The big D

We had only slept in our own beds for four nights when we packed up again but this time we loaded our car and drove north to Dallas. It had been too long since we had visited our Texas Cosby family and although we were all still a little jet lagged, we knew it was now or never before school started up again.

The girls were excited to get in their pjs and make the drive and were even more thrilled when we got in bed at Grandma and Grandpa's house Thursday night. They woke early the next day and ran wild with excitement, playing, jumping, singing and dancing. We decided to let Ben and Grandpa work one day, and the rest of us headed downtown to the American Girl store for afternoon tea. The girls loved the fancy dishes and foods and thought it was so fun to have a place at the table for Isabelle and Dizzy as well. We also celebrated my 35th birthday while in town and they girls and Grandma did a great job decorating and making cupcakes. The rest of the weekend, we played with cousins from sun up to sun down. Ben and I loved catching up with a few of Ben's siblings and the girls had fun with so many little friends. This time when it was time to go, we vowed to return more often. Nothing is more fun than spending time with family.

The rest of July

We spent all but a couple of days on vacation for the 7th month of the year. Here are a few random candids of the few days we did spend at home. Never a dull moment with these two clowns around.

July - Vacation Month, Part 2

We flew from the mountains of Montana to the beaches of California for part two of our month long voyage. The Bees decided a year ago that it would be fun to get together with all of our families for a summer vacation and that is just what we did.

With flights from every time zone, we all met in sunny Oceanside, CA and spent the last week of July on the San Diego sands. We stayed in some fun condos right on the water called North Coast Village and we had fun from sun up to sun down. All of the little cousins were in heaven with so many playmates each day and built sandcastles, boogie boarded, swam in the pools, made up dances, played games and ran until they dropped each night. Isabelle loved getting to spend time with Hannah and Grace again and Olivia cried tears when it was time to leave Stella. The adults all loved catching up with each other and took turns feeding the large family and chasing the kids. One day the Bees snuck away for a short little lunch and a "sprinkle" for Alee and her baby girl. It was fun for everyone to see her at almost 9 months pregnant and Alee was a trooper putting on her swimsuit day after day. The weather was awesome with warm sunny days and cooler nights and the days ticked by quicker than we liked. Although we had been away from home nearly a month, when the time came not one of the four of us was anxious to return home and to the Texas heat. I guess like everything else, all good things must come to an end. I am grateful for my little family and the memories we made travelling together this summer and I am grateful for my extended family and the relationships we share. We missed Grandma Joan on the beach and her absence reminds us to count our blessings each day. Long live the Bees!

July - Vacation Month, Part 1

July was a vacation month for us this summer. We booked multiple flights, packed lots of suitcases and said goodbye to the hot Texas sun for almost the entire 7th month of the year.

Our first set of flights took us to Glacier Airport and our happy spot, Whitefish, Montana. I am not sure which of the four of us was most excited to get back into the Big Sky Country and we arrived just a few hours after Grandpa and Grammie unlocked the doors at Sigh Bar.

We spent the next several weeks in paradise. The girls woke happy each day and loved eating their breakfast on the big front porch. They played hard during the days, getting dirty, going on hikes, riding horses or ATVs or tractors, roasting hot dogs, making "muck" and so on. Isabelle read the Kaya book series each night before bed and learned all about the Native Americans who lived in that part of the world. Olivia ran from one thing to the next and especially enjoyed ringing the dinner bell each night to tell Grandpa when it was time to come in.

We visited the Big Mountain Ski Resort more than once and enjoyed the view while we rode the Alpine Slide and ski lift. Ben and Isabelle celebrated his 37th birthday one day at the Big Mountain Aerial Adventure Park where they climbed, swung and zipped high above the trees. Isabelle really showed just how brave she could be when she completed the blue zone which was not recommended for anyone under the age of 10. They had a great time together and it was one of those once in a lifetime type father/daughter days.

We made multiple trips into town to enjoy huckleberry ice cream at Sweet Peaks, visit the Farmers Market or eat lunch at the Fart and Slobber Inn. The weather was warm for Montana but still so lovely for us in July. The evenings were nice and cool and you could always get relief in the shade.

Of course Isabelle spent most of her time with Livibelle. She brushed her, fed her, rode her, talked to her, sang to her, etc. She cried tears and tears when it was time to return her to the Bar W at the end of our trip but we are so glad that she gets to have these experiences every so often. She is a real animal lover. Olivia is more careful around the horse, but loves her just the same. She loved to feed her a sugar cube and eat a few herself in the barn. She loved riding Arty the ATV most of all and was so proud when she was allowed to drive herself.

We are so lucky that Ben has the flexibility to work from wherever he is and although he put in some Berkman time in Montana as well, he also spent several hours building the barn roof with my dad and hanging two super cool tire swings for the kids. He turned the big 37 in Montana and he celebrated by never shaving the whole time we were there. Ben always spends plenty of time thinking about buying his own land in Glacier country... he really loves the mountain air.

Alee and Leo joined us halfway through the trip so we had extra friends to play with. One night we braved the Drag Races for Leo and also put on our boots for the Blue Moon Rodeo. The kids played hours and hours outside and also enjoyed tea parties on the porch. We love cousins and we loved having Leo around to make memories with.

So far we have never spent too much time in Montana yet. When the time comes to pack our bags and leave for the airport it is always a sad sad day. All four of us love the laid back life that we live in Whitefish and we continue to be grateful that Grammie and Grandpa share their little piece of heaven with us.

Thankfully, our next set of flights were not heading home but rather to sunny California so that made the sting burn a little bit less with this goodbye....