish, fresh halibut!

 The boys had the "space orbiter" for dessert.  It was unlike any dessert they have ever had!

 We ended the evening at McMenamins, which is one of my favorite Seattle microbreweries.

 McMenamins has a very artsy interior and it is always fun to see the painted beer tanks.

Juneau

Our first port of call was Juneau.  It was a very cozy town and I really enjoyed our time there.

First, we visited the Mendenhall Glacier.  It is absolutely beautiful!!!  

 Then, we went to the Alaskan Brewery for a tasting.  They had very good beer.  Here is Lee and Uncle Gordon with their new t-shirts!

 We ended the day taking a tram ride up the side of the mountain.

Skagway

Skagway is a cute mountain town.  We did the historic White Pass Yukon Railroad trip.  The railroad was built in 1898 to carry prospectors over the mountains on their way to the Klondike gold fields.  The train ride was beautiful.

Glacier Bay

There is no doubt about it, Glacicer Bay is one of the most special and beautiful places that I have ever visited.  None of the pictures can do it justice, especially with my photography skills.

 (Uncle Gordon with the boys!)