It Finally Got Us.

 In my last post, I said I'd share all about our experience with Covid. Little did I know that I would get it too. And y'all, it was NO JOKE. I had a fairly severe case, and I'm still recovering. I can't remember the last time I have been that sick. Ugh.

Back at the end of June, Brianna went to stay with her cousins in Mississippi for a week. On the last Saturday in June (June 30th), we met JT, Mallory, and Brianna at Cracker Barrel in Conway, Arkansas to get Bri back. Bren seemed fine that morning, but by the time we were headed home after lunch, he wasn't feeling good. He kept complaining that his muscles ached, specifically his legs, and that he was super tired. We were on schedule to make it home about 4:30, then had plans to go to the Burkholders house that evening for a fireworks show. After Bren fell asleep in the car on the way home, then went straight to bed and back to sleep once we got home, I decided to take his temp. I wasn't surprised that it was 103 degrees. Everyone was super disappointed that we had to cancel our plans for the fireworks show. 

My first thought was that he probably had Covid. Both of the big kids were supposed to go to bible camp on July 10th, so I felt like we needed to know if it was Covid or not. Chris ran to the store and purchased some home Covid tests. We gave one to Bren, and it was positive. 

JT and Mallory were scheduled to start a camp the following day, so we felt super bad about exposing them. Thankfully, they both tested negative, went on to camp, and never got sick.

We immediately quarantined Bren to our bedroom closet so I could take care of him and keep him away from the girls. I would go out of the bedroom some to get things and refill water, but the girls would stay far away from me, as well. Chris slept in the living room as to minimize exposure, but Bren was so sick that there was no way I was going to sleep away from him. His temp reached almost 105 several times, he was having hallucinations, he could barely walk, had no appetite, and was just super sick in general. I felt SO bad for him. 

We did call his pediatrician just to make sure we were covering all our bases. His pulse-ox dropped pretty low a few times, and we needed to be reassured that we didn't need to take him to the hospital. The pediatrician told us that if he tested negative after five days, he could still go to camp. We were hanging on to hope for that!

We all stayed in on Sunday and missed our ice cream social after worship that evening. On Monday (July 4th), I helped Bren get dressed so we could take a few quick, festive photos. 

Grampy and G-Jo had porch dropped popsicles for us

Poor guy . . . you can see in his eyes that he was so sick.

On Tuesday, Bren finally started to feel better. However, as the day wore on, I began feeling really off. I couldn't even really describe it, but my head felt "swimmy" and my throat was sore. I tested for Covid and to my surprise the test was negative. I went to bed feeling kind of awful, and woke up feeling worse. On Wednesday morning, my fever was 103 and my entire body ached something terrible. There was no denying I had Covid, too!

I don't remember much of the next 72 hours. I slept a ton, tried to drink water, and just hurt so bad. My fever didn't break until Friday afternoon, at which time I sweat buckets. Chris was trying to work, take care of the kids, and keep up with the household duties (just meals alone is big), and finally decided to take a few days off. On Saturday, I got out of bed to try and help the big kids pack for camp, but could only be up for a few minutes at a time. Thankfully, Bren was feeling fine by this point and tested negative. I was so sad to not really be able to help them get ready for camp, though!

Our plan for Sunday was to leave the house at 7:00am, stop for worship services on the way to camp, grab lunch, get the kids to camp, drive to Overland Park (about 45 minutes from camp), check in to a hotel, go to worship services in Olathe, spend the night, and Chris go in to his physical office on Monday to meet some of his co-workers face-to-face for the first time. I absolutely didn't know if I had it in me to do all that, but Chris helped me Sunday morning and we stuck with our plan. I'll say though, I was SO tired and slept almost the entire time we were in the car before and after worship services. I also had ZERO appetite, and could barely walk to Bri's cabin to help get her settled. In fact, I hitched a ride back down the hill after helping her set up her bed because I was so weak. 

We did worship in Olathe that evening, but I went to bed immediately when we got back to the hotel room. The twins and I drove Chris to work the next morning, then returned to the hotel room and I slept while they watched TV until it was time to check out. I'm still feeling SUPER run down, and have really been taking it easy this whole week. 

While I'm so grateful that things weren't worse for us (hospitalization), this was truly the sickest I've been in a long, long time. I'm wondering how long it will take me to fully recover, because based upon the way I feel today, I think it's going to be a while.

A Short and Sweet Visit (Mostly)

This whole pandemic mess has been hard on many of us, but I think it has hit the elderly community the hardest. And I'm not necessarily talking about the actual virus. Nursing homes, care facilities, assisted living centers, rehab centers, and even hospitals severely limited or completely did away with visitors when the pandemic hit the US. Some elderly people went months and months with no physical contact from any of their loved ones (some places allowed visitors to wave at their residents through the window 😠), and I just can't see how anyone could think these policies are good for people or keeping people safe. 

At the assisted living center where my Granny Tiger lives, they did not allow visitors at all. If Granny left the property, she had to quarantine in her apartment for TWO weeks. During the last 14 months, I can't tell you how many times Granny was quarantined in her apartment for weeks at a time. Sometimes, it was because she left the property to go to the doctor or hospital. Sometimes, it was because she left the property to be with family (like for my cousin's wedding). Other times, it was because an employee of the facility tested positive for the virus, and she had been exposed. I can't even imagine spending weeks in isolation from everyone. It has affected her mentally (how could it not?), and my heart has hurt for her so much.

When Mom found out that the facility was allowing visitors again, we quickly planned a trip. However, there were lots of hoops to jump through. We had to schedule a time, answer several questionnaires, agree to wear masks, etc. We were told that we could sit outside with her (as long as we were six feet apart) and stay as long as we'd like. 

Mom and I both checked the weather in the days leading up to our visit, and the forecast was for the skies to be clear and the weather warmish. On the day we had planned to go, we left home about 7am and headed toward Wichita. The radar looked clear, but about an hour into the trip it began to rain. Granny called mom at least four times to make sure we were still planning to come :-). We were hopeful that the weather would clear up by the time we got there. 

Sadly, the weather did not clear up, and so began a whole string of crazy events that ended up complicating our visit and cutting it short :-(.

When we first arrived at Larksfield (where Granny lives), we all checked in with no problems. We were taken by a kind nurse back to the tea room, which is mostly private. They had set up a lovely table for us, complete with sparkling grape juice in flutes and candy for the kids. The nurse even said she'd turn her back so we could hug Granny because that's what Granny needed! It seemed like things were going to work out well, despite not being outdoors like we had planned. 

Granny had packed up several boxes of stuff for us to take home, so after a few minutes Mom and I went with her to her room to retrieve the boxes. The kids stayed in the tea room. I loaded the boxes in the van, then went to Pizza Hut down the street to get lunch for us. I even stopped at the desk on my way out to make sure I knew the procedure to get back in, and everyone was very friendly. They kept saying how happy they were that we were there to visit Granny.

However, while I was gone, things changed. The director's director "dropped in" to check on the facility, and basically had a fit about us eating indoors with Granny in a "small" room. I had no idea that anything had changed, so upon my arrival back at Larksfield I began following the re-entry procedure I was given when I left 20 minutes before. I was immediately stopped by the director's director (dd) before I could even get in the door. She informed me that we would be eating in a larger room (so we could be socially distanced), that our visit would be a maximum of two hours long, and that masks were to be worn at all times, including in between bites of food. She also had a cart with my kids' backpacks, mom's purse, jackets, etc on it. She said, "I got your things from the tea room. Is there anything else that is yours down there?" I replied, "Ummm, yes, my kids and my mother!" I was nervous that she wasn't going to let me back in the building, and I hated that I didn't know where my kids and mom were. I just kept thinking, "What in the world happened while I was gone?!?" The whole atmosphere of the place had changed dramatically. 

After I was lead into a larger meeting room and instructed to make up plates of food, Granny, Mom, and the children were brought in. You can see in the photo below how they made us sit to eat. We were instructed we were not to cross the center line (then, in the same breath, I was told to serve Granny her food . . . ridiculous). Mom had no idea what was going on either, and we were all pretty stunned. The worst part was that Granny cannot hear or see well at all. This set up made it pretty much impossible to visit with her because she couldn't hear us while she was eating. 

Several of the nurses who had helped us prior to the dd coming on the scene popped in quickly to check on us. We were able to put the pieces of what had happened together, and they were all very apologetic and kind, though didn't say much about the situation. After we all ate, I cleaned up the tables the best I could, then Brianna played the piano for us a little bit. 

Brenson also played the guitar for us. One of the employees of the center was wearing this guitar and I asked her if she had any others. She promptly allowed Bren to play hers so Granny could hear him. Of course, he had to sit far away from her in the corner :-(.

Because of the distance and masks, Mom and Granny were having a very hard time visiting. Any type of background noise made it even more difficult, so I decided to take the kids outdoors to give Mom and Granny some time. It was chilly and windy, but the rain had stopped. We had brought the kids' scooters, and they enjoyed riding those for a while! And yes, we were asked to keep our masks on, even while outdoors. Sigh.

Brecklyn, Brooke, and Brenson

By the time we came back inside, our allotted time was up. I was kind of fuming inside because what we were told and what had happened were starkly different. While no one was in the room with us, I quickly had the kids hug Granny and stand with her to take a photo. This was not permitted, but how could we leave her without giving her a hug?!? That would be absurd to me!

I also had Brianna snap some quick photos of mom and me with Granny. 

These aren't my favorite photos of myself (I feel like I can see how mad I was), but I'm thankful to have them anyhow. 

Mom and I also slipped in a quick hug before the dd came in to tell us to go. I just keep thinking how insane it is that we had to sneak to hug our loved one, and somehow someone somewhere thinks this is the healthy option for her! I don't want her to catch the virus, but even more I do not want to her to die of emotional starvation. Just looking at the photo of her sitting alone at that table across from us while we were all trying to eat makes my heart ache. I hope that someday we will wake up and realize just how crazy this all is.

Our drive home was okay, although pretty somber. We certainly don't regret going to see her as it's been well over a year since Mom had seen her and pushing two for me. We just wish it would have worked out differently. 

One Year Later . . .

It was a year ago this week that life was turned upside down by school, business, and economic shut-downs. At that time, we were told "two weeks to flatten the curve", and that if we would all comply with the shut-down for just 14 days then we would get a hold on COVID and life would return to normal. 

Well, here we are . . . one year later . . . and life oftentimes feels just as upside-down as it did one year ago. I often think about how I didn't know the last time was the last time when it came to things like walking in my children's elementary school, attending a morning assembly, or entering a doctor's office or business without a mask. It's almost a little hard for me to think about that week before the ball dropped. As much as I try to be intentional about not taking life for granted, I'm afraid I was taking those things for granted, for sure. There are still many things about the "old life" that we miss, and it's not easy to think that life will never be the same again. 

On the other hand, we have been so blessed with health this past year, and many of the changes brought on by the pandemic have been good ones. I'm thankful every day for the opportunity to homeschool my kiddos, that my husband still has a job, and that we still have freedom to worship. 

It's crazy how quickly life can change - how it can not look like what you thought it would - but through it all we're grateful for the blessings and still smiling. Most days, anyway :-).

I sent this photo to my MIL after she gifted me the earrings I'm wearing. They go perfectly with the top I have on in the photo, and I wanted her to see that :-).

And What About School?

When school let out for spring break back in March, it never crossed my mind that my kids wouldn't return to the building in one week as scheduled. When it was announced that spring break was being extended an additional two weeks, I still didn't think that there was a possibility they wouldn't return at all that school year. Then, it was announced that all public schools in the state were, in fact, closed for the remainder of the school year, and I found myself being hopeful that things would be back to normal by the time school started again in August. 

I didn't consider that things wouldn't be back to normal or even close to it. 

I didn't consider that my kids wouldn't go back to our beloved elementary school.

I didn't consider that we would begin homeschooling a whole year earlier than we had planned. 

But that is exactly what we are doing. We have withdrawn our kids' enrollment from public school, and we are now officially a "homeschool" family.

To say I have mixed emotions about this major change is an understatement. Homeschooling has always been on my radar, and I had a plan. I wanted our children to go to our local elementary school (that we support, like, and have had a great experience with) through fifth grade. After fifth grade, we would pull them out of public school and begin homeschooling. Then, sometime around maybe 10th or 11th grade, we would put them back in public school. I have always said that our plan is flexible . . . if something were to happen that would cause us to need to pull our kids out of public schools sooner, we would do that. I always said our plan was flexible, but I never thought it would have to be. 

This coming school year was going to be my year to do all the things. All four of our kids were to be in school all day long. I was going to increase my volunteer time. I had projects planned that I wanted to complete. I was going to pour myself into homeschool research and be totally prepared to bring Brianna home next year. I was going to keep myself very busy to try and ward off the sadness that I knew I would feel when all my kids were gone all day long. 

A little over a month ago, I was talking with our soon-to-be neighbor who is building next door to us. She asked me if I was going to send my kids to public school in the fall, and I quickly answered, "Yes" without any hesitation. I truly thought that's what we'd be doing.

But, things changed.

It started with the "Return to Learn" plan released by our school district around the middle of July. There were several things in the plan that didn't settle well with me, but it was too vague to really tell what was actually going on. Then, more information was released, and Chris and I both struggled with some of the new policies. There would be increased time on electronic devices, with a minimum of one distance learning day built into each week. The kids would be in "pods" at school and not permitted to socialize with anyone outside their pod. Masks would be required at all times while indoors. All extra-curricular activities would be canceled for the year, including running club, chorus, and all field trips. Weeks or even months of quarantine were not only possible, but likely. Social distancing would be practiced whenever possible. There would be no more Rise and Shine morning program, and *the real kicker for me* NO visitors would be permitted in the building. That meant no volunteering in classrooms, no eating lunch with my kiddos, and no spontaneously popping in to observe things with my own eyes (like at Rise and Shine). 

As I absorbed more and more information regarding what the school year would likely look like, I felt stronger and stronger that I didn't want to send my kids into that environment. I hated the thought of distance learning. I didn't understand why all extra-curriculars had to be taken away. Knowing that my kids could yo-yo between being in school and being quarantined made my head spin. And not being allowed in the building where all my kids are? That was NOT okay with me at all. It all made my stomach hurt when I thought about it.

From early on, Chris was pretty adamant that we weren't going to send our kids back to our elementary school, but it took me a lot longer to come around. I love our school community and the thought of walking away from that broke my heart. There was also the whole issue of homeschooling. Can I do it? Do I have time to get prepared? I was planning to bring them home one at a time, not all at once. I don't know anything about homeschooling. How am I going to do this? THIS WAS NOT MY PLAN!!!

So, in addition to spending a lot of time in prayer about everything, I started reading and researching. I talked to several trusted friends who homeschool - some of them for hours - trying to gather all the information I could. I looked at curriculum, I watched videos, and I made lists. I realized that maybe this was doable after all, and I even started to get excited about it. 

As days passed, I became more settled with the prospect of homeschooling starting *almost* immediately. I even spoke with several other families from our elementary school who felt the same way we did about all the new policies . . . who had decided they weren't sending their kids back either . . . and realized that the community I felt devastated to walk away from was already broken into many pieces. Brianna and Brenson's closest friends from school weren't returning either, and in a strange way that brought me a lot of comfort.

Chris and I made the final decision to homeschool at the end of the last week in July. We included the children in many of our discussions, and even asked them what they wanted to do (also making it clear that it wasn't their decision). They are all very excited about the prospect of homeschooling, and their enthusiasm has brought much comfort to my heart. After much agonizing, many sleepless nights, long discussions, constant prayer, and even tears, we are finally starting to feel some peace about our decision. A week ago today, I submitted the enrollment withdraw paperwork to the district and opened up a whole new chapter in our lives. 

This is what I posted on social media later that day:

Today, we officially plunged into new water as I submitted paperwork to withdraw my kids' enrollment from our beloved elementary school. Today, we embark on a new journey into the world of homeschool. This decision has been difficult and unexpected, not unlike so many parts of 2020. Our hearts simultaneously ache for what was and are eager for the beauty that is to come. We are sad. We are excited. We are grieving. We are hopeful. And through it all we know that sometimes the hardest things and the right things are the same.

That truly sums up the crazy, mixed bag of emotions I am feeling. There was a pretty big response to our announcement, including many comments from our school community. The sentiments were heartfelt and touching as many people expressed how much we'd be missed. Even though we're choosing to walk away from that community for now, it's nice to know that we've had a small impact in that place. 

We're not sure how permanent our decision to homeschool is, but we are looking toward the future with hope and excitement. Even though this isn't what I had planned for my year, I can't think of a better way to spend my days than learning and growing with my babies. This decision has been deeply difficult, but homeschooling is a good option for us. And for that, I am grateful.

Swim Lessons During a Pandemic

Today, my kiddos completed a session of swim lessons. I would normally be happy about this, but just like everything has been for the past five months, swim lessons were different this year. In some ways, I guess I should feel lucky we were even able to have them, but I'm just discouraged. My normally upbeat attitude has taken a beating lately, and I find myself just feeling exhausted of all the hoops and protocols and rules surrounding everything. I'll write a whole post about this in a few weeks, but Chris and I are seriously thinking that we won't even be sending the kids back to public school this coming year. That decision has been weighing heavily on me, and I'm just having a hard time not feeling down about everything. 

Swim lessons began this past Monday. I signed the kids up to take them at the same place we've taken them in the past (I think this was our fourth year). Of course, the school went back and forth and back and forth about whether or not they would even be able to move forward with lessons, but ultimately decided they would. The lessons are normally 10 sessions over a two week period. For reasons I don't understand, they were trimmed down to five sessions over one week this year. 

The kids were sooooo excited for swim to begin! Brianna and Brenson were both in level 3 and Brooke and Brecklyn were in level 1. 

When we arrived at the gym, I was pretty disappointed to find out that I wasn't allowed inside the gym at all. I checked my kids in and paid at a table set up just outside the entrance door. Then, my kids' temps were checked and they were permitted to go inside. I had to sit outside, but the first day I could at least watch the lessons from a little porch area. The gym has large garage type doors that can open, and the swim coach had those doors open for parents to be able to observe the lessons. 

Unfortunately, the rest of the week was chilly, cloudy, and a bit windy, making it too cold for the swimmers if the doors were open. After seeing the kiddos in action the first day, I spent the rest of the week waiting for them in the parking lot 😢.

On the way to swim on day three, we passed over the lake and saw this beautiful sight. It was a large storm, but the rainbow was shining through.

I forgot to mention that the locker rooms were also closed. That meant that my kids came out to me dripping wet and unable to change into dry clothes each day. It's hard for me to understand how that is keeping everyone safer.

Brianna and Bren were with Coach B (the HS swim coach) this year, and there was only one other student in their group. That was nice, for sure! Brianna did great and graduated to level 4. Bren struggled throughout the whole week with feeling confident in the water. This kind of made me sad because he was swimming so well at the end of the summer last year. If we get to do swim next year, he'll be in level 3 again. Brooke and Brecklyn were also in a very small group, and both did well. They both graduated to level 2. Bren was pretty upset that he was the only one who didn't advance, but thankfully he got over it quickly. 

The kids told me that they were disappointed swim lessons were over so quickly. They felt like they were just getting started, and I truly think that Bren could have really benefitted from another week. I wish I could tell them, "Don't worry, kids, you'll be able to practice your skills a lot more!" but that probably won't happen this summer. 

Even though I'm feeling discouraged about everything right now, I am trying to be grateful they got one week of lessons. I know they are learning valuable skills, even if things are different right now. 

Happy Camper!

I'm pretty sure Brianna started talking about going to camp this year before her session even ended last year. I totally get this because I loved camp as a kid, too! Since last year was her first time going away to camp, she didn't know what to expect or how much she'd love it. This year, however, she started talking to me back in February about clothes she'd need for camp, notebooks she could use at camp, the bible she was taking to camp, etc, etc, etc. 

Then, COVID hit, and we truly had no idea if camp would be possible this year. Many camps were changing their policies or not opening for the summer at all. We waited and waited to see what Little Blue would do, and Bri was pretty much on pins and needles about it the whole time.

There were a lot of logistics to be worked out to make sure camp was compliant with federal, state, and county laws regarding mask mandates, social distancing, and even food service. Finally, toward the end of June, we got word that camp was a GO!

The session we signed Bri up to attend began on Sunday, July 12th. We left immediately after church services to make the four hour drive to Little Blue. Last year, we were able to stay on the grounds, help Bri move in, eat dinner with the campers, and even participate in chapel. Sadly, this year we were only permitted to drop her off and leave :-(. I hated that I couldn't even help her move in! 

The Cabin 4 girls

It made me feel SO much better about the situation knowing that Russ, Lisa, and Chloe were all there too. In addition to them, a whole group from a nearby town was also there, including Kristin who was Bri's counselor. I knew camp would be a little different this year, and I took comfort in the fact that she was surrounded by people I know and trust.

Ashlyn, Sadie, Brianna, and Chloe . . . the Oklahoma girls!

This photo is all people who came from Oklahoma!

Lisa, Chloe, Sadie, Ashlyn, Bri, and Kristen

I'm not really sure what's going on in this pic? Notice Bri is wearing her swim goggles :-)!

Lisa sent me a text after the first day to let me know that Bri was doing great, even though she had her face mask wrapped around her hair instead of on her face :-). 

The second day, Lisa texted me to let me know that Bri was still having a great time. She had gone swimming that day with her socks on . . . on purpose! Bri is my spunky girl, and I love that she is still her confident little self even when she's away from home. As a side note - I asked her later about swimming in her socks, and she said that the pool scratched her feet up. Seems legit to me!

The third day of camp, I received a phone call from one of the camp board members informing me that several of the kids were being sent home because their dad possibly had COVID. We were given the option to come retrieve our child or let them stay at camp. Chris and I decided we would let Bri stay because at that point she had already been around the kids who were potentially exposed by their potentially exposed Dad. I know the board was following protocol, but it really didn't make sense to me. 

Bri and her group after giving a bible presentation in front of all the girls

I received all of the photos from Kristin, and I'm so grateful! Six days of camp seems like a long time when your child is so far away. 

The session director, JJ, was also really good about updating the FB page with how things were going. I had thanked him for the updates one day, and this was his reply to me. Then, Kristin also added a comment, and I just loved reading that Bri was thriving!

The next day, another one of the camp counselors sent me this comment about Bri:

Knowing Brianna was letting her light shine and comfortable being herself warmed my Momma heart. 

Last year, Chris and I drove up to the KC area, spent the evening at camp on Thursday, spent the night in the area, then went back on Friday to spend some time and pick Bri up. Since no visitors were allowed this year, there was really no point in us driving all the way there to pick her up. Instead, we asked Russ and Lisa to bring her home with them. When Lisa texted me that they'd be arriving at their house soon, I rushed over there and beat them by a solid 30 minutes. I guess I was a little anxious to see my girl! Bri and I got back home to our house at about 8:30pm on Friday, and her siblings were SO happy to see her!

Bren gave her a big hug, then he made her an ice water to drink. Can you tell his love language is acts of service?!? The little girls wanted to stay up and hear allllll about camp right then, but Bri was WORN OUT. I also remember very vividly what that camp tired felt like!

We are so grateful she was able to go and have a wonderful experience and week of growth. And guess what? She's already talking about next year!

Minnesota 2020: Old Friends, More Little House on the Prairie, and HOME

On Sunday, July 5th, we left Duluth early and headed north toward Virginia, Minnesota. Some long-time family friends - the Clarks - live and worship in Virginia, so we decided to attend church services there with them. Their daughter, Cynthia, was also in town visiting from Texas, and we were so happy with the way it worked out to see her, too. 

After worship services, the Clarks invited us to picnic in the park with them. They had bought all kinds of food, including fried chicken, chips, potato salad, pasta salad, cookies, and drinks, and we had a lovely spread for lunch. It was wonderful to be able to spend time with them!

Mr. Ed and my dad have been friends for decades, and it was so fun watching him play with the twins. He just followed them around and really enjoyed their antics. They thought he was pretty great, too!

Mr. Ed and Brooke

Brecklyn, Mr. Ed, and Brooke

Cynthia is close friends with my close friend, Tia, and even lived in Oklahoma for a while. While she lived closer to us, we would see her fairly often, but that has changed since she moved to Texas. 

Cynthia and Chelley

After our lunch and some park playtime, we said good-bye to our friends and started driving west across Minnesota toward North Dakota. The drive was mostly on two lane highways that were curvy, and the trip was slow-going. Even though we were only in the car for about five hours, that afternoon felt like the LONGEST part of our trip. We did get to see a nice sunset, however.

Finally, we arrived in North Dakota!

We spent that night in Fargo, North Dakota, then woke up the next morning and drove to South Dakota. 

As soon as we crossed the border from North Dakota into South Dakota, we stopped at a visitor's center. We were permitted to walk the perimeter of the visitor's center, but all the pamphlets in the center of the room were roped off due to COVID. There were so many COVID restrictions that were truly puzzling to us. 

South Dakota

This was the kids' first time being in South Dakota.

Our primary goal for the day was to spend some time in DeSmet, South Dakota, which is the home to another Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum and homesite. 

The first thing we did upon arriving in DeSmet was to find a place to have a picnic lunch. The town of DeSmet was so pretty and green, and we really enjoyed our picnic. It was this day that Chris and I made the decision to do more picnics on all our trips moving forward, even if restaurants are back open.

Daddy and Bren

Once we finished our picnic lunch, we headed over to the Surveyor's House, where the Ingalls family had lived for a winter. 

Brooke and Brecklyn

This property was a bit more open than the property in Minnesota, so we were able to go inside the schoolhouse and sit in the desks. 

The kids loved seeing a real covered wagon!

We didn't have time to do the entire driving tour of all the "Ingalls" things in DeSmet, but we did visit the cemetery where several members of the family are buried. It was neat to see their graves.

We also enjoyed driving by the Ingalls family home.

We also drove out to the land where the Ingalls family had lived and farmed before they moved into town. I somehow attracted a very chatty lady from Michigan while we were walking around the land, and she talked my ear off the entire time we were there. I don't know how that always seems to happen to me, haha. 

Being on the land we were reading about in the books was the coolest experience. We even saw the giant cottonwood trees Pa planted. I love how things worked out!

From DeSmet, we drove about three hours south to Souix City, Iowa for the night. Once we got settled into the hotel, Chris went out to get us dinner. He decided to go to Taco John's because we had passed a ton of them on our trip but had never eaten there. Somehow, he ended up spending $65 for fast food, and we had a ton of food, but especially nachos. I guess they kept asking him if he wanted nachos with each item he ordered, and he kept saying yes. Lol. I was tired from a long day of driving, so I found this whole situation to be hilarious. I'm not sure he agreed, haha. 

The next morning (Tuesday, July 7th), we headed south on the interstate. We drove through Nebraska (another first for the kiddos).

Then, we continued south through Kansas.

We stopped at a park in a small town in Kansas for lunch. There were some sketchy people hanging out at the park (especially for a small town!), so we ate quickly and kept trucking down the road. 

You know it's been a good trip when you have a van full of sleeping children on the way home!

Finally, at around 3:45pm, we crossed into Oklahoma. Almost home!

Chris and I briefly discussed visiting the Laura Ingalls Wilder museum in Independence, Kansas on our way home. It wouldn't have been too far out of the way, but ultimately decided that would be a little much on the last day. I'm thankful we made that decision. We were all just ready to be HOME, and getting in at 5:00pm was much better than 7:00 or 8:00pm like it would have been had we added another stop.

We grabbed El Azteca for dinner once we got home, then Grampy and G-Jo came over to see us for an hour or so. The kids were elated to see them, and couldn't wait to share their stories from the road! 

As uncomfortable as I was with the idea of traveling right now and planning a trip at the last minute, I am SO grateful that we decided to go for it. It was a great trip, and the kids have been so cute talking about all the things they experienced and enjoyed. It was such a blessing to be able to see that part of the country and God's beautiful creation!