North to Montana!

Mike and I often do not have the same days off. I have week-enda off while he takes Sunday afternoon and Monday off... if no one needs him.  Well, we both had today off so we took off after church yesterday and headed for a quick trip to Montana. A really quick trip.

I dressed appropriately.

We almost talked ourselves out of going but I am glad we didn't.  We were gone only about 30 hours but we had a great time and saw such beauty!. It does a soul good.

The first part of our drive was wet. It was very wet. In fact, it rained so hard there was hydroplaning. We saw two vehicles that had gone of the road!  I have never seen so much water in Wyoming! All the dry ravines had a lot of watering rushing through them. There were new ponds everywhere! We knew to slow down and had no big problems but it was not an ideal time to go on a pleasure drive.

About the time we entered Montana, the torrential rains were done so we carried on. First, we went to Billings. We enjoyed a little sales-tax-free shipping, explored parts of Billings we'd not seen before and talked. I love when I get that kind of time with my husband. 

We spent the night at a hotel in Billings. I really love staying in hotels. I know some people hate it but I love it. I feel relaxed as the responsibilities of job and home just slide of.  

Our hotel had a pretty indoor waterfall. We don't have one if those at our house! 

This morning we drove West a ways and then headed South to Red Lodge.  I will just show you photos from along the way...

Isn't that a pretty scene? 

The sky was lovely.

The area around Red Lodge was gorgeous. 

Just gorgeous.

I took a zillion photos.

Mike thought I should be in one.

I thought he should be in one as well.

Not one of these photos truly captures the beauty. I wish everyone could experience such a place.

We walked around and enjoyed the smells and sound, especially the meadowlarks singing.

Downtown Red Lodge was busy. Really, we didn't even find a place to park.

This is where technology saved us a lot of trouble. Our daughter, Maria, texted us that our planned route home was blocked by a rock slide and the highway was closed. She saved us hours by warning us ahead of time! 

So, we left Red Lodge and headed back into Wyoming by going into the Big Horn Mountains. It turned out to be my favorite part of the drive! 

We didn't really take that dirt road but I liked the photo anyway.

I will give you a hint regarding the rest of the trip but you will have to wait until tomorrow for it. Here's the hint: Tomorrow's title is "Wildlife, Weather and the Pot of Gold".

For now, here's one last photo from today. I thought I was pretty artsy when I took this one. I think fences are cool. I think mountains are magnificent. I don't mean to brag but I think the combo in awesome! 

Brrrrrr!

Yes, it is May. Yes, that is snow.  Yes, this is Wyoming.

Earthquake Destroys Giada Village In Nepal

This is Patrick, from Vision Beyond Borders. He was already in Nepal when the second big earthquake occurred.  

Mall Lunch Hits the Big Times

You know how our family has the weird tradition of meeting at the mall once a week or so. We each get what we want to eat and gather for a quick break together in the middle of a work day. It is a quirky tradition but it works for us.

Well, last week we took our mall lunch to the max! Yep, you guessed it! We were at the Mall of America! I went  into exactly one store there, but I had a delightful time.

Maria and the girls enjoyed the merry-go-round.

Cordelia and I rode together on a little kid roller coaster, with Maria and Elise just in front of us. It was a bit too tame for Cordelia.

The ferris wheel made that girl pretty happy.

Maria, Eric and girls on the ferris wheel.

Mike took this artsy photo of the escalator, looking into the amusement park.

Another artsy shot by photographer Mike.

What a wonderland for kids!

This project was made out of legos.  The photo doesn't accurately capture the true size of it but notice the people walking down below.

Later, Cordelia and I rode on that roller coaster that went over the top of most of the amusement park. It was a bit TOO much for her but she handled it well with just a bit of reassurance that the car we rode in would not go flying off the rail.

It was kind of a carefree time.  Nice.

There's Cordelia on the big kid roller coaster with me.

Honestly, everyone was not on their phones throughout the entire lunch!

Tardy Report

Well, aren't I the tardy one to finish reporting on our trip to Minnesota?

So, we attended a beautiful wedding. Everyone looked so pretty/handsome. 

This in our son, Ben, and our daughter-in-law, Sara.

This is Adam, our nephew, with Ben. I like that photo.

After the wedding we had a bit of time as we made our way across town to where the reception dinner and dance were to be held. It was the perfect opportunity to go by the seminary Mike attended in the 1980's.

We lived on campus there for three years when Maria and Ben were little.  It was fun to be there with them again all grown up. We walked through the woods, a shortcut they both remembered.  

We traipsed  around the campus a bit, enjoying sharing memories. It was fun to learn what snippets the kids remembered. It was also fun to share that with the grandgirls and our children's spouses. They may have been bored but they were all good sports.

Wouldn't it have been weird, back when Maria was a four year old walking that same sidewalk, if we could have seen into the future?  We used to take Ben to a daycare down that sidewalk. We have had a lot of adventures and seen a lot of places since then. The best part is, we have added more people to our family mix since those days.

Elise entertained herself with some spinning and twirling. Two is such a fun age.

The campus was really pretty, complete with cherry blossoms... At least I think they were cherry blossoms.

After a quick, self-guided tour, we were off to a beautiful wedding reception that was in a lovely place on the edge of the Mississippi River. 

We were so happy that we got to spend that happy time with family.

Mom

Happy Mother's Day to all the ladies out there. Whether you have had children of your own or not, you have likely "mothered" someone along the way.

Most especially, Happy Mother's Day to my Mom, Grace. Don't you just love her name?. It suits her well.

I am wishing I could be with my Mom today.  I thought I would be with my Mom today. But, this happened. 

It didn't matter that I had already folded all my winter close into my under-the-bed storage container. It still happened.

That is how it looks out my back door at this very moment, May 10. That just seems all wrong. Our lilacs were just starting to bloom!  

Under all that snow is a lawn that needs mowed, weeds that need pulled and new little flowers that should be soaking up the sun. Oh well. It is moisture and we need that.

Anyway, it would not be a gift to my Mom to make her worry if I chose to make that 2 hour drive across an icy Wyoming prairie that is frosted with so much white fluff. I bet it would be a beautiful view, though! 

Anyway, let me tell you a couple things about my Mom.

My Mom raised her children with love that required a lot of sacrifices. She taught us all, by example, how to put other's needs even before our own. She protected us from some harsh realities that she had to face quietly, while showing us only a smile. She protected our childhoods with ferocity. I only recognized this in retrospect but I am so grateful for it.

My Mom also taught us to do things for our own enjoyment. She was already a mother when she discovered she was also an artist. We all watched her study and work and learn and progress with her talent. That set a good example for us as well.

My Mom was my first best friend. Even in high school, she was the one I wanted to come home and talk to after something exciting/sad/funny happened. I really love my Mom. 

My Mom was also the first and maybe most important gift I received from God. Thank you, God, for my Mom.

Spring Gone Wild

I admit it. I have been watching The Weather Channel again today. Well, in my defense, I do believe it is one of the best reality shows on television and today it was really fun. 

One thing I enjoy about the weather channel is how excited the reporters get when the weather is all wound up as it is this week-end. They try to show their concern for those in the path of scary weather, and I know they are sincere about that. But it is fun to see how excited they get about the vortexes and the rotations and the different bright colors on the radar. I like seeing people enjoy their work.

I admit it; I like a good storm. I like them in the way I like a good movie. I want a bit of excitement and tension, but I also want to knew it will all turn out to be ok in the end.

The thing I like about BIG weather, like wind and such, is it really demonstrates to me the power of nature, and by nature

I mean God. It is a good reminder of who is in charge.

So, we have ourselves a bit of a weather situation here. It is May and we have snow. Yep, SNOW!. 

While that is not unheard of in these here parts, it certainly isn't our usual. Sure, we are all complaining about it but not too seriously. After seeing The Weather Channel and knowing others have tornadoes, tropical storms, giant hail and flooding going on this weekend, our sloppy, wet snow doesn't seem so bad.

Speaking off wind, though, that is always a powerful force here. Look at these trees by our church. They are permanently pointed East, thanks to our wind so often coming at us from the West. Oh well, it keeps our air refreshed.

I postponed posting more photos from our Minnesota trip because it seemed important that I report on our snow. Those Weather Channel people get me all fired up!. Thanks for reading, "weather" you wanted to or not.

Minnesota Wedding

We just enjoyed a quick but fun trip to Minnesota!  We were only gone a few days but we really packed those days full of friends, family and fun.

Our niece, Allison, got married on Saturday. What a beautiful wedding and what a stunningly beautiful bride! I didn't take photos at the actual wedding but we have all been passing this photo from phone to phone. I think it was taken by the bride's mother. Thanks for sharing! 

This was our first time meeting Kyle, Allison's chosen one. It was easy to like him and we all approved. He seems to know what a treasure he has found in Allison. I really liked that. We all look forward to years of family gatherings and opportunities to get to know him better.

It really is true that when you marry someone, you marry their family as well. I am not sure everyone quite gets that at first. To me, that is part of the process of becoming"one".  Learning to love those your beloved cares for is so important.

Adding new people to the family enriches all of its members. I think of our own nuclear family, that is, Mike and me and our children. I loved that little family!  However, I would never want to go back to our family without our son-in-law and daughter-in-law. They have both brought joy to our family, adding their own personalities to the mix.

When I became an in law to Mike's family, I suppose I thought of myself as an add on, not a real family member. I don't mean that I wasn't kindly welcomed, because I was. I am just saying what was in my own head. I did not yet share history with them. 

I didn't really think about the fact that at one time both of Mike's parents probably felt like an add on to each other's families as well. Maybe you have to be a generation into it before you realize you are an integrated part of that family as will as the family in which you've grown up.

I am rambling, aren't I? Does any of this makes sense to anyone else? 

Anyway, I think families are important. I know that not everyone is blessed with a supportive family. I am grateful for mine, all branches of it. That is what I wanted to say. That is what I feel.

I have more to tell you and more photos to share. All this emotion is wearing me out, though. I will get back to you soon! 

Cordelia's Astronaut Dreams

Cordelia is really interested in space exploration.  Eric has taught her a lot of information, which she happily shares, regarding the planets. He's a great Dad,  isn't he?

Cordelia will not only tell you the order the planets are in, she will tell you interesting facts about them as well. Remember, she is only 5 years old.

Well, recently Cordelia told me that she is not so sure she really wants to travel into space now. I asked her why and she told me there were two big reasons she might decide to not go.
 
   1.   Astronauts have to eat their food through a straw. Cordelia stated that she did not think macaroni and (vegan) cheese would go well through a straw.

That seemed like a valid concern to me. I felt she could overcome that worry, though. She could adapt.

Her second reason might  be an insurmountable problem for her, though...

   2.   "Grandma, they do not wear dresses up there!"

Yeah, that may be a deal breaker for our little granddaughter.

Did you notice the space  helmet on the floor behind her?

   

Prairie Wyoming

Wednesday was a day to rejoice! I was with my Mom in Rapid City. She underwent tests and received the excellent news that no cancer was evident! Yes, it was a great day.

Last night I got to visit with my sister and a bit with one of my nephews. It was just nice to sit around being relaxed and happy with the good news.

I got up real early this morning and drove the two hours back to our town, arriving just in time to report to work. I absolutely love that drive! I wish everyone could enjoy the wildness of Wyoming at least once. It is so open and much of it looks as it probably has for centuries.

Here, just ride along with me to enjoy the Wyoming  Sunrise, open prairie, a band of sheep, a little Spring shower and a sense of quiet peace.