March 26, 2013

Travels and Ear Troubles

Two big road trips in a row in March.  The most recent was two weekends ago to Spokane, Washington.  Grace was such a trooper, as each road trip was about eight hours.



Going through 4th of July pass near Spokane.



We met up there with some former roommates/teammates of Tuff's.  It was Tyler's 30th birthday.  Pretty good reason to get together.



Some of Tyler's family came up to Spokane to celebrate too.


We had dinner at Luigi's and then the boys hit the casino.


Kevin and Lindsey have a little girl, Mayla, who was born just one day after Grace.  To our surprise Mayla is just as big as Grace.  At first things were great between the two.


Then a side of Grace I have never seen came out.  She is a bully!  She tried to hit Mayla with objects (like the blocks below) and worst of all tried to headbutt her several times.


Which meant she was disciplined and it resulted in crying.


In the video below around second 40 Grace is seen in action (didn't get any headbutts) scowling and throwing a fit about sweet Mayla.


On the way home we stopped in Missoula, our old college stompin' grounds and had lunch with Jim O'Day, former athletic director of the Griz.  Notice the tiny "M" on the hillside.  We used to walk that often.


Grace being adorable and learning to put bracelets on in the video below:


The weekend before our Spokane journey we road tripped to Whitefish for the Whitefish Winter Classic.  

It was there we attended many events, including the big event, the gala.  Pictures before the auction.


The celebrities for the night.  Tuff is second in from the left.


Signing autographs on top of Whitefish Ski Resort at Big Mountain.  Tuff is on the right.


The ski resort is known for their snow ghosts, the trees covered in snow.  After a fresh snow they are completely white.




We picked a beautiful day to ski.  Views lasted for miles and miles.


Wish I had that snowsuit.


View of Glacier National Park from the top of the ski resort.


Just hanging out by a snow ghost.


This was our view most of the day.


Tuff got a cool video of the front side of the ski resort, looking toward Whitefish Lake.


Last weekend we stayed in Billings and threw Donnie and Kassia a gender reveal party for their little one due on August 3rd.  

Guess what? 


Its a girl!


Lil' Lyman is now Lil Lady Lyman.


Before the reveal we played some old wives gender prediction tales.  Swing the ring.


Necklace swing over palm.


So excited for these guys!


Now for the most recent news.  Grace has been dealing with chronic ear infections since mid January.  The biggest scare was getting Mastoiditus a few weeks ago.  Its when the infection spreads to the skull.  She saw a specialist yesterday and he suggested tubes right away.  So that's what we did this morning.

Before surgery.





Recovery room.


She was like a sack of flour, couldn't hold herself up.  She was also very talkative.  I wish I had it on video.



Tuff is still traveling the state giving public speeches.  You can read in the link the basis of most his talks:    Big Horn County News.  I'll explain more on Tuff's involvement in a later post.  

Until next time...

March 7, 2013

Due for a Goodie Overload

Grace's favorite sleeping position; arms and hands tucked.



She was majorly into the camera this day.




Same day.  Since she was in such a good mood we did her first pony tail!


Added a cute heart barrette.



The video below is of Tuff and Grace playing a spook game.  She was acting like a fainting goat.  Just watch it.  You'll see.



Here is a video of the actual animal, the fainting goat, for those of you who have never seen them:



New hat from Grandma Merle Jean.  Sort of a hippy style meets railroad conductor.  Pretty cute.




11 month old photos.  Dressed up in her signature colors; yellow and gray.









Some of the first documented steps in video below:



First time at Barnes and Noble play area.  Pretty awesome times with the legos.








More walking in the video from yesterday morning.  She also started saying animal noises the same morning; lions, tiger and bears say roar, monkeys say ooh ooh ah ah, puppies say ffff (for woof), pigs say k (her way of snorting is to say the k sound).



This weekend we are in Whitefish, Montana for the Whitefish Winter Classic.  The journey from Billings was just over seven hours.  We broke it up by stopping in Great Falls to see some old college friends, Jan and Johanna Steenekamp.  Jan played tennis and Johanna basketball for the University of Montana.  The last time we saw them was three years ago and they were living in Missoula.  Now they are in Great Falls and have a near two year old and a second due the 16th of this month.

Below is Jan and Johanna's boy Liam and Grace.


Their Italian Greyhound Rafa.  Grace LOVED this dog and it was so tolerant.



Our attempts at a group photo.  Jan was giving a tennis lesson so not pictured below.



Notice the blank canvas on the wall?  Johanna is an artist and is well aware that she wants to soon paint it.  Haha.  Check out her art in the link:  http://jdesignsmontana.com/.


Pit stop in Glacier National Park today to take a pic by a frozen waterfall.


The frozen falls.


Next blog I'll update you on our trip and also on some of Tuff's recent speaking engagements and dealings with the Crow nation.  Miss you all!