Monsoon - Arizona Style

Our lovely desert gets most of it's rainfall in the summer monsoon. Here's some of the pretty skies just before the storm.

Summer Fun @ Nammie & Papa's

Summer is more than half over, but we are still having fun in "hottish" Arizona. There's no better way to forget the heat than playing the Wii and taking a dip in the pool. Zachery, Cadence & Tristan always know how to beat the heat.

Day 16 - Road Trip

I can't believe we have been gone 16 days. We had been looking forward to this for months and now it's almost over.

Tonight's stop is the Quality Inn in Albuquerque, NM. We arrived around 5:00 p.m. leaving this morning from Fort Collins, CO at 8:00 a.m.

Rod and Ashley read most of the trip while "Trucker Women" just kept on driving. The weather stayed clear with puffy white clouds. There was a thunderstorm in the distance as we came in from Santa Fe, but it moved on. We have certainly been blessed with missing all the bad weather.

Ashley had to try the pool and talked her Papa into pool games! Tomorrow - home and our own beds! Praise the Lord!

Day 15 Road Trip

We slept in this morning and then Ashley did the waterpark again before we hit the road. It was very foggy and only in the 50's. We had planned on going horseback riding, but since the weather was not so good, we decided to hit the road and enjoy the sights.

We went through Custer State Park and saw several buffalo, antelope and deer along the roadway. We drove through the town of Custer and stopped to look in some of the shops. We then began our drive to Wyoming (it's always windy in Wyoming). We wound up eating lunch in Wheatland and then over the border into Colorado.

Ashley is going to go swimming again tonight in the Comfort Inn pool. We are now in Fort Collins, Colorado. New Mexico tomorrow and home on Friday.

Day 14 Wall Drug & Mt Rushmore

We left Sioux Falls at 7:00 a.m. heading west to Rapid City, SD with a stop in Wall, SD to visit the largest drug store in North America - Wall Drug.

We couldn't believe how big this place was. It took up a whole block of their main street. I think everyone in Wall works there! We had a fantastic lunch and got lots of goodies to take home.

Once we arrived at our hotel in Rapid City, Ashley donned her bathing suit and hit the indoor water park. It had two huge waterslides and she talked Patty into getting on one. Oh, my stars! I have never gone so fast in my life. Rod went on them with Ashley over 10 times. Once was enough for Patty!

We decided to go to Mt. Rushmore late in the afternoon so it wasn't so hot. This place is so beautiful. Pictures can't even capture God's beauty of the surrounding forest and mountains. Ashley took over 200 pictures up there!

Day 12 & 13 Road Trip

We spent Sunday with Steph, Joel & Fayth going back into Eagle River, WI for lunch after church and one more shopping adventure to all the shops!

We left Monday at about 6:50 a.m. but the van wouldn't start. The battery was dead! Oh, great! Joel gave us a jump and we hit the road planning on stopping in Wasau, WI to get another battery and gas up the van.

Along the way we stopped for gas and saw a sod hotel called the Earth Hotel. It was built underground and grass was the roof.

We made it into Sioux Falls, SD at 7:00 p.m. two hours later, but with the van running great!

Day 11 - 4th of July

We celebrated the 4th in two cities in two states. (My sister's home is in Michigan & Wisconsin is only 7 miles away!)

Ashley marched first in the Land 'O Lakes, Wisconsin parade with Uncle Joel's snowmobile club passing out candy to the little ones along the parade route. Then it was a quick drive to Watersmeet and do it all over again. It was definitely a small town 4th.

We then went to Strong's for lunch and then home until the fireworks in the evening.

Day 10 - Fishin in the UP with the sun

On Friday we finally saw the sun for the first time in 5 days! It does visit the UP! We got the pontoon boat into the lake and went fishing. It was Ashley's first time and she caught 5 fish! Way to go! We went on a chain of lakes to five different ones.

We didn't think we were going to get on the lake when the boat wouldn't start. Then some friends of Joel's just happened to be there & fixed the loose wire problem.

We saw a baby eagle in it's nest and then later the mother fly right over the boat. Boy are they majestic and beautiful.

The fireworks for the town next to my sisters was that evening and we went to her friends house on the lake to watch them. It didn't get dark until after 10 p.m.

Day 8 & 9

Day 8 we went to Eagle River to shop and eat at Soda Pops. They have over 175 different bottles of soda you can choose from!! We loved it!

Day 9 was Lake Superior even though it was misty and then to Bond Falls to hike to the bottom. It finally stopped raining when we got to the falls. We did stop by a thrift store in Ontonogan on the lake and found some killer deals!

Day 7 - UP of Michigan

We are really in Rapid City, SD, but have not had internet access since June 30th. Boy were we in the NorthWoods!!

The girls went swimming again today since it was raining....again!