Happy Birthday to Harold

 Harold with a make do birthday cupcakes - left over from the funeral dinner on Sunday, Sept. 15th! yes those are matches because we didn't have any candles!

Monday, Sept. 16th - a slice of real birthday cake and matching candles!  what a handsome 71 he is!

Montana State Football Game

 Happy Bobcat Football fans!  Stan and Julie had us down to Bozeman today for Dad's birthday football game!  They gave us the cute shirts and we cheered loudly as the Bobcats won, 26 to 0 - over Colorado Mesa from Grand Junction.

 Cute couple!!  The regular starting QB for Montana State was injured and the starting QB today was a student that has helped in Julie's classes ... she said he is one of the best students to help that she has had.

 Beautiful overcast day, the sun came out a little, but mostly was cloudy and nice.

 Touchdown right in front of us!  Go Bobcats!  The MSU ROTC fire off a cannon with each score - loud!

Julie's Bionic woman scar - she is getting more mobility every day and will heal with full range of motion - modern medicine miracle!!  Her PT says she is doing awesome - and her OT does too!  Course we always knew that.  When we walked into their house today, Stan was mopping the kitchen floor - yay!  It was a fun pre-birthday day - we feel blessed to share even a little bit with family - Thanks Stan and Julie - loved it!

Hay III

What the Hay II

What the Hay?

 There is a 24 year tradition of decorating Hay Bales in the fields between Hobson and Utica - both super small town just out of Lewistown...about 22 miles of hay fields between them.  They call it What the Hay? and people vote on the ones they like the best.  The event was on Sunday this year so we didn't go that day, but drove the 22 miles for FHE the next day.  Here are some of our favorite.

 Yellow hay road - to the Emerald City

Old Trading Post & fish

 this is an old trading post on the river - Dad found it when he went down to fish while I was in Salt Lake with Lindsey.  It is really neat and the story of the Nez Pres coming through and stopping here is cool.

 the old plaque on the wall of the trading post

 The four fish that Dad caught in Big Spring Creek - we had them for dinner this Sunday - yummy!!

this is the Chokecherry Festival from the top of the hill - all of downtown - and lots of fun.

Chokecherry Festival

 the Saturday after Labor Day is Chokecherry Festival time in Lewistown...this year was the 24th and it was pretty fun.  I wished we'd registered and ran the fun run - I like the lime green shirts!

 Here is the far east end of Main Street - main street closed off for 8 blocks - all of downtown.

 We got a kick out of Harold's Hot Mustard - no we didn't buy any!

 This is the official chokecherry pit spitting contest - king of gross actually - we saw a spit of 50 feet! See the cute green shirts?

These are Christmas trees made out of barbed wire! - ouch!  You could buy coyote pelts, skunk, etc. brass statues, goat soap and lotion, wooden sleds, etc.  Lots of good food - we bought lunch from the high school FFA booth - they gave out free brownies with their sandwiches!  Dad by the alpacas - they use the wool for yarn and were selling socks for 25-46 dollars each - must be awesome socks!

Labor Day Hike

 On Monday, Sept. 2nd, to celebrate Labor Day we went on a 7 mile hike.  This is Crystal Lake - pretty much Crystal puddle now at the end of a hot summer!

 Dad on the trail  - below me on the trail.

 The end of the trail!  pictures don't do justice to how beautiful it is - and cool, refreshing.

 This is the overhang that the spring comes out of to make the cascades.  Worth the 3.5 miles of hiking to get here.

 Was so happy to see there was only 1/2 mile to go I took a picture of the sign!!

Driving there we turned a corner and there was this mother coyote and twin babies - the babies ran off before I could get the camera out - gotta love Montana!

More Sweet Georgia Fairbanks

 Seriously, Sadie can't get enough of Georgia!!  just about mauls her to pieces!  I'm pretty sure they made a pact in Heaven and Sadie couldn't wait for Georgia to get down here for some fun!!

 Cute pink tee shirt Stan and Julie gave to Georgia.

 Lindsey's flowers - pretty as she is!

 What pretty girls in our family - ALL of them.

 Mom, Dad and sweet Georgia Fairbanks.

Ready for first doctors visit - four days old.

Liberty Park Seven Canyons Water play

 Aunt Polly meeting sweet Georgia - then we took Olivia and Sadie to Liberty Park water trails.

 They loved playing in the fountains, and canyons, and pool.  It was around 7 in the evening, not crowded at all and still warm enough to play in cool water.

Yay for summer and fun activities.