Saturday full of fishing...

After 11 hours on the water, 2 hours cleaning fish and 2 Dramamine I'm too tired to post, but here is the day from my phone (and now some from my camera!)
First Halibut...it was either kiss the fish or the first mate!

 Look at the waterfall!

 And the Doll sheep...

We caught right at 30 lbs of actual filets that will arrive in Memphis on Wednesday!!



4 halibut and 8 Rock fish...maxed out!



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Friday in Seward...

The clouds lifted and we finally got to see how beautiful Alaska really is!  Ashley and AJ got to Anchorage very early this morning, so we headed to Seward.  The drive over was along the bay and it was just beautiful.  We stopped at Chinooks for lunch where I had the best King Crab roll (pic is on my phone and I don't have any data service, so will add later!), Ray and Ashley had the Halibut BLT and AJ had fish and chips...we were all pleased!  Then we headed to hike Exit Glacier!  

The Glacier was a beautiful blue color and was super cool to see up close.   

Below the Glacier is the rushing Resurrection River.  Very cool!

Seward is such a cool town and we are staying right on the water where we saw this cute sea otter putting on a show for us!

 The view from our hotel room...LOVE all the sailboats!

 

Thursday in Anchorage...

Enjoyed a relaxing, chilly and rainy day in Anchorage! We had plans of renting bikes and riding along the waterway, hiking in Kinkade Park where the moose hang out as well as hiking up to the chairlift on the ski slope where they say you have the best views of the city. However, since is was so nasty out we went all these places, but stayed in the car most of the day. I have a vision of what the mountains look like, but we didn't see any today.
The only moose we saw...





Trying on a new hat at one of the tourist shops...


We enjoyed king crab cakes, chowder, rockfish and local brews at the Glacier Brewhouse for lunch.


I didn't take any pictures in the parks because it just looked like a blur of fog! We checked into the Embassy Suites where they have the coolest fountains. It was 5 pm, so we were going to catch a bit of the football games and go out to dinner. But, the beds here are super comfortable and we both passed out for a 3 hour nap!


When we woke at 9, we were hungry! We thought most places would be closed, little did we know 9:30 is a popular dinner time! After a 30 min wait we got into the highly recommended Moose's Tooth for local brews and pizza. It was good.


Now, off to sleep because Ray's sister and AJ will be here within the hour and tomorrow we head to Seward!

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12:50 am (aka 3:50 am)

Ray just asked me when was the last time I stayed up till 4 am and I honestly don't think I ever have! It was a long flight, but on time. The Anchorage airport is busier at 12:30am than Memphis dreams of being. Headed to the hotel...ready for bed!

Grandma Deen

I have so many wonderful memories of my grandparents.  Ones of sleepovers, family meals, road trips and just daily living…I was fortunate to have lived close to both my mom’s and my dad’s parents growing up and I really can’t imagine life any different.  With both my mom and dad working full time, I imagine they were thankful to have the support close by too.  Over the past 21 years, I’ve slowly had to say my earthly goodbyes to them and today I had to say goodbye to my last living grandparent, my Grandma Deen.

My Grandma Deen spoiled me.  Not with things, but with her time, her talents and her love.  She worked in the bed babies at the daycare I went to and she use to tell me that while all the other kids would nap, she and Ms. Margie would teach me to walk.  She loved to sew and made lots of my clothes, all of my Halloween costumes and really anything I brought her the stuff for.  We had several traditions…like when I would spend the night she would let me have coffee (with a lot of milk), we went to the holiday open houses and home shows together every year she was able, she made me homemade chicken salad when I would come home from UT and a fresh coconut cake every Christmas.   I use to go with her to visit her mom in the country where she would take me to the variety store and let me get the stuff to make potholders.  She always had gum in her purse and I can still remember the smell of her large purple car.  I use to play in her collection of thimbles, patterns, buttons and thread when she kept me when I was sick and I can remember her telling my mom…I really think she is fine Donna.  She had great faith.  She lived the Bible and I don’t mean she knew all the verses (but I do believe she knew a lot of them).  I mean her actions were pure.  She was always volunteering as a Pink Lady at the Hospital, at The Good Neighbor Center or at their church.  I can remember going on many volunteer outings with her…to get plants for the hospital gift shop, to sell dinner tickets at church or to wrap plants.

She used to write me a weekly letter when I was at UT.  It always started off with what she had fixed for dinner that day.  I still have them all.  When Grandma went into assisted living 5 years ago, it was my turn to write her a weekly letter.  Mine usually started with how much I had worked that week!  Man I will miss writing her letters.  Being the oldest granddaughter, I have her right hand ring, which was made from my Grandpa Tex’s mother’s wedding ring (I remember the story about how a lady came to the door needing to use the restroom and she let her in…well the lady stole her rings and she realized the minute she had left that her rings had been in the bathroom…my Grandma chased that lady down to get her rings back…I can’t even picture this!).  My other prize position is a book that my Grandma wrote for me called A Grandmother’s Memories.  It contains stories of her life and of her favorite memories of me.  She gave it to me the Christmas of my senior year at UT and I cherish it so much.

While I know life since my Grandpa Tex passed hasn’t been a fairytale, she lived a wonderful 90 years and I’m so thankful for how she influenced me the last 35 of them.  I’m also thankful to have spent so much time with her and especially spending yesterday with her.  It was a hard day for her and for the first time I think she didn’t know who we were.  She was so restless that they called in emergency hospice to help calm her down.  While mom and my aunt were filling out the paperwork, I prayed with her that our God would wrap his arms around her and shower her with love, peace and comfort that can only come from Him.  Then I sang all the bible songs that I could remember…that I’m sure she sang to me as a child.  It was hard to see her like that, but I was glad to be there for her. 

I try to live like she did...She lived her life with great joy...with a clean heart (and house!), giving of her talents to help others and being there for her family. I dream of the day I can retire and become a pink lady.  She was genuine to her core, and she was always there for me.  Grandma Deen, You will be greatly missed, but you will forever hold a piece of my heart. 

This picture was taken 5 weeks ago when I had gone to Cabot to spend the day with her.  Last weekend when Lily was spending the night we were scrolling through the pictures on my phone and she said..."Wait Brooke...go back to the one with Grandma Deen.  She looks so happy."

This picture was taken in 1984.  Grandma gave it to me and told me it was her favorite of us.


This was from 1987, when I went with my Grandparents to the Stutts Family Reunion.  I remember that I was  gone a week and I didn't loose my pony tail holder!  I also remember swimming in the Olympic size pool at Henry Horton State Park with my Grandpa Tex.  Oh and the family of skunk that was living in the fire hydrant at that same park!

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Celebrating Baby Mullen

Molly's friends hosted a fun shower for Baby Mullen last Saturday in Jonesboro.  So many of Molly's high school and college friends as well as some great family friends came and it was fun to get to see everyone!  Baby Mullen got so much great stuff.  He is definitely going to be well dressed, stay warm and be able to take many baths!!

Weekend wrap-up

After a shower honoring Molly and baby Mullen (pics to come) and a visit with Grandma Deen, Lily came to spend the night with us...we had a popcorn party, played games and road bikes. The pics tell the rest of the story!


























Love spending time with Lily and we already have our next sleepover planned!

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