Sunday, July 25, 2010

Crossing the Missouri River at Chamberlain always means we are getting close to home. Three hours left! Chamberlain is one of the prettiest places in the middle of South Dakota and looked even prettier after two and a half weeks away from home!



The image is a little blurry, but 10 miles from the house, we hit 5000 miles on the trip meter. That's a lot of car time! Worth every mile! I wish Tony would have been able to be with us. My sons are pretty much all grown up now and having lives of their own. It's a little sad as a mom, but I am so very proud of each of them. I treasure every moment I get to spend with them!

Saturday, July 24, 2010

This picture of Jamie pretty much sums up that we are coming to the end of our vacation and we are tired! We have 12 hours of driving to Wichita today to take Chris home and then another 12 hours back to Rapid City tomorrow!

Friday, July 23, 2010

Halfway between Kitty Hawk, NC and Wichita, KS lies Nashville, TN. Great time to see the Grand Ole Opry, right? Wrong! Because of some very nasty flooding this spring, the Opry is being reconstructed and you get turned around at the gate. But I got to see the Parthenon. I didn't even know this existed in Nashville! Hmmm....

Thursday, July 22, 2010

It has been years since I have been to the Atlantic Ocean! I couldn't wait to get my toes in the sand and walk along the waves. The beach was quiet Wednesday night, but Thursday it was full of people. I loved watching all the kids and the waves coming onto the shore! I think I need to schedule more beach time!

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

The boys and I settled in for a couple of days in Kitty Hawk, NC. We couldn't miss the Wright Brothers Memorial. I was a bit surprised that there wasn't more in the area dedicated to the brothers. I guess we find it more fascinating than the locals.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

We left DC after a visit to the International Spy Museum and wound our way down the Eastern Shore. I spent a year of my childhood living here with my grandparents while my dad was in Thailand during the Vietnam War. I was sad not to find the few landmarks I remembered, but I guess 40 years will do that.

We then went over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. It was as fantastic as I remembered it. We stopped and had dinner at the restaurant and walked out on the pier. I dropped flowers from the wedding in the bay in memory of my mother.

Monday, July 19, 2010

After we dropped Mike at the Dulles Airport, the boys wanted to see the other part of the Air and Space Museum. Lots of planes and even a space shuttle. Part of the second Transformer movie was filmed here. The boys were thrilled. I got to see the Enola Gay. Lots of history here!

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Mike had never been to Washington DC, so we thought he should see it! Spent Sunday seeing a few sights and took the Moonlight Monument tour. He got to see the Air and Space Museum on Monday before he had to fly home! Poor guy! I will have to take him back sometime.

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Finally, the big day arrives! The morning was a mad dash! I had last minute shopping to do for the reception. The cake needed to be set up and a few finishing touches. Food tables needed to be set up. Flowers had to be directed. I waited for April to show up before I scooted out for a shower.



I didn't take this one since I was on the alter with them, but it seemed appropriate to add it! Rain forced the wedding indoors, but it was still a beautiful wedding and the couple couldn't have looked happier!

Friday, July 16, 2010

Bella got to practice with flower petals, but she was very worried and wanted them picked up. Aiden decided to help her with that. As feared, Aiden decided he wanted no part of being a ring bearer, so Bryan stepped in and took his place! I love kids at a wedding! They may be a bit unpredictable, but so cute!

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Clearly I didn't take this picture since I am in it. I had my hands in cake all day, so no photography allowed. Spent between 13 - 14 hours on cake Thursday and another 8 on Friday! Not a huge fan of fondant, but it was what my sister wanted!

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Final fitting of the wedding dress. April decided that the back was plain, so the seamstress added ties. I had to learn how to put the dress together. Guess I have another job for the wedding! She looked stunning!

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Chad and Whendy. Chad is Whendy's son and Whendy is Allen's sister. Chad is funny (or thinks he is! LOL) Whendy is a doll. She is one of those women that is a natural caretaker and wants to help with any and everything. She and I really bonded during this wedding! I adore her. She is also Bella's grandmother. That is a wonderful and special relationship!

Monday, July 12, 2010

It took some doing, but we managed to get Aiden to try on his ring bearer's outfit. He was not a fan of the tie. I have my fears about how he is going to be for the wedding. He is adorable though. He is April's son. April is Allen's daughter.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

It was decided to take a day of R & R before we got into the wedding too deep, so we spent the afternoon on April and Allen's boat on Smith Mountain Lake. What an incredibly beautiful area! The lake is huge! There are gorgeous houses up and down the lake. What a great way to start a vacation!

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Bella is going to be the flowergirl for the big wedding. This is the first time we've met and she absolutely stole my heart. This young lady is adorable and it is told that the only time she is crabby is if she is sick. I adore her!!!

Friday, July 9, 2010

Toto, we're not in Kansas any more! Our Interstates don't look like this in South Dakota! I love how lush it is the further East we go! I wanted to stop in St. Louis to get a picture of the Arch, but traffic was such that stopping just wasn't a good idea. I got to see it anyway!

Trip is going awesome! Love spending time with Jamie - although this is a LONG time in the car!

Thursday, July 8, 2010

We must be on vacation! This is my youngest son, Jamie, who very graciously took the next two-and-a-half weeks off to trek around the country with me. We are on our way to Virginia for my sister's wedding on the 17th. Mike and Chris will join us there. Then it's off to DC for a couple of days and then the boys and I will hop down to the Outer Banks for a few days before the long trip home! Fun pics ahead!

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Being a girl is sometimes hard work! I had to follow the nails with a facial, too! I could blame this on my sister and her upcoming wedding, but the truth is I am a girly girl to the very core of my being and I love it!

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

I love all the trees around my house. It was one of the things that attracted me to this house. This tree is in my front yard. You can see the hills in the background! Rapid City is one of the prettiest places on Earth!

Monday, July 5, 2010

This is the detail work on my bridesmaid dress for my sister's wedding. I think it is my favorite part of the dress. It is a very traditional bridesmaid dress - not the shorter one I started with - but I think it is going to look very nice. I am looking forward to seeing how happy my sister will be!

Sunday, July 4, 2010

This is the aftermath in my pool after my son's friends finished. I love having a house full of kids. It energizes me and leaves me smiling!

Saturday, July 3, 2010

This is a tree beside our garage. It amazes us every year that the same tree produces two colors of leaves. The sky was fresh from a short rain storm. I love living here!

Friday, July 2, 2010

Dinner at Applebee's produced a beautiful flower shot! Dinner out with my husband after a week at ISTE was a wonderful time to catch up!

July 1st is my first day at my new job and a great time to start a 365 after having been so inspired by ISTE. I hope over the year to work on my photography skills and to build a collection of pictures that I might find valuable in my work!

This is the sign outside my building and where I am excited to start a new adventure and to grow!