Recent Moments iLoved {July Edition}

July was just a great month.  We spent time in our favorite places, worked a little less, and played a little more.  July is also a pretty hard month, as we mark another year without our beloved dad and papa.  But August has now arrived and our lives have taken a trip to crazy town.  That is mostly due to an unexpected move, already planned vacations, and now some car shopping that we weren't expecting to happen for a bit longer.  We will make it through!  But until we do, here's the rest of July for your viewing pleasure.

We had lots of fun playing in Billings, Bear Lake, and Island Park with our favorite family and friends.  We loved our time spent watching fireworks in Island Park at the beginning of the month, and then in the middle of the month this mama thought she would be crazy and drive 9 hours alone with two kids to the lovely shores of Bear Lake.  In the end it was worth the drive, even with poor Eliza suffering through her fifth ear infection since January.  Poor girl can't catch a break, I tell you.  Doctor is suggesting tubes and 99% of people polled (thanks, Facebook) give rave reviews, but now that we are switching insurance, getting new jobs, and moving in two and a half weeks; that issue is on the back burner for a while.  We shall see what happens.

As I look at these pictures and think about how our time in Billings is so quickly coming to a close, I feel so grateful.  While I haven't always been 100% positive about this place, I can see the ways our family has grown and been blessed by living here.  The most obvious way being the literal growth of my children.  To think Eliza was only 7.5 months old when we came here, and to look at what she is doing and saying now is just amazing.  Not to mention Stella and the beautiful, mature, pen-pal writing girl she has become.  From first dance classes, to potty-training, to learning how to walk and talk; they have certainly thrived during their time in Billings.

There is no doubt that my heart has also grown during our time here.  From the new friends we have met to the old friends we were blessed to spend a little extra time with, the people we associated with in Billings have made a lasting impression in our lives.  We have made life-long friends (both young and old) who we will miss dearly.  I will miss living only a few doors down from one of our favorite families.  It has been such a blessing to have some of our girl's favorite playmates, one of Ryan's favorite fishing buddies, and one of my closest friends just a one minute walk away.  In the short year we have been here there have been countless cups of sugar borrowed (that was mostly me), impromptu dinners while the daddy's worked late, and last-minute babysitting swaps.  I truly believe that our time in Billings would not have been as sweet if we hadn't been lucky enough to live by the Low family.

Those dear friends are not the only ones that will be hard to leave.  My girl's are going to have a very hard time understanding where their beloved Kaylee, Jaren, and Kiera have gone. I am pretty sure they think those sweet kids are their cousins or something. The Bakers have carved out a special place in our hearts, and we are going to do all we can to recruit them to Twin Falls and Idaho living.  I have no doubt we will stay in touch as Chantel and I can already maintain a 45 minute phone conversation and we still live only five minutes apart.  We will also be going our separate ways from our dear friends the Wegeners.  We never thought in a million years we would have the opportunity to live so close to one another or have our husbands work together, but it has been the best experience.  We are so excited for them as they move on to their next adventure in Logan, but we will sure miss our daily/weekly outings, dinners, and play dates.  Lucky for us we have lots of excuses to make it to Logan, and Stella feels much better knowing Trey will be living so close to her Nana.

And there are so many more wonderful people that we will miss, the list could truly go on forever. If you are ever looking for some of the best people this world has to offer, look no further than Billings, Montana.

I also feel like Billings has allowed me the space and the time to grow more fully into my role as a mother.  More than ever before we have structure to our days and a rhythm to our madness.  Time spent in our backyard (did I mention Stella's trampoline dreams have come true thanks to scoring a free mini-trampoline from a family in ward who was moving?  Score one for this mama!), time spent exploring 

the local parks and the library, and some "me time" spent pushing myself at the gym and at a new job have helped shape me into a better version of myself and a more deliberate mother.  I always thought living somewhere new for only a year would practically be the worst thing ever.  I felt there wouldn't be time to establish friendships, routines, or just feel settled.  Living in Billings has certainly taught me otherwise.  I have learned that a year can bring a great many things that can change your life for the better.