We live in the State of South Dakota. Our home is a single family home. We live in a Country/Rural neighborhood. We are friends with our neighbors. We have one or more cats , the occasional dust bunny and a few chickens with the recent addition of a pot bellied pig named Ralph.
Nothing beats a good day boating at the lake! We have some of the best glacial and prairie lakes just a few miles from home and we enjoy going boating, fishing, and tubing. Camping also makes the top of the list. There's no better breakfast than one cooked over a campfire!We play at the park and have BBQs at the baseball field just a block over from our house. We have tons of kids in the neighborhood that make for some pretty interesting games! We go sledding and snow shoeing in the winter and enjoy going to movies at the theater. We also try to find activities to do in areas around us. There are great learning centers a short drive away, like the Children's Museum, and the Washington Pavilion. We have a local frontier days put on by relatives of ours that allow kids to actively participate in the operation of a family farm and many interesting historical and natural places to visit such as Fort Sisseton and Sica Hollow. These offer kids an opportunity to see how people lived years ago, and how beautiful nature is and the opportunities the outdoors can provide. Our school offers a multitude of team team sports including basketball, football ,track,and volleyball. They can be in the school band, chorus, debate, oral interp, and the school play. Our kids are active members in most extracurricular activities and it is strongly encouraged. We also have dirt biking, summer baseball for younger kids, and 4-H. There is also an accelerated reading program at the library in the summer and swimming lessons at the pool in the neighboring town. There is also plenty of opportunities for hunting which is one of our favorite family traditions. It's a multigenerational affair in spring and fall with the opening of turkey and deer season! Preparing for the hunt in the chill of the morning listening to stories from the older generations of hunts past make for some great bonding time! Our town has only one school, which has the elementary, middle, and high school in the same school building. With a smaller population, kids have a better opportunity to learn without being overlooked. Smaller classes with diverse ethnic backgrounds allow for an easier transition for kids of different backgrounds. There are also more opportunities for kids to take part in school activities, because the activities are not overpopulated and reduced through tryouts. Here, anyone can take part.