SD Labor Day Trip

We spent a WINDY Saturday at the Mark Park playing in the water, sand, and grass.  Sunday evening we watched a movie at the Park under the stars projected onto two white sheets.  TOO COOL!  Monday we dropped our bull off at the ranch and headed home.  Quick trip, but lots of memories!

 Can you see how windy it is?

 Getting ready for a spin around the pond.  Before this I tried to put on a life jacket because I do NOT know how to swim.  We couldn't find one my size so I jokingly put on a little girl's jacket that had Barbie on it.  As it turned out I couldn't get it off without someone's help.  Yikes.

 Trying to get away from the shore.

 STILL trying to get away from the shore.

 There they go for their first spin around the water fountain.

 We are STILL trying to get away from the shore.

 We are getting desperate now so we put down the canopy. 

We are still trying to get away from the shore by the way.

 On their second trip around the fountain.

We are getting fairly frustrated as we are STILL not away from the shore and now we are getting out makeshift paddles (broken shovel handles)! 

 REALLY stuck on the shore.  Nasty feeling slime between my toes, water up to my waist, and STILL getting no where.

 "Women drivers!"

 We might make it, we might make it....NOPE!

 This was their THIRD spin around the fountain.

They are coming to our rescue.

 I'm trying to push us off the shore.  Now here is where it gets funny.  (As if it wasn't already?) I am pushing on the boat and walking along with it.  Blase is paddling and starts pulling away from the shore.  Remember I can't swim.  SOO, as the water is starting to get up to my armpits and the ground is getting lower and lower I start freaking out.  I had to have Blase paddle backwards to push ME back up on the shore.  So in the end we were back where we started and I was completely wet, muddy, and my mouth hurt from gritting my teeth in a grand panic.  Sigh....

 Juliana to the rescue.

 She even pulled the boat over to the other side of the pond.  She's such a good sister/aunt.

Later in the day I took the "good" boat out for a spin by myself.  Juliana said that if I started to drown just wave my hand.  I waved my hand while I was sitting in the boat to see if she would notice.  She said I couldn't drown at the moment because she was getting a text message.  Can you tell we had a great day at the Mark Park??  Next time I claim the "good" boat and I'm bringing a life jacket that fits!

 Eating snow cones in a cup!!  YUMMY!

 Upside down Tory.

 Gianna all ready for church on Sunday.

I just love her cute little handkerchief that matches the dress.

From Here to There

We are doing a fast trip to South Dakota to move a bull and have some fun at the Mark Park.  I decided to keep track of the events like I did on the trip home from Grandma's funeral.

ND mile marker 33 - Rex asks "Are we in SD yet?"

ND mile marker 1 - Rolling window down.....wait for it...wait for it.....SOUTH DAKOTA AIR!!

SD mile marker 242 - Saw a sign that said "Abortion stops a beating heart."  I love all the pro-life signs on our route!!

SD mile marker 239 - Darren says I need a new blog post focus - this one is old and tired.

SD mile marker 234 - Continental Divide - "It is all down hill from here." Darren

SD mile marker 213 - cop

SD mile marker 201 -  Brech Earl says "I think I'm gonna throw up." 

At this point I decided this blog post was old and tired........

Too Many Chiefs

Sweet little Gianna has some new markers and paper.  Yah for Color Wonder markers!! 

 Today we made Native American headbands with colorful feathers.  If feathers are a sign of status then Brech Earl is the head chief.  He HAD to have every color.

 Cormac's turned out very nice with just about as many feathers as Brech.

Rex spent the most time on his headband and picked least amount of feathers.  

Tepee? Hat?

Cormac and Rex are learning about Native Americans in school.  One of our extra projects was to make a tepee.  Now you are thinking I am crazy for doing extra projects on top of the already mountain of projects - and I agree!!  This extra project was SOO worth the little effort I put into it.

 Cormac's tepee

 Rex's tepee

Mom, MOM, I want to make a party hat too!!! PLEASSSSE!!!! 

So we made tepees and party hats.  

This kid is my light at the end of the tunnel, my silver lining in the dark rain cloud.  I sure love this kid!!  I will have to remember that next time the boys want to do an extra project it just might be worth the time because it will probably brighten my day as well.  If this wasn't enough to brighten your day then just imagine this same kid walking away with his party hat on singing "Let's have a pardy....prodeed to pardy."  (A little 3 year old's version of a Toby Keith song - if you don't happen to have a translation button on your computer)

A Watery Mess

Just when I think there was nothing to blog about......

His brothers claim it was Brech Earl's mess. There was a toy boat floating in the sink with the water running and the sink plugged. That sure does sound like Brech, but there are two problems with the story. One - the door was shut, two - the light was off. Brech Earl has YET to shut off a light or shut a door behind himself. I suppose there is a first for everything.

There was standing water on the bathroom floor. 

On the other side of the wall is the bathroom sink. 

 This container was closed under the sink.  It was almost completely full with water.

 Two fans on the bathroom...

and four fans on the stairs.

The carpet cleaner served its purpose today.  After two "back and forth's" the carpet cleaner needed to be emptied.  That was repeated over and over and over and over again.  Four hours later it is still wet.  Sigh.

From There to Here

Blase, Rex, and I attended Grandma's funeral yesterday.  We also drove home yesterday.  Here's our trip notes.

I restarted the mileage in Sturgis, so we drove to Papa's house before we started home.

Mile 19.2 - Karen yawns for the first time.

Mile 40.8 - We had to stop near Owl Butte for Rex to pee.

Mile 46.7 - The mini-van hits 196,196 miles.

Mile 61.4 - Karen wishes there was better music on the radio.

Mile 62.0 - Road kill - deer

Mile 71.4 - Paul yawns with in rush hour traffic in Austin, TX.  He called me to see how things were going.  The call was lost due to lack of cell coverage shortly after this.

Mile 76.5 - We honked our horn at Uncle Robert and Aunt JoDee's house as we drove by.

Mile 105.7 - Stopped in Faith, SD for food and bathroom breaks.  We also saw Aunt Tracy and Justin Ingalls in the gas station.  We visited with them for a few minutes.

Mile 118.1 - I finished eating my cheeseburger.

Mile 121.2 - I finally found a good radio station.

Mile 132.0 - Road kill - unknown

Mile 149.1 - Blase blew a huge bubble with his gum.  (Mom keep track of that!)

Mile 170.1 - We saw 8 deer in a field near a small pond.

Mile 184.2 - I saw a hawk on a telephone pole just as Rex opens his pop with fizzed everywhere.  He learned a valuable lesson about NOT shaking his pop in the van with his mom driving.

Mile 190 - We drove by a fire that appeared to have burned multiple acres and structure.  There were burnt telephone poles, fence posts on both sides of the road, and a big pile of something I couldn't identify.  The firefighters had managed to save someone's house in the middle of all of burnt land.  The fire had recently been put out, like less than an hour as the fire crews were still monitoring the hot spots.  God bless those firefighters and all firefighters.

Mile 200.7 - I realized and it sank in that there will be no more violin songs for Grandma, no more visits with her on vacation, no more birthday cards to or from her, no more asking Dad how Grandma was doing.  I think the emptiness became reality at this mile.  It only lasted a few intense seconds.

Mile 201.4 - We crossed the Missouri River.

Mile 208.7 - We drove by an abandoned house with part of the upstairs wall missing.  If you looked inside the house you can see a closet full of clothes still hanging up in this abandoned house.  Strange.

Mile 220.1 - We stopped in Gettysburg, SD to fill up and use the bathroom.  We have managed to get 23.4 miles to the gallon at this point.

Mile 235.4 - Rex asks me why I'm going to sleep on the way home.  Yes, I giggled.

Mile 245.6 - I saw a fox in the ditch.

Mile 263.9 - The boys convinced me to turn around for a historical marker.  We had stopped for at least 2 before that on our trip.  This marker was about the 6th governor of South Dakota.

Mile 275.8 - Pretty much dark now.

Mile 283.6 - I just realized I could use my brights.  Sigh.

Mile 290.0 - We were saying a rosary and Rex reminds Blase that he is suppose to keep me awake.  (We are still praying out loud during all of this.) Blase then asks me if I am sleeping to which I reply no.  He quickly adds that he just wanted to know if he should kick my chair.  He was instructed by his dad before the trip to kick my chair if I started to fall asleep.  Then just as we were leaving Papa's my mom told Blase the same thing.  Could I have been praying out loud in my sleep?  Yes, I giggled, again.

Mile 321 - I used to peppermint essential oil to help me keep focused.  I was feeling VERY tired by this point.  I was convinced I should stay in Watertown for the night.  I ended up visiting with my brother for a bit and that helped keep me awake.  By the end of that phone call I was sure I could make it home.

Mile 455.7 - In North Dakota.  You should see my notes at this point.  I'm writing in the dark, quick notes that would not make sense to anyone else.  I'm also writing downhill or uphill.  You may think this was silly of me, but honestly keeping these notes helped me to stay awake.  I was always on the lookout for something that was interesting.  Obviously there was nothing of interest between miles 321 and 455.

Mile 462.8 - I ended a call with my mom to let her know that I was going to drive all the way home instead of staying in Watertown.  It was getting late enough that I wanted to make sure they knew I was doing good and was awake enough to make it home.

Mile 509.4 - I keep thinking over and over again - "ARE WE HOME YET!?!?!"

Mile 516.9 - HOME.  Finally.  The mini-van's mileage at this point - 196,666.

A Grandma Remembered

Walk me with as I show you my Grandma Bestgen's life.  Today we will bury her.  Please remember the family as we close this chapter of Grandma's life.  God bless her family, God bless Grandma.

 1930 - 8 months old with her dad, Earl Enright.

1930- 8 months old with her mom, Rita Enright. 

1930 

 1932 - in front of the playhouse her dad built for her.

1935

 1938 - Darlene with her parents, brother, and sister.

 1938 - First Holy Communion in Rapid City, SD

1940 - Confirmation in Rapid City, SD

 1947 - Graduation picture Sturgis, SD

 July 6, 1950 - Phil and Darlene Bestgen married in Sturgis, SD

Phil and Darlene's family 

 again in 2010

Most of the Bestgen Family in 2010.

That is what Grandma's beautiful life looked like.  A beautiful lady, a beautiful soul, a beautiful legacy.  It is hard to say goodbye to such an incredible person.  I try to remember that our goodbyes are only temporary.  She is one more piece of our family puzzle in heaven.  Some day I will join her, God willing, and add my piece to the puzzle.  At the end of time our puzzle will be complete.  It comforts me to know that Grandma will have cleaned my spot all up and baked some brownies or cookies to share.  She'll be sitting there crocheting a blanket for someone while talking to her mother about the good ol' days.  Those are my memories of her.  Do you have any memories of my grandma?  Please share them if you want to.