Montana Sky

My grandmother was nothing is not particular and clear about her wishes.  She had told my brother and I countless times, that if she were to pass away in the winter we had to "hold onto her" until the spring, as she didn't want to have to pay extra to have the cemetery dig up frozen ground.  She was a spirited and funny lady.  

To honor her wishes, despite her passing in February, we waited to intern her remains until now.  Most of the family was able to attend the services and it was a nice time to be together with family in a place that was so special in my childhood.

My mom and her brothers, Larry and Moe (yes, my mom was referred to as Curly growing up, and Moe's real name is Anthony).

This is the legacy of my grandparents - 3 children, 7 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great-granddaughter. (2 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren were not able to attend and are not included).  We are by no means a perfect crowd, but I hope that we are crowd that my grandparents can be proud of.

This is the house that my grandfather built with his own hands.  I spent many a summer playing in this yard, eating raspberries off the vine in a garden that is no more and enjoying the simple pleasures of childhood summers.

The water tower was always the best marker for me - standing tall in town.  It's strange to think that it's been over 10 years since I've seen it last and will likely be at least 10 more before I see it again.

Just a little Montana beauty for you on the roadside of the Bison Range.

Every time we came to Montana growing up, we'd go to the Bison Range.  I was so glad to be able to take my own kids this time so they could experience a bit of my childhood.  It certainly helped that we saw lots and lots of bison, deer and even an elk.

Pleasant View Cemetery is where my grandparents rest.  The big sky of Montana covering them.

After a life well lived, this is where grandma wanted to be - home with her Savior and reunited with her husband, the love of her life.

Mom and Scott, chilling on a bench while the rest of us practiced our stone skipping at Flathead Lake.  Flathead is the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi.  We had some pretty successful stone skipping attempts, but I think that Scott won with a stone that skipped 8 times!

Julia was brave enough to put her feet (and later her jean covered bottom) into glacier-feed waters.  It certainly was chilly, but the sun, high in the sky, made it all worth it.  It is my hope that my children are able to hold onto these memories of Montana, and think fondly of this area that holds a special place in my heart.

In true Goodall style, no vacation is complete without an unplanned visit to the hospital.  Right at the end of our trip, Noah ended up with a seriously infected parotid gland (salivary gland) that made half his face swell up and caused him a lot of pain.  Luckily with a lot of antibiotic, he's on the mend.  Some people collect plates, spoons or magnets on vacation - we apparently collect Goodall medical charts at different hospitals.  Here's to this being the worst medical malady our family experiences this summer!