In the Black Hills of South Dakota

This was our first trip as a family to South Dakota. The kids and I had never been to South Dakota. Jim went when he was around 7 years old to pick up his grandparents (Mary and Joseph Young) who were finishing their mission there. I loved the Badlands. This is the first pic we took in the Badlands. In fact, it was the first pic we took in the great state of South Dakota. I loved South Dakota. We stayed in Rapid City and it reminded me so much of Montana.

Jim and Spencer just hanging out at the Badlands.

Jim and the boys at the Badlands wall.

And Jim and I at the badlands wall.

The boys throwing Jim over the railing at the Badlands Wall. Those silly boys. We really missed Jim the rest of the trip.

The boys looking for their dad at the bottom of the Badlands wall.

Yeah, this should go at the beginning, you may be thinking, but au contrair monfrair, because this was us leaving Badlands National Park.

As you can see, Jim finally caught up with us at Mt. Rushmore. Besides growing a beard and learning to speak Chipmunkese, everything was fine. We made him cut off the beard.

To kill time Jim planned to carve the family into Mt. Rushmore, but he was only able to finish Elijah.

All the boys under Mt. Rushmore.

Elijah making a break for it.

Spencer making the boys laugh while being a ham on the other side of the camera.

Make that both sides.

More of Spency's work. Spencer brings out the best in all of us.

Noah, the king of the hill.

Spencer showing his dad a very green pinecone.

All the boys posing near the Utah engraving (all 50 states are engraved along the walkway to the main viewing area of Mt. Rushmore) - all these boys were born in Utah.

Here I am with my home-state Montana!

And of course we had to pose with our current state Nebraska....umm, why didn't anybody tell me I look 6 months pregnant when I am not!

Mt. Rushmore from the highway that runs behind the monument. On the way to Crazy Horse.

And the crazy Crazy Horse exhibit, which we refused to pay 3x as much as Mt. Rushmore to see (Mt. Rushmore $10 per vehicle, Crazy Horse $27 per vehicle), as it is not even close to being finished. It was started in 1939, and only the head is carved. Eh... not so much.