Happy in Montana: June snapshots

We spent Tessa's birthday in Ronan
and enjoyed these mountains at lunch time!

beautiful creation x 2

Tessa was very clear in the weeks leading up to her birthday that the ONLY thing she really wanted was a cat. She drew pictures of cats, and described in great detail exactly what she wanted. "Mom, I don't just want a cat-- I really want a kitten. And not just a plain black kitten, a grey kitten...." The descriptions went on. She wrote a note that spent weeks on the refidgerator: "All I want is a cat".

We planned to get a barn cat to be a mouser, but that would (logically) happen after we built the barn. I kept telling her, "Sweetie, we will get a cat, after we build a barn!" Still, she persisted. Finally, as her birthday neared and we still hadn't built the barn, I repeated that a cat was in the plans after the barn. She slumped her shoulders and said, "Ok mommy, I will start saving for a barn."....

...my heart melted...

The day after Tessa's birthday, (*thanks to my friend Heather!!) we found a litter of free kittens!

we got 1st pick from this litter of 5

...we came home with 2 kittens...

I mean, my heart was still melted at that point,

and it didn't seem fair to take one kitty from it's mama

and bring it home without a sibling to play with!

I must say, these kittens have been the joy and delight of our home

for the past 2 months! They are sooooo cute, sweet, playful, and fun!

Ella giving a presentation on Niagra Falls
at our homeschool group day.
That day, we had 14 kids in the house!

June also meant it was time to replace the carpet that had flooded in March....
...so while we were at it, we decided to also replace the living room carpet that no longer ever looked clean, and the kitchen tile that was only looking worse with time...

photos to remember how I will NOT miss the 3/16" to 3/4" variations in the grout

and all the cracks and gouges..
that tile floor was off-white (showed everything)
hard to clean (everything got caught in the grout)
and broke anything that fell on it (which is a lot around here)

the night before the contractor came, the kids got to do some demolition!

then the contractor dug in with big tools!

the kitchen was in upheaval for several days...

...so we (and the dishwasher and the carpet) camped out in the dining room

Jaci was diagnosed with cavities...
...recommended to have 8 fillings and 2 root canals....
....and we learned about oil pulling!
Where have I been?!?!?
I'd never heard of such a powerful alternative therapy!
Two nights after I took this photo,
that black speck fell out! So far so good!

Jaci "do it yourself" Claire
wanted to help decorate her own cake!

wasn't sure how it would turn out, the way she asked for
sky and butterflies with grass and horses!
(but it was yummy anyhow!)

table all set for a birthday dinner!

I LOVE the way my kids are happy to see toys that had been "archived"
Each birthday, they shop for each other in our storage area,
and choose toys that they haven't seen in a while...

Two grammas, at a Gramma's house...
...what a way to celebrate!!!
Happy 6th Birthday, beautiful!

and another cupcake 'n' ice cream party
with our favorite Montana cousins!

when the tile was demolished, we lived with the original white vinyl floor for about 10 days until the wood could be installed. It was in remarkable shape, considering it had been under tile for several years!