South Dakota Road Trip Day 3

Custer SD to Rapid City SD: a whole lot of indian stuff :)

Our first stop today was at Crazy Horse monument. It was really cool. We didn't go in because the whole point is this statue that the indians are making for a memorial to crazy horse and since we could cheat and see it from the road we saved the 30 or so dollars and got a picture from the road. 

next stop was at Custer State Park. Inside this park is Sylvan Lake. this is the lake where National Treasure Two was filmed. It was really nice!!! Blake and I got to go on a Paddle Boat Ride. 

Me putting my hand in the same place as in the movie :)  

this is Sylvan Lake. 

Blake and I were trying to find my parents after getting done with our paddle boat ride and suddenly a freak lightning and rain storm came out of nowhere! We spent the next half hour trying to find our parents.  We finally made it to the car and we got stuck in a hail storm! I'd never seen hail this big before! 

Finally the hail stopped and we got to see a whole bunch of animals! We saw buffalo, a ground hog, turkeys and what they call "begging burros". pretty much they are donkeys that expect you to feed them. they were really fun! Below are some pictures from that. 

Later that evening we arrived in Rapid City. We went Bowling (Blakes activity (he picked that because we didn't want to go pain balling.)) We also swam in our pool at the hotel. Tomorrow, Reptile Museum, Bear Country and Mt. Rushmore. :)

Total Mileage: 

South Dakota Road Trip Day 2

From Wyoming to South Dakota: FINALLY IN SOUTH DAKOTA!!!

The day started out pretty much like the first day except that we got a much earlier start.

 I was awoken at 7:30 to get ready to eat breakfast at the hotel which ended at 9:00.  The process of having four people get ready at the one sink in our hotel room was a challenge. Even though Blake and my Dad didn’t hardly use it the challenge came with there being only one outlet for me and my mom. This one particular outlet had held my phone and camera charger the night before and then needed to be equipped with a blow dryer and curling iron that morning. All of us girls know the somewhat necessary bag of makeup that we usually decide to bring on all vacations besides girls camp. Those two makeup bags took up the whole sink. My brother could hardly get through the mess to brush his teeth.

            Breakfast was good. Usually I’m not a breakfast fan because it makes me sick that early in the morning but who could pass up donuts, hot chocolate, orange juice and fruitloops!?!? (I know, so healthy)

After breakfast we went out to load the car. Since it had been dark the night before we were oblivious to how bad our car had been attacked by bugs from the long trip the day before

As we left the hotel parking lot and were going to fill up with gas, we got a nice little surprise by nature. There, out in the field was a mother antelope and her two baby fawns. It was so cute!!!

The next spot on our trip was walmart. I know, I just can’t seem to stay away from that place. Blake and I had some fun messing around on our way and in the store.

            Blake still wasn’t too happy about driving around in the middle of nowhere. 

Yah we have a great time just messing around. I took Blakes hat. I think I look pretty good in it :) . 

After Walmart we were finally on our way and we came across all these antique cars that were driving from New York to Seatle Washington. It was pretty cool so I tried to get some pictures of them

 

Since the Cars were much more interesting from the side, I gave my camera to Blake so he could get a picture of them. These are his attempts….

Second attempt: still no dice

So my mom decides she can do a better job and
tries her luck with the camera… she told my dad to slow down which Blake says was cheating because he had to try and take it at 60 MPH 

Needless to say, she didn't have very good luck either...

So me, thinking that it’s my camera and I know how to work it . I say, “give me my own dang camera. I’ll do it.” My Dad even pulls off to the side of the road and stops. This is the picture I managed…

Yes, the picture I took wasn’t much better…   So no such luck with the old antique cars…      

We then went to a mammoth dig site. It was really interesting. apparently a bunch of mammoths got stuck in a hot spring and couldn't get out over hundreds of years and so they died from either drowning, exhaustion, or starvation. So when they were trying to build a housing development they found the bones, donated the land and now it's a huge tourist spot. It was really quite interesting. 

these are some pictures of the excavation site. 

yah it was really cool. we also went to wind caves which was really nifty. None of the pictures i took worked out but i did take a video of the natural enterence to the cave. they call it wind caves because depending on the berometric pressure wind either blows into or out of the cave. 

Total miles traveled: 

South Dakota Road Trip Part 1

Wyoming: the plethora of nothing. 

       Today my family and I started our Road trip to South Dakota. Our day started out with preparations to leave. Finally at 2:45 we were ready to leave. It was a five and a half hour driving trip of nothing that was really six and a half with our stops for dinner and rest room. Overall it wasn't so bad. Thank goodness for my ability to fall asleep quickly in cars. I slept for almost 2 hours of the trip.  That is pretty much the extent of the day today. We went from Pleasant View, Utah to Laramie, Wyoming. (home of the cowboys) total mileage: 394 miles 

   getting ready to head off.  

                                    these are some cool rock formations on the way there. 

                                     all we saw for hours... 

yeah Blake was ready to end it  my mom figuring out where to go next. she is the one who planned this whole trip. she's really good at figuring it all out. :)

 

Trying to get updated :D

haha alright so i'm going to try and get updated on all of this stuff that has happened. I'm going to go back to May 18, 2009. Spencer made breakfast for me :D!!!! i've never gotten breakfast like that before ever! also!!! he bought me my favorite flowers ever!!! orchids!!!! oh he's so sweet!!!

mm it was delicious!!! He also ate with me which made it twice as good! :D

Then, on Memorial day I got to show Spencer how big of hicks my family and I was at one of my relatives farms.  these are some pictures and maybe some video of it :) 

 this is my brother Blake :D 

two of my favorite guys 

This is Ally (the youngest being held by my cousin (her mom) Marie) and Olivia watching my dad trying to get one of the calfs to come over so they could pet it. 

isn't he so handsome? i think he's got the whole hick thing down!! 

gosh i love this guy!

More random Pictures:

Video from the day :)

 This was SO funny!!! haha those two were hilarious!

            

confusing times..

Get a job, love the job. make a promise that if i get a job that i don't have to work on sunday i'd take the job. never promised i'd get rid of the other job. get interview for another job. could keep two jobs. could suggest someone else for interview. Need to make decisions. love someone. no confusion about that. need to write off someone. how to tell someone you don't feel the same. The future can't come fast enough... the future is confusing. the future is scary. 

Then and Now

My parents i found out. Were praying so hard that i would find someone else. Anyone, to come into my life and show me how beautiful i am, how wonderful life is and how great things are. They weren't praying for a man in particular. Just anyone to help me. 

That's when I met Spencer. I had seen him quite a few times before. Although he doesn't remember he actually did talk to me and I to him. I was somewhat quiet and I guess never really stood out much. 

My parents call Spencer an answer to their prayers. I don't know how or why he found me when he did. Although at first I thought it was the most inconvenient time. It turned out to be the best time. He has made me feel so beautiful. So worth every minute of time. He shows me what my potential really is. He makes me breakfast and teaches me to cook fajitas. He surprises me with flowers. He is the answer to my whole families prayers, my friends prayers and my silent ones. 

I believe everything happens for a reason. I have no doubt that him leaving and Spencer coming into my life around the same time was suppose to happen. When I called and talked to my mom about Spencer and what was going on it was the first time that her and I had talked in nearly 2 years that didn't end with us getting into an argument. 

She told me that she got off the phone and started crying because she was so happy. My family is so thankful for this man who has entered into my life as am I. We always will be grateful to Spencer. 

I love Spencer. He means everything to me. We are so grateful. I love him so much. He has shown me what real love can be and is. 

Weber High, Smoothies and Scary Movies

On Thursday, May 7, 2009. Emily,

 Spencer and I went to

 Weber high school for a

 band concert.

 Emily told us that I had to compare how different the Utah State Band was and Weber High Band. She was right! Weber High isn't as good but they certainly have improved! The car ride was super fun! haha as usual! 

Spencer always drives and it makes me feel bad that he has too.. if Em and i still had the van we would totally take turns! i totally loved the shirt spence was wearing! :)

I really hoped spencer wasn't too bored. haha 

then we went to mcdonalds!!! it was so much fun!!! Spencer got to spicy chickens (apparently they don't have those in Baltimore) Emily got to ranch wraps and i got two double cheese burgers. (no pickles no onions of course!) 

My family talked to us for quite some time. I am so glad that i can talk to my family! i love them so much!!! It was a really fun experience!!! 

Friday May 9, 2009. Emily and I made our stawberry banana smoothies today! To start the story off, when Em and I moved in, we got a free blender from the girls moving out next door. Em was a little nervous to use it because she didn't know how it worked. Neither did i but it didn't matter because i was preoccupied with a movie in the living room. When i walked into the kitchen, the drink was ready to be poured. only problem... we didn't know how to get the top of the blender off. 

Emily pulled on the blender and it wouldn't come off. Finally we realized that we should try taking the top of at a higher place... 

needless to say, that dislocated the containment unit from the blender with no bottom to the container allowing the contents to spill out onto the counter.

 Oh man was it a mess. 

 was screaming, I was screaming and when Emily went to go grab a paper towel she managed to dislocated the paper towel rack i had just mounted on our wall which made us scream and laugh louder! The smoothie, once we got it into the cups (from walmart! thanks Kathy!!!), was absolutely delicious! good ol' roommate 

experiences!  :D

Then tonight, May 12, 2009, we watched signs over at Spencers house. His roommates probably hate me becuase i screamed so so so loud!!! in my defense!!! Spencer helped me out on freaking me out! he would grab me at a scary part! It was supper fun!!!