April 2014 - My 30th year begins!

It seems like it should be spring around here - the calendar says so - but, the winter has been digging in his heels and won't release his clutches.  C'mon sunshine!  We're ready to be outside!

And this purple pomegranate tongue could use some fresh air! 

On our first good Saturday, Hubs and I got to go on a fishing date!  We left Lexie with Grandma Benedict (thank you!) for about 5 hours.  This was the longest I had ever been away from her, and the most time Hubs and I have had alone in 10 months.  It was so much fun!

I could do this every day.

No judgement zone, please.  I promise, Xtra tufs are a good look.

Waders - I dig it.

The flat topped prairies drop down into coulees lush with water right now - spring run off.  Montana the Beautiful.

We have started enjoying some bonfires in the evenings.  It's so much fun to have space and the freedom to dig a fire pit wherever we want!  There is an overgrown/half dead caragana hedge along our road that needs some serious help.  Hubs has been trimming and cleaning it up, so whenever he gets enough of a pile together we get a fire! One of these days I want to build a proper fire pit with rock, but for a spur of the moment bonfire, this works great.

Swoon.

Chance and his buddy Joey took a little fishing/exploring excursion after a short day at work.  They hiked Belt Creek down to its mouth at the Missouri River.  Here are some pics...

Meanwhile, I met Lichen on the River's Edge Trail for some exercise with the girls.

Ryla and Lexie in front of the Falls.

Lichen and Ryla

Me and my serious girl.

I turned thirty.  That was painful to write.  This birthday was a little harder to stomach than the past few.  Once I got over the whole "my next big birthday will be 40!" shock, I was able to enjoy the weekend.  We headed up to Mom and Dad Buckingham's in T-Falls for a fun weekend with the family.  Sue, Jason and Tyce came up for the weekend, too!

Hubs walking Logger just past Missoula.

With two "kids" in the car, we've had to make more frequent stops along the way.  There was a time when I would leave town with a full tank, and wouldn't stop until I ran out of gas.  While taking longer to "get there" is a little frustrating, it is kinda fun to stop and see the sights BETWEEN here and there.

Snack, stretch and diaper break at a playground.

Jessica was home for the weekend to visit John, so the four of us packed up and headed up the Thompson River for some fishing.  The water was high and raging, and it even started snowing on us!  We didn't have any luck with the fish, but we still had a really fun day.

What a cute couple!

We ducked under a tree to get away from the sleet.

Back at home, we were ready for a warm up, so Grandma took us in the hot tub.  Lexie LOVES the water.  I think she's gonna be a water baby like her mom.  She just lights up whenever she hears "You wanna go splish splash?"

Of course, "Duckie" had to soak with us.

Auntie Mandy

A nice evening walk: Sue (pushing Lexie), Jessica, Mandy

Hubs meeting his new nephew Tyce.  Sue had him dressed in a "My dad is cooler than your dad!" onesie, so there's that.

Babysitters! Yay!

Rigging up

We sure love our trips to T-Falls.  Although most of Montana operates at a pretty slow pace, Thompson Falls is even a step behind that.  It's impossible to stay stressed at a place where there are no "stressors."  So thankful we have a free place for weekend getaways!

Meanwhile... back in real life...

Our friendly girl is still waving at everything.  She waves out the window when she wakes up, she waves at birds, dogs and cows, she waves at people (strangers included), but, hilariously enough, doesn't wave on cue.  It has to be her idea!

She is crawling everywhere - it's amazing how fast she can move!  And when she wants to bring something with her, it swings from her mouth as she motors around.  I think she's been observing Logger too much!

It had to happen sometime, I guess, but just my luck... she found my cherry chapstick on the morning I had her in a white cardigan. 

What mom?  Isn't this how it works?

Chance is happy to have found a shooting buddy in Tanner Jossi.  Often on the weekend mornings Tanner comes over and they put up their invented target collaborations and have a "shootout" of sorts.  Of course it wouldn't be fun if they didn't make it a competition, so there is an elaborate point system with multiple targets and multiple types of guns.  Us girls pretty much stay inside and avoid the racket.

Hashing out the plan

Hand gun target

Walking out to check out the 100 yard rifle target.  Note the swinging targets hanging from both sides.

In other news, our wheat is coming up!!!!

It had been awhile since we'd seen Josh and Jazzmyn, so we headed out to the farm for a day.  Josh loaded us up in his old pickup, and we took a drive around his place.  His cows were calving and we saw brand new (only minutes old) baby calves.  So sweet!

Looking at the baby calves

Driving the old truck with Uncle Josh and Jazzmyn

Hereford calf - just hours old

How could you not love a face like this?!

Oh tired mama.

Of course you can't have a trip to the farm without plunking a few gophers.  Hubs, Josh and I finished off over 100 of the little buggers.  We don't want those brand new calves breaking a leg in a gopher hole!

I know cactus is a weed around here, but it has some beauty as well!

Just another day in paradise...

An afternoon at Mom and Dad Benedict's place.  Father and son.

Lexie loves her auntie Chandee.

Yet another bonfire in the backyard.  Getting snuggles from my eskimo baby.

Logger is shaping up to be a pretty good pal around here.  He always has a stick - living up to his name.

The lumbar pillow in these camping chairs works great for a baby restraint! :)

Hanging out with dad.

Our sweet Lexie Sue - almost 11 months old!