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***  We enjoyed most of the week in Yellowstone and headed on to Glacier National Park.   What amazing and beautiful places to see and explore!***

Elise:  Our star hiker and climber was kind enough to offer Lucas a ride on our way to Hidden Lake.  (Glacier)

Caleb:  Silly man enjoying the ride on St. Mary's Lake.  (Glacier)

Lucas:  Are you kidding me, Dad?  We get to play with hot mud that's bubbling out of the ground?!?  Yes, please!  (Yellowstone)

Eden:  Sweet Eden has been quite good at keeping up with this crazy crew!  (Glacier)

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*** This was a busy week of travel for us.  We spent the weekend in Minneapolis with my Aunt Amy, Uncle Bob and cousins and then continued on through the Badlands to Mt. Rushmore.  Spent a few days there in South Dakota and then ended the week in Yellowstone, where we got a surprise visit with my brother, Ben!***

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Elise:  She loved this little stream that ran down the side of the path we hiked down in the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.  We had fun finding it as it meandered it's way down the hill to the chasm below.

Caleb:  Fell in love with kayaks this summer and loved being at the helm here at the little lake near our campsite in SD.

Lucas:  These two!  I hope and pray they grow up to cherish their friendship and their bond as brothers.

Eden:  A girl and her blueberries...um...I mean, dad!  She really does love him quite a lot...with or without a package of berries in hand.

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A brief update:  We've been 'on the road' for almost six weeks now and seem to always have limited access to wi-fi...I will do my best to back date these posts with some of our adventures from recent weeks!  Thanks for your patience!!

After leaving Eagle Camp in Vermont, we traveled to the Canadian side of Niagara Falls and spent several days there before heading to Norwalk, Ohio to spend time with Josh's Grandpa and extended family.  His parents kindly met us there and we got to enjoy a special time with them, too!

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Elise:  Having a grand time at the Huron County Fair!  This girl gives me a run for my money when it comes to whirling, twirling rides! 

Caleb:  Soaking up the spray from the falls...I think he liked it!

Lucas:  Our first Dippin' Dots experience...also at the Huron County Fair.  Lucas never met a sweet he didn't like!

Eden:  My little lady of the mist.  She was such a good sport during our chilly and wet ride to see the falls up close. 

Lake Champlain, Vermont

I'm not sure if anyone can remember the exact year, but I do know that for the better part of the last 35 years my extended Woodworth family has spent the first week of August on the shores of Lake Champlain...simply enjoying being together.  We sleep in tents, eat at a dining hall, splash in the chilly water, drink coffee, play time honored games like bocce and shuffleboard, and have a really really really good time.  

This year we had the added blessing of being there with all six of my siblings and the seven (soon to be nine) grandchildren that make up my immediate family as well.  

We were all pretty sleep deprived by the end of the week (the one year olds must have conspired to make each night seem like it lasted forever...not in the good way!)...but we made a lot of wonderful memories and the joy of being together made the sleepless nights worth it!

Grant won the prize and got to travel with us for the 8 hour drive from PA to VT...he lived to tell about it, too!  Here we are crossing Lake Chaplain on the ferry - the best part of the trip for sure!

Quintessential Eagle Camp!

Cool guys on the hammock!

The kiddos with our waitress, Mckayla...who was verrrry patient and sweet with all of us!

My cousin, Suzanne, rocked some family zumba time one night after dinner.  (complete with glow sticks!)

Blast off! 

Sweet cousins and lifelong friends!  

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...

*Slices of Camp Life*

Elise:  Sweet seven year old smiles!!!!

Caleb:  Stopped by Uncle Steve and Aunt Ellen's cabin and met their friendly neighborhood chipmunk.

Lucas:  Future Shuffleboard Champ-In-Training!

Eden:  Just love watching her explore this great, big, beautiful world.  

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...

Elise:  Snack time with Smoky...so much fun!

Caleb:  Checking out the fabulous new deck at the cottage...he could have stayed there and watched the builders all day.

Lucas:  Decided he wanted to read "Go Dog Go" ...over and over...he was pretty excited about it!

Eden:  My sleepy little girl with an impromptu nap during our day at the cottage.

Happy 7th Birthday, Elise!!

Since our sweet Elise has already lived on 3 continents and called 4 houses "home," I suppose it's to be expected that we've celebrated both her sixth and seventh birthdays in the midst of moving chaos!  Thankfully we found a simple way to celebrate and say farewell to some of her favorite first grade friends on the night of her birthday. She was sooooo very happy and they were all soooo cute!

Dinner at Pop's Pizza...followed by frozen yogurt at Tutti Frutti.  (Elise's requests for a night out with her buddies!)

Oh, Elise...we love to so very much and loved celebrating your birthday with you and your lovely friends!