Playing in our Favorite Story Books

We headed to Rapid City last summer with Grandma Patti and it is as awesome as I remember it!  You're going to get sick of the pictures because I took a lot and I'm posting A LOT.  I want my kids to remember this place with the same fondness I have, even if it means showing them how much fun they had because they forgot...haha.

First stop, Dinosaur Park.

 

Cam and I about the same age as Ryker and Kya, 34 years ago.

Then on to Storybook Island.

 

The pumpkin hasn't changed much since 1980.

 

Train Ride.....

 

Perfect name for a train....even spelled it right.

 

 

 

Cam and I.  Looks like Yogi changed his hat and tie from yellow to green.

This would have been a better photo if Cam had been there to recreate it.  I probably would have had a hard time getting him in the basket though.

 

 Cam, my Dad, and I on the same fire truck in 1980.

 

This one is 1986 when we went back with Kara and Ty.

 

This place is timeless.  It's mostly the same old stuff and my kids found it just as magical as my siblings and I did as kids.  As a matter of fact, at 37, I still found it pretty magical.

 

Ranch Hands, Parades, and Bank Robberies

Collecting chicken eggs

Feeding them some scraps

 

Close the gate Kya!

Working with the 4-H hogs

 

 



Keaton's back at Grandma's!

Ryker had this great idea to make them look like the number 100, but Kya got down on the opposite side of him.

So he moved and he and Kya rolled up like zeros....

Then he realized they were both on the wrong side.....

By this time, Keaton was done holding his perfectly straight number one and just kept rolling over and grabbing him.  It was pretty comical watching them try to organize it. 

Ryker was so specific about the cowboy hat he wanted that we looked all over Medora and didn't find one hat that fit what he wanted.  They weren't hats like "real cowboys" wear.  I totally agree, they were all "wannabe cowboy" looking, but I didn't think he'd know that.  Plus, coming from a guy that picked out the most flamboyant boots, I figured they'd be right up his alley.  I guess he's been to enough rodeos to know the difference.  We finally found the perfect had in Glendive at the farm and ranch store, but they didn't have the type of band he had in mind.  What that was, I still don't know.  After looking on the internet for an hour, I told him that he was just too picky and I couldn't spend all day looking for a hat band.  He headed downstairs and came back up with this band he made himself with his Rainbow Loom.  Perfect!  Plus it saved me $30.

Pool time.....again!

Ryker and Kya wanted to ride their bikes in the Wibaux parade, but were offered a spot on the Begger barrel train.  Who would have thought with all those Begger kids running around that there would have been any room available.  Kya decided she wanted to watch the parade, but Ryker road the train and loved it!  Grace, Ryker, and Zach are in the picture.

 

We went to Golva for "Golva Days."  There was supposed to be a fake bank robbery which the kids were really looking forward too, but the robber was in a 4 wheeler accident that day and apparently he was the only one that can fake a bank robbery so they had no replacement.  Haha.  It was disappointing, but they had a parade and bounce houses so the day wasn't a bust.  It was actually really fun.

 

This looked so fun.  Kara and I should have done it but we figured the long line of kids would have been annoyed. The jousting stick was too heavy for Kya so she couldn't even really get to her feet with it.  I'm glad to know they have these though.  Seems like a more fun activity for the other kids than the bounce house or slide.

Thank you Golva for today's free entertainment!

 

 

Every Day is Kid's Day Around Here

We did a lot of fishing this summer, but not a lot of catching.  It's times like these that I really miss my Dad.  He would have had the best spots already scouted and I would have just had to sit back with a beer in my lawn chair.

The exploring part was always fun though.

It's best to play blocks half naked

Headed home from the pool.

We ran home and picked up Cosmos to go to the fish pond.

Ryker caught some minnows with a net.