South Dakota, my home.

My mother-in-law and I have the most special relationship… I think it’s because my husband is a proud mama’s boy… I’m proud too, and it’s led us to embrace this “special relationship” full of two very strong personalities that would do absolutely anything for our man.  Anything… including a special trip to South Dakota.

It started soon after we were married; planning trips to my “home” with a very puzzled and almost offensive (though not intended to be) question of “What?! Why would you ever want to go there?!” Every.Single.Time.  To be honest, I did get a little offended…and so last Christmas we made boarding passes as a token of the best vacation of 2018 that Mom and Dad Bressler would have.  This would surely put an end to any future questions she had….

Apparently these were unacceptable to TSA.  Thankfully, we had a back up plan which included Southwest Airlines, a 2000 mile road trip, and an overnight visit in my home-aha.

We got to see sweet Sheree-ree… and these kids that helped build my mama-wanna heart.

Four hours later we were home, home.

I know they were nervous beyond all get out to spend a week with my people that they’ve only met for a total of maybe 5-10 hours collectively between wedding, funeral, and fun.  They were troopers (thanks to wine and that good old farm-fresh air).  Plus- our South Dakota people are the best– truly the best people I’ve ever known and probably will ever get to know.

Mama B put on her boots and she was ready for chores.

It’d been a long time since mom got out for chores… but this picture means about a million things to me–most importantly Dad’s smile and pride seeing her and all that she’s accomplished in this almost one year without him.  His presence is so overwhelming whenever we are home– you’d have to be there to believe it, but I think it’s the legacy that he left behind and the pride people have in knowing they were such a huge part of his life.

We’re so blessed that our babies get three grandmas (not to mention all the church nana’s in VA)… This is my South Dakota mom, she taught me everything my mom and dad didn’t, and she also got to be there when we told mom about our twins.  Something I will forever be grateful for because like I told her then, “with her there, it was like Dad was there too.”  And Murray (though I don’t have a picture of him–what’s wrong with me?!), he is going to do the most amazing job being my Dad’s love to our kids.  It’s something I still struggle with, but also something I know Murray will go above and beyond for.  He grandpas so, so well.  And what a gift that our babies will know that so closely….

Back to the cows.  Mom was thinking about Dad here… I can just tell.  I miss him too, Mom.  We all do…

If Mama B was scared, she sure never let on.  It must have been the chore-cap…and some homemade wine.

If you know my mom, you know she’s always been fearless…something that only escalated in our time in Letcher.  Clearly, she’s still got it.

Would you believe Audrey even collected eggs?! I don’t even collect eggs!

I swear she only did it for the green eggs.  Dr. Seuss knew about the green eggs…. and here you thought it was fiction!  The things you learn on the farm…

I wish I could have been in two places at once to grab photos of Papa shooting guns.  Instead I got the aftermath.

Thankfully the sore arm didn’t keep him down long and he was able to join us for morning chores the next day.

That’s Avi-girl.  She’s my buddy.

Together, they completed their boarding pass tasks one by one making this a trip they’d never forget–and it was only the second day.

p.s. when I see pictures of myself here, I like to think I look 20 times better (even with bad hair) because I’m home.

Day two was long, but such a fun filled day…Chores, lunch with my mom’s dear friends at the colony (no pics though), and….You know Wells Fargo and those wagons on the checks?  My pseudo-uncle builds those… and the Budweiser ones too.   And even wagons that have been in movies– Quinten Tarintino anyone?  He gave them a private tour.  I wish I could have recorded John’s response when we got back in the van.  “I knew it’d be cool, but that.was.AWESOME!” It made me so, soooo happy to see them loving it all!

That’s my Aunt Dvonne and just about the strongest woman you’ll ever meet.  If you didn’t know it… our ties to this place, she’s it.  Her husband and my dad grew up together.  Then they lost touch and found each other years later when stationed in Korea.  Dad was an officer but Uncle Dick wasn’t so Dad would take off his patches and fraternize when he wasn’t supposed to.  What a rule breaker!  Still, I’m so glad he did because without their story, we never would get to call these people ours, nor would we be theirs.

Trey is in total dad mode… I mean he has been all along, but if you didn’t know it before, he’s a total kid magnet.  They just run to him.  And that my friends, is the father of my babies.

She never lets me take pictures of her, but I love these because they’re telling her story– her love for history, and the way that she so interestingly “hoards” knowing each chronicle behind every piece.  p.s. there are A LOT of pieces.  She collects and restores saddles.  You know when you get whiffs of smells and they take you back?  That’s me and leather and her.  I call it the smell of my childhood.

I fall in love with Trey more and more whenever I visit this place.  They embraced him even before my Virginia family did and I think it’s because as much as the real me comes out here, even more of the real him comes out here.

Maybe it’s Jess and the sisterhood that was built through pictures and letters that our parents sent on our behalf before we could really even write.  I still have every single letter…almost 30 years later.  Also- these reverse outfits were completely unplanned… and sometimes we text each other only to find that me here and her there are still wearing the same thing.  Can you say that about your best friend?

Mom and Cindy have the same sisterhood…

Our long and super fun day 2 concluded at Catfish Cove for a family picnic… where once again, the kids were running Trey’s way.  Vinn is expecting a little sister in December.. only a couple months before our babies arrive.  The visions of them growing up together the same way that I grew up with his dad and his aunts and his uncles… God contain me– what a beautiful and divine plan.

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Day 3.  Another road trip.  Our family is in Letcher… about 4 hours from the Black Hills.  So there we went.  Mom stayed with Cindy, so it was Bresslers x 4.

We started our sight seeing in Chamberlain to see Dignity– a symbol to honor the Lakota and Dakota people and their culture.

We continued to the jaw dropping Badlands.  I have dreams about this place… me, my film camera, a dark room and ahhh I could get lost.

It was colder than expected… also the babies were bigger than expected…  I was about 11 weeks here and already my jacket didn’t close!

Trey had never been this far west in South Dakota and so for him to experience this beauty with his parents was a gift not just for them but to me too.  My Dad was so proud to call this state his home… and for years, I fought claiming a home.. period.  I’m so glad that in the end, I found that it’s here too.

Can you tell how proud I am now?

Thank goodness Mom bought me this vest before we left.  I thank God a lot for making me pregnant during the fall and winter because EVERYONE and their mother know I hate the summer… However… I was still freezing.  Plus, I was fighting the “fat(ter) or pregnant stage” and the fact that I needed a special vest, made the whole idea of bearing two little lives all the more real.  Hence, my first public bump hope photo.

We left the bombers in the photo because they have two sets of twins in their family.  It only seemed fitting that the’d be a part of it.

Day 4 we hiked at Sylvan Lake.  I remember visiting this place with my mom when I was in high school and forever wanted to go back.  Audrey climbed rocks!!  Every corner we turned was another “oh wow!” and I couldn’t be happier if I tried.  I think my jar was hurting really badly…part of it was from laughing when Audrey said “Dad, watch out, don’t fall off the rock.” He wasn’t even close.

Probably THE reason, Sylvan lake will be tattooed in my heart for life.  Someday we’ll bring the kids to this same spot and do another picture of the days that God answered, big.

So truly, madly, deeply, in love with the one God made for me.  Beyond question, we’re living the best days of our lives in this vacation.

And to top it off– we even visited a winery… and transported about 30 bottles back home.  Also- the tasting experience was torture for me.. especially with the sign in front of me that said “If you’re pregnant, you should NOT be tasting.” Thank goodness for the super sense of smell……

On our way to our goodbye dinner, we made a quick stop at the World’s Only Corn Palace.  When my dad was in high school, he used to help “build” the mural on the outside of the building.  To think, it’s been 75-ish years since then….

Like I said though, when I’m there, his presence is so overwhelming…one of the many reasons why I couldn’t think of a better time or place to share what came next…. Here you go Moms the moment we make it all public and you are officially able to talk about it.

A little back story.  I had chromosomal/prenatal genetic testing a few days before we left on our super long road trip.  We went back and forth trying to decide if we should even do the testing at all, but in the end did feeling that we would be as prepared as we possibly could.  The test is not diagnostic, but instead let us know if our babies were at risk for any genetic abnormalities by examining chromosomes… MEANING the cool and super smart scientists would also be able to tell us the genders of our babies.  We hoped, but didn’t actually think we’d find out while we were still in South Dakota, but we did!  Another anxious thought put entirely to rest– thank you, God!

Around 6:30 a.m. (MST), 8:30 (EST), we got a call from our mid-wife revealing that our babies are at low risk for any abnormality… also revealing the genders of each one.  Immediately after, we texted Leah (who now lives in my “childhood” home with her sweet family) and asked if we could use the goodbye gathering to share our exciting news.  We called Jessica and asked her to set up a gender reveal and completely left it in their hands… and they did an amazing job!

Moving around a lot as a kid, I don’t think I ever thought I’d get to share this kind of news at my home… but I did.  And who knew that I needed that.  My dad built that home with his two bare hands and brilliant mind.  We had the view that I grew up with as the backdrop.  And as you’ll hear Trey say in the video “This has been Nicole’s home.. you guys are truly her family…” And they were right there with me..and so was my Dad.  And it was so perfect.

We couldn’t have set it up better if we tried.  We were driving back from the hills and I said “Well Audrey… the only thing you haven’t done is shot a gun…” “Eh…. that’s okay.  I saw John’s arm… I don’t need to do that.” She replied.

“I bet my mom will do it with you…”

“Well… if your mom does it, I’ll do it.”

So Leah and Jess set up targets for them to “warm up.”  The bad news is… there was no warming that was happening and 30 minutes later we decided they needed bigger targets.  When Jessica brought out the bigger targets, they had no idea that the balloons were secret revealers…

People kept asking us what we thought… Trey had been convinced for weeks leading up to this moment that we were having two girls.  To start, I was convinced too… but then was really discouraged when Audrey kept telling me to get it out of my head because “Bressler’s don’t have girls.”  I changed my prediction to one boy…and if I was lucky enough, maybe a girl.

Here you go…

Every time I watch it back I think I probably should have buried my sass a little bit… but it makes for a better video, right?

Mom shot next… and here you go….

That morning at breakfast, I told Audrey I had a dream the night before that we were having girls… after our transfer, I had another dream about my dad where he was telling me were were having girls.  2 dreams I told her about and her response was “Well then… I won’t tell you about the dreams I’ve been having.”  I hope I didn’t rub it in too much…

Even still, the best part of having girls is this:

I’ve learned that grandmas with only grandsons live in denial of ever having grandDAUGHTERS… and this video says it all….  so does this.  The ugly cry that’s the most beautiful ugly cry we’ve ever seen.

God’s giving her some granddaughters!  disclaimer: our nephews are still the best nephews ever…

Our even greater joy yet… PINK!

Cindy summed it up best while hugging us… “You knew didn’t you??  In your heart?!”  Yes we did.

A close second was Papa saying “You may save on clothes, but two weddings in your future….”

Mom kept the confetti as a momento… hah!  I so wished all day that she could share this moment with Dad… and she got to.  Thank you, God (and Mike and Leah) for letting them have that moment here, together.

and my Trey– his “harem” grows.  That’s what my dad called mom and all her sisters and nieces…I told Trey that if God let Dad have any part in this, that it was because Dad knew if anyone could live that “harem” duty the way he did, it’d be Trey.  It’s an honor, really…..

So there you have it- the best ending to the best vacation.

Peace and love friends,

Trey, Nicole, Girl #1, and Girl #2.