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June is almost over!
Jun. 26th, 2013 09:16 amI have to get my boys off to a scout encampment this morning, but after that, everything I have left this month is short term. Which is a relief, since it's been a busy month!! We had my sister and her family visit, we went to Nampa (a 5-hour drive across the state) to a nephew's baptism, we had friends from Nigeria visit, we did a 3-day pioneer trek reenactment (complete with pushing all our stuff on handcarts for 18 miles), I spent one day at my agency's annual retreat, we drove the Beartooth Highway, we went to Yellowstone, and now I am TIRED. But it was fun! Here are some pictures from yesterday's trip up to Big Sky, Montana (agency retreat). At Last Chance in Island Park, ID:
Henry's Fork River in Island Park:
Near Hebgen Lake in Montana:
You drive through part of Yellowstone on the way:
The road up to the resort from the town of Big Sky. What you have to understand about Montana is that as soon as you cross the border, the speed limit jacks up to 70 mph. Even if you're on windy mountain roads. The very next sign is a huge one saying that white crosses on the roadside indicate highway fatalities. Add in tourists who have never driven in mountains, plus a bit of alcohol from the resorts, and you find that this road is absolutely COVERED in white crosses. It's really not that bad of a road as far as mountain roads go. You just have to realize that it's a speed limit, not a speed recommendation.
The view from my hotel window. This is Lone Peak. You can go to the top in a cable car (I didn't).
It was fun to meet people from my agency who I had formerly only know on line. Quite a few of them were also from Verla's, which was nice. And of course it was good to see my agent again, and get to know some of my "agent sisters." I didn't really get any good pictures of people because it was evening and we were outside, so the light wasn't good.
Oh yeah, and we got a job in North Dakota as well. Which is a good thing, since some of the three-year faculty my husband was hired with still haven't found a job for fall. :( The one thing we still haven't been able to find is a place to live, which is very frustrating--apparently there is a huge housing shortage statewide in ND, and rental housing is even worse. Either people rent an apartment or they buy a house, and since we have a one-year contract, we can't really buy a house. But we have FIVE KIDS. A 2-bedroom apartment with a laundry facility somewhere in the basement simply. Won't. Work. We've seen a few three bedroom ones that might be large enough, but they are in the drug bust area of town. How bad do you think it would be to have our kids sleep in sleeping bags for a year? Because some of the other ones in better parts of town don't have bedrooms big enough to fit three beds. I'm really hoping that come July 1, a bunch of people give notice and we find something good, because I know it's only for a year, but at 30 below, we'll be spending most of that year inside. Also, we currently live in a 5-bedroom, 2200 sf house that is actually a place a person might WANT to live, and it's hard to consider going back to a crumbing apartment where nothing works and the owners never fix anything.
Off to get my boys ready to leave, and then I'm either going to do some packing or read through the revisions I made a month ago. I hope your summers are all going well!
Henry's Fork River in Island Park:
Near Hebgen Lake in Montana:
You drive through part of Yellowstone on the way:
The road up to the resort from the town of Big Sky. What you have to understand about Montana is that as soon as you cross the border, the speed limit jacks up to 70 mph. Even if you're on windy mountain roads. The very next sign is a huge one saying that white crosses on the roadside indicate highway fatalities. Add in tourists who have never driven in mountains, plus a bit of alcohol from the resorts, and you find that this road is absolutely COVERED in white crosses. It's really not that bad of a road as far as mountain roads go. You just have to realize that it's a speed limit, not a speed recommendation.
The view from my hotel window. This is Lone Peak. You can go to the top in a cable car (I didn't).
It was fun to meet people from my agency who I had formerly only know on line. Quite a few of them were also from Verla's, which was nice. And of course it was good to see my agent again, and get to know some of my "agent sisters." I didn't really get any good pictures of people because it was evening and we were outside, so the light wasn't good.
Oh yeah, and we got a job in North Dakota as well. Which is a good thing, since some of the three-year faculty my husband was hired with still haven't found a job for fall. :( The one thing we still haven't been able to find is a place to live, which is very frustrating--apparently there is a huge housing shortage statewide in ND, and rental housing is even worse. Either people rent an apartment or they buy a house, and since we have a one-year contract, we can't really buy a house. But we have FIVE KIDS. A 2-bedroom apartment with a laundry facility somewhere in the basement simply. Won't. Work. We've seen a few three bedroom ones that might be large enough, but they are in the drug bust area of town. How bad do you think it would be to have our kids sleep in sleeping bags for a year? Because some of the other ones in better parts of town don't have bedrooms big enough to fit three beds. I'm really hoping that come July 1, a bunch of people give notice and we find something good, because I know it's only for a year, but at 30 below, we'll be spending most of that year inside. Also, we currently live in a 5-bedroom, 2200 sf house that is actually a place a person might WANT to live, and it's hard to consider going back to a crumbing apartment where nothing works and the owners never fix anything.
Off to get my boys ready to leave, and then I'm either going to do some packing or read through the revisions I made a month ago. I hope your summers are all going well!
