SOUTH DAKOTA!

{Loretta. Me. Jane. Mom. Evelyn}

Not much of a vacation spot,

especially in the middle of the winter

with the wind chill making it -17 degrees

{yes, minus 17 degrees}

but last weekend I flew to South Dakota

to spend a few days with my grandma.

My grandma had surgery

{everything went well, she is ok!} 

and was in the hospital for a week.

The surgery was last minute,

and as soon as we found out

 Greg {Mr. Wonderful} booked a ticket 

and flew me out

and my sister Stephanie took care of

 Thomas and Isabelle so I could have some

much needed South Dakota family time.

{my magazines for the plane trip}

Me & Uncle Steven

I won't name names,

but someone visiting my grandma was wearing this shirt.

My mom and I spent everyday all day at the hospital 

with my grandma.

On the second night we were there, 

a bunch of us went to dinner at Tea. 

In real life, Tea has the best steak in South Dakota.

Tea is why I cannot be a vegetarian.

At Tea, there are two things on the menu:

steak and Jack Daniels.

I don't think people in South Dakota drink anything

but Jack Daniels.

It's super convenient having the slot machines 

right there just feet away for gambling in

between courses.

{Great Uncle Mark. Me. Uncle Steven. Great Aunt Ardis. Mom}

See all the bottles behind me?

Yep, that's Jack Daniels.

All. of. it.

"Cowboy boot stores" in South Dakota blow our one

store here in Utah out of the water.

I have never seen so many cowboy boots in my

entire life!

I was in cowboy boot heaven.

My family in South Dakota are real-life legitimate

farmers/cowboys/cowgirls

and I am clearly just a wannabe

{as if I could ever plow a field or rope cattle!}

but at least now I know where I get my redneck ways from.

I love cowboy boots.

I love Greg in cowboy boots.

I love Greg even more in a cowboy hat.

{I do not like Wranglers though}

I love horses.

I love rodeos.

I love George Strait. 

I love Reba.

I have a mad passion for Johnny Cash,

the man in black.

I have gone country.

Yes, I did buy them both and no,

I don't think I am being excessive.

Spending a few days with my family -

most of who I haven't seen since Isabelle

was just a baby,

was exactly what I needed.

It's hard to explain, but spending time with

my grandma + SD family

always pushes my "reset button"

and I came back to Utah feeling

a hundred times better and more like myself

than I did when I left.

I think families {Grandma's especially} and

cowboy boots must have a way of doing that.