Hometown Adventures

Somehow it is easier to explore places far away than it is to explore the ones close to us. In Maryland I made a point of visiting DC and other places of interest, historical and natural. Since returning to Montana I have been repeatedly struck by how gorgeous the Flathead Valley is, to myself and others. Living without mountains seems to enhance their majestic presence. Plus, we have snow when its cold. Just plain cold weather feels a little pointless. The spring has given a profusion of wildflowers, and as we give way to the heat of summer I am anticipating trips to the lake and huckleberry picking. Over the past couple of months Roman and I have made it a goal to explore the section of Creation by which we are surrounded. It helped that Roman is fixing all the boundary signs for the fire department , leading us to farm fields, woodlands, and back roads. Ethan loves going on these "adventures" (his words) and Saoirse is a eager explorer herself. Carsten is definitely happiest when we are outside and the whole family seems to have a better mood overall when we take even a short walk. There are so many places to find close to our doorstep. As our children become more surefooted in the wild I hope we will have many more adventures with them.

Picking Glacier lilies during a road trip to Spokane. The kids started the day in clothes but after several incidents of road sickness they ended up in their PJs.

Ethan has been begging to fish for a while now, so now Daddy is teaching him.

The walking path by our house leads to a Little Lending Library.

The day he actually caught a fish on the Flathead River.

"I am queen of the castle."

Saoirse adores tiny flowers and picks bunches of them.

Taking in the world, mostly through his mouth. A little dirt never hurts!

Noisy Creek