It's the end of summer!

The summer has rapidly come to an end, so I thought we'd share a few of the moments that we've experienced as we've wrapped up a busy summer.

(This is the Yellowstone River, lower falls.)

Tyson was a good sport to spend most Saturdays of June and July practicing dance for an hour, to be in the finale of the ballet "Rodeo", dancing a hoedown. They performed 2 nights on stage, and also got to be in the street fest in Rexburg, during the folk dance festival. He did great!

On August 3rd, baby Maycie was blessed. We had a nice day, with several family members attending. Bill gave her a beautiful blessing. And, like usual, we had a nice dinner together after.
Maycie, and Great Grandma Carlsen


Allyson turned 13 this month, so we are the proud parents of a teenager. She's a good girl, and a great helper; I have sure missed her now that she's back in school.

We took a little vacation up to Yellowstone. I guess we have to do that every few years, since we do live here! We spent the night in West Yellowstone, and then spent a day, driving and looking at the wildlife and scenery. It was nice to get away, even just for a day.

We took this at the artist paint pots.

We ate our healthy lunch of Crackers, Easy Cheese and grapes here at the Old Faithful picnic area. We really hoped to see a bear, but the only thing we saw or heard was the guy at the next table over, growling obnoxiously like one.
I thought this shot was funny. Bill took it of the kids walking up to see one of the smelly geysers. Their faces are in their shirts.

We were so excited to see one buffalo off in the distance that we sat and watched it for some time. Then a lady told us that there were thousands up ahead. So on we went, and sure enough, thousands! This one was walking down the road, and came so close to our car that I rolled the window up fast, so it wouldn't stick its face in. The kids were squealing like crazy! It made us all laugh. Later a ranger told us that one had head butted a tourists car the day before, totalling the front, and cracking the radiator. Yikes!

The lower falls above, and the upper falls below.

What signals the end of summer? School is starting! Here's our little brood off for their first day. I bought them all pink shirts, with their encouragement, and all the boys were going to wear them. But Tyson decided to change. Ally is in her 2nd yr at the Jr High, in 8th grade, Tyson in 6th, Jaron in 3rd, watching out for Josh, in 1st, at the elementary. (Matthew is sooo bored at home, so we're reading more, and still trying to keep him out of Maycie's face. Right now they both have colds. Matthew's came about 3 days before Maycie's. Imagine that!