Bella

Look at this beauty.  She lost her two front teeth, on the same day, and that smile gets her anything she wants these days. LOVE THIS GIRL!

South Dakota!

A couple weeks ago we went to South Dakota for a little r&r and some family time.  We had such a great trip.  Out kids are at such fun ages where we can go and do so much more and it was a treat to spend some time together away from everyday distractions.  Here are some highlights from our trip.

MOUNT RUSHMORE!  It really is an incredible thing to see!

BEAR COUNTRY! Probably the best money we spent all week!  The animals (elk, reindeer, wolves, and of course, bears, plus lots of others) in this drive thru zoo were amazing and fearless and literally, right next to the car.  And it was so cool to see all of the bears up close.

JEWEL CAVE!  We got to go down into the depths of a cave and see all kinds of cool formations for an hour and half tour.  It was so unique and the kids loved it...at least for the first hour.  Then it got a little redundant for them. Stalagmites can only hold your interest for so long. :)

KOA!  We decided to camp to save money and we did not regret it!  Our campsite was amazing.  Water slides, a spray park, movie theater, and lots of playgrounds. The perfect end to every day.

GOLD PANNING!  We took the kids into town one day to pan for gold and I think Loren and I got a little addicted.  The kids did it for a while and enjoyed it.  Loren and I both said we could have stayed for hours.  What is it that is so satisfying about finding a spec of gold in a bunch of sand? 

We had a great time.  I love that we got to have this time together before the craziness of camp ensues.  I leave on Sunday to take teen moms to camp and the whole family heads up to Crooked Creek for our camp assignment next week.  We are excited about the adventure to come!