Montana Summer Vacation....

Montana here we come!!! Me and the kids headed off for our trip to Montana and it was fun, long, and tiring. We look forward to going to Montana every summer, and this was no different, but we did miss dad. Erik couldn't come this year since we are no longer self-employed. What a bummer:( We were gone about 11 days. The kids did really good. Now that I only drive up to Montana about once a year, I think the travel time gets longer and longer every year. When I traveled it a lot I didn't think it was too long, but now it is. Maybe I'm just getting old, but WOW! Anyways, here's a break down of our travels.

1st stop: Anaconda, MT
Erik's aunt and uncle have some property with horses and such in Anaconda, MT. I thought it would be a good place to stop and get wiggles out and it was. They ended up having their grandkids there, so there were kids to play with, horses to ride, four wheelers to ride. Lots of fun. Who would of thought that such a small town would have an incredibly fun slide to go on. Some retired men built this big slide that you ride down on blankets, and you go fast. The kids got skin burns from where their skin touched the side while blazing down it. That was a good place to go to get wiggles out before we headed on to Missoula, MT. Thanks Hogge family!

2nd stop: Missoula, MT
Here we went to Grandma and Granpa Zentner. My grandpa has been really sick, so we went and spent some time their seeing him and grandma. We hadn't been their in like a year and really wanted to see him before anything happens to him. It was great to see them and get a picture with them. Grandpa really liked the diversion that the kids brought and went to sit outside and watch them be maniacs on the bikes. Grandma really appreciated having some company since my grandpa sleeps ALOT now that he is really sick. We were also able to go to my cousin's daughters birthday party, go swimming, and see a lot of my cousins. We don't get to see that side of my family much, so it was fun. Another good stop!

3rd stop: Superior, MT
This is where my sister lives. We stop here every year and spend time with my only sister. Our kids are the same age, so it is fun. This town is very small and I always have a few crazy stories just because life in these small towns is a lot different than city life in Utah. They have a branch there instead of a ward. I always have to laugh at myself because some people there really struggle with cleanliness and anyone that knows me knows that I really like things clean. My sister laughs at me as I go to church and try to be friendly when dirty little kids are trying to be near me. The people are great and that is what really matters however. We went to the park and had lunch. I was able to see a friend of mine from Ronan, MT, in Superior. Here mother has now moved to Superior. It was so good to see her and talk with her. It is really a small world and I have been so fortunate to reconnect with her. We also went swimming at the public pool that is SO cold to my kids. There is nothing "HEATED" about it. My sisters kids can swim and swim. My kids last 15 minutes and are shivering. This year we slept in the tent one night at my sisters. My sister has had bears, etc. in her yard, and I was quite leary about sleeping outside where bears have been. I didn't want my sister out there with all the kids, so I bucked up and went out. It was really fun. The kids had snacks, we played games, and as we went to sleep we did where one person starts the story and everyone adds on to it. It was quite comical with 5 kids under 8. I hadn't slept on the ground (with no air mattress or anything) in a LONG, LONG time. When I woke up the next morning, I honestly could hardly move. It is just another sign that I am getting old. I just had to laugh and take a little Motrin (my drug of choice). Kiersten also mastered riding her bike with no training wheels here because it is gravel roads. I couldn't believe she never wrecked. As always, we had a blast.

4th stop: Lake Blaine in Kalispell, MT
We have come here every year for the last 4 or 5 years. It is kind of a private lake and we have a blast. There is no cell phone reception, no computers, not much for TV. It is so peaceful. I would live there if I could. My kids love it too. We don't wear watches, have a schedule, or anything. The kids fish, go in the paddle boat, swim, tube, ski, sit around the fire and eat smores, and just be kids. Oh, and we get swimmers itch. If you've never experienced this, you just need to come with us. It itches like crazy. We have gotten it for the last few years. Crazy! I can't really explain the peace I feel here. I swear I'm a different person. Life is so stress free here. I love seeing all my family, grandma, cousins, etc. I usually only see them here. I have been coming to this lake since I was a baby and am glad to share my fond memories with my children as we come here year after year. Thank you Lies Family!

5th stop: Polson, MT , Pablo, MT, and Missoula, MT
Then we headed home. We stopped in Polson, MT, and saw our dear Uncle Urban and Aunt Donna. We all love them dearly. We hadn't seen them either for like a year. It was really good to see and spend some time with them. This is where Kiersten decided to start getting car sick. As we pulled in, she threw up all over. She said she was feeling car sick, but I didn't know if I should believe her because she uses this as an excuse all the time. Apparently I should have listened. We had to do a little laundry and clean up there. Thank you Aunt Donna. The kids loved seeing the deer walk the through the yard as we were sitting in the kitchen, out on the patio, etc. It was really neat.

From there, we went and stopped at Grandpa Mike and Grandma Mary's for a few hours. My kids had never seen them. I was a little nervous about this, but it all worked out great. Grandma Mary's grandkids were there, so they got to meet them and play with them. It was a great relationship made. Now the kids can put a name with a face. Hopefully, we will be able to do that again when we return that area.

Last, we stopped back at my grandparents in Missoula, MT, to see grandpa one last time before we left for home. This was a long day by the time we made all of our stops. Who would have ever thought that Dramamine makes my kids hyper. It was a long trip back, but low and behold in Dillon, MT, where we stopped to eat I ran in to one of my old primary teachers. What a small world. My kids never did sleep the whole trip. I kept telling them it would go quicker if they would just sleep a little. But, no--they would not! All in all, this was a great trip. I wished Erik could be there, but maybe next year. We love and miss all of our family! Thank you for a great trip:)