Lakehouse: Christmas in Montana

Christmas in Montana

We made overly-complicated Christmas travel plans:

• Ginger planned to drive to Montana by herself (and Clementine) while Stephen flew to meetings in Hawaii. 
• Then, Ginger flew to Hawaii to go house-hunting while Nick and Mandy watched Clementine.
• On Christmas eve, we both returned to Montana for family time
• Then drove home together

Mandy wrote Ginger a semi-terrifying advice list for driving over the mountains in winter conditions:

If only one lane is plowed, stay in the lane, forget that there is a passing lane. It's acceptable to forgo highway speeds and travel town speeds when the roads are bad. IF THERE IS SNOW/ICE ON THE ROAD, DO NOT USE CRUISE CONTROL. Trudy spun through multiple lanes on Airport road because she did not know this concept.

Travel list 

• The blanket I sent
• sleeping bag
• window ice scraper
• hat (not just a ear band, most body heat escapes from the head)
• gloves
• scarf
• wear your coat while driving (in an accident, you may not be conscious to put one on)
• snow boots
• hand warmers (they are sold in almost any sporting goods or hardware store around here) 
• extra bottled water and snacks
• First Aid kit

If you have them:

• camping shovel 
• cell phone battery pack (otherwise just keep your phone plugged in while traveling so that you are always charged)
• pocket knife (for seatbelt cutting)

Driving Safety Tips
MT road conditions map

ID road conditions map

WA road conditions map
WA Snoqualmie Pass 

The roads were fine on the trip out. Ginger left much later than expected, worrying about what was acceptable for the tires. Stephen recently put new wheels on his car, and the chains we purchased did not fit! However, the tires were rated for snow and ice, so eventually she left without chains. She didn't make to to Missoula the first night, and booked a hotel in Spokane. She took a nice break for lunch in Missoula the next day, and still arrived in Billings an hour after sunset. 

11 1/2 inches at the parent's house

We visited Gramma Pearl at her independent living apartment. They had a Santa Lucia Day party, with some ladies from Norway and Sweden sharing stories about their family traditions. They served extra strong coffee and sweet rice pudding. Ginger is sitting by Pearl's cousin Ethel, who recently moved into the complex. Pearl is almost all deaf, and Ethel is almost all blind, but they are keeping good company for each other and helping each other out.

 

We went for a snowy day walk near her complex.

 

Nancy helped Ginger out with a sewing project she'd been unable to complete at home. (coming up below!) Ron repaired the machine when we had a few little problems- sewing on a stretchy fabric is difficult!

 

Mandy and Nick served at their Christmas eve service at First UMC, while the rest of us drove to Laurel where Ron has been leading the congregation since October. 

Christmas Eve service at Laurel United Methodist Church

Then, we attend First Church on Christmas day and got to see more family:

Stephanie and Ryan came for Christmas, and baby Alexis was baptized.

 Everyone had dinner at the Lee's.

Kristian's Baby Shower

Danyon planned the most lovely baby shower for her sister we've ever seen. A local art studio, Gestalt Studios, hosts parties and provides art supplies. The nursery theme, "Journey to the Moon" let to the creative idea of each person painting a different planet which became little journals. 

The event was also a lovely reunion with our friend Shannon, her mother Sherry, Kristian's mother-in-law Gwen, and Kristian's childhood teachers.

 Ginger didn't do a planet, but made the Milky Way.

All our artwork, and the cake decorated by Ginger.

Ginger made a baby onesie with phases of the moon. (Nancy helped a lot!)

 While opening presents, Danyon got to feel the baby kick

(Baby Ellis was born January 21!)

Travels

Ginger spent a night in Minneapolis before flying to Hawaii. (The alternative would have been a night in CA, and it's more fun to visit family!) We've had so many random visits with them, that when Ginger called, they answered saying, "Are you stuck in Minneapolis and need a place to stay?" :D 

Ginger got to meet their little grandson, Garrett. Dominika has turned her life around to be a good mom. She graduated high school and is working in child care. She hopes to learn more about working with kids with special needs. Ginger didn't get to see Lucas this trip, but his parents are happy about how much he's been pursuing his relationship with Jesus. 

We had time to attend their church before Ginger's flight to HI. Vicki and Dominika work in the church child-care center. Vicki joked a lot about how she didn't know anything about babies before becoming a grandmother, so they both worked hard to learn new things when Dominika was expecting. When Steve gave Ginger a ride to the airport it was -25 degrees outside. It was a weird transition to arrive in 75 degree Hawaii!

We spent New Year's with John and Gloria. 

 On our drive home was quite a bit more dramatic than Ginger's solo drive there. We left Billings early, with gusting wind, snow, and icy roads, but didn't realize until Columbus that I-90 was closed.

(They had white-out conditions and several fatalities that morning!) We returned to Billings and drove north on route 3, with fairly good roads all the way.

Clementine accidentally took Camry's spot on the couch. Camry had feelings about that.

Merry Christmas to all!