South Dakota

We had such a fun trip to South Dakota with the Merritt's!! I have been wanting to go for such a long time and was so excited that the time was finally here!! Jake had to work a ton on the trip so we decided to go with him and hang out in the hotel while he worked.  First we went to Sheridan and played around there for a couple of days and then we headed to Rapid city! When we first got there the kids and I quickly went to the reptile gardens to meet up with the Merritt's!

The kids loved it there.  We went to a snake show an alligator show and a bird show. There have the worlds biggest venomous snake collection!  Tagg was in seventh heaven! The kids loved seeing all the birds and flowers and snakes and creepy crawly things they had! It was alot of fun there!

After that we went back to the hotel and the kids swam for a bit and then we got ready and went to see Mt. Rushmore! On the way to Rushmore we decided to head up to crazy horse first.  The story goes that the carver for Mt. Rushmore got mad and left the project and came up there to start his own sculpture of an Indian. When it is completed it will be a few feet taller than the Washington monument. It was cool to see. Then we headed up to Mt. Rushmore but it was a little bit to dark to see it well.

The next day we got up and headed to bear world.  The kids loved this place too. They had almost every animal that lives in the mountains that you could think of. They were right next to your car...the kids thought a couple of times that we were going to feed them to the bears! Seeing the animals up close gives you more appreciation on just how massive these creatures really are!

After bear world we went back to Mt. Rushmore....I really loved this place...for so long i have wanted to see it! It just amazes me how they could do that...i cant even draw a stick figure with out messing it up! I absolutely loved it there and could have spent way more time there.

The kids were so good on this trip and it was so fun.  I am just so grateful to Jake that he works so hard so I can enjoy staying home with my kids and that i can have so much fun with them on such an amazing family vacation! (I'm not telling Jake but I might make him do this every year!)

Katie, Brystol, Tagg at Reptile Gardens

Kori Merritt, Kash Merritt, Kali Merritt, Katie, Tagg, Brystol. Our beautiful bunch and Reptile Gardens

Kash Merritt and Katie

The Alligator show

Our cute family at Crazy horse....fitting name for my bunch!!

SHHHHH don't wake the bears

Tagg, Katie with the red fox

My amazing family.....Tagg, Jake, Brystol, Kaite

The girls...Linds, Brystol, Katie

Brystol and Katie with the presidents!

My busy Brystol thinking she has fooled us all and is off on her way....doing whatever she wants!