Mt. Rushmore

We had a nice visit to Mt. Rushmore. A lot about this location surprised me. I didn't realize how high into the mountains we would drive to get to it. Built along the road where many a tourist attraction.  I didn't expect it to be as compact in size and scale as it was. I didn't realize that there was a cute touristy town at the base of the mountain that would cater to us road-trippers like they did, or that there would be shops and cafeterias, and halls built around it once inside. I also did not know that this basically took the better part of a lifetime for the sculptor, and then his son, to start and finish!

About 400 men worked on the project during it's creation and Gutzon Borglum, the head sculptor, died near the end of the project. His son took over and within seven months of his father's death he finished Mt. Rushmore. I found it interesting that the original plans for the mountain called for more of each president  to be sculpted out. There was an entire arm and hand showing on Washington in the plans. 90% of the monument was blasted out with dynamite! Refining the carvings into the granite was the main focus of Borgulm's son.

It is really to bad that there are orange construction cones and tape everywhere in this photo, and that I am not proficient with photo shop so I can get rid of it! Oh, and all the other tourists in the background while I am at it, right?

 

The walkway up to the mountain is lined with State flags. Georgia was very excited that she knew about the Presidential Trail from a t.v. show before we left. Unfortunately, our communication was not good, and I did not realize that the Presidential Trail was a hike off to the right side of the monument that takes you as close as you can get, and includes an building with more information about the construction. We didn't do it and I wish we had. So if you go, take a few minutes to make the short hike. Bring water! 

Our neighbors told us to be sure to get ice cream at Mt. Rushmore because it is so good. I got mint chip, and I have to agree! It tasted like the best thing ever after a hot dry day of viewing the monument! We had to get a shot with Thomas Jefferson, who recorded one of the very first recipes for ice cream!

This is a great spot to check off your list, so go if you get the chance! We drove by the crazy horse monument, but we really did not have a lot of time to stop, and because it is an active site, you look at it from a spot near the parking lot. You can probably see a lot, I don't know because we didn't go in. It is huge though, so we did see a good portion of the face from a profile view point. It would probably be a good thing to make time for to add to the experience, if you can!

South Dakota

I am trying to get caught up on posts from our Summer trip West. We left home three weeks ago and headed to see our family in Utah.

I am also typing one handed because of an unfortunate mountain biking accident that left me with a badly sprained wrist. Now my brain is working three times as fast as I can type as apposed to the usual twice as fast. I will hope for the best in the typo/coherency department!

We took the more Northern route home this time. I had never been to Minnesota or South Dakota, so I am glad to now check them off my "States to  Visit" list.

We took the detour through the Badlands of South Dakota. It is amazing to see these jutting desert like formations pop up out of the prairie grass! Such a change from the flat and green landscape of Illinois!
Georgia was nervous when we told her we were taking a short detour to see the Badlands.
She asked if they call it that because there are so many mean people there.
I guess it really does not sound very inviting, does it?
Turns out people were actually so friendly that one stranger handed me his camera, walked up to Del, spun him around, threw his arm around him and told him to smile for a picture!
Del and I laughed, but when he walked away we both whispered, "That was weird!"
So, some guy has a picture with Del in the Badlands!

We started seeing Wall Drug signs pop up along the highway, and I was interested in stopping! I read a series of books called "The Walk" and the main character visits Wall Drug and gives a background on how this place came to be so big! I wanted to see it for myself.

Wall Drug was started by a couple in the 1930's when the depression was in full effect in the U.S. After years of trying to make it work in the town of Wall, which one of their family members once described as "a Godforsaken town," the couple came up with the idea of advertising free ice water for hundreds of miles along the highway leading to the town. Sure enough, thirsty, hot travelers stopped to fill up on water, and found a few other comforts in the drug store that they were interested in buying.The store grew steadily, and today, Wall Drug draws up to 20,000 interstate travelers a day during the busy season! It has grown steadily for their family since. Years later when writing his biography the founder said, "No place on Earth is Godforsaken." True, true.

We stopped for lunch and a plastic pony ride. Georgia is one cool customer with her frozen lemonade.

Now many places, including Little America have adopted the Wall Drug strategy, and you will see their billboards for hundreds of miles on the roadway.

I was not sure what to make of Walker's fascination with this plastic statue of a showgirl. Let's just hope he remains this innocent for a long time! Let's also hope he is a little less "handsy" in the future! Yikes!

Wally came up with this little story line all by himself.
Boy running from buffalo.

Pictures of the Wild West influencing characters, and newspaper clippings with articles about Wall Drug line the walls.

We bought this little cowgirl a hat so she would be all outfitted when we crossed the Wyoming border.

Then we were off to Mt. Rushmore! Coming up!

On To July!

We made it through June! I will not lie, I was not sure how much more of June I could take! It was a combination of Del being out of town for most of the month, the kids schedules being choppy and very full, and them being bored when it wasn't full, the weather here being pretty much miserable, and not feeling well on my part. I was dragging, and I was not a fun mom! But we made it and now the sun is shining!

We are in prep mode for our Summer trip out West now. I wanted to sneak an update post in before we take off.
We leave in a few days, and I have a laundry pile as tall as me to get through. All of our swim events add about five loads a week, and the dirty laundry monster caught up to me!
The kids are bursting with excitement! They can't wait to see Grandmas and Grandpas! We decided a few months ago to add some sight seeing to our drive to Utah this year. We are going to stop at Mt. Rushmore, and then spend three nights at a cabin in Yellowstone. Del and my Dad had the whole trip planned out. We were going to meet my parents in Yellowstone. Then my Dad got a new job, and they can't make it! We are disappointed, but we hope to do it again in the future! I think next year we need to drive the Southern route and see the four corners area!
I am excited to see the all American scene at Mt. Rushmore! Our neighbors tell us they also have really good ice cream! Who would have thought?

We have had a lot of bright business ideas going on around here. Wally is an excellent lost golf ball finder! He filled the sink in the laundry room with balls he has fished out of ponds, and picked up from the forest ground.  After wading into a pond to help a golfer get his ball, and being paid for it while hanging out on the edge of the course, Wally decided that maybe this is not a bad way to make a little extra cash!
I helped him scrub off, and dry a mound of golf balls, and he hit the links ready to make a deal with some golfers.
He was disappointed when after a whole hour he had not made a sale! He guess he needs to learn a little stick-to-itiveness. He was an awfully cute salesman though!

Del was asked by our friend Chris to me be his escort as he took his Endowment out in our temple before he heads to Melbourne Australia on his mission later this month. It was an honor for Del. Everyone in our church family is feeling very sentimental watching this amazing young man leave for two years to serve the Lord! Chris has a fascinating story, and he is going great places in his life! What an example! We love Chris and he will be in our thoughts and prayers as he serves.

Swim, and more swim! Watching the progress of our children on swim team this Summer has been a joy! I never saw myself as being the mom on the side getting so excited about their kids performance! And yet, there I am, jumping up and down with the best of them! When the kids tried out for swim team, I didn't realize how much our trip to see family would overlap with swim. Unfortunetley, we have to cut our season about two weeks short! I am sad that the kids are mission meets! They are finding their confidence just as we leave! We will look forward to Winter season after school starts up!

We have been working with private instructors on the side to get the kids comfortable with their start dives. We still have a ways to go with their technique. There is a lot of face planting going on.

The team hosts what could best be defined as a swim-a-thon to raise money for new equipment. The kids spent three hours swimming relays in the cold. Here is Georgia waiting for her heat to start in the blow up tube relay.

Almost there! Watching Georgia swim is so stickin' cute!

This is Georgia and her swim friend Ava. One of the perks of swim team has been getting to know some really great new people! Ava's mom has become an awesome friend. Ava is an excellent swimmer. All the kids have been taking seconds off their times with each meet. These two are really coming along in their swimming! Eat their bubbles!

Lined up to watch the coaches swim a relay.

The kids swim pictures came back. So cute!

Team picture.

We have to really take advantage when a nice Summer evening comes along this year! It has been so incredibly rainy! Walker loves to ride his bike down the street until it starts to slope upward and it get hard to peddle. Then he turns around and heads toward home until it gets hard to peddle that direction.

And repeat. I just walk along beside him until he wears himself out.

Shooting some hoops.

Del likes to try to hit balls over the fence and pond onto the first green. Will wanted to take a shot.

More bikes!

And of course a few tantrums throw in to keep things normal!

An hour at our house would not be complete without a meltdown or two!

This is what makes a boy happy! Patriotic popsicles!

That is Summer so far! We are off to have more adventures and see a little more of this amazing country we are blessed to live in! I didn't really proof read this, so I hope you got through it!

Enjoy July!

Lemonade Stand

Georgia has been begging me to let her have a lemonade stand for weeks now. Something strange must have possessed me, because I decided not only to help her do it, but to build her a cute little stand.

We had quit a bit of yellow items left over from  Wally and Will's Star Wars birthday party. We used some of the posts from our play tee pee, and threw a table cloth on her play table. I got the signs a couple of years ago in the One Spot at Target, and I had them in my craft bin.

Georgia liked the idea of the getting the  up-sale with the cookies when customers came for lemonade.

We had to have a pouring practice session. It was a little sticky while she got over her learning curve on getting the liquid IN the cup.

It was a crazy humid day. So Georgia started out in the shade, but soon realized that people were not getting a clear view of her. We moved her to the end of the driveway.

I came to check on her a few minutes later, and found that she had quickly grown her little enterprise and hired MANY employees. I think they helped eat the inventory in a hurry. She required a refill after their shift. Georgia put her brothers to work while she came in for her piano lesson. Wally told me that he made sure to say, "Have a nice day!" to every customer who stopped.
Georgia also changed into a different pair of shoes about every forty minutes. Those boots are a good humid day look, no?

It was a bit of a slow start, but all in all, this was a big success! She made about $14 from the sale! She was diligent too! She was going strong, with the help of her brothers, until I went out and shut it down at about 5:30!  They were some hard working stand owners!
We live on the same street as the entrance to the golf club 55 and over townhouse community. That is most definitely where most of her business came from! I think she learned to work that sweet little granddaughter angle to her advantage in a hurry! It was so funny to watch the older couples sip their luke warm lemonade like it was the best tasting thing they had ever had! What good sports!

I used to do these stands with my friend ShaRee growing up, and I remember the mail man being our best customer. I was so grateful to our nice mail man when I saw he had stopped to make a purchase!

Walker was a sticky mess, and all the kids were satisfied with their business endeavor at the end of the day! They were so excited to tell Del all about it when he got back from his business trip that night!

Lemonade stand officially checked off the Summer to-do list!