Life in a Northern Town

Monday, May 26, 2014

Beartooth Highway with Gram

We got a wild hair on Memorial Day weekend and decided to drive Grandma Lyn up the Beartooth Highway. It's almost never warm on Memorial day weekend, and the highway usually isn't even open, so we took advantage of the sunshine and hit the road. Grandma was such a good sport!

We drove to Red Lodge and had a picnic lunch there along the creek just out of town.
Gram said, "Oh, this is so fun, you know? I just sit at home or take little drives around town. I never get to do stuff like this!" I was surprised because the kids were pretty crazy, but Gram just turned down her hearing aids and enjoyed the ride!

Heidi and Niles and me eating our lunch

Me and my Jamesy boy.

At the top of the pass

Niles at the lunch spot drinking fountain

James pumping a drink for Niles.

At the top of the pass we pulled over so the kids could sled on the glacier.
Here's Niles waiting his turn.

Heidi and her sled

Gram watched from the van (it was a little cold for her), and
I watched from the roadside with Baby Ammon

Addie sledding

Niles hiking up the hill

James and Heidi

Heidi heading downhill

James sledding

Daddy and his boys

The Beartooth!

We stopped in Cooke City to eat at The Beartooth Café,
owned by our friends the Dennistons in our ward.

Addie went in back to say hi to her friend Micki Denniston who was doing dishes.

The little Dennistons came out to see Ammon for the first time.
Niles, Me, James, Sidney, Riley, Curtis, and Heidi checking out Baby Ammon.
He was 2 weeks old that day.

Heidi, Sidney, Curtis, James, and Riley

Riley and Niles are buds!

The tiny bathroom at the cafe

Riley shared an appetizer of potato chips with Niles

Rich's delicious gyro

Heidi eating her sandwich

Yum! Niles loved his burger and apple juice.

Addie

We drove home through the Lamar Valley in Yellowstone Park, up though Mammoth to our house.
Gram was able to see Bison, Elk, and a moose up close for the first time on our drive.

What a beautiful day in our gorgeous neck of the woods!

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

The Best Mother's Day That Ever Happened

I tried to sleep Saturday night, but I mostly stayed awake gazing at my awesome baby. I got up around 7am and showered, knowing that I would have some visitors and take some pictures with my kiddos. Breakfast tasted so good, I must have been so hungry...

but hey, BREAKFAST IN BED on Mother's Day, right?

The family popped in to say howdy before church, then Rich brought each of them over for some one-on-one time throughout the day. James came back after sacrament meeting, then Heidi, then Addie stayed several hours in the evening.

Niles checking out his baby's fingers

My dear friend Jessi and her sweet son Zach came by Sunday afternoon, which was
Zach's 13th birthday. I had to have this picture of Zach with his almost-birthday buddy.