Billings to Great Falls

 After saying goodbye I headed out through central Montana to get to Great Falls. My good friend, Wendi, lives there and I was really looking forward to visiting with her for a couple of days. Central Montana is farm country and this year it is green and gold and beautiful because of the rain they've had. Just a few pictures along the way.

 

The Garneill Monument is dedicated to the pioneers of Ubet which was located in the "gap" between the Big Snowy Mountains and the Little Belt Mountains.

 

Had a wonderful visit with Wendi. We went to Rib and Chop House for dinner cause a hamburger really sounded good. Take a good look at this one (it was Wendi's).

Left Friday to Helena. My sister and her hubby just moved into a senior living apartment. This has been a really big adjustment for them. Definitely not enough room for their stuff. But it sure was good to see them. Don is really doing great. He fell and broke his hip back in June at his 90th birthday party. You'd never know it.

Their apartment is a two bedroom, two bath place. Not very large but cozy. They have a fridge but not really a kitchen. No stove or oven. Very little cupboard space. They eat three meals a day in the dining room. This is not an assisted living place. If you need help, you have to hire someone to come in and help out. But they do come in once a week to change the bed and wash the sheets which is nice. 

Their apartment is the corner on the third floor.

Judy's son, Wade, and part of his family came from Idaho to spend some time with Judy and Don. So she got to see grandkids and great grands. They have a beautiful family.

I spent Labor Day Weekend in Helena but on Monday morning it was time for me to start the trek south. My recliner is calling me.

Goodbye For Now Elias

This whole goodbye thing is not easy. I won't be seeing the kids until next year and by then, there will be a fourth member of their family. I am really grateful for the technology that allows us to visit with face time. I so love hearing grammie grammie. But I have spent more than enough time in their home and lives. I really did not plan on moving in with them. So one last post of pictures.

Lola

Look at those eyelashes. I am so jealous.

Haircut - before and after

  

Fair Time

 

I love you guys so much. Thank you for everything.

HELP

 Can anybody tell me why I'm getting over 3,000 hits on my blog and what can I do about it? 

 

70 Years of Good Friends

 Still in Billings. But getting ready to move on.

I've spent most of my time in Billings getting to know Elias and comparing some of his ways with his Dad's at that age. Some ways alike, some very different.

However, I did do a couple of other things. I got a text from Renee, one of my high school classmates, asking if I had some free time to meet up with her and some other girlfriends from high school. I said sure, just let me know when and where. Renee was able to round up Nina, Karen, and Lynn and we met at a Starbucks. 

From the left - Renee, Me, Karen, Lynn and Nina 

There are so many people I've met along this life's journey and I wouldn't recognize them. And yet, my school mates from Sidney, MT are all in that part of my brain that still contains memories.  We had so much fun catching up and sharing events from high school. These people live in Billings and so they do see each other occasionally. I loved their Rule #1. They have Organ Time. Everybody is given a few minutes to talk about everything that is wrong with their health and then they don't talk about it again. As we get older, health does play a large part of our lives but life is more than just that.

I showed up with Sidney the eagle. Our high school mascot is the eagle and I happen to have one that I travel with. Lynn and Nina  in the picture.

 I also got a phone call from my friend, Vaughn. He's been my friend for over 50 years now. He was wondering where I was because he was trying to figure out how we could get together. He lives in Glendive, MT. Found out he was going to a funeral in Hardin and then to Helena to visit friends. He will come through Billings on his way home, so we made arrangements to meet at the Temple and go through a session together. Such a special way to share our friendship.

 Billings LDS Temple

 Vaughn

There are some really well done murals throughout the town. I managed to get these thanks to Todd.

Many wild turkeys wandering around the neighborhood. Trying to stay cool in the shade.

Like I said, most of my time was spent with Elias. Just what Grammie likes best. Looking at his baby pictures on my phone.

 

Heat and Grandkid

Billings, MT is under a heat advisory. The temperature will reach 101 degrees. Not normal but becoming more so each year. Thankful the kids' air conditioning works great.

Do you know how much energy a 2 1/2 year old human has? Holy Tornado!! He wears me out. But we play with cars a lot which I can do sitting down. We also play kick ball and catch but I don't last very long. They also have two dogs and two cats to make things even more exciting.  

I am so thrilled that I am going to be a grandma again. And I know Grandma Mary Beth is as excited as I am. Now we just have to wait awhile to find out whether it's a boy or a girl. Either is fine with me. 

This post is mostly going to be pictures. So enjoy.  (I started this post several days ago, so temperatures are more back to normal.)

Bruce and Elias checking out the neighborhood.

Todd and Elias

One day Michaela, Elias and I headed over to the Trampoline Park to wear him out a little bit.

Bruce and Elias

Todd, Lola and Elias

Michaela and Bruce

This is the desk/seat that his Grandma Mary Beth found for him. 

I have more pictures but they will be for future blog posts. 

WE INTERRUPT THIS BLOG FOR A VERY IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

 Another announcement will be made hopefully in September as to gender. 

Tooth Saga or Why I'm Still in Billings

Still in Billings

Okay. Time to get the blog in Billings. The drive from Casper to Billings is an easy one. All interstate which is in pretty good shape. The rest of this post is pretty boring for most of you, but I really want to have this information for my own reference. 

 One of the first things I did was to make an appointment with Todd's dentist at Moritz Dental.  They were able to get me in two days later. I thought he would have to pull what was left of my tooth and then my dentist in AJ would have to figure how to fix it. It was a canine tooth in the top right. He took a couple of x-rays and determined that he may be able to save the tooth with a crown. In looking at the x-rays he determined that the tooth next to it also had decay and needed a crown. This would work out really well because it would be one crown that fit two teeth. I was really happy to know that the tooth could be saved. 

I also mentioned to Dr. Moritz that I was scheduled to have three teeth crowned on the upper left in October. He had them take an x-ray of those teeth and agreed with my dentist. He then took a good look at my partial (he is very thorough) and did not like the way it set in my mouth. And I 100% agree with him on that. I have had several adjustments made to this partial and it still doesn't fit correctly. So he offered me a cost deal that I couldn't turn down. He would do the four crowns I needed and make me a new partial for not much more than it was going to cost me for three crowns in AJ. 

I was surprised to learn that he uses a 3D printer to make the temporary crowns. I was really impressed at how well made they were and how perfectly they fit. The permanent crowns would be ready in a week and at that time they would scan my lower teeth for the partial. A week later everything went really well. The permanent crowns needed very little adjustment and the scan was done. I was told it would take about two weeks for the partial.

It is now four weeks later and I still don't have my partial yet. I called the office and Tracey, who is really friendly and efficient, called the lab to check on it for me. The only thing they could tell her was that it would be ready any day now. So here I am still waiting. 

I really had not planned on moving in with my kids but it has about worked out that way. I am definitely getting to know my grandson really well. I get to babysit when Michaela goes to work. She works part-time at a painting studio. Elias and I have reached the point where he no longer cries when she leaves for work and he is just fine with staying with me. More about him in the next post (and lots of pictures). I'll let you know if and when I ever get a partial. I will move on shortly after that time towards Helena and visiting with my sister and brother-in-law.