Hello, MT!

Last weekend we took a road trip.  We went to Western Montana!  Missoula, MT specifically.  We were going to a college football game.  I have been to Montana many times but I have never been to Missoula and I have also never been to the mountains of Montana in the summer, at least not in my post elementary school memory.  So, even though I am 34 weeks pregnant and some people might be horrified at the idea of travelling, I went ahead and travelled although I was nervous.  I wasn't worried about going into labor early (yeah right!) but I was worried about being uncomfortable in the vehicle on the long drive and having to make everyone else stop for bathroom breaks every 45 minutes.  I've had more enjoyable road trips but it was OK. 

If you have watched the national news lately, you have seen that there are now wildfires burning in the United States and not just Canada like earlier this summer.  Some were burning in northern Montana and many are burning in Idaho.  Looking at the atlas, I realized just how close Missoula is to Idaho. The smoke is in North Dakota and got thicker as we entered Montana and drove west.  By the time we approached the Rocky Mountains we couldn't even see the mountains.  So we didn't see any mountains.  The smoke was very thick in Missoula and you could smell burning in the air.  This is what Missoula looks like: 





Where you see that "M" on the side of the hill is right above the University.  We could see that hill but that's about it.  I'm not exactly sure how close the fires were but I don't think I have ever been that close.  It made the smoke plume from earlier this summer look like nothing.  It would be terrifying to be in the path of that. 

Missoula was a fun city with a vibrant downtown area.  We were looking for a place to eat the evening we arrived and saw the corner of this banner inviting us into the foyer of this place so we had to patronize. 

 

This is the point in pregnancy where I cringe to see photos of myself.  If it's not the wideness and ill fitting clothes it is the puffy face and expanding chin area as exhibited below.

 

The day of the game was my first time wearing my loathed maternity jeans that don't stay up.  It's been too hot so I have not worn any full length pants yet but I just couldn't bring myself to wear yoga pants to the game.  I regretted the decision as soon as I walked to the car from the hotel room and had to hold the pants up as I walked.  Oh, I can't wait to wear zippers and buttons again. 

There were quite a few fans at this game.  Usually visiting fans don't get a parking lot to tailgate in.  They just get a tent next to the home tailgating area. 

Of course, the toilet situation was lacking and there were only three portas for the whole lot.  Fortunately, some enterprising and desperate beer swiller figured out how to get into the nearby campus building by hitting the handicap door opener which opened the door even though they were locked.  Hehehe.  What followed was a parade of hundreds of people coming in and out of that building to use the bathroom.  I'm sure the custodians are baffled today to find empty toilet paper rolls and full garbage cans in the bathroom they left clean on Friday. 

Walking through a campus, even while holding up my pants, is always a thrill for me and makes me nostalgic even if it not where I went to school.  The mix of old and new buildings, landscaping and green lawns are so beautiful.  We passed this building, and some people used the bathroom in it, and I was intrigued by the little pine trees on it.  It is the forestry building and probably one of the oldest buildings on the campus if the original wavy glassed windows are any indication. 

 

I wish I had gone into use the bathroom too!

 

Little trees!

 

The game was OK but we lost...we lost when Montana earned a touchdown with two seconds left on the clock.  It was pretty awkward because the night before all the Montana fans we met around town said that we would probably win because they weren't that good.  Eeeehhhh...During the game the smoke got really thick and we could even see little pieces of ash falling.  Yikes. 

 

Meanwhile back at home the kids were enjoying the weekend with their grandparents.  Justin's mom took Ben to his first movie on Friday!

They went to an afternoon matinee and since school started last week afternoons at animated movies are destined to be slower but they ended up being the only ones in the theater!  They saw Minions and Ben was a good boy and stayed quiet and in his seat the whole movie.  He's such a big boy. 

Here is Ben and Miss Fuzzy Head in their game day clothes.  So cute. 

OK, I have to go on Pinterest and look at skinny people wearing cute outfits to motivate me to face the next six weeks of whale-dom that lay before me. 





Never mind...that's NOT HELPING!