Holiday Reflections -- December

We had a {mostly} joyful Christmas season -- kids are still kids no matter what the day or season and we had some re-setting to do with ours, but otherwise a peaceful season, full of thanksgiving. Rapid City has had unusually warm and dry weather for this time of year and we have been very thankful for what that has meant for us ... with so many indoor options closed, the above freezing temperatures have been a real blessing. 

Getting our tree from the Black Hills National Forest.

Winter Soltice celebration -- tamale dinner, gazing at the aligning planets and the kids get to spend the night sleeping under our tree. 

Warmer days mean we get to hang out with friends! So good for all of us.

Special treats, always.

A beautiful Christmas Eve -- going to church in-person, having special friends, Vanesa & Anne over for dessert and getting our new PJs.

Even Goldie gets a red bow!

Christmas Day activities, so many thoughtful gifts, lots of yummy food and a hike in the snow.

Ringing in the New Year with special friends from Idaho. So thankful. 

Hello 2021 from Mt Rushmore!

Holiday Reflections -- Thanksgiving

We had a lovely holiday season this year...starting out with an amazing road trip to California to be with my family. It was wonderful to be warm and to be where things were still growing (& even blooming!) instead of our cold, drab, brown landscape. We even got to have our Thanksgiving meal outside on my parents patio! And even better, my whole family was able to be there. We got to meet my newest neice and nephew which was really great.

We were given a surprise with really unbelievable gift while we were home -- some long-time, special friends gave us a CAR!!!! It still feels very surreal, but this wonderful, new family car for us sits in our driveway and gets us around the Black Hills very well. So I think it's real! We are calling her Goldie, short for Goldilocks :) 

After that any Christmas gift seemed to pale by comparison; but we were certainly just fine with that! This undeserved gift reminds us over and over how we have been given so many good things that we have done nothing to earn and certainly don't deserve ... similar to God's gift of salvation through Jesus to us. It was a perfect reminder to our family of the reason for the season.

Road trip in a fancy rental car! We even found a bike-pump track in St George to run the kids on :) 

Sunset at the beach! Soooo good to be here!

All family donut gathering at Bonnie's - YUM!

Meeting the newest babies in the family -- Scarlett & Ethan and having LOTS of cousin-time!

Some sweet time for the kids with Nana & Papa -- breakfast & crafts, plus tractor & go-kart rides!

Helping out at the farm -- picking apples and raking leaves!

Our all-family lovely outdoor Thanksgiving with my mom's beautifully set table.

Black Friday Lunch -- In-N-Out Burger!!!

Black Friday Shopping @ Goodwill -- my kind of shopping!

More very wonderful beach & tide pool time! 

Most of the family -- we forgot to get everyone together on Thanksgiving Day, so sadly missed
Jeannie's family getting into the photo. 

On our way, in our new car!!! With one last stop before leaving CA. We were so so happy to see
some very dear friends from Idaho who now live in CA. Such a blessing to catch up with them. 

Finding Community Caves & Spearfish Falls

Earlier this Fall we spent a day driving through the lovely Spearfish Canyon in search of pretty leaves and also two stops/hikes we hadn't done before -- to Community Caves and Spearfish Falls. The day did not disappoint. We found and thoroughly enjoyed both.

Community Caves is a short but seriously steep scramble/hike up a wash of loose rocks. Mabel did a fantastic job and we were pleasantly surprised by how large the caves were once we arrived. Afterwards, the much easier hike to Spearfish Falls was welcome and the change in scenery made it feel like we were somewhere completely different world even though we'd only driven a few miles in between them.

The hike up!

Luke was first to the top - of course! 

Our usual picnicing spot didn't have any parking spots available, so we found a beautiful place along the road to have our lunch.

Wrapping up October

I know, I know ... we're already a week into November and I am just now posting about October (AND I still have two more September-era posts I am hoping to do!) We had what felt like another very full month. With the weather continuing to cool down, the pressure to be outside doing as much as possible on the nice days is pretty intense and makes me feel a bit frantic sometimes -- as we try to wring the very most out of any warm, beautiful days. In spite of several "snow days" and a below ZERO morning, we did our best to enjoy all the big & little the moments together..

Enjoying the Fall Festival in Box Elder -- the kids each got to pick out a FREE pumpkin!

Driving through the Black Hills, catching the last of the Fall foilage.

A fun day at Sheridan Lake with some homeschool/MOPS friends. 

Family day at Angostura Resovoir -- the BEST beach-like sand in our area! And...it wasn't crowded!

Hiking at one of our favorites, Little Elk Creek -- 

Even better than a beautiful hike? A hike with a swing out over the creek!

An evening playing at Canyon Lake Park here in town. Such a pretty place!

Homeschool fun -- experiments inside and out!

A snowy weekend. My shovel crew deserves hot chocolate AND we found a perfect used set of bunk beds for the kids! Hurray!

Halloween highlights: making cat & jack o'laterns, costume time with friends and family and counting up the candy from the piñata!