Santa 2017

Rent the Lambo Shih Tzu!

I Shih Tzu Not!

 For this trip, we mainly brought last minute things to furnish the cabin so it'll be ready to rent out. So we went alone--Emily is back in town and generously took care of the house & kids! 😁 Which was great because we ended up driving more hours than we actually spent there. The house is veryyyyy close to being done, but there were a few hold ups being finished this week: the built in bunks, the fireplace install, and the new garage doors with windows (there is cove heating in garage, as we intend for it to double as game room).

 Funny thing: we named the cabin the Lamborghini Shih Tzu because we are so silly and whimsical right? Well this is what we came out to when going to get dinner:

 It's a little Shih Tzu! It belongs to the owner of the cabin next door--who happened to be in town after her Sturgis renters left. She and her mom and dog Pixie were really nice and it's good to know a neighbor out there.

 This was driving through Deadwood. We took a different way home, hoping to see less wildlife on the road lol. This route took us through a big tourist attraction near the Badlands called Wall Drug. Highly recommend stopping there--tons of shops cafes and photo ops ! We got gifts for all.

 And here is the beautiful view on the way home:

More photos of the cabin soon!

PETA's Most Wanted

On our way home from the closing trip to the cabin 2 wks ago, we hit a full grown deer head-on while driving 75 mph in Nebrasky. It was pretty scary and swung around to hit my door hard as well. Thankfully the deer dies quickly, but our suburban was pretty damaged and started filling with smoke. We called the state trooper out, the grumpy tow trucker, and then I climbed my fat ass over the seats since my door wouldn't open, and split up the kids, babies crying of course, in to 2 cop cars and a tow truck. They took us to a hotel with 1 king bed available for $150.  We had to leave the suburban at a repair shop and wait til enterprise could move a car big enough for all 7 of us to rent to get home--still 12 hrs away.  We finally got the big hearse looking car, got home at 3am, and slept--John had to work at 7a...12 hr shifts poor guy.

Our car is still in nebrasky til September getting $6600 worth of repairs.

  Geico is covering $50/day for the rental, so we are paying the remainder, plus the deductible, plus we still have to go back up to get our car when it's done--they won't pay for it to be moved.

   This week, John and I went back out to move last minute things so the cabin will be rentable. So guess what happened?  We hit another beautiful animal, this time with our rental! Again in dang Nebrasky, we were driving along and a beautiful pheasant flew right in front of the car and broke the grill, getting trapped inside. It was dead but the whole body was in the grill. We called a sheriff out, and a good Samaritan stopped and took apart the grill to get the bird out--it was so beautiful and is in fact the state bird of South Dakota, so we took it to a taxidermy guy and we are having it stuffed and mounted in the cabin:)

 
We were hoping the built-in bunks would be done, but they are finishing up today and we are already 3 hrs from home. Thankfully Emily came out to babysit so we could get things done quick and drive home.
    So, we damaged 2 suburbans, are paying 2 separate deductibles, and rental differences, BUT the cabin is about ready to rent and we love it!

The Lamborghini Shih Tzu

Our cabin is 99.99 percent done!We closed and furnished most of it, headed home and nearly totaled our suburban hitting a deer in Nebrasky. We are ok and heading home in a rental...had to leave it in the shop here. Hope it all can be fixed!

Finally closing!

We are finally furnishing the cabin :) more photos soon. ..dead tired

Uncle Kevin & Aunt Mary's Visit

Cabin Update

Powder House Pass

This is the community our lot is in. You just feel happy there :) 

Cabin update

The upstairs covered deck :) so exciting.

Hodge-podge of updates

 First 2017 swim :)

 Frankie was assessed by the school district for his speech delay. We are enrolling him in a ppcd pre-k class with therapy for the 2017-2018 school year, in the hopes that he will be caught up next fall to start kindergarten at home with me. They diagnosed him with apraxia of speech. We are working on sounds at home and got rid of pacifiers for him & Eusty. Sad to see him go to school 5 days/wk for 3 hr 40min...but I think he needs the therapy and it can only help. If it doesn't work out I'll see one on one therapy .

 John's parents brought a bunch of stuff out for us to take or leave for the cabin. Included in all the stuff was really cool old wrapping paper. Since Stan's mom used to wrap the company gifts (Hughes aircraft). Isn't this hilarious?

Helen also had this 1941 wood cover book on mixed drinks. I love how un-P.C. it is :) 

This is my first attempt at a mod podge transfer. First I did tape transfers with the kids then I tried this method with an inkjet print, mod podge and a wood slice sealed with polycrylic. Pretty fun!

Stan & Louise found their TX home :)

They are downsizing to a house bigger than ours lol. Should be completed in July. Beautiful home and yard:)

Mother's Day

Unfortunately my mom had to work on Mother's Day, so Olivia and I went to have sushi lunch with her on her break. I made her this family tree and got her a 23&me DNA kit :)

Then Teresa & Tim cane back over and we celebrated Stan's 72nd birthday with lots of pasta!