A Montana Recap.

Hi Amy!

I loved our impromptu hiatus too. So needed. As you know, I was in Montana, and a week without the glare of the computer was called for. It was so refreshing. But more on that in a minute.

First of all, I'm sorry that you guys couldn't go anywhere. I'm pretty sure I know why, and let me just say, BS. You guys deserve a nice vacation. I'm just saying. Maybe to Europe. Germany maybe.

The cabin.

What did you do to your shoulder friend?! Was it Christmas tree hunting related? Actually, do you guys do real trees or have a fake one? I went against my better judgement this year and got another real one, and man. I wish I would have done a fake one. Harry has done nothing but pull the lights off the tree and put them in his mouth or around his neck (yikes!) and the pine needles have all but killed my vacuum.

View from the top of the hill. Heaven, right?

So yes, Harry and I trekked up to Montana for the week. How do I describe the week? Let's just say I cried like a baby in the Atlanta airport on the way home. It was especially hard for me to leave that place. First of all, mountains are magic to me. Cold, crisp air is my drug. The snow is what I dream about.

My sister and Harry (top) and my dad (bottom).

And the cabin. Oh, it was a dream. So cozy and warm (heated by two wood stoves!) and ridiculously cute. My dad and stepmom did so much of the work to make this place beautiful… they turned a garage into a living room with sleeping lofts, a bathroom a millions times prettier than mine at home, and mudroom, and a bedroom with Burtons hanging on every wall. It was the absolute best place to spend Christmas, and I'm telling you, everything reminded me of Jon. Weird, huh? He's never been there.

Harry's reaction to the snow was priceless. So confused, so we got a blank stare. Then he discovered how great it was, and we weren't so crazy anymore.

Aside from the mountains and the cabin, it was so wonderful spending time with my family. As we all get older I am really realizing that they really are my best friends. They are so much fun to be around and probably the only group of people I'll play Apples to Apples with. And Harry loved every second. He got way too many dates and blueberries and even skipped his nap due to the chocolate chip pancakes he had that morning, but nothing is cooler in his book than sitting on Uncle Dylan's lap.

I mean, that view.

The second half of the week we headed to Big Sky for the boarders, and our hotel was a dream. Seriously, outside our window was the peak. People skied and boarded right passed all day long. Big Sky is amazing and even as a non-skier I loved it. I even got a pedicure. Sparkly gold, thank you very much.

This was right outside our ski-in, ski-out hotel.

So yes, it was an amazing trip. I wasn't ready for the end and it came too quickly, but here we are sitting right at the precipice of the best month of the year. I've got a pretty big birthday to celebrate in about a week (speaking of which, I had better get started on Harry's teepee!), a homecoming that I have been waiting five months for, and a laid back 27th birthday at the end of the month.

Can you believe it's 2014?! What are your plans / hopes / dreams this year? Any vacations on the horizon?

Cheers to you my friend.
Mallory