Black Hills Vaca! {First of many posts}

Well I'm back in good ol' Nebraska but already missing the beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota! Family vacations are a tradition for the Deichmann's and we do one every year no matter if it is accross America or just down to KC. Last year I missed out on the KC vacation because I had to work but this year I was super excited for 5 days away with my husband, parents and brother despite my sis not being able to go. Vacations are much need for several reasons but 3 big motivators are spending quality time with my family in a new atmosphere, relaxing by getting away from work and the city, and getting closer to God through nature! In my time away this past week I definitely got in all 3 of those and let me tell ya it was hard getting back in the flow of working again after all those days off!

Setting off on the 9 hour road trip!

We left Sunday afternoon and took my cousin Alex with us because we had plenty of room in the 4 bedroom cabin. Then we met my parents and Michael in Sioux Falls for dinner at Chili's. After a break from the car we caravaned to Al's Oasis in Chamberlain where we spent the night to split up the drive. We all stayed in a one hotel room which was pretty humerous with our 3 beds packed in there. We stayed up watching Daniel Tosh's stand-up comedy and all had a good laugh :)

 

The cute bears all around Al's Oasis Hotel

Isn't he FABULOUS!?!?

Then in the morning we left bright at early at 8:00 so that we could make it to the cabin at a decent time. We stopped at Diamond Lil's which is the restaurant Kevin Costner owns. He fell in love with the area when he was filming Dances with Wolves and his parents still live in Deadwood. The bar and grill is pretty neat because it has the exact outfits that he wore in all of his movies. Alex and I really like the movie Waterworld and of course Field of Dreams.

 

Linda sent me this picture of my lil Kobe!

 

With full stomachs we were ready to find out what our cabin looked like and move all of our stuff in - or so we thought! When my mom opened the door to the cabin there were 3 pairs of shoes by the door and clothes still in the rooms. We were all a little freaked out because there was noone there but the cabin was obviously being lived in still. Mike figured that they had been murdered in the woods for sure! Since the people before us didn't move out and the owners of the cabin couldn't get ahold of them they said we could stay in a different cabin in the same area and OUR cabin would be ready the next day. So we were a little bummed but the other cabin had a hot tub so our disappointment didn't last long :)  My mom, Alex and I went on a bike ride/hike right by our cabin. I was breathing hard and my thighs were aching from the uphill climb but it was great to be out in the fresh mountain air with two of my favorite people! We grilled steaks that night and I even facetimed with Megan to show her around our place. We all waved to her and missed her so much! Dad and I took a soak in the hot tub before we turned in for the night.

 

Our running obstacle!
  

Tuesday morning, Michael and I went for a hike along a ski lift. Alex had treked the same slope the day before and we figured we could do it too! Well it was brutal! The incline wouldn't have been so bad but all the brush/ tall grass and thistles made it so much harder! By the time we got to the top we felt pretty accomplished and wondered just how crazy we were! The view was spectacular though and I climed on of the posts of the ski lift so I could get a true bird's eye view! I mean look at those clouds suspended in the blue sky...you could see for miles!

 

( to be continued....)