Rainy day out at Canyon Ferry Lake

Couldn't zoom in any more, but there's a pelican out there in the last photo. Took the Suburban out on Saturday up a few mountain dirt roads, not much wildlife out in the rain. We passed some areas burned by forest fires, checked out the lower side of the dam where I hopped out in the rain to catch a photo of that pelican. Too wet to hike and I'm glad we decided not to go camping this weekend with the babies, we had pretty heavy wind gusts and thunderstorms yesterday (oh, and Adrian was throwing up all afternoon, poor guy, camping would have been cut short anyway).

We spent the rest of the weekend lazing about, watching PBS programs like Backroads of Montana on Deerlodge's Rialto Theater and the Ringing Rocks geological site near Pipestone. Martin's family moved from Wisconsin to Deerlodge, MT in the '90s and recalls the restoration work on the theater. We hadn't heard of the Ringing Rocks, we'll have to go check it out, my husband is particularly keen on it as a geologist.

My eldest child is returning today from Yellowstone with my dad and youngest sister. I've had a few phone calls while they've been away, it sounds like they are having great fun with things like white water rafting and encountering buffalo. I get them home tonight for a quick turn about as they repack for their flight out to Michigan tomorrow, it's Jonah's annual summer trip to my parent's house without the rest of us.

Playground Fun

Straddling the Continental Divide

Our second mountain climbed this year! Ok, it wasn't that much of a climb from the turn off at the top of the highway, but for a 2 year old this is quite thrilling. My one-year-old is strapped to my back and the only one of my kids who doesn't try to squirm out of the backpack carrier, he can appreciate being carried around. Enjoy it while it lasts, kiddo.

Little Things

Weaving in ends of some little pink socks for Anne, she is sleeping and I hope to lay them out for her to find when she wakes up. She's been so patient for me to finish the second sock, she would run around with the first one on while I was knitting the second. It feels really, really good to do little things like this, pain has been keeping me down on a lot of life. There have been some better days and I take advantage of them and use some of them to push myself, prove that I still have it in me to hike and climb mountains - I have one under my belt this year. Other days I can hardly move, but you just plow through and see what the next day brings. So, here are some little socks, a little sign of progress. I'm still here, I'm still going.

Update on May, and Where Did It Go?

Jonah has been involved with soccer this spring, he's also finished up a Montana history fair project on the Fort Union Trading Post. He turned 10 years old on the 26th (Ten years?!? Where did my baby go?) On the last day of May he came down with chickenpox.



My two youngest are growing even faster, Anne is nearly 2 and a half, and Adrian turns one year old next week. I have no idea how this year has gone so quickly, I know I'm repeating myself but it's such a shock to have one child turn 10 and another turn 1 within just a few weeks of each other. Adrian is nearly walking, he's talking and trying desperately to keep up with his big sister.



I have two giant African violets that have been blooming like crazy the whole month of May. They sit very cheerily on the bathroom windowsill, they make my day each time I see them.





The chalk has come out, and onto little hands, knees, socks, toes (those that refuse to wear socks now that chill has passed)...oh, and onto the pavement near our shed. We've also brought out the wagon, had rounds of bocce on the lawn, weeded the iris patch and started tending to the needs of our very young lilac tree. We are in the early stages of house hunting and putting off gardening plans until we settle into a more permanent location.



I have been waiting out the longest winter I have ever known, my first Montana winter, ready to open these windows at the very first breath of warm breeze. They are now open, the trees are *just* leafing out, the large lilac in beautiful bloom outside my bedroom window. Many afternoons the two youngest children consent to nap at the same time and I retire to my own bed with orange cat at my feet, windows open to listen to the new leaves rustle and the birds sing and twurtle. Now, if someone would tell them that I'd greatly appreciate it if they'd hold off the song starting at 4am and put it off until maybe 6am. Thanks.