4th of July! Ends with a ... waterfight!

Water fight!!!

"see this? this is a smoke bomb mommy! see!"


This was our first 4th of July that we bought little fireworks for the kids. Snap jacks, smoke bombs, black snakes, and parachutes were the favorites! We kept them low key, but the kids really enjoyed them. We enjoyed a family BBQ, which ended with a water fight! The simple days of Summer! So fun!

Medora Day Trip.. and a last hooray on HWY 85

Last week headed off for a day trip to Medora to meet up with my good friend Abbey and her son. We had a fun day exploring Medora, but best yet we explored in the South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt Park. Abbey knew of a great trail to go on that lead us to a beautiful outlook. The kids had fun hiking, and did really well despite their choice of sandles to wear that day!

It was a fun day despite the long haul back on Highway 85! A once quick trip to Medora, lead us to a 3 hour trip home. The long lines of semis, trucks, and trailers just amazes me still! A head on collision stopped traffic for 30 mins right outside of Watford City, and traffic piled up 4 miles long on both sides of the road. That trip will be our last hooray on HWY 85 for the summer. I feel like I have dodged too many accidents this year on that road. I have drove in a whiteout blizzard in December. A mudslide in the badlands redirected me to a 5 hr trip home from Dickinson in June, and this last trip home from Medora... something tells me to stay home! Or head EAST instead!

The Grendahls and the Oh So Fun Summer!

We are in mid July, entering the final countdown to summer. Its a bit sad, but we have had one of the best summers ever. Thanks to the bucket list, we have done a lot, and seen a lot. This month we have been to Medora, painted rocks, watched some baseball, played in one more softball tournament, hit up the water park one more time, and best yet, Lewis and Clark state park! SO FUN!

The last few weeks before school starts I feel like its time to slow down. Maybe make a new bucket list, but add things like "read a book." "relax." "lazy day." "dodge the traffic."

One Fine Week!

This last week in June was the best week of our summer so far! The weather was beautiful, even hot! So I set up our pool, and we got to have our first backyard pool party. Check! on the bucket list. We also headed to the Watford City water park. The kids loved it. Also Check! on the bucket list as well. The week ended with Crazy Days shopping downtown, and a parade. Next up, 4th of July celebration!

Papa's Farm

Today was an exciting day, not because its the 10th nice day in a row, or we are days away from the 4th of July, but Macie and I got to take a drive out to my dads farmstead with my parents! So many memories flooded my head as we drove out there, and as we pulled up to the farm house it was like 1989 all over again. I haven't been out there in years. This was Macies first visit out there.

As I was a kid my dad used to take us out there and fill us full of stories from when he was a kid. Today, he filled Macie full of those stories. From homemade baseball fields, to their own made up rules of the sport. He brought us to the nicest spot of the yard where they had the best view. He showed Macie the small rooms where he and his sisters slept, and where he seen cowboys and Indians out his bedroom window, Macie was all ears!

It was a pretty special day, and when we got home Macie couldn't wait to tell Isaac all about it! We are already planning another trip out there to explore some more spots and show Isaac all about the olden days!