Mt Rushmore

One of the last things we did at home was visit my sister Stephanie at Mt. Rushmore. It felt like going home since my dad worked there for 30 years and at one point, our entire family worked there in the summer. I was in the gift shop, Steph and Nathan were in the food dept, Mom was in the parking garage and Dad was a law enforcement, gun carrying Park Ranger (and one you wouldn't want to mess with either - they'd call him when they needed someone people would listen to!). Yeah, so it was very nice to visit with my kiddos. The only thing missing, again, was Terry.

These were a new addition - tee pees on the train up to the mountain

Eeeeeeeee. Noah likes to climb mountains

Gramma accompanied us

Since Steph works there still, we were able to get free lunch and ice cream! Love this shot =)

Go Noah go

Double action

Here's Steph hard at work. But hey, the blue shirt means she's a supervisor!

Niiiiiiiice

Yeah, why wouldn't she be happy?!

Here is Steph with her friend Dee - Devenshi from South Africa. She's a nice girl - loved on my kids. They went to New York City together!

that's far enough Evie...

While we were home at the end of June, I took the kids swimming a couple times at 2 zero-depth pools - those are the best! These photos are from the Y.

So Evie is super brave, or just ignorant. The girl thinks she can swim. She just rushes out into the deeper water, thinking that bobbing under the water is fun. Yeah, scary for mommy. So here she is doing her cute thing.

Noah is big enough to not have to worry about the "deep" 2 foot end

Here's proof I was there... And you can see how Evie likes to be as deep as she can. Little punk!

Storybook Island

Peek-a-boo baby. Where are you?

So, another stop while we were visiting home at the end of June was Storybook Island. Here we are at the top of the castle. My grandparents lived very close to Storybook Island when we were young (and still do), so close that we would often walk here. We had a system to the place. We would do everything, all in a specific order. First up was running to the top of the castle:

But alas, my kids do not care for my order =( Ha ha. So we went through the park "backwards," beginning in the little children's part. I always wished when I was older that I was allowed in... Sigh. Now it's not so fun for me!

Doesn't he look so excited? It was hot. And my kids were sleep deprived and quite cranky the entire trip, especially little Evie.

Wheeeee

This is a new addition since I was young - the train. You have to pay a dollar to go on this little loop and it takes no time at all to do, but of course the kids want to do it. When I was little, there was NO WAY we would have been allowed =) But grandparents soften in their old age. He he!

101 Dalmatians. They love that show. I would have thought they would have been more excited to see them...

Noah's Ark happens to be a favorite of Noah's...

Flying Stephanie

Even though I was far too large for this slide, even as a skinny child, it was one of my favorites. My kids were less than impressed...

Noah is getting acquainted with Tigger at Pooh's tree house. I loved this place as a kid. LOVED it. Sadly there was were hundreds of daycare kids at the park so it was way crowded and not as enjoyable as it could have been. More dangerous than anything!

This is one of Noah's favorites. I can't even remember the name. You climb the stairs in the little house to go down the slide. Up and down, up and down they went.

Dragon

the new park

My parents live almost out of town. It's far away from cool, fun kid stuff. So when they finished construction on this huge, new park last winter (?), Noah HAD to go there. It was freezing, but I remember him not wanting to go back to Gramma and Grampa's K's house for her wonderful Thanksgiving food.

So when we were staying at my parent's house at the end of June, we went again, this time in the hot hot weather. Here is Steph with Evie and me allowing the bazillion day care girls to pet Snap dog.

Pink cheeks. It was hot.

Noah went up to this little girl, said "Will you be my friend," and they were!

up in the hills

While Terry went to Challenge in Ohio the last week of June and beginning of July, I took the kids home instead of sitting around here going crazy. I did go a little crazy nonetheless, but at least I had some help!

After church with my parents we went to the Latchstring Inn in Spearfish Canyon for lunch. Here we are outside the back porch where we ate. Poor Noah had two bloody noses!

Yay! We took a small hike from the back of the restaurant down the path to Little Spearfish Falls. Evie was SO cute in her bright little yellow dress. The only thing missing? Daddy =(

Next we drove up the road just a mile to Roughlock Falls. Here we are looking at the fish.

Cute boy!

Can you blame me for missing this place? Geesh, I do!

My mom, the kids and I went hiked back down to the restaurant, collecting flowers and running down the hills.

first mow

Evie could not be dissuaded from riding with daddy and Noah on the lawn mower Grandpa B gave us for our first mow at the new house. It was a lot of work for daddy - he had his arms full!