Just take in all that is the Eastern Montana/North Dakota border in the photo above; hey bales, snow, land that goes on for miles. We are in Colstrip currently, which is about 3 hours southwest of the border. Still the same open space but a little different landscape.
I got the areal image of Colstrip (population 3000) below from sierraclub.org. You can see the power plant stacks and coal conveyor belt take up most the town and are the main livelihood of the community members. The power company, PPL Montana generates energy for its customers in Montana, Idaho, Washington and Oregon.
On our journey out we stayed with my little sis Cydney in Fargo, North Dakota. Notice our truck looks pretty little compared to our trailer. Slow and steady is the name of the game.
Next stop was Glendive, Montana and we stayed with Tuff's Colstrip High School friends, Matt and Katie Shahan. They gave Grace the Monte Bear stuffed animal you see in the photo below. Its the University of Montana's (our alum) mascot.
The crazy thing is they stumbled upon it at a pawn shop in Medicine Lake, Montana (way up there in Montana, almost in Saskatchewan, Canada). If you look close, you'll see a signature. Tuff Harris #13.
Throwback from Tuff's football days in college. Matt and Katie said they had to get it!
From Glendive it was just another short three hours to Colstrip. On one of our gas station stops Grace tried on some adorable hats.
A lamb of course!
Polar bear. Haha. I think they are made for bigger heads.
Eventually we made it to Colstrip, Montana. Again slow and steady.
For Thanksgiving we enjoyed a great family meal at Tuff's parent's home. It also happened to be his niece, Kaydee's third birthday. She's the one with the green daisy headband.
There's the princess again!
All the granddaughters were told to wear their tutus. So we had to take a group photo! Well, none of them turned out. Its hard to get five year old and under to all pose cute for a photo.
Grace's auntie Jeri Lyn spoiled her and gave her a bunch of hand me down toys and clothes, including the adorable Carhart overalls in the photo below.
For black friday we opted to go to Sheridan, Wyoming with our host family and enjoy their annual Christmas Stroll. It was a brisk night but really fun to walk main street and see all the shops and vendors.
Grace even tried on a Wyoming Cowboys hat.
Only in Sheridan would there be a live size horse for a window display.
And since we were in cowboy town, Grace shopped for cowboy boots. But her mother said no. Haha.
Mary and Grace taking a pit stop in one of the Sheridan stores to warn up.
A great toothy smile and bundled up.
Sunday of last week disaster struck and Grace's "Lambsickle" as we call it, was no more. Tuff tried to take it away from her and Grace tried to keep it, both pulling to the opposite end and BAM, just like that the nook tore off the lamb stuffed animal.
It used to be attached to the mouth. Lucky for us Grace is growing out of the pacifier stage so Lambsickle is not such a big deal. But I think its a bigger deal for Tuff and I so we ordered a back up, Lambsickle II (on its way thanks to Amizon.com).
Monday we journed to Billings, Montana (about 2 hours from Colstrip) and spent the night with Tuff's cousin and wife Donnie and Kassia. We were on our way to Bozeman (another 2 hours past Billings) the next day to visit an old college roommate/teammate of Tuff's, Chris and his wife and baby Tsveta and Reagan.
The photo below is of the Crazy Mountains. Just one of the many beautiful mountain chains of the Rockies.
These photos are so cute of Tuff and Chris each carrying their babies. Reagan is 3 months old, Grace 8 months.
Chris and Tsveta were visiting family in Helena, Montana all the way from Washington DC. We last saw them three summers ago, when we ventured to DC from Pittsburgh.
When they meet again they will look so different.
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