10 Signs You are at a Great Campground

1. The bathrooms have a fresh, clean aroma.
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2. Free mini-golf.
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3. The pools are kept warm enough to comfortably swim when it is 50 degrees and raining. (Yes, my boys did this.)
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4. Your site is private enough that you can send your boys out to relieve themselves in the trees with no worries of anyone seeing them (one of the many benefits of having male children).
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5. Larger than life checker board.
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6. People come around every morning and take your garbage to the dumpster for you.
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7. There are a bunch of horses in a stable for the kids to go see and pet. Lewis was impressed by their big eyes, but not impressed by their smell.
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8. You are surrounded by the Black Hills.
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9. There are quiet hours, and it is actually quiet during them.
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10. You can buy a bottle of gold for $5.99. We panned for gold, but the bottles of gold are much more impressive.
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We had a fantastic time at the Mt. Rushmore/Hill City KOA. I highly recommend it. It would have been even more fun if it had rained less, but I'm not in charge of the weather. Besides, you can have a lot of fun in the rain if you choose to.

Four Past Presidents and Three Future Ones?

More vacation photos to come...

Dam to Dam

Dam to Dam - 12.4 miles - 2 hours 12 minutes.

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In the wee hours of the morning on Saturday, our youth pastor and family friend, Gabe Casciato, picked me up to head to Des Moines for the 20k run. It was dark, and it was raining, and I was thinking 'what in the world have I gotten myself into?' It rained all the way to the start site, and for the first 6 miles or so of the run. Needless to say, we were more than a little wet. By the time the race actually started, I was shivering from being cold and soggy, but sometime during that two hours of running, the wetness from the rain turned to sweat, and I realized that the rain had actually been pretty refreshing to run in.

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I had hoped to run the race in under 2 hours and 20 minutes, so I was pretty happy when I saw my time. My knees gave me some grief when I was finished, but other than that I felt pretty good. I don't know if I'll ever do the Dam to Dam again, but I do know that I'm going to take a break from running for a couple weeks. Then I have to gear up for a 10k at the end of the summer. My husband is looking for retribution after I beat him last year.

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Last Day of School

It is much easier to get a smile on last day of school pictures than first day of school ones! Carter and Owen have officially moved up - third grade and second grade.

Happiness is A Little Boy in an Orange Shirt

Little Guy - Big Sword

The Warrior and His Weapon.

(Thank you Nerf for making a durable, non-pain inflicting sword.)

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Seeking His Prey. (Love the look on his face.)

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The Attack.

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No Mercy.

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What would a birthday be without swords and light-sabers?

Because I Love Taking Pictures of My Boys...

...and my boys love playing soccer.