For my 35th birthday Amie planned a three-day trip to Bighorn National Forest, about three hours west of us in Wyoming. The two of us haven’t been away on a trip together without the kiddos since Graham was born; five years! But just two days before our departure there was a severe storm warning all across Bighorn with a no-travel recommendation. Oh no!
Together we tossed together a local itinerary. First, a restful day in Rapid with a downtown hotel. Next some hiking and a lodge in the Black Hills. Lastly, an adventurous day skiing at a local ski mountain.
Day 1
The morning was a rush to prepare for the trip. I hadn’t anticipated how much there’d be to do and was a bit grumpy. We did want to prepare everything well for Amie’s mom to watch the kids for the whole three days.
When at last we departed, Amie and I had the space to reconnect outside Harriet & Oak before getting coffee and brunch. This was one of many, many times I was grateful to be her husband. What a gift!
After delicious acai bowls and a pour-over, we walked down to the Alex Johnson for check-in. On our way we met a homeless man named Collin and his son-in-law Matthew Arapahoe. We walked them to a Starbucks for a little coffee and food. I have not yet called the number, but Collin gave me his daughter Heather’s phone number so I could help him get a state ID. We left Collin somewhat disappointed (he also wanted cash) and walked next door to check in.
Before we departed for Crazy Horse Memorial we visited a couple shops downtown. A spice shop that was more professional than most we’ve seen and a cookie shop where we split an oatmeal raisin cookie.
I joked on the way that, given the choice between visiting Rushmore or Crazy Horse, I’d choose Crazy Horse every time. I hadn’t been to either yet. But I did not expect what I found.
The granite carving is epic. It’s the largest carved statue in the world. But I thought that was all we were there to see. Instead I discovered that the statue is actually only the beginning of the vision of Chief Henry Standing Bear and Korczak Ziolkowski. They set out to create an entire campus, with a university, a hospital, and an airstrip, that would serve the Lakota people and preserve their heritage. From early on it was clear to Korczak that he wouldn’t see the work finished, but he and his wife Ruth laid the foundation for the entire project, even if it takes multiple centuries. He didn’t even get to see the face completed, but so great was his sense of honor to build a memorial for an entire people that he turned down more lucrative work elsewhere and ran two other businesses to fund the early years.
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There's more that I could say, but you should go visit yourself. I plan to visit again this summer if you'd like to join me. It is a glimpse of the Kingdom, to see the peoples of this land honored as divine images and the generosity of spirit that created a memorial to remember their heroes without disparaging the colonists who invaded them.
We stayed at Crazy Horse until it closed, then drove ten minutes to Custer. It was a surreal experience shifting from a memorial honoring the Lakota tribe to a town honoring the U.S. colonel who attacked them. But that’s not why we came to Custer; we came for the food.
Amie had discovered Skogen Kitchen, a restaurant in the last series of nominations for a James Beard award. It’s easily the best restaurant in all of South Dakota. Somehow we’d gotten a reservation the day before–there were only about eight tables and none sat empty–and we were treated to a lovely meal. Amie’s favorite part was the espresso with a little sugar and a sliver of lemon peel.
Day 2
We slept in and had a quiet brunch at a local Australian coffee shop, then headed into the Black Hills. This time north since we were staying at Spearfish Canyon Lodge at the north end of the Black Hills.
We’d planned to go for a hike longer hike when we arrived but the weather became foggy and the snow piled up as we gained elevation. We chose to check in at the lodge early instead, but not before we stopped to enjoy the quiet snowfall.
After we checked into the lodge we found a shorter hike near the lodge. To Amie’s surprise there was a beautiful waterfall she didn’t even know existed!
When we returned to the lodge we noticed that a few more people had arrived. Wanting to have the hot tub to ourselves, we jumped in our swimsuits and headed to the outer deck. It’s exhilarating to walk onto a snowy deck in 20℉ weather with nothing but a swimsuit.
The warm soak made us hungry so we went straight to an early dinner after. Then it was time to break out my birthday present; a new board game called Sleeping Gods.
Day 3
After our second relaxing day it was time for adventure. To the ski slopes!
Neither of us have been skiing in twenty years and we were nervous. After we picked up brunch at a coffee shop in Lead, we headed over to get our ski rentals. It took less than ten minutes to get fitted and head to Terry Peak.
We started on the bunny hill and I thought for sure that I’d fall on my face. But we managed to get to the bottom without incident and the memories were flooding back. Overjoyed to be outside in the beauty and the exhilaration of skiing, I said “let’s go to the top!”
By the time we’d made it all the way down the mountain, I felt like no time had passed since I’d donned skis. Amie gave me several tips to improve my atrocious form and I was ready to move up to blue runs.
I’d thought we wouldn’t endure the full four hours until the lifts closed, but that’s exactly what we did. It was a perfect amount of time, there were almost no others on the slopes, and we had a spectacular time. I did crash once, but I was moving slowly and it was comical.
My birthday was the best staycation of all time. How I needed to get away with Amie for a few days of rest and adventure.
Graham started with a cough a few days ago and Royal had croup-style breathing all last night. Amie’s next, then after her, me.
It helps to look at prior logs to see when we were last sick. Mid-February as it turns out. So almost five weeks well! That’s a record in the Bilson family household.
Of course, this happens a few days before the special birthday trip Amie planned for me 😩. At least Royal was well for his birthday celebration.
Here are a few highlights from Royal’s birthday celebration last Saturday.
In the morning Royal opened our gift. Our gift philosophy tends towards longevity and versatility. Royal’s imagination has exploded in the last three months and we wanted to either get him a dollhouse or a cooking station. We ended up with the dollhouse because I thought it’d be more fun for we adults 😜.
The family get-together was lunch at Texas Roadhouse. I’m reminded yet again that the “traditional” celebrations are not fun. It was good to see the family, but Amie and I would have been much less stressed out if we’d just had everyone over for lunch. I probably won’t succeed every time, but I’m considering boycotting all restaurant gatherings for the next five years.
The day was bitterly cold so we opted for the indoor dinosaur museum over the outdoor air and space museum. The boys flew through all fifty dinosaur models in fifteen minutes, but they spent a long time in a tiny mirror maze at the end of the tour. It was especially nice that the grandparents were there to share watching them.
It was a busy day, with so many out of the ordinary events. The boys and I were all grateful to go hiking the next morning on a familiar trail for a nature reset.
Lastly, here’s an amazing, hilarious video of Royal standing on the stove, talking about what, and who, he wants at his birthday.
Amie shares with me the best discoveries from her continuing education requirements. Here’s a write-up from a fascinating research article on the subject of #motivation.
I’m thinking of motivation from a #parenting lens, but the findings are equally important for #coaching or #employment.
I began on January 3rd aiming for exercise there times a week. In reality, I’ve only exercised 8 times in January, 2 times in February (sick), and 6 times in March (so far).
Even with such inconsistencies I’ve at least doubled my capacity in every set.
It’s a great competence builder, this little bit of exercise.
For several years now the main tools Amie and I have for rest together are, in order of frequency, television, books, and board games. We need more options that require little mental or physical effort to compete with the temptation of drowning our exhaustion in a tv show.
Last Thursday our neighbors came over for a last-minute #DiscoveryBibleStudy. We read Jesus’ kingdom parable where the farmer plants wheat but an enemy sows weeds.
We sped through with only an hour for a group of six. Had a slightly heated discussion about interpreting since Jesus actually does explain this one later.
It was personally fruitful to realize that the farmhands’ question was central to understanding the parable, but Jesus curiously leaves them out of his explanation.
My obedience from our last #DiscoveryBibleStudy is talk with the Father about his plan to let the weeds grow alongside the wheat. Like the farmhands, who questioned the farmer’s seed and his farming wisdom, I share their confusion that the kingdom on earth is fraught with weeds. Instead of advancing in victory and moving to the next place, each success is mixed with defeat. The weeds choke out the wheat so that they do not reach full potential. It is the most inefficient strategy I can imagine.
Father, give Andrew and Laura courage to speak openly about what you are teaching them of your love and presence. Draw the members of the rock-climbing community to your delightful love and call them to follow your Son. Bring repentance to team members who have become more concerned about behavior than right relationship and form a vulnerable, committed apostolic team at Basecamp. For the kingdom eternal, do it.
Our dojo time has been mostly pillow fights. There’s something very, very satisfying about hearing “stop talking, Papa!” and “Leave me alone!” all day, then getting to wallop Royal with a pillow 😄.
Oh how the boys love gymnastics courses! Both managed to land on the pillows, for the most part. Graham hit the pillows then did a somersault and bumped his head against the wall. So we put more pillows along the wall 😊.
Amie and I have been reading The Mysterious Benedict Society series by Trenton Lee Stewart. We’re almost through the second #book.
The characters are so great. Milligan’s monologue in the first book is captivating. Constance is a riot (and very like a toddler - I should know), and Kate is my favorite.
The boys will probably love this series when they can read.
Amie’s been sharing lots of crafts with the boys in the last week. I’m so impressed by her thoughtfulness and creativity. She’d say that the ideas came from others, but it’s her inspiration that implements them for our boys.
One such project was swirling color into a pan full of shaving cream. In the first try, the color never made it to the pan. But in the second, when Amie smoothed the shaving cream herself, they added some color!
This project was an inspiration from Black History Month. It’s their space paintings.
And this craft is to make flowers using cupcake holders on popsicle sticks.
Amie and the boys built this awesome marble run with some PVC pipe we’d gotten for a Halloween costume last year.
Graham purchased a volcano kit with his birthday money last year.
After the #dmm summit, two priorities were impressed upon me: to focus on my family as my primary team of disciple-makers, and to lean into warfare #prayer.
Amie and I have enjoyed several conversations about team Bilson. Amie and I are praying together more than ever, and I’m praying with the boys some too.
Last Saturday the Spirit offered me an awesome chance to inspire a men’s meeting towards prayer, and tomorrow my friend who owns a rock-climbing gym will be over to pray.
Since we were sick with the flu the first two weeks of February the habits of exercise, meditation and memorization that started so well in January need a jumpstart.
I’ve found that since the flu, #qigong breathing exercises have required more focus than before. My body is still distressed even though flu symptoms have faded.
In #exercise, I’d just started two sets before illness and it’s kicking my butt now. Slowly starting to build up motivation.
