Should So Be in Bed

I am not even going to admit what time it is... we leave in just a few hours to head to Florida! I am super excited about seeing my Mama and Daddy. We should arrive Monday evening sometime. The kids are beside themselves about going and it was hard to get Ethan to go to bed since he kept asking me was I SURE I was going to wake him up in the morning and take him to Florida?! ha This came right after questioning me thoroughly to see whether or not we had packed his toothbrush! HA Funny how biology has little to do with some things-he is SO like my oldest brother, it cracks us up!

The picture to the left is of Ethan at Mt. Rushmore last week, or as he calls it, "Mt. Mushmore". Ethan is so full of joy these days and he and I are having a great time as Mama and son! I am ever thankful to God for my children! Here they all are at Bear Country (a drive thru wildlife park), in South Dakota:

I really better get to bed! Before you know it, it will be time to get up and head out. I am looking forward to seeing what memories we will make this trip. Since it's "home", it won't be like a true vacation as last week in South Dakota was, but it will be nice just the same. My kids can't wait to see their other grandparents and I am quite sure the grandparents feel the same!

Past Exhausted!

After missing their flight in Orlando, my inlaws flew standby to Minneapolis, arriving at 12:38 a.m. Sunday (after midnight on Saturday). They were of course very tired, but got here none the less, happy to be here. We got home and in bed by 2:30 a.m.!

Yesterday morning, we took off around 5 a.m. (I am so NOT a morning person), and arrived in Rapid City, South Dakota in the evening around supper time. (we are in the mountain time zone here). We are here until Thursday morning. What a great time we had yesterday on the way here, seeing the prairies where you can just imagine a wagon train coming across the way! After all, not much has changed at all in much of where we traveled- of course billboards are now seen and the occasional cell phone tower, but nothing else has changed it seems.

Today, we visited Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, and Bear Country, U.S.A. (a drive thru wildlife area). What a time we had! Mt. Rushmore is a must see! It was a place that throughout my life I wanted to visit. I was so impressed with the work that went into carving Mt. Rushmore. What detail ! I will post pictures when we get back home.

Tomorrow, we are heading to Deadwood, a city that is a national historic landmark! My father in law is really looking forward to that as he is big into the "Wild West" and Deadwood is where Wild Bill Hickock was shot and where Calamity Jane once roamed.

Since they have never been to Wyoming and none of us have been to Montana, we are hoping to cross into both these states tomorrow as well. (when planning this trip, Glenn and I did not realize how close we would be to Wyoming and Montana! We just "have" to cross into them to say we did! ha).

Going to bed tonight- exhausted but having a great time!

Delays

What!? Do I not have anything to say?! Wow! I never knew I waited so long to post! We are staying busy- and as I write this, we are supposed to be in the van on the way to the airport, to pick up my inlaws. Problem is, they missed their plane- and so we wait to hear if they catch another one. They are on standby.

My kids however don't understand how we are only talking a delay of hours, and are very upset that Grandma and Grandpa "aren't coming." Of course, they will be here late tonight (after midnight) or in the morning, but the kids don't see it that way.

We are looking forward to my inlaws being here. I am one of those folks who are blessed with great inlaws and we get along very well. Same can be said for Glenn and my parents. I've always been happy about that since I know many people who can't say the same.

We are planning on Monday morning to head to Mt. Rushmore, where we'll stay 3 nights, return on Thursday sometime. We have lots planned with my inlaws. Then, when they head home in 2 weeks, we are literally dropping them off at the airport and heading to Florida, where we'll be for 2 1/2 weeks. When we return home, we'll be bringing my niece with us (she's 15), and she'll stay a week. I can hardly wait for all this! I feel like the kids myself!