Pictures from Beginning of Vacation

On our trip, the first time I felt *moved* to take pictures was at the Cabela's in Rapid City. The van's outside temp indicator was telling us it was 102. It was nice to have an interesting place to spend some time out of the car, but inside, where there was lots of walking to do!!




I call this "Taxidermy Mountain". ha Each animal had a date, location, and shooter by it. -wow-






Too bad this one's blurry.... *sigh* Yet, I like it enough to save it.... :)



One section of that Cabela's is a gun museum.



The guns in the museum *are* for sale. Here is the price tag on one of them.



Jeremy took this picture. Can't tell ya the significance.



Jeremy took this one, too; I think this one is the custom-made elephant gun.



This is the 'retail' wall of guns.



We could tell we were getting farther north because this pine beetle showed up in our van. Eek. The pine beetle probably ranks #1 of the bugs I dislike up north. These things get caught in hair like none other!! BLECH! It was Justus who requested permission to take this picture.



As soon as we got there we started bonding!!!!! We had some catching up to do!!



The morning after we arrived we headed to the Farmer's Market. It is a pleasant memory of which I wish I had more pictures. These boys were playing, WELL. During a short break, I asked the younger kid how old he is. He answered, "11." This kid is a NATURAL PERFORMER. He was just a-tappin' his foot, and a-smilin'!! What a joy to watch!!



That evening, we had been invited on a walk with Clint and Sydni, to walk a trail that is new!! It was Drinking Horse Mountain. 2.2 miles. (We took no jackets, and purposefully left our waters in the car since it was just 2 miles and it was already coolish.) Grrrr.... It was a hike, really, totally up a mountain ... that had a summit!! I had to keep stopping 'cause it was really more than I am used to, even with my progress on the elliptical (which, of course, I hadn't been on in weeks 'cause of the move).










There we go, up the hill!



Sydni took this for us, about 1/4 of the way down.



I like this picture of Bozeman and the Tobacco Roots at twilight that evening.



Sunset.



Jeremy and I are enjoying 99% of what we are reading in a free publication published by the group Jews for Jesus! For example, try this on for size: "Today's churches face a problem: many lack the strength, energy, or power to make Jesus Christ an issue to any unbelievers. Some mistakenly think that we need to avoid confrontation, that if we make it our priority to avoid offending our non-Christian neighbors, if we are careful to be likeable in their eyes, they will naturally allow themselves to listen to us, and even allow us to influence their religious thought.

"Nothing could be further from the truth. "But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Cor. 2:14).

"Our priority is to make Jesus Christ an issue. No matter how pleasantly we speak, no matter how soft our words, no matter how great our love and our concern -- effective evangelism will bring a reaction before it brings a response. If we insist on avoiding that reaction, we avoid making Jesus an issue and th church becomes a club of nice people who enjoy singing together." [from July '09 issue]

It's super fun to learn from the Jew's perspective about Sabbath, the Tabernacle, etc., and the significance in Christianity of the Jewish religious practices and cultural traditions. So, so, so great!!!!! :)

So anyway. :) A soap-box.