ALASKA!!!

At the end of August Brandon and I went on a cruise to Alaska with my Mom, Dad, Aunt Nancy, and Uncle John. It was so much fun and Alaska is beautiful! I have hundreds of pictures from the trip. Here is just a sampler to help show all the beautiful sites.

The cruise began in Seattle so my parents came up the night before to see our new place and hangout out. (My Mom is very good at Mario Kart!) Saturday morning we all boarded the Golden Princess and set sail for Alaska. Here are some pictures from the bon voyage party on deck. Notice my Dad still working on the phone while he had reception. :) As you can see the weather was perfect and stayed that way the entire week. We were so lucky to have no rain! (well...maybe just a few sprinkles)

Sunday was a day at sea which gave my Dad plenty of time at the slot machines! ;) And everyone really got into dancing to YMCA by the pool.Monday we made it to Juneau, the captial of Alaska. It is a goregous town squished up next to towering mountains. There are no roads in or out of Juneau. You can only get in my boat or air. We took a tram ride up about 1800ft to the top of Mount Roberts. There we got a good view of Juneau.We went hiking around the top of Mount Roberts but only came across these friendly animals in the gift shops!Next we loaded onto a big blue bus and headed to Mendenhall Glacier. Brandon and I took a hike up to the top of a waterfall by the glacier.

Tuesday we were in Skagway. This was as far north as we would go. Skagway is a very small town that is famous for the White Pass/Yukon Route railroad. This was used during the 1848 gold rush. We took a ride on the train up into Canada. The train tracks lied right up against the steep mountain walls and crossed what looked like richety old bridges. Again, it was a gorgeous day and we got many great views of the city.

The next day we went up a narrow fjord cut by glaciers. We woke up early and stood at the bough of the ship in the freezing cold. The scenery was fantastic and well worth enduring the cold. At the very top of the fjord we came within a mile of Sawyer Glacier. We stood and watched as huge icebergs fell off the glacial wall and crashed into the ocean. It sounded like thunder when the ice hit the water. I have never seen anything like it.

Thursday we went to Ketchican. We woke up extra early and met a guide who would take us kayaking. I don't have any pictures from this trip (we took Brandon's camera) on my computer right now. Brandon will have to post some later. This was by far my FAVORITE part of the cruise. After we took a short boat ride to get to our kayaking spot we got in the water. The water was surprising warm and again the weather clear. Soon after we started we were about 100 yards away from about a dozen killer whales. I even saw one jump! The salmon were running and the water was full of jumping salmon. We saw bald eagles and star fish as well. I loved it!!!

Late Friday we arrived in Victoria, British Columbia. Even though it was dark we made our way to the Butchart Gardens. The gardens are beautiful with all the colored lights.

Saturday we made it back to Seattle and back to reality. We had an AWESOME time. Thanks Mom, Dad, Nancy, and John for being great company. Thanks again Dad for planning everything! It was unforgettable!

Grandpa Cannon

My Grandpa Cannon passed away at the beginning of August. I can't even begin to express how much I love and look up to my Grandma and Grandpa Cannon. They have always been my heros. I already miss him but I know where he is and that I'll see him again. I am very grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ and that families can be together forever. How lucky I am that I get to be his granddaughter forever!

I am so grateful I lived close to him growing up and was able to spend so much time with him. He and my grandma were always there for birthdays, school projects, awards assemblies, recitals, performances, graduations...you name it and they were there. My grandpa was the one to give me my patriarchal blessing and to seal Brandon and me in the temple. During one of our last visits he gave us some council and advice. He told us to always remember that the gospel and family are the most important things in this life.

I wish everyone could have known my grandpa. He had a way of making everyone feel special and important. I have been reading through notes, talks, and cards he has given me through the years and ran across this. I think it shows what my Grandpa Cannon is like.

Guidelines For A Fulfilling and Happy Life

From One Who Has Been There

(written by George I. Cannon at age 63)

1. Have faith in and follow Jesus Christ. It will bring you eternal happiness.

2. Love and listen to your spouse. Have a second honeymoon at least once a year.

3. Take time to teach and enjoy your children. They are a lot more important than a clean house and yard.

4. Think: "How much can I give?" not "What can I get?"

5. Buy only that which you can afford. Don't envy others.

6. Seek for and follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost.

7. Be a "Bebiggler" and not a "Belittler." Look for the doughnut and not the hole.

8. Be a helpful and concerned neighbor.

9. Listen to good music. Read good books. Engage in stimulating conversation.

10. Be a participant, not just a spectator. Don't be afraid to say "I'll try."

11. Don't expect perfection of anyone until you have achieved perfection.

12. Make a contribution in your work or any assignment you accept. Give credit to others. Show appreciation and compliment others.

13. Work is a blessing and not a curse.

14. Be an honest person.

15. Plant some pansies every spring and get your hands into the soil.

16. Own a popcorn popper and an ice cream freezer.

17. Enjoy being alive!

Grubbs Family Reunion 2009

The day after my sister's wedding we drove to Durango, Colorado for the Grubbs Family Reunion! We had a lot of fun visiting with family, eating yummy food, taking beautiful hikes, going 4-wheeling, and of course...playing FIREBALL. Fireball is a Grubbs family tradition where you light a ball of twine on fire, go into a large empty field and play catch at night. Oh...and you do it with your bare hands. It seems a little crazy...okay VERY crazy but once you get over the fact that you are playing with fire (something your parents always told you never to do) and realize that you won't get burned it is actually really fun. These are some of Brandon's uncle's pictures of the game.
The players. Don't worry...all of the little kids stood on the side lines and watched. Some of the daring ones however did get a chance to throw one or two with the help of their parents.

It was a fun reunion! Thanks Bill and Diane for hosting it this year!

Suzy's Wedding!

On July 25 my little sister Suzy married Scott Morris. They were married in the Salt Lake Temple and it was a beautiful wedding. Here are some pictures of their big day!

The night before any of our sisters get married we have a special Family Home Evening (no grooms allowed!). We all gather in my parents front room and give the bride-to-be a scrap book page with some fun pictures of us with them and a wedding gift. My dad reads from the Family: A Proclamation to the World and then plays the Moonlight Sonata. This time was special because it was Pioneer Day and we had a huge firework show to finish the night.

Here are some pictures of everyone waiting for the happy couple to come out of the temple.

The Morris's eventually came out and we took lots of fun pictures.

They had their reception at the Carmelle. It was beautiful!

Here are some silly boys watching as the bride and groom get pictures taken outside the reception hall.

It was a great day! Welcome to the family Scott!