Back in Montana

Just a few days after returning to Montana from our South Dakota/Minnesota vacation Jim and Peggy, fellow Stapletons, were on their way through Billings from a western states vacation.  We were so happy to have them stay a night with us and visit.

From Swords Park on top of the rimrocks, overlooking Billings.

Peggy made sure we stayed just in front of the giant crack in the rock.

The second weekend in August I journeyed to Missoula for a whirlwind visit with my college friends Krista and Emma.

Emma, Krista and me on The University of Montana campus reminiscing.

We found Tuff in the Native American Building.  The Office of Public Instruction created a poster series called "honor your self,' which featured 22 American Indian role models from across Montana.  At the time of the photo (2008) we were living in Nashville, TN and Tuff was with the Titans.  (If you want to see the other posters click the "honor your self" link above.)

Down the Griz hall of fame in the Adam's Center.  A picture of the 2006 Big Sky Champs is just between us.  Krista and I were both part of that championship team and those awesome memories.

Missoula, in its hippy ways, painted all the electrical boxes at the stop lights.  Pretty cool.

In our short trip we managed to do a few hiking trails.  This trail system in the photo below is the Rattlesnake.

Again the Rattlesnake.

We hiked the "M" which is a big cement M on the side of Mount Sentinel, just above The University of Montana campus.  I might look like I conquered it but truthfully I rested after almost every switchback.  Out of shape!  Lungs were burning!

Here's the M from the bottom overlooking the Clark Fork River.

Descending the "M."

While I was away Tuff took over baby duties.

We attended one day of the Montana State Fair here in Billings.

Below is a picture of Grace playing in a giant dry corn box.

We also watched the first night of the rodeo at the fairgrounds with our friends Ben and Katie and their little girl Brihanna.

Ben, Katie and Bri.

We visited Addeleigh, Donnie and Kassia's new little one a few times.  She is so adorable.

Speaking of adorable, our Pittsburgh friends Mitch and Leigh had a baby, Ainsleigh!  They sent us the picture below because she was doing Tuff's senior pic remake.  Haha.

We have been going to garage sales just about every weekend.  Through them we have fully furnished our place.  A lot of the items needed some TLC.  I picked up the dresser in the photo below for free from a storage unit sale.  It was broken and I managed to fix it up.  I tried out a cool paint idea.  Buy $3 test paints from Home Depot in different shades of one color family and paint each drawer a different shade.

Also at an estate sale I picked up two beautiful 1930's antique baby dresses.

I almost forgot...below is the picture of the dresser before its makeover.

Grace modeling the antiques; the red slip.

And the lace dress over the top of the red slip.

Another paint job in the picture below.  It used to be a blond fake wood file cabinet.  I got it for $3 at a garage sale.  Some more white paint and yellow drawers and Grace has a nightstand.

Did I mention Grace is now in a "big girl" bed?

Seamless transition so far.  Maybe because she doesn't know she can get out of the bed once we lay her down.

Just last week on the 22nd Tuff got a hole in one!  He was golfing at Pryor Creek Golf Club just outside of Billings, MT and knocked it straight in.  See the picture for proof of straight in.  This is Tuff's second hole in one.  He got his first last year at The Legacy at Craguns near Brainerd, MN.

Even though I've been golfing a good 10 years longer than Tuff I've yet to get my hole in one.

We also had our first family photo session with a professional photographer.  You can see a few of the photos in the photographer's blog linked here.

Below is a video of some Grace cuteness.  She is so cute with her words and we finally remembered to catch it on video:



And finally happy birthday to Jeri Lyn (Tuff's sister) and Beck (my nephew).  Love you guys!

Minnesota Summer Vacation

We spent July 16th through August 4th on vacation in Minnesota.

It was hot for the most part so we spent some time at the pool.  Thank you to our Minnesota neighbors Brad and Bobbe for letting us enjoy the pool!

Tuff's niece Shawnee came along for our vacation.

Tuff and Shawnee had fun with the underwater camera.

That's Shawnee behind the bubble mask.

Saturday, July 20th we went to a welcome home BBQ for my high school friend Rachel and husband Dan.  Rachel just finished her medical residency in Grand Rapids, Michigan and is now an Emergency Room Doctor in Detroit Lakes.  Congrats Rachel!  So proud of you.

Dan, Rachel, Grace, Mary, Tuff, Rachel, Eli, Jeremy, Avery.

Me and the Rachels! Rachel Grove also made the BBQ to give Rachel hugs and congrats.  It gets confusing with the Rachels, I know.

Below is Rachel Grove's little boy Eli.

Here he is being a good sport about Grace giving kisses.

 
July 21st through 28th we were  in Bemidji at Ruttger's resort.  We were there for the Birchmont, a six day match play golf tournament.  We did not get many photos from the golf tournament but both Tuff and I played in it, as well as my Dad, brother Derek and some Staples neighbors.  I made it to the semi-finals and lost and Tuff made it to the championship of his flight and also lost.  Oh well next year maybe?

At Ruttger's indoor pool.  The weather was a bit chilly up in Brrrrmidji (that is how the locals refer to Bemidji).

Video of Grace the jet ski:



Most of our neighbors come to the golf tournament and it becomes one huge family/neighborhood vacation.  The kids kayaking at the resort.

That's Bo on top of "Saturn" as they like to call it.  Beck and Tuff trying to climb up on the sides.

The Iceberg.

Finn and Tuff being studly on top of the berg.

I got a chance to follow Tuff during his championship match.

He was not playing his best game.  Tuff found himself in the woods several times.

He also found himself in the sand.

Made for great photo opportunities.

Nephew Beck came along for some caddy help but to no avail.  The match was tied after 18 holes.  Tuff lost on the second extra hole in sudden death.

We also got to see a college golf teammate of mine, Brittany and family.  I snagged a pic of the family (minus Brittany) watching Tuff play extra holes.

Brittany's husband Hoover, and daughters Kelly and Emma.  They are expecting girl number three in September.  The man to the far left was Hoover's former golf coach.

Fun stuff; Bemidji stakes claim as one of the homes of Paul Bunyan.

So quite naturally Grace needed a Paul Bunyan stuffed animal.

On our way back from Bemidji we drove to Brainerd (another town that stakes a claim to Paul Bunyan) to meet up with Brad and Krista.  Krista was another golf teammate at the University of Montana and my roommate.  She lives in Hugo, Minnesota these days.

Grace, Shawnee, Tuff, Mary, Krista, Brad.

July 29th-August 3rd. Some more fun around Staples.  Tuff teaching Grace to putt.

The Monday following the Birchmont, I got a chance to play in a Pro-Am best ball tournament with my sister Dana and neighbors, the Israelson's.  We shot 23 under but that was only good for third place.  We wore teal, in honor of Tracy Lane, who passed just days ago from Cervical Cancer at the age of 31.  Tracy was my sister Dana's college golf teammate and roommate and a beautiful individual.

Dana, Mary, Bill, Sarah and Emily.

And little sis Cydney was there playing on a team from Fargo.  Cyd took second individually shooting a 74, getting in the money.  She just squeaked one by me, as I shot a 75, which was good for nothing (but really good for me these days).  Haha.  

Sisters!

Grace and Oma at the local coffee shop in Staples.

One of our last days in town we enjoyed a tube down the Crow Wing River with Duff and the family.

That's Finn in the back of the truck with the responsibility of holding the tubes down until we reached the river.  Yes that is an alligator floaty.

Bo getting hyped up for the tube (or just being herself).

Beck selecting his tube for the 1.5 hour float.

Getting a group photo opportunity.

Duff, Emma, Bo, Finn, Beck, Shawnee, Mary (Tuff taking picture).  Bo wins best flex pose here with Shawnee taking a close second place.

Float or swim!

Finish the river float with a hot tub!

Before departing Minnesota, we took a trip down to the Twin Cities to spend a little time on Brad and Krista's pontoon.  

Krista and I enjoying the giant float on Forrest Lake.

Later that day Tuff and Shawnee attended the Minnesota Lynx game at the Target Center.  This was Shawnee's first WNBA game and she was pretty pumped about it.  The pictures from the game are on her camera.

On our way out of Minnesota we stopped in Wadena for a Rach family (my mom's side and its pronounced like "rock") reunion.

We were told to wear a hat to the party.  Aunt Joan took the price for best hat.

 Some of the hats and the rest of Aunt Joan's hat.

We drove from Wadena to Dickinson, North Dakota the first day.  A lot of men were around town from the work in the oil fields.  

Of course there was more fun with water at the hotel water slide.  

We've been busy back in Billings.  I'll get another update soon.  Love you all!