Road Trip - Long Entry, Sit back and enjoy!

We were supposed to be flying up to Kalispell, renting a car and driving to South Dakota via a night in Billings, driving back to Billings and then flying home.  Was a decent plan but for some reason I got a bee in my bonnet to just drive the whole thing and for a brief moment of insanity Mister agreed (I'm pretty sure he is still questioning why he did that).  So we left two days early and arrived back home two days later, making it a 2 week trip and over 6,000 miles.  Whew.  Mister's insanity continued on for the first complete day by deciding to just drive straight through -- what was he thinking?  The drive was good though (except for a small blizzard in Wyoming as we went through) and the snow peaked mountains in the distance were magnificent to see.  We arrived up at Moms house Sunday afternoon (instead of the Monday  night we would have flown in) and were able to help get some things done since we had a little more time.  The weather was so varied while we were there and so we were treated to snow as well as sunshine.  We were also able to get together with Sis, Joe, Zach, his new girlfriend, Rebecca to celebrate Mom's 70th birthday.  Sis got her a beautiful pair of opal earrings and Mister and I had taken her to pick out a new camera earlier in the day.  Congratulations Mom -- what a milestone.  They were days filled with work, good conversation, and fun -- its Mom's turn now to come down here again.

 

After four days in the beautiful Flathead Valley, we were on the road again.  We drove to Billings with a quick stop in Butte to check out the Quarry, one of the few microbrews we missed last summer on the tour.  Mister pulled out the computer again and we enjoyed our time there getting to know the brewmaster and his wife.  We got to Billings in time for me to help Rhiana get Miss Elena's Halloween costume almost done (a flower fairy - too cute) and then took Matt's and Rhiana's family's out to dinner for a treat before crashing at Matt's house for the night and heading to South Dakota the next day.

 Elena is watching closely before her turn comes.

We arrived at the base around 1 and after getting all "registered and checked out" arrived at Jen's house where pumpkins, tools, and smiling kids were waiting to see how big of a mess we could all make.  Within minutes of getting there, we were literally up to our elbows in pumpkin.

After the pumpkins were finished, the crystals cleaned up, the birds retrieved, the cage put back together (long story, but funny), the boys were dropped off at a sitters and friends and we were off to Bekah's Black Belt Test.  She was amazing and so deserving of it (and I'm not prejudiced at all).  She handled everything they threw at her, never lost her composure and five hours later was awarded her belt.  It was a very long, wonderful and interesting day.  We crashed.

 Halloween Day!  Jen was up and dropping of the three oldest at Tae Kwon Do workshops and so when she returned, we  loaded up the two little ones and headed to the Journey Museum, an excellent museum on South Dakota history which was very hands on and enjoyable for all ages.  The boys were busy looking at rocks, learning about dinosaurs, and digging for fossils.  

 

From there we went and picked up the kids for lunch at DQ and then back to the workshop while we made a quick dash to Mount Rushmore.  Mister hadn't been there since he was quite young and noted how many things had changed.  Jared was working on a Junior Ranger program and so we were busy finding all the things he needed to mark off on his assignment sheet.  One of the items was to draw the different wildlife we saw and we were actually lucky enough to see several mountain goats along the  path.  It was a beautiful day and Mister was able to take some great pictures.

 

 

We then went back into town and picked up the boys and Jens van (another story, lol) and everyone went back to the house to start getting ready for trick or treating except Jared who stayed with us while we waited for Bekah to finish her black belt workshop.  We made a quick stop for some fresh brewed root beer which gave Jared the giggles big time and the Mister took us on a Roller Coaster car ride up to Dinosaur Park -- wow.  After getting Bekah, we headed to the house for a quick dinner and then time to costume and make up all 5 kids.  The kids and Jen and Mister headed out the door for some serious candy gathering and I stayed in to hand out candy.  That itself was quite the chore as sometimes it was not more than a minute between doorbell rings and I stood there with a constant stream of kids for up to 10 minutes at a time.  Amazing.  Upon their return, the dividing of the spoils and the big trades began -- a tradition that never leaves.  Another long day and I was ready to fall in a heap.

 

  November --- where has October gone?  I know!  it went with a trip to the office in Montana, a visit from Matt and Becca, a tip to Ohio, and the adventure that I am in the middle of writing about.  Oh my.  There were very few down days last month.  I wonder what this month will bring.  We slept in a little Sunday morning and then decided to go to Canyon Park and feed the ducks and geese and fish.  It was a good time and nice to just relax for awhile before heading over to a picnic area and making a quick lunch.  When the boys were finished eating (this includes Mister) they were off to play tag and climb on the play equipment until Mister lost his grip and fell to the ground with Jared as his cushion.  No one was hurt (although Mister did complain of some soreness the next day) and much laughter was heard.  Afterwards, we made a stop at an indoor miniature golf that was all in the dark with black lights and since we were the only ones using the course, took our time and had fun -- not too competitive.  We then went back to the house and several of us went down for naps (me included) while others watched a movie and dinner cooked.  We spent the evening playing Apples to Apples and just talking and visiting.  It was sooooo nice.

 

 

That was the end of our time in South Dakota, but are fortunate enough to have them coming to visit us for Thanksgiving --will be fun times.  The next morning we were off and back to Montana so that I could actually work for a couple of days (nice to pay for these trips now and then, lol) and spend a little time with family there.  Becca was getting ready to go to Brazil with Hyrum for a couple of weeks and so we enjoyed our time with them -- Mister even babysat while Matt and I worked and Becca ran errands.  Time with all was great and on the last night -- Matt and Rhiana were doing all they could to stay awake once Elena gave in.  Time for bed and the long drive home the next day.

 

Slight head chop off in this pic, but the expression is priceless.

 

While we were up there, Mister picked up a new camera -- the first picture taken on it was this:

How perfect!!

We then headed back home but I stopped the insanity and we spent the night in Pueblo, Colorado.  Back home on Friday -- a great trip, a lot of miles, and lots of fantastic memories.

Ohio Trip

Looking out the window of the airplane as we arrived in Ohio --- oh my, the colors were already so beautiful and we knew that we were in for a special treat.  Not only were we going to spend time with Amanda and her family, but we would be blessed with natures beauty while we did so.  We had looked forward to this trip for quite some time and were excited to be there at last.  We met Amanda and the boys at the airport and received very warm "Gammy" screams and hugs.  Perfect start!

                                 

After some time playing and yes, there actually are two boys in that first picture, we bundled up as it was raining and cold out and headed for Boo at the Zoo.  They boys were pretty excited to be able to wear their Halloween costumes for the first time that night. They were just oh too cute and Raef even managed to dance with a robot.  Such a good time for all.

Day one ended with us falling into a heap and sleeping like a log until, well, 6 a.m. -- ugh, why must little ones get up while its still dark out?  Friday was filled with breakfast, baths, play time, and naps before we were able to head out and take the boys to the museum to see the new Dinosaur exhibit.  Keeping up with them was a challenge in the museum as they literally ran from one display to the next.  Our next task was to pick Amanda up at work and well, it didn't go quite so easy.  I put the wrong address into Google maps and so we arrived at the beginning of the road we needed, but didn't know that and so turned around, called for directions, turned around again and finally found the right road only to discover that it was still miles away.  We finally arrived at almost 5:30 and we were supposed to have been there at 4 --- leave it to the old folks.  This entire time the boys just played away in the backseat --- poor things.  After finally arriving back at the house, Mister had treats for the boys, the four of us changed clothes, we left Uncle Cameron in charge, and with tickets in hand headed to a Mystery Dinner theater downtown.  We had seats literally next to the stage and the food was quite nice as well --- a good time for all.

All in all, a great day and once again only seconds after hitting the pillow sleep followed.  Saturday we were off to Amish country and took Raef along.  I so love it down there and the trees were so beautiful, it made you just want to drink in all the colors.  We stopped at the cheese factory and I couldn't believe all the people in there -- it was nuts, but I did manage to sneak through and grab some cream cheese fudge for me and meat sticks for the boys.  Then we wandered in Berlin for awhile looking at Amish quilts for Mister's mom -- they are so beautiful and so expensive.  We continued driving down to Walnut Creek and had dinner at Der Dutchman --- old fashioned cooking -- an absolutely huge restaurant.  By the time we got back home it was dark and we were off to bed while Amanda stayed up working on her talk for church.

Sunday brought  sunshine and Mister and I went for a train ride through the Cuyahoga National Forest.  It was so beautiful and we were lucky enough to have seats in the Dome car which had windows up the sides and over the top.  The colors of Ohio were everywhere to be seen and we enjoyed each moment of them.  I had never been on a train before and we went exploring down to the Club Car where we were able to enjoy a quick picture. 

When we returned to the house, we all bundled up and headed off to Patterson Fruit Farms for some apple cider, fresh apples, play at the Fun Fest, and of course the picking out of the pumpkins from the patch.  We all returned freshened by the air and muddied by the corn maze, but a good time was had by all.  We dropped the boys off with Uncle Cameron and went to a wonderful dinner at the Blue Canyon.  All in all, it was a great day and very fun filled.

 

 

The trip was ending all too soon as Monday arrived and we had to pack up.  We took Amanda and the boys to the Public Market and let her shop for fun stuff to take home and had a great little lunch in a cafe there at the market.  It was a great ending to a wonderful time together.  Favorite memories:  Mister and Ryan working on the train, Raef's neverending "boy-girl" questions, the absolute beauty of the fall colors, and treasured time with Amanda and Trent.  I cannot wait to see them again in December. 

One last thought.

A Visit From Matt, Becca and Hyrum

Matt and Becca weren't able to go to Brazil as planned and so we were the lucky recipients of their vacation time. They, along with Hyrum, arrived ready to have some fun and spend some time together. After gathering luggage (well most of it - they forgot a piece, lol), we headed for Texas bbq at Sonny Bryans where Hyrum enjoyed watching the cars out of the window way more than the food.

From there we headed to the Aquarium and enjoyed the fact that it wasn't crowded at all. Apparently a Friday afternoon during school is a great time to go there. The otters were a big hit as well as the flamingos and so before leaving I got Hyrum a stuffed otter that he latched onto and had with him almost the entire weekend. Love it when a gift is a hit.

That evening we went to a Bavarian Grill for dinner and had a blast. There was an accordion player and sing-a-long music sheets at each table. Matt decided to sing along and Becca thought he was truly strange for doing so. The food was great and the place was lots of fun. Then off to the house for bed -- everyone was beat.

The next day we were up bright and early (2 year olds tend to cause that) and found the Wiggles on You Tube for Hyrum to watch (notice the otter in hand, lol) while Mister made breakfast for everyone. While I was getting a chair out for Hyrum, I noticed a box of blocks in the closet that I hadn't seen before and so teased Mister about buying more than a booster seat. Up to now, Hyrum really wasn't all that sure about Mister and so out came the blocks after breakfast. The two of them quickly became friends and spent a lot of time over the weekend on the floor playing together.

Then we hit the road for Fort Worth for the day. First stop was the zoo, but before we could even get there, Dad and Hyrum were crashed in the back seat. Too cute. The zoo was great and Matt and I were treated to a rather disgusting performance by one of the gorillas -- ugh, still makes my stomach turn. After the zoo, it was the water gardens and, of course, a trip to Cowtown to watch the longhorns. We went back to the house for awhile and then dinner at Food From Galilee --- authentic Mediterranean fare and very good. Late night for everyone and all three of them crashed on the way home.

 

 

 

Next day we were up and off to Cafe Brazil for breakfast and then a quick tour around the lake.  We went back to the house and visited and played blocks (Mister and Hyrum of course) until the mall opened and we could go shopping and get lunch.  Stopped at Which Wich for lunch and Hyrum's was so nutritious as you can tell from the pics -- he was too cute though.  We found the cutest suit for Hyrum and I can't wait to see a picture of him in it and then back to the house for a relaxing afternoon of reading and naps -- woohoo, it was nice.   That evening off to Rafain as both Matt and Becca were wanting a churrascaria for dinner.  It was fun to watch them interact with the staff there as most knew Portuguese and the place was not all that busy since it was late on a Sunday evening.  It was a great trip and we look forward to them visiting again.