South Dakota Vacation

Simonson Family South Dakota Vacation
Best picture of Eric all trip. Wouldn't you know he

as eating ice cream and messy as can be.
Our Grumpy with Snow White's Grumpy

Mount Rushmore

Pauline holding one of Eric's fish. She did not want to fish

but she liked playing with the fish once they were caught.

16 total rainbow trout. This are great fisher kids.

You ask how they caught so many ...
we went to a trout farm.

Eric's big catch

Pauline found her favorite pal at Storybook Island

Playing in the river at Casade falls.
Where the Buffalo roam. Notice the white buffulo.

Digging for fossil at Mammoth Site
Playing with Grandma and Papa

Eric taking the girls for a ride at StoryBook Island.
Our three blondies watching movies in the car

while we drove from place to place.

Large tortiose at Repitle Gardens.
Helen, Arne and Ellen at Bear Country
Biker Babe Pauline
Our trolls at Storybook Island

We went on a great family vacation to South Dakota with the Helen, Arne, Tom, Kim, Ellen and Julia. We played a StoryBook Island, saw bears, elk, wolfes and cougars at Bear Country USA, saw the great Mount Rushmore, went fighing and horseback riding. The kids loved the fishing and horseback riding. Ellen caught the biggest fish and Eric caught the smallest. And boy did they taste good. I loved Bear Country. You drive you car through an area where bears and wolfes and elk are free roaming it was amazing to see these large animals so close up. It was awe inspiring to watch the lighting at Mount Rushmore. Arne went up on stage and participate in the flag ceremony since he was a serviceman. It was a great vacation. It was a fun filled busy week.

Our 10th Anniversary

We been married ten years. We have had a great time together. Tin is the ten year gift. Since we just bought the Saturn Aura we thought this would suffice as tin. I know it is not made of tin but close enough. We also decided to go for a ride of our life. We went hurling down a mountain side going 66.7 mph in a bobsled at the Olympic Park. It was a bouncy ride and quite a rush. Paul said he felt "shaken and stirred." I would highly recommend it to everyone just once. I was amazed I would have so much fun in one minute while having my head slam into the metal sides of the bobsled.

We also took the kids to Solitude to relive the moment. There was actually a wedding that had just ended. After they had cleared out we showed Pauline where we were wed. She said "OK let's do it again." She made us take of our rings. She then said to Paul "Do you take this wife to be your husband." He of course said "yes" with a chuckle. Then she turned to me and said. "Do you take this husband to be your husband." I of course said "Yes." Who would have ever thought that 10 years later in the grassy field at Solitude our dear little daughter Pauline would be having us renew of vows.

A prayer

Pauline and I were playing grocery store last night. She would hold up items and ask if I wanted to purchase them. She held up a pear and asked "Do you want a prayer?" I asked "A prayer" and she again said "Yes a prayer."

Peace Dance

At the end of school Honors Assembly the Kindergarten class got to dance to a Peace Song in shirts they tye dyed. Let's hope it brings Peace to us all.

Halloween in May!

Disney had its Halloween costumes on sale and you know how I love a sale. Pauline is Jessie and Eric is Buzz Lightyear or just "Buzz" as he calls it. He loves his new costume and wore it two days straight. You can image the looks we got at the grocery store and at Pauline's gymnatics.

Learning is Fun

This is the life. Or as Eric says "This is Life". When he is enjoying playing with the hose or laying the hammock he comments"This is Life."

We just celebrated Pauline's 6th birthday. I can not believe she is getting so big. She gave her first oral presentation at school on Thursday on Dolphins. She was so excited and wanted to be the first to present to the class, so she hurried and completed her poster, gathered her plastic dolphins and watched parts of Flipper to choose what she should show the class. I am so proud of her for being to outgoing and excited about the project. We learned that Killer Whales are actually Dolphins, Dolphins continuously shed their skin so that algae does not build up. She was very surprised and impressed that Dolphins can kill sharks and that the mother Dolphin is called a cow and the baby a calf. Learning can be so fun.