MY BIRTHDAY IN MONTANA!~

The 1st day of Fall was on Monday the 22nd. We left for Montana at 8 am and had a lovely drive through the mountains. 

The tree are starting to change and the drive was wonderful. We listened to THE PILGRIM HYPOTHESIS on the trip over and I crocheted while Tony drove. We got to Jack and Donna's around 3 in the afternoon. Had such a wonderful time with them. Donna had just got a bunch of things for her card making from Caulene. She was so kind and shared a bunch of paper with me for my card making as well as some quilt making things, some lace and a lot of embroidery thread! (I better get busy) 

I had to laugh at this picture. YES, I buy way too much crafting things but with Donna's help, Tony won't have to stand on a street corner with a sign! lol  I love to craft!!  I was so spoiled before I went to Montana!  My good friend Pat, gave me two candles, candy, lotion and earrings. Tony bought me the new Dan Brown book.

I love a good suspenseful novel and Dan Brown is a great writer. I have enjoyed all his books and Tony was happy to get it for me. My Russian friend Lubov gave me candy & jewelry also!! I got a gift card to Jimmy Johns from Heather and family and I am thrilled. Love me a good sandwich and if Heather can't make it, Jimmy's is the next best thing. It was so sweet of them all! 

Tuesday was my birthday and Donna and Jack made it a special celebration!  I wore my new birthday shirt 

(which I bought for myself)   

I modeled it for Jack and Donna and we all got a kick out of it. Besides, it's soft and comfortable so I'm a happy camper. 

Old but happy!

Then they took us to Hamilton to a Chinese restaurant named CHENG FAMILY RESTAURANT!  We got the HAPPY FAMILY order which included shrimp, beef and chicken with a ton of vegies and a brown sauce.

 AS WELL AS FRIED RICE! 

It was fun to be taken out to a new place and we all enjoyed it. There was so much food that we ate it on Wednesday as well and it was just as good! Donna gave me this pair of earring from the Netherlands!!

They are beautiful and I love them!!

 We went home and played games for as long as we could all stand to be on the hard chairs. Then we watched the Mariners win BIG! Mom must have been cheering in heaven!  

I share my birthday with this little fellow!!

Who isn't such a little fellow anymore!! Rowan is 17 now and growing into a wonderful talented young man! I love him so much and so much enjoy having him born on my day!

One of these years, we need to celebrate together!!

On Wednesday, Donna made us egg and sausage McMuffins for breakfast and we all laughed as we ate and she exclaimed she forgot the egg. lol That's what happens as we age.  They were still real good. She then had Tony take down a machine desk and we took it to Joan Heimark. She was a woman (along with her husband and children) who lived in the little house my parents owned in Missoula and it was right next door to the house we grew up in. Joan has ALWAYS been a good friend. She is 83 now and lives in Florence, which is a short distance from Donna & Jack. Tony helped her take a canopy off a swing chair on her patio for the winter,  and he also dug a hole for her in a flower bed and then take a plant that had split into a new plant and he transplanted it into the new hole. She was so appreciative and asked Tony when he was coming back. She said she'd make a list of things she can't do. lol Tony knows all about helping us older women! lol

It was just so good to see Joan again. She is now a widow and lives alone. It was a lovely home and a beautiful yard. She makes me look like a moose. She has been on osempic for diabetes and has lost a lot of weight!  Wish I could be on it!!(as I pop an M&M in my mouth.) 

lol   Funny, not funny!!

We came home and Donna and I messed around in her craft room. She showed me a lot of things she has done. Tony and Jack worked on things in the garage. Tony also changed out a lot of light bulbs, changed their furnace filter and reset the clock for it to let them know when it needed to be changed again. He fixed a sprinkler head etc. Jack supervised. lol I folded some laundry for Donna and then we all watched SKYSCRAPER with the Rock staring. It was so fun!

Thursday, we hung around home. Donna had a doctor appointment in the morning. They got home around 10 and we ate breakfast burritos she made for breakfast.  We just visited and I crocheted while we watched a few You Tube videos that Jack likes. In the early evening, a neighbor came by and gave Donna some tickets she had purchased for a quilt that was being auctioned off. We got her to take our picture together.

I sure love these two!!  They are such an example of faith and endurance to me. They have been through a lot and their health is not as good as it has been in the past. BUT, through it all, they hang in there and are still such a blessing to others. Their neighbors all love them and help them when needed. We got up Friday morning and actually got on the road before they had to leave for a doctor appointment for Jack. It was a wonderful few days that we spent with them. I am so grateful we were able to go.  We traveled home and decided to take the LOWMAN pass instead of going through Banks. IT WAS A MISTAKE!! The hairpins were incredibly sharp and I almost got sick sitting in the front seat!! Never again. lol  But it was a gorgeous drive and such a great time was had. We listened to "INSIGHTS" a book on tape about our Prophet and his life. I was so glad we did as last night we found out he passed.