Mimi, Johnny, and Edna

Mimi arrived early morning on July 5th. Eli waited to wear his July 4th DIY shirt, like the big show off that he is. 
We went to Beluga Point and checked out a fun open-air market downtown. Mimi and I enjoyed an expensive plate of halibut fish and chips and Hubs got a reindeer dog. Delish!

Sunday, we made the three-hour drive to Seward. We stopped off the highway at a small site with a trailhead. Mimi and Hubs took Jessie on a short walk while I fed Eli. Hubs left the keys in the ignition with the air going and since it was cool enough, I turned it off. The small problem, however, was that I didn't quite turn the key all the way. We were ready to set out again and the engine wouldn't even turn over. I had stranded us on Seward Highway! Luckily, not 10 minutes later, two couples walked up from fishing and jumped our car off. They saved the day! And saved my butt…I hadn't seen Hubs that aggravated in a very very long time. Whoops! After a quick drive through town, we had amazing halibut at Chinook's and a treat at the Cremery before hiking Exit glacier. We saw a mama moose with her two twins on the way home just to top it all off. The weather called for rain all day, but we drove through some showers just through Anchorage that morning on the way there and again on the way back.

We were so excited to have Hubs' Uncle Johnny & Aunt Edna visit from Wyoming! They arrived a few days after Lea Anne. Their first day, Eli and I took them to hike Flattop while Andrew was in Kodiak on a work trip. The steep walk up was definitely worth the crazy view of Anchorage. After a quick detour to pick up a phone forgotten in the bathrooms, we had an early dinner at the popular Moose's Tooth Pizzeria.

Due to poor weather conditions in Seward, the fishing trip Johnny, Edna, and Hubs had planned was cancelled for Friday. 

Since Hubs had already taken a pass at work for that day, he was able to take the crew to Eagle River Nature Center for a gorgeous six-mile hike instead while Eli and I had a rest day.

Saturday, Eli put on his formalwear to FaceTime Aunt Kari. He got to take one of several visits to the brand new Bass Pro Shop before going to meet Johnny and Edna's friends from Wyoming for dinner. Cinda and Maurice have lived here for 13 years. They were so kind to invite us over for an amazing dinner of salmon and shrimp. It was by far the best seafood we have had in Alaska yet. The salmon was caught just a couple of days before. Hubs and I are so appreciative to have met such a friendly and helpful family here and hope to keep in touch!

The fishing charter was rescheduled for Sunday, so Mimi, Eli, and I had fun day together on our own. We took Eli to his first church service, and he loved it. He was all smiles until he quietly fell asleep snuggled in his moby wrap. The song service was even an unplugged acoustic style, so it was just perfect for his tiny baby ears. Afterwards, we had halibut (yes, again!) for lunch at Firetap before doing a little shopping.

The three fishermen left at 2am and didn't get home until about 10pm. They were so tired and so stinky, but excited about their loot! They also came back with a cooler full of fresh fish and some pretty amusing stories. Sounds like the people in Seward were interesting to say the least!

Monday was our guests' last day. We did some last minute errands and shopping before ordering pizza and telling stories. Hubs and I are really hoping Johnny and Edna come back to visit in these next couple of years that we live here! I absolutely loved getting to know them better. And we were super sad to see Lea Anne leave for now. All three were so gracious, helpful, and fun to have around! They flew back to Denver together, and Mimi has spent the last week with Kari and the Wyoming bunch. We hope they have had such a blast and a blessed time together!