The kids and I are in South Dakota at my parent’s house this week. Creed traveled like a champ and has changed a lot this week. All of the sudden he’s making eye contact so much more and smiling and cooing. He’s taken longer than the others to do that. I was starting to wonder how well he can see. Still not sure he sees well but I’m loving the smiles and noises.
Yesterday the four older kids drove 400 miles to camp. Together, alone. It was so strange to watch them drive away for a road trip. They did great though, and arrived safely. They missed a turn, backtracked 7 miles, hit pouring rain and hail, and had to wait for a herd of buffalo to cross the road close enough to touch in front of them in Custer State Park. Memories! They’ll spend the week at Bible camp and come back on Friday.
My van is at the mechanic’s shop for noises they tell me they aren’t concerned about. We pick it up from them today. The plan is to go home from South Dakota on Monday and leave Wednesday with the camper to go to Michigan for Blaine’s family reunion. The van started making a new noise when stopping and I had visions of it breaking down between here, home, or Michigan. I’m told it won’t. Blaine did a lot of maintenance on it just before I left to avoid this very thing. Frustrating.
Yesterday Dad brought home 10 tons of hay. The big (ie: capable of helping!) kids managed to miss this event having left that morning for camp, but the littles tried hard to help (50ish pound square bales) and Dad and I got it all unloaded off the trailer and put under the barn roof. We finished about ten minutes before the rain that the kids encountered on the western edge of the state made it to this eastern edge and let loose on us. I’m thankful we finished when we did. I learned a few things – mostly regarding my muscles, their location, and their lack of tone!
We’re looking forward to the rest of the week and enjoying our time here. South Dakota is home.
Enjoy your time in SD with your parents. Not sure my nerves would have stood for 4 young kids driving 400 miles. They are brave as well. HA!!
You sure have a busy few weeks with so much travel. Enjoy it while you are still young. HA!!
What a milestone for the kids going off on their frist road trip alone. Do they know how cool their parents are for letting them do this? And how can you be helping with hay bales so soon after a newborn? You’re in better shape than you want us to believe! Creed looks great, all the best to your family on your vacations?