Mount Rushmore

My photos are finally here! I have not been able to figure out how to get photos from my phone to my computer with a new APP that was installed. But they are all accessible now.

So let's go back a couple of weeks. After the last big kid left, Dar and Sean came to town. Beth left on Wednesday and Dar and Sean came on Thursday! On Friday we left for Mt. Rushmore! We did a turn around trip which I was really not looking forward to. But it turned out great and two days was just the right amount of time.

At 6:00 AM we left the house. Our first stop was the breeder. She has offered to watch Charlie whenever we need it, but being an hour away we probably won't take her up on it too much. This time, however, she was right on the way.

We made pretty good time after that, and after a detour in Lusk, Wyoming due to a flood, we arrived at Mt. Rushmore right around 2:00 PM.

It looks exactly as you imagine it.

I love how the California and Colorado flags are right next to each other. I prefer to think of it as fate, but it's probably alphabetical order.

Did you know Mt. Rushmore was never finished?

When completed, it was supposed to look like this. But they ran out of money. You can see there was supposed to be clothing for Washington and much more detail of the hair and body of Lincoln.

We arrived at sculpture center just as this ranger was telling us all about it.

We hiked back to to the car on a different path them we came in on.

The surrounding forest was really beautiful.

Bucket list item crossed off.

Baby Update

Our last guest has left. For the last 16 days we have had between 7 and 15 people in our house every day. It has been fun and tiring and fun and messy. I am now ready to blog again but am having some trouble getting pictures off my phone. Luckily, the photo sharing seems to be working so this post will be about babies!

Oliver is doing great. He is receiving medication for reflux so he is not spending all his time crying after every bottle. :(

He is on week four of his NAM appliance.

The NAM is pulling the clefts in his gums closer together. That will mean an easier bone graft later on down the road.

The NAM is also evening out the clefts for a better post-surgical appearance.

After a few weeks nose splints will be added to the NAM to help elongate the columella.

Anna did not get the benefit of this appliance in China but we are sure glad Oliver does!

Paige is doing really well too! I have got to see her three times in the last three months and she is like a new person each time. I forget how fast they change at this age.

She can now roll over...

...and laugh...

...and play...

...and of course go to Sounders games!

So much fun!

Avery's Birthday "Party"

We had the whole family together this past weekend! And since Avery turned three the week before, Dan and I had the privilege of taking her and her "cousins" to Lollipop Park to celebrate.

We went on all the rides.

Maks was absolutely fearless!

Avery sat out a few on Grandpa's shoulders.

She went on the teacup ride as long as no one touched the wheel. Fine with me!

And the train was pretty fun too!

They all enjoyed a hot dog lunch afterwards.

Hope you had a happy day, Avery!

Back to Our Favorite

It was back to our favorite park last week for a coop. It was warm enough to go in the creek for the first time this year!

And Maks got to ride the train for the first time ever!

Loving summer.

Lookout Mountain Nature Center

We have been to Lookout Mountain twice. We've seen Buffalo Bill's grave up there, but we never knew there was a nature center. This past week the girls had a coop at the nature center and it was really good.

We had a great guide who taught them about various plants and animals.

They also learned about conservation through songs.

Everything was fortified in their little minds by playing a game. Here they are being Albert's squirrels, native to the Rocky Mountains, trying to get away from a fox.

After our lesson and hike we had lunch together. We'll be back!