Montana Is My Weighted Blanket…

In three days we move into our new apartment on Cat avenue.

I’m ready. I’ve appreciated my time off, but I find myself missing the structure of the real every day.

The last three plus months have been the perfect transition from one chapter to another. We both needed to take a breath.

My mom and I processed an entire stand-up freezer full of garden vegetables. And then some…

My future Montana plot is my number one daydream.

Have I mentioned yet today how excited I am to be back in Montana…? Like how I feel when I look at my dogs and feel so much love, I have to stop myself from eating their faces off.

I drug my husband to the fair. Simple. Perfect.

The summer of mantises. A good omen.

Also, the summer of gems.

Care packages for my girls.

This used to be my high school. They have a new fancy one so this is now the junior high.
Still smells the same.

A little gem from 1995 when we used to terrorize those walls.

When last we chatted, we were headed to Helena, our future home.
We still love it.

I have wanted this building from the minute I first saw it. It would take ten million dollars to turn it into something useable. So if anyone out there has a spare bit of change and would like to save an amazing building…. It makes me symphony excited.

On our way to look at my dream building, we found a perfect little country farm with all sorts of deliciousness growing around. They will be my future friends, they don’t know that yet…

I take it as a huge “burning bush” type of sign that the ice cream shop downtown had two our favorite ice cream flavors: firestick, and black licorice, two very obscure flavors that you hardly ever see.

Steve’s Cafe: a recommendation by the manager of our new apartment.
He was right…

Have the carrot cake…

We spent two days driving around saying “oh, that’s cute” or “I like that…”

No red flags…

AND, the Wassweiler, which we will have a hard time staying away from. If you come visit us, chances are we will take you here.

I can not WAIT to move here!

We took the scenic route home, which meant we had lovely views changing the tire…

There is something satisfying about exploring an area knowing it will become familiar. There is an overwhelming amount of cuteness within two hours of our front door.

My OTHER favorite flavor of ice cream (blueberry cheesecake). Both in one summer!

Yes, it gets hot here. Just head to the shade.

Camping with the Parents, and their friends, and their friends’ friends.

Max is officially a country dog, laying in the middle of the dirt road.

Peach season is my favorite.

A little back yard birthday drink. J turned 45 on the day we left for California.

Happy Birthday! You are now officially licensed in the state of Montana to practice acupuncture!!

I am so freaking proud of him!

He is in California at this very moment for the third to last weekend of his doctoral program. It is so very close. He could use a break from school.

Another scenic route: South Lake Tahoe.

Wedding reception for two very good people…
They got married back in July with family.

We break for cake…

This little gem hung out with us in the backyard for three days…

Did some qigong with J…

Mini golf with the crew…

11 14

This means we all did well… except Briana.

She does love the Batman.
And basketball.

And just like that, our three weeks in California were over….

I got to spend time with some of my very favorite bay area people. Some we missed, sadly even with three weeks, we didn’t have that much free time.

We will be back!

And back to more veggies…

My husband’s first official patient.

We decided to take a last minute trip to Lincoln Nebraska to visit friends who recently moved there. It is a great town. I’d live there.

Wynn discovered her new favorite mode of transportation.

Stopped and spent the night in WY with J’s sister and brother-in-law on the way home.

And this firecracker! She makes my heart happy.

Ha! Ghetto kinda fabulous.

First snow…

I didn’t even really photograph it. As long as I’ve waited to be back in seasons, and I got nothing…
I haven’t been photographing much at all.
I guess it goes in stages.