Adios South Dakota!

Well, tomorrow is the BIG day! John and I are taking off to Nevada in about 12 hours. The many good-bye's have actually gone much better than I thought they would. Most have been tearful, but quick. Our dogs, Buck and Bella, have gone to Iowa to stay with John's parents while we get settled. This might be one of the most difficult adjustments and was definitely a hard good-bye. Although we're sad to be leaving them behind we know that they will have a wonderful time and probably will be disappointed when we bring them to Nevada and much less open space.

The trip is abou 1250 miles and should take between 16-20 hours. Luckily, since we are leaving a week before John starts training we're able to take our time, making several stops along the way.

The last week has been a roller coaster of excitement and sadness. Getting to spend a lot of time with family and friends has been wonderful and has made us realize how lucky we are to have so many special people in our lives. We are so thankful for everyone who went out of their way to spend time with us before we leave. We love you all so much!

10 days and counting!

Well we're quickly approaching the big move day! I can't believe how the summer has flown by. I'm finishing up my last week as a Human Resource intern at Raven Industries this friday and John has a week of nannying left after that. With the move staring me down I'm doing my best to spend quality time with as many family members and friends as I can. The week before the move I plan on spending some time in Volga and Brookings with family there. It's crazy how you begin to realize how precious these times are when you know that soon you can't have them whenever you feel like it!
In the spirit of family time John and I went seperate ways this past weekend in order to get some extra time with each of our respective families. John went to Iowa to spend time with some family and friends there, while I headed west to Rapid City with my mom, Bill, and sisters Alyssa and Annika.

Our trip was amazing! We stayed in a beautiful cabin and saw the sites! It was a lot of fun and who better to spend it with than family. I feel so blessed to have been able to spend some special time with all of them before we take off. While in Rapid we took in Mt. Rushmore, the Alpine slide, Presidential wax museum (don't laugh...it was very interesting), Sylvan Lake, Bear Country, went horse back riding, played putt-putt golf, and visited Keystone, and Hill City.

Overall, I can't believe that our time here is coming to an end and soon we'll be taking off to find a new adventure of our own. Our family is so very important to us, and although I am so excited to see new places, I am so sad to leave the people that I love. I hope you all visit often, because I miss you now, and I haven't even left yet!