Summer and Still Traveling

It's the Summer Solstice!  Happy Summer!  We are traveling (still!).  I chose to miss writing Friday Fave Fives last week and chose to not post anything during the weeks because, well, we were traveling/visiting family. And truly my heart is just so full this week that I hardly know how to post about it all.  Here is what has so filled my heart.  (Follow the Friday Fave Fives link to join in and read what others are thankful for.)

1.  Driving east into South Dakota, we visited two special places.  One is a National Park and very well known and visited.  Mount Rushmore. 

"Mom! Why are those men up there on the mountain staring at me??"

The other place we loved but almost no one stops there--yeah, we are totally museum nerds.  Minuteman Missile Nation Historical Site (and museum).

2.  Time with grandchildren.  Our daughter-in-law brought PAL out to visit the cousins while we were with them.  Oh, it was so much fun to watch them!

 Who says that mamas can't play on the trampoline??

3.  We visited a couple of special places in the area where my daughters live.  Every time we are there we make a special effort to get to the local arboretum.  I always love this place.  So do the kids!

Do you have ANY IDEA how hard it is to get a NOT SILLY picture of four children??

4.  Friends.  I love how we have gotten to know our daughters' friends.  We bumped in to two of them in the first two days we were there--it was like seeing old friends.  And then we had breakfast with our young friend from our church in CA who took a job in the same company where my older daughter works!  AND we met a new friend who we will be having lunch with 'next time'.

5.  We found a new coffee shop!  And their cinnamon rolls--oh my!  We all met there the morning we left and enjoyed some time, coffee and breakfast before we had to say "good bye and we will see you again really soon, we promise."

See why my heart is bursting with thankfulness?