The End of June

Summer is flying by--FLYING, I tell you! And this is a wonderful new thing because I really kind of dread summer every year. This is the first year I wasn't dreading it, I didn't over schedule my kids, and we've thrown schedules to the wind periodically. It's working out nicely. So here is what June looks like in the rear view mirror...

 

Lots of Bike Rides

Addie, Heidi, and their friends joined Rich on several of the Boy Scout bike trips because they were working on biking merit badges in June.

Riding to Clyde Park

Rich took James to see Jurrasic World after Cub Scout Day Camp on 6/13--we was pretty excited!

Fan Boy!

This was Rich's very most favorite birthday card.
It's from Niles, and if you read from right to left you can decipher Happy Birthday Dad, with a few "Niles"-es mixed in.

 

 

Lots of hikes and backpacking

Rich took the boys on a Fahter-Son backpacking trip up Pine Creek on June 19-20.
Then this big storm rolled in.

Melin Boys at the trail head.

Niles on the trail

James and Niles making their way up the mountain

It was raining so hard, the trail turned into a creek.

So they went back down the mountain and pitched their tents at the ranch.

Their freeze dried back pack meals were so yummy!

Good morning, right on the Yellowstone River!

Finally, they really had it rough for breakfast...
they went up the hill to Grandma's house and had blueberry pnacakes!
 

Temple Trips to Billings with Post-Temple Shennanigans



Addie, Jeanette, and Clara at Candy Town

Clara and Addie trying on hats at Scheels

Sunglasses at Scheels
with Jeanette, Clara, and Addie

Jeanette, Clara, and Addie at the Scheel's "Harbor

 

Father's Day!

We had a nice dinner for daddy and Grandpa at our house on Father's Day...

...but you wouldn't know it form these pictures of my crazy kids at the dinner table!
This picture of James and Niles makes me laugh every time I see it.

The girls were laughing, too!

TRYING OUT THE NEW SPLASH PARK

Niles splashing

Niles and Ammon splashing

Cub Scout Fishing Trips

James posing with the trout he caught in the lagoon.

Ammy is so glad when Daddy comes home!
 

MUSEUM of the ROCKIES

Niles loves the firefighter costume

James loves the wildlife toys and the camping area

Heidi loves Ammy

and Ammy loves Heidi

Theres a History of Chocolate (Cacao) exhibit at the museum right now.

Hot chocolate was a fancy drink for European Royalty

Chocolate bars were "fighting food", giving soldiers energy in the world wars

In a very cruel move, the exhibit fills the air with the scent of chocolate and puts these giant chocolates at the end of the exhibit, but there is no chocolate to eat anywhere, dang it.

BARBECUES & unwise food choices



This si a picture of me while grilling some kebabs.
(I almost always get the "Legend" Coke can, and it's funny
because that's what my friend Ric used to call me)

 

SELFIES

Addie with her pretty hairdo. She and her "Sisters" (the Jones Girls) spend a lot of time trying out new hairdos, outfits, and make up styles. And then take selfies. Which is what you do in middle school while you're finding your niche, right?
SO stinkin' cute.

STAR GAZING

We've seen some pretty awesome stuff, like Venus and Jupiter almost touching on 6/30.