There's Gold in Them there Hills!

Not too far from Mount Rushmore there is a little town called Deadwood. Deadwood got its name simply because when people arrived in that location there was a lot of dead wood everywhere... Deadwood looks like something you might see right out of a western film. And it has the history to match it's charm.

Gold

Most people who came to Deadwood and helped build up the city, came there seeking their fortune in gold. When I was going to school as a 4th grader in Oregon I remembered having the opportunity to pan for gold. I only found two flakes that day but I remember it being so much fun! I really wanted my children to have that experience, so off we went to the local gold mine to tour it and afterword to pan for Gold.

The mine that we toured was named Broken Boot Gold Mine. It's name came from the fact that they found a broken boot in the mine... yes people had simple minds back then. The mine itself is not all that large. And from what they told us it was not a big money maker but we did learn a thing or two and the kids had fun exploring the tunnels.

Map of the mine. Like I mentioned before it was not a very large mine and it contained more pyrite(fools gold) than gold.

We were required to wear these helmets for safety... however they very cheaply built and would not stay on anyone's head.

Inside the mine.

Back in the day they used candles to light the mine. One or two candles would be used in each large room... just enough to barely see the other person. Then one guy would hold the spike and the other guy would swing a big hammer using only a slight glare as a guide from the other miners thumb nail. My guess is a lot of thumbs were broken.

Baby fared decently well in the mine. He got a little fussy toward the end of the 20 minute tour.

Jace had to hold his hat on the entire time. He seemed to love it still the same.

After the tour the kids got to pan for gold. They were both given a small bag of small rocks. Sage and Ashton both got 5 or six flakes of gold and got to keep them in a small vial full of water. Their gold was worth about 10 dollars total.

Wild Bill Hickok

Deadwood happens to be the town where Wild Bill Hickok was shot and killed. Who is Bill you ask? He was a man who had worked in law enforcement as a Marshall for many years. He is also know for his skills as a gunfighter. One night, him and a man by the name of Jack McCall played poker together. Jack ended up losing all his money and Bill teased him by offering him enough money to pay for breakfast. The following day Bill joined a group of poker players. Normally Bill always sat with his back to the wall, but there was no such available seat. Twice he asked for another mans seat and twice he was refused. Jack entered unseen and shot Bill in the head. The bullet killed him immediately exiting his cheek and lodging itself in the arm of another man.

The Saloon where Wild Bill was murdered still exists and a reenactment can be seen every day around noon. We attempted to see this act. However I do believe that the only members of our family that got to see it were the children who were able to wiggle their way through the crowd to the front. Here are a few pictures.

Some of the Men who acted out the murder scene. The man on the right was Bill.

The actual chair that Wild Bill was sitting in when he was shot.

The hand that Bill held, now know as the Dead Mans hand.

Shootout

The last event we attended while in Deadwood was a shootout in the middle of the street. The shootout was a reenactment of a time when someone was accidentally shot in the head and lived for another 30 plus days with a hole in his head. In the end he got a head ache, went to bed and never woke up. It appeared that he had died from an infection that a bone fragment had caused in his brain. I attempted to film it but this is what I got...

What is not seen in this video is my sneaky husband pouring water down my shirt! Earlier I had squirted him in the face with a bottle of water... he told me he would seek his revenge when I least expected it... well he did.

And that was the end of Deadwood. We had a lot of fun and again would highly recommend visiting this little town. I snapped a few more pictures as we were walking to the car. Here they are.

Not Mushmore, Rushmore!

As part of our family vacation this year we headed to South Dakota with Mom and Dad Dudley to visit Mount Rushmore. We loved it! Firstly the Black Hills are gorgeous!! Secondly the effort, artistic ability, design, ingenuity and love that went into Mount Rushmore is astounding. And finally the park is very well designed and set up for visitors. As we continued on to other locations Ashton kept on telling everyone that we went to Mount Mushmore. Not sure how he came up with that alteration of the name but it was kinda cute. Here are some pictures  and captions that will sum up our visit.

Ashton standing on a rock at the front of the visitor center. He was scared to death on top of that rock and only stood straight up for a fraction of a second to get the picture.

Here it is in all of its glory. It is not finished and may never be finished. The funding was pulled at the beginning of WWII. The original artist is dead but his son still lives and would love to finish it.

We are a happy family!

It just so happened to be Mom and Dad's anniversary! Happy Anniversary!

An up the nose view.

Jace and Sage playing with a few Native American Tools.

Mount Rushmore had a Native American interpretive setup on the loop around the park. It was fun to teach the kids a little about the them.

Look mom bones!

Son and Father.

Jace thought Lincoln was Jesus.

This is the window from inside the studio where the artist spent most of his time planning his next move.

Next to the window is the model of the sculpture. As you can see it is no where near finished.

This man does not scare me...

On our way out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Even though the drive was long and HOT (the compressor went out on our way up), Mt. Rushmore was well worth the 13+ hour drive. Our family would highly recommend it.

33 Fourth of Julys

That's right! I'm 33 years old. And as I get older I find myself forgetting how old I am and having to calculate it. Good thing I was born on an even decade. Makes it easy to add the numbers up.

This fourth of July we got up decently early and headed out to the Scera Park in Orem to participate in Colonial Days. The kids had a blast participating in all the activities such as colonial games, school, and childrens chores. Here are some pictures of the events.

Sage standing to answer a question in school.

Ashton attentively listening to the teacher.

Curtis with a school hat on.

Ryker with a school hat on.

Sage with her school bonnet on. Isn't she pretty.

Sage with the school teacher.

Ashton with the school teacher.

Ashton carrying water. Those buckets were heavy without water! But Ashton was a champ and carried them by himself all the way across the field.

Jace could hardly carry one bucket. Like I said they were heavy!

Sage making a bracelet.

Kids and Dad making rope.

Ashton final rope product. He put it on his hat.

And Sage tied her rope around her waist.

Aw look handsome soldier.

Wish i had these when Ashton teases his brother and sister without stopping!

Wish I had one of these for Sage when she gives me her attitude. Love her face in this picture.

Wish I had one of these for Jace most of the time ha ha. What can I say he is two. He did not appreciate having his head stuck.

Little Ryker making friends with the baby ladies!

oooooo a pretty sword!

Ready for battle! Fear this mighty knight!

This is Sage's mean face... yeah she can't do mean.

Jace was tickled pink to be holding a sword.

After we finished up at the park we headed to the store to buy fireworks, and get some Magelbys cake (Its one of my favorite chocolate cakes.) Then later that night, Mom and Dad Dudley came over and we roasted hotdogs and mellows on the campfire and once it got dark we lit some fireworks. And very late at night we had some cake. Then we all went to bed and Becky threw it all up! Yay for the stomach flu! But its ok. I'm better now. Here are a few more picture.

Jace was afraid of the louder fireworks. At first he was loving them but then we had some screaming ones and he had enough. No matter how Grandma Dudley tried to get him to stay, he insisted on being inside. This is where he watched the show from...

Lighting the sparklers.

Sage having fun.

Ashton having fun.

If you are wondering... its 32+1=33

Wonder what Becky wished for?

Swimming and Baseball

This June we signed up our kids for a full month of swimming and Ashton had his first season of Coach Pitch Baseball.

Here are some pictures and a story or two to go with them.

This Year Sage passed both level three and four in swimming. She is coming along nicely with her endurance but needs to work on keeping her face down in the water and lined up with the rest of her body. Sage really loves the water and is becoming very comfortable with it which makes her parents happy since we feel its very important that a child knows how to swim for their own safety.

Ashton took level one this year... and his teacher did not pass him and recommended he stay in level one for one more session. His mom knowing that was a bunch of bull hocky put him in level two anyway. Within one day of the two week session in level two they moved him up to level three.  Take that you crazy level one teacher!! Level three was in the deep pool. And at first Ashton was scared sensless to even try and swim in the deep pool. Somehow he had it in his head that swimming in a deep pull was different... and that in a deep pool he could not float like in a more shallow one. But after a lot of patience and  confidence building Ashton's mom helped him defeat his fears. Ashton did not quite pass level three but came close! He simply needs to work on his back floats a little more. He can however do a front crawl just fine. His mom and dad are very proud of him for facing his fears. Anyone who knows Ashton well, knows that he has a hard time conquering his fears at times and can be rather sensitive.

Jace had his first year of swim lessons. Because of his age he had to take them with an adult. Because I had little Ryker I could not do them with him so Grandma Dudley helped out and took him for the two weeks he was enrolled. Jace became comfortable with floating on his back assisted, putting his ears in the water, jumping in the water, and simply being in the water. Grandma Dudley and Jace loved their time together.

Ashton had his first summer of baseball. Having never played baseball before there was quite the learning curve to conquer. But when all was said and done he had improved a  lot. In the beginning of the season Ashton would not focus long enough to watch the ball no matter how soft it was thrown to him. So we bought him his own bat and balls and worked with him a LOT. By the end of the season he could hit soft throws more often than not and even managed to finally get an actual hit during a game thrown by his coach! You should have seen his face when he realized he got an actual hit! He was so proud of himself.

He also learned what it meant to RUN to a base. At first he practically walked to the bases as if taking a leisurely stroll in the park. I explained to him that there was some urgency in getting to the base before getting tagged with the ball... but he still seem to lack the will to actually run. Finally I said, "Ashton pretend that there is a tiger chasing you... and you are running for your life!" Well I can't say he set any records but at least it looked like he was running and not walking lol.

After the last game of the season they gave him a medal. Ashton was so pleased to get an actual heavy metal. It was not plastic like the ones he had recieved in the past and he cherished it greatly. We can't wait to see how he does next year! And Sage and Jace after seeing how much fun baseball could be both want to join him!

Daddy's Girl

I know this is a bit late... I should have had my fathers day post written a long time ago... but something that happened recently made my will and desire to write to almost cease completely. However my sweet husband in his unique way convinced me to pick it up again. So I have a bit of catching up to do since a lot has happened since June 16th.

First I have to pay tribute to the fathers in my life since they are just as important as the mothers in my life.

Anyone who reads my blog already knows what I think of my husband as a father. So I will not go into detail choosing to keep the focus on MY Dads. But I do thank you dear husband for always trying your best and always putting your family first above your own interests. You are amazing.

My Dad

Let me start off with my Dad, Doran Wilde. I like to describe my dad as a James Bond with a twist of Homer Simpson in him. My father is very likable and socially suave. And although he does not always appear to be very smart due to his goofiness and humor, he is actually insanely intelligent. He is in my eyes simply a big soft, sweet teddy bear who loves me unconditionally.

My Daddy always was the one to push me in education. If he saw that I was falling short he was sure to let me know, and would help redirect me in a more positive direction. It is because of my Dad that I went into Biology. He saw I had a natural talent for it and encouraged me to pursue it. He also sets a great example of self educating yourself. He seems to always be reading a book about something and he is always learning.

My father has a huge heart. He has taught me what it means to truly care for others, forgive others, and feel for others. I have never met a man who was more capable of loving the way my dad does. You can tell that his love is unconditional and will never cease once he gives it to you.

My father taught me the importance of being financially responsible. At a fairly young age my Dad brought me to the bank and helped me open my own account. He taught me that just because you have money does not mean you need to spend it. He was the one who taught me to also be generous with my money helping others out when needed. If my dad ever loaned me money he would never expect to be repaid. That way if I never did repay him, there was never any hard feelings. Of course being raised to be financially responsible I paid my loans back, but his example of generosity always touched me.

My father has been a great spiritual leader in my family. He taught me the importance of scriptures, attending all your church meetings, and following what the Gospel teaches you. I can not remember my father ever staying home on a Sunday instead of going to church. Such a great example.

I love my father. I would not trade him for any other Dad in the world. I feel truly blessed to be his daughter.

Dad Peterson

Jay Peterson is a man of peace. I have watched him carefully over this past decade and I found that he was always the man to do what he new was right. Dad Peterson is as steady as a rock on a sturdy foundation. He knows the Gospel of Christ and believes it with his whole being. And you can tell he believes in Christ, because he radiates a good spirit at all times.

Jay has always been such a great example of kindness. He has the sweetest tone in his voice when he speaks to people. Even when he is upset his voice is kept low. I do not think I have ever heard the man yell. I think that everyone could learn from his example of treating others as you would want to be treated.

Dad Peterson is a very hard worker. The man never idles. Its rare that I ever see him simply watch TV. If he is watching TV, he is either taking a nap or getting caught up on paper work that needs to be done. In this world of men who waste a lot of time, its good to see a man who values time as he does.

Jay is an amazing man with a lot of great qualities. But the one thing that stands out the most is how much he loves his sweetheart. Dad would do anything for Mom and always seems to have his heart set on pleasing her and keeping her happy and healthy. His concern for her is touching. His desire to protect her and provide for her is heart warming. Such a great example of how to treat an eternal companion. Thanks Dad.

Dad Dudley

I have not know my third Dad for long. And I am still getting to know him. But one thing I know is he has raised 5 good kids. I know that he is the reason my husband is such an honest, loyal, and dependable fellow.

Dad Dudley has worked hard his entire life. And when he chooses to put his heart into something he puts his heart and soul into it. And when he chose to have a family you can tell that is exactly what he did. He gave up everything to do what was best for his family. Even if that meant that his personal projects went on hold (You will get that car restored one day Dad!!). Such a great example of putting others in front of himself.

Darrel is a very honest and loyal man. He is always upfront with everyone that he meets and if you are a family, friend, or stranger in need he would drop anything to do you a favor or lend a helping hand. Whenever Curtis needs his fathers help, he is over at our house as soon as he is able to get there. I believe that my husband is so service oriented because of the example his Dad was for him.

Darrel is a great example of humility. He never boasts or brags. He often times gives credit to everyone else but himself. He especially gives credit to Heavenly father. You can tell the he holds the Gospel dear and KNOWS that it is true. And if he makes a mistake he is always willing to take responsibility for that mistake and ask for forgiveness. I wish more men in this world were less prideful and more humble like Dad Dudley. Thanks Dad Dudley for raising such a fine husband for me. I will forever be in your debt.

Fathers hold a great importance in a family structure. And I am thankful for all the fathers I have had. They have made such a difference in my life and I am glad to know each and every one of them.

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