My Home's in Montana, I Wear a Bandanna....

This summer JD and I went home to Montana for a week. The rest of the fam was supposed to come as well, but unfortunately, things came up and Allen, Cait, Benjamin and Paige were not able to make it. It's getting so hard to get together now that we are scattered all over.


We had a blast which would have only been better if everyone could have been there. We went to the Missoula Osprey game with Grandma and Grandpa Recht and the Recht crew. I kept wanting to pinch myself over and over because it's only been a recent blessing to be able to go somewhere together with both Mom AND Dad. Usually our family has to split up so someone is home with Brooke. I never really saw it as a big deal- just the way things have to be- but the opportunity to do things away from the house together was a huge blessing and a lot of fun.


When we snapped this picture, the lady behind us said "I hope you know you have a big fat woman in the background of your picture!" What do you say to that?


Go Osprey!!


We also got to go to the Big Hole Battlefield. This is where the Nez Percé were massacred by Colonel Gibbon and his men. It's not a happy place, there was a lot of misunderstanding at that time.






Dad and JD listening to our tour guide.


These frames represent where the camp was set up when the attack began.




After the Big Hole, we stopped at Fetty's for buffalo burgers. You gotta go if you are in the area.








If you look at the black and white and compare to this picture, you can see that the only thing that has changed through the years are the cars!


On the way home we came upon this traffic light. In the middle of NOWHERE. No cars, no life of any kind. And we sat. And sat. And sat. I was beginning to think we were on Candid Camera. We literally sat for over a half hour. FINALLY, a little construction vehicle came plodding along. I think the construction workers were bored and decided to play a prank or something. When we drove through the "construction zone" I don't recall seeing anything except for a random cone or two.


We also went to Lunch in the Park in Missoula. Been a while since I've had Thia food. Yum!


Shaved ice!


Yup. This is outside our window. My parents live in paradise
.

"Hey human! Got any flower boxes to munch on?! I'm hungry!"

We had Grandma and Grandpa over for dinner one night and Grandma made homemade corn tortillas with her tortilla press. Best corn tortillas I've ever had!


An evening of golf




Isn't my mom so cute!?!


We then went to Lewis and Clark Caverns. This is the view from the mouth of the caverns.


Isn't my husband so cute!?




Isn't my dad so cute?!?






Can't go home without take out from Noodles Express. Love that ginger sauce! I remember in high school going to the mall with friends. Did I buy new shoes? No. Did I buy a new outfit? No. Makeup? No. A quart of ginger sauce from Noodles Express? Oh yeah!!!


Riding lawn mover races


JD maneuvering backward around the garbage cans.


Yeah, yeah. Dad won but he's had more practice.


I got second place. Ha!

A Tribute to a Special Pet

It's amazing how a pet becomes so much a part of your family that it's a tremendous loss when s/he goes. I don't think I really understood her impact until she was gone. I knew it would be hard- Nina was special.

When JD and I got married we almost immediately started looking for a pet. A nesting instinct? Probably. We both love dogs but our living situation made a dog impossible. I started looking online for a cat that needed to be adopted. Nina's picture online didn't do her justice. I didn't think she was that cute and I did NOT want a long hair cat. But I kept coming back to her. Nina was supposed to be in our home. There was no getting around it. The prompting that I felt was real.


Nina was not an ordinary cat. She thought she was a dog. She licked like a dog, crawled in your lap like a dog, and followed you around the house like a dog. She couldn't stand not being where the action was and sitting quietly on your lap was not enough. She would crawl up to your face, purring like a machine, and lick your nose. She wasn't happy unless she was two inches from your face.

She was also very tolerant. JD used to grab her paws and stand her up and make her dance. She was pretty good at hip hop. When young kids were around, they would grab Nina and Nina would submit to the pokes and prods of young curious fingers. She never tried to get away, even though it wasn't her favorite thing. She didn't want to hurt anyone.

She'd even let us bathe her. There were a few times when she got into things that required a bath and we'd fill the tub up with warm water and she would let us lather her up. She didn't try to get away. She didn't scratch. She knew we were trying to take care of her.

She even taught JD how to do laundry......


She would also communicate to us. She would come wandering in the room (running if she heard the can opener) and start meowing. We talked to her and she would respond back. The exchange went back and forth and we got such a kick out of it.

She also didn't get the hint that we were done petting her. She thought there was no POSSIBLE way that ANYONE could get sick of her. We'd put her down and she'd climb back up. She would do this literally 15 plus times in a row. Seriously!


She determined that new places to curl up were designed just for her. JD got this Redskins chair for a birthday and Nina was the first to enjoy it.

She also sensed sorrow. When I was sad, Nina always crawled onto my lap to give me comfort. She was there when I found out I was going to miscarry, there when JD was out of town and I was really sick, there to bring comfort to JD after his stroke. She knew when she was needed.

She wasn't too thrilled of the idea of a bringing a new addition to the Santini fold, but warmed up to him and was comforted by him during the last few hours of her life.


It is said that Joseph Smith expects that his favorite horse will be with him in the next life. I think I agree. It may seem silly to write a tribute to a cat, but I believe pets have special purposes. They were lovingly created by our Heavenly Father to teach us how to love. They love unconditionally. Everything the Lord created point us to Him. If we look around we can see how the earth and all it holds remind us of the Savior and of God's plan.

"Every animal or plant, in filling the measure of its creation, praises God. We must, by fulfilling our creation, do the same." Anselm Spring

Nina- we miss you and our home isn't the same without you.

My Birthday

JD did such a great job with my birthday this year. He decided to be my "girlfriend for a day." Now THAT'S a man who is secure with his masculinity!
JD waiting for me to get my pedicure.


A little stop for refreshment.




Gotta love hot pink!


We then went to the mall and shopped for clothes. Not only did JD NOT plant himself in the man chair and roll his eyes, but he helped me find things he thought would look good on me and gave me good feedback.


Dinner at TGI Fridays. After dinner we went home and watched 27 Dresses. What a man! I'm so lucky!

DC Trip

At the beginning of June we went to DC to take care of some business, see family, and do a little touring.

Now for a disclaimer. I hate to be such a girl, but my hair this trip was giving me serious trouble. Actually, it wasn't my hair. It was the humidity. I'd leave the house with my hair looking decent and an hour later I was scaring small children. Yikes!


These are the steps in the movie The Exorcist. Never seen it, but it's apparently famous.


So very true.


This is the oldest house in DC.


This is the gun that shot Lincoln.


And this is the box he was in when he was shot.




Here is where he died, but if I remember correctly, the bed is not the actual bed he died in.


The Smithsonian


When we were walking around, we saw this HUGE procession of police. There were several unmarked black vehicles that entered the Environmental Protection Agency building. We are fairly certain it was the president.


Black vehicles entering the building.




All the secret service walking around talking into their wrists. Cool stuff!


Look familiar?


Dorthy's shoes!


The original Kermit puppet




We went to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and saw them printing the new $100 bills. The great thing about DC is everything is free. We didn't go to a single place this trip that cost anything. Great place for a vacation.


Lincoln's top hat


On our way up the Washington monument. I had no idea you could go inside.


The view from the top








JD loved the war exhibits. Cool stuff!


Part of the twin towers that fell.


This is part of the diner where one of the first sit-ins occurred.


Supreme Court


Library of Congress


Absolutely breathtaking!






This was a farmer's market in DC we went to for lunch. I love farmer's markets.


Here we are in Philadelphia inside Independence Hall.


Here is where the Declaration of Independence was signed.




Here is the Senate room


Beautiful






We went to a little restaurant that serves food from George Washington's time period. The waiters dress up in period garb too. We had the most amazing West Indies Pepperpot Soup that Washington served his troops.




Love this print of the first legislative prayer. JD's Substantial Paper was written about legislative prayer.


Benjamin Franklin had a printing press that still prints today.


There was also a great little fire fighter's museum in Philly we visited.




Benjamin Franklin's grave- we decided NOT to pay $2 per person to see the grave when all we had to do is stick our camera through the gate and snap a picture.




The stairs Rocky ran up in Rocky.




Father's Day with the fam.




Dear Presley!






Every football game that the Naval Academy wins against Air Force results in a bronzed football.






Wouldn't you like to have lived in a dorm that looked like this?




This is the church on campus.


At one point this was the US Capital.