George...Tom...Teddy...Abe...I can totally see right up your nose!! It's true, the awe and wonder of Mt. Rushmore was not lost on us at all! This was one of our stops on our way back to Texas. We arrived early evening and it was really pretty to watch the sun set.
Ahhhhhh, yes...just enjoying some of mother natures beauty! Fire..anyone...fire? Cause Elliot has found you a fire hydrant just in case. We already learned on this trip to prevent forest fires from Smokey the Bear, my girl, she is just so smart. Smokey would be so proud!
On day two of our journey home we drove through east Montana to get to Mount Rushmore. There is a whole lot a NOTHING out there!!!!!!!! We finally had to stop for a picnic lunch and the best place we could find was at the front yard of the Ashland Ranger Station. The people there are amazing!!!! They saw us out on their lawn and brought the girls goodie bags filled with Smokey the Bear things like coloring books, pencils, a whistle and Frisbee. They even let us use their very nice, very clean bathrooms. On the way out I told the lady who worked there how I had grown up in Alaska and there were always Forest Service workers around and one time I was given a Smokey the Bear shaped reflecter zipper pull for my jacket and how I loved that thing so much as a kid. Well...the lady then asked if we could spare ten minutes so Smokey the Bear HIMSELF could come out and meet the girls. The man how wears the costume works there and he got all dressed just for the girls and came out to meet them. Honestly, I was more excited about the whole thing then the girls, they were terrified of the giant brown thing. It was a great stop, very special for them to do all that just for us, some wayward travelers just passing by.
My prayer for you Elliot is this: That God is always near you and that you always long to be near God. That you find your way in this world by seeking Him. We may hold your hand for a spell, but hold tight always to his.
This kid loves the beach...she LOVES the sand ....she loves digging in it....
...she loves ROLLING in it....
...she loves laying in it...
...she loves wearing it (sticky sunscreen and sand don't mix well)...she is quite the beach babe.
So we have made our way over to the Oregon coast. We are staying at a place called Bella Beach, it's located between Lincoln City and Newport.
It's miles and miles of sandy beach for kite flying, sea shell gathering, rock collecting and sand castle building.
Elliot is quite impressed with the Pacific ocean. This child is FEARLESS! When she got out of her backpack, she just charged right for the water. She played down by the waters edge, picking up rocks, standing in the puddles, till she was shaking she was so cold. I had to haul her up the beach to sit in the warm sand, but she would have stayed playing by the water till she turned purple if we let her. 
