Hub's dad came to visit! He was here for a week over Labor Day weekend. Mike does not have a granddad name yet. We all thought about it some, but he concluded that he's ok for now to wait until Eli can weigh in on the decision.
The first full day Mike was here, Hubs took him on a climb he'd been dying to try. I wanted him to check out the difficulty of the hike first, so Eli and I stayed back to finish some homework. They seemed to feel accomplished, but said they walked right into a cloud as they reached the top. It was cold, with no view, but they summited! We all took naps afterwards. Most everyone else has needed a day and a half to recover from the long travel time to Alaska. But Mike climbs a mountain. A week after completing a full Ironman. He is one strong granddad!
When they got back, we had delicious steak and veggies (Hubs is a grill-master) before heading out for ice cream!
Saturday was Bama's first game of the season. Hubs and Eli dressed accordingly.
Don't worry- this is not the only gameday-appropriate apparel hanging in Eli's closet.
After the game we went on a beautiful hike at McHugh Trail. We know there is more exploring to do along these trails because we never made it to any of the views we had heard about. But it was still a perfect clear day and I was glad for the shade.
Hubs and I finally get to check this box on our Alaskan to-do list....we saw whales! We caught a glimpse from the view up by the trailhead, so we drove down after our hike to watch the belugas at Beluga Point. So excited for our first whale sightings! There was a whole herd of them hanging out. But before heading back to our house on Beluga Ave (not kidding), we stopped at one of our new favorite places for dinner: the Turnagain Arm Pit, a southern BBQ place off Seward Hwy.
Eli was happy to be home after a fun-filled afternoon. He loves to show off his standing-up skills!
Sunday we went to church. Eli is starting to be way more interested in his surroundings, so sitting through a service is getting to be a bit of a challenge. He hasn't gotten the no-talking-in-church memo yet. Then the guys went hike Flattop. I didn't go on this hike either because the boys wanted to make it to the top. Apparently the last stretch is a pretty difficult climb. Hub didn't even take his favorite chiweenie hiking buddy.
Monday was Labor Day. Mike & Hubs went to Eagle River Nature Center while I stayed back to get homework done and food ready. Eli and I wanted to go this time, but we didn't make the cut. I think Hubs was making the most of all this father-son time he was getting! I also think he was starting to like trekking with someone more his speed. Eli needs to start training, because he is really slowing this train down! Jessie has clearly put in her time; you'll have to look hard in the photo of Hubs below to find that even she got to tag along. I guess they made do without their photographer.
On Tuesday, Hubs went back to work. Mike and I made a trip to the PX so he could pick out an outfit for little man. Can't go wrong with OshKosh! While we were there, we met a friend of Mike's. Mr Wallace used to fly with Mike and lived with him on a deployment. The Wallace family now lives in Anchorage, so he stole Mike for an afternoon of bike riding and frozen yogurt.
Wednesday was pretty low-key. Mike and I strapped Eli in the stroller and took a walk down to Starbucks. When Hubs got home, we went out to eat at Snow Goose and for another round of ice cream.
Thursday came quickly. Mike made a trip to the library during our lunchtime nap, then Eli and he kept me company while I prepped food. Eli loved his conversations with his granddad. And so did I! It was a great visit of catching up and getting to know each other better. We had dinner at Olive Garden, where Eli really found his voice. He is so proud of his new (and very loud) squeaks. He does not like being left out of a good chat. We headed to the airport from there and said goodbye for now!
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