First Swim Lesson

My longtime friend Lisa has been a swim instructor for many years. When she invited us to the pool for a water babies lesson we didn't hesitate!

Lisa gave us lots of tips on getting babies used to the water. Brooke had a good time with the little activities in the warm water.

To teach babies to be comfortable floating on their back it's good to use the cheek to cheek method.

This is the warm kids pool in the Petersburg Aquatic Center. It was like hanging out in a hot tub!

Thanks Lisa for being Brooke's first swim instructor!

Random Photos from Alaska

We have seen many deer while here in Petersburg. Brooke looks at them and says, "woof, woof!"

On one of our evening walks the sun was setting and the harbor was so calm and quiet.

Brooke LOVES phones. When Auntie Caitlin calls she gets to have her own phone. She paces the house hitting buttons, putting the phone up to her ear and jabbering.

Thanks to Etta we were inspired to throw out the huge yucky highchair for this much more functional booster seat. It fits our small girl much better and it's so much easier to keep clean!

Hiking

We took a nice hike on the Three Lakes Trail. Brooke took a short nap in the backpack on the way there. She loves to scratch my back while I'm walking and pull the back of my shirt down! She also reaches out and rubs my arm and sometimes squeezes and pinches me. It's quite entertaining!

We hiked through the muskeg into the forest and ended up at Ideal Cove. It was a good place for a short break, and then we were out on the trail again.

When I carry Brooke on my shoulders she likes to lean over and snuggle her cheek next to mine. It's the sweetest thing ever and always melts my heart!

Dancing Queen

Sarah Palin Sighting

One's a quitter and one's my uncle!

The Petersburg 4th of July parade would not be the same if it wasn't for the Swanson men dressing up like women.

I'm sure his father's proud.

10 Year Reunion

One of the reasons for coming up to Petersburg this summer was my ten year reunion. It was so much fun to visit with the people I grew up with. It was especially neat to see the classmates that are now mothers and fathers. There were families with one, two and three kids! (Above) Jane held Brooke before our class marched in the parade. She now has a gorgeous 5 month old girl named Lila.

Brooke waved her flag in the parade!

Families met out at Sandy Beach for a picnic. Parents enjoyed good conversation while the children had a blast on the beach. Calder (10 months) and Brooke (11 months) were pretty good cell mates! At one point it there was some baby wrestling going on!

Family Dinners

Sawyer and Mom play a little Guitar Hero after a great lunch at John and Miriam's house.


There is no shortage of people and good food here! We've had amazing meals seafood meals almost everyday we've been here.

At Rob and Terri's house we had a wonderful meal of grilled shrimp and halibut tacos with roasted corn salsa and chipotle sauce.

Brooke chased and tackled Sawyer around the house as Katy's girl Heidi watched the action from behind.

Brooke and Heidi on the stairs.

LaConte Glacier

My dad took Kent and I out to the LaConte Glacier in his boat. It was a beautiful sunny day and the scenery was incredible! I don't think I need many captions... so enjoy the photos!

The Petersburg South Boat Harbor with the ice capped mountains is such a scenic and bustling spot on a blue sky day.

More Cabin Photos

It would not be Alaska without rubber boots! With thirteen of us at the cabin there were plenty of boots lined up by the fireplace.

My cousins enjoyed many hours on the beach and in the woods with games of capture the flag, timed sprints through the forest, baseball practice with sticks and rocks, and an intense scavenger hunt.

Brooke will sit still for a good book and eating, that's about it!

The last day we were there, Kent and I took the double kayak at low tide to see the seals. We got relatively close, but they quickly took off when we got too close. While we were in their area they constantly popped their heads out of the water and checked on our location.

To the Cabin We Go!

We stuffed little Brooke into her new pink life jacket and took off down the Wrangell Narrows to our cabin in Duncan Canal. Brooke is not a happy camper if confined, so she was very wiggly and upset on the second half of the ride.

When we arrived at the cabin, Brooke tried out the dinner bell. She had a great time swinging it back and forth.

The weather was perfect while we were there. For the first half of the trip it was overcast and the second half was sunny and warm. It was perfect for walks on the beach, all day long beach fires, kayak and canoe trips, and much more.

Brooke's great-grandparents had a great time playing with her.

Grandpa Wally got a few chances to hold Brooke, but he quickly realized that she is a mover! She is so happy with walking that she hardly stops to see something for ten seconds. We all took turns following her around the cabin making sure she didn't get any more bumps or bruises.