Good to be home!

Ah yes, those lil' white legs must belong to us! 

Collecting rocks in Homer

 As November begins, I find myself still reeling from October's whirlwind. It's amazing all that can happen in a month! After living in McCarthy for the summer, re-entry into the world of fast cars, bright lights, and demanding schedules is bitter-sweet.

Our first stop after leaving McCarthy was Homer, an awesome little sea-side community where friends of ours live. I certainly could have stayed for the week, but our weekend trip ended too quickly, and before I knew it we were on a plane for California.

Once home, we exchanged Carharts and beanies for tank tops and flip flops and made our way to San Francisco for the Nike Women's Half Marathon. Talk about culture shock! Going from running alongside bear tracks to running alongside 25,000 other people certainly makes you realize you aren't in Kansas anymore. And just to be certain there were plenty of people for us Vials to take in, the Giants and the 49ers were playing home games that day. Go figure.

Explore'n with Grampy

Our next stop took us to the Central Coast where we got to enjoy some downtime in the sunshine while visiting family. Although Riley couldn't get enough of her cousins and Grammy and Grampa, the toll of all our travels caught up with her and she came down with a nasty cold. Poor thing. It didn't stop her from learning how to climb, and later, slide down the stairs or getting showered with good ol' Grandparent love though!  

Learning about life with Grammy

No child is too small to go biking with Dada

Although the sun and good company beckoned us to stay, we knew it was time to get settled back into our Tahoe home. It was so hard to leave that glorious sun though! And wouldn't you know it... just as we made our way over the summit in Tahoe, the first snowstorm of the season was in full effect. Goodbye flip flops, hello snow shovel.

Icicles! 

Now we find ourselves quickly adapting to our ever-curious daughter and our lack of baby proofing throughout the house. Every nook and cranny is in the process of being explored (by child) and scrutinized (by mom), and envisioning countless accidents has prompted me to do some serious redecorating.

getting into everything and lov'n it! 

The end of the month brought us the cutest lil' turkey that ever was. Riley went trick-or-treating with a bunch of kiddos twice her age and had the time of her life. She was determined to walk and hold her candy, which the girl scored on! Do people really think an 11-month old will eat king-sized snickers? Good thing there's extra sugar in the house now, 'cause our little turkey will be keeping us plenty busy this Winter!

Having fun with Cousin Maya the Giraffe

Where the Wild Things Are

Matt and I were able to take Riley on her first camping trip over the Labor Day weekend. Although I worried over the weather and agonized over the idea of bears feasting on scrumptious Vials, away we went! Despite chilly weather, we had a great time and learned that Riley is the ultimate trooper when it comes to making the best out of situations.

Our trip started out with blue skies and amazing views. Getting dropped off by a bush plane really creates an element of being "out in the middle of wild Alaska" that can be unnervingly exhilarating. Unfortunately we were sharing our "wild" space with a group of 15 people that had set up camp near the airstrip. Definitely not alone, but certainly still out in the wild!

One aspect of backpacking with a child is that there's not a whole lot of extra space to carry stuff, so we really had to pack light. We originally were planning on doing a point-to-point trip, but we quickly realized that the patience and tolerance of a 9-month old would not last all those days in a backpack, so we set up a base-camp and crossed our fingers that the weather would be good to us. For the most part it was, but alas, the winds and rain came.

Riley loved crawling on the spongy ground cover while feeling all the different textures (and maybe even eating some too). She feasted on wild blueberries and smoked salmon and slept in her Dada's down jacket at night. Most of all, I think she really loved having both of us giving her all our attention for three whole days. When the rain and winds came, we hung out in the tent, reading books, counting fingers, and singing songs.... definitely a new version of camping for Matt and I!

We spotted a caribou herd! You can just make out there silhouette against the mountain...

I thought for certain we would see a bear or two, but instead I just fretted about seeing one up until the plane flew in to pick us up. That's when disappointment set it that we didn't see one (funny how that works).  We did see the famous caribou herd that hangs out there as well as some marmots, ptarmigan, and eagles. I think our little dinosaur child kept all those scary animals away. But upon returning home to the warmth of our cabin and our comfortable bed, there in our driveway stood a bear, just checking things out. I guess there's always a bit of "wild" no matter where you are in Alaska. 

Serendipity

Just when I thought I’d never dry out from the soggy Alaskan weather, California came calling in the form of wedding bells and promises of sunshine. One of my closest girlfriends was getting married and I really couldn’t miss seeing her on her wedding day. As an added bonus, Riley would get to experience the love of friends and family back at home. The only thing that stood between Riley and I and that delicious sun was the dreaded airplane ride with an “infant.” We’ve all heard the horror stories…. Kids kicking seats, babies screaming for 5 hours straight, a stoic mother’s gaze while she contemplates tequila shots…   I feared traveling alone with Riley, especially since we would need to drive 8 hours to Anchorage before we even started the 6-hour plane ride. I was surely setting myself up for a mid-air baby breakdown, right?

so much to see!

Nothing else to do but crawl

I could go on and on about the details of our travels, but I’ll just say that my lil’ daughter was one heck of a traveler. She handled the 8-hour drive to Anchorage like a champ, and then oohed and ahhed her way through airport security. Once on the plane, she won the hearts of the flight attendants and made the nearby passengers laugh out loud. To top of the great traveling luck, Riley decided to try her hand at crawling while we were waiting for our connecting flight. I watched with pride as Riley got those little hands and legs in synch and began her days of mobility.

kisses from cousin

Our time in California was a fast and furious whirlwind of an adventure. People to see, things to do, naps to squeeze in. Poor Riley was bombarded with stimulation of mass quantities - from traffic and congestion on the highways to kisses and screams of delight from loved ones. and Papa, Aunties and Uncles, excited cousins… Riley was overjoyed to have the attention of so many people. She wore her sundresses and splashed in the pool; she learned how to clap, sit up on her own, and give kisses; she relished in the tastes of summer fruit and the feel of the warm summer sun on her skin.

hangin with Auntie and Cousin Maya

lovin' the pool

Time with my girls!

clap if you love being naked!

The change of scenery was a nice refresher for me, but I unexpectedly found myself ready to return to Alaska. I guess the simplicity of things and the quirkiness that comes with McCarthy living is carving its mark on me.  Don’t get me wrong- there’s nothing glamorous about bathing in a plastic bin (but oh what a conversation starter that one is!). My internal struggle with Alaska wages on, but little by little I’m finding peace and along with that a new definition of what “home” really is.

Happy to be home! 

A trip to the sea...

  

Icebergs and sea otters and whales... how can one not love the Alaskan sea? The Vial family had quite the adventure while enjoying a quick getaway to the coast.  Miss Riley was introduced to all kinds of new things, from flying in an airplane to listening to a colony of sea lions up close. (Actually, a group of Sea Lions is a called a Raft. No joke.)

Lots of sea life, lots of yummy food, and some great times spent with good friends made this trip extra special for us. And the gloriously hot showers were an added bonus. It was a breath of fresh air for the soul. 

Our bush plane awaits! 

feeding and flying

Hmm... maybe she'll be a DJ someday

just waiting to be explored....

ferry boats rock. 

Lovin' every minute! 

Boisterous little fellas

 

who doesn't love a whale tale? 

                                     

     “For whatever we lose (like a you or a me), it's always our self we find in the sea.” 
                                                                                – e.e. Cummings

Adventures With Daddy

                            

Love at first sight! 

From the start, it was love at first sight for Matt. I think Riley was 3 weeks old when he first asked me if she could fit into the baby backpack so he could take her skiing. He handled her so tenderly while giving her her 1st bath, and I'll never forget coming home to Matt making Christmas presents in the garage with Riley strapped to his front, covered in sawdust. There's plenty of life to be shared by these two. 

Nothin' beats hearing Daddy's heartbeat

Looking nervous... 

First milkshake! 

Playing the fiddle! 

sweetness

Working with Dad.... in a box. 

You'll love this... it's tri-tip

                                  

                                          Forget baby food, I want Pizza! 

Life is fun with Mom, but it’s a true adventure with Daddy.