• Sunshine in Bozeman…

    After several days of rain and cloudy skies, the sun is out and the weather is beautiful!  I love looking out the windows in their home here and seeing mountains so close!

    Yesterday, we had a wonderful morning worship service at their church which I really liked!  There was a small orchestra with two violins, a couple of guitars, drums (that were NOT too loud!) and a couple of instruments that I do not recall.  We sang several different songs which I enjoyed.  The songs included two of my favorites:   The Lion of Judah by Robin Mark and the hymn Holy, Holy, Holy.  Needless to say, after growing up in a Baptist church in the South, I knew every single word of the hymn – all verses.  Hymns bring such joy and peace and I wish we would sing them in our church.  One thing I also noticed was that the music was not too loud and I could hear myself sing and everyone around me singing  I loved that.

    After church, we headed to Livingston, Montana, and had lunch in a very “Western” restaurant.  The food was delicious and the scenery perfect.  I remarked to my son that it was the perfect setting for a movie and he responded that there have already been several set in this part of the country.

    After lunch, we traveled up the mountain range climbing closer and closer to the snow peaked mountains tops.  We parked at the trailhead and I have no doubt that they will be back to climb the trail!

    Last night, we celebrated my firstborn’s birthday with homemade broccoli cheese soup and a delicious chocolate cake with mocha filling and chocolate frosting.  All homemade, of course, and fabulous.  He liked all of this presents – mostly mountain biking clothes and trout fishing gear.

    Today, we headed to downtown Bozeman in the warm sunshine.  Not too crowded at all which, apparently, is a bit of a change.  First, we went shopping in several of the neat shops on Main Street.  I found a Montana long-sleeved t-shirt, a Montana ball cap and a few other goodies.  Also purchased some Huckleberry Chai Tea which we will enjoy this afternoon.  Then we ate lunch at the Nova Cafe where the food was delicious.  While we were walking down Main Street, there was a young couple with a nine-week-old French Bulldog on a leash.  I fell in love!  He was so adorable!

    For supper tonight, Jeanine is making her wonderful homemade chili and I will make the cornbread!  This trip has been so much fun and I can’t believe tomorrow will be my last full day here.  Don’t worry, Yellowstone, I will be back to visit you!

     

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  • Downtown Bozeman…

    Yesterday was the perfect afternoon to stroll around downtown Bozeman, Montana.  Sunny skies after a rainy morning made for a great afternoon.  The Montana State University Band (part of it), the MSU football players and the MSU cheerleaders were meandering in and out of stores along Main Street…playing along the way.  Of course, it was music I had to dance to.  We went into one special store with the most awesome hand-spun and dyed yarn!  The price of a plane ticket for all the ones I would have liked to have – so maybe in the future.  Kate and I stopped at the bench for a minute and Jeanine snapped our photo with her phone.

    Bozeman is a neat town with an especially quaint, “Western” downtown.  I definitely want to return before I leave.  Would love a Montana baseball cap, t-shirt and sweatshirt!  Such a neat place to live…

     

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  • Hello, Montana!

    I left Des Moines yesterday morning in a FIERCE Midwest storm – the likes of which I haven’t seen for a while.  I couldn’t find my umbrella, so by the time I had the luggage loaded into the back of my friend Susan’s car (who had kindly offered to drive me to the airport), I looked like I had just stepped out of the shower.  Not to worry though, I dried. Once the plane got up above the clouds and past a few major bumps, it was sunny and smoother flying.  Once we arrived closer to Bozeman, I looked out the window to see a mountaintop so close, I could almost touch it!  The scenery here is magnificent.  Definitely different from Oregon but amazing.  I can see why they call this “Big Sky Country”!  The sky stretched as far as the eye could see over the mountains. I was so happy to see my oldest and his precious family!  The girls have grown so much and are, of course, beautiful!  They love it here and it suits their outdoor, hiking, camping, mountain biking lifestyle beautifully.  Later in the week, we will head to Yellowstone and I will take some pics there.  In the meantime, enjoy a few of their Montana living pics below!

     

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