24

Number 24 had his 24th birthday yesterday! He is so old. We went to church and headed to Barnes & Noble for some coffee, pastries, and a little book reading. In the evening, Tim's coworkers held a little birthday party for him. He had two birthday cakes...and even blew out some candles. Happy Birthday Tim!!

It's hard to believe I kissed him on his 16th birthday and every birthday since!

The Great Falls

We finally visited the "Great Falls" of Great Falls. They were pretty neat, but some of the natural beauty has been tainted by the dam. There are about 4 sets of falls in the area, and each has been turned into an energy source. The historical perspectives behind these sites are impressive. The Lewis & Clark entourage had to portage around the falls...it took them a month.

We stopped for a picture on the swing bridge walking to island for prime falls viewing.

We are assuming the 8 short blasts were warning signals if the dam was going to break.

This is the powerhouse at the bottom of the dam.

The island looked out over the falls...you couldn't go past the barriers here.

Tim and Jax getting ready to cross the bridge! We were glad we weren't on a swing bridge

1000 ft up in the Amazon.

Gibson Park

I was so bummed we just now found this park. It is a large park along the river with a huge pond scattered with water fountains. I love water fountains. The beauty was only slightly tainted by the presence of many, many ducks and geese in search of a bite to eat. We had a picnic lunch and left some white cheddar popcorn for the birds.

3 Months Old!

Jaxson was three months old yesterday....time sure flies when you are having fun!

He loves to watch tv...and I don't really let him, but Tim and I were doing our combat conditioning program (more about that later..it isn't what it sounds like) and he was a bit fussy. We put him in his bouncer and he locks in on the television.

I found this frog costume while I was out the other day, and I just couldn't resist!

He really is getting in the character-he almost looks like a frog.

I am number 1!

He likes to sleep in 'forts.' He likes to be all snuggled up.

D.A. Davidson

So, why are we here anyway? Tim has taken a job with D.A. Davidson & Co. He is in training to become a Financial Consultant, but is currently working with the Financial Planning Group. He really likes his job and is getting some great exposure and making good contacts. He will be ready to start in Boise in November! Here is a link to his picture online :).

http://www.davidsoncompanies.com/dc/locations.cfm

branchcity=Great%20Falls&State=Montana

This is the block outside of Davidson...there is a walkway bridge that connects to another Davidson Company.

This is a courtyard area outside of the building where we sometimes eat lunch.

Quilting in the hotel....

This is definitely not something I would recommend if you are looking for a beautiful, hand-crafted piece to warm up your house. It is just hard to make it work when you have about 50 square feet to work with, none of the spaces being big enough to lay your quilt flat...

Tim and I started this quilt on our anniversary (June 16th) as a way to have fun in the house while we acquainted ourselves with Jaxson and all the routines that came with a new baby. We spent a rainy afternoon looking for fabric and designing the quilt (Tim was the project manager). We decided to take on an "Irish" theme and chose a series of greens with cream and red accents.

Cutting and sewing each individual square was a breeze. We were so happy with the precision were sure we were master quilters. We even ironed each piece so neatly. Tim created the middle square and hand-stitched the shamrock on. It looks great.

Sewing the squares and borders together went relatively smooth. There were only a few bumps along the way, and an extra trip to the fabric store. The quilt top was completed and looked pretty good! Unfortunately, that is only the beginning to the "quilting process."

I was going to try and finish the quilt during the day while Tim was at work and surprise him with the finished product (Tim volunteered strictly for designing, cutting, and managing, NOT sewing). So, I thought this would be easy to hide. Well, it turns out I am a messy crafter and I found myself running out of time each day to clean up the traces of my days work. I also had a hard time explaining to Tim that I "just hung out" all day. One day, the mess was too much and Tim was able to see the progress.

Now for pinning the quilt top, batting, and quilt top together.....let's just say it's done (This is the part that is NOT easy to do in a small hotel room).

I do not have a quilting sewing machine. And if you are going for that artistic precision, I recommend using one.

The quilt is mostly completed. I am going to turn over the red backing to make a border around the front. I hope to finish it by the time we head back to Boise.

Missoula

Our family in front of the grizzly statue in the oval

Melissa, Me, Becky

I was so lucky to get to visit my college roommates this past weekend! Tim, Jaxson, and I drove down to Missoula for the day and enjoyed visiting with Becky and Melissa-it had been too long! We walked around campus and reminisced about fun times. It is amazing how much the campus has changed since I left only two years ago. It was so much fun to reconnect and hopefully we will get to do it again soon.

Jax

Buffalo Jump

This buffalo jump is yet another landmark here in Great Falls. A buffalo jump is a site where Indians used to run buffalo herds off cliffs to kill them (before the introduction of the horse). We had a great time spotting wildlife and meandering around the Great Plains.

This was the base. The Natives camped here in anticipation of the buffalo arrival.

We spotted a badger about 20 yards off the dirt road to the top of the jump. Tim got out and tried to follow it, but it ran away...

There were little ground squirrels everywhere! They were so noisy....

Tim was trying to get a rise out of the little guys...

This was the eagle flying around the cliff edge hunting. We were able to walk really close to it..maybe 20 ft or so.

Tim and Jax at the edge of the buffalo jump.

Go Buffs!

We are SO excited for the season to start! The Buffs have their first practice today. We love you Cody and Dad!

Strong Neck and So Proud!

Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center

Jax and I looking out over the Missouri. This is about where Lewis and Clark began their month-long portage.

I feel like Jaxson in his stroller is the real life version of Flat Stanley....

This is just hilarious because of the two weird faces. We were inside a Mandan home and there was Native American music playing...he was trying to figure out the sounds in addition to the camera.
Jax was cracking up at the Indian voices....there was an exhibit that translated Lewis and Clark's words into Shoshone....
Baby Jean Baptiste carried in a backpack made of Buffao hide.

Baby Jaxson pushed in a stroller....you can tell how he feels about it!

Playing with Jaxson

Although our outings are fun, the real highlight of our family is Jax! He is getting so big and he is holding his neck up so well. He thinks it is hilarious to roll from his tummy to his back-he will do it over and over and over.

Giant Springs State Park

This was a nice outing for a Sunday afternoon. It is a landmark where Lewis and Clark found one of the biggest natural springs in the US. I think 150 million gallons flow out from this tiny pool each year. The water bubbles up and flows right into the Missouri. It was really neat to see how clean the water was and how colorful the plant life was underwater. There was also a fish hatchery that we walked through. We walked along the river edge trail for a bit, attempting to spot some wild life...no luck. Apparently, beavers and foxes frequent the area often...no luck for us! Jaxson slept through almost the whole thing. He woke up as we were leaving.