A Wedding

For the last two years Josh and I have shared our lives. It 's been the best time of my life. Two years ago on my drive to Deadwood I wasn't expecting what I would find there. I found work, friends and adventure but I also found Josh.

I remember the exact moment when I saw him. We were standing at the back of a equipment trailer when he smiled and introduced himself. His smile lit up his whole face and I took note. We were instant friends. At work we chatted and told stories. After awhile we started to hang out outside of work. We explored the town and the Black Hills. We found Art Alley in Rapid City and became regulars at Mustang Sally's. I had more fun with him than I'd ever had in my life.

We had our first kiss at Wonderland Cave. Then several more kisses at Black Hill Caverns, Crystal Cave, Wind Cave and Sitting Bull Crystal Caverns. We kiss in every cave now; it's become our tradition. On the road to each of those kisses we grew to know each other and even more about ourselves.

Then, on Friday, the 8th of July, we began the greatest adventure yet and pledged ourselves to each other in marriage.

The sky was clear and the sun was warm. The ceremony was at Roughlock Falls in Spearfish Canyon, in a private clearing that was edged in giant pines and thick

softwoods. We could hear the creek

running under the bridge and every tree seemed to be a little greener.

Our nieces, Ayden and Ava were excellent Flower Girls. They looked beautiful in their ivory dresses as they carried smaller bouquets of daisies. My Maid of Honor was my closest friend, Amy. She wore a dress in my favorite hue of blue and had her hair pulled up. She looked fantastic! Josh asked his father, Willie to be his Best Man

and he and Amy walked together. Willie, my father, Bob and Josh wore dark suits and matching ties. They looked so handsome.

I will always remember the moment that I saw Josh waiting for me. It looked like the sun was shining down upon him and he was wearing that huge smile that I love so much. I walked a little faster when I saw him. My Dad asking me why I was walking so fast, and I told him that my husband was waiting for me!

Our best friend and roommate, Nate preformed the ceremony. As I was reciting my vows to Josh I could hear my voice cracking and see tears in his eyes. Everything that I had tried to memorize seemed to disappear and as I held myself together I told Josh that he had taught me to love and how I pledge myself to him. Josh vowed to me that he'd always let me catch the bigger fish, something I intend to hold him to, and that he'd love me forever. It was very casual and very us. Nate did a great job and free-styled some of the most beautiful parts of the ceremony.

Our friends, Dan and Kindell, took our pictures. They captured not only our families but also the candid moments throughout the day. We love the pictures that they took. They came out beautifully.

After the ceremony everyone headed for the reception, which was at Butch Cassidy Sundance Kid Luxury Suites in Deadwood. The Suites have an amazing patio and since Josh's parents, Uncle and Grandmother had rented the building for the weekend it was the perfect place for our reception.

We really to have food that you'd find at a Southern Style BBQ. There were ribs and brisket, prepared by Willie & Uncle Terry. I have never had BBQ better than theirs. Josh's Mom and Aunt prepared a potato salad and a strawberry salad that were unforgettable. We had made pasta salad, which wasn't so bad either. There was corn, rolls, and fruit in case we were still hungry. Everything was delicious.

We had asked Josh's sister, Jawauna, to make our cake and cupcakes and she blew us away with her red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. Our cake she decorated with pine trees, chocolate rocks and even a small deer. It was a winter scene of the Black Hills and it was perfect! We cut it and as we served it to each other, Josh pushed my piece into my face and up my nose and I served him a sweet little bite. Delicious!

When our song, Wagon Wheel, came on we danced, sang and reveled in the moment. We sang it to each other and Josh spun me around a bit. In that moment it seemed to be just me and my husband.

As the afternoon came to an end, we began to realize how all of this excitement had worn us out and we returned to our home.

Later that evening we went to Saloon 10 with our friends and my new sister- and brother-in-laws. We popped in to the Deadwood Tobacco Co. and listened to music until Josh excused us and informed me that our night was just beginning.

We stopped up to our house, grabbed an overnight bag and we were on our way. I had no idea where we were heading. I thought maybe we were going to a hotel downtown and when we passed the last hotel I was truly confused. Then I thought maybe he had set up the tent somewhere and we were headed out to a night under the stars. It was when we were at the top of Strawberry Hill that I realized we were heading to the Fish n' Fry Campground, the place I had been camping when we first started dating. It's always been a favorite of ours and we've often toyed with the idea of camping there again one summer.

Josh had reserved a cabin for us and it had been decorated with a "Just Married" sign and balloons. We had brought Wu because we couldn't escape him and he made his bed on the floor as we made our bed. Josh had brought the computer and a movie, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. He had recreated our first date on our wedding night. It was so sweet that I cried a little. I'm such a girl and I'm so in love with my husband.

In the night it hailed and rained harder than it had in awhile. It was awesome to hear it fall on the metal roof. I felt so snuggled, secure and safe as we watched the movie and sipped champagne. It was the perfect ending to our wedding day.

More wedding photos can be viewed by following this Family Photo's link.

DIY Kitchen Renovation

For nearly a year now Josh & I have been living in a house in Deadwood. It's one of the best locations in town (with the exception of the Hill in winter) with the National Forest at our backs and just a few neighbors. We have a lot of privacy and room for the dogs to run around. Another thing we have is a really terrible kitchen.

For those of you who have seen it, I'm sure you can't forget. For everyone else- let me explain. Our kitchen is very small and a crossroads of our house. There is little counter space and the walls are textured (who puts a textured wall next to a stove-top?). At some point, someone had the idea to paint the cabinets sunshine yellow. Not necessarily to paint them well but they did succeed in making the cabinets yellow. Then the walls had to be a sea foam green. I think sea foam is a nice color but something had wrong awry here. And as icing on the cake, the trim was painted a neon form of John Deere green. All together it had a "Wow" factor but not the kind we were looking for. Our kitchen looked liked like a clown had exploded.

Halfway there...

Over the last year we have had some ideas of what we would like to change in the kitchen but since it's a rental we waited. It turns out our waiting had a shelf life because on Monday we had to make a change. One can only live in a Beehive for so long. We picked up some chalkboard paint and a creamy beige to put on the cabinets and went to town.

Josh and I are such a good team when it comes to projects like this. Some couples can't do projects and bicker but we cruise right along complimenting each other and nearly moving in sync. It's kinda amazing how well we flow when we work. It's one reason why we would like to work together again someday.

Before too long the cabinets were drying from their first coat in that nice beige and we applied a second coat. Both coats went so quickly that we were able to apply a coat of chalkboard paint to the cabinet doors. Chalkboard paint is amazing. It goes on a little differently than regular paint (as you would expect), is easy to spread and it evens itself out somehow. As it began to dry Josh worked on the trim. It was just an experiment but with each stroke the intense-ness of our kitchen began to diminish. It was like a Christmas miracle and we decided to call it a night.

The next morning I set to work on applying to second coat to the cabinet doors. It went quickly, there's only 14 doors and 3 drawers, and before long I was watching it dry. It was at this moment that I realized the changes were going to be mind blowing.

After work I picked up some paint for the walls. It had to be done and if 20 bucks would do it then we were in. The paint is called Colonial White and hopefully would compliment the cabinetry and make the kitchen a little warmer.

When Josh got home from work we set upon the walls. With the textured surface it was a little interesting trying to cover the surface but I think we did well. After we got most of the kitchen walls painted with a first coat we decided to call it quits and set upon coloring our new cabinet doors.

After starting the update on the kitchen on Monday we had made a lot of progress by mid-week. By Thursday we seemed to have hit a roadblock. Work was keeping us too busy and tired to put time in on painting the kitchen. But on Sunday, we were on fire!

On Friday we were admiring the changes when we realized that the the ceiling has also been painted a shade of green. Apparently the walls and cabinets had kept our eyes so busy that we had overlooked this. At first, we thought we could probably live with it but then I set to changing Josh's mind and with our trip on Sunday to Walmart even he couldn't deny that even the ceiling would need a change.

To save some money we checked out the returned and mis-tinted paint aisle. For $5.48 we purchased some flat white interior paint. It turned out that it was just what we were looking for. We also bought another brush and roller to speed up our progress.

When we set to work it was well into the afternoon but we had a vision and we set upon getting the room completed. We finished the walls, putting a first coat in a few spots and applying 2nd coats all around. After draping the room with sheets we set to painting the ceiling. I attached the rollers to broom handles and we rolled it in no time. It's a small kitchen, so it went pretty quick. After edging it we put the fan on and took a break.

DIY Done!

After everything was dried Josh and I finished the trim, let it dry and then touched up all the spots we had messed up along the way. After cleaning up we realized that we had gotten some paint on the floor and worked getting them off. Within an hour everything was clean and put away and the tape was good to come off.

It looks amazing! For out 1st DIY project with just ourselves we really did a great job. The whole feeling of the kitchen is different. The cabinets aren't recognizable. The ceiling is crisp and white. The wall are creamy and warm. We love it!

Crepes and Escapes

Crepes 6.19.11

Today, Amanda and I took advantage of our opportunity to sleep in, so we got a late start on our adventure for the day. After taking showers and letting the dogs run we made some World Famous Laliberte Crepes. Amanda whipped up the batter and let me figure out how to cook them just right. On top we put peach and blueberry yogurt, sprinkling them with powdered sugar. It was my first time to ever try making crepes and they turned out freaking awesome! It's weird now that I have a French side of my family! After the first crepe came out a little over done I had the cooking method down. I made about 8 crepes today and let me tell you (and Amanda agrees...), they were good.

View from Roosevelt Loop Trail 6.19.11

After wolfing down breakfast we decided it was time to leave for an adventure. The only problem was we had no idea where we were heading. So, we picked Mt. Roosevelt. It's a favorite of ours and we thought it would be nice to let the Wu and Tahquitz run a bit. We loaded the beasts in the jeep and off we went. We were hoping to have some privacy so the boys could run free but of course that wasn't a possibility where we normally go. There were tourists everywhere and we headed back to drop off Tahquitz (He doesn't like car rides very much). Before we left Mt. Roosevelt we found a trail to take and let the dogs run on. We hiked a ridge line and after a bit of exploring we wrangled the boys up and started back. On the way Amanda found a nice case for a pair of binoculars. SCORE!! After that we took Tahquitz back home. We laid some treats around the house for him and then Amanda, Wu, and myself were off to explore.

Custer Peak Camground Site 6.19.11

We decided to explore back roads that would take us south into Hill City, so we could try out this restaurant that the locals love, The Alpine Inn. We took Highway 385 out to Rochford Rd. then down Mystic Rd. It's a cut off we've seen multiple times but for some reason we had never taken it before. It turned out to be a great drive through steep canyon walls. From this road we took a cut off called Custer Peak Campground. As the name suggests, it leads to a campground area which is spectacular! Nearly every camping area was against a large creek and it seemed like each one came with about 4 acres of personal land. It was a very private area that we thought our friends would love when they come up here.

We stopped and let Wu Bear take a swim. He jumped out of the jeep and as soon as he figured out where the best entrance was, he started swimming. He loves to have a stick thrown into the water so he can jump in after it and bring it back. Recently, he's started taking up whining like a little girl just before you throw the stick, and to be honest, it's one of the funniest damn things I've ever seen. After being drug around by the strong current he was done, so we headed back towards Hill City to get lunch.

When we finally arrived in Hill City, we parked next to The Alpine Inn and were hoping to enjoy some German goodness..... It was closed. Facing disappointment we travelled on.

Bumpin Buffalo in Hill City 6.19.11

Amanda dragged me down the street to find another place to eat. We saw a biker looking bar that served mexican food. I love Mexican food, but there was another little tavern called the Bumpin Buffalo. The sign was cool so we took a chance on went inside. It was incredible how much this place reminded me of a college bar I used to frequent when I still went to Oklahoma. (Go Sooners!!!) Anyway, I saw that they were serving buffalo brats with sour kraut... CHA CHING!! I love me some brats, but I really love me some buffalo brats! Amanda and I both ordered brats and had the waitress throw in some fried pickle spears. Those
things are amazing and it's kind of our thing to get them everywhere we go. They served the brats on a wheat hoagie with plenty of sour kraut. The fries were really good and the pickles were fantastic. Needless to say, the meal was awesome! I was a happy man.

Caramel Apple Pie Fudge 6.19.11

We took off walking down the street checking out all the shops that line Main St. Of course, Amanda found the one that served ice cream and fudge; I was hooked. She ordered a cake cone with a scoop of mint chocolate chip and I got a waffle cone with a scoop of Mocha Almond Fudge. We also got a couple squares of Caramel Apple Pie Fudge. WOW!! This was just what we had needed. It was the best fudge I had ever had!!

Thunderhead Underground Falls 6.19.11

At this point, we were completely satisfied and ready to head back home. On the way back up 385 we noticed a nice looking new sign for Thunderhead Underground Waterfalls. We've been looking forward to doing this for two years. We headed down the road towards the falls. When we got there we walked down towards the entrance and paid to get in. It's a self guided tour and it's only about 600 feet into a mountain, but it was pretty cool. You could see where there was copper in the tunnel walls and other really cool color patterns all over the ceiling from a variety of minerals. There is a creek that runs through the tunnel. If you follow this creek all the way to the back you can see the falls. It's a small drop but the water is coming down hard and it gives the whole place a really large feeling. We took a few pictures and then headed out.

Amanda and Wu at Custer Peak CG 6.19.11

It was another good day with my Baby and our Wu Bear.

Spearfish Canyon Rim

     The last couple of weekends Josh and I haven't strayed too far from home. With such wacky schedules we've been trying to find some time to get out and explore. That day turned out to be Sunday. By 8 AM it was apparent that it could be the hottest day yet this year.

6.5.11 Crow Peak Rec Area

      After a late start we loaded up the Jeep and headed towards Spearfish Canyon via Maitland Road. Maitland Road is basically a local's only dirt road into Spearfish. It winds along the northern side of Spearfish Canyon and offers spectacular views and serene privacy. We turned into Crow Peak Recreation Area and began to explore the two-tracks that run throughout the unit.

     We had been studying maps to find an old unused road that ran between Maitland Rd. and Spearfish Canyon and that day we decided to try every road we came to. We drove for hours on those roads and always ended up having to turn around for washouts and whatnot. The day was really starting to heat up and we were just crawling on these dirt roads without much of a breeze. We came across a road that was overgrown with grass, beautiful lush grass, and so we followed it up hill and to it's end. The road ended on a knoll overlooking Maitland's valley and had a thick carpet of pine needles with jack pines offering shade and respite from the sun.

6.5.11 Improve Picnic under the Pines

     Taking full advantage of the shade, we pulled out a tapestry and our cooler and set to having a picnic on a nearby rock. Oranges, granola bars, and peanut butter crackers were devoured. And Wu was re-hydrated. It was so peaceful knowing that we were the only ones in those woods. It was like the whole forest was ours to explore. So we did.

     Following our path back we took a fork that we hadn't been down yet. At this point we were off the map. These roads, for the most part impassible by jeep, had become mostly ATV trails. As we were discussing that the road was becoming narrower and likely coming to an end, we realized that we had been creeping along the edge of Spearfish Canyon. There was a spectacular view of the cliffs and the winding road. We took a walk to see where the road was heading which was quickly into a ATV only trail and stopped to enjoy the views. How had this happened?

6.5.11 View of Spearfish Canyon

     We let Wu run for a bit and then we packed up, heading for the Canyon. A swim would have to be next. There are a few spots that we always return to in Spearfish Canyon to catch a quick dip. One of our favorites is past Roughlock Falls on CR 222. It's just a little hole big enough for the three of us. Or one particularly crazy Wu, who happened to be all business. The water was as cold as you would expect it to be in early June in the Black Hills. Josh and I were in and out quickly- it was so cold our legs went numb, not to mention we were getting hungry agian. But Wu was in heaven and playing until we offered him a car ride home. Silly dog.

Bear Butte

This past Sunday turned out to be a decent, though windy, day. The sun was shining and there wasn't many clouds in the sky. After a day and a half of snow, Josh, Mom & Myself were ready for some outdoor exploration.

In the two years that Josh & I have lived in Deadwood, we still hadn't made it to the top of Bear Butte. On our many joy rides we've driven by, even driven up to the parking lot, but never made the hike. The drive from Deadwood to Sturgis has a complete change in landscape. Winding through the corners of Boulder Canyon the road is hilly with steep canyon walls colored green with pines. The rocks are gray, and orange and stained from the minerals leaching to the surface. The soil is dark reddish brown. A small stream runs along the road at the base of the rocky outcroppings. I'm sure you can tell it's one of my favorite rides out of town.

When you turn the first corner in Sturgis the landscape begins it's transformation. Suddenly the canyon gives way to prairie. Once through downtown Sturgis the hills are behind you and suddenly you are in wide open spaces. The pines gave way to prairie grasses, the deer to antelope and the shadows of the canyon to the sunshine of the plains.

5.15.11 Bear Butte SP

Bear Butte rises out of the plain like a bear rising from slumber. Millions of years ago igneous rock formed the butte and after those years of erosion it came to resemble a sleeping bear. The Lakota Sioux call it Mato Paha, Bear Mountain and along with other Native American Tribes respect it as a sacred place to pray and worship.

In 1973 Bear Butte was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the trail leading to he top has been recognized as a National Recreation Trail. The trail is also the starting point (or ending) for the 111 mile Centennial Trail. The journey to the top took about an hour, an hour-fifteen and nearly every step had beautiful views. Prayer bundles were tied to trees along the way. Some were fresh, their colors still vivid, others were frayed and sun-bleached. Each blew in the wind. Unfortunately, the administration asks that non-Native America's stay on the designated trail- there were some awesome caves and rock outcroppings that we would have liked to have explored.

5.15.11 Top of Bear Butte

At the top we took the usual tourist photos of ourselves and rested at on the platform. We stayed awhile to take it all in and Josh noticed how the game were leaving trails across the rocky talus. It was awesome to packed rock where the game had packed trails. We also tried to spot the buffalo herd that inhabits the park but didn't have any luck. After milling around for a bit we began the hike down, stopping at each turn in the trail to take a picture or two. The trip down was only about 35 minutes and soon we were back at the car, cruising through Boulder Canyon on our way home.

My Mom was heading out the next morning, so we decided to make a quick stop in at Schade Winery. There were still wines to be tasted. I tried a couple that I had passed over the weekend before and ended up buying a bottle of Blackberry. It's just so delicious.

Back at the house we started the charcoal and prepared some burgers for the BBQ we had been planning. Some of our friends that my Mom knew came over and we visited and ate and ate some more. Then drank some Blackberry wine. It was nice having everyone at our place and it was starting to feel like summer.

Mother's Day Weekend Adventure II

9.10 Sylvan Lake

On Mother's Day, my Mom, Josh & myself headed south to Custer State Park, one of our favorite places. It was a beautiful but windy day and we were headed south.

Our first stop was Sylvan Lake. By this time we all needed a stretch and we pulled Brady out for a little walk. Though we had been there countless times, never before had we seen the loop around the pond. How'd we miss that? Of course we were obligated to explore and ended up finding a small cave and waterfall. The trail took about twenty minutes and lead us behind the rocks that act as a natural dam for the lake. It turns out that there was once a grand hotel near the dam that burned shortly after it's construction. All that remains is the small bridge above the dam that offers the illusion of standing on water. It was a perfect short walk.

5.8.11 Wind Cave NP

All loaded up we headed south on Needles Highway. It weaves along the granite outcroppings and leads you through three tunnels that each share amazing views. It's the best way to enter Custer SP. We took some of the usual roots through the park, enjoying Wildlife Loop Road and stopping here and there to photograph the wildlife but the real adventure began when we drove into Wind Cave National Park. On the road in we saw the prairie dogs basking in the sun and bison playing along a pond. The baby bison were spunky and playful while their mothers weren't impressed with our intrusion. Bighorn sheep rested along side the road and burros blocked out paths, demanding payment. After scratching a few noses we found a dirt road on a ridgeline that gave expansive views of Custer SP and Wind Cave NP. There were a couple turnouts along the way where we pulled over and enjoyed the beautiful day.

5.8.11 Wind Cave NP, Bison & Baby

We ending up taking Highway 16 north from the town of Custer to Hill City. Maintaining tradition we made our way to Prairie Berry. No trip from Maine would be complete without a stop there. As it turns out Mother's Day was the premier of their newest wine, Sand Creek. Perfect. We obliged them with a tasting and it was delicious. Rarely do I find a red wine which I really enjoy but Sand Creek definitely hit the spot. As usual we purchased a few bottles; some heading east to Maine and others north to Deadwood. Happy and exhausted we made our way home.

Mother's Day Weekend Adventure

This week my mom is visiting from Maine. She happened to plan her visit to fall on her birthday, the 7th and Mother's Day, the 8th and so we decided that this weekend would be her chance to drag us around town to all the things she wanted to do. It turns out that there were more than a few things that we had been talking about and so we all went adventuring.

5.7.11 View of Lead SD from White Rock Ridge

On Saturday, we hung out locally and explored a few corners of Deadwood that were still a mystery. Early that morning Josh, my Mom and myself headed across the valley and crawled up to the ridge above Mt. Moriah. Wu & Brady accompanied us and kept us on our toes. It's amazing how two pups can make everything 3x's more hectic. It's a gift. We walked the ridge up to White Rocks and enjoyed the vista from there. It was a bit windy so we found a spot to hunker down and enjoy being on top of the world for a few minutes. When we made it back to the jeep we cruised the ridgeline and discovered a few places that had previously been covered in snow. It's an amazing area up there with some unbelievable views of Lead/Deadwood. We were able to see two Homestake entrances, the open cut, Mystic Miner Mountain and Terry Peak- it looked like an advertisement for Lead.

5.7.11 White Rock Ridge, Deadwood SD

Once we made it down White Rocks, we headed over to Forest Avenue to spy Seth Bullock's house. Just a few weeks ago we heard that his house was still around and went in search. We found it and thought maybe my Mom would enjoy it too. It's just a quick jaunt up from Main Street and is marked by a plaque in the wall.

After that to the Kirk trailhead of the Mickelson Trail. It's a railroad grade trail that runs through the hills for a hundred of miles or so but this section is just a few miles long, runs along a
small creek and is just slightly uphill. It's a perfect

5.7.11 Bullock House, Deadwood SD

spot to get away from traffic and let the dogs run a bit. Along this section Wu has a favorite swimming spot and though we hadn't seen it since last year, he remembered exactly where it was. He whipped off the trail and was wading in the water when we caught up with him. Little Brady ran right up to the water's edge, stood on a rock, looked at us, then turned and jumped into the creek. He was a little more than surprised when the water was icy cold and the current began to pull him. He dipped under for a second and when he surfaced be did the doggy-paddle like no puppy had done before and made it to shore. Within 5 seconds he had successfully completed his first swim. After all that excitement we got back on the trail and within a 1/2 mile we had found a better spot for the dogs to swim but apparently only Wu was interested. Brady stayed back, sitting on the edge and watched. Apparently he'd had his fill.

After all that swimming and walking we brought the dogs back to the house so we could enjoy the more adult things in Deadwood. First stop, Schade Vineyard & Winery. It's just inside of Boulder Canyon and about a mile from our house. It turns out that at this winery you can try however many wines you would like. Oh, no. I would feel pretty comfortable saying that their dessert wines dominated the menu. My mom ended up buying a bottles of the Buffaloberry, Chokecherry, Rhubarb. Josh & I bought a bottle of their 10th Anniversary Signature Red. All off us went a little crazy on the tastings because we had always been limited on the number. Mom tried every dessert wine- she was in it.

5.7.11 Belle Joli Winery, Deadwood SD

We were getting into the spirit of things and headed downtown Deadwood to hit up the Belle Joli Winery. It turns out that when you pay $5 for a tasting, you really get your money's worth. We tasted everything on the menu. Delicious. There were a couple that weren't too memorable but the rest were tasty. I should have stopped at the tasting but Mom and I decided to indulge in a glass and we all sat out watching people pass by.

Bertha at the Midnight Star was the next stop. She's a super large slot machine but she didn't pay out at all after $5 so we headed up the street to the Miner's Den Steakhouse. We ordered burgers and fries and drank water. After that wine tasting it was perfect and cleansed our pallets. We were full, exhausted and ready to head home only to begin it all again the next day...