Curtesy of a new friend Shauna, Hannah had a fun walking trail she wanted to show us. My parents already knew about it and wasted no time in taking the wind out of her sails, but it was new to me so she still got an excited response. Because of where the house is, there isn’t anywhere to walk nearby so your options are 1) walk the driveway and get a thigh-burning workout on the way up or 2) do continuous laps around the house and see the same trees 500 times. If you want a more pleasant stroll, neither of those options are great so I’m happy to have an actual flat trail. It’s in Bigfork so there’s about a 15 minute drive to get there, but such is the way of life when you live rural. We only walked a little ways along the 2-mile trail when Hannah first showed us, but just me and Hannah went back a few days later and did all 4 miles (there and back) to get the full experience.
My mom, Hannah, and I had some free time after my nanny job interview in Columbia Falls (more on that soon) so we decided to head up to Glacier. It’s only open to Lake McDonald lodge right now, but there are still a few hikes in that area and it’s always fun to look at the lake so it was worth the trip. We went and grabbed sandwiches from a highly rated local sandwich place (that lived up to the hype) and then headed into Glacier. Hannah was the only one who really dressed to go on a legit hike so we started up a trail with the intent to just go a little ways. We ended up going onto a little side trail that led to a pretty river. The water’s still pretty low, but we sat for a minute and got some fun pictures.
I was trying out the camera on my new phone (Stevie) and got this very flattering picture of Hannah.
We continued up the trail a little bit and as it started to go more uphill I decided to sit and enjoy being out in nature. My mom and Hannah wanted to continue up a little higher so we briefly parted way. About 10 minutes into my solitude I heard a rustle in the woods across the trail. I had a brief fear that I was about to get eaten by a grizzly, but it turned out to just be two deer. Hannah and my mom appeared just then and we ended up walking most of the way back down the trail with the deer. I named one Bambi and Hannah named the other Licorice. It was really cool that they stuck with us for about 10 minutes and didn’t seem bothered by our presence. They were definitely still skittish, but we were able to get pretty close to get some pictures.
I even got a selfie showing my joy and their complete indifference.
After our partial hike we went down by the water and just looked out over the lake. It’s so beautiful, even when it isn’t summer.
I ended up down below Hannah and my mom and got a good shot of Hannah trying to break into the little building by the pier.
She retaliated by ruining this gorgeous picture of me.
Then my mom spent the next 10 minutes throwing rocks into the water because they made cool splashing sounds. When the three of us get together I question if we’re really adults or just children in adult bodies.
I started my job at the outdoorsy daycare I was hired at about a month ago called Rain or Shine. It’s been…interesting. And unexpected. I’m working out of a shed with no running water, a/c, or adult sized toilet. There is a wood stove though so we’re able to stay warm on the chilly days. It’s pretty cool because we spend about 4 hours a day outside, which the kids (and I) love. Even on colder days it’s nice to be outside instead of stuffed up in a building. I believe that kids are better behaved when they get the opportunity to be in fresh air and be creative and imaginative so I love being somewhere that teaches and values those same things. There are also animals my boss owns that the kids get to interact with. There are mini goats, chickens, a puppy, and a mini cow that will be here next week. It’s a really fun little place to be, even though I’m working out of a shed and have to pee on a child-sized port-a-potty.
There’s a joke that when Millennials are choosing their new hobbies they choose “old people” hobbies. Things like baking, knitting, gardening, etc. Although I’m still unsure of what hobbies I want to try, Hannah has fully embraced this millennial stereotype. This was her and my mom the other day in the beginning stages of her bird watching hobby. They even broke out the bird feeder and spread bird seed all over the grass, hoping to attract more little birds to watch. So far it’s been mostly robins, turkeys, and woodpeckers but she’s hoping to see a lot more variety over the summer.
It’s been super gorgeous outside every day since I’ve gotten here and I am loving it! Unfortunately that’s supposed to change later this week so my mom and I decided to go on a hike through the woods behind the house. We found a service trail and followed that, since it’s so much easier than trying to walk through all the underbrush. Since the house is on a hill, going back behind the house means going up so my mom and I got some pretty views of the lake through the trees.
Everyone who has grown up in Montana or anywhere similar knows that spring season is also tick season so my mom and I made sure to appropriately protect ourselves. And you never want to forget your bear spray!
Much to our dismay, the geeky socks tucked over our pants didn’t stop us from picking up some very unwelcome hitchhikers. We stripped down on the porch for a tick check and found 8 in total. I have never seen a tick in real life until yesterday and I can say with 100% confidence that I never want to see one again. They’re really ugly and really hard to get off clothes. I don’t know what’s on their legs, but if we could sell it super glue would be out of business. Even after we got all the ticks off we were nervous there were some hiding on us still so we both took showers and washed our hair. We didn’t find any more after that so I think we got them all. Their sad little carcases are still on the front porch table where we squished them as a warning to all other ticks. I feel like I’ve passed some Montana initiation now that I’ve survived a tick infestation!
It’s finally happening! I’ve been waiting for the last few months to move up to Montana to start my exciting adventure of house sitting my parents’ house with Hannah while they are on their mission in El Centro. Like the opportunist I am, I thought how fun it would be to live in my parents’ house while they’re gone so I made it happen. I didn’t want to live here by myself so I dragged Hannah along. We decided it’ll be a year-long party/mental health rehab center so I’m hoping to have lots to write about! My grandma said she enjoyed reading my blog when I would write back in November and I figured it would be fun to record all things Montana for her and future me (and anyone else who ends up reading this). In my first post about Montana though we have to start back in Utah.
I decided to finish up work on the 22nd and move on the 26th. I didn’t think through the ramifications of packing everything I own in 3 days and now know that only crazy people do that. Hannah gave herself 2 weeks to get everything settled and that was probably a better options. It actually would’ve worked to pack up all my stuff in only 3 days if it wasn’t for the couch. The stupid 2nd hand couch I had absolutely no attachment to. It’s kind of a long explanation, but it’s not a very exciting story so I’ll sum it up quick. I thought I was going to get the couch down to the Villa for Zack and his friends to use, but the truck Zack was supposed to get to help me move the couch fell through. So there I was at 10:30pm on Sunday night, trying to figure out how I would get the couch down to the Villa while also getting everything else done I needed to on my last day in Utah. My stress and anger levels start to go up quick drastically after 9:30pm so I was definitely fired up at this point. I took a pause from packing to sit down on the stupid couch and pray for a miracle. Now I do believe in a God of miracles, but still struggle to have faith for a miracle to happen for me. What if I pray for a miracle and it doesn’t happen? What do I do then? Will that affect my faith, weakening it because I believed I would get a miracle but didn’t? Despite all those doubts in my mind, I decided to be straight up and tell God I need a miracle but am nervous I don’t have enough faith. I ended up having to put the couch out on the street on Monday evening with a “free” sign, but all day I knew that whatever happened was what God wanted to happen and took the lack of stress as my miracle. I didn’t know how small I was thinking until I headed off to Montana Tuesday morning.
I started out for my parents’ house around 3:15am, as I always do, and had only made it about half an hour when I hit wet pavement and hydroplaned at almost 80mph. I spun a full 360, sliding across several lanes, before hitting the barrier with the back of my car. I have never been in a car accident before and was in shock. The first thing I did was call my mom. I know that no matter what’s going on my mom will answer her phone and help me stay calm whenever I deal with stressful situations. She, and my dad by extension, stayed on the phone with me for the next hour and a half while I waited for and dealt with the state trooper and tow truck. My car and I eventually made it to the Caliber Collision auto shop and all I had to do then was wait for them to open…3 hours later. My dad had jumped into action while we were on the phone and realized that some family friends, Kurt and Megan, lived only about 15 minutes from the Caliber Collision I was at. I babysat for them growing up and Megan was my Young Woman’s leader while I was a teenager so I know them well. Kurt gets up pretty early so they were able to come get me a little after 6 and I hung out at their house until Caliber Collision opened at 7:30. That gave me some time to visit with them and call State Farm to get everything sorted with my accident. Megan was able to drive me back over, load my stuff into her van, drive me to my rental car, and move all my stuff over to the rental car. She was my angel sent straight from heaven. I was back on my way to Montana by 10:30 and made it a little after 7 that evening. It was a crazy day.
So now that you know the basics let’s get right into the miracles! Miracle #1: I wasn’t hurt at all (besides some slight neck soreness the next day)
Miracle #2: My airbags didn’t go off (which would’ve caused the stuff I put in the front seat to fly everywhere, potentially damaging it and hurting me)
Miracle #3: I hydroplaned right next to the Kaysville exit, which meant I was only 2ish miles from the Caliber Collision and 15 minutes from Kurt and Megan’s house
Miracle #4: Of all the people I know in Utah I was closest to Kurt and Megan. Kurt gets up early so he was able to come get me quickly and Megan only works a couple of hours in the afternoons so she had time in the morning to run me all over town.
Miracle #5: I had full coverage insurance. Now this one might not seem like a miracle because I was the one that chose that coverage, but I honestly didn’t remember what kind of coverage I had so I was worried. Insurance ended up covering my tow fee and the rental car, which would’ve cost me at least $400, and will of course cover everything but my deductible.
Miracle #6: The lady at Caliber Collision made sure not to release my car to State Farm until I had taken my stuff out. Once it was released, State Farm could’ve shown up at any time and she said she’s seen them take away cars with the owners stuff still inside. That would’ve been a nightmare to track down. She didn’t want that to happen to me so she waited until I gave her the go-ahead.
Miracle #7: There was a bit of a mix up at Enterprise which led to me getting a bigger car at an earlier time than what I was told I would get at first. That made it possible to fit all my stuff and get to Montana in good time.
Miracle #8: None of my stuff was damaged. This one was especially crazy to me because my trunk was absolutely packed with stuff and all that happened when I hit the barrier at 50mph was a couple boxes getting some tears. I even had a jar of spaghetti sauce in nothing but a plastic grocery bag in the very right corner of the trunk (which is where the initially impact and most damage was). The jar didn’t even have a single tiny crack.
At first when everything was happening — and the packing and moving became this huge, stressful thing — I questioned if I was making the right decision to come to Montana. But then so many things started going right. It seemed like negative forces were trying to keep me from getting here, but God had my back and through everything He did for me showed me that I’m where I’m supposed to be. I get to live a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience and I can’t wait to see who I’ll be after this year is over!
Today is the last day of November and therefore the last day I will be thankful. Just kidding! I hope doing this for a month will help me continue to be grateful for everything I’m given in life, both big and small, for years to come. I have been blessed so much and I’m so thankful for all of it. It was given to me by Heavenly Parents who want me to experience the beauty of mortal life and use it as an opportunity to learn and grow and become. And it’s possible for me to get through this life because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. So today I am thankful for my heavenly family: my Heavenly Father, my less talked about (but no less important) Heavenly Mother, and my Savior and older brother Jesus Christ.
I don’t know if I mentioned God in all of my posts, but I know I did in quite a few of them. I would be remiss not to have done that. I’m not the best at expressing my gratitude of things to the Ones who gave them to me, so I want this post to be one of the many times I get to say thank you. Thank you for giving me physical things to help my life be comfortable. Thank you for giving me family, both blood and not, so I am not alone. Thank you for allowing me to be born in a family that taught me the gospel and helped me develop my spirituality. Thank you for giving me experiences, both good and bad, that help me learn and grow. Thank you for loving me for me and showing me that eternal, unconditional love everyday.
Today I want to talk about one of my thankful thoughts I think about often. My parents headed back to Montana today and as I was thinking about their visit, I was reminded of everything they have done for me over the course of my life. I literally can’t list everything they’ve done for me, but I want to acknowledge a few of the things that crossed my mind today. Setting up a 529 for me so I didn’t have to pay for college by myself. Selling me my car for cheap so I had a way to get around while in school. Letting me call them several times a week as I walked home from campus so I didn’t feel so lonely. Helping to pay for gas, groceries, and clothes when I go shopping with them. Letting me live with them for 6 months when covid hit. Giving me not just a phone, but also a new laptop. Encouraging me to do things with my life that I want to do. Going with me on vacations (and paying for them). Letting me use their house in Utah to do my laundry. Teaching me about faith and hope and what it means to be a loving, eternal family. I couldn’t’ve asked for better parents. They’ve helped me to become who I am today and have given me a feeling of safety that I carry with me everywhere. I know if anything goes wrong in my life, I can rely on them. They aren’t perfect and neither am I, but I am so thankful for them and so thankful that I have an amazing relationship with them.
Today I had a big scare at work. Little Chelsea loves to stand up in her highchair and give me frequent heart attacks. Even though she does this often, I usually forget to buckle her into the seat when I put her in it. When there are 4 screaming children wanting food my mind is usually on how to get them to stop screaming as quickly as possible, not on making sure they’re all buckled into their highchairs properly. Today that bit me on the butt and Chelsea ended up falling out of her highchair and onto the hard kitchen floor. I saw her starting to try and stand, but was washing dishes so I told her to sit down and was going to finish washing the dish in my hand before going over to buckle her in. As I was going to put the dish on the drying rack, I heard a loud crash and Ezra started to cry. I whipped around and saw Chelsea on the floor with the tray laying next to her. She was stunned and not crying yet, but once she realized what happened she started to freak out. I snatched her up, quickly checked her for injuries, then held and soothed her until she calmed down. It took a couple of minutes for her to stop crying and a few more before she stopped hyperventilating. I don’t think my soul came back to my body until a few hours later. Miraculously, the only injury Chelsea had was a bruise on her forehead where the tray had hit her when it fell. I honestly have no idea how she even caused the tray to pop out (it takes me a lot of effort to get those suckers off the highchairs) or how she wasn’t more injured. I didn’t actually see her fall so I don’t know how she hit the ground and there was no mark to show me. I’m so glad that she is ok, but that’s not my thankful thought for today. Today I’m thankful for those times when something goes wrong, but it goes wrong in the best way possible.
Even though Chelsea stood up in her highchair every day, I continued to forget to buckle her in. If she ever fell, I always imagined her swan-diving off the side and landing on her head, which would’ve resulted in a much more severe injury. Or she could’ve landed on her arm or leg weird and broken them. In all the times I’ve seen her stand, I’ve never seen her lean forward and put any pressure on the tray. I don’t know why she did today, but because she fell forward onto the tray and not off to the side, she was barely hurt. My body goes cold when I think of all the ways she could have been injured. Because I was struggling to remember to buckle my kids in, I think God kept Chelsea safe as I learned my lesson. There are times in my life when God is trying to teach me a lesson or help me learn something and I just don’t get it. In those moments, He sometimes lets “bad” things happen to cement the lesson into my brain. You bet I started to brake sooner in the snow after I almost smashed into a car in front of me. You bet I never again turned an assignment in last minute after I got locked out of the submission page on a paper because the file wouldn’t load. And you bet I will always buckle my babies into their highchairs when I get them food. Mistakes, accidents, and bad things will happen to us. That’s part of life. But I believe God lets them happen to teach us a lesson and then uses them to show us His power and love by protecting us at the same time. I’m thankful He does. There’s a scale of “badness” that we end up on when things go wrong, but I’ve been very blessed to have most of my bad things be on the mild end instead of severe.
