Father's Day 2018

This year for Father's Day, Kevin asked us to take him for a little road trip to see Athens, Georgia and the University of Georgia. You know, in addition to his new "Best Dad in the World" mug.

We got some pizza and found a nice place on campus for a quick pizza party picnic.

The dogs took care of eating some left over pizza.

No picnic would be complete without someone complaining about dining al fresco and the bugs.

Sled dog team in training.

After our pizza picnic, we explored the campus and the city a bit more.  We eventually found a new coffee shop:

We also bought some dirt-themed zombie donuts:

They were delicious.  I can recommend.

Official Father's Day 2018 Photos

Plus a selfie!

Happy Father's Day, Kevin!

We love you!

Wordless Wednesday

In which we visit the Mammoth Site of Hot Springs, South Dakota

Remember when I took the kids to the Waco Mammoth Site?  This was very similar, but this time there were a couple of woolly mammoths! (Fine, like 99% of the mammoths were Columbian mammoths, but at least there were two Woolly Mammoths there.)

We signed the kids up for the junior paleontological dig program, and it was wonderful.  They were given a portion of a dig site and all the tools they would need to excavate some mammoth bones.

They unearthed some large leg bones.  The girls next to them found a short-faced bear skull.





After the dig program, we took a tour of the mammoth site.  This area was a hot spring, and when the mammoths would come to drink the water and eat the vegetation that would have grown near the warm water, they would end up falling in and drowning.  Oddly, all the specimens that they have found so far are male, and most are Columbian Mammoths.











There is also a museum on site, and we explored that as well.

In which we ride an ATV through the Black Hills National Forest

While we were in the Black Hills, we decided that the best way to get in touch with nature was to rent an ATV and tear through it at high speed.



Of course.  And it was fun.  I highly recommend it.



See that line on Kevin's head?  That's the clean part of his face, because it had been covered with the Go Pro camera while he was driving.  We were on dirt trails, and the ATV kicked up a huge amount of dirt.  When we were done, we were all covered in a thick layer of dust.  Everywhere.










Kevin and I took turns driving.  Both the boys really wanted a turn, but they don't have valid drivers' licenses yet.















Fun?  Yes.  Dirty?  Yes.  Would I do it again?  Without hesitation.

Amarillo Weather

This yellow sky was bright blue earlier in the afternoon.  Then the dust storm started.



Soccer practice was cancelled because of the dust storm.  I have never experienced anything like it before.

 

The wind was blowing around 50 mph steadily, with gusts up to 65 mph, if I remember correctly. It was absolutely howling. And the dust was creeping in through all sorts of cracks into the house. Under the windows and doors, and even under the floorboard in the living room.

Don't worry,  we are having the apartment weatherproofed.

Also, since Amarillo is windier than Chicago, which is the windiest city I have ever been in before this, the kids and I are going shopping tomorrow for North Face wind gear.  

He's wet. He's muddy. He's happy.

Big Machines!

We love to go see the Big Machines every summer when they are at COSI.  This year was no different, and last month we made it a point to stop by and climb in all the machines and push every button and try every door handle and play in the huge sandbox with all the toy trucks.

Almost exactly like we did last year.



Before I had little boys, I couldn't tell you the different names for different pieces of construction equipment.  But now I can, let me tell you what.



This "sand" box was very dirty.  It was more dirt and rocks than sand, but the kids didn't mind.  They scooped and dumped and mixed and poured anyways.  They only stopped to get the rocks out of their Crocs.

Connor

Lex

Lex went for a little ride on a crane.