Grant turns 15!

It's just insane to think that Grant is 15! He's 6 ft tall and the nicest kid you will ever meet. I can't believe he started high school and JROTC.

We had such a fun day celebrating him. He wanted to go to a waterpark on the weekend to celebrate, so we opened gifts on his actual birthday, a Thursday, which usually never happens! (And no pictures of the waterpark - forgot my waterproof phone case.) We were lucky it was late arrival so we had a few morning hours to celebrate before they left for school. Claire and I picked him up at the end of the day with 15 balloons packed into the car and he was so surprised! He thought it was so fun. We also brought him a treat for the ride home. That night we had shrimp for dinner and for dessert, the donuts that he picked out instead of a cake. (And he didn't know it, but a few Saturdays later we surprised him with a trip up in our friends airplane where he got a chance to try flying. He was thrilled!)

He is such a great kid. He's a great older brother, responsible and kind. He wants to be an astronaut or a pilot, still loves bugs and nature and being outside, and loves to play Fortnite but also loves science fiction movies/books. Him and Chase have recently gotten into airsoft, so they play that a lot in the forest near our house with friends. He is still super creative, loves to build or create things with junk or garage leftovers, and enjoys riding his bike with Chase and his friends to the nearest store to find cool things for cheap. He's such a great kid and we love him so much! 

First Day of School

 I can't believe it's finally here - the first day of school! Grant started high school, Chase started middle school, and Claire started preschool. Aiiee! Time is going by too fast! They are so cute and so fun. Love these guys!

Glacier National Park

 Our final adventure of the summer before school starts - checking Glacier National Park off our bucket list. It was one of the prettiest places we've ever seen. We'd heard great things and wow, it totally was incredible. Everything was saw was just amazing. We have to give a shout out to our kids - to beat the crowds and get a spot on the most spectacular hikes, most days we were up at 3 am and at the trailhead at 5 to 6 am - and  most days we hiked 6-7 miles. And one day we hiked 12 miles up 2300 ft in elevation - which took us 10 hours! We didn't think we'd go that far, but we were doing so good we just kept going...and going...and going! But we got to see a glacier! And touch snow! Our kids are seriously amazing. 

We made some awesome memories and had such a great time. The scenery was just spectacular. The wildlife was incredible too - we saw a black bear, a grizzly bear, a moose diving in a lake, a marmot, and quite a few bighorn sheep! We bought a lot of souvenirs, ate wild huckleberries, survived the going to the sun road, and swam in FREEZING glacier water. It was a great way to end the summer!