After we left the visitor center, we drove across the dam and noticed lots of fish in the water. So, being naturally curious, we parked down at the bottom and saw that there were also a few turtles. After we left we saw a building that was titled "Aquarium" so we went in and they had all kinds of fish in large glass aquariums. They were filled with all of the different fish that are here in the Missouri River. We felt really sorry for one particular albino catfish that kept swimming around in slow circles with his mouth opening and closing. Every time he got close to a tiny fish they got away and he just kept going around and around, never getting one bite. After that we went down to the hatchery and watched really tiny baby trout and then out to the larger tanks. There was some fish food that a nice old man was handing out to the kids. Watching the fish attack the tiny morsels was lots of fun. By the way, the weather today is very hot, 96, and I was so impressed that we still managed to get out and do something.

The New Katie Pose.....

Today we asked Katie to stand in front of these flowers and say cheese, and this is what she decided is the new way to have her picture taken. She really made us laugh.

Today we went to the Lewis and Clark visitor center in Nebraska. It is right outside of Yankton, SD and is pretty neat. It immediately reminded me of the Discovery Center in Ketchikan, but on a less grand scale. The kids enjoyed learning about the different kind of wildlife that is here.

Justin the Builder

Justin turned 6 on August 9th. He was really happy with the new overalls and little contractor set that we gave him. He wanted to immediately go downstairs and help Robert do some building. He also received a John Deer tractor with a trailer. Actually, he told me that I did not buy him everything that he wanted and needed to go back to the store! Ha ha ha, he always is the one to say things that make me laugh.

There is a nice little park and neat suspension bridge near the Vermillion river. It isn't a very nice, or clean looking river, but never-the-less, it is there. We went on a nature walk and took a little walk across the bridge. I think they call it the Cottontail bridge and Cottontail park. The kids enjoyed it a lot and it was a nice family outing. Also we went in the morning before it was hot and the bugs were not out yet. What a smart idea...

Justin's B-day Party....

We thought we would try having a birthday party this year at Chuck E Cheese, and I have to say it was a lot of fun for both kids and adults. The staff there is so helpful and quick to serve. This was the least stressful birthday party we have had, and the mess doesn't come home with me! The kids each received 10 tokens, played lots of games and danced with the big Cheese. The pizza was good too. Justin told me with a sweetly serious voice that this was the best birthday party he ever had. What a sweet boy. He doesn't actually turn six until the 9th, but we would rather celebrate early rather than late.

KKKKatie, beautiful Katie.....

Attack of the Robot....

Robosapian vs. Lego Storm trooper.
What will the outcome be? Tune in next time...

Mom and Son Create....

Brendan has been making lots of neat things with his legos. Here is a picture of a neat ship with Darth Vader at the helm. He really wanted to post it at Lego.com but we haven't gotten that far yet. It is nice to see him excited about something new. I had a lot of fun making a little bulletin of our church's bible school. It looks so neat in the calendar frame that I have been holding onto. Finally I found something to do with it.

Birthdays with Grandpa...

Clyde came all the way over from Ames to be with us for the 4th of July and to celebrate the two birthdays. He gave the girls great gifts that they actually still play with. Katie asks us to read the big Maisy book every night before bed and Rebecca daily invites me to a tea party. What fun.

Two Birthdays in July.....

Rebecca and Katie both had their birthdays last week and had a great party. Rebecca had six little girls over from our church, played games and had cake and ice cream. Katies birthday is two days after Rebecca so we had the party for her too. Rebecca is now 8 and Katie is 3. Both of them have grown up so much. They are so lovely and I pray that they grow up to lovely Christian women. I am so thankful to have them and to be their mother.

Good Buddies....

Brendan and Justin are such pals. This was taken in front of the memorial site at Little Bighorn Battlefield in Montana.

Sisterly Affection....

This is proof that brothers and sisters really do love each other. This picture took me by surprise since I didn't take it. I must have been off doing something when this happened. I am glad that Robert caught them on the camera so that I could witness this beautiful moment.

Kitchen Before and.....

This is our kitchen before the appliances were installed. The table and chairs were lent to us by the pastor of our church. I have to say that this is the nicest kitchen that I have ever had, I feel so blessed and hope that it will be a warm place full of good times and good food.

After...

Justin's First Car....

Justin drove his first car. Our new neighbors let him drive this really neat toy car around and he had so much fun. He was a pretty good driver too.

Our new house...

Here are some pictures of our new house in SD. There is no grass yet, but soon enough there will be and I am looking forward to doing some flower beds in the front. Robert's dad Clyde came up on Friday and the kids were so excited to see their Grandpa. It was a very nice visit and I am glad that we are close to our family now. We will have to schedule a drive to see my family soon. We have been puttering around our empty house and trying to make it home. Next week we will have all of our stuff and I am ready!

Wall Drug...

As we drove along the freeway towards Sioux Falls, SD there are many, many signs along the way advertising for Wall Drug. After driving for a while we fell for the advertising and pulled in to see what neat things they had. The kids had a lot of fun sitting and posing for pictures with a giant rabbit, horses and teepees. In one building there is a giant T-Rex. Every 12 minutes smoke pours out and an alarm sounds and T-Rex comes alive with terrifying roars! The kids were so scared and poor Katie clung to my neck for dear life. We ran into a store, a good tactic, and waited for the beast to go back to sleep. I would recommend falling for this tourist attraction.

Mount Rushmore...

We woke up in Rapid City, SD and headed out to see Mount Rushmore. It was really fun to see again for me, and the first time for the kids and Robert. We have tried to keep up with the Penny Press machines and managed to remember to get them while we were there. I think the kids had a great time, unfortunately Justin wasn't feeling well, thus the funny face in the picture. He had some kind of stomach virus and we visited many bathrooms before we finally made it to the store and bought some medicine for him. That fixed him right up and he started having fun again. After that we drove on towards Mitchell...