Holter Lake

We only spent one day at the lake this year....where did the summer go? It seems ridiculous to get the boat out for only one day, but we sure did enjoy it. Along with a shortage of time, the lake boat docks were under construction making loading and unloading difficult. We were so lucky that the one day we were able to head to the lake we were able to go with Brett and Jacie. I hope they enjoyed the time with the girls and conversation as much as we did.

Abbie got to drive the boat alone this year. Jeremy always says that we wants to sit back and relax and have someone else drive the boat....looks like Abbie will soon be the captain.

The water was cold and the weather wasn't quite warm enough for any of us to want to jump in for a swim but both girls loved putting their feet in. Eventually Abbie and I got in for a "swim" but we got out quickly and one time was plenty.

We took a break from the boat and spent some time playing at the beach.

Ah, Daddy's girl.

Trip to Columbia Falls with Grandmas

The end of July brought a trip to Columbia Falls with the Grandmas. I am not sure who had more fun Jeremy or I, or the girls, or the grandmas. It was nice to have some extra help with the girls and I think the grandmas really enjoyed their time with the girls. The weather was warm, but not hot. On our first full day there we went to the golf course, maze, and bumper boat fun park. Rylee was too little to ride the bumper cars so we rode the boats twice. Both girls laughed and laughed the whole time even though we wouldn't allow them to squirt us directly since it wasn't warm enough to get soaked that day.

Rylee figured out quick how to use the squirter button.

This was Abbie's second time on the bumper boats solo (first time was last year as a 4-year-old)so she was even able to teach the grandmas how they worked.

We all played some mini-golf. Rylee thought it was fun for about one hole and Abbie lasted about 4 or 5 then the two of them played on their own while the rest of us continued our serious golf game. I always start out really well, like even a hole-in-one, and so I place a bet with Jeremy and then my game falls apart and I lose my own bet miserably.

We partook in the maze this year. After finding the first two towers Abbie lost interest (Rylee didn't really have any to begin with) so we skipped the 3rd tower and just focused on the final tower and finding the end.


We did some shopping around Whitefish and Kalispell but the highlight of the trip was the waterslides. Abbie still just wants to do the small kiddy slides and then sit in the hot tub. Rylee wanted to do the great big slides. After coming down the big slides with Jeremy a few times Jeremy put her down on the ground after getting her out of the water and she would take off walking up the hill again looking back to say, "Come on...again!"

Jeremy and Abbie

Grandma Nita and Abbie

Grandma Nate and Abbie

I finally convinced Abbie to ride the bigger slides. Reminding her that she did it last year...and last year she wasn't nearly as good a swimmer. This bribe worked. She then took on the bigger slides. This made me excited since the kiddy slides are much too narrow...and my butt being much wider, making the trip down VERY slow as I tried to push us along and try not to get stuck!!

After a few times down the big slides Abbie gained all sorts of confidence and even decided she didn't really need a life jacket when she rode down with Grandma Nate.

Here comes Rylee with no persuading or coercing to go down the bigger slides. The faster the slide and the bigger the splash the more she enjoyed it.

Because the Grandmas were with us, it allowed Jeremy and I the opportunity to get to ride some of the slides that we wouldn't otherwise. This innertube ride was a ton of fun and Jeremy started a sort of contest about who could get the highest on the backsplash part of the ride.

Trip to Bozeman and Yellowstone

We spent a lot of time traveling this summer. Our second trip with the camper this year was to Bozeman and Yellowstone Park. This was by far our most expensive trip. We were in a hail storm that totaled our camper and did quite a bit of damage to the truck. It was hard to sit inside the camper while the hail pounded down getting bigger and bigger and not be able to do anything. Oh well...now we'll get a camper with the bunk beds like we've been talking about (need to find the silver-lining somewhere)

We spent 2 nights at the Bozemen KOA and the girls LOVED the pool. It was an outdoor pool that was warm and had a great spray park. The weather wasn't super cooperative because it wasn't really warm but every time the sun poked out from behind the clouds we headed to the pool.

Rylee loves the water and isn't afraid of anything. She loves to jump into the pool and the higher you throw her and the more underwater she goes the more she laughs.

Abbie really wanted to practice her swimming this trip and has become more confident about being able to swim on her own without her life jacket. Her and I spent lots of time in the pool without her life jacket as she practiced "streamlining" to me.

We spent one morning in Bozeman at the Museum of the Rockies. I thought Abbie would love the dinosaurs and be in awe of them, instead she was inquisitive. She asked tons of questions about dinosaurs and Yellowstone and what causes the geysers and mud pots. The kids room was having its grand opening the day we were there so the girls spent about an hour trying out all of the new stuff.

From Bozeman we headed to Gardiner where we only stayed one night at the RV park there. We were supposed to stay all 3 nights there but let's just say it wasn't quite like it was described on the internet. Since we didn't feel comfortable letting the girls outside because of the rattlesnakes, fast moving Yellowstone river, and the pot-smoking clientele we decided make reservations in West Yellowstone at a KOA. This park had a freezing swimming pool but had some other fun amenities like a 2-person bike rental.


Once inside the park we saw lots of beautiful scenery...

and lots of wildlife....

The woman behind me kept talking about the beautiful moose and I finally figured out she was talking about THIS beautiful moose. I didn't correct her. I thought it would be fun for her to go home and show her friends what "Montana Moose" look like.

and, according to Jeremy, lots of stinky bubbling water. For being there in July it wasn't very warm and so Jeremy lost his sense of humor after getting out and looking at the same thing 2 or 3 times while we were wishing I had brought warmer clothes.

Old Faithful

The end of Old Faithful eruption

Is that Davey Crockett?

or Daniel Boone??

Jeremy and the girls had never been to Yellowstone and I hadn't been there in about 20 years so it was a fun vacation to do as a "first"for all of us.

Sun Canyon Camping

Our first camping trip of 2010 was to Sun Canyon with the Fowells June 14th-17th. We had never camped at Sun Canyon so it was a beautiful change of scenery and fun to try something new. We even ate in the lodge one night so we weren't really roughing it too much.

One of the little girls that lives there at the lodge was nice enough to share her Barbie Cadillac with the girls. Rylee discovered quickly how to drive it and then refused to get out.

Sissy even enjoyed the ride. This was Sissy's first camping trip and I thought she did great. She stayed by the camper most of the time without a leash or long line. She barked only when people came close to the camper, she rode quietly on the back of the four-wheeler, and she slept all night without whining. The one thing she has to work on is that she doesn't come when you call her if something is more distracting or fun. I still think that is pretty good for a puppy.

There was lots of riding 4-wheelers, playing, and relaxing.

It is funny how kids are...this swing set had 1 slide, 1 swing (the other was broken), and 1 set of rings but it is what Abbie wanted to play on continuously commenting about what a fun swing set this was!

Yummy Breakfast

Jeremy and Abbie have started a new family tradition. It isn't a healthy one but it sure is a fun one. When Jeremy works a weekend night, usually a Saturday night then Abbie reminds him to stop and pick up donuts on his way home. The three of us girls always enjoy the same kind every time......chocolate!!

Ice Skating Dance

The girls are playing more and more together and Rylee is trying to do everything Abbie is. Sometime Abbie loves it and other times she is greatly annoyed. Rylee loves music and will dance anytime it comes on so today the two of them put together a show. The pink polka-dot blanket is their ice and so they are performing an ice skating dance.

Last Day of School

May 25th was Abbie's last day of Pre-K at Holy Spirit. There wasn't any hoopla on the last day..no party, no hugs from her teacher. Instead it was a "Good luck at Kindergarten." We are excited Abbie will be a Riverview Eagle in the fall. The principal at Riverview is going out of his way to make sure the school will be as prepared as possible for a student with a peanut allergy as severe as Abbie's. I am excited she will be so close that I can just walk over and get her. Although I can't believe she is going to be a kindergartener...where did 5 years go?


I thought it was appropriate to take the same picture as on the first day of Pre-K. She definitely looks older and wiser to me.



Now isn't this funny. When I try to get Rylee to pose for a picture she won't but as soon as I ask Abbie to take a picture she will hope right in next to her. Rylee is really starting to want to do everything that Abbie does.

Soccer on May 23rd

The final soccer game of the season brought Abbie's first and only goal of the spring. She was pumped and it was a great way to end the season. Although we saw TONS of improvement in her including quite a defensive player she wasn't seeing it that way.

Giving dad a high-five after her goal.

Spring Soccer 2010

L to R: Logan, skdj, Abbie, Taylee, Emily, and Ruby