Heading Home from North Dakota

June 6th--Today, we are heading home from North Dakota. We really had a wonderful time! We got to visit with lots of family who we don't get to see very often and we got to try lots of new things! On Friday the 1st, it was pretty cold and we had lunch at Cline's Cafe in town. Then we headed to the park to play while Justin took a nap. We hung out at the house the rest of the day and the kids enjoyed riding the golf cart with Daddy, Nick, and Papa Jerry. We headed to bed early as we were all pretty tired from the trip. Saturday, June 2nd, we had the opportunity to visit a large family farm. The most fun part of that afternoon was riding a pony! The family who owned the farm graciously gave the kids and I the opportunity to ride one of the horses. We enjoyed riding and seeing the horses and looking at the large tractors and other machinery in their barns. Saturday night Jon grilled out steaks. They were delicious. Saturday night, we headed out to the Legion. I stayed home for a bit while Jerry headed out then we traded places and I got to go out and enjoy a night out! And enjoy it we did! We started out at the Legion for drinks, pull-tabs, and blackjack. Jon had started out as a big winner, but when I showed up, he began losing. So at midnight when the blackjack table closed we headed to Rudy's for kareoke. I sang "Goodbye Earl," by the Dixie Chicks. Jeff sang Eric Clapton's "Wonderful Tonight.". We enjoyed the local entertainment. Many good singers in Oakes! We headed home at 2am.

Sunday, June 3rd we got up and got ready and waited for Jessy and Nate to get there with their girls. Peyton is 3 and Bryn is 3 months old. We enjoyed visiting with them until about 2. Julie and Diane brought lasagna from Aberdeen and we had a delicious lunch. Sarah loved holding Bryn and she and I played with Peyton. She is such a sweet little girl! I was so happy to be able to finally make a reconnection with Jessy. It has been 7 years since we have seen the girls. I was pregnant with Sarah the last time. Since then 10 babies have been born between the 4 of us! So we have been keeping busy with new babies and busy children. It was very good to see their family and meet Nate and the girls. Everyone else also enjoyed visiting with Jessy and her family as well!

Later that afternoon, when Jessy's family left, I put Justin to bed and took the kids to the park and to get ice cream. Sunday night we enjoyed burgers on the grill, drives on Nick's moped, and headed to bed.

Monday, June 4th, we drove into Aberdeen, South Dakota. We loved visiting Wylie Park, South Dakota. Storybook Land was a wonderful treat for the kids. They rode a balloon ride, carousel, and a train that went through the park. We enjoyed seeing some buffalo, llamas, and farm animals. The kids enjoyed walking the Yellow Brick Road and seeing the path that Dorothy took. Lunch time came and we met Julie, Diane, Jackie, Jerry, and Esther for lunch. Jeff spent the morning with us at Wylie Park. We ate at Perkins and the kids were really well-behaved. After Perkins we visited Julie and Diane's new home that was still under construction, then headed back to their house.

The rest of the afternoon was spent at Fast Care for Jackson's ear and then we ate at a Mexican restaurant where Jon pranked Julie. He told the staff that it was her birthday! She and Jon both rolled with laughter! The restaurant was across the street from the train tracks and Diane took both Jackson and Justin out to see the trains. They were in heaven!

After dinner we zipped back to Wylie park to enjoy a little more time at the park then we headed back to Oakes, carefully watching for deer along the way. We saw 3 deer, but managed to get home without hitting any, thankfully!

Tuesday, June 5th, we spent packing up. We enjoyed a trip to the car wash to get all of the bugs off of the car and Jackie took Sarah and Jackson on a trip to the park. She called and said there were kids swimming so we suited up and headed to the pool. There we were greeted by 69 degree water temperatures. It was miserable. Despite the cold water, Justin decided he wanted to go down the large curvy slide multiple times, much to mommy's chagrin. It was FREEZING!!! We only stayed poolside for about 35 minutes then we played on the playground and waited for Jon to pick us up. He had spent the morning mowing and decided to treat himself to a drink at the Legion. Dinner was a yummy meatball casserole that Esther had made. We worked on leftovers and finished packing up the trucks. Bedtime came early for Justin, Mr. No Nap. The other kids played, bathed and headed to bed as well. Jon, Jeff, Esther, Jackie, and I headed to the Legion for out last hurrah. I enjoyed a Malibu and Pineapple and relaxing before our long trip out.

Now, it is June 6th and we are just a few miles out of St. Cloud, Minnesota. The kids have settled down a bit. We will be stopping for gas soon. We haven't decided if wr are going to stay the night somewhere or make the trip in one day. We had a great trip! Looking forward to our next trip to the Dakotas!
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