Since the first two weeks of June were taken up in Mexico and California on our mission trip, we got a late start on summer vacation.
The day after our Badlands visit, June 22, Noah and Evie (and daddy) put their Mexico painting skills to work by helping a couple from church, Roger and Marilyn. They spent most of the day painting their outdoor covered porch.
On June 23rd, one week after returning from the Mexico trip, we went to church in style in the New Yorker.
We visited the ranch on June 26th.
My favorite tree surrounded by very tall grass.
We helped grandpa get a new bed installed.
We also checked out his new truck (we got his old Equinox after we sold the Malibu).
I worked quite a bit that summer due to one of the nurses being out on maternity leave.
Lots of rain equals lots of strawberries.
We got the kids a new pool which promptly sprung a leak later this day, June 28th.
Evie spent the night with Elle on June 29th and Frannie sent me some pictures that Asher took of them at Storybook Island (he worked there).
One of the things we learned on our Mexico mission trip was the value of togetherness. It was a shock to our systems, even this introvert who heavily values down time, to go from constant companionship to nothing overnight. We missed each other so much! We really wanted to try to incorporate that into our individualistic culture when we returned from the trip. So Terry and Mike scheduled a get together a mere six days after returning on June 22.
Never again could we all be together like we were on that trip. Someone would always have something else going on. Life would just go back to normal unfortunately. We're all too busy.
Mike is always happy!
Noah chillin.
Evie confusedly singing? Ha ha ha.
Singing our favorite song together again, My Lighthouse.
The next thing we had planned was a report to the church, scheduled two weeks after our return, on the evening of June 30. Sarah came over sometime before to give Terry the video that she had made. Terry made another two and Suzanne made one.
Evie and Hailey all smiles.
More smiles from Savannah and Emily. My mom came and stayed for the entire three hours.
I didn't know Hannah, Tori, and Emily had all bought matching dresses. So pretty.
The entire team stayed on the stage for three hours while we shared about our trip. I knew we'd go long, but that was pretty crazy.
It was a pretty good turnout too! We did have a built in coffee and dessert break halfway through and some people left at that point.
We sang our favorite songs.
And every single person shared at least one time (except Sarah N. I believe because she's so shy).
I don't know what we were thinking, but we stayed pretty busy after returning from the Mexico trip...maybe because Terry took the week off to recuperate after working for two solid weeks, maybe because we didn't know what to do with ourselves without our team, maybe because we were bored. Anyway, the day after we returned from our anniversary getaway, on Friday, June 21, we went to the Badlands. Apparently, we're starting to make it an annual thing (first time in 2016, 2017, and 2018).
Perhaps we should have paid closer attention to the weather since it was rainy when we first got there (see south of Wall). It was the wettest summer on record I believe...
Everyone was in shorts and the littles didn't grab their coats as I had instructed. That's why Ezra is wearing mine. We ate lunch in the van after arriving to wait out the weather.
We stopped at the first northerly lookout and walked as far as we could to the north.
End of the line. Samuel and Ezra in me and Terry's coats. 😂
Going back to that most elevated green hill to the left.
Roadside stop to say hello to some resting Bighorn sheep...lambs.
They were everywhere up north.
We walked on down the trail and then bushwhacked until the end of the cliff.
Looking down from that cliff area to the road scenes below.
Everything was so incredibly lush due to the abundant rain. There was clover absolutely everywhere. All the fields looked yellow or lime. Of course later in the fall, in September, all the clover had died and turned brownish black!
Another roadside stop.
So beautiful!
We parked at just about every stop and hiked however far we could.
Here's the end of another line.
💚
Ezra's face and wiggly jacket arms. 😂
At this stop we ventured into muddy areas with less grass and all came away with at least an inch of it caked to our shoes.
Another end of the line.
Lots of family shots.
And more.
And another.
Hey there's me!
We decided to do the Notch Trail again (the one with the ladder). CLOVER!!
We abandoned the elevated trail and explored along the floor of the area.
Evie managed to get over the mud puddle but the littles had to go a different way.
The highest point at the end of the trail.
Pretty girl.
Heading back. You can see the ladder in the distance.
Littlest first.
One, two, three, four.
The littles climbed on whatever they could on the way back.
See what I mean about everything looking yellow? It was so beautiful.
I took a couple short time lapse videos of our Notch hike.
