Get Outside and Make Your Own Discoveries

That was Ryker's motto all summer.  We'd be out doing something and he'd find something and shout out, "get outside and make your own discoveries!"  Some guy says it on a PBS discovery show and it was the perfect motto for our summer.

Fort Peck:  Switzer's is the house on the left with the white roof.

I haven't even gotten the tent set up yet and the kids have already hit the water with Kara.

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Ryker, Daxon, Kya, and Nikki

The pirates hit the shore.

 

 

Remi

Quiet time is over on our side.  They are heading back.

Hitching a ride up the big hill.

Yep, that's a fully naked, sandy butt on Grandma's leg!

Playing with the neighbors

Where's Ryker?  Kya thinks this is hilarious every time.

Cosmos wondering what all the ruckus is.  He just poked his head in.

Morning walk/ride

Trying to stay away from camp since it is 6am and we are the only ones awake!

Dax is up and he and Grandma Patti found us at the beach.

Breakfast

Hmmmm.....now where's that key?

Tubing time!

Cosmos weighing his options.....stay on the beach or try to follow us like last year.   Please stay on the beach buddy, you are too old for such a long swim.

Thumbs down means to slow down, but Kya gives the pointer finger down.

Kya, Nikki, and Dax

Apparently the captain of this boat doesn't like showoffs.  Try any fancy tricks to impress the kids and he'll dump you.  The kids found that pretty funny though.

Water taxi from the boat into Camp Crazy.

Dinosaur egg?

Very impressed with the wakeboarding!  You'll get your turn soon enough kids.

Board games at the cabin.

We drove into Fort Peck one afternoon and tried to check out the fish hatchery but we needed an appointment so all we got to see was a few walls of fish mounts.

Peck's Rex at the Fort Peck Interpretive Center.

Digging for bones

Building a dam

Kya wanted a picture of me with the beaver.....

 

but she looks much cuter with it!

Fort Peck park

Who brought her?

Checking out the spillway.

Long hot day + rainy evening = early to bed

Exploring Makoshika

Uncle Cam even made the trip to see us.  Ryker has been waiting for him all summer so he could shoot this paintball gun!

Yep, he can hit the broad side of a barn.

And he can empty a CO2 cartridge in record time.  Good thing we got the big box.

 

 

Reload!

Of course they had to see if they could throw them hard enough to break them.

Graffiti Crew

Setting the minnow traps.

Washing my smelly dog!  Why must they roll in dead things!?

Keep that stick up against the bank!

These two seiners exchanged a lot of "Ray quotes" as they were razzing each other in the water.

Not a bad haul.

Someone got the bad side here!

Back to Fort Peck for some fishing.

We got dropped off on the beach while Cam, Bret, and Ty kept fishing and my Mom supervised.

Corn hole and the Marina.

A little to your right.

It was pouring down rain so someone joined us in the tent.  He usually wont come in.

Hunting sand balls

Ready Ryker?

Here comes the sand ball!

Ryker shoved Ty "out to sea" but Kya pulled him back in.

And the big kid water fight is on!

Captain Kya

Fort Peck was fun, but they always love being back at Grandma's!

See that photo cube on the ledge behind the bed? 

Kya picks someone to look at each night.  Tonight she chooses Ty! 

We headed back to Billings for a couple days and took in the Montana Fair.  We went to watch the 4H'ers show their animals, but these two wanted to watch the Motocross practice.  Of course, they climbed to the top of the bleachers.

Kaci Jo was in town so we got to ride some rides with her too!

Ryker had to go on the opposite side as us.  Look at his stance.  He's in the green shirt.  Guess he's getting low and hanging on tight!

Look at Kya's little legs sticking out.  She's third from the right.

She's a dare devil!

We were eating lunch and the wind was blowing the cotton candy over too us so Ryker went out to see if he could catch a bunch.

Farris Wheel

We all got unlimited bracelets and I'm pretty sure we got out money's worth.  There were barely any lines and we rode every ride they were tall enough for, some a few times.

 

Lunch with Kara before we head to the water park then off to Bozeman.

 

I didn't take any pictures of our stay in Bozeman with the Morasko's because we were on our way home and I buried my camera in the car somewhere.  I know, unlike me, huh!  I tried to steal some off Carrie's blog, but couldn't for some reason so I'll just refer you here:  http://ncmorasko.blogspot.com/2013/08/wyman-visit.html

Thanks again for the hospitality.  Someday maybe we can return the favor.....like if you're ever on your way to Canada.  We're not exactly on the way to anywhere, but maybe we can be your destination some day!

Someone is happy to be home!

It was another glorious summer in Montana for the kids and I.  I am grateful that we are able to spend so much time there.  It really takes the kid's minds off the fact that Seth is gone and they love spending time with all the people there.  They are quickly becoming locals just like Seth and Uncle Brian did.  I'm thankful that I have a family that loves to hang out with each other and goes out of their way to come home while we are there and hang out with us!