Memorial Day Week

It's almost a tradition, but not quite (we don't do it every year, but almost), after school ends on the Friday before Memorial Day we head to Colorado. So that's what we did. We got to Ft. Collins at about 9 pm and we were very tired. Both Luci and I had helped with the High School's graduation party and were out until 2, and then getting up at 6:30 to go to work. The week included some very fun activities. Some of us ran the Bolder Boulder.

Of course we all ran super well. Ok actually, my goal was to be the one millionth finisher in the history of the race. It didn't happen.

We also went to the Denver Zoo and the Denver Museum.

The dinosaurs of course were their favorite!

Horsetooth Mountain was also awaiting us, so we hiked it. Not all of us made it to the top, but we had fun flexing our muscles anyways.

The Rockies played the St. Louis Cardinals in Denver, unfortunately it was not the Dodgers, but you can't be picky.

Luci had never been to Rocky Mountain National Park, so we went there as well. Trail ridge road was not open all the way due to snow, but we went as far as we could. We also stopped in Estes Park for some fun.

Along with that, we also did fun little things, movies, BBQ, Casa Bonita, etc. It was a fun trip and good to see the parents and Sara, who was visiting from Maine.

Vacation

For the past two weeks, our family set out on an exciting adventure, which included 4000 miles of traveling (in a car), and several stops along the way. Some might call this a vacation. Here are some of the wonderful (and not so exciting) events.

DAY ONE
We took off from Castle Dale after church (about 1:00) to head out to Fort Collins. This day was simply driving. We stopped at my brother's house in Longmont to pick up the keys to my parent's house. We got in at about 10:00 that night. (I told you some these events were not so exciting.)

DAY TWO
After picking up some supplies at my parent's house and the local Sam's Club and Walmart, we headed up to Custer State Park to camp for the night. We set up our tent and went around the wildlife loop. There we met some buffaloes or bison (I always forget the difference).



Z-man really wanted to get close up and personal with the animals.


Next on the road were some asses (or as some might call them, burros).


After that fun drive, we went back to our campsite and had dinner.

It couldn't have been that bad.


DAY THREE
The next day we took the needles highway out of Custer State Park. It had beautiful views


and small tunnels (this one is the needles eye where the maximum width is 8 feet six inches and the maximum height is 10 feet something). Our suburban took up the whole thing.


Our next plan was to stop at Mt. Rushmore, but our 5 year old said we only needed to drive by it (which was fine with us because we spent several days in that area just two years ago).


We, and by that I mean I, then decided to make an impromptu stop at Wall Drug in Wall, South Dakota.


There Luci met a new man. (He has a ten year plan).


We then continued on to Mitchell, South Dakota, home of the world's only corn palace.

All of the murals are made out of corn and are redone every year.

We eventually got to our stopping point that night which was Palisades State Park, just outside of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. It was a small park, but very beautiful.

That night we had to keep the rain off our heads because it rained frequently and Luci had to chase away the raccoons in the middle of the night.

DAYS FOUR AND FIVE
We then traveled up to Bemidji, Minnesota and meet my brother there. In Bemidji we met Paul Bunyan and and Babe the Blue Ox.

-picture hopefully coming soon-

We also crossed the Mississippi by walking across it in Itasca State Park where the Mississippi headwaters are located.

-picture hopefully coming soon-

DAYS SIX THROUGH EIGHT
In the morning we picked up our sister who flew into Bemidji and then of course we had to find a place to do bumper boats. My wife got the worst of it by getting pretty wet.

We then drove the next two and a half hours up to Roseau, checked into our hotel and then immediately left for my Grandma's 90th birthday part.

-picture hopefully coming soon-

Then like any good person would do, we had to go swimming in the hotel's pool (which we did a lot at all the hotels that we stayed at). our boys love the pool!

The best time at the hotel was when the fire alarm went of three times during the night!! Luckily there was no fire and management decided to get all the guests that night free, so was it worth it??

With all reunions, family pictures are a must.
This was the first time in two years that all the Robinson's were together.


Some of us showing our better sides.


A not so graceful side


A Kirk Robinson Family pic.


Do you think we could have been on America's Got Talent?


Me and my Grandma.


We also found out what my sister would like our girl to look like when we have one sometime in the distant future.


DAYS NINE THROUGH ELEVEN
On Monday we drove the 11-12 hours up to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan where my parents are currently serving a mission.

While up there we made dad drive over the 5 bridges crossing the river.


Found some lost canoes.


Had fun in a little splash park.


And found out the NASCAR had a Canadian series and were racing in Saskatoon while we were there.

DAY TWELVE
We took one of my sisters and decided it was high time to get out of Canada, so we drove 8 hours down to Great Falls, Montana. There we discovered that bridges could only hold six people and the sway a lot.


Great Falls is a dangerous place. If you hear 8 short blasts, you better run!


We found the Great Falls. I wonder what it would be like without the dam?

DAY THIRTEEN
We were going to spend the night in Salt Lake, but circumstances (and us wanting to get home and sleep in our own bed) dictated that we should go down to Castle Dale. So we dumped off my sister with our cousin in Eagle Mountain and continued the 10 hour drive from Great Falls to Castle Dale. As we were driving over the mountain we knew we were home and it was welcoming us back.

URSA Conference

Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday I was at a conference down in Cedar City. This is what I did.



Really I did do a little more than that, but I generally go to the technology sessions because there really are not many for PE. So, I go and have some fun while learning a thing or two.

Jorgensen Family Reunion

The weekend of July 4, the Jorgensen's always have their family reunion. There are plenty of other blogs that have blogged about this so I will let you read them instead of duplicating what has already been said. Many of them can be read by clicking on the links to the right.

J-man's birthday

J-man turned 5 on June 26. Happy birthday bud!

We don't know why, but he wanted a haunted house birthday cake so this is what we came up with.

Colorado

We also made a trip to Colorado for about a week. The main reason was to go for a nephew's baptism. It was also really fun. We did a lot of things. We went to the Denver Zoo, The Denver Museum, rode the Fort Collins municipal trolley, went on bike rides, went up to Estes Park and did several fun things up there. I tried Buffalo for the first and really liked it! I love Colorado and wish I could go more.

Las Vegas

In early June, our family went to Las Vegas for a niece's baby blessing. We went down on a Sunday morning and came back on Wednesday. It was a good time. We stayed at the Grandview, which is a time share. We loved it! Of course we had to have some buffets and visit the strip. Our boys loved the aquarium and M&M world.