Sundays with Fritz-The Case of the Ice Cream Hog

Mommy and Daddy took me on a little drive yesterday to see how high the Gallatin river was flowing (Mommy says to tell you all that she will show pictures of our adventure on her post tomorrow) and then to go get ice cream! Daddy knew of this neat little shop up in Big Sky, MT that he use to go to when he would be sent up there for work. I have never been there before, well I guess kind of. Last year at almost the same week as this year, when I was still in Mommy's tummy, her an Daddy did the same trip to see how high the water was flowing. I guess they do it every year?

Anyway... So here is my first taste of ice cream. Actually that is a lie. Daddy has given me some before, but sshh... we aren't suppose to tell Mommy 'cause she doesn't know! Daddy had an ice cream that was very tasty. It was huckleberry flavored and had actual huckleberries in it! Mommy had a boring kind - plain vanilla. Yuck! I tried it but it wasn't as good. Luckily I never got a tummy ache like Mommy thought I might. She sometimes does from ice cream and wasn't sure if I would end up pooping my diaper all the way home.

Can you see my purple mouth? I am going to try and convince Mommy to take me back tomorrow to get some more of that yummy stuff. But, hmmm... I think I am suppose to play all day tomorrow?

Fritz signing off....

P.S. If you are ever in Big Sky, stop and get the Huckleberry ice cream, it's the best!

What Happened to Spring?

It seems we have skipped the nice days where the temperature slowly warms up to the the hot days of Summer. All of a sudden it feels like a heat wave, and being in a house with Fritz and a (still) kinked neck, all I can think about is going for a swim or a nice float on a river somewhere.
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I use to float rivers every summer. Loving it so much when I was younger, I had thought often about being a guide on some of the local rivers around Montana. Until one summer where that goal changed. We were floating on a class 4 that was usually only a 2 or 3 (class is for how big the rapids are, 1 through 5 with 5 being the kind that kicks ass) but there was so much run-off still from the spring thaw that the river was much higher and faster than normal. By the time we had gotten to the last rapids it had been an awesome ride and with sadness, the last few minutes of the trip would soon be over. As we approached the final rapids, our guide got our boat too straight and the people in the back all flipped out. Now falling out of the boat is not usually that big of a deal if you pay attention to safety and know some of the first rules of river rafting. But in some cases, when you are dumped out you can have the unfortunate luck of getting stuck under the boat. Which is what happened to me.
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There is much more to the story but I am cutting out all of the middle stuff. Let's just say that the end was tramatic and scary. The people with our group couldn't find me for a long time. Seconds really, but when you are under water it is an eternity. Everything turned out okay and I did get back on the 'horse' the next summer and raft again, but I have never really gotten over it and still have high anxiety whenever I am floating when even the smallest of rapids come my way. That's why I like the river pictured above, the Upper Madison. It is calm and wide and has an unbeatable scenic beauty. We didn't get to float last summer with me being pregnant for half and having a new born for the second half, but I would like to go this summer. We'll see!

My Favorite Two

Father's Day is fast approaching, and it will be the first official one for the Hubs. I already have an idea for a present for him but won't be able to share it with you all until after the day as the Hubs does actually read my blog!
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This picture below is one of my favorite ones of my two boys. Fritz was only six months old and his hair had only begun to sprout. Compared to now he was definitely a bald baby!

Wednesday Craft Update

I was in the mood for painting and had flowers on my mind. No scarves were completed this week and I felt so un-crafty this past weekend, that last night I thought I needed a change of pace. I haven't painted since January when I did seven separate paintings in a weekend so I was feeling a bit of a need to get out the brushes and acrylic paint. In January I painted 5 of the 7 in a flower theme and still had them on the brain last night.
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I finished the painting below (sorry the picture isn't that great, I couldn't figure out how to take a pic without some kind of shine happening) and had gotten the background started on another that I had planned to finish this morning. At about 4 or 5 in the AM I kinked my neck trying to move in bed and I am in quite some pain at the moment. Taking it easy for the rest of the day is all I want to do!

"I Dreamed of Purple" 16 x 20 Acrylic by Robin Allen

Add To The Obsession

I received in the mail a week ago, a flyer stating that the annual "Oops" sale was being held at a local handmade pottery shop that the Hubs and I love. We have been there before and started a collection a couple of years ago, but their pieces can be quite expensive so we only add a few here and there. This was the second year that we have decided to go for the specific sale that they only have once a year. In this sale is either broken pieces or things that they don't want to sell anymore (colors of glaze that they no longer use or a certain pottery pattern). Sometimes you can find really great kitchen pieces for cheap this way, but of course you have to go on a treasure hunt to find the perfect ones. The first picture below are the great pieces that we came away with yesterday. I wanted to buy much more but stopped myself before I got too crazy!

Here are some of the other pieces in our collection. The middle tall jar was from the oops sale last year. The cup and bowls were regular priced items that we purchased a couple of years ago. Not pictured are the other two sets of cups and bowls. They are all different in their design and color. The two not pictured are a red/slate gray set and a red/tan set. Someday we want to complete the set with plates or a full kitchen set (kitchen set-they sell the containers for flour, sugar and misc things like ladles or trivets) but each plate can cost somewhere around 20 to 30 US dollars. The eight piece cup and bowl set was a Christmas present to ourselves from some money that we had received from family, and although two of the pieces were commissioned from our own design, it still cost well over a hundred dollars. How is it that I end up collecting things that are so darn expensive??

Anther piece that we got cheap in an oops sale. The color is my favorite part as it is a very beautiful dark sage earthy green. I have always wanted to put a bunch of bright colored flowers in it, but never have yet! Maybe I will need to cut the pretty yellow tulips that I spotted growing in my back yard.

If we do move this coming fall, I am sure that we will have to put on our recurring calendars to come back every year for the awesome sale!

Two Sides to the Same Storm

On one of our "out and abouts" we thought we might be chancing it a little too much with what the sky was looking like. It was later in the evening, and we still wanted to go for a little walk for the day, so off we went to a little fishing pond that has a nature trail following around the pond and a little farther away. With protection of umbrellas ready to pop out and cover our heads, we walked fast (I ended up jogging for a little bit-haven't done that in years!) to avoid a down pour.
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The pond that we were at is maybe 3 miles from our house and the storm clouds could be seen for many miles more. This was going to be one massive weather night for sure! After our 15 minute quick nature walk, we loaded back up into the car expecting to be pelted with rain by the time we reached home, however, to my not so much delight, the rain did not arrive until a couple hours later as we were drifting off to sleep!

It's funny to me how such an amazing cloud covered sky of darkness can threaten most people to thoughts of sudden doom and cowering inside, but not me. If any of you have noticed a pattern of my blog posting, there is much weather action going on. Yep, if I could be, I would be one of those "storm chasers" driving fast after a tornado to get that perfect shot, or standing in an open field surrounded by lightning with my camera ready to go. I remember as a younger girl my Mother yelling at me quite often to get back inside when the thunder was getting too loud and the lightning too close. Oh, how I would beg to stay outside!

Sundays with Fritz-The Case of "Dandelions Are Tasty!"

Mommy and Daddy (after daddy mowed the lawn of course) took me outside to play in the yard for the first time. They sat me down in the evening sun and it was so nice and warm! I saw these little yellow things sticking up all over and just had to find out what they were all about. Mommy said she didn't care if I picked them, as it would help get rid of them? Why would she want to do that they are so pretty!




But, of course, I had to check these out for myself.



Hmm.... maybe they aren't that great to eat?

Bonus picture for you all! This picture below is actually the first time I ever got to feel grass on my little feet. I was only three weeks old so I didn't really know what was going on, and actually I think I might have been taking a nap when Daddy held me? Yeah, I don't remember!

See you next week!

Fritz.... signing off.

Three's a Crowd?

In honor of Mr. Tig I wanted to share a few of my favorite pictures of my three kitties. I love my kitties very much and can't imagine life without them. They are there when I need them to hug or play with, or just to be and keep me company. Now that we have a son, I don't get to spend as much time with these fur-balls as I would like, and before ***** (aka Fritz) showed up, whenever the Hubs had to go away for work I would have gone completely insane with loneliness if it hadn't been for the cats.
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Alfie likes to sit on this chair first thing in the morning. It's the brightest spot in the house in the AM so she knows she will get some good sun-drugging time. If I don't open up the curtain straight away she lets me know!



Boo and his favorite sleeping chair. If he isn't on our bed this is the only other place he will sleep. Sometimes I catch him on the couch but really only if Melba is there for him to cuddle with.


Melba is one of the sweetest most gentle cats I have ever known. One of her quirky problems? She always looks grumpy!!

"Collection"

I love the colors of the world...

*Photo taken on the Yellowstone River/Glendive, MT

Wednesday Craft Update

I worked on three skinny scarves and completed two! Not sure yet what I will do for next week. I might try and do some painting as I haven't done that for awhile.

Multi-color purple...so pretty!

Flashback to the 70s inspired.

Reminds me of Waffles!

The Difference of Two Pair

I have an addiction.... shoes. It use to be a serious problem when I was working full-time and would have to dress up with cute clothes and stylish shoes, but now? Not so much. Being a mother 24/7 has left me with no calf muscles to speak of from the days of four inch heels and no need for the new purchases of those "it" shoes. The only real comfort for my feet now are the flip flops busted out even in the winter time. Oh well.
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However, when I saw these black satin shoes calling my name a couple of months ago, I couldn't resist. They are Nine West and were an absolute steal! Of course I don't have a need for them much now, but you never know when a night on the town with out the kid could happen, right?

The more practical side of me was in desperate need of a decent pair of walking shoes. With the glorious weather happening now everyday, my Croc flippers were not cutting it anymore. Last night the Hubs and Fritz and I went off to a sports store to check out if there would be anything worth buying. I haven't had a decent pair of tennis shoes since high school, so with plans to walk a ton this summer I knew it was time to buy. And just like that, and at the first store, I found them. The best part? They were $25 bucks off the price!!!

Yes, my feet are thanking me...

The Color of Green

It's here! Spring can be seen everywhere! The Hubs had to stay in town today for some appointments, so Fritz and I decided to take advantage of an extra day with him home and go for another nature walk. We took the trail that we found a week ago, and man what a difference! Not all of the trees had their leaves yet, but most did.
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It was such a perfect few hours. The day was quite warm, the sun blaring brightly and the sweet song of birds and rustling leaves in a breeze could be heard without the noise of town. I feel so lucky to live in such a beautiful place where nature is so close to us. We could be in the mountains within ten minutes and ten minutes to this new found lovely trail. There are more awesome trails around here for hiking or leisurely walks, and I plan to have us together as a family for a few more in the coming months before we move (still planning to) to the Eastern part of Montana. Eastern Montana is not as pretty but is in its own way. With vast plains of rolling hills or flat lands, Eastern Montana has a different beauty from the mountain ranges that we are use to being closer to the Rockies. It will be different to look out a window and not see peaks peeking back at me. But I truly believe that no matter where you live, if you just look closely, anything can have a sparkle of delight.
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Here are a few pics from the beautiful day we had.

Pretty leaves.

Spotting a wildflower.

Late evening thunderstorm.


After the storm sunset.

Sundays with Fritz-The Case of "Help I'm Stuck!"

Sorry I wasn't around for an awesome post last Sunday. I was with Grandmee and Grandpee all weekend long playing my little heart out! I love going over there, 'cause they spoil me rotten! Anyway....

Yep, I'm stuck. I was standing up trying to play with all of the "NO!" items on top of the desk, when Mommy got out my food chair. I get so excited when I see my food chair coming that I can hardly contain myself! I sat down to crawl over to Mommy, but um... yeah. I guess I ran out of room to get into my crawl position? I tried and tried, but couldn't seem to figure out how to get to Mommy and the food. She was even laughing at me!! And then of course she had to get out her silly camera. Why is it when she is laughing at me she is usually also taking a picture of me? Oh well. The day was saved when Mommy finally came and got me.


That's all folks! See ya next week!

Fritz signing off...

Simple & Nice

It was such a lovely evening last night that I didn't want to spend too much time making a grand dinner. The Hubs and I both love caesar salad so we thought that would be a nice treat to eat! I made some olive oil and garlic crostinis and busted out a nice Gewurztraminer to tone down the spicier caeser dressing that we had. I really wanted to complement this dinner with this organic Chardonnay (Bonterra) that I am currently in love with, but didn't have a bottle on hand. The "gavurtz" is more suited for spicier foods (think curry) but it did nicely enough.

And tonight we are going simple again. Barbecue and beer. Tasty!!!

Cats & Dogs-And Other Rain Stories

Last night we were pelted with rain. Slow, soft rain at first, then the hard, fast rain began. It was coming down so fast and furious we didn't know if we would be washed away! It was a pleasing sound however and especially with the knowing that in the morning with the twinkling waking sun, the grass would glow from its new potent mix of life.

Alfie the cat hiding under a drying umbrella.

With the pelting rain I was remembering a camping trip a couple of years ago that we took with some friends to my favorite mountains the Absarokas. With the couple living in a separate town from us, we decided to meet up in the small town before the road to the campsites. Of course things never work on a perfect clock and we didn't get to meet up with them until almost ten at night. By the time we made it to an open meadow campsite, it was a complete downpour. We knew that it would be way too late to travel any further to the campsite that we wanted to stay in, so we picked the quickest spot to set up fast, fall asleep, and break camp in the morning to continue our adventure. When we left the town for our travels it was a steady rain, but by the time that we started to get out the tents and camping gear it was a full on waterfall of rain pelting on our heads. Within three or so minutes we were completely soaked through. We got the tent set up and some tarps for added protection around, but by bedtime the coldness from the late evening and cold rain wouldn't let us catch much zzzzz's.

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The next morning we got ready to go further in to the mountain to the place where we wanted to stay (Maria... do you remember Hicks park right before the meadow to take us to camp?). When we got there the rain clouds started to appear again. "Oh no!" we were all thinking at the same time. "Not a repeat of last night!" So out came the tarps again and we built rain and wind shields in case of flash flood of down poring rain. But luckily for us, the rest of our two days we had beautiful weather!

Catching Up Over Pitchers Of Beer

When I was home for the past weekend I saw an old dear friend of mine. We hadn't seen each other in a couple of years and had lost contact. It was exciting to be reacquainted with somebody whom was a good friend over my high school years. She was down for the day to go to the garage sales that we were putting on. She came to ours and luckily I was at it and not taking care of Fritz at the house! If I had been with Fritz instead of the Hubs I wouldn't have seen her!
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We chatted for a few minutes before she left to go to a few more sales. A few hours later she sent me a message that said her husband was coming into town from the city that they live in and would we (the Hubs and me) like to go out for a drink and catch up some more? Since Fritz was born my husband and I have only been alone together for a total of maybe 4 hours. So an evening out would be awesome! Fritz went to bed, my parents stayed home with him, and off we went! I had never met the husband of my friend so it was nice to meet him (luckily the Hubs and her husband hit it off tremendously! The Hubs was nervous that he might be a "dud" and would be bored out of his mind.).
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Over pitchers of an awesome beer (I had four glasses plus another kind of beer, and two liquor drinks-surprisingly I never got drunk!) we reconnected with tales of the past and plenty of laughter having a wonderful time. Promises for more get-togethers in the future, it was a fun filled night that we won't forget!

P.S. This is a sad little picture that I took last night. I had a very artsy pic from our empty pitchers and glasses from our outing, but once again, I am a gimp and accidentally deleted all of my wonderful pictures over the past weekend.

Wednesday Craft Update

With Fritz and his little helper hands, the aqua blue scarf is finished! I counted all that are done and boxed up and I now have 28 completed scarves. Definitely on my way to the 50 I wanted to have done for the festival in September. I haven't started on a new one yet, but should be today.

When I was in my hometown last weekend, my Mother and I took Fritz on a walk around the town. We stopped at store that is dedicated to the crafters in the town. They sell all their homemade goodies and it was truly beautiful! I had taken some pictures of the beautiful display of bolts of gorgeous fabric, but alas... I accidentally erased all of my pictures from the weekend at home! I was so sad as I had some really cute ones of Fritz and a picture intended for the post tomorrow. I will have to find a replacement to explain the post!
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When we were at the craft store, I saw a clearance bin for some fat quarters of fabric. They were so cheap I couldn't pass them up. I have been wanting to make another quilt for a long time but do not have all of the necessary tools (sewing machine still broken!) but I thought it was too good of a deal to pass up. So I will store these finds until I can start on the quilt sometime in the future!

Tea for Two and Pretty Rocks for One

The weekend spent at my hometown was long, tiring, and good! The garage sale was a success and when I went out to look at some of the other places that were selling there treasures, I discovered these lovely tea cups. I have always been in love with these delicate services and wish that we would still take tea in them nowadays! I have passed by them in antique shops and seem them at other sales but since I already have a ton of different kinds of collections, I have passed on purchasing them. But when I saw these two I gave in!!
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When I showed my father my awesome find, he informed me that my late Grandmother Mary use to collect tea cups and saucers as well. He told me that he thinks he has her collection somewhere in storage and that I could have them when I have more room to make a formal display out of them.
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Also my other late Grandmother Dorothy, had beautiful tea cups as well. My Grandfather still has them so I can still peer at them behind the protective glass cabinet and appreciate the interesting beauty that all of her collection has.


My first official Mother's Day was very special! Fritz (well, his Daddy) made me a cute little hand-made card and bought me some turquoise jewelry. I got a lovely necklace of the beautiful green stone mixed in with a different kind of stone that I have to drag out my geology books to figure out what kind it is. I also got turquoise earrings and a pretty pair of lace-agate and sterling silver earrings. The turquoise set matches perfectly the bracelet that I had bought at one of the sales. Now I have a matching set! Of course I will not be able to wear the necklace for awhile yet...Fritz and his little fingers are still a little too grabby for my liking, but the earrings are small enough that I can wear them anytime now!
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Thanks to Fritz and his Daddy for making a lovely day for my first Mother's Day! Love you two!

On My Way Home

I am on my way home to my hometown later today. It is only 104 miles away from where I currently live, but I don't go too often. Tomorrow is the town-wide garage sale and my parents are participating, so they asked the Hubs, Fritz and me to come and help. Plus, it is Mother's Day on Sunday (my first official one!).
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On the road home, I pass by some beautiful mountains. The Crazy Mountains still have tons of snow and when the sun sets over the top of them, it is something truly magical and beautiful.

Closer to home it is wide open spaces and blowing grasslands in the breeze. Completely open. But in this vast openness is a peaceful sigh in solitude.

Here is the tiny town. I think the population still hovers around 1,000 people. It use to be quite a bit larger when the railroad was still in operation, but after its closure in 1981 the town has drastically depleted. The surprising part of coming upon this town is when you reach the last hill before its entrance you can't see anything, but one second later 'POP' there it is. There is even a wind farm about ten miles north/east, and when you drive over the hill you can see these monster wind machines turning with the wind that is pretty much an every day occurrence. I don't miss the wind!!

My Hubs and His 3 Pictures

The Hubs is not much of a photog, rarely ever picking up a camera and when he does? He is the type of photographer that cuts peoples heads off! He did however capture three images which I absolutely fell in love with. The first one is my all time favorite. It is maybe a half hour from our house (near Palisade Falls/Hyalite Lake Canyon) and I can't wait to go back there this summer!


These next two are over in The Breaks in Eastern Montana. He goes there for a couple of days each year to look for antler sheds and to hang out with the "guys". Eastern Montana has a completely different look from where we live closer to the Rockies. It still has its beauty though!



There are Elk in the background of this photo. I am positive that when the Hubs went to take this pic he was jumping with excitement. He usually cannot contain himself when he sees these huge, glorious animals. (you might have to click on the image to make it bigger to see them)

Wednesday Craft Update

I am almost done with another scarf! It is such a gorgeous color. I am falling in love with this aqua blue... I even have a hooded sweatshirt in this color, I couldn't resist! The scarf is a double stitch with popcorn stitches mixed in between. I made it so the popcorn is shown on both sides so no matter how it is worn, you can see them! The popcorn stitches are somewhat visible in the picture. Hope you all can see them!

I already picked out the colors for the next one. Fritz decided to help me reorganize my cupboard that has all of my yarn supplies in (um... ok, he really pulled everything out!) and I found the leftover purple that is maybe enough for one row. I thought "what the heck can I do with this?". I have a couple of the grey still floating around and only one of the dark green. Now I just need to figure out what kind of pattern, stitch I am going to do.

A Path Found

On Sunday, the Hubs and I decided to take Fritz on a little walk somewhere that we had not been before. We headed off to a different neighborhood about 10 minutes from our house, parked the car and thought we were just going to be walking around houses on the sidewalk. As we started I noticed a little path leading behind a house. In front of the path was a sign stating that it was an actual path for people to enjoy not just a private one. I was so excited for this. We followed the sometimes muddy trail for about twenty-five minutes and wanted to go more, but we had errands to run and it was getting cold/late. I am sure that we will be back many more times to discover more of our new discovery!
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Pictures along the way... hopefully in the coming weeks when we return there will be green to be seen!

Pretty little birdie.

One of my favorite kinds of tree.

View of the Bridger Mountains.

Sundays with Fritz-The Case of The Backseat Driver

How's it going everybody?
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I had a fun weekend with the folks, that's what's going on here. Mommy and Daddy loaded me in the car for a quick drive over to a couple of different towns. They have told me that they are considering moving closer to where Daddy works. He's suppose to stop working there soon, but would get a better paying job if we move and live there. So I guess they wanted to check out a town outside of the bigger one to see if Mommy liked it enough to buy a house there. She said "Yuck, this town is ugly!" So it looks like they would be going for the bigger town, but I don't really care as long as there is a big yard for me to play in. I can't really play in any yard yet, but I am getting closer to walking by myself so next year, grass here I come!
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Then today Mommy and Daddy took me on a little adventure. They loaded up my bigger stroller and drove over to a neat part of the town we live in. There was this dirt trail that followed a little creek and the path was mostly surrounded by trees. It looked kinda ugly and dirty, but Mommy assured me that as soon as everything turned green we would come back lots to enjoy it! So when it is prettier, I'll post some pics for y'all.
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Fritz signing off...

P.S. That's me up there in that picture. Daddy wanted me to stretch my legs so he let me stand on the car. There was this really fun thingy-ma-jig that let me hang onto it. Daddy said something about there being bugs (?) on it? Hmmm... how do I get those in my mouth?

Welcome Baby Chase!

My good friend Monica finally was able to get rid of her baby belly to the real thing! Baby Chase was born this morning weighing in at 8.5 lbs and 20.5 inches long! He is a sweetheart! So tiny too!
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As I was holding him for the first time, I kept thinking back to the first moments when I held my son ***** (a.k.a. Fritz). Was Fritz as tiny as this newborn? In fact they are almost identical to their birth measurements which is driving me crazy to think that my son was yes, this teeny-tiny long ago. Oh, how I miss those days already! Fritz is still small to me, but after comparing the two boys, now he seems unbelievably huge. Although Fritz is only 10 months older and still a baby, I can't wait to go back to the hospital tomorrow to hold baby Chase again and feel that smallness in my arms.
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Welcome to the world Chase!