Big Sky Country

We're only a few days into our two-week tour of the West. Sam is napping peacefully downstairs which allows me a few quiet moments to type this.

We arrived in Spokane, WA after eight relatively easy hours of travel. Sam is really becoming a trooper. He was awesome on the planes. Elise and I had always coveted an aisle seat for ease of escape to the bathroom and access to our various baby items (toys, sippy cups, wipes, etc.), but now Sam is at the age where it is all about the window seat and the view. He got the biggest kick when we boarded the commuter jet in Salt Lake bound for Spokane. It was an outdoor boarding, so we walked out onto the tarmac and up the steps. He couldn't believe we were actually getting on the plane. He might have had seconds thoughts when the plane did a narrow loop around GEG. The color drained from his face. My stomach flip-flopped, and--without going into too much detail--I had excellent reflexes, and Sam had excellent aim. I carried that bag from the plane proudly!

It seems like everyone can complain about spending 2 weeks with their in-laws. Not me. I'm not just saying that because I know they and Elise will read this. It is always a welcome respite in our otherwise harried existences to go to Cheney and do....nothing. Even with Sam, the first few days have been blissfully uneventful. A bucketful of 100 matchbox cars from the mid-70s and a boxful of children's paperbacks in mint condition (not to mention the plastic slide now set up in the middle of the living room and the wading pool out back) greeted Sam. "Puppies are like that!"

We spent our first full day in Spokane. We went to the river park and Sam and I rode the carousel. After the plane ride, I was a little worried about taking Sam spinning in circles. We picked a tiger that wouldn't bounce up and down, but Sam needn't have worried. It was Dad that turned green. He did do the 'all done' hand signal we taught him to excuse himself from the dinner table about halfway through the ride, but he was fine. We both patted our tiger's head when we were done, thanking him for a good ride. Mom got to take Sam down the giant Radio Flyer slide. And we all fed popcorn to the ducks and geese (Sam ate most of his).

The next day we hit the road for Missoula, MT. Missoula reminded me a lot of Boulder, so--in other words--I loved it. Except for something in the air (we think it was dogwood) that gave me my first taste of what life would be like with allergies. I was basically incapacitated for the rest of my stay in Missoula. But that didn't stop Sam from enjoying the mountain air and 'p'zza p'zza' at MacKenzie River Pizza Co. We stocked up on gear from the U of M before heading back to WA and the next leg of our adventure (pictures to follow........)