We love you little Palmer Tay.
We gather on the lawn at the South Chapel on main street to watch the parade. It is so much fun!!
Here are our prego girls. I guess they had a good enough excuse to not run the 5-K that morning.
Jeremy and Kulani Fisher had a food booth. They sold Teriyaki chicken and Kalua pork along with potato salad and rice. It was yummy.
The kids enjoyed the games, slides and rides.
Camryn and Desi
Kristi and Trigger
Jensen and Tex
And then, of course, the end of the day was topped off with a spectacular firework display. We are so thankful for the freedoms we enjoy in America. The 4th of July helps to remind us of those who have given their time and for some, their lives, to protect our freedom.
On July 2nd we had a very special family experience. We gathered around the reservoir on the Colorado ranch in Disappointment Valley. The occasion was the baptism of Marilyn's and Matt's son, Oakley. He was to be baptized by his big brother, Kolton. Kolton had been baptized in this same spot ten years earlier.
This picture was taken of their whole family before the baptism.
Kolton walked Oakley out into the water and the baptism was completed in this beautiful setting.
After the baptism, the first hug was for big brother, Kolton.
We saw beautiful lily pads with yellow blossoms on the ponds along the way.
We saw several moose in Chitina this time through.
We stopped and hiked on the Matanuska glacier. It was amazing. It had ponds & rivers & hills & valleys and of course, lots of ice.
When we arrived in Palmer (this is where Cory & Crystal & their cute little family live) we stopped at the reindeer farm. There were other animals there besides the reindeer. Here's a picture of the buffalo. He was kind of mangy looking!
We got to feed the reindeer. We really wanted to take one home with us for a pet and actually they told us that is why they raise them---people buy them for pets! Do you think they could survive in Blanding?
We also got to feed the moose that lived there on the reindeer farm.
The next morning, Cory took us to Anchorage to catch our plane home. We had had a wonderful time in Alaska. Thanks to Cory and Crystal for planning an awesome week for us.
We arrived back in Salt Lake City, tired but grateful for the week we had with Mark & Tam, Jeff & Carol, Cory & Crystal and their family.
We also stopped at Worthington Glacier.
By the time we got to Chitina, we were pretty hungry. Just as we were ordering our lunch at a little "greasy spoon" in Chitina (I had ordered a Reindeer Sausage Sandwich), we looked out the window and there was a moose just strolling along the road. Of course, we, being the tourists that we were, had to rush outside and take pictures.
After lunch, we continued on our way to McCarthy. We passed this interesting sight: there were fish wheels set up along this stream. As the wheel turned around, these bucket like things would scoop up salmon out of the stream.
After hours of travel on a dirt road, we got to our destination: Currant Ridge Cabins. These cabins were cute and charming and we got to stay in them for the next two nights.
Javen and Navy even found a trampoline to jump on and plenty of room to run. 
Here's the inside of one of the cabins. 
The next morning, Friday, we drove to this footbridge. We had to walk across it to catch a shuttle that took us to the Kennicott Copper Mine and Museum.
We went on a tour of the old mill. It was so interesting. We had to wear hard hats inside.
After the mill tour, Jed and I hiked up to the "Root Glacier". It was a beautiful hike and a beautiful glacier. Some of the others went on an airplane tour. They said it was spectacular!!!
We enjoyed our day in McCarthy and decided it was well worth the drive to get there.
