Children find everything in nothing; men find nothing in everything. ~Giacomo Leopardi, Zibaldone Scelto

My little Zoey is my creative cookie. We usually have free play in the morning. My kids play pretty well together most of the time and like to build forts or play Mom and Dad. That one always confuses me cuz I hear them call each other Mom, but they don't mean me. Zoey has always made up words and songs, but this morning she found her imaginary friends. Isaac never really had any. He would play with his Sherman Bear, but actually imaginary friends he never really needed. This morning Zoey was playing near the kitchen and you could hear her talking, usually phrases normally spoken by myself, but she was talking to Bridget and Diane. It was so stinkin cute. They have gone home now, but I wonder if they will return.

I hope everyone had a fabulous holiday. For the most part I participated in the staycation. I did call up my brother and we went to see Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull. It was not what I expected, but it was still very good. It was kinda overcast and windy here. Not a super sunny happy feel. My kids can't wait for summer and keep asking Grandma Dixie to get out her pool (that she doesn't have). I am sure it will warm up soon enough. But now that the holiday is over, there is a chance I might start looking for a job again. I think I would like to be employed.

How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard. ~Carol Sobieski and Thomas Meehan, Annie

My last days as a Montana resident, I spent taking too many pictures. So here we are (or were as the case may be). Of course I will visit and see my friends again, but it will be only on special occasions.

Brandi and Alyssa were great student athletic trainers. I will miss hanging out with them. We did get some good weather for the softball games, but it was still warmer to hang out in the sun than in the shade of the dugout.

Here we go for a walk back by the river. Blowing Bubbles is always a good time.

This is kinda both ends of the trail. I didn't do a very good job putting these in order. The trails in our back yard were fabulous!

Isaac likes to tell us how

this becomes... this.

A view from the road on the way to Glacier National Park.

I believe this is Lake #5.

We got to have a picnic at the park.
And at the end of the day we brush our teeth, pretend to be our most loved big brother and


Sleep tight for the night.

Change is inevitable - except from a vending machine. ~Robert C. Gallagher

We have officially made it to Minnesota. It has been a small ordeal of course. I can't really just do anything--it has to be a "DEAL". We of course had WAY too much stuff to fit into my car when I went to leave Wednesday morning. It took several trips to the dump and a trip to the UPS store and an overhead car carrier thingy and finally I just started leaving little things in the house. The kids were a little "crunched" as Isaac would say. Because we left so late on Wednesday we stopped in Bozeman for the night and the kids got to enjoy staying at a hotel. Of course the power went out during the night and put the hot tub out of commission during the time we would have liked to use it. We got to Gillette Thursday late afternoon and it was so good to see Chris again! We stayed with friends. Thank you so very much! We had a play date with the Solems and a sleepover at Kaidyn and James' house.

I somehow have gotten stuck with this cold/ respiratory infection thing. I think we had to stop twice on the side of the road to pee and Isaac only puked in the car once. He wasn't sick, just things weren't quite right. He was asking me to roll the window down cuz he was so hot and as I turned to explain to him that I really don't want the window down on the interstate I realized he had his reasons. I very quickly pulled over, not just to the shoulder, but well into the grass. I get Isaac out of the car and start getting everything out of the car for damage control. I have never seen anything like this on the side of the road before so I can only guess it looked pretty crazy. Isaac was so sorry and felt so bad. I tried to console him, but only to hear Zoey say "You puked on my shoes!" He just kept apologizing, poor kid.

By 7:30 Minnesota time we made our destination for a fabulous family dinner. Things are a little crazy with not much of a schedule or routine. But we are getting in some much needed family time. I do have some pics from Montana to post so we'll see when I can get that done. House hunting is slow. And don't forget I don't call people. So if I have told you I will be at your house I will and if I haven't I still just might end up on you door step for a quick hello-we were just passing through and thought we'd stop.

God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers. ~Jewish Proverb

For those of you who didn't realize. Mother's day is next weekend. I should have advertised--Sorry. Chris was here for a few days. How magnificently wonderful that was!! But by Saturday night we had everything packed up and ready to go, by 7am he was gone again. I went back to bed for a while --well to the air matteress actually--the only furniture in my home at the moment. I didn't even realize that it was Mother's day until my mother-in-law called me. I felt bad, but I will be around next week--so girls we will celebrate then.

So my weekend has been spent packing, scrubbing and even doing some touch up paint. Plus you know how sometimes little things just get under my skin--and I will make sure things are set back right. Well the buyers have decided to use the mailbox since last week. Well, we hadn't put in a forwarding address yet, as we didn't have one. Thursday, I check the mail--my key doesn't fit. I have two so I try the other. I am standing there trying to force my key- that totally should work into to the slot and it just won't go. It was late so I figured I would get it straightened out on Friday. Well I am never in Columbia Falls during business hours so Friday came and went. Saturday I smartened up some and called them while I was packing. They said that they had changed the locks because someone else had moved in. I argued that point. Then asked--so what have you been doing with my mail for the last three days? They didn't know. I was denied postal service for three days. They were willing to hold my mail for me, but since I couldn't pick it up, I didn't see how that would help. So after assuring her that I could also produce documentation that I was the current resident of the home and after several phone calls she got me a new mailbox. I still don't understand how they can just kick someone out of their mailbox and its not considered some type of offence. But I got my mail back!

What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Today is going to turn into a pretty good day. We had a rocky start with crying kids and a slight poopy disaster this morning. (Not mine, if you were wondering, but a Zoey thing.) I brought in cinnimon pull aparts to work after being an hour and a half late and now the sun is shining. It is very nice out actually. It, of course, is not expected to stay, but I am totally hoping that it is gorgeous out tomorrow for the Archie Roe Track meet! I will try to remember sunscreen even if the wheather is not great. (As I am currently peeling from covering three softball games last Saturday). I will still probably get sun on only half my face anyway, since the finish line is in the same place all day.

We have successfully closed on our house! I was so excited for that. We are no longer home owners, but home renters. The count down has begun. I have exactly 12 more days in Montana. Chris has not enjoyed his time in Colorado. Perhaps he enjoyed some of the food, but that is about it. He so does not like city life. But he should be driving back to Gillette today. The kids and I are missing him. A LOT. But he will be back on Thursday to get what didn't fit in the truck for the first trip.