Exploring around Wyoming today...

We have had a full, but rewarding day.  We drove to Wyoming and enjoyed some lovely sites.  We have grown to love the small towns we go thru when driving on the long stretches.  Below you will see the smallest one we have seen so far, Aladdin, Wyoming, population 15.

We made a quick stop at Devil's Tower.  Some may recognize it from the film "Close Encounters of the Third Kind."

And tonight, we went to Mount Rushmore.  It is truly amazing.

And below are a few pics from the campsite.  Who says roughin' it can't be fun!?!

Verdict is in......South Dakota is amazingly gorgeous!

 We have had a full and exciting day, exploring the beauty of South Dakota.  Our 1st stop was to see the work in progress of Chief Crazy Horse.  I visited here when I was 12 yrs old and wow, has lots of work been done on this monument, but it has a very long way to go.  The face was completed in 1998.  Very interesting....

If you look real close, you may be able to figure out where we are from (evidently, this was orange day)!

Below is one of the narrow tunnels on Needles Hwy.  We had a lot of fun exploring the Black Hills today.

Dennis and I tried Bison (buffalo) hamburgers today.  We thoroughly enjoyed them....every bite!!

This is a Pronghorn.  Very interesting animal.

And this is a bison (formerly buffalo)....and yes, this is a very close up picture because he liked our truck!

 The baby bison were soooooo very cute.  They would run to keep up with their moms!  So sweet.

Lots of Prairie dogs

 Erica was thrilled with the gigantic dandelions, so we had to get some pics.

 We have had a great day, exploring the beauty of the Black Hills.  Breathtaking. 

I was finally able to get some pics to load. the St. Louis arch was not the funnest adventure the Irwins have ever had.  We were there with about 5 million of our closest friends.

This is me, moving "DO NOT ENTER" signs in St. Louis, trying to navigate this East Tennessee red-neck truck/camper around the city.  Not sure why everyone was looking and pointing at us!  Ha!

The wind mills in Rockport, Missouri

This pic and these next few are from the Lee G Simmons Wildlife Safari in Ashland, Nebraska.  We loved this!!

You know in the movies, when the characters roll into the deserted gas station on fumes?? Well, that was the Irwins after this long stretch of don't-see-another-car road. We were so thankful to see this gas station!

Thankful for Kevin who fixed our tire that went flat in Alliance, Nebraska.  So thankful that it didn't happen on yesterday's stretch of 150+ miles of farmland!

Saw some beautiful wildlife when our GPS sent us on about 10 miles of gravel road

Home for the next few nights.  Off to do much needed laundry!

We have made it to the Black Hills...

Well, im writing this on my nook because my computer will not work in the campground. So sorry, i dont have any pics on the blog yet. We are in the black hills and it is breathtaking. Our trip has been good so far. We were overwhelmed by the millions of people at the st louis arch; so that will not be the highlight of our trip. We did love the safari we took outs
ide of omaha. We have truly enjoyed seeing the countryside during the few times we were forced off the interstate. Can't wait to show pics of that. Hope to get pics up soon. You can see several pics on facebook if you are my FB friend. I can post them from my phone. We are planning mt rushmore and chief crazy horse tomorrow.
Kathy

1st stop - Cadiz Kentucky

Well, we have had a great trip so far - no mishaps, all are asleep except me, so life is good. Couldn't get any pics to load - will try another day.

So very thankful for our friends that are house sitting and watching our animals. Helps us to enjoy our journey without worries.

Tomorrow, we move forward toward the "gateway to the west," the St. Louis Arch. Well, I'd better get some sleep - Dennis may want me to help drive!!

Kathy

What does an East Tennessee family do in South Dakota??

We are about to find out! In just 3 days, we are packing up the camper, tying down the hatches to the pick-up, and heading to the wild, wild west (well, maybe the midwest)!! This 16-day adventure will be the longest camping trip (and farthest) that we've ever taken....so deep breath....here we go....
It has been over a year since I have updated the blog. It has been a year of devastating medical diagnosis for Nathan, but also of great healing. God tells us to trust Him, but sometimes circumstances can shoot holes in our faith. But He is faithful, even when our faith is failing. Nathan is truly a miracle and is doing great and continues to progress with his multiple therapies.  He has the sweetest personality on the planet (not to mention he's pretty darn cute!).  Yet, it has also been a great year of laughter and fun. God's gifts.  I'm reminded of one of our favorite Erica quotes when she said, "ok everyone, act like we are a normal family!" which is a stretch for the Irwins! We use that quote quite often. 
We thank you for your interest in our family adventures and invite you to follow along as we embark on the Griswold Irwin family vacation of 2011...

Kathy
I lift up my eyes to the mountains—

where does my help come from?

My help comes from the LORD,

the Maker of heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1-2

Ahhhhh, so good to be home!

Still loving the tap water!! The biggest thing I've come to appreciate since spending 6 weeks in a third world nation is the health department. Going to dinner and trusting the kitchen, having good plumbing at public places, priceless!
I'll post some pictures of Nathan & a few of Joel. I promised some of his birthday party, but thought you would enjoy some of him playing in the ocean.