Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Montana Adventure

Family vacations are fun for me. I don't mean it sarcastically either. My family is FUNNY and the vacations are FUN. We left last Wedesday for Missoula, MT and spent the week in Whitefish with my brother, SIL Sara, their unborn child, my mom and her husband. Instead of chronicling our time, I thought I would just post some lessons learned.

Lessons learned while vacationing in Montana:

1. Washington State patrol doesn't care if you don't have cruise control. They don't care about anything really...except bruising my soul with a $175 ticket.
2. I don't know how families road tripped successfully previous to the invention of the DVD player.
3. Jordan and I can be creative when confined in a car for 10 hours. Here are the following terms we created for people that live in Missoula...we don't know or care which one is actually correct. Missoulians, Missoulagorians, Missoulorinthians, Missourangatangs, Missoulippians.
4. You can be instant friends with people before ever actually meeting in real life. Gloria, Chris, Elizabeth, Craig, Noah, Katie and Lolo....thanks for letting us be part of your family. (I remembered all those names without referencing facebook BTW)

5. I am a bona fide mountain biker.

6. My husband is a very very very good mountain biker...and he looks sexy in action.

7. Grizzly bears hide very well in their country. Tree stumps can look like a grizzly bear and scare bona fide mountain bikers.

8. In Glacier National Park, chipmunks think they are actually the same size as the griz. They are fearless and majestic...they also seems to appreciate my singing.

9. My stepdad may actually be part griz due to his deep desire of all things huckleberry.

10. When I say the word "griz" in Montana then I feel like I fit in.

11. Some families talk politics, some entertainment, we however choose to debate biblical and medical ethics for hours. Then we laugh at hot pockets.

12. My mom is my favorite woman in the world. I could just sit in her presense without speaking and feel satisfied.

13. When I hear my brother talk about his love for Christ, I am overwhelmed with every spiritual emotion.

We really loved Montana and can't wait for the next trip! This was the conversation while pulling into our neighborhood last night after 10 fun filled hours in the car:

Austen: "Mom, are you so excited that we are back home now?"
Me: "Yes baby I am very excited."
Austen: "Well, I'm not."
Me: "Why not, sweets?"
Austen: "Because Uncle Matt and Aunt Sara are still in Montana."



Glacier National Park