Day Four | Diamond mine (twice), and a movie

Day Four started off in Hope Arkansas at my mom and dad's house. We drove an hour north to a diamond mine called Crater of the Diamond Mine - a State Park. It is the only diamond mine in the world where you can take whatever you find. The four of us girls went and we were bound and determined to find a diamond.

After spending $60 on rental equipment (we got $50 back on deposit) we found ... nothing. We tried, and it was fun, but we didn't find anything. The most fun we had was talking to a man who did it for a living. Really. He went there every day. Paid the $7 entrance fee every day and dug for diamonds. He has found 100 diamonds, his largest being a 1.5 carat. He was so interesting to talk with, mom and I enjoyed the conversation. 

We learned a lot from him, including a tip to dig in the mud where most diamonds settle. Well, Annelies loved that suggestion and got her shoe stuck! We had to ask our new friend (the prospector) to pull her out! Well, 5 minutes later Paradis did the same thing!

On the way out we stopped at the gift shop where grandma bought Paradis a ring she wanted, for her birthday. We drove nearly the whole way home before the ring fell off of Paradis' finger when she fell asleep. I asked her what size she got, and it was obviously too big. So we ended up driving all the way back and got her a new size. Two visits to the Diamond Mine in one day. 

We drove home, had steak for dinner (yummy on the grill) and watched The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. It was good - although so sad.