Amie and Mark's Visit to SD - 12-25-2017 thru 12-31-2017

Over the River and thru the Woods to Grandma and Grandpa's house we go!!!

Dec 23, 2017

NOTE:  You may click on any photo at any time to see all photos at one time like a slideshow.

Departed from John Wayne Airport in Orange County, CA - friend Ashley dropped them off - temperature was 80 degrees.

 

First leg: Arrive in Denver at noon - long wait - flight delayed, then cancelled at 11:30 pm

Grandma and Grandpa waiting at Denny's got to go shopping at TOYS R US at midnight!

Then a midnight train ride to Josh's house in -12 degree weather, for a short night's stay.

💤😊

Meanwhile:

South Dakota is Ready!

Snow was ordered and is in place...

 Tree from the woods cut, and up, and decorated...

 House decorated everywhere...

Beds are ready...

We are just waiting...

Dec 24, 2017

Early morning train ride to Denver airport, and guess what:  all flights to Rapid City are cancelled today due to weather in Denver...

So another train ride back to Josh's house

And another overnight stay with Josh and Dierdra

💤😊

Dec 25, 2017
Christmas Day Train ride back to Denver airport

Second Leg:  Denver to RAP - all five arrived at Rapid City Airport on Christmas Morning at 9 am where the temperature in SD was a minus 12 degrees, so with clothing reinforcements, we headed down the road ... all except one big suitcase ...

First item on the agenda was to open gifts.

and then reading to kids

one more photo goes here...

Dec 26, 2017

Next day Mason, Tyler and Natie couldn't wait to dress up and go play in the snow, and make snow angels.

Dec 27, 2017
The next day was for indoor activities in the morning - we visited the Outdoor Campus West.

  

Lunch at DQ

Add photos here

•Then Uncle Jeff and Aunt Celi dropped by for a visit in the early afternoon and to meet the kids for the first time.

Then to top off the day, we made a trip back to town to visit the Storybook Island Lighting Festival!

And to ride the train.

And look at all the pretty lights!

It was mighty cold there, but the kids were troopers!

And back home again, it was time for Hot Chocolate!

Dec 28, 2017
Today, Grandma and Amie and Natie went shopping.

The boys - Go tree hunting!  Mason had been asking Grandma about this for a very long time!

Looking for the perfect tree...

Looks like they found it!  Not too big and not too short - just right - Black Hills Spruce.

Dad helped Mason start the cutting, then helped Tyler.  

Then they all helped carry it back to the truck!

That evening we put up the boys' tree in the basement family room and decorated it.

Tonight was Movie night and pizza in basement with Grandkids, and Mom and Dad went to town for a special dinner. 💑

After the movies and baths and stories and bedtime, Grandpa went to the shop to prepare for making toys with each grandchild the next day. 💕


Dec 29, 2017
• Making toys with Grandpa 🔺

Photos?  I guess we were too busy building to take pictures!

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A Race Car for Natie

Batman Cars for Mason and Tyler

Aunt Patty and Uncle Bruce traveled from Hot Springs (60 miles south) for lunch and to see everybody, and then hit the road as blizzard like conditions were starting to develop.

Later that evening, despite blizzard conditions, Niece Lynette - Amie's cousin, braved the storm and came up the hill from town to see Amie.

Dec 30, 2017
Every time Grandma talked to Natie on the phone since her visit to Chino in October, Natie has been asking to make cookies with Grandma.  So here goes... 💕

That afternoon, the kids all went out to play in the snow again and make more snow angels.  The weather didn't warm up enough to let them build snowmen, so that will have to happen later.  😃


Dec 31, 2017
So after a whirlwind tour, the time had come to return to warmer climates.  So we loaded up the group at 5 am and traveled to the Rapid City Airport (RAP) for the trip home.

Amie's got to Denver on 12-31-2017;  there had been a long Delay at RAP  -  five hour delay for mechanical reasons, so they missed their flight connection to Ontario in Denver.  The next available flight was 11 am on New Years Day 2018.  So they got to stay overnight in Marriott in Denver on New Year's Eve -- with ROOM SERVICE!

Here was their flight tracking information...

Very unusual weather for the last five days.  Check out the weather from Dec 25 thru Dec 31 compared to the three weeks prior... people will say, yes, that is South Dakota!

Jan 1, 2018

So, after an eventful trip to, from, and thru Denver, they uneventfully left Denver airport at 11 am on New Years Day.  They arrived in Ontario, CA where Ashley met them and took them home.  The temperature in Chino was 88 degrees!

The only thing left to do was unpack and watch the Rose Bowl Game!

the end