Our continual thoughts and prayers go out to little Dakota F. and his family. I have not been able to stop thinking about them. Please add them to your prayers.

Be strong little guy!

Oh the weather outside is frightful......problem is, we have somewhere to go....stop the snow, stop the snow, stop the snow!

I think my post yesterday should have ended with, "knock on wood".

Nothing like the weather to dampen your Thanksgiving plans......now we're just trying to see if we'll actually be able to get to Montana. I-15 closed, I-84 closed, 180 through Evanston closed (we really wouldn't go through Evanston I'm just trying to be dramatic). Right now our only option is to drive up to Missoula (8 hours) and then over to Roberts (7 hours) and that is with ideal weather conditions, on top of that we can't even leave until 4:00 pm tomorrow.

Not to worry, we are still in a thankful/hopeful mood, even if we don't make it we have a lot to be thankful for.

But I am trying desperately not to freak out. As spread out as we are, our whole entire family only gets together 2-3 times a year. I understand life will go on, but...."ahhhhhh!" seems to sum up my feelings right about now.

Plus if we can't get out of here we were graciously offered a meal with Ken and Mari, which was nice because I had boldly stated to Aust earlier, "If we cant leave we are heading over to Ken and Mari's house invited or not." So needless to say we are grateful for an actual invitation. Nothing like amazing aunts and uncles to save the day.

Snow or no snow, I am so excited to be in Montana for Thanksgiving.

Counting down the days!

I really, Really, REALLY love candy canes!

So you think it'd be super fun and cozy, even dare I say romantic to have a wood burning stove in your bedroom......until you realize you've yet to use it, and the wind whistles like crazy during a storm, which is always when you're super tired but can't sleep, but you really want to be sleeping, if only that noise would stop....

(Let's hear it for run-on sentences)

7:53 p.m.

He's coming home.....empty handed. Better luck next year.

How do the girls handle hunting season?

Austin went hunting last month. I will admit when he leaves is usually when I will do a little shopping. He thinks it's just because he is out of town, but I tell him it is because I am at home by myself and have to find something to do.....

Anyways, he headed to the Greys River in Wyoming to go hunting with my dad, Emma and Jason Bradford and his daughter Maddie.

Conveniently, Whit and Aaron live in Alpine right where the Greys river meets up with the Snake. He left on a Wednesday afternoon and was coming home the following Monday. So, I decided to head there after work on Friday and spend the weekend. It didn't dawn on me until the night before he left I most likely wouldn't see him since they were 50 miles down the river. However, it was a fun weekend with 2 of my sisters since Jordie and Steve needed to come up and get some firewood for the winter.

I did however injure two of the three kiddos. Saturday morning I was chasing Deacon around the house and one of the times he turned to run away from me he turned and ran straight into the corner of the wall. He had a perfect line/bruise right above his eyebrow. It just looked like a vein though and was no big deal. Then on Sunday before I was getting ready to leave I was hiding under a blanket crawling around chasing Deac. Hallie decided she wanted to play with us and I could hear her coming. I turned around quickly to chase her and smacked heads with her hard enough it hurt my head. She had a golf ball sized goose egg on her forehead and wouldn't let me hold her or get close to her for like a half hour. I felt so bad, way to go aunt Shawnee.

Jordie took some pictures of the cute Vickery family.

And even though I was nervous about it I took some pictures for the Sessions. Whit and Aaron had a meeting so Hallie was with us too. She was so good. I would sit her down and tell her she needed to stay there, pop a chocolate chip in her mouth and she never moved. After a while she would just ask for more, "chocack".

The Deacster is definitely hard to photograph though. When he was smiling he wasn't looking at the camera, and most of the time he was just trying to throw rocks in the river.

Sunday morning Emma did drive out to hang out with us and to take a shower. I almost started crying when I saw the truck drive up thinking they had all come to Whit's for the day and that Austin was there. Then I saw that Emma was the only one in the truck and then was really ready to bawl because he wasn't there.

Emmy got to hang out with the kiddos for a little bit.

Meanwhile I headed home that evening without ever seeing my cute hubby.

Side note: I did get pulled over on my way home. I haven't been pulled over since we were dating. I can't believe how nervous I got when the officer was standing there. Before this time I never have been upset until after they give me the ticket and I drive away. However, this time my hands were actually shaking so much I dropped my insurance card. He asked why I was going so fast and I told him my husband was hunting and I wanted to get home before it was too late since I was all by myself. When he came back to the car without a ticket and just told me to slow down I was so grateful I almost started crying. I have actually never driven away with just a warning before.

If only mom and the cute Hanson couple could have been there it would have been the Green family reunion round 2.

Aren't they funny though.....who adds ducks to a family picture. Can't wait to see everybody for Thanksgiving.

5:08 p.m.

Nothing like an unexpected knock on the door and ring of the doorbell to make someone jump out of their skin. And I am not embarrassed to say I hid in the bathroom for a good couple of minutes. As I said earlier I have been in my bathrobe and sweatpants all day and was not presentable in any way shape or form.

I think I've been home by myself long enough. Apparently I am getting way to jumpy. I'm sure watching an episode of Ghost Hunters didn't help. What can I say.....I'm bored.

4:32 Saturday Afternoon

Still haven't heard from Austin. I really hope he got something because the meat would be awesome. However I really wish he was home. I think I'm starting to got a little crazy.....or maybe I've just been so lazy today I don't know what to do with myself. I have been in a bathrobe and sweatpants all day.

One day I hope to be as clever a parent......

"Both of you.....kennel now."

And I remember thinking how awful I thought it was when my dad used to send us on a walk to the top of the field holding hands. It was such a long walk back then.

But a dog kennel, talk about getting-to-know-you time.

It just makes me laugh.

Once again I am home alone. Austin is hunting again....and this time he has promised me he will shoot the first elk he sees and that he'll be home by noon on Saturday. Is his motivation to come home and spend the remainder of the weekend with his totally awesome wife, or to be back in time to watch the high school football playoff game? Let's just say he's coming home for me and that the game is a perk. I'll just keep telling myself that.

However, I plan to be super productive this weekend and tackle the desk I purchased at D.I. months ago.

Wish us both luck.

Happy 49th Birthday do my cute dad!

One day....

One day I want a huge soaker tub......you know the big kind you can lean back and your feet don't touch the front of the tub. I don't even care if it has jets at this point. I just want to be able to take a bubble bath and have the water come to my shoulders. Is that asking too much?