Road Trip to the 406!
(406 is Montana's area code)
We got to Helena about 20 minutes before Caitlyn landed. First stop, Helena airport to get Caitlyn! We watched her plane land, and she waved to us from the tarmac! We went inside to greet her.....Livy was beyond excited!!!! We got to go to Montana, and see Caitlyn. Doesn't get any better than that!
Next up, pick up the cousins from preschool.
Picking up Dex from school. High fives all around!
Braden and Caitlyn went out on the front porch and cheered Mike as he came home from work. Here is Mike telling us that may have been a little overboard!
We were officially all together! Dean's brother Scott said that's how he pictures it is going to be in Heaven waiting for all the family members to arrive.
Grandpa draws pictures for the kids to color. Keeps them all entertained for as long as he is willing to draw!
Hiking Francis Hill.
Don't know what it's really called, but we know it as Francis Hill. Amanda bribes the twins with Cheetos at the top, so they are totally game to hike it as often as we want.
Each time we hike it, we have to build another cairn. There is getting to be quite the collection of Francis cairns up at the top!
Nora and Livy played non-stop together! These cousins love cousin time!!!
Braden and Caitlyn also played together.....
Braden insisted on trying to find out why doing "underdogs" didn't work like it used to.
He did practice, and by the end of the trip, was able to do it without doing a face plant!
Caitlyn showing Braden how it is done...let's just say this one wasn't much better than Braden's attempt.
Reeder's Alley. Really cute little street in Helena.
The Cathedral of Saint Helena. What an amazing building!
We loved that this saint had a total new hairdo thanks to some birds. Made us chuckle!
Yes, there were a few home improvement projects. Tearing out the old boiler. They got a whopping $22.50 for the scrap metal.
Tore down the back porch, made a cool bonfire (several nights) with the wood.
Nora was told she had to get shoes on to go outside.
Look closely, two right shoes, and two very different styles!
Love that girl!
Slumber party!
Jazz game,
....and chick flicks!
There were lots of hugs this weekend!
Mike put up the hand rail on the front porch. It looks amazing!
2016
My only complaint about the handrail is that it made it impossible to duplicate last year's picture.
2017
Don't quite understand this picture, but when the girls suggest I take a picture of them, I'm not going to pass that up!
The adults hiked to the top of Mount Helena, except Hanna, she volunteered to stay home and watch all the kids. Straight up the Powerline Trail.
The views at the top were awesome!
The figuring out the selfie stick....not so awesome!
(but very entertaining!)
There is a Grandpa Deaner under there!
Yay, we all get to pick our tattoos!
Caitlyn thinks of everything!
These two....
Loved when the kids would come in during the night and snuggle us!
The Caroll College campus has this brick living room set. Braden was upset because the ottoman was too far away!
The old fire tower, called Guardian of the Gulch.
Built in 1876 after a fire destroyed the downtown area. It is only one of the five of this kind left standing in the United States.
Lake Hauser
They could skip rocks forever!
....and then the wind came!
The fort Mike build in the corner, doubles as a store.
The kids were charging Grandpa Deaner $100 for his pretend Dr. Peppers.
