The Montana Memoirs, Chapter One

We took nearly 500 pictures last week. I decided that during this first post I would tell you were we stayed and who we were with.

We feel incredibly blessed that this was our home for the week (pardon the blurriness. I took this from the boat). We got to stay in the new guest cottage (the house on the left) and our hosts, The House's, stayed in the original cottage (on the right with the large picture window).

It's such a happy and charming place...
This was our host's first car. The house is actually on a cherry orchard, so we got to eat fresh picked cherries all week. The deer are always just hanging out in the yard. Check out their cute white spots...
Here's a portion of the view from the lakefront....who wouldn't want to live here? Check out how clear and clean the water is. You can easily see 20 feet down. This is Flathead Lake in Montana, by the way. The pebble beaches were really beautiful- so many colors.
Sidenote, but this house is built for hosting families. What hostess wouldn't love a dinner barn? You can't see very well from my picture (sorry, should've edited it), but there is a large counter in the back where you can serve everything buffet style- plugs for crock pots and all.
This house is also equipped for fun times and activities...
We had a blast: basketball, volleyball, badminton, jet skis, kayaks, canoes, paddleboats, a floating green you can chip at (if you'll don a wet suit to retrieve your balls, see below), and a massive slip and slide nearly the length of a football field...

(The weather was this gorgeous all week, by the way. Highs in the mid-eighties, lows in the mid-fifties- dreamy)
We also just enjoyed time reading on the awesome dock. Here's Sadie and her Papa.

Sunset cruises were in order...

As well as lakefront s'mores...
We had so much fun with Stephen's family, and can't thank the House's enough for having us (pictured below on the right, my sweet in-law's on the left)
Here's our whole gang on our first trip to Glacier National Park (can you say GORGEOUS?)...which is my teaser for my next post. I'll be back soon with pictures from our time in Glacier. The Montana tourism board is going to need to cut me a check for all the marketing I'm going to do for their state. I'm kind of obsessed. It was so beautiful and so green- wildflowers everywhere. Stunning...

See you soon with more...