Montana

Today, I celebrate 24 years of Randi Leigh Stephens and the beautiful week I got to spend with her a few weeks ago! Happy birthday, Dizzle :)

Big Sky Country... The Treasure State... Whatever you want to call it, people who live in Montana tend to LOVE Montana.

And I can see why!!

Matching big black blob sweats! Our favorite!

About a week and a half after I returned to the States, I was blessed to be able to accompany Caty to Bozeman, Montana for a week-long stay with our sweet friend, Randi Stephens!

Right before they thought I died rock climping... WHOOPS!

 Randi and I played volleyball together for 3 years at Whitworth and she has been such a blessing in my life. Randi is one of the most sincere, laid-back, genuinely joy-filled people that I know. Sometimes it takes a little bit to dig past her outer shell, but once you get her laughing with her mom, cheering me on when I'm driving a stick-shift, or reminiscing over volleyball memories with me, you can see it come out plain and clear.

Getting this time in Bozeman was such a blessing. I have been trying to get out there for two summers now, and it just hasn't worked out... Either I was working, Randi was helping her sister move into her dorm, I didn't have a car, or something else came up... But finally, God provided the perfect opportunity to get a week of good, quality Randi time... And it came at the perfect time!

The week started off with a 12-hour drive from Seattle to Bozeman with me, Caty, Randi, and Randi's mom Susan. Thankfully, with the right company 12 hours can seem pretty short! We were greeted with this beautiful rainbow at our last pit stop in Butte on our way.

A Sunday morning church service, breakfast at different downtown restaurants, visits to friends, coffee dates and walks in the park, Farmers Market visits, hikes, rock climbing adventures, a trip to  Yellowstone (with moose, deer, bear, antelope, and bison sightings!), seeing the classroom where Randi teaches, games of Who-What-Where, cribbage matches, embarrassingly bad games of Holy Board, attempts at teaching me to drive a stick-shift, evenings watching the Bachelorette and Big Bang Theory... The whole week was a beautiful, laid-back Montana experience. Randi, I hope you have had a beautiful Austrian birthday and are being celebrated so well with you family.

Happy birthday, Dizz!