The Black Hills

 We took a summer trip to the Black Hills last week. Jim and Barb pulled their camper, and we just took our pickup truck and drove across the state to the Black Hills. We had a really good, busy trip. The kids actually didn't remember much about our trip 2 years ago, so it was fun to experience a lot of firsts with them in the hills. 

We left home on Wednesday morning. We made our first stop in Chamberlain, and ate at a new Mexican Restaurant in town. The food was really good, it was a nice break, and then we hit the road again. The next stop was Wall Drug. We stopped, walked the shops a little, saw the Dinosaur, walked through the splash pad, and took the obligatory photos. It was a fun stop, but we didn't stay too long, we were excited to keep moving and get to the KOA at Palmer Gulch. 

We got to the KOA around 3:00pm Mountain Time. We checked into the Lodge at the KOA, unpacked the truck, settled in a little, and then we went to find Jim and Barb at their campsite. We ate BBQs, chips, salad at the camper, and then we got ready to head to Mount Rushmore. 

The kids remembered Mount Rushmore from a couple years ago, but they were still pretty impressed by it. We got there early enough that we hiked the President's Trail around Mount Rushmore. It was a pretty, simple hike and everyone really enjoyed it. After the hike, the kids completed the Jr. Ranger Program again and each got a Jr. Ranger Badge. Then, we stayed for the lighting ceremony. I forgot how well of a job they do with the lighting ceremony, it even got me a little misty-eyed. It was an impressive program, and we didn't get out of there until after 10:00pm. So, after one heck of a long day, we all headed to bed. Elliott stayed in the hotel with us, and Emma in the camper. 

On Thursday, we had breakfast and then headed to Reptile Gardens. I had not been to Reptile Gardens since I was a child. It was a really fun experience. Elliott is into snakes right now, so he really enjoyed the snake show we attended and Emma and him got to pet a snake. It was the talk of the day! We also walked around their beautiful grounds and saw lot of flowers and other animals. There were a lot of snakes we got to see, as well as prairie dogs, eagles, crocodiles, and some iguanas and bearded dragons. We spent a solid 2.5 hours at Reptile Gardens, and then it was starting to get pretty packed and warm, so we headed out. 

We had packed a picnic, so we found a picnic area and had lunch. After lunch, we headed back to the KOA to let the kids swim, go down the waterslide, play pingpong, and play mini golf. We really enjoyed an afternoon of just hanging out at the KOA and relaxing a little. In the evening, we watched some live music and then ate fajitas at the camper. 

On Friday, we headed to Wind Cave. The kids had never seen a cave before, so the 4 of us did a cave tour, while Jim and Barb went off and did their own thing. Wine Cave was crazy busy, but we just got in for a tour at 11:00. Elliott and Emma were a little scared at the beginning of the cave tour, but after they got used to it, they loved it. It wasn't my favorite cave tour ever, but it was nice, and it's always fun to explore a cave. After the tour, we ate a picnic lunch again, and then headed for Custer State Park.  We did the Wildlife Loop. We found the Buffalo and the donkeys. The kids had a blast feeding the donkeys carrots. It was hot out there, but the kids fed the donkey two pounds of carrots and loved every second. We also found the Buffalo right along the side of the road so we got some nice closeups. Emma took some nice shots with John's camera for 4-H, and it was a great visit to Custer State Park. 

We were a little squished in the one vehicle, so after all the winding roads and hot weather, we were ready to head back to the KOA after the Wildlife Loop. We let the kids cool off in the pool for while, and then we watched another live music performance. This group was a Christian girl group, and Emma loved them. She was dancing along to them the whole time, and after the show she got a picture with them, and their autographs. She was eating it up. We had spaghetti for supper (Emma's request) and then finished the night with a campfire. It was a busy, fun day and we called it a night. 

On Saturday, Jim and Barb took the kids to Bear Country and Rapid City while John and I hiked to the top of Black Elk Peak. It took us about 90 minutes to get the top, and it was a tough hike. But, it was so beautiful. We had beautiful scenery along the way, and then the top was breathtaking. But we got started at 9:00 am, so by the time we were at the top it was starting to get pretty warm. So, we sweated ourselves back down the trail for another 90 minutes. And the way down wasn't any easier than the way up. It was a very rewarding hike, but we were hurting by the end of it. And the amount of people around were crazy. So we got the heck out of there, and we headed to Custer for lunch. We ate at a bar and grill, had a well deserved beer, and then headed back to the KOA. 

We took the kids into Keystone to minigolf and then go to the President's Wax Museum. We got to go to these places for free because we were staying at the KOA. The minigolf was pretty fun, and the kids even enjoyed the wax museum which really surprised me. We finished up the evening with tacos from the tent at the KOA, and then we relaxed in the room with Ipads for the kids, and beers on the deck for the parents. 

Sunday was our day to come home. We packed up, said goodbye to Jim and Barb and then started the journey home. We stopped at the Badlands on the way home. We hiked one trail that had a log ladder, and the kids had a ton of fun hiking around there. However, it was really hot out there. So, after our hike, we ate a picnic lunch, and then drove through a little more of the Badlands before heading back to the interstate to head home. 

The drive home felt long. We didn't make a single stop from the Badlands to home. The kids watched Ipad, read, and then slept. We got home around 6:00pm. We threw some supper together, did a little laundry, unpacked, and then called it a night. It felt so good to be in our own beds again. 

We had a really, really good trip. It was rather hot, and crowded with lots of people, but overall our trip was awesome. We made some great memories, and we really can't wait to go back again. Next time, we are going to go to the Badlands when the weather is a littler cooler, and we may head to the Spearfish area on our next visit. 

Ready for vacation 

Picnic in the hills 

Top of Black Elk Peak 

The Badlands 

Summer nights

 Summer continues to fly by around here. After camping for the 4th, we finished up Emma's softball season. Unfortunately, not enough girls were available for the last day of tournament play so Emma's team had to forfeit. So, they had to settle for second place. But Emma was pretty pumped. They each got a medal and Emma was very proud of hers. It was a great first season of softball for Emma, and I think she really enjoyed it. We might have ourselves a little softball player. 

We also had a church outing to the canaries game the week after the 4th. It was a really nice evening with our church friends. We enjoyed a beautiful evening full of baseball and conversation. The kids also had a blast running around with the other kids and being crazy. 

We have also enjoyed some evenings of swimming, going to parks, and once in a while catching up at home. John took the kids to Falls Park not too long ago, and the kids had a blast climbing on all the rocks and then checking out the arc of dreams downtown. 

A couple weeks ago, we finally tried out the Levitt. We went and saw Rhythm Collective. It was a really nice evening, and the music was great. We just got there a little too early and the kids got bored before the main act even took the stage. But, we stayed for about half their set, and then we went on a walk downtown to see the sculptures and walk along the river. It really was a beautiful evening full of family time and great, free music. 

We continue to stay really busy this summer. On the off chance we don't have something going on one evening, we usually find something to fill it with. One thing is for sure, we don't get bored around here. Although, my house probably suffers a little during this time. At least if we have company, we can mostly hangout outside. 😀

Canaries Game 

Visiting mom at work 

4th of July

 This past weekend we celebrated the 4th of July at Diamond Lake. We had a really good, busy weekend. We left on Friday after work and got to the lake around 7:30pm. We unpacked, ate some brats and hotdogs for supper, and relaxed. Elliott, Mom and I went on a long bike ride on the bike trail and then we had a fire and called it a night. 

On Saturday, we ate some French toast, fruit, and sausage and then headed out on the boat for some tubing and swimming. The kids each tubed for a couple of turns, and then the four of us swam off the boat for a while. It was a nice, warm, calm morning and the water felt really good. When we had had enough, we headed back in. Rachel and Elena showed up around 2:00pm, and the kids had fun playing together. Eventually, we headed to the beach for some more swimming, and there was a Redneck Party going on at the shelter that mom and dad and the kids went to for a while. The kids had a lot of fun dressing up and playing with the other kids. At 5:30pm, there was a potluck at the shelter, and then we all headed back to the camper. 

The kids went to the playground to play, and John, Mom, and I headed to a bike trail that is a few miles away from Diamond Lake. It was a beautiful bike trail, and we went all the way into Spicer on it. We went about 7 miles total, and finally headed back to the camper. We had a fire again, some visiting, and then put some really tired kids to bed. 

Sunday was the 4th of July. It ended up being really hot (97 degrees) and windy. So, we couldn't do any boating. Mom, Dad, Emma, and I biked to a cabin that belonged to some friends of Mom and Dad. They let us come inside, and Emma was allowed to climb up to the loft area and explore. She thought it was great. She was also given some Swedish Fish, a hostess cupcake, and got to play some games. She was eating it all up. 

We headed back to the camper around 11:30am to make lunch, and then Rachel, Carlos, and Elena arrived and we all headed to the Big Kahuna, which was a place that had mini golf, go karts, and bumper boats. We were heading there to celebrate Emma's birthday with my side of the family. The kids (and adults) had a really good time. We started off with mini golf, which everyone seemed to really enjoy. It was kind of hot, but the breeze and shade really helped a lot. We were all pretty terrible, but it was really fun. 

Next, we moved on to bumper boats, and I think this was the kids' favorite part. They loved the bumper boats. The adults also had a lot of fun with these, and everyone ended up pretty soaked by the end of it. I haven't seen so much laughing and silliness from my family in a long time. 

After a round of bumper boats, Emma and Elliott drove the little go karts, which they really seemed to like. Elliott was very excited to be able to drive for once, and Emma liked the smaller karts and track. They did another round of bumper boats, and then we headed to the regular go kart track. Everyone drove go karts, and everyone had a good time. Emma even drove the big ones, but seemed to prefer the smaller size. 

Everyone was pretty warm afterwards. The Rosas found a splash park in Willmar to go to, and the rest of us went to a bar in Spicer and enjoyed a nice cold beer, and some pop for the kids. It was definitely a nice way to spend an afternoon. 

Ryan made some excellent pizzas for us back at the campsite, and they were amazing. Mom had to head back home because she had to work on Monday. Emma and I went on a bike ride by ourselves, and she loved our time together (so did I). Then Dad, Ryan, John, Emma. Elliott, and I went down to the lake to watch fireworks. It was really fun to sit there and watch fireworks together. The kids enjoyed it, until the bugs got bad. Then I brought them back to the camper for showers and bedtime. We were all so tired after our busy day. 

Monday was a sleep-in, brunch, pack up sort of day. We helped get everything in order, and then we left around 10:00 am. It was a long ride home, but we made it home around 1:30pm and had plenty of time to unpack, do laundry, go to the gym, and then watch a movie, Luca, with the kids. It was a great holiday weekend, and we all had a really good time. But, we are really happy we do not have to pack or travel next weekend. 

Today was back to reality. It was a little rough getting up this morning, but overall it was a good day. I brought the kids to the library after I picked them up, and John brought them to Falls Park to explore and play for a couple hours this evening. Also, it finally rained, which is amazing because it has been so dry this year. Here's to more rain, and to hoping summer doesn't fly by too fast!

Dressed for the Redneck Party

cousins