Matt, Taylor, Carter and Roscoe

Summer! We are officially deep into summer and it is hot hot hot! Since our last post we have done some fun things as a family and Carter and I are enjoying hanging out together here at home. Matt has hiked some more- of course!- and did another more difficult section of a previously summited mountain with a guy from our ward the first weekend of May. They had fun doing more challenging rock climbs and Matt even snow climbed what little snow was left.

The next day we left for South Dakota to go see Mount Rushmore and the sights around there. We stayed in a little one room cabin near Mt Rushmore since it was still too cold to camp with Carter. In our three day trip we saw the monument at day and night, drove around the Black Hills, hiked in the Badlands, drove through Custer State Park (up close Buffalo!) and went in Jewel Cave National Monument on our way home.

It was a blast and we really enjoyed our time together and seeing all the outdoor sights. The one room cabin provided Carter with a fun space to really get good at walking, which was new, as everything was within two steps of each other. We got to cook right outside just like camping, and Matt and I made smores when Carter was in bed one night which was a fun little date!

The next weekend was Matt's cousin Tyler's high school graduation and his grandparents came into town and stayed with us for a couple nights. Carter enjoyed all the laps and story times, as well as playing with his rubber duck in the sink with Grandma. Grandpa taught Matt about fly casting at a nearby park since the weather was too bad to go real fishing, and that was fun to watch! We went out to eat, played and then had fun with the cousins at Brian and Joanns for Tylers celebration on Sunday and Monday.

The very next weekend, Memorial Day weekend, Brad and Pam (Matts parents) came to stay. We hiked Chief Mountain and went out to eat at Texas Roadhouse on Saturday. Matt and Brad hiked a 14er on Monday and Pam and Carter and I toured the mall, had an especially cool trip to Crate and Barrel (wink!), played and had a fun lunch at Red Robin. Carter amazed us by eating a ton of macaroni and "flirting" with the waitresses who walked by! On Tuesday we went to visit Brian at the hospital (he was in a nasty motorcycle accident) in Boulder and Carter and I had to try really hard not to make him laugh, but we love hangin with Uncle Brian and that was hard! After that while grandpa and matt ran an errand Pam and Carter and I window shopped Pearl Street and let Carter play in the water spouts in the square, then we had a yummy lunch at Cheesecake Factory before we had to take them to the airport- boohoo! Carter missed having grandma and grandpa here, i could tell!

June began and Denver celebrated Colorado Outdoors Day with fun booths and activities. Carter wasnt old enough for some of them but he really enjoyed seeing all the people and LOVED the station put on by a rhythm group that had several drums and tambourines and shakers. He could have stayed playing on their instruments all day.

June has also been a big month for mom who got called as the new Young Womens president. With Youth Conference, Camp and YW in charge of the combined activity all in the next 6 weeks! It has been a whirlwind, but a fun one. I am very excited to be there and sooooo excited to go to camp and hang with my girls!!