Black Hills vacation~part 1

A few weeks ago we took the kids on a quick vacation to th Black Hills.  We left Thursday night after Wade got home from work and then came home on Sunday.  Like I said, quick trip, but we figured it's better than not going at all!  :) 

This was our first vacation with the kids that did not involve going to visit family or meeting far-away family members at a hotel.  So it was like a TRUE vacation!  :) 

Whenever we asked the kids (especially O) what they wanted to do on our vacation they responded with "RIDE THE TRAIN!!!"  So, we started our vacation riding the 1880 Train from Hill City to Keystone and then back again.  I was a little worried that since their anticipation of the train ride was so great, the actual ride itself might be disappointing, but thankfully that didn't happen! 

My handsome boys all ready to start the train ride.

The girlies waiting for the train to start. 

Wade had the great idea to sit towards the back of the train so we could watch the front of the train go around the curves....great idea!  :) 

That's it for pictures of our train ride....can you believe it?  We totally forgot to get a picture of the kids in front of the actual train!  Grrr.  Just so you know, now whenever O sees a black train he is convinced it's the one we rode on!  :)  He was the only kid that didn't fall asleep on the hour-long train ride back....he was just too excited!

After the train we went to the Cosmos Mystery House.  It's a place that is built into the side of a big hill and so everything is a little "crazy".  They take you on a tour and ask for volunteers...of course we had 4 very eager volunteers in our group!

K&E demonstrating some of the "crazy" by the house.  Eventually they switched places and suddenly K was waaay shorter than E.  :)

A nice family picture...while we are working very hard to try and stand straight up.  Check out the lady going into the building~that's her standing straight.  Strange, huh?  :)  Told you~it's CrAzY there!!!!  :) 

Poor, poor, Wader....he can't even stand up straight anymore!  This whole "family vacation" thing is really getting to him!  ;)

C&O being GREAT volunteers!  They too switched places eventually and C was way shorter than O!

Oh, and funny story.   When we first got to the mystery house we were walking out of the van towards the building and E totally biffed it on the sidewalk.  Then I was walking and totally tripped on air, then we were walking up the steps to the place and Wade totally tripped on the steps!  I told you~the place is spooky!  :)  Then, as we were leaving we were walking out to the van and a guy walking towards the store TOTALLY wiped out off the curb in the parking lot!  I'm telling you, crazy things can happen at that place!