It's Beginning to Feel A Lot Like Christmas!

This week I had a delightful time getting into the Christmas Spirit. The Branch Christmas Party was filled with all sorts of fun chatter, Christmas music, Santa Claus, and - for a very fun change - swing dancing. The Branch President decided that it would be nice to have a fun activity for the youth and the adults, and it was a success! Later I accompanied (meaning I drove so they wouldn't have to use up miles) the Sister Missionaries to Plains to attend their Christmas Play/Talent Performance. It was really cute and every one did a great job. There are definitely a lot of talented people in Plains. Then, I joined in the festive tradition of wreath/centerpiece-making with some of my new friends in Noxon and Thompson Falls. It was so much fun, and here are the results:

What do you think?

Tom the Turkey

I've tried and tried to capture a good photo of the wild turkies that roam around here, but I just haven't had much luck. The turkies always come out as tiny specks in my pictures. So, I borrowed one from a Thompson Falls Bed and Breakfast website. Aren't they neat?

Welcome to the World Little One

Such a sweet bundle of joy, and I got to hold him! It's funny how easy it is to forget just how tiny newborns really are.
Lisa and I dined on cafeteria food and had a good chat. I'm SO glad she and Silas are home now...I think she was on the verge of dying of boredom when I arrived. Now she has plenty to do with two little boys and one big one to look after.

I looked at this picture and thought, "nope...we still don't look alike!"

Now Remember....

What's the long lost Missy been up to?

I've been traveling A LOT, and on my way to and from work I see some pretty beautiful sites.

The mist sits on the river most mornings. I captured this shot just before I reached Plains on my way to St. Regis.


This a view from Noxon.

Between Thompson Falls and Plains you will find the animals for which the word frolick was invented. Along all of the routes I take: Trout Creek, Noxon, St. Regis, Hot Springs, and then back to Thompson Falls I see the larch turning yellow and spread out through the pines.

The photo doesn't do this sunrise justice:

On my way to and from Hot Springs I pass by this pretty little lake.

It's a pretty beautiful place, I tell you!

Settling In

It's been nice to settle into town. I've discovered:

-I can hear the football games clearly from my house (and I enjoy it).

-My house sits on a loop that is 1.2 miles long.

-On Thursdays there is a fresh produce stand situated right where I turn of the Highway to go home.

-There are trees here called Tamaracks that look like a type of pine, but they're actually a type of larch and they change color in the fall and lose all their needles in the winter.

-I still can't decide if I like the trip to Noxon, the trip to Hot Springs, or the trip to St. Regis better...they're all so beautiful.

-Fall is still my favorite season. The air is starting to turn crisp, there's a faint smell of woodsmoke in the air, and all of the shrubbery is just beginning to change colors.

-The Speech Paraprofessionals that I work with are wonderful.

-I still like it here.

Settling In

I'm finally settled into my new apartment. After claiming victory over the wasps, discovering the nice running paths near my apartment, and getting to know a few of the people in the area, I can say with confidence, I like it here!

Dearborn Bike-Hiking

Tuesday was a fantastic day! I remember hiking up this trail when I was in middle school or high school. Fortunately biking through part of the trail makes the going a bit quicker so we could cover more ground. It was beautiful. These pictures can't adequately show how beautiful this hike was. We crossed the Dearborn River, two streams, and Milky Creek, so we were able to enjoy plenty of water, plus mud since it rained the night before. We changed into our swim attire and splashed around Milky Creek for about an hour, then it started raining pretty heavily and we were still soaked through, so we didn't bother changing back into our dry clothes. The rain just added to the adventure, with all those dark threatening-looking storm clouds swirling in around us.
We saw the largest herd of elk I've ever seen as we were driving towards the trailhead. This little one was having a hard time making it over the fence...I hope he got through eventually, I'm sure he had an anxious mama waiting for him.

The Bridge crosses over the Dearborn. This picture is much more flattering than the one we took on the way back...we were sopping wet and covered in mud.

This picture doesn't do justice to the gobs of mud that covered the both of us and our bikes

The entire bed of this creek was a smooth stone rock and it had the neatest little pools to wade through.

More Pictures of the Gorgeous Dearborn River.

This is Milky Creek. It is by far one of the coolest places I have ever been. These pictures, again, just can't do justice to how awesome this place is. There were little areas along the river bed that are completely smooth stone, and we were actually able to slide down them like you would a water slide. There were also little cascades all around us, the water was warmer than the other creeks and clay collected all around the edges of the river. There were also these funny looking dried flowers everywhere that were curled around into a spiral point. I think everyone needs to plan a trip up to Milky Creek. It's just before the Bob Marshall Wilderness, so of course the rest of the landscape is stunning, too.

Victorious!

Dad: "After all the money we spent on her college education, this is how she repays us...beating us at Scrabble!

"Maybe we should kick her out of the house."

And so at the end of the week I will leave having experienced such tender remarks filled with feelings of warmth and love. But you know, after consistently losing for the last fifteen years I think it's about time I won a game every now and then.

Montana Plates

I don't know why, but it feels like something of a right of passage to have Montana plates back on my vehicle, once more loudly proclaiming that I AM in fact a Montana resident. I was so excited that I tore off the Utah plates and put on the Montana ones as soon as I possibly could.

When you get a life will you...?

A short while ago, I visited Prudence. While I was there, her oldest daughter asked me if I was going to stay. I replied that I was taking a vacation but soon I would need to get on with my life and get a job and find a new place to live. Several days later, she surprised me by saying, "When you get a life, will you have a husband?" Through out the course of my visit these questions persisted: "When you get a life, will you have a dog?" "When you get a life will you live with Grandma?" "When you get a life, will you have children?"

I returned to Montana and tearfully left my sister and her family behind in Japan. I was delighted, though, when I found out that they had opted to vacation at my parents house and I would still be here. I had forgotten those questions, until my sweet niece came up to me and asked conversationally, "Do you have a life yet?"

My answer to her today would be: Well, my dear, I'm definitely making strides! Two weeks ago I was offered a job in Thompson Falls, MT and I've accepted the position. I can't tell you how excited I am! On Thursday Mom and I took the 3 1/2 hour trip over there, admired the scenery, explored a little tourist shop, and went apartment hunting. I've found myself the nicest little apartment there.

Here it is, as Lisa said when I showed her this picture, "It looks like the outside of an apartment building."

Here's my front room. I've got a little propane fireplace in the corner there.

Behold my kitchen, huge isn't it?

I've got the nicest little porch in the back. I don't have to do any of the yard maintenance, so I can just sit back and admire the view. I can't wait to get my swing from Mexico set up out there!

It comes with a washer & dryer. Hurray!

That's the Clark Fork River. Pretty, huh?

The church is just a couple of blocks down from my apartment.

Thompson Falls is one of five towns I'll be working in.

Here's the Jeep that I'll be driving around in.

And here's the view from the Elementary School.

It's beautiful isn't it? I feel so fortunate to be living in such a beautiful place with a comfortable home, and family that's not too far away! Thanks for accompanying me on this little tour of my soon to be new home. :)

Spring Time = Park Time

First we went to a Horse Park.

It had an awesome slide! There were little metal rollers on it that made you go down really fast.

We used kick boards to slide down it.

Weeeee! It was so fun.

Next we spent sometime monkeying around at a park with "The World's Largest Statue of Liberty in Japan".

One of the greatest activities they have is a zipline. FUN!!

...and finally we all posed majestically in imitation of the statue of liberty:

I took a lot of fun videos, too, but I don't know the secret of getting them to download quickly. Hopefully I'll be able to post them another day.