Summer hiking

We were able to get in one last hiking/camping trip in August this year. We camped up at Woodbine campground, hiked up to Woodbine falls, and hiked about a 1/2 mile toward Sioux Charley Lake.

 

We found a great camp spot near the creek that Lila and Jake loved.

 

Lila dancing at the camp site. At one point she held the little speaker on her shoulder while she sang and danced. She couldn't figure out why I thought it was so funny. Her generation will never understand the challenge of walking around with a 30 lb boombox on your shoulder. 

 

Here's the reason we only made it about 1/2 a mile in an hour on our Sioux Charley hike. Lila kept getting distracted. There were just too many rocks to climb on.

 

 



Lila's 6th Birthday Party

A few pictures from Lila's party at the Lodge in Deadwood. The kids had cake and Lila opened her gifts in the room and then they headed down to the pool.  

 

 

The boys were crazy and wild - because they are boys.
Allie was fearless - I assume because she has Jack for a brother.
And Lila was just excited that it was finally her birthday party with her cousins.

Fishing with the Morrisons



Here are a few pictures from our fishing trip in South Dakota this past weekend.

 

Jami gave the kids a ride in the trailer down to the lake near their house. The kids thought it was the "coolest thing ever" but I think Tess thought we were crazy and that dogs shouldn't ride in trailers with wild kids.

 

Poor Eric. Lila made him keep, clean, and cook this little guy and then refused to eat it :)

On the way back we stopped at a neighbors so the kids could see/chase their chickens. Lila's love of birds must be reciprocated, since I've never seen a chicken pose so well for a photo. Of course, the knot on her head (from a collision with Allie) and 80's hair style make this one of my favorite pics of Lila Bean.

We're huntin' unicorns

Apparently there was a lot of excitement at school this week with little leprechauns running around and causing trouble. That, combined with the news that a leprechaun has to give you his gold if you catch him, led to box trap training in the living room. Turns out that baby unicorns make a perfect substitute leprechaun.

 



 

Lila's turning 6!



Here are a few pictures from Lila's first 6th birthday party. (Sorry about the blurry pics. Apparently I need to learn how to make my new phone focus) 

 

This year Lila wanted to have her party at the Billing Gymnastics Center. They take the kids through an obstacle course, "break the waves" in the rainbow parachute, and (my favorite) trapeze into the giant foam block pit. After they have thoroughly worn the kids out, it's time for ice cream cake and presents.

 

Next stop - South Dakota, for Lila's 2nd birthday celebration.

 

 

 

 



Ice Skating

This weekend Lila and I went to a birthday party for one of her friends. She had a great time seeing the friends she hasn't really seen since we left daycare, and she also tried a little ice skating for the first time. We decided that it's much easier than roller skating but falling is still a little scary. She did agree to try it again and I didn't break anything, so I consider her first ice skating trip a win!

What else would you have at a Frozen themed birthday party, but a snowman building activity. (About two seconds after this picture, the entire thing was stuffed in her mouth.)

 

Family Night

We all tried a little rock climbing at our church last weekend. Eric, of course, made it to the top. Lila was a little more unsure. It took us all night to talk her into trying it, but once she figured out how fun falling was, we couldn't get her to stop. You might notice that there isn't a picture of me climbing. Let's just say that I made it farther than Lila but not as far as Eric, and leave it at that.