Blogging Backlog

I started this catch-up post before the events of the last week interrupted life as we knew it... when our biggest worries were the flu and the aftermath it had left. It's really long and has a lot of pictures.(once again, I wish I were experienced in collages)

We are all finally better at our house. The house has been swept, scrubbed and disinfected and the literally MOUNTAINS of towels, bedding and clothes have been washed(put away is another story).

So, I was in need of some serious catching up in the blogging department before the flu interrupted normalness at our house....and normalness was actually crazy busyness, but we are starting to get used to it.

As I mentioned before, we started off the first two weeks of summer with 2 extras tagging along with our brood. So, in an effort to maintain sanity, we frequented the park and pool to give my house a break from the 6 sometimes wild kids running through it.

Tavaci...
The girls had their Tavaci concert the evening of the last day of school. They absolutely LOVE Tavaci and we were all sad when Kelli decided to call it quits for the sake of spending more time with her family (so sad for the rest of us, but totally understandable).
Here are the pics of them decked out in their super-fancy-show-duds. Naturally, they were less than cooperative when posing, but I've come to expect it.
South Dakota...

After the Tavaci concert, we went home and slept for a few hours and then got on the road for South Dakota to attend Chris's grandparents 60th wedding anniversary. The celebration was held at a park in Sturgis that was super fun. The kids had a blast on all of the equipment that included slides made just for climbing, lots of climbing walls and this little teeter-totter something that Chris and Mikala are shown demonstrating.

As long as we were in the area, we had to do the tourist thing and check out Mount Rushmore, Storybook Island and Old MacDonald's Farm(a crowd favorite).
Mount Rushmore
Unfortunately, it was freezing cold and raining and when we went to Mount Rushmore, this was all we could see...fog. Grace is showing her sisters where the faces are supposed to be.
It was really ok though, because we had just been there last fall.
The littles enjoyed the visitors center...
especially this little attraction where you choose a piece of the mountain and pump(not sure if that's the correct term) the dynamite and blow part of the mountain away on the screen.
Old Mac's Farm
My kids absolutely LOVE Old Mac Donald's farm. When you buy your admission there, it is good for 3 days, so we went back a few times since they were having so much fun. The kids loved feeding the animals and riding the ponies. There were lots of little baby animals that were so sweet. This sheep stood by the machine and helped himself when you tried to buy food.


Pig races...
We rode little horses...and pet BIG ones. This one actually bit Emma's shoulder. I think he was trying to taste her hair.

Bottle-feeding the babies...

The girls were amazed that this bunny was hanging with the chicks.Owen loved chasing the chickens and turkeys.



Storybook Island
Storybook Island is another one of our favorites and the best part is that admission is free.