Mommy and Mia time

 

 

 

This is the type of stuff we end up doing when all the boys are at school.  She is a funny little girl.  I spun the wheel, she did whatever I spun.  I tried to talk her out of this game because there were no other kids around to be on the mat with her, but she didn't care.  I am actually really enjoying the one on one time that we get.  She is good at entertaining herself, so it's not like I'm constantly playing games or entertaining, it's a bit of both.  A good balance.  And when all else fails and we already played, she has cousins next door!!  :)  I'm happy for this chance to build a relationship with her and have the time to be with just her.  Although, she may be enjoying it a little too much because I'm having a hard time getting her to go to school happily 2x per week.  As she says "It's more fun at home with mommy"  haha  :/    (Score for me, but she needs to go to school)

Yellowstone

It has become an nice little tradition for us to go to Yellowstone with my Aunt and Uncle every summer.  We've been doing it for quite a while now, even the kids expect it and ask when it's happening.  :)  We arrived Thurs night when the sun was setting.  So just enough time to set up tent and make a fire to roast marshmallows and make smores.  :)  The next morning was rainy, so we debated on going on our hike or not, but in the end we decided to go for it.

 

 The rain stopped right when we started hiking, so it was perfect weather for hiking.  A bit overcast and not too hot.  We found a patch of wild raspberries that everyone enjoyed.  Last year it was huckleberries, this year raspberries.  Yummy!

 I forgot the name of this bridge, but if you'd stop on it, you could feel the wind moving it. 

 It took forever, but we finally made it to this pretty beach!!  Everyone was tired and HUNGRY!!  :)  Diego has learned when Colleen says the destination is "just around that bend" it is actually just around the next bend, and the next, and the next for a few more miles.  hahaha

 Bones of an Elk...we think

 I almost threw up when I saw Alessandro carrying around this hair ball from a buffalo.  I made it get rid of it after this picture.  No way was I going to let that thing end up in the bags and in my house eventually!  Eeeewww

 Saturday we were a bit worn out from the hike the day before so we decided to take it easy and go walk around some hot spots and see some geysers.  They were beautiful.  Stinky, but pretty.  :)

 We had to wait forever for this buffalo to get off the rode.  He actually stood in the rode blocking traffic as he waited for the female and baby to cross.  As soon as they crossed he got out of traffics way.  I found it interesting to see how they acted with family.  I have never seen so many buffalo together.  It was awesome.  There were hundreds of them and we'd sit and watch them walk together as a family, roll around in the dirt, and we even got to hear them!  I have never heard them before.  It was really cool.

 These two are just a couple weeks apart in age, so it's always fun when they get together.  They both wanted to be the leader on our hike and I think that competitiveness is what kept them going.  Crazy girls.