Montana

Isa is "so big!"

Annalynn eyeing the crepes + fillings...yum!

This weekend I took the train to Lakeside, Mt...the lake being flathead lake. On our trip across the country we stopped there in September to visit and the guys swam across the lake. It was so fun to go back for a visit and spend some QT with Jen, Johan, Annalynn and Isa. Riding the train in the US was a first for me...the last train I've taken was an overnight from Barcelona to Cadiz, Spain. I remember hiding my passport and money on me and under the covers in my sleeper car, haunted by stories of theft. This experience wasn't quite so dramatic. I boarded at 4:30ish in Seattle and arrived in Whitefish around 7:30am the next day. It was a pretty long trip, was in and out of consciousness listening to music, daydreaming, reading...just relaxing, which I realized I hadn't done in awhile. The kind of relaxing where you mind isn't prioritizing or rushing you onto a new subject or task, but the point where your thought flows from one thing to the next in seemingly random and casaul way. It was quite a peaceful ride...besides the woman with the obnoxious laugh and loud voice a few rows back. I know she couldn't help it...I've been told I have a loud laugh and voice as well.

It was good to spend time with Jen, yes, reminiscing about high school a bit...that was mostly Johan asking questions about what Jen was like then. :) We also talked about food...what girls don't talk about food when they get together? I think Rachel and I talked about food/new recipes/etc almost half way around the lake the other day! We are both trying to be careful about the fake stuff...sweeteners, colors, flavors and try to stick to making our own simple meals from scratch. Friday morning when we got to their house she had already made whole wheat cinnamon rolls and scrumptious brownnies with...spinach and carrot puree in them - remember she has little ones who need their veggies (I still enjoyed them with a side of ice cream)! and yes, Johan made me delicious white chocolate mochas! mmmm

Jen had mentioned they received Settlers of Catan for Christmas so Saturday night I taught them how to play and we continued to play 5 more games before I left the following evening...yikes! It is such a fun game though. I'm sure by the time we all reunite and play again they'll have the skill and strategy to beat me...however, that was not the case this time!

The girls are so stinkin' adorable. Isa steals my heart whenever I see her. I can't get enough of her big blue eyes and smile. She likes to jump and even though we couldn't get her to crawl she stood on her own for a split second before falling into Jen's arms. Annalynn had been sick and so she wasn't fully recovered during my visit, but she still helped me make some crepes for dinner and took her bike out with jen and I for a walk around the base.

Friends are fabulous...especially the old ones!