Rapid City

Andrew just loved the big pirate ship slides.


Carolyn shows off her fantastic swimming moves.



Ok Mathew, I dare you to run under that mushroom.



Check out those big tusks on that Mammoth skull.

Really big fish type dinosaur skeleton.

Isn't she just the cutest thing?

Andrew practicing to be a talk show host.

Birthday boy enjoying his cake.

Rezin family 2011




Well this past weekend we traveled across the state of South Dakota to Rapid City. We decided to use the vacation days the kids got off from school and visit my parents and siblings. Of course last week that area had beautiful weather and record high temps. This week when we decided to come out for a visit we ended up with freezing cold wind chills and a big snowstorm that dumped over nine inches on the area. Go figure.

We got into town Friday night and spent some time over at my parents house before coming back to the hotel. I decided to get a room at one of the hotels that had a water park so the kids would have something to do. Unlike last summer when I tried the hotel with water park thing I made sure this hotel did include the water park in the room rate. Everyone was pretty tired so we skipped the water and headed for bed.

The next day started off with snow so instead of doing something outdoors or up in the Black Hills (we are not skiers) we headed over to the Museum of Geology on the campus of South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. The kids had fun looking at all the rocks and bones they had on display. We also walked across campus and looked at the updates that have been done since the loving husband graduated. Mom had to work that morning so we called and had Dad meet us there. I'm pretty sure he enjoyed the outing as much as the kids did.

Later that afternoon we invited my sister and her family over for cake and swimming. The kids had a blast going down the huge water slides and splashing in the water park area. After swimming for a bit we went up to our room and had cake and Matthew opened his presents.

Because the kids had this great water park to keep them busy, I asked Mom if her and Dad would mind watching them that evening while hubby and I grabbed some kid-free time together. The plan was to eat at the restaurant in the hotel but there was a 30 min wait to get a table and it was looking like the service would not be on the speedy side so we decided on plan B....a local BBQ place that had great food and was a whole lot cheaper than the first place. The reason we were wanting something on the fast side was the water park was quite busy and both hubby and I didn't want to leave the kids too long. My sister and her family also returned that night so I wanted to spend some time with her too.

The predicted snowstorm hit during the night and no travel was advised so we spent Sunday swimming and hanging out at the hotel. It was also Dad's birthday so we headed over to Target to buy him a card. Mom had called earlier in the day to let us know there would be a delicious pot roast supper to look forward to.

After heading back to the hotel and letting the kids take monster naps we went over and celebrated Dad's birthday. The highlight of the night was Matthew winning the Yahtzee game. Either he's really good at this game or he's really lucky. After the game was over we returned to the hotel and I took Carolyn and Andrew to the water park for one last swim.

Thankfully Monday morning was bright and clear. We said good-bye to Mom and Dad at a local fast food restaurant and headed for home. I now have a new love and appreciation for technology. Thanks to the DSI's and portable DVD player, we were able to drive from Rapid City to Chamberlain (3+ hrs) without fights, whining, or having to stop and take a break. Unfortunately, when we got to our lunch stop in Chamberlain it was packed with travelers so we just did potty breaks and kept going. We ate in Mitchell instead.

The roads for the most part were pretty good for travel except for a 30+ mile stretch that was really really icy. If not for that then I think we might have set a new travel record for the trip back. Once again, thank goodness for modern technology that kept the kids occupied and not fighting with each other. We got home and the cat was really glad to see us. I spent the rest of the evening doing laundry and catching up on e-mails.