July 4th Vacation 2010-Keystone Area, South Dakota

After we visited the Badlands, we headed 1 hour west to a town called Keystone, South Dakota. South Dakota is a funny state, because all of driving to the Badlands, the scenery was just flat plains. Then we got to Badlands, and you know what they looked like..and then when we got to Keystone, we were in the mountains! Daddy loved this part of South Dakota, and he is already planning things to do when we go back! I would have to agree with him, this area is pretty cool! The first thing we did when we got to Keystone is eat! Ok-maybe one not so great thing about the Black Hills area is the food. Let's just say I've had better...but yes, I know, we probably just didn't eat at the right places! Anyway, after we had dinner we drove up to Mt. Rushmore. WOW!! Considering I am five, and I have no clue who the people on the mountain are, it was still really cool! We didn't stay very long, because it was dark and then we had to go to our hotel.
The next morning we went to a park called Bear Country USA. Mommy called it Jurassic Park. It was a park that you drove around in, and the animals weren't in cages. They just walked around where ever they wanted too. We saw elk..
...wolves..
mt. goats...(ok, I guess these guys couldn't roam wherever they wanted to; ramming hazards maybe?)...
...cougars...(and, they couldn't roam wherever either; being eaten alive hazards maybe?)...
..black bears...
...bears fighting...
...bears being chill...
...buffalo..
...baby wolves...
...grizzly bears...(again, she couldn't roam free, I'm sure because she would eat us!)...
...baby bears...awww....
and we got to ride a train! A tractor train!! Dallin was excited! He loves tractors, and he loves trains! The best of both!! Kaiden would be mortified that Mommy is posting this picture, because he thought he was way too cool for this!
Mommy and Grandma watched while we rode.
After Bear Country, we went to Big Rush Goldmine. It was fun! We toured an old mine, that people used to get gold from!
Then we panned for gold ourselves! It was kinda hard...
but then we figured it out, and the best part is that now....
we are rich!!! That's right? See those little tiny specks? Yeah, that's gold--that I panned!! I'm rich now! Hmm...what should I spend my earnings on??? Oh yeah, notice the one on the left, and how there is nothing in it? Well, apparently Kaid didn't figure out the panning technique and he dumped all his soil into the water. Bummer! Stinks to be him!
See, we're so happy because we are now rich!

After becoming rich, we drove a little ways to a state park called Custer St. Park. It was a crazy drive to get there. We drove up and down mountains and I felt like I was on a roller coaster. Have I ever told you how Daddy drives cars for a living? Well, I think he thinks he is a race car driver, and was flying on these mountain roads. Again, Mommy was getting a little stressed out! Especially because the side of the mountain roads had views like the one above!
We stopped at a look out point. That is Mt. Rushmore behind us!
These bridges were Daddy's favorite part of the drive. He loved them so much he made Mommy take a picture. They were called pig tail bridges.
See, they really do look like pig tails! By the way, I'm glad none of us get carsick, because this is how the drive was the whole way up and down the mountain, to get to the state park!
After we left the Black Hills National Forest, and Custer State Park, we went back to Keystone and did the most fun part of the trip for all of us kids! We rode the Alpine slides, and we loved it!


In fact, we loved it so much, we decided to go again the next morning, and we even talked Pa into coming down with us this time!
After the Alpine slides, we went back to Rushmore to see it during the day, and hike some trails around it.
Oh, and yes, junior ranger here also! Man, I'm gonna have to remember to put these on my resume!
After Rushmore, it was time to leave Keystone, and head toward Wyoming.
On our way out of the Black Hills, we stopped at Crazy Horse. Coming from a Native American background, we were a little excited to see this place. It was pretty cool. And they are still working on it!
When it gets finished, it will be Crazy Horse pointing to the mountains, sitting on a horse.
We loved South Dakota, and can't wait to go back! But it was time to move on. Next stop...Independence Rock and Martin's Cove in Wyoming.

July 4th Vacation 2010-Badlands, South Dakota

This summer we decided to follow the sun and head west!

Here we are the afternoon we left home. We drove 7 hours to Moline, IL. We got there and had a little bit of time to swim in the pool. It was fun, until Dallin lost his tooth! Dallin jumped in the pool, and when he came back out, he was holding his mouth and saying "Ouch!". Mommy said, "Let me see your smile!", and sure enough his front tooth was gone! Well that's one way to knock out a loose tooth! The tooth fairy even knew where to find him at the hotel! P.S. Kaiden lost his tooth while we were still at home packing the car! That's two teeth in one day for our family!

Then next day we drove 10 hours until we got to Wall, SD. Thank goodness mommy brought her ipod, because the boys hogged the dvd player and played video games the whole time!!! There is only so much time before a video game gets old--especially when you don't get to play and you just have to watch!! So, luckily for me, mommy pulled out her ipod and I jammed out and watched Disney cartoons!!
This is pretty much what the whole drive looked like! At least in SD, it was one long straight road! :)
We pulled into Wall, SD when it was bed time, so we went to bed, got up and went to this store. It was a store a long time ago...like when there was cowboys and indians...a really long time ago! We figured we had to go, considering there where billboards every 5 minutes, starting pretty much when we crossed the South Dakota border! (which is like 6 hours from where the store was!)
Mommy was more excited than me that there was something with my name on it. She said that she was sad when she was little because there wasn't ever anything with her name on it. As you can see from my facial expression, I'm not sure what the bid deal is anyway!
Back when cowboys and indians lived, this store gave out drinks of ice cold water for FREE!!! And guess what? They still do!! I love a store that gives out free stuff!! I didn't even have to spend any money that my Nana gave me to spend on vacation!! Awesome!
Look at my grandma! Isn't she crazy...there was no way I was getting up on that jack-a-lope! To scary for me!
Ooh...I spotted some real live indians!!

After we went to the Wall drug store, we drove a few minutes to a place called the "Badlands". I was a little nervous about going there, because, seriously...who wants to hang out at a bad place. Didn't sound like any fun to me!

It wasn't at all like what I expected it to be. I was thinking more like monsters, and dark places, and scary things...not cool stuff to look at!

(p.s Mommy wasn't very much fun here--at this particular spot--she was afraid we were going to fall off, so she was a little bit on the testy side. **cough,partypooper,cough** Just because there was a total drop off, doesn't mean we are gonna die!!
Dallin and Pa
This place wasn't bad at all! Look at all these pretty colors!!
(p.s. Mommy was more fun here, because we couldn't fall off, unless we tried really hard!)
Oh, by the way, yeah, I'm an official junior ranger now! So I better not see you throwing any trash down in national parks or else I WILL report you!
Yikes! Thank goodness I didn't see or hear any of these guys!



This place was booming with wildlife! We saw bison, deer, curly horned goats (not sure what their real name is) :), prairie dogs, rabbits, and birds. It was cool!

Wow...It's April already????

Man, I haven't posted anything for an extremely long time!! It seems that the older I get the busier I get! lol And I'm only 4! Although, in exactly 8 days I will be 5 year old!! Can you believe that!! That means, this coming fall I'll be in Kindergarten!! I can't wait...I am so ready to be big like my brothers! Last time we talked it was Dallin's birthday, back in November. We have done a lot of fun things since then...Christmas, basketball, cheer leading, Kaiden's birthday...I have a lot of catching up to do! Right now, we just started baseball season, and hello!, like I said, we've a MAJOR event coming up in 8 days!! Can't wait...Until I post about the past couple months, here are some cute photos that were taken in the last couple weeks...I'm getting so big! lol

Happy Birthday Dallin!!

It's me-Allery. I'm taking over for Gabby today! ;) My baby boy is 7 years old today! I can't believe it. Where has the time gone? Can't believe he is 7, and that we have been in our current home in Michigan for 7 years! I was 8 1/2 months pregnant with Dallin when we moved in! He was a handful when he was born. Very CRANKY, but so worth all the sleepless nights! Each year Dallin just keeps getting sweeter and sweeter! Not sure how much sweeter he can get. He has definitely taken the role of the peacemaker in the family, and is such a wonderful big brother to his little sister. He's a classic little brother who loves and looks up to his big brother.
I am so thankful to have this little guy in my life! Happy Birthday Dallin!! I love you!

So, let me explain why he looks so sad in the first picture! Yesterday I realized he had a fever midmorning, which was a major bummer, considering he was supposed to have his birthday party in the afternoon. He was heart broken after Matt broke the news to him, and I felt so bad for him. We ended up calling the doctor since his temp was at 1o3 and was still climbing. He diagnosed him with the flu and put Dallin on tamiflu. He was pretty much lethargic all day, and went to bed early. This morning, which was his birthday, he woke up feeling good. However, after playing around just a few minutes, he was beat and rested all morning at home, while Matt, Kaiden, and Dallin went to church. He held onto his birthday present all morning and watched the clock until Matt and the kids got back.

As soon as the Matt and the kids got back, Dallin ripped into his present and was surprised to see a Nintendo DS. He was pretty happy. He started perking up and his fever went away. Knock on wood, he went to bed fever free and feeling good. We'll see how he is in the morning.

Like I said earlier, where has the time gone? I can't believe he is 7 already!!

Happy Birthday Dallin!! I love you!

Me!!

Hi everyone!! Just wanted to say Hi and see how you're doing!! I haven't written for a LONG time!! I started my second year of preschool, and next year I'm going to be in kindergarten!! I can't believe it, and neither can my mom!!! I go to school for half the day, then I get to come home and play with Mom!! My school is at the same school that Dallin goes to, so some days, when Mommy picks me up, we eat lunch with Dallin. He likes it! Dallin is in 1st grade this year. He is doing awesome!! So far he has gotten a 100% on his spelling test every week! And he got a 100% on his math test too! Kaiden is in 4th grade this year. He's getting old!!! He is also doing great at school! I hope you are all doing well, and I promise to write more!!