Happy St Patrick's Day!

 

We're always looking for new things to do around Billings on the weekends, and this weekend there was a St Patrick's Day parade and fair downtown. I never thought of St Patrick's Day as a big holiday, but it seemed like half of the city was there for the festivities. Unfortunately the street fair only took up 2 blocks, so it was crowded and the lines were long for everything - especially the food stands - but these girls were determined to get their faces painted, daddy was determined to get some tri-tip, and mommy needed some funnel cake.

 

 

 



The parade was a typical small-town parade with every city organization sponsoring a "float" - which was usually just a car or truck with lots of green decorations. But you can't have a St Pat's parade without the bagpipes.



Wait...is that a Scottish flag on his chest?!

 

Of course the kids didn't care how fancy the floats were, they just lined the streets with their plastic bags waiting for people to throw candy at them. We did, however, really like all the monster trucks that came through.

After the parade, Claire and I left to go to a friend's birthday party, and Josh stayed with Lydia and Scarlett at the street fair to get their faces painted. They were so dang cute, and I was so impressed that Scarlett stayed still long enough for all those flowers! I guess girls will be girls!

 

  

Claire-bear my Care Bear

Sisters make the best of friends.

Scarlett and Claire are now roommates, as Lydia is in her own big-girl room now. Claire has been such a sweet big sister to Scarlett, and I love that about her. Last night Scarlett woke up crying, and while I tried to ignore it hoping she'd settle, I eventually went downstairs to check on her. I walked in their room and as Scarlett was crying, Claire - half asleep - was patting her back and singing a made-up lullaby to her. It was so sweet.

She is also so very loving toward Lydia. She races to the bus stop every afternoon so that she can give Lydia a hug when she gets off the bus. Then she just lights up because her sister is home and will follow her around and play whatever she wants to play.

Claire has a special place in my heart and it's no wonder God gave her to us as the middle child. She holds us all together and we love that about her.

Family hike

There are a few hiking trails near our neighborhood and this weekend we decided to get the family outside and go exploring. We knew this trail would be easy-ish for a pregnant mom and 3 little girls because Josh took Lydia and Claire up this hill last weekend.

 

Scarlett was ecstatic. She really wanted to do the hike "by mah-self" as she kept repeating, but she was so easily distracted she was slowing us down. Once the trail steepened Josh put her on his back and she was even more excited. 

 

 

 

So now I was the slow one. I don't think I could do this hike again before April 6 unless I really wanted to go into labor. But these two were pros and made it to the top without complaining. Along the way they were collecting rocks to throw off the cliff, playing golf with sticks and pinecones, chasing rabbits, exploring the rock formations, and telling stories of bats and bears in the "caves" we saw.

 

 We had a great view from the top. And here's proof I was there too! Not too flattering, but this is how my girls see me most days :)

 

First weeks in Billings

Where to start....the last few weeks have been a whirlwind. We've been so busy trying to get unpacked and settled and the girls into their routines, and the world around us just won't slow down to let us do that. Josh has been very busy with his new job, and is usually away 2 or 3 nights a week in eastern Montana and North Dakota. As for me I finally counted how many weeks pregnant I am (34!) and figured I should probably go to a doctor soon and visit the hospital and - heck -  pick a name for this baby girl! But who has time for that? And in the midst of all this our hearts are with our families - especially our Mimi. We want to see her and talk with her and visit with her. Why can't life just slow down and let us tackle these things one at a time??

 

Anyways, enough rambling. It's been just over 2 weeks since we unloaded everything into our new home. It was great to see my swagger wagon again. It really felt like home when we first loaded up the kids and went on school runs into town.

We've really enjoyed it so far, and here are some of my "first impressions" of life in Montana.

 

Winters are pretty mild in Billings, Montana

On most days the temps are in the 30's and 40's. We've hardly had any snow, and when it does come, it melts by the afternoon and is never enough to even go sledding on. I'm not complaining though. As long as the sun is shining the girls want to play outside.

 

 

Our neighborhood rocks

Mostly because there are so many great families. Nearly every home in Ironwood has a playground in the backyard and a minivan in the garage. Our neighborhood alone fills up 2 school busses of elementary kids in the morning. And everyone is so nice - during our first week here 4 different neighbors came by to drop off treats and introduce themselves, and I already have 2 babysitters just a block away that I can call on. I love that.

 

Montana kids are...well...not Texan

On Lydia's first day at her new school she wore a sparkly skirt with leggings and black boots. I looked around and noticed that no one wears skirts - girls just wore jeans or snowpants to school with their snow boots or uggs. And there are definitely no big hairbows, or headbands, or accessories of any kind. But I realize that they really have to dress for being outside so much. In fact, when the kids get to school they aren't allowed in the building until the bell rings! They just wait outside with their friends even if its snowing and freezing. They also have 2 recesses during the day, and they will go outside regardless of the weather, unless it is below 0 degrees Farenheit - which is 32 degrees below freezing!! Of course the kids here have thick skin, and when the temps are in the 40's they won't even wear jackets - just a hoodie :)

 Everyone hunts

Billings is small - about 100,000 - but it has a Cabelas, and its always busy. It's Josh's favorite store, and possibly my girls' too. We were spending a day with Flat Stanley (sent to us by friends from Lydia's old school) and took some pictures of the animals inside. Every house we've been in so far has a few mounted antlers inside, and everyone has hunting stories to share. Josh is ready to hunt next fall, which makes me a little nervous because the big hunting is in western Montana, which is near Yellowstone, and it is full of bears. He doesn't seem scared though, because as he says "my gun is my bear spray.." Whatever.

 

 

Billings is very safe

Crime rates are low, and you can tell by how comfortable the locals are with their surroundings. For example, after school the kids are just let loose into the neighborhood, whereas in Texas the young kids weren't released until their parent was there to collect them. I've also seen a lot of kids left in cars while mom is inside for a quick errand. I am sometimes guilty of the same thing, but at least won't be reprimanded here.

 

Anyways, we are really enjoying our new home, but we're anxious for the temperatures to rise so we can go camping and hiking and fishing, and enjoy the great outdoors that are in our backyard. There is so much on our "to do" list for Montana, but first things first - we gotta get this baby girl here. April 6th is the date we've set with the Dr., but she may want to come sooner than that to see Montana ;)



Babymoon and a Birthday in San Antonio

 It's been a busy month, but with all that's been going on we were determined to go on our "babymoon" - a nice romantic trip for Josh and I before the baby comes. We briefly talked about going to New York, but at this time of year there is no better place to be than the great state of Texas. So for my birthday/babymoon we headed to San Antonio, our favorite Texas city.

It was so lovely it almost makes me angry that we are leaving this gorgeous weather. It was sunny and in the 70's the entire trip, we were hardly indoors. We walked along the riverwalk every afternoon for lunch, and came back in the evenings for a late dinner and to "people-watch" as all the night clubs opened up. I desperately wanted to feel young and pretend that we were going clubbing too, but then I look at my giant belly and realize I'm a mother of 4 and I wouldn't look very sexy trying to dance while I'm obviously knocked up.

The Riverwalk was busier than usual this weekend with graduates from the Air Force base in San Antonio. Well, we're guessing it was graduation, because a lot of them had families touring the streets with them. It made us proud to see all of these young men and women so happy and proud to be serving their country.

We have been to San Antonio many times, but haven't experienced many of the"tourist" attractions there, other than Sea World. This time we took a tour through Tousseaud's Wax Museum and Ripley's Believe It Or Not museum. They were both a little...creepy...but definitely a unique experience.

 

(me and Beyonce, and William &Kate)

 

Josh and Lance. We still like him, even though he's a cheater ;)

Everything's bigger in Texas! For Saturday breakfast we went to Lulu's bakery for my 4 lb cinnamon roll. Since it was featured on the show Man v Food, I always want to stop there to pig out. We ate leftover cinnamon roll for most of the ride home!

 

32 years old, 3 and 1/2 kids, and 9 years of marriage. This may be our last babymoon, but we hope to take anniversary trips every January from now on. Nothin better than a weekend away with this guy :)

Sarah's trip to the temple



 

Just after Christmas, my little sister Sarah went through the Lubbock temple for the first time, for her personal endowment. We are all so proud of her for making this decision, as usually people wait until they are married or going on a mission before they go through the temple. But Sarah is different. She was more spiritually prepared than I ever was, and it was a beautiful experience for all of us who got to be there with her.

Our family - minus Chelsea who was stuck babysitting!

 

Our dear friends the Whitesides came up from Houston

 

Josh and Scouting

 

Josh has been the president of Young Men's organization in our church for the past 5 years or so, since we lived in Aberdeen. He really really enjoys it, and has developed a great relationship with these boys and the other leaders in the organization. The best part is that our church is very actively involved in the Boy Scouts of America, so Josh is a certified scout leader and gets to plan all sorts of high-adventure activities to help these boys earn their badges and get experiences that will help them achieve their Eagle.

Sometimes I want to complain about the time he spends away from home for these scouting activities, but when I pause to think about it I realize what a great person he is because of it. He strives to be better to be a good example for these boys, and he gets to do things that me and the girls wouldn't do with him. I think Heavenly Father knows that as a dad of 4 girls, this guy needs some "boy time" :)

Here are some of the activities he's been a part of while we've lived in Texas.

 

 

Fishing Trip off the Texas Gulf Coast

Four-Wheeling adventures

Canoeing at the Minnesota Boundary Waters Canoe Area

 

And lots of other camping, hiking, and outdoor adventures 

 

Old home, new home

Things are happening fast! In December Josh was offered a great job in Billings, Montana, and of course when he accepted they wanted him there ASAP. The following week we were on our way to Billings to look at houses. Then the day after Christmas, our Midland home was on the market.

 

We are fortunate to be moving at a time when Midland is booming. Housing is outrageously priced, and there's not much available, so we were at a real advantage. Our house went for sale on December 26th, and my phone was ringing all day from relators wanting to come show the home. In 24 hours we had 7 showings lined up, and a full-price offer. Thank goodness I only had to keep the home clean for a day! And thank goodness my parents live in Midland...we camped out at their house for a day and a half.

 

At the end of this month the house will no longer be ours. As I think about how quickly it sold, I realize what a great home it is, especially for a family. As with every home we've been in, there are so many memories this place holds for us, and so many little things about the home that I didn't realize I would love so much. Like the wine fridge that we kept stocked with juice boxes, and the oversized laundry room where we dropped off all our shoes and coats.

This is the only home Scarlett knows. She loved her room so much that we just can't get her to move in with Claire yet. Lydia and Claire grew even closer as sisters sharing their room. The top bunk was rarely slept in because they always want to be with each other.

We loved our playroom. I have decided that every home we live in needs 2 living areas: one that stays clean, and one for the kids that will likely be always messy. The girls are never in their rooms, they spend most of their day in the playroom, unless they're outside. And our backyard was a perfect size - big enough for our two big dogs, a playground, and plenty of concrete to ride around on.


We will miss our Midland home. We will miss our Midland friends. We will miss West Texas. But we are looking forward to our new adventure in Billings.

My mom looked after the girls while Josh and I spent a few days in Billings. It was nice to be alone, nice to experience a little bit of winter and a change of scenery. We saw so many deer - even an albino!

Billings is small - about the size of Midland - but it is still the largest city in Montana. We look forward to living closer to more outdoor activities, and closer to the temple.


Billings, Montana LDS temple

We found a wonderful house just west of the temple, and we'll pass by the temple every day on our way to work or school. It's a great reminder of the strong Latter-Day Saint community in Billings, and a great comfort to us as we move so far away.
We are really looking forward to our new home. This is the dream home that I remember looking at online, dreaming about, and thinking...someday. But with the sale of our home, the ridiculously low interest rates (thank you slumping economy..) and low property taxes in Montana, it fit our budget. Josh said to me "baby, I'm going to make your dreams come true." Usually he's talking about something entirely different when he says that.

The best part is the neighborhood. There are green belts and play areas throughout the neighborhood, and it backs up to "the Rim"..a mountain ridge with trails for biking and hiking. Then last weekend I contacted our new bishop to ask about the church and the area, and he said that in our small neighborhood alone, there are at least 20 houses that are LDS. They jokingly call it "mormonville" or "new Nauvoo".  It warmed my heart to hear that, to know that I will be in good company among other families like my own.

So, now the countdown is on. Three more weeks and the movers come and pack up our life and take it up north for our next adventure!