Trip to South Dakota and Minnesota

We are back from our two week adventure to the Midwest and had a great time visiting with family and friends back home. As always, time goes too fast and we didn't get to see and spend as much time with everyone we would have liked.

We arrived in Minneapolis very late on Thursday evening and then woke very early Friday to head to Eureka, SD. We participated in the Relay for Life event there. The small community raised nearly $40,000 for the American Cancer Society, very impressive. Unfortunately due to rain storms, the relay was cancelled at midnight; we all got a good night's sleep in warm dry beds, who knew that August nights in SD could get so cold!! The next afternoon we headed for Rapid City to visit my Grandma Hulda who is in a nursing home there. Leif has never been to the area, so we gave him the quick, driving tour of Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse and the Badlands. Next trip we will have to spend more time there. We were back to Minneapolis by Monday evening.... it had been a long weekend of driving about 5 hours in the car every day! And believe me, my kids let everyone know just how tired of driving they were!!

Then, what was suppose to be a relaxing few days at Tammy's in St. Michael, turned into a few days on vomitt and an unhappy little man! Christian got the flu bug and was feeling pretty terrible for most of the week. Luckily no one else has gotten it! (at least not yet).

We spent one morning with my old friend Kristi and her adorable kids Aidyn and Nolan. It was fun to see them and watch the kids 'play' together.

Out last day was spent at the Mall of America with Aunt Gina, Madison and Will. Campbelle loved walking around Camp Snoopy with her cousins and playing in Lego Land. She wasn't crazy about eating at the Rainforest Cafe, as she was terrified of the gorillas above us. I guess she took the waitress serious when she said to watch out because they take french fries!!

The flight home, which I did by myself as Leif flew back the week before, was great! Somedays my kids absolutly amaze me. Neither one made a peep the whole 3 1/2 hour flight! Piece of cake.

We got home with a much heavier suitcase, thanks in large part to Madison giving Campbelle all her old dress up clothes and stuff. It's nice to be home and the kids were very glad to see their pappa, as was I.