Wonderful Wyoming and Montana

Last week Kate, Archie, Alex and I decided to go on a trip to Montana. Actually, I had decided a few months ago to try and visit home once more before I got to big and pregnant to drive, and I knew no one would let me drive the 10 hours alone. So I invited Kate and Kara to join me. Unfortunately the weather cut our trip short and due to the excessive bulkiness of car seats these days we couldn't (try as we might, and oh we tried hard) fit a 3rd adult, so sadly Kara had to stay behind in the end. Driving all that way with the 2 kids wasn't as bad as I had feared, it wasn't a cake walk, but it wasn't that bad.

I made Kate stop at all the places from my youth. The places that I remember going and loving with my family when i was like 8. Unfortunately a lot has changed in the last 15 years and so these places were not near as cool as they were, but Kate pretended and we still had fun. We learned that gas stations are about the worst places to let kids run around, although in 13 degree weather there wasn't much choice. Randomly I got an email about this place we went...... check it out, we ate icecream there and it was good. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsaDMZYs7wQ

I was most excited to go to the Yellowstone Drug, home of the Best Malts and Shakes, but when we arrived they had moved from the really cool old building they used to be in, to a tacky old malt shop store. It was sad, but the ice cream was still decent.

Montana was cold. Like, hurt your nose hairs when you breath, cold. But we still played outside in the snow a few times. Alex like following her Grandma Asay around the farm.

I love this picture because their body language is just about the exact same. Very cute.

Alex wasn't sure about the horses this time around. She just stood there and started at them.

Kate took the kids on sled rides around the yard.

Alex really liked the snow.

This is the face Alex now does when you ask her to smile.

We even went out and "helped" feed the animals one bitter cold morning.

Archie was fairly interested in the cows.

Sadly, our time to leave came way too soon and we were off through Wyoming again. We decided to stop and get our pictures taken in front of the worlds first J.C. Penny store.

Kate trying to wrestle the kids who were just out of the car for the first time in 4 hours, and wanted to run.

It was hilarious to watch, she would get one to stand still and the other would bolt.

All the trees the entire way through Wyoming were frozen and beautiful like this. We didn't get many good pictures, but it was amazing.

Thermopolis.

The kids behaving quite well in the back seat.

It was fun to go home and show off my roots to Kate as well as spend some good quality time with my Mom and brother! It was so fun to see how well Alex remembered the farm and how much she enjoyed playing with Grandma and running through the house with Archie. Thanks for the great time Mom and David, we will try to make it up again soon!