What a fun day yesterday was! The Foskett family slept in until 10:40 am (bedtime didn't come until 2:00 am, and we didn't sleep much the night before we left, too...but, yes, we DID sleep half the day away! :) )
Once we finally got going we headed out to the Split Rock Township outside of Sioux Falls to see PaPa T and the big machinery. The boys absolutely loved climbing around on the front end loader, the scraper, the fire truck, the other thing and the other thing and the mower. LOL! We've got great pictures and when we head home I'll post some of the better ones.
After that we headed out and followed PaPa T and his grandkids in PaPa's pickup truck to see where he had been working and almost flipped the mower into the ditch that morning. South Dakota is such a beautiful state. I can do without the mugginess and heat, but the beauty of South Dakota can rival the most beautiful "known" places anywhere.
Then it was off to Uncle Phil & Aunt Sandi's for a time of running around in the yard for the boys and keeping cool in the house for the big kids. Whenever I'm with my family back here (and especially at big family reunions) I have a tendency to give lots of thanks for the fact that I have a big family with lots of great and wonderful Aunts & Uncles. Yesterday was one of those days. When it got time for dinner time (supper time in South Dakota) we headed to The Keg for chicken and chislic. It was the six of us and Uncle Phlip & Aunt Sandi at first - then my cousins Jon & Mark (cuz) showed up with Jon's girlfriend, Diedre and Mark's wife, Heidi and adorable little girl Isabella. Seriously, Isabella is amazingly beautiful ~ big blue eyes and the sweetest personality. It was fun to see how she has changed in the last two years ~ they really do grow up too fast.
After a little bit Uncle Vince showed up (yea! Thanks for putting down the tools and coming up - it wouldn't have been the same without you!) along with my cousin Sara and her daughter Elianna (I don't know if I'm spelling that correctly - sorry Sara!) who is also a beautiful little girl who has grown up so fast. Uncle Pat & Aunt Iris rounded out the fun little family reunion we ended up having. It was so nice to sit next to Uncle Pat and have a conversation with him - the bad thing about having such a big family is not always having the time to talk to each of them and get caught up when we're all together.
Last night ended up with Uncle Vince and Scott & I sitting out on the patio chatting and then a double feature of "24" (6 am to 8 am on the first day of the first season ~ presidential primary day.) We've become a bit addicted and so have been renting the first season discs to get caught up with everything.
It was a good day, to say the least. The boys are loving being with PaPa T and MaMa T. I'm so thankful for this time for them to make memories with the people I love the most.
We're off to Wild Water West this morning and Cabela's in Mitchell this afternoon. I'll update more tomorrow! Have a wonderful day!
Love,
Trayc
Thursday, July 14, 2005
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
Home, Home on the Range
Hi from South Dakota! Scott and the boys and I flew in yesterday (all day trip ~ who'da thunk it?). It was a nice trip, actually. The boys weren't horrible...and it's over...and we're here in one piece and enjoying being with my Mom & Dad...so it must not have been too bad. :)
The boys and I are here until the 22nd - lots of time for Caleb & Micah to have coffee with PaPa T and tell him how bad smoking is for him - and lots of time to try to see as many of my relatives as I can (okay, there's never enough time for THAT - with all the family I have it would take lots more time to drive around and see them all...and if they were all in one place I wouldn't want the time to end.) We're heading to Wild Water West today ~ it's HOT here, and it's not a dry heat. Tomorrow we're going to Cabela's ~ the outdoors super store/man's paradise in one building ~ and then probably up to the Laura Ingall's Wilder homestead in DeSmet, SD. The Sioux falls has a nighttime light show that we'll try to get to either tonight or tomorrow, and then Friday we'll hopefully head down to Norfolk, NE and see my sister and her family...I can't wait to meet my grand-nephew, Isaiah! Hard to believe I'm (such) a Great Aunt! (teehee!) Then, on Saturday afternoon Scott heads back to Vancouver (where it's hot, but not hot).
THEN the FUN begins! Woo-Hoo!! Ideas on the agenda are: Kansas City to see my cousins, David & Joel and their families; ValleyFair in Minnesota so the boys can ride the kiddie roller coaster I rode as a kid; Going to the Omaha Zoo with Jamie, Shelley, Sophie & Allie; and Hanging out and taking it easy with PaPa and MaMa T. Hmmm...not enough time. :)
I hope you all have a bit of an opportunity to relax and enjoy the summer. Like I said to Dad last night at 12:30 (okay it was this morning) when he was saying he could go for ride in the PT Cruiser convertible we rented some other time....THERE'S NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT TO START ENJOYING LIFE! (and, yes, I wanted that to be louder...not an actual yell, but loud ;) )
Take care...and drop a comment about your favorite thing to do in the summer time...I need some ideas to add to my list. *grin*
The boys and I are here until the 22nd - lots of time for Caleb & Micah to have coffee with PaPa T and tell him how bad smoking is for him - and lots of time to try to see as many of my relatives as I can (okay, there's never enough time for THAT - with all the family I have it would take lots more time to drive around and see them all...and if they were all in one place I wouldn't want the time to end.) We're heading to Wild Water West today ~ it's HOT here, and it's not a dry heat. Tomorrow we're going to Cabela's ~ the outdoors super store/man's paradise in one building ~ and then probably up to the Laura Ingall's Wilder homestead in DeSmet, SD. The Sioux falls has a nighttime light show that we'll try to get to either tonight or tomorrow, and then Friday we'll hopefully head down to Norfolk, NE and see my sister and her family...I can't wait to meet my grand-nephew, Isaiah! Hard to believe I'm (such) a Great Aunt! (teehee!) Then, on Saturday afternoon Scott heads back to Vancouver (where it's hot, but not hot).
THEN the FUN begins! Woo-Hoo!! Ideas on the agenda are: Kansas City to see my cousins, David & Joel and their families; ValleyFair in Minnesota so the boys can ride the kiddie roller coaster I rode as a kid; Going to the Omaha Zoo with Jamie, Shelley, Sophie & Allie; and Hanging out and taking it easy with PaPa and MaMa T. Hmmm...not enough time. :)
I hope you all have a bit of an opportunity to relax and enjoy the summer. Like I said to Dad last night at 12:30 (okay it was this morning) when he was saying he could go for ride in the PT Cruiser convertible we rented some other time....THERE'S NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT TO START ENJOYING LIFE! (and, yes, I wanted that to be louder...not an actual yell, but loud ;) )
Take care...and drop a comment about your favorite thing to do in the summer time...I need some ideas to add to my list. *grin*