tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52961400252497450852024-03-19T04:01:08.155-07:00Saving Time in a BottleI'm a Navy wife and a basset hound mommy, born and raised in the Midwest but currently living out the adventure of a lifetime in Arizona.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07242952607553226949noreply@blogger.comBlogger233125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5296140025249745085.post-87655168425264122102015-10-16T13:04:00.002-07:002015-10-16T13:04:14.955-07:00We've Moved!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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No, it's not Curtis and I moving (this time!)... It's my blog! I'm so excited to announce that I have entered the world of self-hosting and have officially "launched" <a href="http://savingtimeinabottle.com/">savingtimeinabottle.com</a>!! Go ahead and change your bookmarks and start following <a href="http://savingtimeinabottle.com/">savingtimeinabottle.com</a> - I'll see you there ;)<div>
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Learn more about this switch in the post I just wrote: <a href="http://savingtimeinabottle.com/?p=658">http://savingtimeinabottle.com/?p=658</a> </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07242952607553226949noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5296140025249745085.post-62040798413702555882015-10-15T12:53:00.000-07:002015-10-15T12:53:09.429-07:00Coming Soon...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hi friends! Big changes are happening around here, and I can't wait to tell you all about it TOMORROW! Stay tuned! ;)<div>
-Jess</div>
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P.S. No, the big changes have nothing to do with our family expanding again by getting another dog, I'm just using this picture of Charlotte and Max as an example of how exciting this is! :D</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07242952607553226949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5296140025249745085.post-44062164213138839112015-10-08T11:58:00.000-07:002015-10-08T11:58:01.043-07:00Arizona's White Mountains<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Colorado Adventure, Day 9</div>
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Friday, September 18, 2015</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I wonder where the AZ/NM state line is? :)</td></tr>
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Let's say you're in Gallup, NM and driving to Tucson, AZ. How are you going to get there? Google Maps says the fastest route is 6 hours, taking I-40, then highways 77 and 60 through cities like Holbrook, Show Low, and Globe. This route will take you through some beautiful Arizona back highways, through mountain ranges, and through the Salt River Canyon, giving you great views and a relatively quick drive back. Sounds like a good plan, right?</div>
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Not for us! Our problem is we've already driven on these roads, and thus when we go to highlight roads on our atlas, we wouldn't have any new roads to drive in Arizona! Forget that we just spent a week driving through places we'd never been, our adventure could not stop here. Instead of taking any of Google Map's 3 suggested routes, we took the road less traveled. :)</div>
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From Gallup, we headed South on 602, driving through the beautiful Zuni reservation. Then we went West on 53, which turns into 61 in Arizona, until it tees with 191 on which we started heading South. For the first part of the drive, from here to Eagar, there's not a whole lot to see. In the distance, we could see the White Mountains, but for the most part it was red dirt and dry desert plants all around. However, as we were driving through, we saw a "for sale" sign for a piece of land that was dirt cheap out there, and I have to admit we seriously considered it...and maybe still are. ;)</div>
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After Eagar,we began the more exciting part of the drive, through the White Mountains and Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest. Four years ago, this area was affected by the Wallow Fire, the biggest wildfire ever in Arizona, and burned 841 square miles. We only drove through a part of that area, and were amazed by how long we were seeing the damage.</div>
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When we came to a pull out, we got out and enjoyed the wide, expansive views of this area. The Rockies were cool, but Arizona mountains will always hold a special place in our hearts. We like that we've become more familiar with all the mountain ranges in Arizona, so we can point out and name the different ranges and peaks. Of course we hadn't ever been to this area, so it was fun to see the mountains we knew from a different point of view.</div>
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Okay, so to be honest, while we were happy to draw this new line on our map, I think it's safe to say we won't plan on driving this road again. 90% of the time it was going up, down, and around the mountains, and we rarely were able to drive over 30 miles and hour. It was painful. We were pretty relieved when we made it past the Morenci mines and were done with this area.</div>
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We were now less than 3 hours from home, but we decided to enjoy one last night of vacation together. After grabbing a few letterboxes between Clifton and Safford, we drove up Mt. Graham to camp for the night. We stayed in the Arcadia Campground, which wins the prize for being the cheapest campground we stayed at this trip, having the least amount of people, and also being the loudest campground. However, I rather enjoyed how much warmer the weather was compared to the other nights. Let's just say it was still very much summer in Arizona! And so after a week of autumn in Colorado, we were now back to enjoying the summer sun. :)</div>
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The next morning, 9/19, we finished our drive to Tucson and had a happy reunion with our friends. We're settled here now for a little while longer, and ready to make the most of our time, while still enjoying the down time we have together. :)</div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07242952607553226949noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5296140025249745085.post-28987645268935381832015-10-07T15:08:00.000-07:002015-10-07T15:08:42.576-07:00Mesa Verde National Park<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Colorado Adventure, Day 8</div>
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Thursday, September 17, 2015</div>
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One of the things I love most about living in the Southwest is how big the skies are. I love being in remote places where I can just look around and see for miles and miles and take in all the mountain ranges on the horizon. But most of all I love seeing the big clouds in the sky for miles and miles on end. I forgot how much I enjoyed that this summer, and now that we were out of the Rockies, I was reminded of how great it is!</div>
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We started our morning off by driving to the highest point in Mesa Verde. But 8,572 feet above sea level didn't feel as high as it did just a week ago. Spending the week over a mile high did wonders to help us readjust to higher altitudes! However, the fun stopped here when we found out that Charlotte wasn't allowed on the trail to the "peak." The paved trail. The paved trail that went 500 feet to a little lookout. A paved lookout. Poor Charlotte. I stayed with her in the parking lot and let Curtis go check it out with my camera. Charlie greeted other visitors as they walked past and waited anxiously for her daddy to come back. We understand why National Parks make rules like this most of the time...but we were a little bothered by the rules here.</div>
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Unfortunately, things didn't get much better. We did find a little trail that we could hike together, but we weren't entirely impressed so we weren't out for long. We learned a few things about the park: the roads are long, and it takes a long time to get anywhere - Of course that's how it is in Rocky Mountain NP, but at least it's scenic as you drive through. Not so much here. They burn the area a lot, that was our takeaway from the drive. There are lots of visitor's services throughout the park - cafes, museums, gift shops, etc. We didn't stop at any because we had Charlotte, and that's not how we like to spend our time at parks.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtIJNDJuASQstgNopKLi1lMOIxAMYTi3PiJwndcX-0BMLKH6GslwarTafiXiWy0LVGRYxw8BvXkOAhub4FWA11nTfYoAOPBBalqmCPEfxf_XpNn1bTE05oSR4Rt2Qe6BRroQDj4pNUCUVX/s1600/IMG_1406.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtIJNDJuASQstgNopKLi1lMOIxAMYTi3PiJwndcX-0BMLKH6GslwarTafiXiWy0LVGRYxw8BvXkOAhub4FWA11nTfYoAOPBBalqmCPEfxf_XpNn1bTE05oSR4Rt2Qe6BRroQDj4pNUCUVX/s320/IMG_1406.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small dwellings that we found at the end of a short trail.</td></tr>
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We were also bummed that Charlotte couldn't even go with us to the Cliff Palace overlook - another paved path that went 500 feet to the paved overlook with a fence around it. We didn't want to do any guided tours, we just wanted to go enjoy the views together, but that wasn't allowed. We took turns going to check it out while the other waited with Charlie. After that, we decided we were done with the park, and took off...but it still took a half hour to get out of there. Yikes. We were definitely ready for some more Sonic after that...and Charlie proved herself deserving of another hotdog after all that standing around and waiting.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtOTPuAYIIR9jgFrilWclfeT2Od0_WSLtc7YA30tS6xfUYLaQaOODbE2j9k0fWAE_ynYNGo90NwJ5pg0s03l9ryximGoXCuw_4XlLv84xN6V3ywRO_5fQu6jYXQEAuQdcIZkF5wdiUUS4P/s1600/IMG_1413.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtOTPuAYIIR9jgFrilWclfeT2Od0_WSLtc7YA30tS6xfUYLaQaOODbE2j9k0fWAE_ynYNGo90NwJ5pg0s03l9ryximGoXCuw_4XlLv84xN6V3ywRO_5fQu6jYXQEAuQdcIZkF5wdiUUS4P/s320/IMG_1413.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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We stopped near Cortez for a few letterboxes, and gave Charlotte a chance to actually go hiking with us. I must have forgotten how to walk in the desert - not 100 feet in and I ran into a prickly pear! (Thankfully while wearing hiking boots and not flip flops!)</div>
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And then we set off, saying goodbye to Colorado after an exciting 7 days of exploring. We drove through the Navajo nation, and Charlotte decided this was a good ride to sit in the back and get a long nap in. Smart dog! :)</div>
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Hello, New Mexico!</div>
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There's Shiprock in the distance! We drove to Gallup where we spent the night. Tomorrow, we'd return to the state we loved. ;)</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07242952607553226949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5296140025249745085.post-56634568152537094712015-10-06T14:41:00.003-07:002015-10-07T14:32:54.044-07:00San Juan National Forest<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Colorado Adventure, Day 7</div>
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Wednesday, September 16, 2015</div>
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Up until this point in our journey, we had a pretty set plan of which roads we'd take to work our way Southwest through Colorado. With the Rockies, there really isn't any straight shot, so we embraced the adventure that came with driving around these mountain ranges. After Montrose, we saw we had 2 options for getting down to Mesa Verde - we could either take highway 550 through Ouray and down to Durango, or we could go East on 62 then South on 145, past Telluride and down to Cortez. We did a little research the night before and looked into letterboxes and attractions, and ultimately decided to take 550 to Durango, and spend some time in the wilderness outside of Ouray.</div>
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However, once we passed the turn for highway 62, we saw some construction signs for 550. Apparently just South of Ouray there was a mountain pass undergoing construction during the weekdays and was impassable during that time. We pulled over, checked the map, and talked it over, finally deciding that we didn't want to deal with working around that complication. And so we set off in the opposite direction, without much idea of what we could do on our new route. But we had gone this far just winging it, there was no reason why we couldn't be flexible and find something new!</div>
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Curtis had happened to save a few letterbox clues for Telluride, so we decided to go for one that was a short hike to a waterfall. This took us through the ski town of Telluride (which was quite busy due to a festival going on in town) all the way to the end of the main drive. Here, you can either park or drive up the 4 wheel drive road to see Bridal Veil Falls, the tallest free falling falls in Colorado. The 4WD road continues on for quite a ways after, going over the mountains to Ouray. For today, we opted to just park and hike up to the falls. It was a beautiful sunny day, and the colors of the Telluride area were stunning.</div>
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It was a 1.5 mile hike up the rocky road to the falls, switchbacking and climbing in elevation the whole way. </div>
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Charlotte was very brave crossing the small stream that flowed over the road. :)</div>
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There's Telluride in the valley - I loved the red rocks peaking out of the cliffs.</div>
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There are the falls up ahead!</div>
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And the falls up close. They were pretty tame today compared to some of the pictures we'd seen. Still, we enjoyed getting out of the car and getting some exercise while enjoying the beauty of Telluride!</div>
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We found the box and stayed a bit longer to enjoy the falls before heading back to our car. We decided to skip the town and whatever the festival was that was going on, and continued heading South. We stopped at a pullout to enjoy the views, then decided to take another detour and follow one of the National Forest access signs, leading us up into the San Juan Mountain range. All the sign said was "Alta Lakes," and we decided whatever that was sounded like another good stopping point!</div>
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The dirt road to the lakes was pretty well maintained, going through the forest and quickly climbing the mountain side. As we neared the end of the road, we came across an abandoned gold boom town. There were several structures scattered around, some in pretty decent shape. We parked near a trailhead sign here and decided to follow the trail wherever it went.</div>
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It ended up not being that long of a trail, and it took us to a campsite and where the road we had been driving up ended. But we decided it was worth it - there were giant puddles and flowing water on the road after the point where we pulled off, and the hike was very pleasant. And we just loved the views at the Alta Lakes! Finding hidden lakes on hikes is probably my favorite part of hiking in Colorado.</div>
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After that, it was getting later in the afternoon so we decided to finish the drive to Mesa Verde, where we planned to camp for the night. But first...Sonic!</div>
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These pictures of Curtis and Charlotte ordering are some of my favorites. Sonic is Charlotte's new favorite restaurant - she just knows that whenever we pull up in those parking spots, she's going to get a hotdog! She jumps up to sit on Curtis' lap and then eagerly waits for the friendly Sonic employee to bring her her dinner.</div>
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Of course, it takes her all of 20 seconds to devour both hotdog and bun, then she's back up front begging for our tots. </div>
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After that, we finished the rest of the drive to Mesa Verde National Park. The campground was really something - it was huge, had an area with several services such as a General Store, restaurant, gas station, and more, the campground bathrooms had running water, and there was wifi! Of course this made it a more expensive camping experience than any of the other places, but we managed. ;) Being at a lower elevation than we had been before, temperatures for camping were really becoming more comfortable. We turned in for the night, planning to explore Mesa Verde the next morning.</div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07242952607553226949noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5296140025249745085.post-68605935748527220402015-10-05T14:15:00.005-07:002015-10-07T14:31:42.206-07:00Black Canyon and Curecanti <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Colorado Adventure, Day 6</div>
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Tuesday, September 15, 2015</div>
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(This was written by both myself and Curtis...try and figure out who wrote what!)</div>
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This morning started off early with a thunderstorm coming through at around 5am. I gave up on sleeping at that point! After the storm had passed, we had to wait a while longer for the rain to stop before we could get out and pack up the tent. The rain finally stopped after 6, so we repacked the car and set off for the day. Besides the rain, we really did enjoy camping here!</div>
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We started the morning off with doing the rim drive on the North rim. It was a quiet and chilly morning, and we were on our own at every scenic view. (What else would you expect before 7 at a more remote national park?!) The rain had passed, but the cool clouds remained!</div>
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For those wondering, yes you can hike down.</div>
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You drop ½ a mile in one mile though.</div>
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The Grand Canyon is one mile over eight miles to put it in perspective.</div>
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We'll stay up here for now.</div>
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After our drive, we made a quick stop to get our park stamps, and Curtis had a little chat with the ranger there. He asked about trails going to the bottom and backpacking opportunities, and the ranger advised that if we were ever thinking about backpacking in the area that we stick with the West Elk Mountains and stay away from the steep, challenging trails that descend into the canyon. Apparently there are some, but he used some colorful language to describe how difficult they are. Curtis also inquired about rafting, but got a similar answer. I think we'll stick with the Grand Canyon. :)</div>
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Next up, we hit the road again to finish our drive on the West Elk Loop, and we were continually blown away by the beauty on this scenic drive. It was so worth the extra day and detour!</div>
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The drive eventually entered Curecanti National Recreation Area, which I had done a little research on - enough to know it had trails that were dog friendly! </div>
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We first stopped at Hermit's Rest and enjoyed the views of the Morrow Point reservoir and the San Juan Mountains in the distance.</div>
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When highway 92 met up with highway 50, we went East a little ways to do a little hiking and visit the visitor's center for the area.</div>
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We decided to hike the Dillon Pinnacles trail, which was 4 miles round trip and offered great, up-close views of the pinnacles as well as the reservoir. The shrubs all around us were actually sage, and it made the area smell as good as it looked!</div>
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For the beginning of the trail, we were following the reservoir, then after about a half-mile the path headed North away from the water and began to ascend up to the pinnacles. It was starting to warm up, so we took full advantage of finding a bench in the shade. :)</div>
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We made it! Here we are with the pinnacles...</div>
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...and the reservoir in the other direction. Love those big clouds! :)</div>
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We made it back to our car, then went to the visitor's center before heading West again.</div>
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But our time in Curecanti was not up yet - we stopped one more time to see the Morrow Point Dam, and were glad we did. We had never seen one this close before, it was so exciting!</div>
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AND NOW FOR SOME BORING ENGINEERING HISTORY!!!!!</div>
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So obviously the Black Canyon is remote, difficult, and foreboding. The Ute indians living on the canyon rim never went down, Capt. Gunnison on his survey expedition avoided the canyon in 1853. It wasn't until 1881 when people actually started looking at the canyon seriously. At that time the Denver and Rio Grande railroad decided they wanted to build a train route from Gunnison to Cimarron...through the canyon. Literally a million dollar project for 15 miles of track that would be obsolete within 10 years. And this wasn't even in the part of the canyon that is a National Park. This was all in the part that is now underwater in Curecanti NRA.</div>
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The rail line actually came out really close to the Morrow Point Dam and you can see the last remaining trestle and narrow gauge engine right near here. </div>
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Morrow Point Dam is the second of three dams along the Gunnison near Black Canyon all of which help create the Curecanti NRA. The first, Blue Mesa Dam creates the Blue Mesa Reservoir. The second is Morrow Point Dam, a hydro electric dam, which creates the Morrow Point Reservoir. And the third is Crystal Dam, which is also hydroelectric but is used more for flow control. What's crazy is how deep the water is behind these dams. Literally filling up the canyon. You don't necessarily think of that when you see Lake Meade or Lake Powell, because they have such a large surface areas. </div>
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Post 9-11 we probably shouldn't be able to get this close.</div>
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After the dam, we drove to the South Rim of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. This side had many more visitors than the North rim, as well as more trails and more to see. We drove part of the rim drive and enjoyed a few of the pullouts.</div>
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MORE HISTORY!!!!!!</div>
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So after the guys at the Denver & Rio Grande built their $1.5 million railway, they decided to send the first group down the rest of the Black Canyon, the part in the National Park. They wanted to see if they could build a railroad the whole way. 20 days was what they thought it would take to traverse the canyon.</div>
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68 days later, they came out. Nothing could possibly be built down there was the report.</div>
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But by golly, humans are stubborn, and in 1901 the USGS sent two men down the canyon once again. And this time they said they could build something there. They would build a diversion tunnel for irrigation from the Gunnison river all the way to the Uncompaghre valley. A 5.8 mile, 3 million dollar tunnel was bored through the canyon wall. It took 4 years of hard labor and living in a tiny town at the bottom of the canyon, 60 years before the other dams were even started.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8_pXCnIS5z3jUtQlhva9zu5TJ_uQgPxMZcokioxrlpEdLh4AyxmwGbF7ryY0J__PeS-cGJ4jBocn8XQ9y3SqYz3Re3ko74pBC1K2xS7-y1awrne1fk-HZfjdl7uj7wvGruqxAc2FQMjGa/s1600/IMG_1320.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8_pXCnIS5z3jUtQlhva9zu5TJ_uQgPxMZcokioxrlpEdLh4AyxmwGbF7ryY0J__PeS-cGJ4jBocn8XQ9y3SqYz3Re3ko74pBC1K2xS7-y1awrne1fk-HZfjdl7uj7wvGruqxAc2FQMjGa/s320/IMG_1320.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can't see it but the water in the foreground is still being diverted through a subterranean tunnel.</td></tr>
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Today you can drive down the Canyon and see this incredible feat of engineering and human daring. Actually, you can't see anything. The town is gone and the tunnel is underwater. The only thing visible is Crystal dam, and we weren't as lucky with that one as we were with Morrow Point. Best to save your brakes and stay on the rim.</div>
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We finished off our day with driving to Montrose (in the Uncompaghre Valley) where we stayed for the night, and indulging in a 6 pack and a pound from Taco Johns. The perfect ending to a great day. :)</div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07242952607553226949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5296140025249745085.post-58977003180133533342015-10-02T12:08:00.000-07:002015-10-02T12:08:37.905-07:00The West Elk Loop<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Colorado Adventure, Day 5</div>
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Monday, September 14, 2015</div>
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Up to this point in the trip, things had been going really well on our adventure, but we felt like we were going through too fast. Having not done a lot of research on places to go, we felt like we were missing lots of places as we drove through the Rockies. So today, we decided to go off track a bit so that we could see more of colorful Colorado. We didn't have any commitments until the following Monday, so why rush this trip?</div>
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To start off our Tuesday, we drove West on highway 50, over Monarch Pass. (Our 4th and final crossing of the Continental Divide!) The skies were overcast, but the views were lovely all the same. We drove to Gunnison, then instead of continuing West, we drove North on highway 135 to Crested Butte.</div>
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This road is called the West Elk Loop Scenic and Historic Byway. The road goes between a 2 lane highway and dirt mountain roads as it circles the West Elk Mountains and drives through Gunnison National Forest. We learned about this road thanks to a letterbox series, and this decision turned out to be one of the best we'd made yet. </div>
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We first stopped for a letterbox near the Roaring Judy Fish Hatchery and enjoyed the colors around the East River. We took a short walk around the fish hatchery, then went on our way. Not that it wasn't interesting to us or anything...but we were ready to move on. :)</div>
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Next, we drove through Crested Butte. (Go ahead, laugh...) We passed through, grabbed a few letterboxes, then continued on the scenic highway. After a bit, the road went from paved to a well-maintained gravel, and we were off into the wilderness!</div>
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We went off the highway for a bit to enjoy Lake Irwin, and walked around a little there. A huge dog, unleashed and without its owner, followed us around for a bit, making Charlotte very uneasy, but she handled it like a champ and finally it left us alone.</div>
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We stopped another time at a gravesite for a mining town which was once here. We decided to wander around a bit here on an unmarked trail, just because we could!</div>
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The trail led us through a beautiful hidden meadow. Quiet, beautiful, and no one else anywhere in sight. Perfect! :)</div>
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Our first good view of the West Elk Mountains had us stunned and amazed. They stand out from any view, reaching up into the heavens. The cloud cover today made them seem even more glorious!</div>
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One of our favorite things about this whole drive were the gorgeous aspens. It was the perfect season to drive through and enjoy their golden leaves, contrasting the green white colors which also brightly covered the roads. </div>
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We stopped at several more scenic overlooks throughout the afternoon. We just couldn't get enough of the views! Neither could Charlotte, and she was pretty ticked when we wouldn't let her out at every stop. :)</div>
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After leaving the Gunnison National Forest, we drove through the coal mining town of Paonia, and then Hotchkiss. We stopped for another letterbox and looked for a place for dinner, but found nothing. Our plan was to camp on the North rim of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, even with the threatening dark clouds looming over the area. We decided we had enough food on us to survive the night, and so we finished our drive to the canyon.</div>
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We set up our tent in the park campground, and were very glad to find that Charlotte was allowed on select trails here! I think she was pretty happy about that as well. :)</div>
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The Black Canyon of the Gunnison. It was breathtaking. It is so vast, so deep, and so hard to capture in a picture. Trust me on this, you're going to need to go there yourself to see what I'm talking about.</div>
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Oh, and we were there right at sunset, as the sun finally made its way out of the clouds that had been hiding it all day! While there were others at the campground, we were the only ones here enjoying the views. (And after visiting the Grand Canyon, we know it's really a big deal to be by yourself at a gorgeous national park like this!)</div>
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Looking ahead at the South rim.</div>
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Then we turned around and saw...a rainbow! It only lasted for a minute, but it made our short hike perfect. What if we had just settled in and decided to hike the next morning?? We would have missed this beauty!</div>
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And there's the other end of the rainbow, somewhere on the other rim. :)</div>
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The hike was short, just along the rim, but I enjoyed every minute of it. It's hard to take your eyes away from something so amazing.</div>
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Well, with those lovely clouds came more rain and a thunderstorm that night. I don't know what I was more afraid of while we camped - being struck by lightning, blown by the heavy winds into the canyon, or being eaten by a bear. But somehow, we lived to tell about this anything-but silent night. :) (However, Curtis told me he slept better this night than any other night camping. I have no idea how?!)</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07242952607553226949noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5296140025249745085.post-48090884473629514622015-10-01T12:33:00.001-07:002015-10-01T13:53:42.052-07:00Mt. Sniktau, Twin Lakes, and the Inter-Laken Resort<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Colorado Adventure, Day 4</div>
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Sunday, September 13, 2015</div>
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Today, we had yet another bright and early start, this time ready to take on a more challenging hike! We packed up and headed a little farther West on I-70, then took Loveland Pass up to the Continental Divide. This was now our 3rd time crossing over, but this time, we stopped for a peak hike. Curtis found one that was a good length, that would offer great 360 views, and that hopefully wouldn't completely wear us out. And so we set off to hike Mt. Sniktau!</div>
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The hike started at 11,000 feet above sea level, above the tree line. For us, this meant that the morning air was crisp and fresh, and the views from the very beginning were gorgeous. I think that my fingers were numb for the majority of this morning's hike. </div>
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The first mile was tough. It pretty much climbed straight up the mountain, gaining over 1000 feet of elevation without switchbacks. The trail was well worn and made of loose gravel and dirt, and I found it difficult to walk on, both uphill and down. We set a steady pace, but found ourselves out of breath and stopping for breaks often. </div>
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While the car park at the beginning of the trail was full, we hardly came across any people on our hike. We loved being able to enjoy the peace and quiet of the Rockies on our own.</div>
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After about a mile, we reached a peak - the first of the false peaks we were to encounter before making it to Mt. Sniktau. The hardest part of our climb was over, so we stopped to enjoy the views and have a small snack.</div>
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Our trail then went on to follow a ridge, past some false peaks before taking us to our destination. The winds weren't as bad when we were making our way to the peak, but we weren't able to appreciate that as much as we could until we had to walk through the strong winds on our way back - wind so strong I could hardly hear myself think, and had to concentrate to make every step.</div>
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The trail between the peaks varied from a narrow dirt path, to navigating around large piles of boulders. Thankfully, the trail was pretty easy to find after coming off of those sections. At this point, we were staying around the same elevation, so hiking was much easier.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjVcVYPOJ-Yu6xZ_ggEuqlofGrbWn9npSnPb2XoIKQ4zf-etol2338NlFNe6LcIT938HnKXO-FTVQZTt8vK3SPhDyokpROscBLNiC9J8qpOE84Wr-TVFzR_ICS0H4YSwT109nwZIluyPc/s1600/IMG_0741.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjVcVYPOJ-Yu6xZ_ggEuqlofGrbWn9npSnPb2XoIKQ4zf-etol2338NlFNe6LcIT938HnKXO-FTVQZTt8vK3SPhDyokpROscBLNiC9J8qpOE84Wr-TVFzR_ICS0H4YSwT109nwZIluyPc/s320/IMG_0741.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here we are at another false peak - amidst a pile of rocks, and celebrating every small victory of our first peak hike in a long while. Charlotte did great, by the way. She enjoyed watching/chasing grasshoppers along the way - yet somehow totally missed the pikas running around, trying to steal her Cheerios.</div>
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Finally, we made it to the top! 13,234 feet above sea level - the highest we'd ever hiked. While we would have loved to do a 14er, it just wasn't the right time for us since we were still adjusting to these high elevations. Someday we will. ;)</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKUWFAaIG_V_iDDR9_fZfkLZKRB50toYfjMYMpcKNgA7u09GmEKmrKP8mBjRYn9E7p_YybLQ3qkxEoP_iNq7hSJmcYK-ODRnsV9xKWTYILZtSnwTLTpMI01XKs9NNCdIwKawUhQ3kPS5k/s1600/IMG_0744.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKUWFAaIG_V_iDDR9_fZfkLZKRB50toYfjMYMpcKNgA7u09GmEKmrKP8mBjRYn9E7p_YybLQ3qkxEoP_iNq7hSJmcYK-ODRnsV9xKWTYILZtSnwTLTpMI01XKs9NNCdIwKawUhQ3kPS5k/s320/IMG_0744.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I-70 East</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I-70 West</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh24kbsoG_n7H1ksPvz2k47nku1WJ3BTfA_xXc5zsBWt2_WBt_9hSMb4XaztZZLqt5KUJK79Z26HBISTNG43sJkjY0u9VtDJTWNikRrm1YBshmz7zM6aaQTLvCFyDFK8GJkqhtR84rbRmk/s1600/IMG_0755.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh24kbsoG_n7H1ksPvz2k47nku1WJ3BTfA_xXc5zsBWt2_WBt_9hSMb4XaztZZLqt5KUJK79Z26HBISTNG43sJkjY0u9VtDJTWNikRrm1YBshmz7zM6aaQTLvCFyDFK8GJkqhtR84rbRmk/s320/IMG_0755.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I loved this colorful mountain!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A small hidden lake on the other side.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuVLgTJv6FmN6inBRi4XKsttBJ7ier0RYGWFjSKSzoaOXNc_bliiDH2hmI9EpRL9Aok6OwmjgvJhGdUZVGEWvbKr5_QM2ukuZXux2cezcmOAEfGRKeOEdaCGKLea3j4Gqp52uINpm631s/s1600/IMG_0761.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuVLgTJv6FmN6inBRi4XKsttBJ7ier0RYGWFjSKSzoaOXNc_bliiDH2hmI9EpRL9Aok6OwmjgvJhGdUZVGEWvbKr5_QM2ukuZXux2cezcmOAEfGRKeOEdaCGKLea3j4Gqp52uINpm631s/s320/IMG_0761.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We did it! Charlotte refused to pose with us.</td></tr>
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We stayed at the top for no longer than a half hour, and left just as 2 other hikers arrived. We saw more people on our way back than we did our way there. The early bird gets the peak all to itself. ;)</div>
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The hike back down was challenging in its own ways, as I had mentioned before the wind picked up, and the ground made walking downhill difficult. It may have taken me a bit to get used to the steep slope, but we finally made it back to our car, very pleased with ourselves! This hike was 5 miles round trip.</div>
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We went down the road a little further, and found a secret spot near some quiet lakes to have a picnic. There were a few guys in the parking lot, looking at deer a long ways off through a scope, but other than that we had the area to ourselves. We found a letterbox, and indulged in whatever car snacks we had on us. :)</div>
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This is what I'd call the perfect spot for a private lunch with my love... and puppy, who was wandering around somewhere... </div>
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Oh there she is! She's always good at finding the perfect rock to stand on and take in the view. :)</div>
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Then we decided to take some pictures, and Charlotte decided to photobomb them.</div>
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After that, we drove back to I-70, drove through the tunnel, and took Highway 24 East to Leadville.</div>
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Leadville is the highest incorporated city in the US, at 10,152 feet above sea level. It was such a fun town to drive through...but just like most towns on this trip, we really only drove through it. Downtown areas of cities can be so cute and sometimes I just want to walk down main street and enjoy, but on this trip, we were much more interested in exploring the Rockies outside of the towns - and going to little known places where there were no people.</div>
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So with that, we continued on 24, and decided to do some boxing along the way. Our first stop was Turquoise Lake, just outside of Leadville. There were only a few drive-by letterboxes here, but we took a little extra time to walk by the lake.</div>
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And Charlotte took her time wading and drinking from the lake. :)</div>
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Our next hike was on the Colorado Trail near Twin Lakes, Colorado. This trail took us near the lake and gave great views of Mt. Elbert, the highest peak in Colorado. (Yes, we were very tempted to try hiking this one, don't even get me started!) But this hike was perfect for us, and we enjoyed every minute of it! It remained mostly flat, was 5 miles round trip, and was bright with fall colors complimenting the blue skies and lakes!</div>
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This was the first time we had heard about the Colorado Trail - a trail that crosses the state from Durango to Denver. You bet it's on our list of through-hikes to do in the future! For most of the trail, we were also on the Continental Divide trail, as the 2 were merged together for this bit.</div>
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After we found the letterbox, we continued on a half mile further to see some sort of historic site set up. I asked Curtis to write about this exciting part for me. :)</div>
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<i>Based on the letterboxing clues, we knew that there was some sort of "historic site" ahead on the trail. Perhaps some log cabin ruins, foundations, dilapidated houses, etc. What we weren't prepared for was the size and level of restoration of the Interlaken resort.</i></div>
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<i>Opened first in 1879, Interlaken resort was one of the foremost vacation destinations for America's well to do. Visitors would have to come by train to the town of Granite, Colorado where they would then have to get on a horse and carriage and follow a forest road on the south side of the lakes.</i></div>
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<i>But just because it took some effort to arrive at the resort, didn't mean the living was rustic. After Leadville millionaire James Dexter purchased the resort in 1883, he made massive renovations ultimately building one of the most modern resorts of the time featuring luxurious comfortable rooms, a tavern, pool hall, dance hall, ice house, and two steam boats for cruising the lake. </i></div>
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<i>But by far the most ornate structure on the property wasn't part of the resort but was actually Dexter's private "cabin". Granted, this is the most restored building currently standing, and the only one visitors are allowed to enter.</i></div>
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<i>Dexter's "cabin" (more like Victorian cottage) features a central fireplace, elaborate wood flooring and paneling (can't remember what woods, but I know it had to be imported from the east coast), indoor plumbing (not even the resort had that at first), two stories plus a third story room with 360 degree view of the lake and mountains.</i></div>
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<i>Being a millionaire is probably nice.</i></div>
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<i>Unfortunately, fate was against Interlaken resort. Around the turn of the century, irrigation interests constructed the first of several dams swelling the nearby lakes. The roads had to be remade at Dexter's expense. And then Dexter died, and with him the resort. Apparently, it takes a certain type of person to run a resort for the rich and wealthy, or maybe the experience was no longer appealing to the new industrialist millionaires.</i></div>
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<i>So the resort was abandoned, more dams were built and the main boarding house and Dexter's cabin were almost claimed by the swollen lake. Fortunately, through the effort of the Bureau of Reclamation and Forest service, efforts began in 1979 to save and preserve this niche of Colorado history.</i></div>
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After that, we made our way back to the car. We were happy with all we'd seen and learned today, and impressed that we had been able to hike 10 miles. We're back in the game!</div>
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Charlotte may have been a little resistant about getting back in the car. I think she was getting tired of all the driving we were doing. Oh well, at least after all this hiking she slept really well!</div>
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We decided to call it a day for sightseeing, and drove down to Salida to spend the night. We drove passed the Collegiate Peaks as the sun was beginning to go behind some clouds, which made the mountains appear hazy and mysterious.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07242952607553226949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5296140025249745085.post-48022285669605401532015-09-30T09:35:00.001-07:002015-09-30T09:35:35.231-07:00Monarch Lake and Guanella Pass<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Colorado Adventure, Day 3</div>
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Saturday, September 12</div>
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Our Saturday morning started off bright and early, as mornings when we're camping usually do. We quickly and quietly packed up our car and left the campground, before there was even any other sign of life from the other campers. (How can you even sleep in when it's 32 degrees and you're in a tent?!) I'm not at all saying that I wish we had found a hotel, I was perfectly fine making a cocoon for myself out of blankets and wearing every warm article of clothing that both Curtis and I had with us. I consider this night sleeping outside as one of my greatest accomplishments. ;)</div>
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We drove a little further up the dirt road until we came to the trailhead for Monarch Lake. From here, many other trails go off into the Arapaho National Forest and the Indian Peaks Wilderness, but we were perfectly content to hike the 3 mile loop trail around the lake. Our main focus was to get back to where we were strength wise, and adjust to these higher altitudes. In case you don't remember, just one week ago we were approximately 3 feet above sea level in Newport, RI.</div>
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That was another fun thought to consider - how just a week ago, we were driving through the Adirondack Mountains of New York and the Green Mountains in Vermont, and now today we were exploring the Rockies. Just 2 weeks before this, we were impatiently anticipating our long-awaited reunion, and here we were now, walking hand in hand on this beautiful trail beside a peaceful lake. Life is good. God is good. These were the moments we had been longing for for so long.</div>
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With our early morning start and being the only humans out here, Curtis was really hoping we'd see a moose. As we walked along the lake, he pointed out the areas where we'd most likely see them - in the tall grass next to the water - and both Charlotte and I were constantly looking around anxiously. I really wouldn't mind seeing a moose...on the side of the road...safely from the inside of my car, but maybe not so much on my own out here. I have to admit that when we got back to our car and hadn't seen any, I was still a little disappointed though. I wouldn't say I am scared of seeing all wildlife, I just have a healthy amount of respect for what lives in these areas and a desire to not interfere with their lives.</div>
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Charlotte, however, seemed very tense this morning. She was doing her "quiet, sneaky walk" that she does when she's trying to get away from a bigger dog without being seen. Her tail was often between her legs and she would stop and point a lot. It made me nervous when she was like that, but we couldn't be sure what she was sensing. We saw some people on horses and she was scared of those, so it could have been the scent of the horses all along the trail. Either way, we made sure to be careful and look out for our little sweetheart, and do our best to help her relax.</div>
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We came across this huge steam winch along the trail, which was once used by lumberjacks. We love finding random bits of history along the trail.</div>
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After this lovely, early morning hike, we continued on our way heading South. We drove through Grandby and grabbed some lunch, and planned out our next 2 days while we had wifi. We then drove South on 34, going over the Continental Divide for the second time (the first being in Rocky Mountain National Park). We stopped here for a letterbox and to learn a little about the Continental Divide Trail. (And to dream of the day we could through hike it.) ;)</div>
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We thought about hiking 3 miles to the peak of a 13er here, but were completely out of breath and decided to save that for another day. We took in the view, then went on our way.</div>
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We drove West on I-70 for just a bit, then stopped in Georgetown, where we'd stay for the night. I tried to get some advice from the visitor's center there, but it turned out to be more of a gift shop than any help to travelers so we picked out a couple letterboxes to find in the area. We drove through the town then up Guanella Pass.</div>
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We had been planning to camp up here along the pass, but when we reached the campsite, we found that it was closed for the season. We discussed a little what our other options were, and eventually decided to find a hotel for the night. We were planning to do a longer hike the next morning, so getting a good night's sleep was our top priority.</div>
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We did a little hiking and letterboxing at some of the pull offs along Guanella Pass as we made our way back to Georgetown. We enjoyed seeing the fall colors all around, and wandering around the trails. There were so many unmarked trails and we had no idea where any went, so we just wandered for the sake of enjoying the gorgeous afternoon. I know Charlotte was thankful to just burn some energy after all the driving we'd been doing.</div>
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We drove back to Georgetown and found a place to stay for the night. Charlotte made herself right at home on the one queen sized bed, taking up as much room as a small basset hound can, so the 3 of us squeezed on the bed and cuddled all night long. :)</div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07242952607553226949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5296140025249745085.post-88807381124945189622015-09-29T11:17:00.000-07:002015-09-29T11:17:07.699-07:00Rocky Mountain and Lake Grandby<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Colorado Adventure, Day 2</div>
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Friday, September 11, 2015</div>
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After our night in Cheyenne, we headed South for Colorado - but not before grabbing our first letterbox in Wyoming! As we drove through the plains, the sky was overcast and it was difficult to see where the Rocky Mountains began. But as soon as we exited I-25 and drove through Loveland, the skies cleared and the views were phenomenal. Both of us had been to Rocky Mountain National Park before with our families, but we were still blown away by the views - everything from the vast canyon walls on the drive in, to the high mountain peaks, and the valleys with the hidden blue lakes.</div>
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Our plans for the day simply involved driving through the whole park and then finding a place to camp on the West end. We would have loved to spend lots of time in the park and do some hiking, but the rules for dogs made that impossible for this trip. We understand why there are rules though - to protect the wildlife - and we are okay with that. It's probably for the better anyway, considering that Charlotte was terrified of the bear statue in the visitor's center parking lot. We're talking hair on end, tail between her legs, growling, and refusing to take a single step toward it. You may think "can't you just pull a 30 pound dog toward it to teach her?" No. No I can't. She's a tank. She's the heaviest 30 pound dog ever. You don't ever want to have her run into you. Ouch.</div>
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And so, being the loving parents we are, we decided to just drive through and enjoy the scenic pull outs rather than dropping our child off at puppy day care. As much as an inconvenience it can be, we still enjoyed traveling with Charlotte, and seeing how she takes in the views and experiences while on the road. And how could we keep her from great places like this?! Even without a hike, it's safe to say Charlotte thoroughly enjoyed her first time in a national park. :)</div>
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With all that said, enjoy our pictures from RMNP, while driving West on highway 34!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We stopped at lots of rest areas, and let Charlotte walk around the parking lots and paved sidewalks. When we didn't let her out, she'd give me looks like this.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charlotte decided the front row in the Jeep offered better views.</td></tr>
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After driving through the park, we stopped at a visitor's center in Grand Lake to get the scoop on dog friendly camping in the area. We chose the campground furthest out, next to Lake Grandby, with some dog-friendly hiking nearby. It was 10 miles off of highway 34 on a dirt road, but the fall colors all around the peaceful lake made the drive worth it. We also enjoyed seeing the dams along the drive. After staking our claim on a campsite, we drove back to Grand Lake for some letterboxing and hiking.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How to keep Charlotte happy on road trips: windows down, sun on her face, ears blowing in the wind!</td></tr>
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There are so many good reasons to visit Colorado in the early fall; our favorite thing throughout this whole trip was the golden aspens. Wherever we went, they were there, and they were always our favorite part. Other good reasons are less people, (still lots of people, but less than you'd find in the summer!) and gorgeous weather for hiking. One downside was that some campsites along the way were already closed for the season. It may have been a little chilly some nights, but if I can survive sleeping outside without a sleeping bag on those nights, I'm pretty sure anyone can.</div>
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We grabbed several boxes in Grand Lake, then walked around town searching for a local place for dinner. Our only requirement for restaurants was a place with outdoor seating so Charlotte could be with us, but we couldn't find anything that fit the bill there. We gave up and headed South to Grandby to continue the search. There, we found a pizza place called Lina's Pizza and got the biggest Stromboli EVER which the 3 of us happily enjoyed back at the campsite. :)</div>
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Curtis set up the tent while I followed Charlotte's nose all over the campground, letting her sniff to her <strike>heart's</strike> nose's content.</div>
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So, our first attempt at camping with a dog kind of turned out to be a fail...Charlotte absolutely refused to get in the tent. She would have none of that nonsense. We ended up cracking the windows in the Jeep and letting her sleep in there. Hey, it was 50 degrees and quickly dropping, so at least heat wouldn't be a problem... </div>
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The cold, however. Yikes. Not sure how I survived that. ;)</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07242952607553226949noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5296140025249745085.post-67516201536315612572015-09-28T16:57:00.004-07:002015-09-28T16:57:54.874-07:002 Days in Iowa / And We're Off!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgehw1WXwggMj7bfoLNWJf8vr-LOftyinlfivLhyBtMNdlpkl_xfmZ4pWwnPPgpyPq99ZYUYidDtYEOQHY18pWqIX1Q76zyax5uUCJ_7DyoIh95lyKEXDhYOkKhXOipSKgD2eTFFaGyy9c/s1600/2015-09-07+15.40.17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgehw1WXwggMj7bfoLNWJf8vr-LOftyinlfivLhyBtMNdlpkl_xfmZ4pWwnPPgpyPq99ZYUYidDtYEOQHY18pWqIX1Q76zyax5uUCJ_7DyoIh95lyKEXDhYOkKhXOipSKgD2eTFFaGyy9c/s320/2015-09-07+15.40.17.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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We made it home on Monday afternoon, September 7. Curtis and Charlotte were reunited, and we were finally together as a family of 3 again! </div>
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We had 2 full days of being in Iowa before we planned to hit the road again. In those 2 days, we really just focused on spending time with our families, because we know it won't always be so easy to get away and come for a visit!</div>
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We spent one whole day with Curtis' family, helping prepare the house to sell and saying goodbye to Curtis' childhood home. The next day we spent with my family - my grandparents came for a quick visit, and we met with our dear friends and mentors, Ken and Marsha. Besides all this, we worked on consolidating and packing what "few" things we had brought with us and preparing for our trip.</div>
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We left on Thursday morning, September 10. Here we are, trying to get some last pictures, but the puppies would have none of it. ;)</div>
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And off we went! The first day was our longest drive - 12 hours to Cheyenne, WY. It probably could have been shorter, but we decided to take highway 30 through Iowa and all the way to Grand Island, NE, for the sake of new roads! No matter how you go about it though, Nebraska is a big state, and it will always take forever to drive across it!</div>
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Happy to be traveling together again! Charlotte quickly decided that the front row was the place to be. It didn't matter that she had all the space she could want in the back, because we had my mom's fresh, homemade cookies in the front...</div>
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We stopped around Ogden, IA for a letterbox, and were not disappointed - the carve was fantastic! Charlotte also enjoyed wandering freely down the quiet gravel road.</div>
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I think it's impossible for us to drive through Nebraska without a severe thunderstorm going on. I won't complain, at least the clouds gave us <i>something </i>interesting to look at. ;)</div>
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We enjoyed watching the sun set just before we made it to Wyoming. Usually, when we do our Iowa to Arizona/Arizona to Iowa drive, our goal is to get it over with as fast as possible - which typically means either drive straight through, or maybe pull over to get a couple hours of rest before continuing on. However, we had some extra time for this trip, so we decided to take advantage of it and take our time getting back. </div>
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Last May, we set a record time of driving straight to Iowa in 27 hours, stopping only for gas and letterboxes. This time, we now have a record for the longest time to make the journey: 10 days. 10 wonderfully peaceful, relaxing, adventurous days making our way across Colorado and the gorgeous Rocky Mountains.</div>
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The only reservations we made were for the first night in Cheyenne. After that, we wanted the trip to be as flexible as possible, just doing whatever we felt like each day and going between camping or hotels every night. We hadn't ever done a trip like this, so we tried to keep an open mind. Of course we also had Charlotte with us, which limited what we could do wherever we went. But between advice from friends, letterboxes, and Pinterest finds, we thought we could find enough to do to take up a week. It was a new adventure, and we were more than ready!</div>
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But first, a good night's sleep in a hotel. They gave us a room with 2 beds. Charlotte approved.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07242952607553226949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5296140025249745085.post-9960233414629880542015-09-25T11:27:00.000-07:002015-09-25T12:26:34.907-07:00Visiting the Northeast: Saratoga<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
September 6, 2015</div>
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On our second to last day of vacation, we took some time to go visit one more historical park before heading back to the Midwest. We drove North of Albany to the Saratoga Battlefield and spent a couple hours driving through and learning more about the events that took place here. But instead of me telling you what we did, I thought it'd be more interesting if Curtis stepped in and wrote about it!</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfALzSHHdES5KqXIWWxJPo3zfv0lbKXwtcOS8KWpo1kEnPS_kpoyqc0fl2SiMcKWCS9ZCp4ZcooWMYBdEbrHHokOY3RgpF37b12CxNpf1aRRwX4Gc0p4U74Vd_8M6w5bdXNkqOZ-wo_qM/s1600/IMG_0466.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfALzSHHdES5KqXIWWxJPo3zfv0lbKXwtcOS8KWpo1kEnPS_kpoyqc0fl2SiMcKWCS9ZCp4ZcooWMYBdEbrHHokOY3RgpF37b12CxNpf1aRRwX4Gc0p4U74Vd_8M6w5bdXNkqOZ-wo_qM/s320/IMG_0466.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Overlooking Freeman Farm: Site of fighting on Sept. 19, 1777</td></tr>
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<i>The battle of Saratoga was the turning point of the American Revolution. For it was here that American forces proved that they were capable of defeating a British army in the field of battle.</i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIVXj7uilvPYMZbOeNk4eJGluOuAYmv6dH-iqiD43NdSM1ATtg5my-GmcDhLKMt6jGGenUzLgsj5fpmqePeBh24ZzgVA9WaJAuUmbG6H8KGOQkefspoqle5V_zV8h-niK1Xb6yVrPxQGE/s1600/IMG_0517.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIVXj7uilvPYMZbOeNk4eJGluOuAYmv6dH-iqiD43NdSM1ATtg5my-GmcDhLKMt6jGGenUzLgsj5fpmqePeBh24ZzgVA9WaJAuUmbG6H8KGOQkefspoqle5V_zV8h-niK1Xb6yVrPxQGE/s320/IMG_0517.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Hudson River: Route of Gen. Burgoyne's invasion of New York</td></tr>
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<i>At the beginning of 1777, two years into the war, the British strategy was to separate the New England Colonies from the more Loyalist southern colonies. To do this, the British were to launch a three way offensive in New York. One coming east from the Ontario Peninsula, one heading north from New York City, and the third, under General John Burgoyne heading south along the Hudson river from Lake Champlain. This third assault was initially successful, pushing back the Continental army from Ticonderoga. However, around the beginning of September, the British faced setbacks. Neither of the other columns would reach Albany in support of Burgoyne, and Burgoyne was running short on supplies. With Winter fast approaching, Burgoyne was forced to make the decision to either push down to Albany for Winter quarters or retreat to Ticonderoga. He chose Albany.</i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBa040yOUeNj1qMP2Rptv2k7fvj1TIVn5s3Ne40yhuuGGZvRA5WSlAMixuTprCVPxF3-yD1SGUUQGk_zN6WGE7mYWgCqmT5rAmVs8xV-2dFFI2hODkm5fAVWVxo9KmzXhlb6imbaUBIXY/s1600/IMG_0480.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBa040yOUeNj1qMP2Rptv2k7fvj1TIVn5s3Ne40yhuuGGZvRA5WSlAMixuTprCVPxF3-yD1SGUUQGk_zN6WGE7mYWgCqmT5rAmVs8xV-2dFFI2hODkm5fAVWVxo9KmzXhlb6imbaUBIXY/s320/IMG_0480.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monument to Kosciuszko chief engineer of the American defenses</td></tr>
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<i>In response to General Burgoyne's movement, Maj. Gen. Horatio Gates moved up north of Albany and built a set of fortifications on Bemis Heights overlooking the Hudson River. This site, designed by Polish engineer Tadeusz Kosciuszko, was strategically designed so that the British could not approach Albany via the Hudson without first throwing the Americans off of their fortifications.</i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYwiMUxdoDJW335KHL7bpYQH3MERHvvEGq2K1cWL7Ey6YCohzwRg9q6Rn47eXCsggQYyb6_RoAr0L6RjBhz1ePbP7oSH-TMkxelH5S_FkgmhfagedBqXT1C153A9LxLksvQonCT9B0ah0/s1600/IMG_0472.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYwiMUxdoDJW335KHL7bpYQH3MERHvvEGq2K1cWL7Ey6YCohzwRg9q6Rn47eXCsggQYyb6_RoAr0L6RjBhz1ePbP7oSH-TMkxelH5S_FkgmhfagedBqXT1C153A9LxLksvQonCT9B0ah0/s320/IMG_0472.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The line of the American Fortifications near the American Headquarters</td></tr>
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<i>On September 19, the British attempted their first offensive to remove the Americans by moving inland from the Hudson several miles to a position North of the American headquarters in an attempt to gain the American left. Interestingly, Gen. Howe was unable to see the consequence of this movement and it was Gen. Benedict Arnold who demanded to be able to counterattack and prevent the British from obtaining the high ground. (Glenn and myself spent a long time talking to a park ranger of the ability of Gen. Arnold and the possible consequences of the British movements).</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgltYfovL6rtPLmChEmywTD2mVWIjy0dlGPDjAfzG4Pf7LpKu5DdoghS0we7_KyTjkEdq4gAcV7xHjJ5cG4NdGcdwi_MM0Di4SmZM-jwtfyMi5t1aVaDwq5wljc0sZLPpx4jQ7IqVElRwQ/s1600/IMG_0475.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgltYfovL6rtPLmChEmywTD2mVWIjy0dlGPDjAfzG4Pf7LpKu5DdoghS0we7_KyTjkEdq4gAcV7xHjJ5cG4NdGcdwi_MM0Di4SmZM-jwtfyMi5t1aVaDwq5wljc0sZLPpx4jQ7IqVElRwQ/s320/IMG_0475.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiseoKMc6L-hbKTPkUqh0hlSXCwmXW49xJ5rVYTcsv8QFIaC9vaLSPL1qV0U1s-tOLJJMJZDraxy7sOGKejTkl5L__OrR8d32D5mNMWO0CNV5_lOIsVrLBQiTthpfwfsPF5-lSCWcHheKc/s1600/IMG_0479.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiseoKMc6L-hbKTPkUqh0hlSXCwmXW49xJ5rVYTcsv8QFIaC9vaLSPL1qV0U1s-tOLJJMJZDraxy7sOGKejTkl5L__OrR8d32D5mNMWO0CNV5_lOIsVrLBQiTthpfwfsPF5-lSCWcHheKc/s320/IMG_0479.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPjCYwge8hy-eqyG_vYeoQK7DQoOUhi8sYMJ3oJ_fo4lD_ERMChw6adnkr_WyiAFIKXPVuHuX3bkB6tyCgwuxj-DP9Y3cgWxrh2oyNTOTOACeDPC4aFT95BEbNkdCxQPWCVqlJVBebChw/s1600/IMG_0481.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPjCYwge8hy-eqyG_vYeoQK7DQoOUhi8sYMJ3oJ_fo4lD_ERMChw6adnkr_WyiAFIKXPVuHuX3bkB6tyCgwuxj-DP9Y3cgWxrh2oyNTOTOACeDPC4aFT95BEbNkdCxQPWCVqlJVBebChw/s320/IMG_0481.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>The battle that ensued on Freeman's Farm is considered to be a British victory only because the British maintained the field of battle following the fighting. But, due to the efforts of Gen. Arnold, the British were prevented from obtaining the high ground to the American left. </i></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cannon inside Balcarres Redoubt (British Fortifications). Also the location of Freeman's Farm and the fighting of Sept. 17</td></tr>
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<i>Following the first Battle of Saratoga, the British retreated and formed their own fortifications alongside the Hudson and the American front. Both sides were given a respite of fighting until October 7. On that day, Gen. Burgoyne authorized a recon expedition to the American left again. Gates, hearing of this movement ordered troops to confront the British. This lead to a general engagement on the British Right (American left). The Americans pushed the British back from their forward positions and back upon their fortifications (called redoubts). But this was not enough. The Americans soon overran these redoubts and completely turned the British right. </i></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Many British Generals were killed at Saratoga, including General Fraser </td></tr>
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<i>Following the defeat of his army on the 7th, Gen. Burgoyne retreated north to the town of Saratoga where he was quickly surrounded by the Americans. Outnumbered and down several Generals, Burgoyne surrendered on October 17 to General Gates. </i></div>
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<i>The Battle of Saratoga marked one of the first times Americans defeated a British field force. But more importantly, it proved to the French that the Americans were a capable ally. Benjamin Franklin, following this battle, was able to persuade the French to join the war, donating ships that would be instrumental in causing Cornwallis' surrender at Yorktown.</i></div>
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Thank you Curtis! I have to say, I think this trip made me really realize how I married someone so much like my dad. It was so fun to see them bonding over these historic places. These are 2 of the greatest men I know and this weekend gave me a new appreciation for both of them. :)</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Following the Erie Canal along I-90</td></tr>
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After our morning in Saratoga, we drove to Cleveland, OH for the night, then finished the drive back to Iowa the next day. And there you have it, our quick but fun filled trip out East! Come back next week to read about our next trip that took place 2 days later! :)</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07242952607553226949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5296140025249745085.post-26206695054255483602015-09-24T10:23:00.000-07:002015-09-24T12:34:51.001-07:00Visiting the Northeast: Concord and Boston<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Saturday, September 5, 2015</div>
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After all the official events of Curtis' graduation weekend were over, we planned to have one more full day of exploring New England before heading back to the Midwest. We were up bright and early on Saturday morning and ready to go. We said goodbye to Curtis' parents as they had to get back to Iowa, and took Curtis' sister Claire along for the rest of the ride. The 5 of us piled in Ghillie, we were off!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Old North Bridge</td></tr>
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The thing that interested us most in the Northeast was the history that is so well remembered and preserved all over. My dad used to plan big road trips for my family out East to visit all sorts of battlefields, forts, and historic sites for our country's history. This trip was no different - except we only had 1.5 days to fit it all in rather than 2 ½ weeks! So we decided to go to where we could see so much of this history all within a small area: Boston!</div>
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We started off by driving to Concord and visiting the Old North Bridge and the site of the "shot heard 'round the world" was fired in the Minute Men National Historic Park.</div>
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In light of experiencing the graduation yesterday and being surrounded by all things military, the patriotic feeling was still very present, making this all the more to see. Here is where the Minute Men so bravely served this country at the beginning, and just yesterday we witnessed 92 people become commissioned ensigns in the US Navy who intend to do the very same thing - to serve this country in whatever ways they're asked.</div>
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After our short time in Concord, we hopped on a train to Boston. We decided that the easiest way for us to visit this big city was by taking public transportation into it. The ride was about 45 minutes long and took us right into the heart of the city. We were once again impressed with all the forests and natural land along the tracks - being from the Midwest, we pictured this area to be much more populated and occupied, but were pleasantly surprised to find that wasn't the case!</div>
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We heard the best way to see the historical sites was by following the Freedom Trail. We didn't have time to see it all, but we were able to see all the main highlights that we wanted. Much of what we saw happened to highlight the same time period of the Revolutionary War, which helped put it all into context.</div>
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Our first two stops didn't fit this trend however starting with the USS Constitution, the oldest commissioned US Naval ship. The Constitution was built after the Revolutionary War and saw service in the Barbary Wars and the War of 1812. Currently, the boat is in dry dock undergoing some refurbishing, but we were still able to walk on and enjoy it.</div>
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Before getting on the ship, anyone over 18 is required to show their ID. Dad, Curtis, and I obediently pulled ours out. The guy there checked Curtis and Dad's, but ignored me as I continued to try to give mine to him. "Wait, you're over 18?" he asked. Thanks a lot, guy. ;)</div>
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Next, we stopped by to see a destroyer from WW2: the USS Cassin Young. We were able to walk all around much of this ship and see some of the rooms on the first deck.</div>
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After that, we continued our walk on the Freedom Trail into downtown Charlestown, admiring the houses and brick buildings all squeezed together. Fall colors on the trees were only beginning to show, but we can imagine why people talk about visiting Boston in the fall - it must be lovely!</div>
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Our next stop was to see Bunker Hill. They warned us of the 294 steps leading to the top, but we brushed those off thinking "no biggie, we hiked the Grand Canyon in 8 hours!" But let me tell you, climbing up those narrow Bunker Hill steps is harder than hiking down and up the Grand Canyon. Good grief! ;)</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV0YUBRi5yEPsvxEc5ZO1XMKyOGEmmnC4V0_5MpYXaEpYM-OQs6rh8H_LBDncsN7z6mQ_LL9oVMvBIX-_3A4TCHCRN1FvTkZ3j471T02_MG1lTF6ExtzsuRo6sU7inQT2Weuum_uJAbTs/s1600/2015-09-05+13.01.43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV0YUBRi5yEPsvxEc5ZO1XMKyOGEmmnC4V0_5MpYXaEpYM-OQs6rh8H_LBDncsN7z6mQ_LL9oVMvBIX-_3A4TCHCRN1FvTkZ3j471T02_MG1lTF6ExtzsuRo6sU7inQT2Weuum_uJAbTs/s320/2015-09-05+13.01.43.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking down from Bunker Hill - Downtown Boston</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking down on Charlestown</td></tr>
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We made our way back across the bridge to Boston proper and to the Old North Church. It was past lunchtime now and Bunker Hill had taken a toll on some of us. ;) Curtis still managed to find a couple of letterboxes as we walked along the busy streets filled with tourists.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvzpmZmMyvuD2VOTz8iEXhPXj1KbxJQQex5Hyax-X0At69UaOx2JKH9j0117jEZBinjcVvnBZ61wu48DGE17sHB6yy1ohx_bfoSR0ZGZ3c_uF88LzUNoJ9y2AoeSkMHCrMSP1fs0nnNtk/s1600/2015-09-05+14.18.11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvzpmZmMyvuD2VOTz8iEXhPXj1KbxJQQex5Hyax-X0At69UaOx2JKH9j0117jEZBinjcVvnBZ61wu48DGE17sHB6yy1ohx_bfoSR0ZGZ3c_uF88LzUNoJ9y2AoeSkMHCrMSP1fs0nnNtk/s320/2015-09-05+14.18.11.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One if by land, two if by sea.....three by aircraft, four by dinosaurs, five if they just disappear</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz5Z8ytTlyhp9ShWMhEw-7GDD1BUB2Zo8hvE9Lab3Om7qvWRtvakHtI-bD-0KkPoSN-2wGKYEX4THSDWo7SMKAOqvZraGbq3dxq8yf6qHysCA9YI3FrpZnSTYjd5Wor_3fMN7GQ-oaG_o/s1600/20150905_141847.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz5Z8ytTlyhp9ShWMhEw-7GDD1BUB2Zo8hvE9Lab3Om7qvWRtvakHtI-bD-0KkPoSN-2wGKYEX4THSDWo7SMKAOqvZraGbq3dxq8yf6qHysCA9YI3FrpZnSTYjd5Wor_3fMN7GQ-oaG_o/s320/20150905_141847.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the Old North Church</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The organ!</td></tr>
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Our final stop on the Freedom Trail was Paul Revere's house. We only stopped outside to check it out before heading back to the train station and grabbing a late lunch. We knew there was much more to see here, but we were content with what we had done - and we still had a 3 hour drive to Albany before our day was done!</div>
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We thoroughly enjoyed our time in this "big city" though. We typically aren't the type that would choose to visit one, but our day here was great. Public transportation took away the stress of driving and parking, and we felt like we had both gotten the high-energy "big city" feel while still not forgetting about all that happened here over 2 centuries ago. </div>
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We rewarded ourselves for all that walking by grabbing ice cream in Concord before driving to Albany. Instead of going on I-90, we decided to take the scenic route through Northern Massachusetts, then a little further North into Vermont through the Green Mountains. This area was so gorgeous, and made Curtis wish he could hike the Appalachian Trail even more than before. :)</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixl15Ru0171aZ5c4OntFJA75pTzJkmretPiFThPI_r703s9sIn7t2Z2BK396lfBsYayVwJn7OdvLAdE7AtnwnSb9TX78pE56UG093UVOlk0O9TeYLqcYqPuavOr-UKGvBTAzsXNN4QVxI/s1600/20150905_192829.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixl15Ru0171aZ5c4OntFJA75pTzJkmretPiFThPI_r703s9sIn7t2Z2BK396lfBsYayVwJn7OdvLAdE7AtnwnSb9TX78pE56UG093UVOlk0O9TeYLqcYqPuavOr-UKGvBTAzsXNN4QVxI/s320/20150905_192829.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sisters at sunset :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiopX7oDbRdqX-SVaHD-_6invTpDylPTB0LwDPX01QPmSMBnExuhRHRbtIjsvBGeQ36JOqxy-lIt42AWGIFfeyuyikaerHAELE79bvYOSJ2mCrbXlOwPkm81NAOKkfxzwapG97PPWSA7T0/s1600/2015-09-05+19.29.09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiopX7oDbRdqX-SVaHD-_6invTpDylPTB0LwDPX01QPmSMBnExuhRHRbtIjsvBGeQ36JOqxy-lIt42AWGIFfeyuyikaerHAELE79bvYOSJ2mCrbXlOwPkm81NAOKkfxzwapG97PPWSA7T0/s320/2015-09-05+19.29.09.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With my love in another new state for us - Vermont! Yay! We'll be back. :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjbJwd62R1RuZ-coGOt0WApUZci49yCsh2c2YF4g6QscmUobXfZzjwO8YbLJtlCNgCjqMwIUH2QSCHOuYJGftZ5J9eFYIrhk44ItQw2F77ihnycjuXr1B87fb6PDJaIK3cpRowA9GSi98/s1600/2015-09-05+19.29.37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjbJwd62R1RuZ-coGOt0WApUZci49yCsh2c2YF4g6QscmUobXfZzjwO8YbLJtlCNgCjqMwIUH2QSCHOuYJGftZ5J9eFYIrhk44ItQw2F77ihnycjuXr1B87fb6PDJaIK3cpRowA9GSi98/s320/2015-09-05+19.29.37.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Because you know you missed seeing kissing pictures this summer...</td></tr>
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And that was our day in Boston! Come back tomorrow to read about our last little adventure and the rest of the drive back. :)</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07242952607553226949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5296140025249745085.post-23436914598388457112015-09-23T11:37:00.000-07:002015-09-23T11:37:20.847-07:00OCS Graduation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
September 3 & 4, 2015</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghXXhgsPnDACojm2my7GBT8JHNM66hjjFzt_BSZGY5TxRWXgi3L1eQGafj4eyzHVfaYNKyPl5erZNMMw0dYp8wdzMShNR9QIYrjrMUIUc4GdXnzDZhZokA66E3ZD_kr9G3FJMT4PCKGfU/s1600/_MG_2302_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghXXhgsPnDACojm2my7GBT8JHNM66hjjFzt_BSZGY5TxRWXgi3L1eQGafj4eyzHVfaYNKyPl5erZNMMw0dYp8wdzMShNR9QIYrjrMUIUc4GdXnzDZhZokA66E3ZD_kr9G3FJMT4PCKGfU/s320/_MG_2302_2.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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I'd like to start off this post with explaining some things: I know that I've been rather vague on here throughout the summer as to where Curtis was and what exactly he was doing. This was all intentional, and will be something you can expect whenever I talk about the Navy. I won't be telling locations, dates, or what he's doing. That isn't what this blog is about anyway - this is just about US, our marriage, and our adventures. This is obviously a public blog, and I don't want to take any chances. I think there's nothing wrong with being too careful. If you are familiar with OPSEC and ever think I'm sharing too much, please let me know! </div>
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With that out of the way, here are my favorite memories from Curtis' graduation!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHyP2F4qXTxUJq5-Xe5KaD7gOmp6-_hKaeRHTjHSd8Mvy9KYwFGIbXdDo2_AX3SK1nP8Xj2zbo3ESz9msI9x7qqcGjZm_8ztM4R7mVwe-C8PYHCTBDfRoIqoEJf6RbvsK19tDXPF_1y1w/s1600/_MG_2305.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHyP2F4qXTxUJq5-Xe5KaD7gOmp6-_hKaeRHTjHSd8Mvy9KYwFGIbXdDo2_AX3SK1nP8Xj2zbo3ESz9msI9x7qqcGjZm_8ztM4R7mVwe-C8PYHCTBDfRoIqoEJf6RbvsK19tDXPF_1y1w/s320/_MG_2305.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Curtis was able to leave base that afternoon, so we went out with our families to explore downtown Newport. It is such a charming town, old architecture mixed with modern shops and restaurants, all down the same block. Fun fact: Newport is known as being America's first resort.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicfqDhyQYNsnaSX8CYSCAFJK2US979jjarPNfgNo9s2ZfchQCQdJOPWIo2VuM9BVKttU1MGvys8UtAu-enA3Vz08H4ZixnhmHdW2j6Q3zt15bNhvTLl8JORy2-2w0F7Cc_GqEcSHN1aG4/s1600/_MG_2306.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicfqDhyQYNsnaSX8CYSCAFJK2US979jjarPNfgNo9s2ZfchQCQdJOPWIo2VuM9BVKttU1MGvys8UtAu-enA3Vz08H4ZixnhmHdW2j6Q3zt15bNhvTLl8JORy2-2w0F7Cc_GqEcSHN1aG4/s320/_MG_2306.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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But of course, among all the beauty and bustle of the downtown area, my favorite part was walking around hand in hand with Curtis. I felt like the luckiest girl in the world walking with this handsome man in uniform. ;)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfTaaeE7PyhCEP5V3ihbkjh-2oavhgCgQ8yBHyCv-AeYs4F3IQGv8SjSiKUNsjpTdDD6K3GgMW-_hnYrvdyoz2qHpI5ylofGK972aTUnW2_6MB9GUOX46RmSbkHR8oorulPokOpM-vCi0/s1600/2015-09-03+15.07.16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfTaaeE7PyhCEP5V3ihbkjh-2oavhgCgQ8yBHyCv-AeYs4F3IQGv8SjSiKUNsjpTdDD6K3GgMW-_hnYrvdyoz2qHpI5ylofGK972aTUnW2_6MB9GUOX46RmSbkHR8oorulPokOpM-vCi0/s320/2015-09-03+15.07.16.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8wmKmMlLuve1agfVb2qbFUI1dXB7E5Ng2Ly1ms74CiYrzzIaKOx6VGs21dezA0zT7TeDcRCI0_9YWZdAUnVSDd_M7zJmkSdjWtDjpKTrh2pRGbSfkwOvfpDUxYHY7q3i0Us2A7bdhSko/s1600/2015-09-03+15.08.56.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8wmKmMlLuve1agfVb2qbFUI1dXB7E5Ng2Ly1ms74CiYrzzIaKOx6VGs21dezA0zT7TeDcRCI0_9YWZdAUnVSDd_M7zJmkSdjWtDjpKTrh2pRGbSfkwOvfpDUxYHY7q3i0Us2A7bdhSko/s320/2015-09-03+15.08.56.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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After our afternoon tour, we went to a celebratory dinner for his class, where we enjoyed the short ceremony of recognition, and meeting some of his friends.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Wp_AtRgmLHfByCRkjuQl-VzSGtLTz0-NTnT0HDl4cLVRZ9ttj2g1jNUVBF9Ff5EQfn5c2u0hUk18KSsAT4fgO79gWedIJcHJ6k23g5co1SCFokZDH5M_IXQ_0nIvOlKdGZY7Wie8V0o/s1600/20150903_185835.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Wp_AtRgmLHfByCRkjuQl-VzSGtLTz0-NTnT0HDl4cLVRZ9ttj2g1jNUVBF9Ff5EQfn5c2u0hUk18KSsAT4fgO79gWedIJcHJ6k23g5co1SCFokZDH5M_IXQ_0nIvOlKdGZY7Wie8V0o/s320/20150903_185835.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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After the ceremony, with the Pell Bridge and sun setting behind the clouds.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlEFLtVEfCXtw98u7cHyHR4edeE26a7w0Lk0KX_o7DWL1WcoTvzXnIOGC_rhYfgk1N8u2FBTwPNiSpkkhGtwtn0gxu-U65wZ86eDY6FmRxWOTUkePjHYp4qIqRs4q0AIatlst9hYhU3Bs/s1600/2015-09-03+18.59.08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlEFLtVEfCXtw98u7cHyHR4edeE26a7w0Lk0KX_o7DWL1WcoTvzXnIOGC_rhYfgk1N8u2FBTwPNiSpkkhGtwtn0gxu-U65wZ86eDY6FmRxWOTUkePjHYp4qIqRs4q0AIatlst9hYhU3Bs/s320/2015-09-03+18.59.08.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Because we've been severely deprived of kissing pictures this summer... ;)</div>
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The next morning, we started back at the base to watch the class put on a "fun run and public beating," as Curtis called it. We watched them all run together while chanting/singing, which Curtis told us was completely for our entertainment because they never did this throughout their 12 week training. </div>
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And finally, that afternoon was the graduation! We were able to fit in pictures before the ceremony so that we could get out of there right after to see more of Newport.</div>
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It was a little windy that day. :)</div>
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With Curtis' family...</div>
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And my family!</div>
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Finally, the ceremony! Seeing all these newly commissioned ensigns graduate together is probably the most patriotic thing I've seen - even more than visiting Mt. Rushmore around 4th of July. ;) Going into the ceremony, it felt like such a huge milestone for all the challenges faced over the summer, but it also reminded me that their careers in the Navy are only just beginning. This is just the start of a whole new adventure! </div>
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Pass in review</div>
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Reciting the Oath of Office</div>
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Dismissed!</div>
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Curtis' company</div>
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Receiving his commissioning</div>
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So proud of him. :)</div>
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FREEDOM! Once it was all over, we took off to see more of Newport with our families. Oh, it took about 2 ½ hours for Curtis to say "I want to go back to OCS." I'm pretty sure he was joking. ;)</div>
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We headed to the coast to see the ocean and walk on the Cliff Walk - a path that goes along the coast, offering great views of the ocean, the land on the other side, and the gorgeous mansions along the trail. The sad thing is, Curtis had been here in Rhode Island for 12 weeks, and this was his first time seeing the actual ocean - he had only seen the bay on base!</div>
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The mansions here were incredible, and there were so many of them in this area!</div>
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After walking the path for about an hour, we went to Anthony's Sea Food for dinner. This restaurant was featured on the show Diners, Drive Ins and Dives and offered some amazing sea food to make our trip to Rhode Island complete! We especially loved the clam cakes and the Portuguese Fish Chowder. Some of us even ventured out and had our first crab legs and steamed mussels. </div>
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To finish off the night, we went to find some letterboxes and see the sun set at the Castle Hill Lighthouse. Our time in Newport was super short but very sweet, and now all the memories of missing Curtis this summer are covered up by the fun we had together in this beautiful place.</div>
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Most of these pictures were taken by my mother-in-law, Julie - I was too busy enjoying Curtis to take any. :) You can visit her photography website here:<a href="http://countrymilephotography.smugmug.com/" target="_blank"> countrymilephotography.smugmug.com</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D5296140025249745085%23editor%2Ftarget%3Dpost%3BpostID%3D2343691459838845711%3BonPublishedMenu%3Dposts%3BonClosedMenu%3Dposts%3BpostNum%3D0%3Bsrc%3Dlink&media=https%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-mIw6xoZ621c%2FVgIerxp_9OI%2FAAAAAAAAUnc%2Fs9TacXBVi_Y%2Fs320%2F_MG_2302_2.jpg&xm=h&xv=sa1.37.01&xuid=YijJ4bMmt7dA&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 246px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 54px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D5296140025249745085%23editor%2Ftarget%3Dpost%3BpostID%3D2343691459838845711%3BonPublishedMenu%3Dposts%3BonClosedMenu%3Dposts%3BpostNum%3D0%3Bsrc%3Dlink&media=https%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-mIw6xoZ621c%2FVgIerxp_9OI%2FAAAAAAAAUnc%2Fs9TacXBVi_Y%2Fs320%2F_MG_2302_2.jpg&xm=h&xv=sa1.37.01&xuid=YijJ4bMmt7dA&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 246px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 54px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07242952607553226949noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5296140025249745085.post-58976788413487703412015-09-22T16:23:00.001-07:002015-09-22T16:23:56.324-07:00Driving to Rhode Island / REUNITED!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
September 1 & 2, 2015</div>
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All summer long, right up until the day before we left, people kept coming up to me and saying "Wow! You finally get to see him soon! This summer has gone fast, hasn't it?!" And all I could say was...no! It felt like years ago since our week in Wisconsin together, and even with the busyness and all the traveling I'd done this summer, it still felt like "way too long" before I would get my husband back. </div>
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But then, all of a sudden, it was August 31 and I was leaving THE NEXT DAY to go see Curtis and watch him graduate! Wasn't it just yesterday that we were back in Arizona and watching him graduate from college?? Time is such a weird concept and always so hard to wrap my head around. Traveling makes it even more complicated. 4 weeks ago, I was living in my parent's house, missing my husband like crazy. 3 weeks ago, I was driving to Rhode Island. 2 weeks ago, I was back in my hometown, this time with my husband. Just last week we were somewhere in Colorado, exploring and living off the grid. And now here we are, back in Arizona, as if none of this ever happened.</div>
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But it did - and I'll do my best to recount our adventures for the sake of wanting to remember these exciting days for the rest of my life. :)</div>
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I could hardly sleep the night before I left. I was more prepared for a trip than I'd ever been, and way too excited about it. My alarm went off at 5am, and by 6:15 my dad, youngest sister Gina, and I were on the road, Rhode Island bound! We split the 18 hour drive into 2 days, driving 11 hours to Buffalo, NY the first night, and the rest of the way to Newport, RI the second day. </div>
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I am SO thankful that Dad and Gina gave up their week to join me on this adventure. I can't imagine driving all this way and navigating around the Northeast on my own. They made this adventure so enjoyable, and I'm so glad we could experience this together. Thank you guys, I love you both! :)</div>
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The only stop that we made on the first day (aside from gas of course!) was to see Niagara Falls by night, since we were staying in Buffalo. We made 2 great discoveries there: parking is free at night, and the lights on the falls make them just as beautiful to look at as they are in the daylight, if not more so! </div>
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It was fun to remember the last time I was here - on Curtis and my honeymoon, just over 2 years ago! Except we didn't see the falls from this view - instead, we saw them from the Canadian side, and from the Rainbow Bridge as we drove back into the US for the last time. One memory that sticks out is our first truck, Yeti, overheating on the bridge while waiting in line. Oh, Yeti. :P</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Rainbow Bridge</td></tr>
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We finished the night by eating at Friendly's, a long-time family favorite restaurant from all our vacations to the East coast. :)</div>
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The next day, we were on the road again before 8, ready to blast on through to Rhode Island all for one reason: There was a chance I could see Curtis that night! There's something so special about driving to see a loved one after being apart for so long. Just the idea that every passing mile meant we were one mile closer made the drive so exciting, and it even seemed to go by so fast. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaVe-torCdUDuUhyTPIJDl21TBTv0Yzi_MU0mkDUGlnw7TVlUS1iNg3joVQpWwfJgqdpu4fTHkvs_UCOX3mYjG6jQew5u02HYokZM638u1t4CccneEfB4DsaGpeMkWANB78C3TmdqY0L0/s1600/IMG_0464.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaVe-torCdUDuUhyTPIJDl21TBTv0Yzi_MU0mkDUGlnw7TVlUS1iNg3joVQpWwfJgqdpu4fTHkvs_UCOX3mYjG6jQew5u02HYokZM638u1t4CccneEfB4DsaGpeMkWANB78C3TmdqY0L0/s320/IMG_0464.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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We enjoyed the scenic drive along I-90 with the rolling hills and Erie Canal by our side for much of the drive. We were pleasantly surprised by how green and natural the area was - having never been out here, I only thought this area was packed with people and not so spread out like it is in the West. Traffic also wasn't nearly as horrific as I had led myself to believe. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwNfH8zC1ANX81Arnhz6NkooJarjSbcx-Scj03GI1aehK8QLyRud9qJuX-VxQOozf1boNJneT0ReBa0mxgjKBVfj7LK3u-CRRUr41sTEGbJrpJEw2RZVJRGC_L8xpThYUQZKJz_mrobAI/s1600/IMG_0453.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwNfH8zC1ANX81Arnhz6NkooJarjSbcx-Scj03GI1aehK8QLyRud9qJuX-VxQOozf1boNJneT0ReBa0mxgjKBVfj7LK3u-CRRUr41sTEGbJrpJEw2RZVJRGC_L8xpThYUQZKJz_mrobAI/s320/IMG_0453.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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We made great time getting out there, so we made 2 small changes to plan - first, we exited I-90 early so that we could cut through Connecticut and say we'd been to another state, and then we decided to make a quick stop at the beach in Rhode Island because hey - it's the Atlantic Ocean! How often do we get to see that?! (For me, it had been 3 ½ years since my last visit!)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0y7hilqduszujdu6ftAS4FIXVfJs-5wUAyTgsl4WZoIbIjhW59oU_nxLzQpHv8-RB9sCBjP8V-uFw1bbNGbEEzp1oglG6cjVetgXmMsaGeXIye5XSDCozjK6rY7QJwaXL3i5xICosT5c/s1600/20150902_155719.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0y7hilqduszujdu6ftAS4FIXVfJs-5wUAyTgsl4WZoIbIjhW59oU_nxLzQpHv8-RB9sCBjP8V-uFw1bbNGbEEzp1oglG6cjVetgXmMsaGeXIye5XSDCozjK6rY7QJwaXL3i5xICosT5c/s320/20150902_155719.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqqrovEW4dHJFMHgxvJjiKuO6hBTvIp7lk-40yqLsd3VC8yjd4iAfjcSBI3RyK79wCxHd9A0P4UXjlStd652nqCXBwHskbxhuvMwk1KDQPCTiOw_BCQjFHgzJD4nreWjZxzVv_5E8hZHc/s1600/2015-09-02+16.07.00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqqrovEW4dHJFMHgxvJjiKuO6hBTvIp7lk-40yqLsd3VC8yjd4iAfjcSBI3RyK79wCxHd9A0P4UXjlStd652nqCXBwHskbxhuvMwk1KDQPCTiOw_BCQjFHgzJD4nreWjZxzVv_5E8hZHc/s320/2015-09-02+16.07.00.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4QU6NLUulH0C29x8k14XpT1pbfXjoDlgTvj5QrfOu7Z1buqq7COiAg0Xc5Z5ItGYF3yKp9DKxXCTlEv8O8Xkxdl-bZZwUvvl5aiRLwkqsKG_DEavG7eME9Lyu-jZxGFXcjvAI6IoVwSs/s1600/2015-09-02+16.34.48.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4QU6NLUulH0C29x8k14XpT1pbfXjoDlgTvj5QrfOu7Z1buqq7COiAg0Xc5Z5ItGYF3yKp9DKxXCTlEv8O8Xkxdl-bZZwUvvl5aiRLwkqsKG_DEavG7eME9Lyu-jZxGFXcjvAI6IoVwSs/s320/2015-09-02+16.34.48.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And then, the time finally came - it was time to cross the Pell Bridge into Newport! This was one of those moments I imagined all summer - what it would like to drive across the bridge and be on the same island, mere miles away from Curtis. Fun fact - this bridge is the one featured on Rhode Island's quarter!</div>
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We arrived in Newport around 5. Curtis told me I could come meet him on base after 7:30. After checking into our hotel, we went to grab dinner, though I could barely eat due to the crazy butterflies in my stomach. ;) After a quick stop back at the hotel to freshen up, we drove on base, nervously navigating around and looking for a familiar face. </div>
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We successfully found the right building, and stood outside waiting. There were people in uniformed scattered around, and I examined each one quickly and carefully to try to guess if Curtis was outside yet. There is no stranger feeling than looking around trying to figure out which person is your husband of 2+ years, but having not seen him in 81 days and never seen him in uniform, this was the predicament I was in! I smiled at everyone I saw, just in case they happened to be him. Some men passed by and asked me who I was waiting for. I told them, and they responded "Oh, you're Jorgie's wife? He'll be out soon!"</div>
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And then, there he was...when I saw, I knew without a doubt it was him. We embraced, and I was home.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNIFbwUlWe2fn6xPJsyUNfQoTAU9aAznenTPMkhoDubXnh7s1eqZRhm_Ks05JpDejFU2TwbqZQereUbr4Xo4M524JHGzDP3K3ub4yE04rsFcnN2HxtpE_JF6e-y-6CpwGyRZvqSgL475w/s1600/2015-09-02+19.40.46.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNIFbwUlWe2fn6xPJsyUNfQoTAU9aAznenTPMkhoDubXnh7s1eqZRhm_Ks05JpDejFU2TwbqZQereUbr4Xo4M524JHGzDP3K3ub4yE04rsFcnN2HxtpE_JF6e-y-6CpwGyRZvqSgL475w/s320/2015-09-02+19.40.46.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzBmfgTJj5Dt4Oifkg-I9GHTKzmkcjXI4-R7msmQPJ0IrYBorsLYckAB2h3oQQD2bVb6clzU7XPG5s0BhPBhUjwmKfxnE7G73yLHiE7qFWs-EE7BZ1_6Ar8Zaxeq-aAVLLGvLvKRz1zQM/s1600/2015-09-02+19.40.56.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzBmfgTJj5Dt4Oifkg-I9GHTKzmkcjXI4-R7msmQPJ0IrYBorsLYckAB2h3oQQD2bVb6clzU7XPG5s0BhPBhUjwmKfxnE7G73yLHiE7qFWs-EE7BZ1_6Ar8Zaxeq-aAVLLGvLvKRz1zQM/s320/2015-09-02+19.40.56.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx3QBvPp0dUpWBXKz2L3CoK4ls9m8yVx1RQpcPhsBIhl61c_WZ8MpG-KzhAXhlst4EXyb0PuPvk5dGZdPU_BicYOTPpwKNefW1BIZ9GBFSjG1nQ6R81I-eDjVZybj29wLc6VvqXFb5zAA/s1600/2015-09-02+19.41.09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx3QBvPp0dUpWBXKz2L3CoK4ls9m8yVx1RQpcPhsBIhl61c_WZ8MpG-KzhAXhlst4EXyb0PuPvk5dGZdPU_BicYOTPpwKNefW1BIZ9GBFSjG1nQ6R81I-eDjVZybj29wLc6VvqXFb5zAA/s320/2015-09-02+19.41.09.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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So there you go, folks...we survived! And we are happily reunited!</div>
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Making it through this summer is both a huge relief and accomplishment, yet there's also the knowledge that this is only the beginning. There will be more times of separation that we'll have to endure. There will be so many more highs and lows as this journey continues. Nothing about this road we are on will be easy. This summer was challenging for both of us, but now that we're on the other side, we can see how it positively affected us and our life. All the letters and emails, reflecting on our relationship and truly learning how blessed and valuable it is. Our feelings toward each other and how they have grown. Our time together now, and how much more it means to us. </div>
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And while I see how positively it all turned out, I don't ever want to get to a point where this is "normal" for me. I don't want to simply accept that my husband has to go away for long periods of time and I have to live without him. I don't want to forget how meaningful our written words can be when we desperately miss each other. I want every reunion to be as happy, anticipated, filled with butterflies-in-my-stomach as this one. I want every departure to be as tear-filled and devastating as last June was. I don't want to grow used to this life so much that it loses its emotion and feels ordinary. I never want to be at a point where it feels normal to be away from my husband. I hope and pray that this life we are living and the challenges we face cause us to grow closer to God and each other. Because that is the only way we will continue to survive it!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07242952607553226949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5296140025249745085.post-13834884178819808502015-09-21T20:21:00.000-07:002015-09-21T20:21:20.838-07:00The Basset Life<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I'm back!</div>
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I'd like to formally apologize to anyone waiting for me to post - I know I left this with quite a cliffhanger almost 2 months ago - Were Curtis and I reunited?? Did we survive 12 weeks of separation? Where in the world are we??? Well, I have some good news for you: I am officially back to blog about what's been going on and some great adventures over the past few months. </div>
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However, today is a special day, so instead of catching you up on the exciting happenings of our life, I'm writing about something much more important... </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgckGFywycESSHzUgPzjzTTF9oay2Kjz_TNWbszTusXPxwDk-Eo9JLG8v7FY69gj9Gxk8q22w2VK1otKCz1-DimfBJYqg-0m3uklwKSjUCjW-1FIzU5g5v-FBguMIq0X2AIOFy7M5xUG2I/s1600/2014-09-24+01.26.55.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgckGFywycESSHzUgPzjzTTF9oay2Kjz_TNWbszTusXPxwDk-Eo9JLG8v7FY69gj9Gxk8q22w2VK1otKCz1-DimfBJYqg-0m3uklwKSjUCjW-1FIzU5g5v-FBguMIq0X2AIOFy7M5xUG2I/s320/2014-09-24+01.26.55.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div>
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It's our 1 year anniversary of becoming parents!!!</div>
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That's right, a year ago today, we decided we simply couldn't live without that little basset hound puppy we fell in love with just 2 days earlier, so right after church we went right to buy her and bring her home. And maybe regretted it a little. But there was nothing to do about that, because she had our hearts and we were committed to being her mommy and daddy!</div>
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Here are some pictures from her 1 year photo shoot (because I invested in a nice camera so that I could perfectly capture my beautiful child).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUjo9BgFIY2uUKVWIL7nAOhQSy-5wXRDR6v-9TJ30Eo8ww_ioCXjMqTajOCsMEX3EaL8JV4tO_8Vy72VPlt83UCJy_bDrhixm9S3pHWDEzyeQf2vAfJR_goyq5Bmw9J87k5xvmKwqlEGc/s1600/IMG_0004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUjo9BgFIY2uUKVWIL7nAOhQSy-5wXRDR6v-9TJ30Eo8ww_ioCXjMqTajOCsMEX3EaL8JV4tO_8Vy72VPlt83UCJy_bDrhixm9S3pHWDEzyeQf2vAfJR_goyq5Bmw9J87k5xvmKwqlEGc/s320/IMG_0004.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Charlotte is triple the size of when we bought her, yet still half the size of what we thought she'd grow into. (Which we are thankful for!) She still doesn't do the basset/hound dog bay or make much noise at all, only barks when she's playing with her friends.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDqnt4FomhTc1_8F0kRm0I0V0g7bwsrJ5_hZfrUSd2NMp6mP-wk_e8Vd-NAALb6uqeilQ2OOyVF5zJixQ3kDkszakoM-6-prpbDIfjHsiQk2U-DXDbK73PpTkMLrd3r1q-DWeNKueHdRE/s1600/IMG_0037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDqnt4FomhTc1_8F0kRm0I0V0g7bwsrJ5_hZfrUSd2NMp6mP-wk_e8Vd-NAALb6uqeilQ2OOyVF5zJixQ3kDkszakoM-6-prpbDIfjHsiQk2U-DXDbK73PpTkMLrd3r1q-DWeNKueHdRE/s320/IMG_0037.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Charlotte HATES drama. It seems to follow her everywhere. She sees a dog walking far in the distance, and she needs to stop all she's doing and watch it. She can't move toward or away from it until she knows if it's bigger or smaller than she is. Once she's determined that it's smaller and she can totally take it in a fight, she proceeds to pull us toward the dog so she can formally introduce herself. If it happens to be bigger, the only safe reaction is to growl with her tail between her legs and hair on her back raised. However, if the dog is walking away without even properly greeting her, she must go after it and demand an introduction. See, she hates drama. And yet, she loves it.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1reD7NBMYSCIqn23Deoeh87LQIShvFGVRmde21VPTC89QMIHQwoFXniC05w64dY0L41m1em8KU3jh8rX1MgVu2u2mQU0QnmxscWbjafWlO8uJwWFUD1h0HrCEGg8BUuIACoJHruuOqco/s1600/IMG_0062.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1reD7NBMYSCIqn23Deoeh87LQIShvFGVRmde21VPTC89QMIHQwoFXniC05w64dY0L41m1em8KU3jh8rX1MgVu2u2mQU0QnmxscWbjafWlO8uJwWFUD1h0HrCEGg8BUuIACoJHruuOqco/s320/IMG_0062.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Charlotte has become quite the hunter over the summer. She particularly likes already dead things, but can also be interested in chasing other wild creatures. She started out by hunting flies exclusively, but has really broadened her horizons this summer by chasing birds, chipmunks, rabbits, squirrels, and deer. She has yet to be successful in her hunting live things, but sometimes it's all about the chase.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHfyViYliEWDHIfsWCQ7enD-eI-OPNKBKRRJlhBT6HXVJ2EQx_sJVTJn9B6hFdj1wAGDwql9h_-IrNfJo3a_B1JlS-5UFthrL8heHjhpIlEi4UYsNE6qduwPv7AnukoQ8OOxt1D3clca0/s1600/IMG_0075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHfyViYliEWDHIfsWCQ7enD-eI-OPNKBKRRJlhBT6HXVJ2EQx_sJVTJn9B6hFdj1wAGDwql9h_-IrNfJo3a_B1JlS-5UFthrL8heHjhpIlEi4UYsNE6qduwPv7AnukoQ8OOxt1D3clca0/s320/IMG_0075.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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If there was any one contest that Charlotte is perfectly cut out for, it'd be a hotdog eating contest. She's proven to us that we can make up for a long car ride simply by buying her a happy meal hotdog. This is a snippet of a real conversation had during a long vacation at a Sonic:</div>
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Curtis: (ordering)...And lastly, we'll have a happy meal hotdog, just plain.</div>
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Friendly Sonic Employee: Would you like fries or tots with that?</div>
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C: Uhhh... tots</div>
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FSE: And what kind of drink would you like?</div>
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C: Um...well this isn't exactly for a kid...it's for a dog.</div>
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FSE: *laughs*</div>
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They bring out her hotdog, Curtis cuts it up for her to try to slow her down and make sure she doesn't choke, but it is all in vain because 15 seconds later it is gone and she's back in the front seat begging for our tots.</div>
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So to get back to my point, I think Charlotte would excel at a hotdog eating contest. She did not get that from me.</div>
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Charlotte had the BEST SUMMER EVER playing with my family and all their pets! She even overcame her dislike of the cat and they became best friends. (I'm pretty sure all this means we need another pet for her to play with, but Curtis disagrees. But it's for the best - Charlotte has our whole hearts and we could never love another pet as much as we love this child.)</div>
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The time when Charlie cares about eating her own food: When there is another dog around who wants to eat it.</div>
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The time when Charlie has no interest in her own food: Any other time.</div>
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Charlotte will still do anything for a belly rub. However, she has suddenly within the last month grown selective about the people she wants belly rubs from. We haven't been able to figure it out yet, but we think it has to do with people wearing huge backpacks, sunglasses, or that have facial hair. Maybe. She's consistently inconsistent. </div>
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Since Charlie is unable to speak for herself, we must do all of the speaking for her. This is mostly the role of myself; although Curtis does some talking too. Unfortunately, Charlotte is rather sassy and I must voice her sass to the world (Curtis). Additionally, Charlie always has an opinion on situations, meaning that I have spent probably half of the year speaking for my dog. In response, Curtis has spent half of the year talking back to my Charlie voice.</div>
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Charlotte continues to love the same things we love doing - hiking and road trips. However, we have found one thing that she doesn't handle so well - sleeping in a tent. She'll gladly jump in to check it out but immediately jump right back out. If I'm able to zip up the tent fast enough with her inside, she'll throw herself against the walls trying to get out. </div>
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In the past year, Charlotte has hiked over 150 miles with us. The longest hike she's done has been over 14 miles, and the highest elevation she's reached is 13,234 feet above sea level. I love how excited she gets to take on a new trail with us, and how cuddly she is afterwards!</div>
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We love you Charlotte, and we couldn't imagine life without you! Here's to many more happy years together!</div>
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PS - I will be back soon with stories of so many adventures, so come back soon! ;)</div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07242952607553226949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5296140025249745085.post-72101771408243236722015-08-05T21:52:00.000-07:002015-08-07T14:11:36.635-07:0052 Down, 30 To Go!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hi friends! I'm finally posting another update, and I am including pictures of one thing I've been working on to prove that I've actually been quite busy this summer. Enjoy :)</div>
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Cards for Curtis! A week before he left, I started imagining what I'd do for writing letters to him every night. I pictured fun little doodles and quotes on notecards. The day he left, I went and got a few art supplies - watercolors, colored pencils, and sharpies, then went crazy. Since then, I've made an original card for every day. That's 80ish cards...yeah, it's taken up a little time, but proven to be therapeutic and a great way to encourage both of us. I can't promise that I can do this every deployment, but for now, I still have plenty of ideas. :)</div>
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Not going to lie, a lot of ideas came from Pinterest, and I've tweaked some a little to make my own. It's been a long time since I've done so much artsy stuff, and it feels so good to get back into it!</div>
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Well, somehow we have made it almost 8 weeks through this time of separation! I am so excited for September to get here, but I have to say I feel guilty wishing for it. I've always loved summer, and while I love fall too it's always a little sad when school/obligations/routines kick back into gear. This year, seeing back to school things on the shelves and the words "pumpkin spice latte" appearing in ads is making me grossly excited. I'm all about relishing life and that each day is a gift, but there's nothing wrong with some eager anticipation for the next time I see my love. :)</div>
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By the way, I've never even had anything pumpkin spice. Last year, Curtis and I went out to get BOGO pumpkin spice lattes, and ended up falling in love with a puppy. Who we brought home 2 days later. That "cheap date" idea ended up to be our most expensive. Love ya, Charlotte. ;)</div>
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Last I wrote was on our anniversary. The day was as good as any day could be while we're apart. We talked on the phone the day before, we emailed back and forth all day, I received letters in the mail, and I saw pictures of him posted online! All these things have been my favorite things to look forward to this summer! Then I also had my family keeping me company and showering me with love, my grandparents stopped by for a visit, and received many happy wishes from friends. It was a great day, and I felt strengthened and refreshed and ready to take on the next 6 weeks.</div>
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Reaching the halfway point was both a relief, yet the end still felt (and feels) so far away. I compare it to swimming across the ocean. When you reach the halfway point, you can celebrate all you want, but I realize we still have to go through the same amount of time that we already endured, and you have to keep swimming. Just keep swimming, just keep swimming... The only time that having 6 weeks left so much less was when we had no idea where we'd be living at the end of them. We weren't even sure which state we'd be in. That feeling was stressful for someone like me who likes to have life planned out, yet I kept reminding myself <i>at least we'll be together!!</i> And I knew that's all that matters.</div>
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But last week, we finally got the exciting news of where we go next...Drum roll please! We're going back to Arizona for a few more months! We are SO excited about it! Last May when we left, we were both thinking and kind of hoping that they would move us right along to the next thing after training. We just wanted to keep going and knock it all out, one thing at a time. But after being apart, we both realized that every week we had in between is a week we get to spend together, and it delays the next inevitable time of separation. We will have about 4 months in between now, and we both think that's a perfect amount of time to relax, get caught up, and have some more adventures before moving and beginning the next thing. So come this December, we get to make another cross country move, from one warm and gorgeous climate to another! Until then, we'll be relishing another few months in a state we love and know so well. :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo97_H-76oGdLBzDmSyFpS2JhvjD-uqVLQAfJAsz1jSDHvZX_nujm0YU-JcDk148WDfTPtuXvKMTsgk4Xozw0z2nY13sOYZgr5WcDTI09wzYJOUEAtzb7Z3D_TdrtE-CnHrkhhug_I0yg/s1600/PhotoGrid_1438393521967.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo97_H-76oGdLBzDmSyFpS2JhvjD-uqVLQAfJAsz1jSDHvZX_nujm0YU-JcDk148WDfTPtuXvKMTsgk4Xozw0z2nY13sOYZgr5WcDTI09wzYJOUEAtzb7Z3D_TdrtE-CnHrkhhug_I0yg/s320/PhotoGrid_1438393521967.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I'm very thankful for all the ways we've grown together through this time. There have been bad days for both of us, ones where we just want to throw in the towel and be done with this, but God has given us both strength and hope to press on and live day-to-day. I have loved getting to know Curtis better through his written letters and emails. I love all the reflecting we've been able to do on our love and life together. I love how we've grown stronger in our faith and closer to God as we experience the trial, and continue to learn from each other's discoveries. Even though we aren't experiencing life side-by-side right now, we are both still very involved and invested in each other's lives. In distance, we are far apart, but in our hearts and minds, we've never been closer. We're still counting down the days when we can close the gap and be together again.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmFZhbBwUIJnMuN9_xsD4Mm0x6uUE6U7OE8yFxOkhNfjrZUG70Q_4wnstpEMqBz7wwliTozK5SHw8R46XZfEk5a14ibUOLXUX36gNTVKjhUnjcIOtnGcaJalviUQLJulO2nAn1wFGOGGs/s1600/PhotoGrid_1438393427317.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmFZhbBwUIJnMuN9_xsD4Mm0x6uUE6U7OE8yFxOkhNfjrZUG70Q_4wnstpEMqBz7wwliTozK5SHw8R46XZfEk5a14ibUOLXUX36gNTVKjhUnjcIOtnGcaJalviUQLJulO2nAn1wFGOGGs/s320/PhotoGrid_1438393427317.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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It's so hard to believe that at one time, my countdown said 82. I can't imagine or even remember how we managed that, but now that we're here, the excitement is building and it'll be so worth it the moment we see each other again! I know that there will be many other times through this that we'll have to be apart. This is kind of just the preparation for what is to come. I know that we'll face this a lot and we'll both learn how to function without having each other there all the time. I know one thing for sure though, is that I don't want to get used to it. I don't want this to ever be something that is normal or just happens - "oh yeah, my husband and I are separated half a year, no biggie!" I want it to be a big deal, and I want to miss him and think of him and long for him every day that he's gone. I believe it's normal and healthy and that all that comes from God. Every deployment will be a trial for us, and I pray that we will always see it as that and that we will "consider it pure joy" and learn something new from each one - learn something more in our faith, and in our marriage.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii6Kg_fvtffKVXumLxV4qww2vsrXUJbLaWFoXmqc2hZi99XRTYAd7gJjtsp5hk1zxozCSOVuQpm38_PTXZJlYrruVpBkmnLuDXRPYuVPMcvOA50oe3o3FXU3h3GnTTFa3SKnc_w7GMpj0/s1600/PhotoGrid_1438392518021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii6Kg_fvtffKVXumLxV4qww2vsrXUJbLaWFoXmqc2hZi99XRTYAd7gJjtsp5hk1zxozCSOVuQpm38_PTXZJlYrruVpBkmnLuDXRPYuVPMcvOA50oe3o3FXU3h3GnTTFa3SKnc_w7GMpj0/s320/PhotoGrid_1438392518021.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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That's all for now! Ok, so I really do still enjoy writing little updates, but I have to say I'm REALLY looking forward to the ones I'll publish in a month. But that's just me. ;)</div>
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Today, I had another Military Wife milestone - I mailed my very first care package! Come back later next week for the details - Curtis is able to access my blog sometimes, so I can't give away any spoilers! (Love you babe. ;))</div>
<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D5296140025249745085%23editor%2Fsrc%3Dheader&media=https%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-FnJ6B8bYY8I%2FVcJG7_ADtFI%2FAAAAAAAAUOU%2FzHlM8a7UYlU%2Fs320%2FPhotoGrid_1438393038507.jpg&xm=h&xv=sa1.37.01&xuid=YijJ4bMmt7dA&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 193px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 18px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D5296140025249745085%23editor%2Fsrc%3Dheader&media=https%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-FnJ6B8bYY8I%2FVcJG7_ADtFI%2FAAAAAAAAUOU%2FzHlM8a7UYlU%2Fs320%2FPhotoGrid_1438393038507.jpg&xm=h&xv=sa1.37.01&xuid=YijJ4bMmt7dA&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 193px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 18px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><br />
<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D5296140025249745085%23editor%2Fsrc%3Dheader&media=https%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-k-bgM4SVfy0%2FVcJHjRYuwHI%2FAAAAAAAAUPU%2FNtG69bqqfNc%2Fs320%2FPhotoGrid_1438393521967.jpg&xm=h&xv=sa1.37.01&xuid=YijJ4bMmt7dA&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 42px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 3640px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D5296140025249745085%23editor%2Fsrc%3Dheader&media=https%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-k-bgM4SVfy0%2FVcJHjRYuwHI%2FAAAAAAAAUPU%2FNtG69bqqfNc%2Fs320%2FPhotoGrid_1438393521967.jpg&xm=h&xv=sa1.37.01&xuid=YijJ4bMmt7dA&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 42px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 3640px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07242952607553226949noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5296140025249745085.post-6650897109143275972015-07-27T08:40:00.003-07:002015-07-27T08:40:53.589-07:002 Years in Numbers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo-jD70m7gZW26qYf1Xr-cKD9OaN5EnRgNxIXuLnvygPzQJCTsAqOlllxrF5rUagYQmuFCeT5CD7vLMKv4aiApkiqYPooFGhC7yJQk9B0MUxrMeI9m7LDkwGx8Yzsj-nW4EIQ0tERcSJQ/s1600/Curtis+and+Jessica-2425.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo-jD70m7gZW26qYf1Xr-cKD9OaN5EnRgNxIXuLnvygPzQJCTsAqOlllxrF5rUagYQmuFCeT5CD7vLMKv4aiApkiqYPooFGhC7yJQk9B0MUxrMeI9m7LDkwGx8Yzsj-nW4EIQ0tERcSJQ/s320/Curtis+and+Jessica-2425.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Today, we're celebrating our 2nd wedding anniversary. Even though we're a thousand miles apart with limited contact, we can still celebrate the 2 wonderful years of adventures and loving each other. Curtis called me yesterday and we were able to talk for 15 minutes (and let me tell you, those minutes went faster than any others so far this summer!)</div>
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Here is what our 2 years of marriage looks like in numbers:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNWhRiebokqodxodCuy8qQsBK52uEgMnZ4GN7_3vOvbvNHgwUFBb3fJmaZrrs4aERcrtfUOxOdUbdWv_i0wBAVeRoV_0yTEDr8pCP8IB6BT00fy9cim17Xdnv4lPMu2GqBWhl2MEDKAvU/s1600/Curtis+and+Jessica-1258.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNWhRiebokqodxodCuy8qQsBK52uEgMnZ4GN7_3vOvbvNHgwUFBb3fJmaZrrs4aERcrtfUOxOdUbdWv_i0wBAVeRoV_0yTEDr8pCP8IB6BT00fy9cim17Xdnv4lPMu2GqBWhl2MEDKAvU/s320/Curtis+and+Jessica-1258.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>730 </b>days of being husband and wife, best friends, roommates, hiking partners, traveling companions, secret sharers, letterboxing buddies, professional sushi tasters, and puppy parents together.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdzHIkv7RZKh5lDOt_vYLgtl25VzR00pDOgfOUNu_GojpG9CMtnIzgViSvVneKVtnLyfVs9p4_ev4sVrxMZTF0ojUNGKT6LtFuDu9uH60aOGvhxTWK5LQ3zBLj7bYML6dmZe8UN2FNnvA/s1600/DSCN4639.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdzHIkv7RZKh5lDOt_vYLgtl25VzR00pDOgfOUNu_GojpG9CMtnIzgViSvVneKVtnLyfVs9p4_ev4sVrxMZTF0ojUNGKT6LtFuDu9uH60aOGvhxTWK5LQ3zBLj7bYML6dmZe8UN2FNnvA/s320/DSCN4639.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>15 </b>vacations taken together.</div>
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At least <b>30,000 </b>miles driven.</div>
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(Going from as far North as <b>Nipigon, Ontario</b>, and as far South as <b>Nogales, AZ</b>; As far East as <b>Buffalo, NY</b>, to <b>Santa Barbara</b>, <b>CA </b>to the West.)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXGg2HnpiYgpVR1ebbbJE6rUPotz6ssgKLajMqhqXOPdD-BbJF99l1INS-A8JiUBJC-SQEN-2USnp4mkR2aLs3IHqwS1BAsvXjipZQu1ZlVtIxw4fmkwQWEohsoOaRxTPicWDXrsa5km0/s1600/DSCN4959.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXGg2HnpiYgpVR1ebbbJE6rUPotz6ssgKLajMqhqXOPdD-BbJF99l1INS-A8JiUBJC-SQEN-2USnp4mkR2aLs3IHqwS1BAsvXjipZQu1ZlVtIxw4fmkwQWEohsoOaRxTPicWDXrsa5km0/s320/DSCN4959.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Almost <b>500 </b>miles hiked together.</div>
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Probably <b>437 </b>apples dehydrated for these hikes.</div>
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Approximately <b>58,398</b> pictures taken on these hikes.</div>
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At least <b>14 </b>utterly terrifying moments while hiking.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5zPf4I8EcrnwQdF7XQhs1StYKNsifftutDWXVKXd63D6Wo9Uu4EQNPsQCFRzCD6TMMNMCmxxWTO_GVXkh_GwlR9ieU_uzmw_x0SCHmTVgV9lJMjvxq-Ejd0uPFCcPTp1xMtrD321wV6Y/s1600/DSCN5309.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5zPf4I8EcrnwQdF7XQhs1StYKNsifftutDWXVKXd63D6Wo9Uu4EQNPsQCFRzCD6TMMNMCmxxWTO_GVXkh_GwlR9ieU_uzmw_x0SCHmTVgV9lJMjvxq-Ejd0uPFCcPTp1xMtrD321wV6Y/s320/DSCN5309.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>98 </b>weekend adventures together. (missing out on 12 this year)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLnB6i-dWWV__L0NY8mWcMVG4UTkk2_js0KeGILxMjUNAFjzSWqii2wBem-RPXxcGYyBWLlS0aaefOeu27lJrgQJT-93U-NVjpaVajxudg3Nj1qJK9t8LkdZlohyo_GN-X03Fk1sinslc/s1600/2014-09-24+01.26.55.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLnB6i-dWWV__L0NY8mWcMVG4UTkk2_js0KeGILxMjUNAFjzSWqii2wBem-RPXxcGYyBWLlS0aaefOeu27lJrgQJT-93U-NVjpaVajxudg3Nj1qJK9t8LkdZlohyo_GN-X03Fk1sinslc/s320/2014-09-24+01.26.55.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<b>1 </b>adorable child.</div>
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<b>Countless </b>accidents, walks, games tug of war, and puppy kisses.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhkwxyjBPiFnzcRjSEmDptYO5IZ4VOyxjk4mB-uZ3ctL1BusphJ_5-HrcUDPR9LrXpgQJ1wNfv12hK7lC-N4zKYZ2RtozUcPa7NDdL5xGp6ydcG3TiQ8iACm65lhdbPXneC4qbW2PZKAE/s1600/PB280139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhkwxyjBPiFnzcRjSEmDptYO5IZ4VOyxjk4mB-uZ3ctL1BusphJ_5-HrcUDPR9LrXpgQJ1wNfv12hK7lC-N4zKYZ2RtozUcPa7NDdL5xGp6ydcG3TiQ8iACm65lhdbPXneC4qbW2PZKAE/s320/PB280139.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>867 </b>letterboxes found.</div>
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<b>46 </b>letterboxes planted.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaXgeInlK6JfE-r_QT1DYzVMpgs-SOkfhCLYyJGVZ2LWZFjahEirDT-yJFrz9jNx0vzZlJKzoqjqTW4FoWmTmcf1Zm82ky2Y6MnWGTWe-kk0zyXec6BK3xqKhavFHiqv2nWqfyRaIg3Eo/s1600/2014-11-29+09.15.59.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaXgeInlK6JfE-r_QT1DYzVMpgs-SOkfhCLYyJGVZ2LWZFjahEirDT-yJFrz9jNx0vzZlJKzoqjqTW4FoWmTmcf1Zm82ky2Y6MnWGTWe-kk0zyXec6BK3xqKhavFHiqv2nWqfyRaIg3Eo/s320/2014-11-29+09.15.59.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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Kissed under/by <b>17 </b>waterfalls.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2-EnX3tNgvzES_NQs4hWikOK3v79CUMgtu5fA8dJa6B5jiGKSqdi3CeyB5twhAST4hMtg5hfG0QCyun4fSri5ehlk0pDeZZ9-2ojjIchMMOQGcsFGR6wkpVLDZITxjg3WKfpOQR4DXrQ/s1600/2014-12-28+16.46.28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2-EnX3tNgvzES_NQs4hWikOK3v79CUMgtu5fA8dJa6B5jiGKSqdi3CeyB5twhAST4hMtg5hfG0QCyun4fSri5ehlk0pDeZZ9-2ojjIchMMOQGcsFGR6wkpVLDZITxjg3WKfpOQR4DXrQ/s320/2014-12-28+16.46.28.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>4 </b>trips to Iowa and <b>2 </b>to Michigan to see family.</div>
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Being in temperatures from <b>116 </b>in Desert Hot Springs, CA, to -<b>30 </b>degrees windchill in Cedar Rapids, IA.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQGh3uVqaPWZS1WMR1up4QYeNGIm1GYNwOGAiYtmTVrd1LDbPpp3Kdg08hcndYyc_8-xf2vmJUJE-ZinSWyY5JRfKX0wZEvwKkO0uWIN4YRW3kucniYiNVSd4VDTG-aDkgXW893izpkso/s1600/2015-03-16+16.11.37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQGh3uVqaPWZS1WMR1up4QYeNGIm1GYNwOGAiYtmTVrd1LDbPpp3Kdg08hcndYyc_8-xf2vmJUJE-ZinSWyY5JRfKX0wZEvwKkO0uWIN4YRW3kucniYiNVSd4VDTG-aDkgXW893izpkso/s320/2015-03-16+16.11.37.jpg" width="269" /></a></div>
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Visiting <b>21 </b>states and <b>1 </b>province. </div>
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Owning <b>2 </b>vehicles.</div>
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And having to be towed <b>twice</b>. (Though it should have been more!)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBM5WgGblpkAf44NkpY_53VeL7Pw_AultmHdpMBkp4Fqg7KBHr19OSpe9-DRai_KeNZG961WMXgHMV00tuZsFywzyTCF3EM4QSLxmlZiu4j_dncmsFrG8XDAas7r1Q3ovT-qJMsyrvzRk/s1600/2015-04-25+08.37.19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBM5WgGblpkAf44NkpY_53VeL7Pw_AultmHdpMBkp4Fqg7KBHr19OSpe9-DRai_KeNZG961WMXgHMV00tuZsFywzyTCF3EM4QSLxmlZiu4j_dncmsFrG8XDAas7r1Q3ovT-qJMsyrvzRk/s320/2015-04-25+08.37.19.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Visiting <b>27 </b>National Park Administrated Sites. (Thank you military pass!)</div>
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And hiking the Grand Canyon to the Colorado and back <b>2 </b>times.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6NgPLWbyIpmHH8n4wtdRrtRYqjnViPySs2c5J_5836qvUrrdR_kguyWtD6QftPeXr7bxktbyHH5K6bOjbKUm3kf_Xwa0x2X_PoQU2T48sehXwEdkAOnRimm-fwPahI2yixzGxTH7s_n4/s1600/_MG_2226_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6NgPLWbyIpmHH8n4wtdRrtRYqjnViPySs2c5J_5836qvUrrdR_kguyWtD6QftPeXr7bxktbyHH5K6bOjbKUm3kf_Xwa0x2X_PoQU2T48sehXwEdkAOnRimm-fwPahI2yixzGxTH7s_n4/s320/_MG_2226_2.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<b>1 </b>college diploma. </div>
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Like <b>30 </b>cheesecakes.</div>
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(Pretty sure it was all those cheesecakes that gave the motivation to work for that diploma.) ;)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQgDRNtB64BfuUp-ewQ5kG3ndiWWXJCgS1_D3X_CqXdJtTJjVv95bd_QNHTzBKYFalJb5ajZaj1w2gpEKx7jhFOmXbJockr5q-mPraHXNu-L5Y9zo7HwTAgWOTNl193vWFU6uXeKET9Qo/s1600/2015-06-06+13.30.10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQgDRNtB64BfuUp-ewQ5kG3ndiWWXJCgS1_D3X_CqXdJtTJjVv95bd_QNHTzBKYFalJb5ajZaj1w2gpEKx7jhFOmXbJockr5q-mPraHXNu-L5Y9zo7HwTAgWOTNl193vWFU6uXeKET9Qo/s320/2015-06-06+13.30.10.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>2 </b>anniversary trips celebrating us!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglrOrCSFBPk6CdU_LqD1iLNAoMPBLPJnzoZnfceYDRivPTuJ1W8ekE8CIiBNJ2tBIofgHej-lfJGMz722UPhKdUh4EuJUK3jR6dgC9TyvPfPzkTqQ4U4_H5RK6gXTZyMR_ruQFvFRYug4/s1600/2015-06-13+11.16.10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglrOrCSFBPk6CdU_LqD1iLNAoMPBLPJnzoZnfceYDRivPTuJ1W8ekE8CIiBNJ2tBIofgHej-lfJGMz722UPhKdUh4EuJUK3jR6dgC9TyvPfPzkTqQ4U4_H5RK6gXTZyMR_ruQFvFRYug4/s320/2015-06-13+11.16.10.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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<b>44 </b>days spent apart, and counting.</div>
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<b>88 </b>letters written between the 2 of us during that time.</div>
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<b>3 </b>phone calls.</div>
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<b>Hundreds </b>of emails. (Thank God for that!!!)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgavv6Mp2TVvoDUPt5Cxlj9IBLbaRF3mZa_eP1GPJtZmvAx0CVAWjOi3ubE-7pZMLc2tDyVEz2OWpFiz25-xWl7fo1sHfBJ2JmiZWGs9wvWEiaFCgP10xmZ-Mazz4m7VgQImsON314IplQ/s1600/Curtis+and+Jessica-2388.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgavv6Mp2TVvoDUPt5Cxlj9IBLbaRF3mZa_eP1GPJtZmvAx0CVAWjOi3ubE-7pZMLc2tDyVEz2OWpFiz25-xWl7fo1sHfBJ2JmiZWGs9wvWEiaFCgP10xmZ-Mazz4m7VgQImsON314IplQ/s320/Curtis+and+Jessica-2388.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Our 3rd year of marriage will look a lot different than the last 2. There are so many uncertainties (like where are we going to be living in 6 weeks??) but being apart has really showed us how much we really rely on each other, and we know that it doesn't matter where we live or what happens next, because at least we'll get to be together again!</div>
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I love you so much, Curtis, you bring so much joy into my life, and I'm proud to be your wife. Here's to another amazing year together!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07242952607553226949noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5296140025249745085.post-29605569606816550602015-07-24T21:01:00.003-07:002015-07-24T21:01:56.018-07:00Family Vacation, Day 5<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Wednesday, July 8, 2015</div>
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Hiking to Harney's Peak</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_VEOVdP_du52E8anCAbeVG2ks6Okw-VAgK3eHoigLT_0Va0R7S_IGnyxBZctcSi3uyyQ7G4VRImGlJLdKAlPHF_o0byJNYC2ZC5rzUbyjYYTAzV28a2qPRjT46rHXVTrFRS5fou9n3tE/s1600/2015-07-08+08.32.51.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_VEOVdP_du52E8anCAbeVG2ks6Okw-VAgK3eHoigLT_0Va0R7S_IGnyxBZctcSi3uyyQ7G4VRImGlJLdKAlPHF_o0byJNYC2ZC5rzUbyjYYTAzV28a2qPRjT46rHXVTrFRS5fou9n3tE/s320/2015-07-08+08.32.51.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My awesome siblings!</td></tr>
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For our last full day of vacation, I had tentatively planned a longer hiking trip for us to do together. I had heard about Harney's Peak, the highest point in SD, and thought the trail sounded manageable for my family. I presented the idea to them, and they all enthusiastically agreed to do it! There was a chance for rain later in the day, so we left around 8 and headed to the trailhead back in Custer State Park.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH6vBjhOovrGliiYcx37dboW92ZR_mEUNeRfkpI5ljr_gnmB4mIlUTOehJAtT89LlKEf8FE2830mjstO3BXbmIWFKAQO7NV3Cu11ZoUQm2goJ86EmzUPDVU0rF6dMpwY7r5en2OoUsHhE/s1600/2015-07-08+08.47.43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH6vBjhOovrGliiYcx37dboW92ZR_mEUNeRfkpI5ljr_gnmB4mIlUTOehJAtT89LlKEf8FE2830mjstO3BXbmIWFKAQO7NV3Cu11ZoUQm2goJ86EmzUPDVU0rF6dMpwY7r5en2OoUsHhE/s320/2015-07-08+08.47.43.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My cute baby sister :)</td></tr>
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Harney's Peak is the highest point in South Dakota, standing at 7,244 feet above sea level in the Black Hills. There are multiple trails to reach the peak, but the most popular and easiest one is 7 miles round trip. The trailhead is around 5,000 feet, making it about a 2,000 feet elevation difference. We planned for this to be an all-day activity and brought plenty of food and water, just as the signs warned us.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDgrjWl6xIhaIYal3nI5lWbdSxHp2BHgHvsSGwVRMFt7cWnTyFCgLpYfwziqJIlH_S171yDZ4xh0BfgSduYG3IhwwlC6yNe74k1rOOimcmUg8LpY7quB15R9JGGNb2MIPPux9XD-iXX9U/s1600/2015-07-08+08.55.00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDgrjWl6xIhaIYal3nI5lWbdSxHp2BHgHvsSGwVRMFt7cWnTyFCgLpYfwziqJIlH_S171yDZ4xh0BfgSduYG3IhwwlC6yNe74k1rOOimcmUg8LpY7quB15R9JGGNb2MIPPux9XD-iXX9U/s320/2015-07-08+08.55.00.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I was super impressed with my family - everyone did so great and we had minimal stops going up, besides a few opportune picture spots. The first was an outcropping of rocks giving a great view to the West of the needles of Custer State Park. I must say I was also impressed that even after months without any peak hikes, I was still in shape and loving every minute of this! Oh how I miss hiking!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Squad!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWymhyphenhyphenxv-gUgVHmpnTEtKH4cSPJIZOt7Er5WqwwWXVdrlUzyHmk5jrypfWp0PpNZWzLFU2tb5kPwcFw0oKpTg5nCPZtoJsFeZaPkldnKe8AVRKEHmJ-rYeDUNa3VHyz5xWu63atTFac5k/s1600/2015-07-08+08.55.59.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWymhyphenhyphenxv-gUgVHmpnTEtKH4cSPJIZOt7Er5WqwwWXVdrlUzyHmk5jrypfWp0PpNZWzLFU2tb5kPwcFw0oKpTg5nCPZtoJsFeZaPkldnKe8AVRKEHmJ-rYeDUNa3VHyz5xWu63atTFac5k/s320/2015-07-08+08.55.59.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Needles!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ9yLxlQ7AEd0Yj7lmiaYNNNp3gtpmz4vdLLimn9MngF1lZ3BLLBHjl5tQZbFzyhJWDc7ES0gvrl9n6NHz_RyVteoUfvLaO9vPrPP4QeQwRkVQzuHdxqLnMBnkUC4FTn1mLwXnZko0xMQ/s1600/2015-07-08+08.56.04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ9yLxlQ7AEd0Yj7lmiaYNNNp3gtpmz4vdLLimn9MngF1lZ3BLLBHjl5tQZbFzyhJWDc7ES0gvrl9n6NHz_RyVteoUfvLaO9vPrPP4QeQwRkVQzuHdxqLnMBnkUC4FTn1mLwXnZko0xMQ/s320/2015-07-08+08.56.04.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sign of the day ;)</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxlxXuKiSiIyzZqBs_3Djz97lUQ9zZP136hMqJ9JrXMPkrid-K5mvJRnJSqTsCIZvDDPOQeIeQmMiBiuXczQv62GIjWr6W8kwghB4VOBP8jNTAs5xZ9wqI4f4xum24P3w0kfBv42Uckpo/s1600/2015-07-08+09.06.35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxlxXuKiSiIyzZqBs_3Djz97lUQ9zZP136hMqJ9JrXMPkrid-K5mvJRnJSqTsCIZvDDPOQeIeQmMiBiuXczQv62GIjWr6W8kwghB4VOBP8jNTAs5xZ9wqI4f4xum24P3w0kfBv42Uckpo/s320/2015-07-08+09.06.35.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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As you can see in the above picture, the trail was well maintained and not too rocky, and stayed that way throughout the whole hike. There were a few muddy parts and puddles due to the rain, but nothing that couldn't be avoided. The trail ascended quite a bit during the first mile, then went downhill a bit - it didn't seem like much while we were hiking to the peak, but when we were hiking back our legs were definitely feeling that uphill section! </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN-xw1FOXEadH7hGuVclqWZ2wQeZa6oBihDz7M-s-_ToGbWBvxxAipOhfdYa7ZKye1ZhqiU3aU6swo60wJiGDMlH5Ft-Di1uSKcTkT233CcbYNU1rGmocHZKl3e1eGMJsRtLOJWqDK2P0/s1600/2015-07-08+09.06.42.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN-xw1FOXEadH7hGuVclqWZ2wQeZa6oBihDz7M-s-_ToGbWBvxxAipOhfdYa7ZKye1ZhqiU3aU6swo60wJiGDMlH5Ft-Di1uSKcTkT233CcbYNU1rGmocHZKl3e1eGMJsRtLOJWqDK2P0/s320/2015-07-08+09.06.42.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My adorable parents :)</td></tr>
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The weather was absolutely perfect for hiking today. It was cool and breezy, and hiking in the early morning provided enough shade from the beautiful pines. The haze we had seen over the past couple days from the wildfires in Canada wasn't as apparent today, which was ideal for the great views at the end!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGlPPtCerCCj83ypQjaE4J7SjPEMEv2LQz_2uoBBMC5_AIcwvkk8OeQfj4E54V8SyEfxP6ivq13m8RsiZ2V1ezkGHCxWR31MRB_r0nIWqsXTUHcnaonfcGPYzGQ65YNuJJKac5-4hEISI/s1600/2015-07-08+09.10.50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGlPPtCerCCj83ypQjaE4J7SjPEMEv2LQz_2uoBBMC5_AIcwvkk8OeQfj4E54V8SyEfxP6ivq13m8RsiZ2V1ezkGHCxWR31MRB_r0nIWqsXTUHcnaonfcGPYzGQ65YNuJJKac5-4hEISI/s320/2015-07-08+09.10.50.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Find Sarah on the big rock!</td></tr>
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We came across a lot more hikers today than we had the past 3 days. It's obvious that this trail is more used, in fact I read that during the summer, it has about 200 hikers on it each day! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joel! Our fearless leader!</td></tr>
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So the one eventful thing that happened on our hike up... We came to a 3-way trail intersection. We saw this sign, parallel to the trail, with the arrow for Harney Peak pointing to the narrow trail behind it, and to a spur trail on the right. We took a look at it and didn't really have any question about it - it was obvious that we go on the narrow trail for the peak, right? So being obedient, sign-following hikers, we set off on the trail. </div>
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Almost right away, I began having doubts. Why was this peak trail more narrow and overgrown than the spur trail? Where were the other hikers? And what was with all these horse droppings? I voiced my concerns, but because we were all so sure that the arrow was pointing this way, we carried on for at least a half mile. I finally spoke up when I realized that the trail was heading generally South, and not uphill. We needed to be going Northeast and obviously uphill! So we turned around, still doubting ourselves and what the right thing to do was. We had a little snack before continuing. Times like this show true character on the trails, and I think we all passed the test because even with adding an extra mile to our overall mileage, there was no complaining, just comments of "this was an adventure!" and "what a great story to tell!"</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How the sign should have been!</td></tr>
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We made it back to the intersection and figured out what went wrong - some genius hiker must have thought it would be hilarious to rotate the trail sign meant for people coming down the trail to confuse those heading up. What a great idea! *sarcasm* Still, it was an adventure, and at the end of the day we were able to say we hiked 8 miles instead of 7.</div>
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After that, the trail got steeper until it came to another trail intersection - and this time the trails were correctly marked, and we made our way up the final switchbacks to the Harney Peak Lookout! I tell you, the hardest part of this entire trail was climbing the steps up this tower. I can do rough, rocky trails, but but a staircase at the end and I am done!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The backside of Mt. Rushmore!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the lookout tower</td></tr>
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Harney Peak is awesome - At the highest point of the summit is the fire lookout tower, but beneath that is a large rock face that we enjoyed roaming around and checking out all the different views. Some people said they had seen bighorn sheep here earlier, but we couldn't see any - while that would have been cool, after my experience at Supai, I have a little bit of PTSD around those guys!</div>
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It was fun contemplating the different state high points I had been to while up here. Of course there's Arizona's Mt. Humphreys. Then, on the way up to SD, we passed by the highest point in Iowa, Hawkeye Point. Iowa's highest point is at 1700 feet of elevation. That's well over 3000 feet below where we started. However, at the highest point of SD, you're still below the trailhead to Mt. Humphreys in AZ, where the peak is 12,600 feet above sea level. So, is Harneys Peak very high? It's all relative! :)</div>
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I loved everything about this scenery. Every mountain range has its own beauty. I loved being able to look down over all the Black Hills. I can't wait to bring Curtis and Charlotte back here someday.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the top of the lookout tower!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sisters at the top :) So proud of them!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhghRjGSTt-_iXtW1zGvn8OStbYvbRzLOsWl4Bh9LcffxdizYWsx661Xztp4TvlS3a0NAfhr44CSk4d5TXUAKa0Z82gfSGZcAHAiO07YqmDVP0sZFKKJbaB9mmnGSgzJv3WajjhFgIlT60/s1600/2015-07-08+11.19.59.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhghRjGSTt-_iXtW1zGvn8OStbYvbRzLOsWl4Bh9LcffxdizYWsx661Xztp4TvlS3a0NAfhr44CSk4d5TXUAKa0Z82gfSGZcAHAiO07YqmDVP0sZFKKJbaB9mmnGSgzJv3WajjhFgIlT60/s320/2015-07-08+11.19.59.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can you find Sarah?</td></tr>
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We made it to the peak around 11:15, which I think is great time for having started around 8:45 and getting off for about a mile. We enjoyed being at the top for a long while, eating, resting, and exploring. Joel made friends with some of the cutest chipmunks ever.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxdb4WllyDjsRf8BiiPYtJHG-aopo7n0qmuB3SWsf-q6yL6bOmXZ8CbVLorui96Cmr-jSmxA023uhyJCo6VBhwwc2zqbWupDL2E1Y-oVHZRdaUaz7mBRn7wuOsC8tkg_Tas3o6E9em8UM/s1600/2015-07-08+11.34.32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxdb4WllyDjsRf8BiiPYtJHG-aopo7n0qmuB3SWsf-q6yL6bOmXZ8CbVLorui96Cmr-jSmxA023uhyJCo6VBhwwc2zqbWupDL2E1Y-oVHZRdaUaz7mBRn7wuOsC8tkg_Tas3o6E9em8UM/s320/2015-07-08+11.34.32.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We finally started back down after at least an hour at the top. It was much less eventful than the way up, with only that brief uphill section slowing us down. It was becoming cloudier as the day went on, so we were glad to have finished it when we did!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoXMoJrmppUZclCW44a8PbUiD1hyphenhyphenyzKtxE6s0dIhLMeVuJFIer67h8uD27HwUN_X8UrMfWYtg_U1XFdtEhQY9DOLEsq0SRrnfmM-KsvP4tydsrVbl9Iq7m2Ph5mJZemUUmx8PWJoMoz3k/s1600/2015-07-08+12.59.52.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoXMoJrmppUZclCW44a8PbUiD1hyphenhyphenyzKtxE6s0dIhLMeVuJFIer67h8uD27HwUN_X8UrMfWYtg_U1XFdtEhQY9DOLEsq0SRrnfmM-KsvP4tydsrVbl9Iq7m2Ph5mJZemUUmx8PWJoMoz3k/s320/2015-07-08+12.59.52.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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On the way up, I didn't notice this (because I didn't know what I was looking for!) but on the way back we were able to spot the tower from far away. And when we could see it from this distant look, it made us feel even more impressed with how far we had walked - this was no easy hike!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love my mom!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8hiujTR3ywfeChauFiX36fXABm01wzNkBFakgD_A799ILiM3lLX6bfM9q30cuErkxalzaETDOc_ilx2U2uHFnWRgblV3EyG2JTv8K70PKqqzjvxNDM4oSRLD2_Q3iGzHGmpRayJ9IWp0/s1600/2015-07-08+13.30.21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8hiujTR3ywfeChauFiX36fXABm01wzNkBFakgD_A799ILiM3lLX6bfM9q30cuErkxalzaETDOc_ilx2U2uHFnWRgblV3EyG2JTv8K70PKqqzjvxNDM4oSRLD2_Q3iGzHGmpRayJ9IWp0/s320/2015-07-08+13.30.21.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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After we made it back to the car, I really wanted to see Sylvan Lake, so I left my family resting at one point and followed the lake trail a little ways. This reminded me of Watson Lake in Prescott, AZ. I love how the water meets the granite rocks. On the East end of the lake, there were people all over the place, but once I wandered over a hill and around a bend on the trail, it was just me and a couple of geese. It was gorgeous, and maybe if we all weren't so tired from the hike, we would have circled the whole lake trail. Oh well, maybe next time. :)</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My goose friend.</td></tr>
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And that wraps up our family vacation! I am so glad I was able to travel with my family again. It really helped this week to go by faster, and we made so many great memories! Of course, I know I'll have to come back here some day to make new ones with my husband & puppy. :) </div>
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Day 5 Wrap up: Hiked 8 miles to Harneys Peak and enjoyed the wide views, needles, and lovely lake in Custer State Park!</div>
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The next day, we drove straight back home - 11 hours! Not much else to say about that. :)</div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07242952607553226949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5296140025249745085.post-88654525212700339212015-07-23T22:13:00.000-07:002015-07-23T22:13:13.724-07:00Family Vacation, Day 4<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Tuesday, July 7, 2015</div>
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Devil's Tower and Spearfish Canyon</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRPwHhYBII6VOhWlLndo_tCbfsSvjvpnRGEpy_kfPqMOWp9vL52ijNXNyOWDJq7D4zPxQTo_f_Y_253bSGm-orhYF1dvixVG1k2vS9dusJTLFuEo1LW5oeuwHnqF7IkiHD51xwMzxyq38/s1600/2015-07-07+10.04.46.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRPwHhYBII6VOhWlLndo_tCbfsSvjvpnRGEpy_kfPqMOWp9vL52ijNXNyOWDJq7D4zPxQTo_f_Y_253bSGm-orhYF1dvixVG1k2vS9dusJTLFuEo1LW5oeuwHnqF7IkiHD51xwMzxyq38/s320/2015-07-07+10.04.46.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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For our 3rd full day of vacationing, we decided to take a little road trip to visit Devil's Tower National Monument. It's a 2 hour drive from where we were staying - in Hill City, SD - but we had heard from multiple people that it was worth the drive and we didn't want to miss it! And so we headed a little West for another adventure!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiar9v8ePjjAGrqHbcyEj_R1g3Sock4w6TMo5qXs3uvXkbPpBEcst6A3FZOwwzUxrTBmA22Xu9OyFqtBOMSJrdGqIOu59NcIlWXtJDAOXDyO8YPQQ6zHEqI72EDcwdP54cMZqY_PPc4Vc8/s1600/2015-07-07+10.32.58.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiar9v8ePjjAGrqHbcyEj_R1g3Sock4w6TMo5qXs3uvXkbPpBEcst6A3FZOwwzUxrTBmA22Xu9OyFqtBOMSJrdGqIOu59NcIlWXtJDAOXDyO8YPQQ6zHEqI72EDcwdP54cMZqY_PPc4Vc8/s320/2015-07-07+10.32.58.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We had only been in Wyoming once, very briefly while driving on I-80 before heading South to Rocky Mountain National Park. I couldn't believe how beautiful this state is from I-90! From the rolling hills covered in pines to the red rocks popping out, contrasting against the yellow grass, I couldn't take my eyes off the beauty of this land. It sure makes the drive interesting after having driven 10 hours past nothing but cornfields and grasslands. ;)</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some red rocks peaking through the hills!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSbEP7HZ7QS90DtVrMiv_HfYbAtSyGZgJsLCN0WSYkPN4n6qIcDvYzMX9bVGCCd3DRHQZjP6lMHKF29HxejuJpHUv5sDvI8DbplIubav61EaDSfB3xD5whYk_HZnELM10T1F5FU3qA77E/s1600/2015-07-07+10.48.14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSbEP7HZ7QS90DtVrMiv_HfYbAtSyGZgJsLCN0WSYkPN4n6qIcDvYzMX9bVGCCd3DRHQZjP6lMHKF29HxejuJpHUv5sDvI8DbplIubav61EaDSfB3xD5whYk_HZnELM10T1F5FU3qA77E/s320/2015-07-07+10.48.14.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I was shocked when I first saw Devil's Tower - I knew it was a tall prominent feature, I just had no idea how much taller it would be compared to its surroundings!! Standing on a hill at 5,112 feet, it's pretty hard to miss while driving on this highway. Because of the haze brought on by the Canadian wildfires, the tower had an eerie, mysterious look from afar.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Ax0Q8t0a7JNSEaWI8rRH6TcH499hk_-dsLmgofU8IkFANr3lUwBz23LgzlOr1A7FnwzCjYmoeuLgbrwEuS-DQYHEXKpv4U-AdjOgGW2mGT_mPlp8bLv_WEOnGgb9YmJrkq6BZ1jadRA/s1600/2015-07-07+11.22.55.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Ax0Q8t0a7JNSEaWI8rRH6TcH499hk_-dsLmgofU8IkFANr3lUwBz23LgzlOr1A7FnwzCjYmoeuLgbrwEuS-DQYHEXKpv4U-AdjOgGW2mGT_mPlp8bLv_WEOnGgb9YmJrkq6BZ1jadRA/s320/2015-07-07+11.22.55.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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But just because you can see it from driving past doesn't mean you shouldn't stop! We decided to take the mile long loop trail that circles the tower. Once again, the parking lot, visitor's center, and initial lookout happened to be the busiest parts of the park, and we were able to enjoy the tower from all sides without the crowds. (Though I'm not sure if being around other tourists is something my family is as bothered by as I am...I just like enjoying God's creation in peace!) :)</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close up of my sign for today - always thinking of my husband. :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking out over the Wyoming countryside.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My lovely parents!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5eTyAaSeponzDsgCRWg3a9L0f7rtrIbB21__sPW2MMYT8CAJzxVWhWLeS5Oq_GPn6LfdbJMgNko4tMACYk3gT8GfBj4xXpwUsTgZldv_0_k2iUX_BcUaxZpLPO3s4CKshIinCyAQ-H9c/s1600/2015-07-07+11.34.39.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5eTyAaSeponzDsgCRWg3a9L0f7rtrIbB21__sPW2MMYT8CAJzxVWhWLeS5Oq_GPn6LfdbJMgNko4tMACYk3gT8GfBj4xXpwUsTgZldv_0_k2iUX_BcUaxZpLPO3s4CKshIinCyAQ-H9c/s320/2015-07-07+11.34.39.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sister sister!</td></tr>
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We enjoyed watching some itty bitty climbers slowly making their way up the tower. Some of us expressed interest in trying this someday, but others (me) prefer to stick with hiking around them. ;)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhibEcMYJPaw_e2q8WcEsg0gX-7eBcBgYQvf0a4J-5DTMsr_J32SisKEoe3XR9n11Gg6CUB-5TXPd88pamoI2r3ZXBStK2BKHk8_Y5WQbQdQY0mnvJJfcb1WTjoETbf18qcAKK-IMBfOm8/s1600/2015-07-07+12.31.08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhibEcMYJPaw_e2q8WcEsg0gX-7eBcBgYQvf0a4J-5DTMsr_J32SisKEoe3XR9n11Gg6CUB-5TXPd88pamoI2r3ZXBStK2BKHk8_Y5WQbQdQY0mnvJJfcb1WTjoETbf18qcAKK-IMBfOm8/s320/2015-07-07+12.31.08.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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On our way out, we stopped to say hi to some very friendly prairie dogs! They were so adorable...yet signs warned us of them having fleas carrying the plague, so it wasn't too tempting to try to take one home as a souvenir for Charlotte. ;)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3JIBh4WtxkFWlfQ8oJ5rWyGt5f-IqdI-jAPHVAbaWewz_fH542tXGBXDwWXJFbQHS0tezfYNeiDRtYKVSpOhNU50aaUX7SKDNwE5Vf-67KhJ_QRptcD6jcjbNY2VmgF5vbmD-yusl4sA/s1600/2015-07-07+12.32.39.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3JIBh4WtxkFWlfQ8oJ5rWyGt5f-IqdI-jAPHVAbaWewz_fH542tXGBXDwWXJFbQHS0tezfYNeiDRtYKVSpOhNU50aaUX7SKDNwE5Vf-67KhJ_QRptcD6jcjbNY2VmgF5vbmD-yusl4sA/s320/2015-07-07+12.32.39.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They were rather fond of dad!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goodbye, Devil's Tower!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMAqzgbLSLeOnxyKD-BSvjf1TF5F9rLQ54v_0HA22X88QG48DUcbnW16LKGT1pDFO3gA7OsY1D9X23j-oynodplwgPRZajaVxhfYmtWoteEaErdOTKVrMayB4JjRXL6861Ex-_8fVUArI/s1600/2015-07-07+12.51.48.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMAqzgbLSLeOnxyKD-BSvjf1TF5F9rLQ54v_0HA22X88QG48DUcbnW16LKGT1pDFO3gA7OsY1D9X23j-oynodplwgPRZajaVxhfYmtWoteEaErdOTKVrMayB4JjRXL6861Ex-_8fVUArI/s320/2015-07-07+12.51.48.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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After spending an hour or two here, we headed back to South Dakota, via a different highway than the one we came. All for the sake of being able to highlight new roads on the atlas! Sorry Curtis! (And yes, I'll get my own Atlas, and keep ours strictly for us.) ;)</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRur_c4IHOL8rHhb_TKPAayol0mpKMx9lyQpwMbp7B_qMmBSQbuZuumkc-aY_9kIYK_M5dLUCe1Z6faA6gaC2vvk-9PgvKoMDq9H2O-aVBTgfUFnsiOFLIh5_jx-QxfRaG5pY8cdPuJ0g/s1600/2015-07-07+13.28.20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRur_c4IHOL8rHhb_TKPAayol0mpKMx9lyQpwMbp7B_qMmBSQbuZuumkc-aY_9kIYK_M5dLUCe1Z6faA6gaC2vvk-9PgvKoMDq9H2O-aVBTgfUFnsiOFLIh5_jx-QxfRaG5pY8cdPuJ0g/s320/2015-07-07+13.28.20.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thank goodness we left the state, I wasn't able to get my Welcome-to-SD picture last time!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyvriZbORRARYAvgWHoHdfuQ6TtoAWfF-SHHhyphenhyphent3Pw9gLAXbRktxuKy1g_v47oocpAdQWc3MRfIUbEl0lLs1HR5-5rVVMo8QZKUDIw7F9na6fn1_1QbxTD_s5jCcra0XBrgEWJ4C-WJFU/s1600/2015-07-07+13.54.33.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyvriZbORRARYAvgWHoHdfuQ6TtoAWfF-SHHhyphenhyphent3Pw9gLAXbRktxuKy1g_v47oocpAdQWc3MRfIUbEl0lLs1HR5-5rVVMo8QZKUDIw7F9na6fn1_1QbxTD_s5jCcra0XBrgEWJ4C-WJFU/s320/2015-07-07+13.54.33.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Missing him, and would rather be kissing my husband under these falls!</td></tr>
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When we got to Spearfish, we exited the interstate and took the long, scenic way back, through Spearfish Canyon. We were thrilled by the tall, towering canyon walls that made us feel so small. It reminded me just a bit of the feeling I got in Zion National Park...I just love looking up at those sheer canyon walls. And to top it all off, we were able to see multiple waterfalls as we drove along!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZnVTD_Aqy7vrC7jngSexMcw_Aajri70VGqvHIDTBo6stV45nFV0d-5Pxo98UXgO9hOzfNSp_MFxfQEBatsouPmQrmaY7veWzKvOOo0SLVx1O2XLAa9d2nQONXCSRXPvktMtBxQnGOrSI/s1600/2015-07-07+14.00.55.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZnVTD_Aqy7vrC7jngSexMcw_Aajri70VGqvHIDTBo6stV45nFV0d-5Pxo98UXgO9hOzfNSp_MFxfQEBatsouPmQrmaY7veWzKvOOo0SLVx1O2XLAa9d2nQONXCSRXPvktMtBxQnGOrSI/s320/2015-07-07+14.00.55.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bridal Veil Falls, right off of Spearfish Canyon highway!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6xrckPHrz2ynpzl-MrUHYnTd4XvjEEyDErLehbgOU7xuw1cr1hm1TRt_7G3Soyh3E0Eqty3NnMPYqi4Y85OeBp2Z_9eqTGNykgy0_nCwQ6gGbl3xJg1ptr5gwaF4DT2Q0pxp0W3Gkkn8/s1600/2015-07-07+14.30.09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6xrckPHrz2ynpzl-MrUHYnTd4XvjEEyDErLehbgOU7xuw1cr1hm1TRt_7G3Soyh3E0Eqty3NnMPYqi4Y85OeBp2Z_9eqTGNykgy0_nCwQ6gGbl3xJg1ptr5gwaF4DT2Q0pxp0W3Gkkn8/s320/2015-07-07+14.30.09.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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For our last hike of the day, we walked on the 1 mile trail to Roughlock Falls. We figured out at the end that you can actually drive to the end just to see the falls, but who wants to miss hiking in this gorgeous canyon? (on a completely flat and very easy trail, I might add!) While lots of people were gathered at the falls, the trail was quiet and we soaked in the scenery of this magnificent canyon.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsnUIluXgmmqI7Vdtn3Qtyb5hL8aqZrG5-GAGD0GRlxWgusz2CB2r-dTHvNIB3NzG9FJezlD7Pt3hx1O7toj1D-E-7dR4yflpw6Gb8_fI_V2l6ZC80KtETGPOIqKBfhGVfviXuPxRXZMo/s1600/2015-07-07+14.45.50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsnUIluXgmmqI7Vdtn3Qtyb5hL8aqZrG5-GAGD0GRlxWgusz2CB2r-dTHvNIB3NzG9FJezlD7Pt3hx1O7toj1D-E-7dR4yflpw6Gb8_fI_V2l6ZC80KtETGPOIqKBfhGVfviXuPxRXZMo/s320/2015-07-07+14.45.50.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We also ran into a great big Newfoundland dog. This may have been Sarah's highlight of the hike. ;) The Trail took us along the creek that comes from the falls, and offers great views of the canyon walls lined with pines opposite us.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roughlock Falls!</td></tr>
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The end was gorgeous, and we enjoyed viewing the Roughlock falls from all around. This area (along with the rest of the Midwest, I think!) has gotten plenty of rain this year, and while other days we may have been suffering due to the mosquitos that come because of that, today we were thoroughly enjoying it because it made the falls so great to see!</div>
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After our little hike, we made our way back to Hill City, where we had dinner in our cabin, then went for a walk in "downtown" Hill City that ended with ice cream. A wonderful end to the perfect vacation day!</div>
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Day 4 wrap up: drove 250 miles, hiked 3 miles, saw Devil's Tower National Monument and Spearfish Canyon.</div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07242952607553226949noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5296140025249745085.post-29942325550415707342015-07-22T21:09:00.001-07:002015-07-23T22:13:28.612-07:00Family Vacation, Day 3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Monday, July 6, 2015</div>
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Exploring the Black Hills of South Dakota</div>
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For our first full day in the Black Hills area, we decided to do a little mix of sightseeing and hiking. Everything we wanted to see was within a reasonable driving distance from where we were staying, so we never had to do too much driving. Our day started out with a visit to Mt. Rushmore National Memorial.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A message for my husband.</td></tr>
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While we had seen the memorial itself in many pictures before, we were in awe of how big it is in person. It is also quite impressive with how much detail was put into the faces. It reminded me a bit of visiting Montezuma Castle - even though Curtis and I visited it 3 times, we were always struck by how BIG it was. It's so hard to imagine people up there, working diligently to make it just right!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Artsy pose with my cool sister!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Family!</td></tr>
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We took the short loop trail that takes up up closer to the memorial, and paid a little visit to the Sculptor's studio. It was fun learning about all the time, effort, mistakes, and many hands involved in making this memorial what it is today.</div>
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After that, we drove to Custer State Park. We drove through 3 narrow tunnels cut out of rock and switchbacked up and down steep, winding roads. Once entering the park, we kept our eyes pealed, searching for any sign of wildlife the park promised we'd see.</div>
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Mom was the first to spot some - 2 buffalo on the side of the road! We were so excited, dad drove slowly as we all took pictures and joked about the things this beast could do to our suburban. As we were inching our way along watching, a car coming from the opposite direction stopped and called out, "There are over 100 more around the corner!"</div>
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And he was right - Buffalo everywhere, as far as we could see! There were many people stopped and disobeying the signs warning against getting out of your cars to see the buffalo better. While we understand that they are dangerous to be outside around, we decided to take our chances, knowing we couldn't possibly be the slowest out of all these people to rush back to our car for shelter if a dangerous situation were to occur. Spoiler alert, no one stopped was injured during this buffalo crossing!</div>
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After this, we stopped in the visitor's center and talked to a very friendly and helpful park ranger about the trails in the area. We were all ready to do some hiking at this point and be out of the car, so when she pointed out Lover's Leap as a popular loop trail in the park, we jumped at this option. The trailhead was right across the street from the visitor's center, which may have been a big factor in why we chose it - so that we wouldn't have to drive any more!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHtWF2gAO8X8cYFOtBqAemelDI86H1nCAcSW5hKRw7LViB8kGIYdYV8KX7w_oJNkocrJsEIn68EzKlnRH9-J2ldXP6r7Unz5cN29C0D-VCVV4qiA_YC_NAJy_1AhVkp-59H-gvQTDJCq8/s1600/2015-07-06+12.27.19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHtWF2gAO8X8cYFOtBqAemelDI86H1nCAcSW5hKRw7LViB8kGIYdYV8KX7w_oJNkocrJsEIn68EzKlnRH9-J2ldXP6r7Unz5cN29C0D-VCVV4qiA_YC_NAJy_1AhVkp-59H-gvQTDJCq8/s320/2015-07-06+12.27.19.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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Lover's Leap is a 3 mile loop trail that quickly ascends a steep hill, then follows a ridge up and down before descending and taking you along a lush area with a flowing stream. While the beginning was very steep, everyone pushed through and we made it to the ridge in less than 15 minutes. </div>
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We were all a little winded after making it up to the ridge, so we stopped and took some pictures while we caught our breath. We knew that there was a great view to our right, however we weren't able to see it because of all the trees in the way!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4CAUJqJHBVn9NJfMLavv6p_nu5NkYR3ESOqUD7OA-K9rBGFIoJXTRcKDFuv8k6bOwuqnrYcZD7Luq3Stb7V-h6Z43KXYpNn8lk4xui4mvSyDvAVxIyTOF2geMOaM8y2OPutMwL0H7bRo/s1600/2015-07-06+12.44.55.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4CAUJqJHBVn9NJfMLavv6p_nu5NkYR3ESOqUD7OA-K9rBGFIoJXTRcKDFuv8k6bOwuqnrYcZD7Luq3Stb7V-h6Z43KXYpNn8lk4xui4mvSyDvAVxIyTOF2geMOaM8y2OPutMwL0H7bRo/s320/2015-07-06+12.44.55.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My mom & I!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXqkrEon4phjZBa93mOUELhszNw_8UpI26GXKYvOnO-1LNTi1N815kyYQksM-_tyiFwhS2LHmQepihZCN-YaL3x6itFvlR80JjntCQGGkNHsQ1XGfoZBgtmlDU92g7l1mO86AW3lpHj2A/s1600/2015-07-06+12.45.04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXqkrEon4phjZBa93mOUELhszNw_8UpI26GXKYvOnO-1LNTi1N815kyYQksM-_tyiFwhS2LHmQepihZCN-YaL3x6itFvlR80JjntCQGGkNHsQ1XGfoZBgtmlDU92g7l1mO86AW3lpHj2A/s320/2015-07-06+12.45.04.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daddy & me!</td></tr>
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After walking along the ridge for a bit, up and down a series of small uphill and downhill sections, we made it to the main attraction of the trail - a large outcropping of rocks with a great view. Legend has it that this is where 2 Native American lovers took a leap, hence the name, "Lover's Leap."</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPCVVQlN3kmyk5PLHCDnrkS5GUnJkId-ht8qMP0LI-a78t9qnzqOW5_I5VteMiI7EinrHBnj75U6XrLXylVh5JEQtEldwQdOiPnpi5At3rWAp7E4LsNgiR6ZtYPxaoP5S6mzCb_VXo1oI/s1600/2015-07-06+13.01.38.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPCVVQlN3kmyk5PLHCDnrkS5GUnJkId-ht8qMP0LI-a78t9qnzqOW5_I5VteMiI7EinrHBnj75U6XrLXylVh5JEQtEldwQdOiPnpi5At3rWAp7E4LsNgiR6ZtYPxaoP5S6mzCb_VXo1oI/s320/2015-07-06+13.01.38.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj92NO0tf5tuOuc2QFEUTQHAcbkmpcv9W-U5c4p8lCU2-rjd9YGb8GhoxeCQpOJpb_dvPeT0OS8ZjMlh5PdIbBiRRfXPkVl2sdvSO0rlth4RAewaa6v9RuFiF-SftrmJrzak3B2L-zvGw/s1600/2015-07-06+13.02.05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj92NO0tf5tuOuc2QFEUTQHAcbkmpcv9W-U5c4p8lCU2-rjd9YGb8GhoxeCQpOJpb_dvPeT0OS8ZjMlh5PdIbBiRRfXPkVl2sdvSO0rlth4RAewaa6v9RuFiF-SftrmJrzak3B2L-zvGw/s320/2015-07-06+13.02.05.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPK7ZVafwXvg2nUVHr-CSmylUAQ0xzOVYFsd63_rJiJGNP9XyRdlBKme_zH5t5nysz3mzcJ-wnzgRlgZwoYCQ_Bgx-kW-gRG-Fx5T7_vdWrPRYqcqpdi5KbK-IRj3kfn0808j0v5uwQEc/s1600/2015-07-06+13.03.04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPK7ZVafwXvg2nUVHr-CSmylUAQ0xzOVYFsd63_rJiJGNP9XyRdlBKme_zH5t5nysz3mzcJ-wnzgRlgZwoYCQ_Bgx-kW-gRG-Fx5T7_vdWrPRYqcqpdi5KbK-IRj3kfn0808j0v5uwQEc/s320/2015-07-06+13.03.04.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Panorama of the view!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFnl4b9zRXwI_thz3PfN6Bmn1vDRGyAjk0QZAlvNs1bsnUd6JXVigfQY81fPS5YH23QAfzz4JIzE0GBnK7swdScvNX46wgR0n5x_-QEy8x0lSKt1mXyb6r5-rSFM4zCa5XXHSf87QdtMU/s1600/11737825_10153400233402332_7427707365492828073_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFnl4b9zRXwI_thz3PfN6Bmn1vDRGyAjk0QZAlvNs1bsnUd6JXVigfQY81fPS5YH23QAfzz4JIzE0GBnK7swdScvNX46wgR0n5x_-QEy8x0lSKt1mXyb6r5-rSFM4zCa5XXHSf87QdtMU/s320/11737825_10153400233402332_7427707365492828073_n.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Squad!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEOCnttNnBXpNQML1RctVNYzg_ZL9fsRI8tXVQo_LU9jTaB50C0H37jIOGhe00-EhaqsFpV2_1HJVzryXmDKpQiftn9dWPoTAz5JM1NHWVxojuwzY42_u_lomyoFuOWFyscJhh8gQf41E/s1600/2015-07-06+13.04.11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEOCnttNnBXpNQML1RctVNYzg_ZL9fsRI8tXVQo_LU9jTaB50C0H37jIOGhe00-EhaqsFpV2_1HJVzryXmDKpQiftn9dWPoTAz5JM1NHWVxojuwzY42_u_lomyoFuOWFyscJhh8gQf41E/s320/2015-07-06+13.04.11.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My sisters!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_yzEbh22fLJ8MeCO-p9FcVTIstWr-68vxjyCbl5TngZ_z3yptDnBTTNm39WW5fw0BGKkpwEEXYWs76Y7Ax4Rp6fNWOnMnpGy9Fi7ZMvZj-sGbVNb7qMTsZ4b0Fzzs8kM62heV7ZCHYWo/s1600/2015-07-06+13.05.06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_yzEbh22fLJ8MeCO-p9FcVTIstWr-68vxjyCbl5TngZ_z3yptDnBTTNm39WW5fw0BGKkpwEEXYWs76Y7Ax4Rp6fNWOnMnpGy9Fi7ZMvZj-sGbVNb7qMTsZ4b0Fzzs8kM62heV7ZCHYWo/s320/2015-07-06+13.05.06.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We stayed up here and snacked, rested, took pictures, and enjoyed the view. It was so worth all that steep uphill hiking! After this point, it was mostly downhill or flat from here on out.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm_DJkrZESNoFDLACRruKqdt-AEl2TzKzCemWqTFyL8ScvPzvy86SQin20y9tKVL_0Qo4r-xrQQ7i4tH4cSYXEijl0eG1PjjdRaxe1UM3Z9YuF17k14afM1BlIKJOJlQ7U0dLvsDznQHc/s1600/2015-07-06+13.17.15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm_DJkrZESNoFDLACRruKqdt-AEl2TzKzCemWqTFyL8ScvPzvy86SQin20y9tKVL_0Qo4r-xrQQ7i4tH4cSYXEijl0eG1PjjdRaxe1UM3Z9YuF17k14afM1BlIKJOJlQ7U0dLvsDznQHc/s320/2015-07-06+13.17.15.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgERJfBqI7M3iqkyH5L02YkrfyKrNsEtDv838DXXdU9-hIxBfuftO24jrKNV3chiO-SsRkB6gFLkCMkhdQkH-gdbX5xJ8Tja_1f6KxOs3KsMrFZmta467ym8JBacVHnkHgaIvE5Bb0UTOs/s1600/2015-07-06+13.31.05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgERJfBqI7M3iqkyH5L02YkrfyKrNsEtDv838DXXdU9-hIxBfuftO24jrKNV3chiO-SsRkB6gFLkCMkhdQkH-gdbX5xJ8Tja_1f6KxOs3KsMrFZmta467ym8JBacVHnkHgaIvE5Bb0UTOs/s320/2015-07-06+13.31.05.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fun fungi on the way back!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHAoT2AHBvuiPLz76WaMewoxb8KLqTItw-zhMgAbKIGb7zioe3E_JzOsgevLXq7cHgKsU-IMuPZ0o0f2amup6FL1ZPS9v6DoNeBO0Pog8MYLPJ9NDisr5HxUPlv2adS8qp9CC6cxT8AJo/s1600/2015-07-06+13.31.39.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHAoT2AHBvuiPLz76WaMewoxb8KLqTItw-zhMgAbKIGb7zioe3E_JzOsgevLXq7cHgKsU-IMuPZ0o0f2amup6FL1ZPS9v6DoNeBO0Pog8MYLPJ9NDisr5HxUPlv2adS8qp9CC6cxT8AJo/s320/2015-07-06+13.31.39.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A very red mushroom - it looked fake!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgywY6cdMty2JIge1YQ5q_9yCq0YYqPft4Mq3h6p8J-BRedAswWLPbYjvRBtcXHZ4-hZF64sIVGaV__ZRcwfg0_cdDCqDysjnJYE_XOfnyOspLXmKzQxQ-CzLjs_U56Ix6cyDwXL0PUlpU/s1600/2015-07-06+13.35.04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgywY6cdMty2JIge1YQ5q_9yCq0YYqPft4Mq3h6p8J-BRedAswWLPbYjvRBtcXHZ4-hZF64sIVGaV__ZRcwfg0_cdDCqDysjnJYE_XOfnyOspLXmKzQxQ-CzLjs_U56Ix6cyDwXL0PUlpU/s320/2015-07-06+13.35.04.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joel, our fearless leader, showing us the way back!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUmPcMJL0EjfX8wnjlOE1YTfIEIgwEWxBgWvWCALViSBQdi4iWfk5K0DHrYdU_13VC1wiaN8Mvn-TQRfq6FX9-ZFsrd1lqN0FPEiXgjaejvGmBsSIhRsXHA8QTUKRnp3Byv029wwXCYlY/s1600/2015-07-06+13.36.38.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUmPcMJL0EjfX8wnjlOE1YTfIEIgwEWxBgWvWCALViSBQdi4iWfk5K0DHrYdU_13VC1wiaN8Mvn-TQRfq6FX9-ZFsrd1lqN0FPEiXgjaejvGmBsSIhRsXHA8QTUKRnp3Byv029wwXCYlY/s320/2015-07-06+13.36.38.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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After descending the hill, the trail remained flat and took us through a lush, green forest. It crossed over the stream multiple times, each time offering a small foot bridge to walk across.</div>
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The lady in the visitor's center told us that this was one of the most popular trails in Custer State Park, however we only saw 3 other groups hiking on it today. That surprised me because of how full the parking lots were, but this turned out to be a theme on the trip - while parking lots and visitor's centers were full, once we set out on a trail, we would be almost completely on our own!</div>
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We completed the 3 mile loop in less than 2 ½ hours. After that, we decided to take the long way around the park and enjoy the wildlife along the way. Even on this cloudy and chilly day, we were able to see more buffalo, burros, and prairie dogs!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wild donkeys!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Very friendly little guy :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They all lined up and posed for me!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyvlokrJwOUICaNgSMc0gpMreqAde9GpQYx1fpbO4mWktjirW4fAtNDurUQE4FoenMwKtHQpOW4RHYtCTzm7NUjLyZLF86V505GvRD31dg2coxUilV_BtBMW5xffqW0Me1wcMiBJfDXlI/s1600/2015-07-06+15.26.48.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyvlokrJwOUICaNgSMc0gpMreqAde9GpQYx1fpbO4mWktjirW4fAtNDurUQE4FoenMwKtHQpOW4RHYtCTzm7NUjLyZLF86V505GvRD31dg2coxUilV_BtBMW5xffqW0Me1wcMiBJfDXlI/s320/2015-07-06+15.26.48.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We love prairie dogs! Thankfully this wasn't our only sighting on this trip. :)</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWhXJ28oKFAmbLh9-xFC_GasdBMF1HqFk3nQqqfJtQ9wOzi76rz2klKumW-1KANrYT_a4SKAKZ2F9VNMyinAuOeaBnVp3H8_xN99QH_fe7aQPbKpeNGQuveUXsBQMGshqUK7flYYTjn_I/s1600/2015-07-06+15.47.09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWhXJ28oKFAmbLh9-xFC_GasdBMF1HqFk3nQqqfJtQ9wOzi76rz2klKumW-1KANrYT_a4SKAKZ2F9VNMyinAuOeaBnVp3H8_xN99QH_fe7aQPbKpeNGQuveUXsBQMGshqUK7flYYTjn_I/s320/2015-07-06+15.47.09.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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Our next stop was at the Mt. Coolidge Firetower. Dad did a great job driving up the very steep, narrow, dirt road to the tower, which climbed almost 1000 feet from the road to the parking lot! While it was cloudy and hazy (from the wildfires going on in the Canadian Rockies), we were able to enjoy the view, and get a better idea for how great this land is.</div>
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Our final stop in Custer State Park was at Stockade Lake. It was chilly, yet quiet and peaceful here. That is, until my siblings began the rock skipping contest. ;) Joel won with a very impressive 10 skips! Because of their hard work, we successfully transported 300 rocks from the side of the lake to the bottom of it. Joel told us it was the highlight of his trip, so far!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCAJ53B_cPJ0yOiejHDFcMr39QdN5xaOgn6Tc0SFqvn8M1YNeqw-4gXUrrIWcO18lDzBP0J308nZJdujDkXglz69fy19rsrVlXzjHQDe2QhOhFNRDzeedkqi4st8J8d4Eato4z02y_qPI/s1600/2015-07-06+16.14.05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCAJ53B_cPJ0yOiejHDFcMr39QdN5xaOgn6Tc0SFqvn8M1YNeqw-4gXUrrIWcO18lDzBP0J308nZJdujDkXglz69fy19rsrVlXzjHQDe2QhOhFNRDzeedkqi4st8J8d4Eato4z02y_qPI/s320/2015-07-06+16.14.05.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Panorama of the lovely lake.</td></tr>
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We drove past the exit for Crazy Horse on the way back, but took some advice from others and skipped visiting it. Here, we saw the silhouette of the work in progress.</div>
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We went back to our cabin for dinner, then attended the lighting ceremony at Mt. Rushmore at 9. It wasn't exactly what we expected it to be - we were thinking more lights and less talk - but we enjoyed the experience of it all. All in all, it was a great day and we enjoyed everything we were able to see!</div>
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Day 3 Wrap Up: Hiked 4 miles, visited Mt. Rushmore National Memorial and Custer State Park.</div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07242952607553226949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5296140025249745085.post-8631563180278902152015-07-21T20:25:00.001-07:002015-07-21T20:25:50.593-07:00Family Vacation, Day 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Sunday, July 5, 2015</div>
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Badlands National Park</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKUMJs5fLHjgpoYYgEisJhjGtrym_hChR67odyzCaGknzUZoWghXGSQuBWTeSLHxDcEZd80EHpTAoCaFUk_KXx3hYqylNR1C16fID3f0xndDbKSDz55I_sPbxKNtfuLDtx1-pn8h-XiaY/s1600/2015-07-05+09.41.18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKUMJs5fLHjgpoYYgEisJhjGtrym_hChR67odyzCaGknzUZoWghXGSQuBWTeSLHxDcEZd80EHpTAoCaFUk_KXx3hYqylNR1C16fID3f0xndDbKSDz55I_sPbxKNtfuLDtx1-pn8h-XiaY/s320/2015-07-05+09.41.18.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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On Sunday morning, we left bright and early for the 2 hour drive from Pierre to the Badlands. The temperature was forecasted to be in the 90's for the day, so the earlier the start, the better! In the Badlands, there is basically no shade, so we packed plenty of water and prepared for some hot and sunny hiking!</div>
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I was also concerned that the park would be quite busy because it was a holiday weekend in the summer, but we found that while the overlooks and visitor center were busy, we had the trails basically to ourselves. We decided to take the loop road through the park, enjoy the Big Badlands Overlook, and take a couple hikes through the park. We planned to visit only this park today and then drive the rest of the way to the Black Hills to our cabin for the week.</div>
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Our first trail here was the Window Trail, right off of the Badlands Loop off of the East exit from I-90. This one began with a boardwalk, then at the end offered a rockface ½ mile "trail". It wasn't exactly a paved trail, just a series of markers in the ground you could follow to get another great overlook.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking on the boardwalk</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gorgeous sunflowers!</td></tr>
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I was very impressed by the Badlands. Of course I had seen pictures of the familiar rocks and had seen the Painted Desert in Arizona which looks similar to the Badlands, but I wasn't prepared for how HUGE this place is! I just love being in national parks like this where you stand there and think, "I am so small. This land is so great." And because it was so great, I ended up with way more pictures than I can handle. Prepare yourselves!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Panorama from Window Trail</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyMZBW1K_EMlh4uNOiwZ1X7_YgksGCSCDqkSKd52TbWBaMZpiL18eBExkuVqgPYQclAVrL29XCnBHHZFpdHRou90cGdE8441eT4mJCPLqjBXprakUkZVt6ZwykItXiwhm4i9KxvEEFG8g/s1600/2015-07-05+09.49.44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyMZBW1K_EMlh4uNOiwZ1X7_YgksGCSCDqkSKd52TbWBaMZpiL18eBExkuVqgPYQclAVrL29XCnBHHZFpdHRou90cGdE8441eT4mJCPLqjBXprakUkZVt6ZwykItXiwhm4i9KxvEEFG8g/s320/2015-07-05+09.49.44.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He calls this pose the "squad" pose and you will see it throughout the entire vacation!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I actually have pictures of myself thanks to others having cameras! Typically I'm the only one with the camera so you don't see much of me. :)</td></tr>
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All of these pictures are from Window Trail - it was hot, but everyone did great and there wasn't a single complaint! While we may sometimes miss the "good old days" when we were all young kids growing up in a big family, it's really fun to be older kids who are all about having adventures together and can do fun hikes like this!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Victory is ours!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIOEqnn2NjYgjBPVnXSfgdctuYF0BwKaGrwryjWqVrOM1g5kKojU6b-ObWZ7CEnv70l1UsTgbty8HyR6g5k1zOp0jdemhQNa6glcfi4W0k3x7HSv9HA7_SXKbR_C2-AisImsMBVeLWMpw/s1600/11049563_10153400235802332_7220666792309170205_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIOEqnn2NjYgjBPVnXSfgdctuYF0BwKaGrwryjWqVrOM1g5kKojU6b-ObWZ7CEnv70l1UsTgbty8HyR6g5k1zOp0jdemhQNa6glcfi4W0k3x7HSv9HA7_SXKbR_C2-AisImsMBVeLWMpw/s320/11049563_10153400235802332_7220666792309170205_n.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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Window Trail is only a half mile round trip, so this was only our warm up - and we sure did get "warm"! It was very easy and a fun way to wander around these cool "bad" rocks.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA4l094PpXeFllb-TuSJJek_g4UvnfE6izRKARGsSbxmEujFIMvpszH-_vTXD2svLHpj6Pj4zQkQy4A8ddxqjstriS7ds6ect64QpIOEhQ1aAxdGcDgipWeYYo4Zuucj5XioiEVybvKqU/s1600/2015-07-05+10.14.59.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA4l094PpXeFllb-TuSJJek_g4UvnfE6izRKARGsSbxmEujFIMvpszH-_vTXD2svLHpj6Pj4zQkQy4A8ddxqjstriS7ds6ect64QpIOEhQ1aAxdGcDgipWeYYo4Zuucj5XioiEVybvKqU/s320/2015-07-05+10.14.59.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We also stopped at the Big Badland Overlook. (We actually stopped there before Window Trail, but my pictures decided to mix up the events of the day and I'm not one to put up a fight with them.) If you want a place to make you feel so incredibly small, here's where you should go!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-YwnAuCJg97DVpgtlwyO8sK_VvANAlFbMWM2suz96a8QoAt-wSMTEcujJJtN-GvtV9dUO8aicokXziRZfDdogEwQa-upfaYcJTrfAbHRij-X4pOEPySQH7_32QKZ2Omo5kpCRzzv0ano/s1600/2015-07-05+10.16.53.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-YwnAuCJg97DVpgtlwyO8sK_VvANAlFbMWM2suz96a8QoAt-wSMTEcujJJtN-GvtV9dUO8aicokXziRZfDdogEwQa-upfaYcJTrfAbHRij-X4pOEPySQH7_32QKZ2Omo5kpCRzzv0ano/s320/2015-07-05+10.16.53.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A message for my husband. :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Family at the Big Badlands Overlook! Thanks for the picture, dad!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp-xPUYvxLS5dUSO22XGlrA_M7TVRnBelt0XMkUmuhM68MRTynxAFuBoypFR4nE5y5M3mLEBWIp91OZjbDG52ZhFRw1HaxrpDl6uQHd7-nv8z_t2vasGqQQa7rTU0fNp6Weim4U6d0OMA/s1600/2015-07-05+10.22.52.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp-xPUYvxLS5dUSO22XGlrA_M7TVRnBelt0XMkUmuhM68MRTynxAFuBoypFR4nE5y5M3mLEBWIp91OZjbDG52ZhFRw1HaxrpDl6uQHd7-nv8z_t2vasGqQQa7rTU0fNp6Weim4U6d0OMA/s320/2015-07-05+10.22.52.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA5O5eQUo_ClsavHC-8k3J3owFyKeaUmKnruUc1_95Ux-N8lJ-E-ol3TpuYq1nNPweFcep4iH-xPNkwBQ_sIn9s8L336LsMxePzWdbNgRTBZQCCClXVpcJkR4wDtqplA6k_OqE3lmz8D8/s1600/2015-07-05+10.33.19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA5O5eQUo_ClsavHC-8k3J3owFyKeaUmKnruUc1_95Ux-N8lJ-E-ol3TpuYq1nNPweFcep4iH-xPNkwBQ_sIn9s8L336LsMxePzWdbNgRTBZQCCClXVpcJkR4wDtqplA6k_OqE3lmz8D8/s320/2015-07-05+10.33.19.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This summer, an underground lake was discovered near part of the loop drive through the park, and this is currently causing 15 minute delays due to construction to get through the 1-lane road area. Check the park's website for updates on this project. We were just thankful that it was still open so that we could drive the whole way through!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl7PuSFfjhdPW5x6yLbhd9ajFdEydeZImIV8emUcOazWyYv_Iu6qHXB1BlSSv2C9hvaZ9iKX5c28YAdHt1oH2ZKRuP5UXYkL7vuPfi1PHdXidP44g34W3STIRKHaiamu-Op7rgJyIZxgE/s1600/2015-07-05+11.14.08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl7PuSFfjhdPW5x6yLbhd9ajFdEydeZImIV8emUcOazWyYv_Iu6qHXB1BlSSv2C9hvaZ9iKX5c28YAdHt1oH2ZKRuP5UXYkL7vuPfi1PHdXidP44g34W3STIRKHaiamu-Op7rgJyIZxgE/s320/2015-07-05+11.14.08.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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After a stop at the visitor's center to collect the cancellation passport stamps and mail a postcard to my husband, we geared up for a longer hike. It was right around noon - so maybe not the best time of day for this - but hey, because of the heat we were some of the only people out here and got to enjoy the beautiful land on our own!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQm2OSQJbZS5vmjWYNcKjnO1Q-QD4ol8BTFU28jjUyed1vNb4XPrXxLxLgYd1mmJR69exYDXgVeHnWPMGv8WdHWOJ_MQr1DsnC5sIyEpku0IbXQtU9o5BVpyrSLCFKSLbFKcGARhSKX9c/s1600/2015-07-05+11.18.34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQm2OSQJbZS5vmjWYNcKjnO1Q-QD4ol8BTFU28jjUyed1vNb4XPrXxLxLgYd1mmJR69exYDXgVeHnWPMGv8WdHWOJ_MQr1DsnC5sIyEpku0IbXQtU9o5BVpyrSLCFKSLbFKcGARhSKX9c/s320/2015-07-05+11.18.34.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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We started by hiking up the Saddle Pass Trail, up to a high peak. Hiking up the rocks of the Badlands is not as easy as it looks, and hiking down is even more challenging! Not ashamed to say I sat down and scooted down through parts of it. ;)</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihs-UNuUCpG1cT3IJQlmz3lfsXcSeyGDf7ABsclRs1meQSgkZQE4LlYGOBejuWKSgpvCNmNHqH50mub5b-L1gZZ8SOM-HCwo1gn5CrTKJoAAbGBee1HgfPZB03ZScQiKnwuxKo1EQejxE/s1600/11215734_10153400235497332_677893341008461762_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihs-UNuUCpG1cT3IJQlmz3lfsXcSeyGDf7ABsclRs1meQSgkZQE4LlYGOBejuWKSgpvCNmNHqH50mub5b-L1gZZ8SOM-HCwo1gn5CrTKJoAAbGBee1HgfPZB03ZScQiKnwuxKo1EQejxE/s320/11215734_10153400235497332_677893341008461762_n.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#squad</td></tr>
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We climbed up to a tall peak and enjoyed the great views overlooking the area. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilfXYqfpW_wLQyfjaapU1H7Gya-vqXLxD1ep_ZDpFbVWjvVFnNGsJ8Dat7Y4IwtltBfawFeGoXefot6MPUNvFAgTdOq4AdkH1HU4OWfL65XIGVwz4uAxxXs_g1Wz0LVsli4PDgZaVgUbo/s1600/2015-07-05+11.25.35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilfXYqfpW_wLQyfjaapU1H7Gya-vqXLxD1ep_ZDpFbVWjvVFnNGsJ8Dat7Y4IwtltBfawFeGoXefot6MPUNvFAgTdOq4AdkH1HU4OWfL65XIGVwz4uAxxXs_g1Wz0LVsli4PDgZaVgUbo/s320/2015-07-05+11.25.35.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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After that, we decided to do another 3 or 4 miles through the prairies/grasslands of the park. Because while we're here, why not?! The ground was mostly flat, and for the most part the trail was well marked. (We may have gotten a little off, but didn't have any trouble finding our way again!) We took the Castle Trail to the Old Northeast Road, then hiked back on the Medicine Root Trail, making a big loop through the area. Again, everyone did great despite the heat! I'm pretty sure that's because it was a dry heat. Gotta love the dry heat! ;)</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We found prickly pears!!!</td></tr>
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So, I can't say this was the most interesting trail. Castle trail was fun because it was right next to the Badland's towering rocks, but Medicine Loop Trail was really just through the prairie. After we finished, Dad commented that he felt like we'd "seen the armpit of the Badlands". :)</div>
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I am just thankful that the only signs of rattlesnakes we saw - for the entire trip - came in the form of one snake skin in a wash. I couldn't believe I was back in Rattlesnake country after just getting away from this.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our view from the cabin we were staying in!</td></tr>
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After hiking, we were all exhausted and very satisfied with our Badlands experience. It's totally a place I'd love to go back to with Curtis someday. We piled back in the suburban and drove the last 2 hours to Hill City, SD, where we were staying for the remainder of our vacation. We did stop briefly at Wall Drug, but were a little underwhelmed after hearing so many people talk it up. We grabbed some groceries for the week and settled in for the night, and planned out our next day's adventure!</div>
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Day 2 wrap up: Drove 230 miles, hiked 5 miles, visited Badlands National Park and Wall Drug.</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07242952607553226949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5296140025249745085.post-177325634768878062015-07-20T15:04:00.003-07:002015-07-20T15:04:48.603-07:00Family Vacation, Day 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Saturday, July 4, 2015</div>
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Traveling to Pierre, South Dakota</div>
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One of my big bucket list items for this summer was to go on vacation somewhere with my family. Now, if you read this blog often, you may be surprised to learn that there was a time when I once hated going on vacation. Sad, but true! My dad always planned such fun trips but I would have a hard time leaving my everyday life to enjoy the adventure. Now that it's basically my favorite thing, I really wanted to go somewhere with my family and make up for all the traveling together that we've missed out on for so long!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I feel corny posting this, but I hope it makes you grin from ear to ear. ;)</td></tr>
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I originally started planning a trip for my sisters and I to take together. I started dreaming big - thinking of all these huge national parks I had never been to - but finally scaled back to something a little closer to home and much more reasonable. I had lived in Iowa for 20 years, and the only state touching Iowa that I had never been to was South Dakota, so it only made sense that we go there! I started doing some research, and realized how much there was to do in the Black Hills region of Western SD. </div>
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I shared my plans with my family, suggesting"maybe we can do this sometime this summer!" My dad's response was "If we do it this week, I can take time off of work!" And that's how we came to plan a vacation with 2 days to prepare! :)</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Corn Palace itself! Inside, there's a basketball court. :)</td></tr>
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We left early on the Fourth of July and headed West. Dad was the only one who had been to South Dakota, when he was on a family vacation as a kid. We got some advice from others who had visited the area and searched Pinterest for the most important places to visit. We only had 5 days to see the sights, and we were going to make the most out of every one of them! On our first day, we drove 6 hours to Pierre, SD, with a brief stop at the Corn Palace in Mitchell. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">4 out of 6 of my awesome siblings! (The other 2 weren't able to come on this trip)</td></tr>
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A fun fact about my family: When we travel, we love to pack all our driving in and get it over with as fast as possible. No letterboxing or stretch breaks unless it's really important! (Obviously the Corn Palace was!) This is one of the big traveling differences Curtis and I had growing up - his family likes to stop and break up the drive. I've come to like his ways of stopping for boxes and enjoy all the little attractions we're able to see. But sometimes, it's fun to get the 8 hour drive done in 8 hours. :)</div>
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We did decide to take the scenic route to get to Pierre - saying goodbye to I-90 for the day and taking the Lewis and Clarke Scenic trail along the Missouri River. We enjoyed seeing the hilly grasslands around the water and the big, glorious sky filled with beautiful clouds. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgztQ6ybqhYroMgbLOnqbxZbOoyLq96lmWP_4hZkfpo3dWbasUIcuGv7lnQjBA05GjyuFH16IKvw0jGvagUJbz4i18fmJ41X2k6R2ZVlk0uPqlHU8wB6UcKovKxz-OsbJMhObZ804jMjZ8/s1600/2015-07-04+17.17.28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgztQ6ybqhYroMgbLOnqbxZbOoyLq96lmWP_4hZkfpo3dWbasUIcuGv7lnQjBA05GjyuFH16IKvw0jGvagUJbz4i18fmJ41X2k6R2ZVlk0uPqlHU8wB6UcKovKxz-OsbJMhObZ804jMjZ8/s320/2015-07-04+17.17.28.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Traveling with my family brought back so many great childhood memories of all the times we piled into a big vehicle and went to have adventures together. Even after being away for 2 years, I loved being able to jump right back in to being an oldest daughter and sister. And since I actually like traveling now, I could actually be fun! ;) It was so great to be able to get away with my awesome family and get to know them better while getting to know a new-to-us part of the country together. My family is awesome and they are some of the funniest people on the planet. :)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzJ4Ojyi-0sqoY9x0wD8YsQzX1q-YuduAFl_1REJ4O8r8weG_WUnLjhcQji4ZUPQddW2Tt76NQhmgy3vDE5I45RZEXFPVf0-3ZcLQMtG8XoYsiVt6WqYj5r8LarWGRVBmRmE_pm09EspE/s1600/2015-07-04+17.28.51.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzJ4Ojyi-0sqoY9x0wD8YsQzX1q-YuduAFl_1REJ4O8r8weG_WUnLjhcQji4ZUPQddW2Tt76NQhmgy3vDE5I45RZEXFPVf0-3ZcLQMtG8XoYsiVt6WqYj5r8LarWGRVBmRmE_pm09EspE/s320/2015-07-04+17.28.51.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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Pierre is a bit out of the way when you're driving down I-90, but when you're planning a vacation with 2 days notice for 6 people, sometimes you have to go out of your way to find a hotel! We didn't mind at all, and after dinner we enjoyed walking around the state capitol building while we waited for the 4th of July fireworks!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All still smiling after a long drive!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjfyaz62rcxp1-QIofMi2B4aGQUPR6IcQQKEd9DmOFGZuhWUMd1gcs38DqUt-pwHxqtoSUcYjiJtJyIPeZYaJHxUaXs8YSVMoloGhW4I7XfWqUN4Hm8tWaHpoAB7O0gjL1tqTcPsxq6jQ/s1600/2015-07-04+20.26.45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjfyaz62rcxp1-QIofMi2B4aGQUPR6IcQQKEd9DmOFGZuhWUMd1gcs38DqUt-pwHxqtoSUcYjiJtJyIPeZYaJHxUaXs8YSVMoloGhW4I7XfWqUN4Hm8tWaHpoAB7O0gjL1tqTcPsxq6jQ/s320/2015-07-04+20.26.45.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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One thing that's great about traveling is all the new things you learn about different places. We learned on this trip that the people of Pierre pronounce it like "Pier" and not the boy's name "Pierre." Mindblown. :)</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The capitol building!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj23RYBKr_wy2DrGVtaVx4FgsdMTEQEPOUN3rF5YVyA2ZSJ5p3Nmgbqz4JoLsV2EsX5_BeMhCGErp8WiUGb1VZZYuRfGPqWhN610pL8xO4pcM90fkACKDMmD4ERg2hI6187g3YKHA44AJk/s1600/2015-07-04+20.28.43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj23RYBKr_wy2DrGVtaVx4FgsdMTEQEPOUN3rF5YVyA2ZSJ5p3Nmgbqz4JoLsV2EsX5_BeMhCGErp8WiUGb1VZZYuRfGPqWhN610pL8xO4pcM90fkACKDMmD4ERg2hI6187g3YKHA44AJk/s320/2015-07-04+20.28.43.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">¾ of my family :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The building across the street - it had the word "sailor" on it... </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying the pond next to the building as some epic clouds move in.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFbCRht9ZRZQADzmeFumJxD_b_b4BVkV6IgojbvjpJSssvcyar1W5ut3vI4aHlvGyhvh_Ho8k5Xv0RF0JviHwQRh8-GbPvwOAUHmAb6C6IDaD0EPn3PhU7VBDIxnrZDv74SHukrPGjRY0/s1600/2015-07-04+20.39.34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFbCRht9ZRZQADzmeFumJxD_b_b4BVkV6IgojbvjpJSssvcyar1W5ut3vI4aHlvGyhvh_Ho8k5Xv0RF0JviHwQRh8-GbPvwOAUHmAb6C6IDaD0EPn3PhU7VBDIxnrZDv74SHukrPGjRY0/s320/2015-07-04+20.39.34.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCA9WsnL2ZL01kIbyZpYcIyCgFde9rqaal8jeUs9nP39l7uPsMh93rrw7bIu8FjXkLfuO7DccOuNFxItubtgZ4yT8vXjnCX6WCn7Xt6whq6AOGJbsQJp3ows_2X_b9DBfWNlMKO2nogHE/s1600/2015-07-04+20.39.49.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCA9WsnL2ZL01kIbyZpYcIyCgFde9rqaal8jeUs9nP39l7uPsMh93rrw7bIu8FjXkLfuO7DccOuNFxItubtgZ4yT8vXjnCX6WCn7Xt6whq6AOGJbsQJp3ows_2X_b9DBfWNlMKO2nogHE/s320/2015-07-04+20.39.49.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQqI3RWfEDtr-K6zW1F3voH6MCz-fvdxhqCSINGVjQJjjy6byQGDGD1nJVlWnrSYRyOJ9ILNlTNSBabzjGQk1BHVoHe7UJmvOZpKOOGIsYojUbehFEwYYBmiZI3NTfWXcmzYBxuK5UaFM/s1600/2015-07-04+20.41.53.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQqI3RWfEDtr-K6zW1F3voH6MCz-fvdxhqCSINGVjQJjjy6byQGDGD1nJVlWnrSYRyOJ9ILNlTNSBabzjGQk1BHVoHe7UJmvOZpKOOGIsYojUbehFEwYYBmiZI3NTfWXcmzYBxuK5UaFM/s320/2015-07-04+20.41.53.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What's on my mind?</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhriVoC9dtOhO4cRvnkIRmQyLIj-kPwTBbjyHKM05xYMlMf126DaiOzZF_db7_dG7YAzM_mDcci38Z38uqILbCc4zXQv6GVUDGigdUvMEf9B_mh3b9m4irAwhOaGylnPlPH_SI2Uj46xAI/s1600/2015-07-04+21.33.45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhriVoC9dtOhO4cRvnkIRmQyLIj-kPwTBbjyHKM05xYMlMf126DaiOzZF_db7_dG7YAzM_mDcci38Z38uqILbCc4zXQv6GVUDGigdUvMEf9B_mh3b9m4irAwhOaGylnPlPH_SI2Uj46xAI/s320/2015-07-04+21.33.45.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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As it grew dark, we walked from our hotel to the Missouri River to enjoy the fireworks. They began around 9, before it was completely dark, and I was still marveling at the clouds.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bridge across the MO River</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh45sLe2SEmDLhB95SyeT5_bCbLWyN98WWg2Jg9WHL-WswV1dvZ6_EE71D1ys2zrIQRm9Twz3RCYtgg81efYRr6paarbDjHdwm0DoDX-biVO-YtFGp-kPmxlad90U-sSFiSLuhloLik9Zc/s1600/2015-07-04+21.45.36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh45sLe2SEmDLhB95SyeT5_bCbLWyN98WWg2Jg9WHL-WswV1dvZ6_EE71D1ys2zrIQRm9Twz3RCYtgg81efYRr6paarbDjHdwm0DoDX-biVO-YtFGp-kPmxlad90U-sSFiSLuhloLik9Zc/s320/2015-07-04+21.45.36.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My siblings playing with sparklers! (I've never been brave enough to wave around a stick that's on fire like that.) </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguiuXlLZuefecOiECDIq6AnWpf7ACPhoHq4C3zFSilRXth0i9_m_ySXJil1RAzbxz9SkKer0lndAxEO39imD_5Ge5ZmN9BMtGCIxpLRWuFJmFZeN__9V-XtFMNfK5UMJOX7pwDmFVhOa4/s1600/2015-07-04+21.45.38.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguiuXlLZuefecOiECDIq6AnWpf7ACPhoHq4C3zFSilRXth0i9_m_ySXJil1RAzbxz9SkKer0lndAxEO39imD_5Ge5ZmN9BMtGCIxpLRWuFJmFZeN__9V-XtFMNfK5UMJOX7pwDmFVhOa4/s320/2015-07-04+21.45.38.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We enjoyed seeing fireworks all along the opposite side of the river. The only downside was the mosquitos. It didn't matter how much we sprayed ourselves and the area, they were out to get us! I'm sorry folks, but due to the mosquitos and the humidity, I'm going to have to throw out a slightly controversial statement and say that Arizona summers are WAY more tolerable than those in the Midwest. The dry heat is amazing, and I can stand to be out there much longer without feeling sticky or like I'm being attacked. So there. That being said, I am still very glad to be with my family this summer. We are still managing to have fun. :)</div>
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As the fireworks were going on, dark clouds moved in over the area and were giving off their own little presentation - lightning! Sorry to say, but some of us called it a night at that point. Between the bugs and the coming storm, the hotel room just sounded more and more appealing. We went to unwind and get ready for another exciting day!</div>
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Day 1 Wrap up: Drove 600 miles, visited the Corn Palace, toured Pierre, SD</div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07242952607553226949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5296140025249745085.post-76265661054757835782015-07-16T11:21:00.000-07:002015-07-16T11:21:11.700-07:0050 More Days - An Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Hello again, friends! I know it's been a while. I thought that I would have so much time to blog and write thoughtful posts all summer, but as it turns out, I haven't had time! Everyone is doing a great job at keeping me busy, and I feel like I'm doing more than just making the time pass, we're actually making the most of it. And that's making time go faster than I thought it would!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My husband, looking amazing in his uniform :)</td></tr>
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Curtis has now been gone for 33 days. It's been challenging, yet easier than we had originally thought. I say that because we were expecting to only be able to write and receive letters, but we've had much more communication than that. We've been able to email often and I have gotten 2 phone calls from him! On top of that, he's writing me a letter every day and mailing them once a week. So despite the distance, I still feel very close to him and am very grateful to know how things are going in real time. He told me that this is the most challenging thing he's ever had to do, and will likely ever do. I can't imagine all that he's going through, even with the detailed descriptions he's given me. It sounds intense and is hard to process all that he's going through. However, he has seen God's hand at work in many ways throughout the experience, and views this as a trial he must endure day by day. I am inspired by his strength and perseverance. Now, he is so close to the halfway point, and we are both getting excited for graduation and all the festivities that go along with that. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG5W8lWoT0kBkUwPGMxhg0yNGHkK46pSgJAf6EbP7HpSXCE4mmghdHJIKUXqXEt6IoERZ0GJBREfk1FjSFLQ_MR4HuSZfY_RnFkJJUPff5eH4VUowIAH5TMDyduTuQMumFNzloa3fsxdE/s1600/11140754_10153400234512332_6121798430515563811_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG5W8lWoT0kBkUwPGMxhg0yNGHkK46pSgJAf6EbP7HpSXCE4mmghdHJIKUXqXEt6IoERZ0GJBREfk1FjSFLQ_MR4HuSZfY_RnFkJJUPff5eH4VUowIAH5TMDyduTuQMumFNzloa3fsxdE/s320/11140754_10153400234512332_6121798430515563811_n.jpg" width="180" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-e4SUBthWzAbVkhbBajbCjlTjr-bBaIaC8BxIiMjQUaWs-Gu0aYnQ6KdBUInSr1abCQwupET1-5YzggL6NVjmCtEjmkksmlW9pI2K1IufOQOgqqnaoopIEAk4I_zswwEkWwAcVqenXFM/s1600/11695020_10153400237437332_6117064090933791408_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-e4SUBthWzAbVkhbBajbCjlTjr-bBaIaC8BxIiMjQUaWs-Gu0aYnQ6KdBUInSr1abCQwupET1-5YzggL6NVjmCtEjmkksmlW9pI2K1IufOQOgqqnaoopIEAk4I_zswwEkWwAcVqenXFM/s320/11695020_10153400237437332_6117064090933791408_n.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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I have been continually blessed by my friends and family here at home, who are all very supportive and listen to me talk about Curtis non-stop. ;) I was able to get away and enjoy a vacation with both my family and Curtis' in the past couple weeks, and I will be sharing about those adventures soon! As I mentioned before, I have been much busier than I expected, and haven't had much time to sit around and feel lonely or discouraged. I miss Curtis all the time, but I am not alone, and I am thankful for everyone in my life who's been encouraging me through this. To my surprise, I haven't even had time to do things like binge watch TV shows or other "time wasting activities." Maybe that day will come, but with all that's on my "summer to-do list" I don't see that happening anytime soon!</div>
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In more exciting news, we now have tentative dates for the next big step which will begin at the end of this year, Lord willing. However, there will be a few months between this training and the next one, so where we will be this fall is currently still up in the air. 2 months ago, before all this began, I would have been incredibly stressed to not know where I'd be living less than 2 months from now. But being away from Curtis has put it all into perspective - while those months are a huge uncertainty and come with all sorts of complicated logistics, those months are all more time that we get to spend TOGETHER!! And after being apart for almost 3 months, it doesn't matter where we end up, because we always find ways to have fun together!</div>
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All in all, even through this trial we are still incredibly blessed, and God is always good. I'm just really excited to reach the end of this and be able to experience the next step together. Thank you to everyone reading who has prayed for and supported us - we are blessed by you!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07242952607553226949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5296140025249745085.post-57468329306787642222015-07-14T13:42:00.002-07:002015-07-14T13:42:36.618-07:00Happy Birthday Charlotte!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUbPEYYlWKKIFdqqNd-wT7yB0MXnyqrRDNpqHR0TjyvACycUzJqWaxwukdUp1hnexpEEvf9p4ppU7c5KLnosGf3NfRUJ2YGaw42_Q1-hC_S7NTEsRWuXCPp9a1nGLv9G_-y0MbqEtjyUM/s1600/2015-07-14+10.12.52.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUbPEYYlWKKIFdqqNd-wT7yB0MXnyqrRDNpqHR0TjyvACycUzJqWaxwukdUp1hnexpEEvf9p4ppU7c5KLnosGf3NfRUJ2YGaw42_Q1-hC_S7NTEsRWuXCPp9a1nGLv9G_-y0MbqEtjyUM/s320/2015-07-14+10.12.52.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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Today - July 14 - is Charlotte's first birthday! We are celebrating with taking long walks, eating frog carcasses (which she prefers over cake), and playing with her BFF's Tank and Teddy and the rest of my family. </div>
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Charlotte has done a great job adjusting to life here in Iowa. She is as happy as can be with all the grass to roll around in! She still acts like a puppy in some ways, but her ability to handle big transitions so smoothly is such a blessing. She also makes a great companion for me while Curtis is gone.</div>
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At her last vet appointment a couple weeks ago, she weighed 31 pounds, and the vet doesn't think she's going to get much bigger. That makes me happy - we have a fun-sized basset hound! She's small but very strong, so I am thankful she won't get too much bigger. She's already pulling me around all the time as it is!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">September 2014 to July 2015. I guess she has grown up a lot!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still giving us the sweetest little puppy eyes :)</td></tr>
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We love you Charlie, and we're so happy you are part of our lives! </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07242952607553226949noreply@blogger.com0