July 4th

For the 4th of July we stayed home but then headed to Papa Jim's to meet up with Kyle and Cami and visit.  It was a hot weekend so the kids and I headed into the pool to try and stay cool. They enjoyed racing each other down the slides and Sean even did his first jump off the diving board. We went out to the hills, visited the old house and looked at how much the landscape by the river has changed. It was nice to reminisce with my brother and remember the wonderful childhood we had. We did Christmas in July since we hadn't been to the ranch since last fall. The kids loved their gifts and Papa Jim enjoyed seeing Sean's imagination flow. However, in true kids fashion all they needed was a box to be happy. 

Bike Riding Fun

Sean really has his eye on an expensive Minecraft lego set. Because it was so expensive I told him he had to earn the money. He has started doing chores and getting an allowance but I also made the deal with him that if he learned to ride his bike and tie his shoes this summer I would give him $100. There may have been some mommy guilt coming into this deal as I feel bad I have a 7 year old that can't ride a bike or tie his shoes. Ethan and I worked with him for a little bit and then he was off on his own. He caught on so quick and I was so proud of him. He now rides laps to the maibox and back. 

Three Forks Rodeo & Ron's Birthday Bash

The Three Forks Rodeo is a big event for this small town. We haven't been able to attend the last few years but this year we attended the annual Stick Horse Derby Race, Grandma took the kids to the Library carnival and we attend the parade the next day. Mikayla wouldn't participate in the stick horse derby but they had a blast at the carnival. We didn't get to the actual rodeo festivities but maybe next year. After the parade we headed to Ron and Linda's to celebrate Ron's birthday. The kids had a wonderful day and were worn out by the time we headed home.