4 months

It has already been 4 months! The kids had their check-up yesterday. Everything is great. Rylan is tall and skinny (24.5" and about 12 lbs 8 oz). Kamryn appears to have more chunk but it is really because she's almost 2" shorter than her "little" bro. She was 23" and about 12 lbs 2 oz.

Rylan's big thing right now is mimicing all of his daddy's noises and faces. Kamryn's big thing right now is growling at and trying to eat her stuffed monkey. I don't think it is coincidence that the child who spent the first 6-8 weeks of her life looking eerily similar to a chimpanzee loves her pet monkey (even though the monkey is shown with Rylan below)! Also, I'm supposed to note that comment is from dad, not mom. :-)

They are both real close to laughing, and both have had random rolls from their tummy to back.

All is well and we are having a blast watching them discover something new every day.

Rylan with a tight grip on sissy's pet monkey.

ALASKA

A few weeks ago I took the trip of a lifetime up to Alaska. It was a week-long fishing trip that my brothers, Dan and Tyler, and friend, Kevin joined me on. We spent the week touring around and fishing on the Kenai peninsula. This was mine and my brothers' first time up there. The trip was really too incredible to try and describe here, so I'll just post some pics and call it good.

Day 1 - Leaving Anchorage

View from our hotel in Seward

Our boat for halibut fishing - Got Fish!

We all entered a derby where you could win $10K. We fell well short of that, but the daily prize for biggest fish was a free charter for next season. The daily winner the day we went out was 128 lbs. This fish was 120 lbs! Close, but no cigar.

That there is a freezer full of 'but -- about 300 lbs worth!

Exit Glacier just outside Seward - the picture just does not do it justice.

Day 3 - this is the first thing we saw when we pulled into our lodge in Soldotna. In fact, this picture was taken from my driver's seat before I even stepped out of the car when we pulled up.

This was our lodge in Soldotna - Jimmie Jack's Fishing. Awesome people and place. These guys were great.

This is Mt. Redoubt - an active volcano on the opposite shore of the Cook Inlet. This picture was taken from the private ocean front property at Jimmie Jack's -- about 30 yards from our lodge.

Russian River MADNESS!! We had to experience it once. Unbelievable how many people cram onto that river -- it was packed like this for miles in both directions.

This is what all the combat fishing is for -- Sockeye salmon. This was our take for the day.

A fantastic ending to an amazing trip!