Baby goats and Gilbert the Green Van

Aren't you glad it's summer? So am I. As I sit here snuggled in my warm blanket, playing words with friends with grandma, watching mystery detective shows on tv, I can't help but think about the past week since I have been in Montana. 

Whenever I visit my grandparents, I am always reminded by how small the towns are and how BIG the sky is! As Grandma and I have been on different errands this week I have been taking in all my surroundings so I do not get lost when I start driving Gilbert, my dodge caravan (AKA my soccer mom car). When you get off of Conn Rd, the street my grandparents live on, you have to turn right for Whitefish and left for Kalispell. Grandma and I have been in the habit of pointing out all the landmarks of places we have been when we drive by. Like Montana coffee traders, the car repair shop, and the chiropractor. 

On the way home today we picked up Gilbert and I drove 60 on the highway for the FIRST time, I know I know, but give me a little break, I haven't had a car for the past three years at SLO and I didn't drive that much in high school! Also, it started raining too! After putting on my right blinker and probably confusing the cars around me, I found the wipers! Then when I got home I saved about five or six christian and country song stations. I had so much joy when I got home, which cracked me up because I couldn't figure out why I was so happy. Then I realized, I am 22 years old and I finally have my very OWN car. It just makes me happy! 

Grandma and Grandpa have 26 baby goats at the moment and two of them we have to be bottle feed because they came are twins or triplets and their mom doesn't have enough milk for all of them! So three times I day, Mama Whit gets to feed them fresh milk from a bottle! They love me! There is another really tiny one who is a triplet and she won't drink her Mama's milk or milk from the bottle, that's why she is so tiny. Grandma thinks she might die... that makes me super sad. I really adore these goats. I don't know why, but I think they are just another example of how big this world is and how precious God's creatures are. Not only did He make you and me, but he made those 26 baby goats and he loves them! 

I look around at the green hills and blue skies and thunderstorms here and I can't help but be reminded at how God is such a talented painter. I have been reminded how different Montana is from California and then I just realized how so many places in the world are different, but beautiful in their own way. It's such an overwhelming thought to me that God created everything so different. What an artist. I love it. 

In two weeks I get to meet a family that I am hopefully going to be nannying for, for a week. It is for a family who lives in Colorado, but who are visiting Montana. I kept reminding myself that leaving for Montana would be an adventure even if I did not have a job this summer. I knew that God had the plan no matter what. And now I find out that I have this job opportunity, God is just so good and he knows what I need! 

I feel so blessed. So happy that I have such wonderful friends, so happy that I can be in MT this summer, and so happy to rest from the roller coaster of a year I had. The adventure is wonderful, especially when you  know sometimes you just need to take a leap of faith, one day at a time. 

Mama Whit (This will make sense if you are a goat or one of my Muir girls)

Sunday Morning

It's Sunday morning and I am sitting on the couch, drinking my morning huckleberry coffee (thanks Grandma!), eating oatmeal, and praise music is coming out of the ihome flowing through the room. 

"Bless the Lord, oh my soul, ohhh my soul. Worship His Holy name. Sing like never before. Oh my soul, worship your Holy name." 

It's a peaceful morning and it reminds me of home. Two weeks of school left. Dead week and finals. I get to babysit a little boy named Nikita this week! I am so excited! 

What a year it has been and how fast time went by. As I think about being in Montana this summer, I feel so much joy in my heart. I am so excited to help Grandma and Grandpa out on the ranch! I love the country life! Right now they have 36 new baby goats that are being bottle fed! How exciting is that!! I keep thinking about all the hilarious instagram posts and snap chats that I'm going to send out this summer! I have so many memories from this ranch and those animals. Despite the two online summer school classes I have, I know that the summer is going to be so relaxing. I think I really need it after this year. 

"I want to know you, I want to hear your voice, I want to know you more. I want to touch you, I want to see your face, I want to know you more."

Summer is SO close. We just have to keep working hard a little bit longer. You know, I just love my classes so much. You know when that happens that you really picked the right major. I am so blessed my the girls (and Ryan) in my major and so blessed by the leadership. You know you are loved when you enter the Liberal Studies office and Dr. Berber says, "Whitney is here again!" and when you leave Loni says she loves you. That is pretty special. 

"Wipe the dirt off my face, hold me in your embrace, your love always saves the day." 

Yesterday while babysitting with Paige, I played "monster" and "giant" with some pretty cute and pretty crazy little boys. I was really tired and really frustrated with linguistics yesterday and to tell you the truth, I really didn't wanted to go. But children just have a way of reminding me that sometimes everything else doesn't matter. In that moment when I was chasing them around their backyard, they mattered. They were important. And linguistics wasn't. All it really took was Paige to say, "Go play with them Whit, you love it, just have fun." 

"My God is mighty to save, He is mighty to save. Forever, author of salvation, He rose and conquered the grave, Jesus conquered the grave." 

Life is life. School is school. I was texting Alissa the other day, feeling very frustrated with school and feeling like I wasn't (won't) get Dean's List. Alissa so reminded me that I am worth SO much more than school. And God loves me so very much for me just being me. I am so blessed by people in my life who can give me those reminders, especially Alissa. 


"You are more than the choices that you make, you are more than the summer of past mistakes, you are more than the problems you create. You've been remade." 

Paigie just texted me and said Mission: "To complete Whitney's quilt before Montana." Oh my goodness that would be SO great. I want to finish it so badly and I want to show it to Grandma! And I want to snuggle in it! That reminds me of something I said at camp last summer, 

"Snuggles? That's my husband's name!" - Cuddles 

The rest of the summer, my coworkers would say, "What's your husband's name, Cuddles?" And I would yell, "Snuggles!" 

You know we would make a great pair ;) 

"Shout to the north and the south, sing to the east and west, Jesus is Savior to all, Lord of Heaven and earth." 

It's now 11:07am and I am still in my pajamas with crazy, curly, wild, hair on top of my head. I need to take a shower, finish my kine homework, read my child development book, and then maybe start some moving out packing of my room! Blogging, coffee, and praise music, i need to start my mornings out like this more often! 

Now, it's time for another adventure! Look out Sunday, Whitney is ready! But more especially, look out dead week and finals! Cuddles is coming for ya! 

xoxoxo, 

Cudds (thinking about you Shell! :)