Christmas in the Cabin

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

We have been having so much fun in the cabin in the north Georgia mountains.  All the kids came up on Christmas day, and we had supper and chaos (the usual combo here).

We want to share the pictures of some of the fun, and will post more from our New Year's Eve celebration later this week.  The last video is from New Year's Eve - the kids sliding down the stairs in their sleeping bags.  Too fun!

May God bless you all and keep you healthy and happy in the new year.

Love, Mike and Sue

Paw Paw and Nanny Sue with (from top left) Jake, Chase, Nate, Ella, Taylor, Livie

Livie LOVES her princess cape that Paw Paw gave her

Mike and Angie

This is the "one-butt" kitchen in the cabin

Paw Paw, Nate, and Livie

Taylor and Chase having a contest eating VERY SOUR candies!

Taylor is very focused on Yahtzee.  Notice the pen tucked behind his ear!

Lake Lanier Islands Christmas

Last night we met Katie and family to see the Christmas lights at Lake Lanier Islands.  This is fast becoming an annual tradition.

Mike built a "stock fence" around the truck so the kids can ride in the back with Michael and Mike. They can stand up to look at the lights and not fall out.

We got smart this year and brought our own marshmallows, s'mores stuff, skewers and hot chocolate.  Last year they charged a fortune for that stuff.  They did, however, provide the fire for free. ;-)

This year they had an ice skating rink.  For you South Dakotans, it wasn't really ice.  I think it was some kind of plywood with wax on it, because when the kids fell, the stuff stuck to them, and was horrible to pick off.

It was REALLY COLD, and the wind chill in the back of the truck was uncomfortable.  Michael said that he thought Nanny Sue was driving 98 miles an hour because it was so cold!

Here are some pictures from our fun evening.

Chase in the back of the truck - next year we're putting lights on the stock fence!

Here's the group!  Livie always wants to be on Paw-Paw's shoulders.

Katie and Chase at the ice rink.

Livie is very focused on peeling the boiled peanuts.

Ella and Michael ice skating

Taylor with his marshmallow and hot chocolate

Miscellaneous Stuff

We've been having a great time, spending time with all the kids.  Here are some pictures, I'll keep adding as we get them!

Jake and Paw Paw plinking with the 22

Paw Paw and Nate after a great ride on a beautiful day!

Livie at the playground

This is a Redneck Thanksgiving!

Mini golf in Helen

Neil and Pam after tree decorating - there may be egg nog involved!

Ella, Katie, Olivia and PawPaw at Leisure Acres for a cookout

Taylor, Mike, and Ella for the cookout

Livie and Ella - Livie didn't want to sit for a picture, she wants to go see the penguins!

Camping for Mike's 70th Birthday

We just got back from a fun, fun weekend camping at Lake Lanier Islands with all of the kids.  We camped at Shoal Creek campground, and Pam organized us getting three sites all together, and it was a blast.

We got to try out our new motorcycle camper, and it worked great.  The only downside is having to get dressed to hike to the bathroom in the middle of the night.  Oh well, I got more exercise this weekend hiking to the potty than I have all summer.  :-)

We're going to make this an annual tradition. 

Getting ready to leave Leisure Acres on Friday

Our campsite - isn't it cute?

Neil and Pam's campsite

All the kids on the motorcycles

Olivia wants to drive!

Katie and Mike's campsite.  Pam brought the port-a-potty for the kids

Chase and Olivia drawing

Pam and Neil with Pam's brother and his family

Saturday Morning

Chili dinner on Saturday night

Mike with the kids on his 70th birthday

Leaving Hart Ranch

Today we left Hart Ranch - heading to Georgia.  We have the new little pop-up camper towed behind the fifth wheel - luckily we have a camera so that we can keep an eye on it.  If it fell off, we'd never know it!!

It's too long for most states, and illegal in other states. (Mike will have to unload the bike and pull it in those states).

We can't wait to start camping in it!!!

We can't believe that summer went so fast.   We're looking forward to our fall/winter and squeezing all the grand kids.

More later.

Angie and Scott in the Black Hills

We just had a great week with Angie and Scott.  They flew in to Rapid last Wednesday, and just left yesterday.  Luckily we had some nice weather at the start of the week and got all of the outdoor stuff done first.

We had a blast, and did some of the same things with Angie and Scott that we had done with Nate back in 2008.

Angie and Scott at Mt. Rushmore

 

 

Us with Nate in the same spot in 2008

Angie got to ride Iron Mountain Road and Needles Highway with Mike on the Goldwing.   Scott and I followed in the truck.  The weather was perfect.

On Friday, we went to the Buffalo roundup at Custer State Park.  We stayed into the afternoon to watch the sorting, vaccinating and branding.

We went to Devil's Tower, too.

Sunrise at the Roundup

Buffalo Roundup

Angie and Scott in Sturgis - before Neil and Pam!

On the way to Devil's Tower

Close Encounters

 

 

Close Encounters with Nate in 2008

We also got to go to the Wild Horse Sanctuary

Angie taking pictures of the Cheyenne River

Angie with the Spanish Mustangs

We went and had lunch at the Loud American in Sturgis (one of our favorite places), we went to Lead and Deadwood (Angie got pictures of the gate at the Sanford Lab - where they're trying to find Neutrinos).   We also went and walked around downtown Rapid City - which has a very charming down town.  

It was a great week - we had so much fun.   We head out on Sunday - and will be heading to Georgia.

More later!

Earliest Measurable Snow on Record!

Today is September 11, 2014, and we are experiencing the earliest snow on record in the Black Hills.  We even made the Drudge Report headlines!  Global Warming????

It's supposed to get into the 20's tonight, and then back up into the 60's for the weekend.

It's already turned to rain, which is lucky.  There are still leaves on the trees, and when they had the heavy wet snow last October 4th, Hart Ranch was without power for 5 days!.

Looking South out the back window

The hay fields out the back window

Miscellaneous Pictures

Today Angie Tejeda gave us some pictures that she had taken from the Dakota Thunder ride - here they are!  Hard to believe this was August 5th - it was a very cool ride in the morning!!

Floyd and Karen Sue

Lee and Deb

Mike

Sue

On I-90 - bikes for miles!!

Coming in to Rapid City

Isn't the B1-B Awesome???