Granna & Poppa Come Visit

Cody's parents (Granna & Poppa) are serving a mission for our church in Wellington, New Zealand. It's about 9 hours south of us on the very end of the South Island. They've been in New Zealand for a couple of months and we were finally able to see them! They made the trek up to visit for the weekend and we loved showing them where we live. The kids were so excited to see them! The weather didn't cooperate much of the time, but we still got out and explored. As they got here on Friday afternoon, we headed to our backyard beach to show them our favorite place. We walked along the beach, chatted, let the kids run free, and explored the tide pools. We saw crabs, a jellyfish, and starfish. We shared our tradition of pizza and movie night with them. We all watched "Hunt for the Wilderpeople" (a New Zealand movie) and we were all rolling!

On Saturday, we were hoping that the rain would lessen a bit as we drove to Piha to show them the cool surfing beach, but it just kept raining and raining. We got out for a few minutes and watched the crazy surfers…even though it was raining, the carpark and water were packed with die hard surfers! For dinner, we grabbed our favorite local takeaways and introduced them to our favorite fish & chips. I was in charge of our church Talent Show that night and they were so so helpful in making that night a success. Our kids put on a silly little skit that they were happy to see. 

They were able to go to church with us on Sunday and meet the people that have been so kind to us and who have become our family here. I love how welcoming our church is, all throughout the world. After church we took a drive to some local beaches to show them the beautiful area we live. The sun peaked out just a bit and we walked along Army Bay Beach and drove around Shakespear Park. We came home for a yummy dinner and rootbeer floats! Granna brought us Oreos and A&W rootbeer…good American staples =)

On Monday, the sun came out in the afternoon so we hopped in the car and bolted to Big Manly beach while it was still shining. Mike and Lois walked the beach while the kids played and played on some cool humungous tree stumps. They could have been there for hours, but Granna lured them away with a promise to buy Pokemon cards =) We headed to our local plaza and leisurely shopped. 

We had such a great time with them! It was fun to share where we live and spend some good quality time with them. Hopefully we'll meet somewhere in the middle next time and see them again soon. 

Gifford Alaska Trip Part 2

The next morning, our cruise ship slowly and quietly sailed through the fjords as icebergs floated below us. We were surrounded by towering cliffs covered in pine trees and sprinkled with waterfalls and glaciers. It was stunning! The water was emerald green from the melting glaciers. It was a site to see! Later that day we spent in Juneau, Alaska. We took a bus to a salmon hatchery and saw where they raise salmon. Then we went on to the Mendenhall Glacier Park. We walked the trail to the glacier and waterfall. The glacier was huge! We had fun posing for pictures and watching the boys throw rocks in the lake. We then headed to our final destination of Glacier Garden. This was a fun treat. It was a garden that has been manicured and tamed in the thick Alaskan forest. It was neat to hear the story behind it and to take a ride through the trees. We were dropped off in town for some more fun shopping. Giffords, especially Gifford girls, love to shop =) It was fun to mosey in and out of the cute shops with my mom and sisters. 

Iceberg floating by the ship

Next we visited Skagway, Alaska. It was a chilly day! We boarded a train to the White Pass & Yukon Route. The leaves were beginning to change colors. The track wove in and around the tall mountains. The view was beautiful. Ryan was in charge of celebrating Josh this day, so on the whole train ride up we were entertained by riddles about Josh that we had to decipher. It was so fun to pick our brains. After our train ride we went back to the ship for a quick lunch and then braved the cold again for some more….shopping! Skagway was a charming town with colorful buildings and rich history. 

Our last stop was Victoria, British Columbia. We arrived at port just at sunset so we didn't get to see much of the cute town. But, from what I did see, I want to go back! We took a bus to Butchart Gardens. From what we could see under the lights of the dark night, the flowers and manicured gardens were gorgeous! I can only imagine how much more stunning they would be in the light of day. The  best part about this night was the fun game we played. Robby had us playing a fun movie and tv show guessing game that had us all reminiscing the times we spent in front of the tv growing up together! We all got ice cream cones and headed back to the ship.

Formal Night for dinner

Playing games on the ship

Heading to the airport

Seattle, Washington

Sydney, Australia

This trip was amazing! Yes, the scenery was gorgeous and the adventures were fun. But, the best part of the trip was being with my parents, siblings, and their spouses. We were all unplugged from our phones and work and church responsibilities and we just relaxed and ate and talked and had fun together. I loved our devotionals, game playing, eating, and reminiscing. I loved the bonding that happened and the memories we made. It is a trip I will always cherish.