We just spent nearly two jam-packed-with-fun weeks in South Dakota visiting family. We go home once a year every summer. It's funny how I still call South Dakota "home." When does your current residence earn the title of home and replace the home of your youth? Perhaps that question is answered differently for different people, but for me, I think "home" will always be South Dakota.
I love going home (everything, that is, except the 12 hour drive to get there). I love walking through my parent's door and knowing I can take my entire load off and not worry about a thing while I'm there. I love watching my mom and dad play with my kids constantly, whether it's playing a game of cards, or taking them fishing, or giving the littlest ones a bath. I love having all my brothers come into town with their kids and seeing the cousins reacquaint. I love having coffee or dinner with my old friends who still live in Aberdeen and sharing from the heart as if we saw each other every day. I love going out to Richmond Lake and watching my kids swim in the same algae-filled-green water that I swam in. I love taking my kids to Storybook Land and watching them climb the castle steps or push the Jack and the Beanstalk button that does the scary recording of the giant saying "Fe Fi Fo Fum..." I used to push that button so many times as a kid that I'm surprised the battery still works! I even love unloading my mom's dishwasher because that was always my chore growing up. I love seeing my mom reading or praying in her "prayer corner" and seeing my dad laying on his bed watching the evening news. You'd think it's great that there's so much that I love about home, but loving it so much makes is so hard leave. Thankfully, there are so many things and people and places that I love in Montana too, but still, it would be nice if I could somehow move Montana closer to South Dakota! Until that happens, I guess I will just have to focus on being thankful while I'm home, and thankful still when I am away.
And now let's leave those melancholy thoughts behind and cheer up with this plethora of pixels! :) Sorry there are so many pictures, but I just couldn't narrow down the highlights any fewer than these...
| Dominic and I trying to drench the other cousins! |
The war of the bumper boats was a blast!
Joseph thought he was very cool sitting by cool uncle Jon!
Michael felt pretty special as daddy's sidekick!
Mini-golf was definitely a highlight!
Everybody loves the Storybook Land train!
Baby Evan loved his 1st train ride with Grandpa Pat and Grandma Theresa.
Jon and Debbie loved having so many willing hands to hold their little guy!
The annual piano recital gets better every year as the kids improve their skills. The cousins practice hard all year in order to receive a new trophy from Grandma Theresa!
Nathanael loved playing at many of the different parks in town, even in the humid, hot South Dakota weather!
He also loved the carousel ride at Storybook Land...
and he loved putting rocks in Grandma's bird bath!
The older boys loved going on a fishing adventure with Grandpa Pat and Grandpa Dick!
| Joseph showing off his big walleye... |
He also caught a fiesty Northern Pike, but Grandpa said they are too bony to eat so it got thrown back in the river.
Michael could have fished all day, every day if he had the choice. He is just like his Grandpa Pat.
Dominic was a great little angler too!
One of Michael's highlights was beating Grandma Theresa in lots of card games!
Michael and his brothers also loved the local waterpark!
Nathanael says, "Who needs a waterpark when my aunt and uncle live at the lake?"
Dominic ready to go tubing behind Uncle Mike's jet ski! That boy doesn't have a fearful bone in his body!
We visited Great Grandma Bernice a few times and brightened her day with Nathanael's antics. He loved sharing chocolate covered raisins with her. Great Grandma is nearing 100 years old, so each time we get to see her is truly a gift!
We also took the kids to the cemetery, along with their cousins on Paul's side of the family, so that they could visit with their Grandpa Hollis.
| The beautiful statue of Hollis near his tombstone is a constant reminder of what a gentle, holy, and witty man he was... |
May he pray for our boys and help them to become true gentlemen like he was.
Romans 5:3 was Grandpa Hollis' favorite verse...
words to live by until we meet him again in heaven.
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