Driving to Many Glacier

We took a great day trip to Many Glacier and did a boat trip/hiking trip that was filled with stunning views and wildlife, including bears!

Our first view of the glaciers.

Ethan snapped this photo as we got ready to unload for our hiking trip.

Swimming at St. Mary Lake

Ethan and Dad on our favorite rock at St. Mary Lake...

Swimming in the lake was fun, but the bottom is pretty rocky, so Ethan held on to Dad most of the time (which Mom was thankful for!). Ethan loves being in the water and wanted to practice his back float. Notice his concentration and excellent floating form!

Mary Kate joins in the fun after her morning nap.

Mom managed to grab Ethan for a quick hug and a snapshot before he jumped back in the lake with Dad.

Fishin' with Grandpa

Our first priority upon arriving at Grandpa and Grandma's cabin at St. Mary Lake was FISHING!

Here's the view from shore.

A good place to sit and fish...

And when you get tired of sitting, you can simply lay down and fish...

Waiting for a bite...

Taking a turn at the oars....

Giant Wind Turbines!

On our way to Glacier, we got to see a whole bunch of giant wind turbines near the town of Judith Gap. These turbines are approximately 250 high and each of the three fiberglass blades is 126 feet long, which means that at the top of its arc, each blade tip will be nearly 400 feet in the air. There are a total of 90 turbines at the wind farm. Cool!

Freedom Days Celebration

Here are some highlights of yesterday's Freedom Days celebration in Columbus, MT.

Ethan in the fire truck.

We walked all over town for about 3 hours in 100 degree heat. So we took a rest on main street while we waited for the parade to start...

To say that Ethan loves parades doesn't quite do his enthusiasm justice. He stood and waved at everyone in the parade for over 30 minutes. He never stopped waving. Sometimes, when his arm got tired, he lowered it to rest, but kept right on a waving.

Mary Kate's favorite part was getting the mini beach ball.

Ethan taking a quick candy inventory post-parade...and finally stopped waving.

Mary Kate adjusting Daddy's fire chief hat...

We ended a great day by watching the fireworks show...except Daddy and Mary Kate , who decided to turn in early after all that heat and celebrating.

At the Ranch

Our cousins, the Roaune family, has a cattle ranch a few miles north of town. We went for a visit and Ethan helped feed the cows.

Mary Kate wasn't particulary impressed with the cows. They are heavy breathers and can be kind of pushy.

We enjoyed some iced tea at Hannah's and Mary Kate decided to sample the lemon slices.

Ethan enjoyed his first root beer. "Wow!" he exclaimed, "That's tasty!" He thought it was really cool to drink it out the of can. Mom cut him off after about half the can. Major sugar rush!

Then we went out and checked the herd out in the fields.

Mom and and Mary Kate rode in the cab with Uncle Steve and Aunt Rayetta. Dad, Ethan, Steph and Pat rode in the back of the truck. Ethan absolutely loved bouncing around back there.

Day 3...We Made It!

Hooray!!! We made it to Grandpa and Grandma's house.

Here's Mary Kate and Grandpa doing what turned out to be one of MK's favorite vacation activities...climbing the stairs.

Our cousins, Stephanie and Patrick came over to visit and play.

And Ethan and Grandpa (and Moki the dog) took a ride on the four wheeler. After that first ride, Ethan pretty much wanted to spend every waking moment on the four wheeler.

Takin' a walk with Grandpa...

More pictures from Day 2 on the road

Ethan helping dad fill 'er up in Medina, North Dakota.

Remember what gas pumps used to look like before the digital credit card pay at the pump age began?

Stretching our legs at a park.

And getting some much needed swing time in before answering the call of nature (a potty break) and the open road (convincing the kids to get back into the van).

Winding down with a good book at our hotel in Miles City...or trying to, at least. The kids were climbing all over like wild monkeys, overjoyed not to be strapped in their car seats anymore!

4th of July Waterslide Fun

Our hotel had a small indoor waterslide park with a ship theme. So this morning, we all had a lot of fun splashing around for a couple hours before hopping in the van to drive thru not-so-scenic North Dakota.

We made it to Miles City, Montana today...about 500 miles. We were all too tired to stay up to watch fireworks tonight, but we're looking forward to the big parade, festival and fireworks on Saturday in Columbus.

On The Road...Day 1

We made it to Fargo at about 7:30 pm. We had a pizza for supper and relaxed in our hotel room before Ethan and Daddy went and checked out the indoor waterpark at the hotel. But first, Ethan needed to do some major stretching after all that time in the van.

Mary Kate loves to carry her sandals around with her when they're not on her feet. Don't eat them, though, baby! Yuck!

Our Montana Adventure Begins

This afternoon, after Dad's dentist appointment, we hit the road for Big Sky Country. The kids settled into their carseats for the 4 hour drive to Fargo. We're planning for 2.5 days on the road to cover the 920 miles to Grandpa and Grandma Wheeler's house.

Ethan's top choice for in-van entertainment...The Complete Book of Farmyard Tales book and CD.

Mary Kate looking super cute.

Dino Face

Ethan is getting excited for his upcoming Dinosaur day camp experience in August. Here he is practicing his Dino Face.