Mount Rushmore Trip - Last Day

On our last Day in Rapid City, after we checked out of our hotel room, we decided to hit a park that we had heard was really fun. It had all these play areas for the kids based on children stories or things like that. They had a pirate ship to play on and even the three little pigs and their homes. Again, it was still wet and rainy, but the kids needed to get out and run around.

Mount Rushmore Trip - Day Four

We ended up getting pretty lucky while in South Dakota. They were doing a special Memorial Day blasting on Crazy Horse. So we packed up the kids and headed out to watch them blow it up. We thought it would be bigger, but how often do you get to be a part of something like this? If you watch the video, it is amazing to see how long between when we see the explosion and when you see the shockwave hit us.

Mount Rushmore Trip - Day Three

So on this rainy day three, we decided to hit Bear Country USA in the morning and this really neat water park in the afternoon. Bear Country USA was kind of fun, but where you are not allowed to roll down your windows due to the bears just running around everywhere and it was raining, we really had a hard time seeing the bears due to the rain on our windows. But all in all, everyone had tons of fun!


The water park was really fun. They had lots of slides and a big lazy river that even had rapids and waterfalls. Jackson loved the jungle gym water park part of it and the best part was that it was all indoors! Good thing too since it rained all day.

Ok...this may be mean, but this is Sage having her first sour patch kid. She wasn't impressed.

Our trip to Mount Rushmore

We decided to take a family trip to Mount Rushmore. 12 hours, one way, 5 kids, one suburban. Starting to feel sorry for Jerime and I aren't ya! It wasn't too bad. Although there is nothing in Wyoming!

There were so many tunnels to drive through. This is a great double tunnel. We are going through the first one and then sunlight and then the next tunnel.
Crazy wild burros would jump in your car if they could to get something to eat.

What is my obsession with funny photos at famous landmarks? I just had to get one of everyone doing something funny. Jordan kissing George Washington

Micheal picking G.W. nose
Justin and G.W.

Jerime looking so very official.

It was kind of cold and rainy the first day, but here we are! I feel a little like the Griswalds.

What? I will have a child in High School next year?

So proud of my choir boy!

Wait a minute! When did I grow up and become old enough to have a child in High School. The kids laugh at me when I tell them I really am a cool and still very hip mother. (Surprisingly the same way I laughed at my mother. Hmmm......)

Justin's 6th grade graduation

So I absolutely hate this picture of me, but Justin looks pretty good in it, so I will go ahead and post this. So proud that he passed! Let's cross our fingers for middle school. More girls to choose from may distract him even more.

Jackson's 3rd birthday party

Jackson's new favorite tractor book from Aunt Leola.

I wonder whose idea it was to get him a toy backhoe for his birthday. No electricity with it. It is a pedal backhoe, but he loves digging things with it.

Now this is where I pat myself on the back and think of how creative I am. Didn't have time to bake a cake or anything, and the ones at the bakery were not very cute. So I grabbed the best thing I could, crushed up Oreos and made dirt out of them and bought a toy bulldozer from the toy/candy aisle and slapped it on the cake. The funny part is that after I congratulate myself on being Mother of the Year, I left the cake on the counter. When I came back to put candles in, I noticed that someone had driven the bulldozer over the cake and had left track marks in the frosting. Jackson just couldn't help himself!

We had family over to celebrate Jackson's 3rd birthday. Finally he is able to understand what is going on and he gets excited about opening presents.

May Day Dance

Jerime and his interpretation of The Macarena. I do have video of this if anyone is looking for a great laugh!

Jordan and Justin had their May Day Dance program May 15 at the Fountain Green Elementary School. Jackson seemed too tuckered out to enjoy the show, but it looks as if everyone else had loads of fun!