I know I have posted about gearing up for vacations in the past. Right now we are winding down, coming off the high of our last vacation. We had a great time in South Dakota (honestly, do we ever go anywhere else??) yet again.
The boys played at the Mark Park a couple days when the weather was nice. My family has added new things to the park, so it was like we were seeing it for the first time again. Its truly amazing. Today would have been Mark's 18th birthday, so the boys and I will put $18 in the Mark Park fund in memory of his birthday. Its hard to imagine he would have been 18 - a man who could go to war for us, buy tobacco and other "firsts". I know he is looking down at the park and sending his love to us for remembering him. Some days...well, some days it still doesn't seem like he is gone. I find myself expecting to see him back home. I guess that is one of the bad things about living so far from home. I haven't really gotten used to him not being there yet. I am sorry to say I didn't even make it to visit his grave this trip. Maybe that is a good thing because I just let life happen for a change and didn't try to center it on Mark being gone. Oh well...I've shed my two tears for the day and now can move on. Please remember Mark in your prayers.
Back to vacation...Darren had a birthday - he is 34 now. We had an anniversary - 9 years and counting. Darren took me out for supper and up to Deadwood for some gambling. I won on the penny machine and 2 cent machine. After subtracting our loses and the original money we put in...I still came home with a nice amount. I would have come out further ahead, but Darren wasn't winning when I was. That's the way it goes I suppose.
Our Thanksgiving was quiet. We spent it with my parents. The next day our family had a photo shoot at the house so we cleaned and cleaned and cleaned the main living area. Mom was interviewed by a magazine about feeding our large family. So they sent a photographer in to do pictures for the article. It was fun and frustrating at the same time. There were...ummm 25 of us?? Not even sure, I'd have to count...terrible isn't it?? Anyway, getting that many of us to smile or even look at the camera was a major deal. As soon as I download pictures off the camera I will post a few on here.
We had the Gebes family Thanksgiving on the Saturday after. It was a quick stay as we were on the road by 3 that afternoon, heading home. We were even in time to stop off at Cabela's. Darren drove until 2 AM when we stopped at a hotel room. It was a LONG day!!
We are now home, the house is back in order, clothes put away and most everything unpacked. School has had a slow start, but we will get there. I must admit I enjoyed the South Dakota 60 degree days verses our 30 degree days here.
A couple of weeks beforehand I had taken my wedding dress out thinking my sister Mauri wanted to try it on for a possible wedding dress for herself. (She ended up buying a LOVELY dress online.) I had to try my dress on and see if it fit...and it did. Here is a terrible picture of it.
And here I am with my 5 boys - to prove that I could fit into it after 9 years and 5 boys.
