When I am 23

Torie confidently says, "Montana has always been God's plan for me."

So when God took her to Montana to marry a farmer, Josh and I followed soon after... for a little vacation. 

We left Monday morning at 9:30am, and drove the 11 hours and the 679 miles to the Lake Five Resort in West Glacier, Montana. The Grubbs were there vacationing as it is their family tradition to camp at the Lake the week before harvest. 

This was a week for rejuvenation.

For the Grubbs, it was their calm before the chaos.
For the Warners, it was everything we had been craving.

We played Settlers of Catan, Ticket to Ride, and Nerts. We mini-golfed. We ate pulled pork, steak, and tacos-in-a-bag. We sat around the campfire late at night and sat around the coffee pot early in the morning. 

But the majority of our week was spent out on the boat wake boarding. Garrett was a natural. Torie and I improved. And Josh...well...Josh entertained us all. 

Oh, and did I mention it was my birthday? My 23rd birthday began with huckleberry pancakes at the Huckleberry Patch with Grandpa Glenn and Grandma Peggy, Devra (Garrett's mom), G, T, and J. Grandpa Glenn and Garrett talked about farming, and I smiled because it reminded me so much of how my Dad and Josh sit around the table and talk baseball.











The boys wanted nothing to do with mine and Torie's plans to spend the afternoon antiquing. But Grandma Peggy was thrilled to join Torie and me and she quickly set out to find the best spots for our adventure. She was on a hunt for old schoolhouse items to include in a display at the Conrad Museum. Torie was on a hunt for an old, but working flour-sifter. I was on a hunt for all things Montana.

I could have completely bought out at least 2 of the 5 stores we rummaged, but I left with two prized possessions - a Montana license plate and an old milk can painted turquoise.  I even negotiated my milk can down 7 dollars.  I totally pulled the "It's my birthday" card.

But I think my favorite thing of the week was our early morning hike at Logan's Pass to Hidden Lake. I'll let the pictures do the talking.

I always said I would get married at 23. Well here I finally am at 23, an age I have wished to be for so many years.  I've been married a year already - and even my baby sister is now married.  I'm ahead of the game and that makes me even more excited about 23. It's going to be a good year.  And I started it out the best way I knew how.

Though it wasn't easy accepting the fact that my sister would move away, it has been easy to fall in love with her new home.  Josh and I were so blessed, filled up, and renewed by our time with the Grubbs in Montana- and we hope to make it our tradition too to vacation at Lake Five every year during the week before harvest. Our harvest comes in the form of baseball tournaments - but it's all the same. Lake Five now represents our little slice of heaven, our calm before the chaos - billy-goats, huckleberry pancakes, and sun-freckles included.

I guess Montana has always been God's plan for us too.