Reconnecting

Last weekend I was lucky enough to get away for a relaxing weekend with my dad and brother to the Black Hills in South Dakota.  We were able to do some fishing, hiking and have some much-needed quiet time (at least much-needed for this busy mama!)

My favorite part just might have been our tiny, less-than-modern cabin.  We did decide to at least rent the cabin that had a bathroom in the cabin instead of one without...I'm not the biggest fan of running outside to a comfort station in the middle of the night! There was 1 queen bed, 1 set of bunk beds, a bathroom, eating area and sink. That's it. No TV, no stove, no distractions.  We got up each morning, ate breakfast together, had our adventures during the day, ate out at some small local restaurant and then spent the evening reading or just talking!  IT. WAS. WONDERFUL!!!  And this is not all to say that I don't enjoy being home with my boys...I do.  It's just very nice to get away sometimes where I can selfishly focus on me and feel like more than just "mommy".  I was able to do my Bible study without pausing every few minutes thinking one of the boys was about to wake up from nap and interrupt.  Some quiet time with God was much needed and much appreciated!

Our first day there it was 35 degrees to start out the afternoon!  My dad and brother braved the cold weather...and rain/sleet mix to wade into the river in Spearfish Canyon.  This city girl was a bit too chilly for that so I stayed inside the nice warm car and read my book!  Later in the afternoon, we even had snow falling on us for a bit!

This is right after we dubbed my dad "Deadliest Catch"

Look at those layers - t-shirt, sweatshirt, fleece vest, fleece jacket, gloves and ear warmers...and I was the one IN the car!

The following day was about twice as warm as the day before so we took full advantage of the sunshine and set out for a 7-mile round-trip hike up to Harney Peak in Custer State Park.  It took us right around 5 hours and although it sounded crazy at the time, it was so totally worth it!  I still can't believe that this out-of-shape mama pulled it off but I had good encouragement along the way (along with more than a few catch-my-breath breaks!)

We got back down to Sylvan lake with a few hours of daylight left so we decided to try our hand at fishing again.  This time the fish were biting!  My dad and brother tried out their fly-fishing skills and were very successful.  They even let me pose with one of their buddies! I was not lucky at all this time around but actually had a great time seeing them enjoy themselves so much!  It was dark by the time we left and cooling back down to almost freezing temps again.  We were very happy for a warm meal that night!

Our final morning there we stopped and fished a bit more before heading back to Sioux Center in time for Grandpa and Uncle Bryce to see the boys before bedtime.  We took a quick look at Mount Rushmore while heading out-of-town...such a majestic sight!



I am one lucky girl!