Day in Bozeman -- September 3

We spent a day in Bozeman to see the Museum of the Rockies, which was fun.  We managed to watch a whole show in the planetarium this time.  When we went in 2014, we made it through about 5 minutes.  This show was explaining a theory for where the story of Atlantis came from, a story of a real city that was very advanced for its time that disappeared into the sea after a volcano erupted.  Vivian was excited to tell people that she watched a movie on the ceiling.  

There was an exhibit on the villas of a town near Pompeii, which included some reproduced ancient-style rooms with couches:

Mostly, we were in it for the dinosaur fossils.

  

One part of the dinosaur exhibit focuses on growth, and there is a series of T-Rex skulls on display showing how the animals changed as they got older.

A children's room in the museum is like a tiny Yellowstone National Park, and the girls had the chance to catch a few fish.

Outside is a living history farm house, with volunteers dressed in 19th century outfits.  They were cooking stuffed zucchini when we were there, and it smelled amazing.  Hazel and Vivian liked the children's toys, and also the chickens.  Jane was asleep for almost the whole thing!

Jane's Montana Birthday -- September 2

Jane had a pretty relaxed birthday.  We drove up to Wilsall the day before, stopping in Cody for a nice visit.  Jane wore the same birthday pajamas as Hazel and Vivian before her, just for fun.  We visited a playground in Clyde Park, and picked  up some last minute birthday necessities (candles!).  

We brought the presents that Grandpa Van had mailed up with us, and Jane opened them slowly.  He sent her a set of board books with different colors, and she toted the red one around for a good while.  

The big girls went for a ride with Andrew in Ned and Cindy's new UTV. 

After that, we went for a nice walk. 

We finished up the evening with a very tasty cake, generously made by Great Aunt Cindy.  There are twelve candles, for each of Jane's first twelve months. 

Happy Birthday Jane!

Baby Jane is One! -- September 2

Jane spent her morning climbing up the stairs after Hazel showed her how to do it.  We were in Wilsall, Montana for her birthday this year, visiting Great Uncle Ned and Great Aunt Cindy over the Labor Day weekend.  

She had six teeth on her birthday, two on the top and four on the bottom.   I'm writing this a week after the fact and now she has eight.  She likes to draw with crayons, but sometimes she chews on them instead.  She likes drums, and she will get all of the balls out and roll them around the family room.  She has been climbing the stairs for a few months, and is now a pretty solid walker as long as she's barefoot.  

Jane remains pretty much the most pleasant person we know, she is happy to meet new people, and she is generally content to be with her family.  She makes people smile wherever we go.  She doesn't sit still through church anymore, instead we're in the back going up and down the stairs and investigating whatever might have been left behind by someone else back there.  Jane is just very busy, now that she can walk.  She is also more likely to sit and read a book now, and sometimes the same book more than once.  The most recent one was I Am a Bunny.  Jane likes to flip pages in bigger books, like hymnals or big chapter books.  She also likes to swing, the higher the better.  She is getting adventurous at the playground, trying out slides with the help of her sisters.

Jane can say "Mama" and "Daddy," although Daddy is usually "Hi Daddy," the way Hazel and Vivian say it when Andrew comes home from work.  She can ask to be picked up, she claps, and she will occasionally wave.  Jane likes to put objects into containers, dump them out and start over again.  She likes to wear a purse around the house and talk on the phone.  She also accessorizes with play necklaces, and will sometimes put silly things on her head for a hat.

Baby Jane is so sweet, and we are so grateful for the opportunity to watch her learn and grow, and for all of her sweet baby hugs!

Baby Jane on Day 1

Picnic and another Geocache -- August 27

Geocaching at Blair -- August 23

We set out on a geocaching adventure, with a picnic.  We have been talking about doing this for a while, and finally managed to get it together.  If you're not familiar with geocaching, it's a sort of treasure hunt using a GPS.  People can hide a geocache, and they take down the latitude and longitude and share them on geocaching.com, and then you can go find it!  According to the GPS, we walked about 2,000 feet to find this one today.  Andrew and I had done this same geocache in September, 2008.  That was awhile ago!

Emma is looking regal these days.

The geocache is hiding behind the little rock to the right of the girls (they aren't looking in the right spot yet!)

We left a necklace in the box and Vivian took a Foosball and Hazel took a little doll.  Next time I need to bring extra treasures to put in the cache, so that we don't take more than we leave.

The cache was off the trail a bit, but we found our way just fine.  Hazel and I took turns with the GPS, and we played that we were hobbits trying to destroy the ring.

We stopped for a snack in a tepee, and then made it home again in time for a nap and some quiet time. 

Laundry Baby -- August 17

Vivian and I were making bread dough, and we could hear Jane giggling.  Hazel was pushing her around in laundry basket, and they were having a grand time. Vivian joined in the fun, and there were many giggles.

A Fine Lake -- August 14

This is Meeboer Lake, a reservoir southwest of Laramie, not too far.  Andrew's grandparents sent him home with a canoe this summer, and we took it out for a short paddle.

Jane rode in front.  Her life jacket made it hard for her to sit up, so she lounged a bit. 

Jane also peered into the 6-9 foot deep water.

A good evening activity for the Telanders!

Thank you Grandpa John and Grandma Lou!