Bikes!

John and I have been talking about buying some bicycles for quite a while. The problem was that John is 6'8 and those cheap Wal-mart bikes don't fit him very well. So we decided to save up some money and buy ourselves some quality bikes.

John did some shopping around and decided to best place was Two Wheeler Dealer right here in Sioux Falls. Yesterday after work John and I headed to Two Wheeler Dealer to do some shopping. We had an excellent salesman, Aaron, help us. He explained all the bikes to us such as what the different features were and in what situations we would prefer one bike over the other.

Once we each decided which bike we liked we took them out for a test ride. Aaron helped fit the bikes for us to help us decide which size fit us best and then he let us ride them as long as we wanted to test them out. These bikes can be pretty expensive, but they come with great staff and services. The price includes a 30 day check up and a one year check up in which their staff will fix any problems they find and just do general maintenance.

John and I both found bikes we really liked, so we bought them and then headed to the bike trail. It was a gorgeous evening for a bike ride and we really love our new bikes. We now have another activity to keep us busy on the weekends and evenings, and for a bonus feature, it's healthy! Next we need to get a bike rack for the Trailblazer so we can bring the bikes to different bike trails and campgrounds.

Here is a picture of my new bike (and you get to see my awesome self-timer photography skills! ha!)

Housewarming Party!

Yesterday we had our family housewarming party. First of all, we had beautiful weather! It was about 80 degrees, sunny, and just a little breezy. We couldn't have asked for better weather.

We also had a very good turnout. Pretty much everyone who said they were going to make it, showed up. Everyone from my dad's side of the family came, and a lot of John's family was able to make it as well. Since my dad's side of the family all live 3 hours away, they showed up first around 12:30 pm. We showed everyone the house and then we hung out in the backyard visiting and playing yard games.

People kept showing up throughout the afternoon. We grilled food for supper along with salads, beans, and bars. As with all family events, we had way too much food.

We ended our day with a campfire and some conversation. We had a great party and couldn't have asked for a better day!

New items!

I feel like my last few blogs have been pretty wordy, so for this blog I am going to show pictures of the new items we purchased for our house over the last couple months.

 Our new kitchen table and chairs

 Our new stools for our breakfast bar

 Our sectional in the basement

 The TV we bought to fit above our fireplace

 Our new lawn mower 

 Our patio set and Tiki torches

I didn't realize how many new things we needed until we got our house!! I also have to show our garden which is coming along very well!

And last but not least, I am very proud of my husband for building a bean bag game. I asked him to make one so we would have one for our house warming party for our family this weekend. I hope we get some good weather! I am very excited to have everyone here to see the new house!

Hope you enjoyed the pics!

Grand Falls Casino Resort

Grand Falls Casino Resort is a brand new casino that just opened June 9th in Larchwood, IA. I have never been to (or heard of) Larchwood, IA, but apparently it's only about a 15 minute drive from our house.

Now, I am not a casino junkie by any means. I could really care less about gambling. I don't mind playing blackjack for the entertainment, but once my $20 is gone, I am done. The only time I really allowed myself to really gamble was when I went to Vegas, since it's like the gambling capital of the world. But, anyway I am going off topic, let me reset.

I am excited for this casino, because there is so much more than just gambling. Check out the website above if you want to see what I mean. This casino has spas, a golf course, hotel, a salon, a couple different dining choices, and best of all entertainment. I think I am most excited for the potential of new entertainment this facility could bring to the Sioux Falls area.

John and I are planning on making an evening trip to the casino soon. I am excited to see this brand new facility and all that it offers. So, if you are heading to Sioux Falls anytime soon check out the brand new Grand Falls Casino.

Summertime

I love summer! These last couple days have been about 93 degrees and very humid. Now, I don't need 90 degree weather to appreciate summer, but I don't mind a little heat either. I just think about the days during the winter when it was -35 and snow was blowing everywhere, and I learn to appreciate the hot and sticky.

The next couple days are supposed to be in the 70s, now that is more my type of summer weather. I love to read a book out on our deck basking in the sun. I also like to take late night summer walks with my husband. Basically, I like to be outside as much as possible during the summer. I sure wish it lasted longer is all.

I also really like grilling during the summer. I think we could grill every meal and I wouldn't get sick of it. We also have become people who love doing yard work. There is something about living in town that makes you care how your yard looks. I grew up on a farm where we had a ton of lawn to mow, and we were happy when the lawn dried up and we didn't have to mow that week. Here, if it doesn't rain, we water the lawn to make sure it looks as good as our neighbors.

We also have a garden that we fuss over. I pretty much weed, hoe, or water it every day and I get really excited when new plants sprout up. I am getting really excited to eat veggies out of our garden later this summer.

I am also in love with out patio this summer. I have never had a patio or deck before, and I love spending time out on both. So, to sum up I love summer, but it makes me sad to think about how fast it goes by. Guess I better enjoy everyday of it while it's here!

This is actually a picture of Hawaii from our honeymoon, but summer makes me think of Hawaii and I miss Hawaii, so here's a nice memory to share. :D

Rib Fest 2011

After living in Sioux Falls for over two years, I finally made it to Rib Fest this summer. I had a really good time! The weather was beautiful, it was around 78 degrees and actually not windy for once. Rib fest is held at the Sioux Falls Arena parking lot, and is basically a huge backyard BBQ.

John and I arrived at Rib Fest at around 8:00 pm. It was $5 to get in the gate, and then it was time to shop for food. It was pretty much packed when we got there as well. Apparently a beautiful evening along with BBQ and beer really brings people out!

There were eight different vendors serving BBQ, and each one was displaying all the trophies and awards they had won for best BBQ. The vendors were Famous Daves, Desperado's, Willingham's, Porky 'N' Beans, Johnson's BBQ, Aussom Aussie, Cowboy's, and Rausta Joe's BBQ. John has been to Rib Fest quite a few times, so we hit up Cowboy's which was a new vendor this year. I thought it was really good, but I really can't think of a time when I have had BBQ and not enjoyed it.

We had to eat standing up because it was so packed, but it was delicious. Next we needed some beer to quench our growing thirst. We had to stand in line forever, but I got a Summer Shandy which tasted great. I love seasonal beers!

Finally, it was time for the entertainment. The Gin Blossoms played from about 9:30-10:45. I had never heard of them before, but I knew quite a few of their songs such as "Hey Jealousy" or "Follow you down". It was a great night. We met up with John's brother and some of other friends and had a great evening. The food and beer are pretty expensive, but it was a great evening and I look forward to going to Rib Fest again next year!